Where We Be
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| Chamonix: Aiguille du Midi |
Thinking about doing the Tour du Mont Blanc
(TMB) but wondering if it might be too hard for
you? Here's an alternative: Base yourself in
Chamonix for one week and use the Mont Blanc
Multipass to explore many of the same trail
systems -- but with the help of every cable car,
gondola, cog railway, and tramway in the area.
The cost of the Multipass is €180 for 7 days (as
of 2026) and gives you access to around 20
major lifts spread across multiple areas in the
Chamonix Valley. We absolutely loved our one
week in Chamonix and used the Multipass daily
to explore different parts of the Mont Blanc
massif. These webpages will give you an idea of
just how much you can see and do in one week.
Let's start with THE most popular thing to do in
Chamonix during the summer: the Aiguille du
Midi ("noon needle"). Just one round-trip ride
on this two-cable-car system would run you €83,
but it's "free" with the Multipass -- and you can
do it more than once (we did!). The cable cars
bring you from Chamonix at 3,400 feet to a high
peak at 12,605 feet. Up here a series of terraces
built into the cliffs gives you incredible closeup
views of Mont Blanc, its massive glaciers, and
the surrounding Alps. It's as close as you can
get to Mont Blanc without actually climbing it.
An elevator inside the rocky spire itself brings
you even higher. Views from up here will easily
rival anything you could see or do on the TMB --
and with virtually no effort on your part.
(TMB) but wondering if it might be too hard for
you? Here's an alternative: Base yourself in
Chamonix for one week and use the Mont Blanc
Multipass to explore many of the same trail
systems -- but with the help of every cable car,
gondola, cog railway, and tramway in the area.
The cost of the Multipass is €180 for 7 days (as
of 2026) and gives you access to around 20
major lifts spread across multiple areas in the
Chamonix Valley. We absolutely loved our one
week in Chamonix and used the Multipass daily
to explore different parts of the Mont Blanc
massif. These webpages will give you an idea of
just how much you can see and do in one week.
Let's start with THE most popular thing to do in
Chamonix during the summer: the Aiguille du
Midi ("noon needle"). Just one round-trip ride
on this two-cable-car system would run you €83,
but it's "free" with the Multipass -- and you can
do it more than once (we did!). The cable cars
bring you from Chamonix at 3,400 feet to a high
peak at 12,605 feet. Up here a series of terraces
built into the cliffs gives you incredible closeup
views of Mont Blanc, its massive glaciers, and
the surrounding Alps. It's as close as you can
get to Mont Blanc without actually climbing it.
An elevator inside the rocky spire itself brings
you even higher. Views from up here will easily
rival anything you could see or do on the TMB --
and with virtually no effort on your part.
| An evening stroll through town gives us the chance to see the restaurants and stores all beautifully lit |
| We also celebrate our time in Chamonix with French onion soup and a pint at Le Tablee |
| Cafe Marie Blachere near our Airbnb becomes one of our favorite hangouts, with quiche lorraine to die for |
| Back in Chamonix, we celebrate with a little walk through town |
| Truly an impressive feat of engineering |
| Back down on the main viewing platforms |
| Intrepid explorers venturing out onto the snow fields |
| Looking down on the outside corridor that connects the lower viewing platforms to the "elevator spire" |
| One last look around before heading down |
| The Summit Terrace -- as high as you can go (left image is from the first day, right image the second) |
| The elevator is carved directly into the solid granite rock spire, lifting you the final ~200 feet to the ultimate top viewing terrace at 3,842 meters (12,605 feet) |
| Glorious views of the snow fields surrounding Mont Blanc. The little dot above these words is a person with his tent. |
| “Step Into the Void” -- a glass box at the top of the spire that tests your comfort with heights (and technology) |
| Visitors wear oversize slippers to keep the glass pristine. We recommend getting here early to minimize wait times. |
| View of the main observation platforms at Aiguille du Midi as seen from above -- from the "elevator spire" that takes you even higher |
| As we walked out onto the viewing platforms, these were our first views as the sun rose over the mountains |
| Climb aboard a gondola with 65 of your new best friends and prepare for a ride that will knock your socks off. The second stage in particular will leave you breathless. |
| This is where your journey begins -- at the "Telepherique Aiguille du Midi" base station |
| The Aiguille du Midi is an astonishing feat of engineering that gives you matchless views of the Mont Blanc massif |
| We got even better views of Mont Blanc when we rode up a second time the very next day -- a picture-perfect day |
| Zooming in on the summit of Mont Blanc |
| Our turn! |
