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Self-Guided Chamonix Tour: Explore Aiguille du Midi or Mer de Glace at Your Leisure
3.3
33 Ratings
Genève
Embark on a self-guided tour of Chamonix Mont Blanc and explore the stunning Aiguille du Midi or Mer de Glace at your own pace. Choose from multiple departure times and enjoy the freedom to explore the picturesque village of Chamonix. Optional cable car or cogwheel train available.
Embark on a self-guided tour of Chamonix Mont Blanc and explore the stunning Aiguille du Midi or Mer de Glace at your own pace. Choose from multiple departure times and enjoy the freedom to explore the picturesque village of Chamonix. Optional cable car or cogwheel train available.
Duration:
10 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- KeyTours S.A. - Exchange your ticket at Keytours Office just in front the Bus station - You will receive some details on your trips, also a map and the tickets for the activities (if option selected)
- Aiguille du Midi - If Option Selected - Cable car Aiguille du Midi : Ride up the cable car and discover a spectacular panoramic view of the…
- KeyTours S.A. - Exchange your ticket at Keytours Office just in front the Bus station - You will receive some details on your trips, also a map and the tickets for the activities (if option selected)
- Aiguille du Midi - If Option Selected - Cable car Aiguille du Midi : Ride up the cable car and discover a spectacular panoramic view of the Chamonix Valley and the French, Swiss and Italian Alps at 3842m! On a clear day, you may even see the Mattherhorn, the famous Swiss peak and icon of Switzerland – it’s even found on packages of delicious Toblerone chocolate
- Montenvers - Mer de Glace Train - If option Selected - You will also have the opportunity to board the charming red cog railway up to Montenvers, you’ll enjoy fabulous views of Mer de Glace. This magnificent glacier is 4 miles (7km) long and averages just under a mile wide. Surrounded by the impressive summits of Les Drus, Les Grandes Jorasses and Les Grands Charmoz, The Montenvers site is a natural living witness of climate change of our era. It offers several visits including the crystal gallery or the Glaciorium, a new space entirely dedicated to the glaciers from their birth, to present and to the future. Depending on the period, it is also possible to visit the ice caves carved into the Glacier.
- Mont Blanc - Enjoy a free time for souvenir shopping in the village before getting back on the bus at 5 pm. If you take both options, you will have a late return from Chamonix at 6:30pm and be back in Geneva at approximately 7:45pm.
What's Included
- Mountain train to Mer de Glace (optional)
- Panoramic Alpine views
- Cable car ride to Aiguille du Midi or Brévent (optional)
- Comfortable air-conditioned transport
- Explore the charming village of Chamonix Mont Blanc
- Mountain train to Mer de Glace (optional)
- Panoramic Alpine views
- Cable car ride to Aiguille du Midi or Brévent (optional)
- Comfortable air-conditioned transport
- Explore the charming village of Chamonix Mont Blanc
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Guide
- Food and drinks
- Guide
Additional Information
Not enthusiastic about early morning journeys? Whether you have a flight to catch or are just not an early bird, this self-guided trip to Chamonix Mont Blanc is made for you. Enjoy the flexibility of multiple departure times for better time management.
Get ready to marvel at Europe’s pinnacle, Chamonix and Mont Blanc, located in the French Alps. We…
Not enthusiastic about early morning journeys? Whether you have a flight to catch or are just not an early bird, this self-guided trip to Chamonix Mont Blanc is made for you. Enjoy the flexibility of multiple departure times for better time management.
Get ready to marvel at Europe’s pinnacle, Chamonix and Mont Blanc, located in the French Alps. We depart for the mountain from Chamonix Mont Blanc at 8:15 am, 10:30 am or 12:30 pm from the Geneva bus stop. Be prepared to be enchanted by the stunning alpine vistas on your journey.
On reaching the charming village of Chamonix, you’ll have ample free time to explore the quaint, winding streets at your own pace, taking in the invigorating mountain air.
You also have the option of enhancing your trip with a cable car ride or a mountain cogwheel train journey.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Not recommended for child under 3 years for the cable car
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
- Not recommended for pregnant women for the cable car
- Please note that if you take the Aiguille du Midi and Mer de Glace options, you will be provided with a multipass. Multipass which gives access to all the facilities of the Mont Blanc company. If you use this Multipass for a single activity, it will be considered by the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc as used and cannot be refunded if the other activities are closed. The Mont Blanc company offers alternative activities but does not authorize refunds of the multipass.
Location
Gare routière
Place Dorcière
There is a sign for excursion at the geneva bus station, our office is also situated just across on the 8 rue François Bonivard. The bus has the name of the tour with the brand Swisstours on it.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
3.3
(33 Ratings)
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1 star
Dannysg702ty
Dec 29, 2023
Incredible views!! Make the time for Aiguille du Midi!! - My wife and I went on our own via cablecar up to top of Aiguille du Midi... It was an amazing few hours of looking down at all the mountains and watching off piste skiers as little specs below our vantage point... would not miss it...
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Francesca_p
Oct 8, 2022
Loved it so much. Highly... - Loved it so much. Highly recommend. It is a must especially if you want to spend a day in a beautiful village and seethe Alpsj
Review provided by Viator
Rabi_a
Jul 13, 2022
Worth a visit barring a few glitches ! - The views and scenery from Chamonix & Aiguille du Midi is absolutely stunning and picturesque. Temp at Aiguille du Midi was around 3⁰C in July 2022 and needed a light jacket. Beautiful views and plenty of phot ops.
However, the cable car ride (two for ascent and descent each) needs a lot to be desired. Absolutely uncomfortable for 40+ pax to be stuffed into one cable car. No regard to C19 precautions; more than half of pax unmasked ! Poor show.
Toilets available at the top as well - a word of caution for men (pls sit and empty gently or else U may feel dizzy at that level of hypoxia; I'm a medical doctor!).
The walk to Montenvers station for cog wheel train to Mer de Glace is atleast 15-20min (not 5min as per the info leaflet) with poor signage. We had to rely on Google maps.
Also the visit to ice-caves at Mer de Glace needs walk down and up (550 steps each way) which is quite arduous for somebody out of shape.
There is no info on the need to walk these steps either at Montenvers station nor in the info leaflet ! Most of our fellow pax were taken by surprise about this.
We took under 20min to climb the 550 steps up.
The ice views inside Mer de Glace pale in comparison to Jungfraujoch and are probably not worth the physical effort. If U haven't been to Jungfraujoch, then pls do it by all means.
Lastly, be wary of the time factor. We had to scurry back in order to not miss the last train (5.30pm) only to find huge serpentine queues there.
Overall, 4/5 rating. Mer de Glace was OK/average. Views from Aiguille du Midi well worth the money.
Good Luck.
Review provided by Viator
Jeffrey
Nov 22, 2022
Know what is open during the time you intend to travel. - Chamonix and Mont Blanc are beautiful, and I recommend seeing them.
Unfortunately, we were never told that the gondola, the train, and much of the town was closed while we were visiting. We were dropped off at 11:30 a.m. and told the bus was leaving at 5:15 p.m., and then started wandering through a largely locked up town.
The Office of Tourism in Chamonix was very helpful. We were able to walk 2 KM to Les Prez, and take its gondola up the ski slopes. We also ate at Josephine, which was phenomenal.
Overall, it was beautiful, and many stores began to open in the afternoon. Just make sure to look at the time of year you go, and what will be open when you get there. Apparently, mid-November to mid-December is not the best time to visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Priscilla_y
Mar 1, 2020
MontBlanc Chamonix - Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate for the cable car to Mont Blanc so we were taken to Brevent to ride the cable cars to view the glacier from there. The problem was that the local guide barely explained the situation and then gave vague instructions for getting up the mountain to another cable car, how to get to the train and a different meeting place to leave. We never saw her again all day. If you knew the area the places she pointed to on the map would be clear but we actually got lost. This is an independent tour, which is fine, but clearer information is needed up front about where to meet, going to the tour office (not the bus station), and better explanation of itinerary changes. That being said, the views were spectacular!
Review provided by Viator
Riya_k
Oct 31, 2022
Wasn't worth it for the money - Not worth the money. Bus driver not friendly and no option to book train. The trip is too long the cable car is too packed
Review provided by Viator
Tuppycarnie
Oct 22, 2022
Horrible horrible stay away - Tour operator did not show up. Tried to ask for help and customer service was ineffective. Attempted to get money back and asked for refund and gave said no. Working with credit card company now. Just horrible waste of money and didn’t get anything that was promised. Had to buy another ticket to go up the gondola. Stay away from this tour and company. I wish I could give zero stars.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chidamber_k
Sep 18, 2022
Unhappy with viator and tour operator - The tour operator was uncoperative and viator response time is not good enough for emergencies. Sad!
Review provided by Viator
723borisr
Apr 15, 2022
Guide MIA - The views of Alps were gorgeous. The tour guide (Niel) was MIA - when we asked for his phone number (just in case) - “can’t do that as my phone is not working here” 🤬 Really? Everyone from the bus had a decent service there.
We would have a better piece of mind regarding transportation if would we choose it ourselves.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
132ankitab
Mar 1, 2020
Great place, but don't take this tour to come here - Although the trip says that my return for the bus ride back to Geneva is at 6:15, what it does not say is that if you take the 6:15 bus, you have to come back to a different bus stop (not the one you started from at Chamonix) all by yourself and fend for yourself during the entire ride back, since Neil would be gone at 5. Hence, in essence, if you don't want to get lost, you might as well come back by the 5:05 bus, which leaves very little time to explore the otherwise picturesque town of Chamonix.
The guide, Neil, was never inclusive. He wasn't available during the forward journey and during the return journey, just catered to 2 people who were in the front row. He never made an effort to connect to people outside the region, and wasn't helpful for someone like me visiting the region for the first time to figure out the place. If anything, the locals at Chamonix were more helpful than Neil.
Although they mention that they will make you travel in "a group of just 15 people for less waiting and more interaction", what actually happens is that you are crammed into the front of a public bus, with the rest of the bus filled with other people, and if you can't grab the front 2 seats, you'll not be able to hear anything that Neil says amidst the cackle of other people behind you in the bus.
All told, I don't realize what they took all the money for. If you buy the tickets individually, it will be much cheaper, and the value added by KeyTours is zero anyway.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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