5 Fun Things to do in Chamonix

So you’re looking for 5 fun things to do in Chamonix? Read on for some of my recommendations.

Back in August 2022 I (along with my sister, brother in law and their family) headed to Chamonix, France via Geneva, Switzerland via Gatwick airport.

Chamonix is a world class ski resort, mountaineering destination and general oasis for North Face clad adrenaline junkies ever since the 1924 Winter Olympics. Situated in the Haute-Savoie region of France, it is bordered by Italy and Switzerland and known for housing the highest mountain in Western Europe, Mont Blanc, standing at 4810m.

I had never thought of visiting Chamonix and did exactly zero research. My only thoughts beforehand was that there would be mountains aplenty and wine would probably be expensive. Both of these assumptions proved correct.

We had rented Chalet Cosmique for the week and it was absolutely gorgeous.

1. Hike

The most obvious way to spend a week in the mountains is to hike! We know Chamonix as the adventure capital of the Alps with over 600km or 400 miles of marked hiking trails within the valley. The only trail I could bring myself to complete was the Lac Cornu and Lacs Noirs 6.3km hike. To begin we took a cable car from Planpraz to La Flegere and the old chair lift to the Index (the starting point itself is at an altitude of 2385m). According to the “Mont Blanc Walks” guidebook this is described as having paths through the whole route, sometimes bouldery with a short section of easy cable. 

While this wouldn’t necessarily be my first choice of activity I happily went along for the ride. However I did not expect to be hanging off the side of a mountain during the “easy” cable section watching my life flash before my eyes. I did not expect to be scrambling over the boulders on all fours. Nor did I expect to be fighting off a migraine at altitude. And I definitely did not expect to be caught peeing by other hikers because I’m not very subtle. But it made for an excellent story! 

There were certain points during this 6 hour trek that I just wanted to lie down and give up. My legs were cut to shreds from scrambling the boulders (or trying to elegantly butt shuffle down the steeper sections) and I was exhausted but it was worth it.

We stopped for a picnic lunch at Col de la Gliere which was at an altitude of 2461m and we were surrounded by clouds. It was otherworldly. And very cold. The views were absolutely immense, especially as we could see Mont Blanc looming over us across the valley, and I feel very lucky that I was able to experience this. We were also able to get up close with the mountain goats and marmots on the trail.

This was my one and only experience of hiking a mountain and unfortunately I was very unprepared. I was not wearing proper hiking boots so even though my feet were absolutely fine for the whole day, I suffered for the rest of the week. My whole body was sore, I couldn’t walk down the stairs, my shins were destroyed, even my arms were giving up on me. But it was amazing and I have no regrets and I would encourage you to ignore my whinging and if you ever find yourself in Chamonix…hike.

For the really adventurous out there you can hike Mont Blanc itself on the Tour Du Mont Blanc trail. This stretches 170km (106 miles) through France, Italy and Switzerland and takes on average between seven to 11 days to complete. If anyone has ever done this please let me know what your experience was like for I can guarantee that I will never be doing this 😊.

2. Aiguille du Midi

Aiguille du Midi is a 3842m peak at the height of Mont Blanc. It is accessible by cable car and it’s the closest you can get to the summit without hiking or climbing.

Of all the cable cars in Chamonix this was my personal favourite and the most impressive. It currently holds the world record for the highest vertical climb. It was first constructed in 1955 and takes only around 10 minutes to climb from 1035m to 3842m.

For access to Chamonix cable cars you will need to buy a Mont Blanc MultiPass. I purchased the 3 day consecutive pass for €101. This was more than enough for me but you can buy anything from 1 single day to 9 days or even a season MultiPass.

Once you reach the top you exit onto a narrow bridge that takes you to the first viewing platform. Without sounding like a cliché the views really do take your breath away (but not just because of the altitude). I would highly recommend, or even insist, that you make this journey. You will not regret it.

One of the highlights is Step into the Void. Situated off the uppermost terrace Step into the Void is a reinforced 2.5m glass box suspended from the side of Aiguille du Midi with nothing but 1000m of free air below you. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it this high due to some altitude dizziness but the rest of my group said it was incredible.

A few things to note is that it gets very cold. The temperature up there compared to ground level can vary by up to 19 degrees. So wrap up warm. Also if you suffer with vertigo or are sensitive to altitude this could be challenging.

3. White Water Rafting

This was something I had never done before and was very nervous about. I was convinced it would take roughly 3 seconds for me to be flung from the raft. But we don’t know until we try do we?

We booked our excursion with Session Raft Chamonix and paid €45 per person. This included the use of wetsuits, wetsuit boots, helmets and life jackets and lastly roughly 2 hours 30 minutes. With just over an hour of that actually in the water. I can’t remember the distance exactly but we paddled somewhere between 6 and 8km.

Once you check in at their HQ, you get given all your gear and bundled into the vans to head off to the starting point. After a brief talk on safety and instructions on how to actually raft, you all band together to get your raft in the water, take your places and off you go.

The rafting takes places in the Arve River. A tributary of the Rhone stretching 108km (67 miles) through France and Switzerland. The water in the Arve originates from alpine glaciers and because of the silt content, has a strange milky white appearance.

This was absolutely the highlight of the holiday for me. I loved it. It was so much fun and I felt completely safe with our guides.  Once we reached the end everyone’s first comment was “can we keep going”. I would definitely do this again and recommend to everyone. The guides were awesome and kept everyone laughing and involved and, most importantly, in the raft! Unless they were encouraging you to jump out and have a swim.

4. Mer de Glace

A few of the group decided to visit Mer de Glace while I was still resting my shins post-hike.

The Mer de Glace (translated to the Sea of Ice) is the largest glacier in France, 7km long and 200m deep and is a main attraction in Chamonix.

From Chamonix you take the rack and pinion Montenvers train to the Mer de Glace which is at an altitude of 1913m (the train ticket is included in the Mont Blanc MultiPass). Once at the glacier you can access The Ice Grotto (or cave) via cable car and a further 430 steep steps. The grotto is man made and cut straight into the glacier. This has to be dug out every summer due to the glacier moving roughly 70m every year. The grotto is also home to ice sculptures and the Gallery of Crystals.

The photos looked gorgeous and I would absolutely visit the Mer de Glace if I was ever in Chamonix again.

5. Search for Street Art

Towards the end of the week I decided to take myself out for a solo lunch and a leisurely stroll around the town. I was surprised at the amount of street art I came across.

The most notable being Les guides de Chamonix (The guides of Chamonix). This 3D fresco was created by Patrick Commecy, financed by the town’s mayor and unveiled in 2012. It celebrates 20 outstanding guides and mountaineers associated with Chamonix and Mont Blanc. Including Michel-Gabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmat who were the first to climb Mont Blanc in 1786.

Commecy is known for using the Trompe-l’oeil technique. This translates to “deceive the eye” and focuses on creating optical illusions of 3D objects. I did a little research into some of his other work and he has been transforming facades all over France. Well worth a Google!

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My final point is not Chamonix specific but eat! When in France patisseries are a must. A few places I would recommend are Aux Petits Gourmands for croque monsieur and cakes, La Caveau for the best chorizo pizza and Chez Richard for ice cream and more cakes.

Have you visited Chamonix? What are your must sees?

Don’t forget to click here to see 15 photos to inspire your visit to Chamonix.