Staying in Chamonix before or after doing the TMB hike is a must if you have the time for it. Being the cradle of alpinism and mountaineering, Chamonix has the highest diversity and quality of the climbing and mountain culture that the Alps offer. Everywhere you go you can almost feel the history and the heritage surrounding you. Although is hard to stay in town with the spectacular surroundings, if you decide to do that there plenty of “non sport” activities to choose from: dozens of charming shops, cozy streetside cafes, lots of food options (ranging from sandwiches and pizza to fine dining), spectacular tram and cable cars ride and so on.
Aiguille du Midi
The iconic rock needle, Aiguille du Midi, is one of the first things you see on a clear day when you look around from Chamonix. Standing at 3,842m, this summit is easily accessible with a cable car, which also holds the world record as the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world, starting from 1,035m. There are two sections: from Chamonix to Plan de l’Aiguille (2,317 m) and from Plan de l’Aiguille to the upper station (3,777m), from where you can take an elevator to get to the actual summit. The upper station features a café, a viewing platform, a gift shop, a panoramic tubular walkway that surrounds the summit and a glass skywalk called “Step into the Void”.
Even if the weather in Chamonix might get hot during the summer, you should definitely take warm clothes and sunglasses if you plan to go all the way to the upper station. The temperature on the open viewing platform can easily drop below -10 degrees even in summer.
From the upper station during the summer months you can take the spectacular Panoramic Mont Blanc Cable Car (over Vallee Blanche) to Pointe Helbronner (3,462m), a summit on the italian side on Mont Blanc and from there down to Courmayeur, via Skyway Monte Bianco. This is definitely the more scenic way to get from one side of the mountain to the other, although it is much more expensive than taking the highway through the Mont Blanc Tunnel.
You can check the latest ticket prices and timetables for the cable cars below:
Montenvers Tram
The little red cogwheel train might look very familiar, as it is on many postcards and travel posters all over the Alps. Opened in 1909, the train takes you from Chamonix (1,035m) to Montenvers station (1,913m), just above the famous Mer de Glace glacier. Right across the glacier you can see the north faces of Grandes Jorasses, Drus and Aiguille Verte.
From the upper station of the train you can go with a small cable car or by foot down to the valley, where you can literally step inside the glacier, in the Ice Cave.
Another good place to visit 5 minutes away from the train station is the Glaciorium, a small museum where you can learn and understand the history and evolution of Mer de Glace. Unfortunately, the signs of global warning are visible with the naked eye, as the glacier keeps retreating more and more with each passing year.
After you finish the visits, you can enjoy a drink or a meal at the Montenvers hotel or at the cafe near the train station. If you have one or two nights to spare, you can even sleep at Montenvers hotel for an unforgettable experience.
For ticket prices and timetables, you can check their website.
Brevent and Le Panoramic Restaurant
On the other side of the valley, opposite to Aiguille du Midi, you can go up with the Brevent cable car to get a new angle towards Mont Blanc. If you go all the way to the upper station (2,505m), you can enjoy a meal or some drinks with a spectacular view accross the Chamonix Valley. There are also some restaurant around the middle station, in Planpraz.
Parc de Merlet
Parc de Merlet is an animal park open and ran by the Cachat family from 1968. Perched at around 1,500m high, it offers a great panorama of the Mont Blanc range. The park administrators try to keep the park as sustainable as possible, so you will find a place very different than the regular zoos. Although it spreads over more than 52 acres, the animals are not confined by fences and are free to roam over the natural land, so they behave almost as they would in the wild.
The official website offers more information about the park, as well as a map with the two main trails which you can follow.
Paragliding
On a clear sky, you are definitely going to see lots of paragliders with colored chutes floating accross the Chamonix Valley. Some of them might even go close to the glaciers or the Mont Blanc summit. There are many companies that offer guided tandem paragliding, for which you don’t need any prior experience. TBC
The Crystal Museum
After a more than two years long renovation, the museum reopened at the end of December 2021 with more than 1,900 crystals. The exhibits include a variety of different pieces from the Alps (France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland) and from other places around the world. Some of the stones are not covered by any glass so you can actually touch them.
You can find more information about the museum, ticket prices and visiting hours on the official website.