5 unforgettable ways to explore Chamonix this winter

Chamonix is a magnet for adventurers with its off-piste ski slopes and soaring mountains. As one of the oldest winter resorts in Europe, Chamonix is a place where tradition and cutting-edge infrastructure combine to create one of the world’s most appealing destinations for skiing, mountaineering, and winter sports. Here’s what we love…

1. Vallée Blanche

If you’re a confident skier, you have to do the Vallée Blanche in Chamonix, which is spectacular. It starts with a 20-minute ride on the highest vertical ascent cable car in the world, the Aiguille du Midi, which soars up to 3,842m in minutes. Step out into the scenery – which can only be described as epic – and begin the 12+ mile ski route back down to Chamonix. As one of the world’s longest off-piste ski routes and with a vertical descent of 2,800m, it’s raw, liberating, and exhilarating. We recommend enlisting the services of a guide. If you’re not a skier, the cablecar ride alone is worth the price of entry.

2. Discover the slopes

With five ski areas, the Chamonix Mont Blanc Valley offers something for everyone: exceptional pistes, exciting snowparks, and low-altitude areas for beginners to ease into the world of skiing. In fact, people come from around the world to learn to ski in Chamonix, guided by expert schools and ideal conditions. Learning  in the shadow of Mont Blanc is particularly special.

3. Get climbing

You don’t need to ski to enjoy Chamonix. How about tackling frozen cascades and scale icy cliffs armed with ice axes and crampons by trying your hand at ice climbing? The Bérard ice climbing area is a carefully managed site dedicated to the sport, with multiple routes of various difficulty levels to suite beginners and advanced climbers. Guides are also available to help get you started.

4. Go face-to-face with a glacier

The Mer de Glace (‘Sea of Ice’) does what it says on the tin: it’s France’s largest glacier and a hell of an impressive sight. Take the century-old Montenvers cogwheel train up the mountainside, wind through tunnels and forests, and over viaducts to arrive at the glacier, which stands as both an impressive monument of nature’s power, along with the impact that climate change has on our environment.

5. Unwind in luxury

Photo by HameauAlbert1er

As one of Europe’s premier ski destinations, Chamonix is replete with luxury chalets, wellness centres, and gourmet dining experiences for you to enjoy. Get involved with the après-ski scene, spend a day in a spa, skate around the ice rink in the centre of town, and visit the Crystal Museum to learn about the fascinating mineral treasures of the Mont Blanc massif. In spring ‘26, the unmissable Mont-Blanc Museum will also be reopening.

Visit Chamonix this winter

You can live the legend of Chamonix this winter by heading to the official website to discover activities, weather reports, accommodation, and events in the Chamonix Mont Blanc Valley.