A major change is underway on one of the most famous hiking routes in the Alps. Starting from the 2027 season, trekking the Tour du Mont-Blanc on its French section as a through-hike will require having booked overnight stays in advance. Refuges, hotels, campsites, or bivouac areas: hikers will need to provide proof of accommodation. A small revolution for a trek long associated with a certain freedom.
Packing your bag, checking the weather, and deciding almost at the last minute to set off for several days around the Mont-Blanc massif could become much more complicated.
The French stakeholders of the Tour du Mont-Blanc have agreed in principle on a new regulation of the route. The most noticeable measure concerns accommodations: from spring 2027, people hiking the TMB through-hike on its French section will need to have a reservation in a refuge, a hotel, a campsite, or an authorized bivouac area.
However, be aware of an important nuance: this is not, at this stage, a general booking system granting a “right of entry” over the entire 170 kilometers of the Tour du Mont-Blanc. The through-hike with overnight stays is the direct target of the announced measures.
Attendance has become difficult to manage
Why impose new rules on a route that until now was rather freely accessible?
The Tour du Mont-Blanc is a victim of its success. This loop of about 170 kilometers and 10,000 meters of elevation gain, crossing France, Italy, and Switzerland, has become one of the most famous treks in the world.
A study focusing on summer 2025 recorded around 75,000 hikers on the route. Local stakeholders now report even higher attendance and denounce the consequences of this pressure on natural areas, private properties crossed, refuges, and infrastructures.
Gathered in mid-September, municipalities, state services, mountain professionals, refuge wardens, campsites, guides, and transporters have therefore decided to go further in regulation.
Reservations directly monitored on the trails
Booking should not be merely a recommendation. According to the announced measures, a “green brigade” should be created to patrol the paths and check the reservations of hikers on through-hikes. The principle is reminiscent of what is already applied on the normal ascent route of Mont Blanc, where climbers must present proof of booking in a refuge.
The future regulation should notably concern the Haute-Savoie section of the route, from Vallorcine to Les Contamines-Montjoie, passing through Chamonix and Saint-Gervais.
For hikers used to planning their route day by day, the change is considerable: stages will have to be anticipated much more.
Wild bivouacking in the sights
Another major change: wild bivouacking must be strictly prohibited in the concerned French sectors.
It will still be possible to sleep under a tent, but only in designated areas. Authorized bivouac areas must be equipped with at least toilets and water points. Their capacity will be limited, and a fee per space is also planned, though the amount is not yet known.
The movement is already underway. Since summer 2026, the Contamines-Montjoie National Nature Reserve has tightened its regulations. Bivouacking is notably prohibited below 2,500 meters from June 15 to September 15, except in the authorized areas of Giettaz/Pont de la Rollaz and La Balme, where reservations are necessary.
Will bookings need to be made several months in advance?
This is probably one of the most tangible consequences for those dreaming of hiking the TMB. Accommodations are already highly sought after. The official Tour du Mont-Blanc website states that some refuges are fully booked several months in advance, especially in high season.
With booking becoming mandatory for through-hikers on the French section, finding a spot could become an even more decisive factor in travel preparation.
For summer 2027, bookings for refuges and lodges members of the Association of Tour du Mont-Blanc Wardens open on October 15, 2026. The official site moreover advises starting by reserving stages with the most limited capacities, then building the rest of the itinerary around these nights.
In other words, those planning to do the TMB in summer 2027 should start preparing their route this fall.
The official TMB website: https://www.montourdumontblanc.com
Large suitcases also targeted
But regulation does not concern nights only. Local stakeholders also want to better control baggage transport between the different stages. Only trekking bags should be allowed to be transported, with defined schedules, to limit some practices that have developed with the transformation of the TMB into an international tourist product.
The stated goal is to rediscover more of the spirit of a mountain route traveled on foot, rather than a circuit where luggage follows hikers by vehicle from one accommodation to another.
Can you still do the Tour du Mont-Blanc freely?
Yes, but the notion of freedom will evolve. The announced measures do not mean that everyone wishing to walk a few hours on a section of the Tour du Mont-Blanc will have to book a spot. The announcements mainly concern those completing the route as a through-hike and having to spend the night in the area.
Several details still need to be clarified before the 2027 season. As of today (09/22/2026), a management charter for the Tour du Mont-Blanc is still being developed by the Pays du Mont-Blanc and Chamonix-Mont-Blanc Valley community of municipalities.
The question of people covering very long sections without sleeping on site, notably some trail runners, will also need to be clarified in the final provisions.
Regulation not yet uniform around the massif
Another essential point: the Tour du Mont-Blanc crosses three countries. The announced measures currently concern the French section, notably the Haute-Savoie part. French elected officials want Italian and Swiss stakeholders to join the approach to achieve coherent management at the scale of the entire massif. Decisions made in the coming months in Italy and Switzerland will therefore need to be monitored.
For hikers, one thing seems clear: the era when the Tour du Mont-Blanc could be considered without precisely organizing overnights is coming to an end on the French section.
Key points for the Tour du Mont-Blanc in 2027
- Booking of accommodation or an authorized camping spot required for through-hikers on the French section.
- Entry into force announced from spring 2027.
- Refuges, hotels, campsites, and authorized bivouac areas will be concerned.
- Wild bivouacking must be prohibited in the concerned sectors.
- A green brigade will monitor bookings on the trails.
- Bivouac areas will have limited capacity and should be subject to a fee.
- Baggage transport will also be more tightly regulated.
- Bookings for refuges belonging to the official network for summer 2027 open on October 15, 2026.
- Final details still need to be specified in the upcoming Tour du Mont-Blanc charter.
The official press release
