Maison Carrier
What to order: the house boudin, the Savoyard fondue and, for dessert, the Vré, the homemade tart trolley.
geocalia
Day itinerary · 45.92° N · 6.87° E
A winter Sunday in Chamonix, snowshoeing in the morning and Mont Blanc straight ahead in the afternoon.
A half day of guided snowshoeing in the Bérard valley, fondue and a tart trolley at the Maison Carrier and the Brévent cable car in the afternoon, an hour and a quarter from Geneva.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Ginebra fromBarcelona 1 h 30Bilbao 1 h 45Palma de Mallorca 1 h 45Alicante 2 hMadrid 2 hValencia 2 hA Coruña 2 h 15Santiago de Compostela 2 h 15Málaga 2 h 30Sevilla 2 h 30
Part of Chamonix-Mont-BlancTour du Mont BlancAlps
Add to my trip
Total time10 h
By car1 h 15 each way
From GenevaBy car, 1 h 15
From SpainDirect flight to Geneva
Snowshoeing3–4 h · about 2 h of walking
DifficultyModerate, no technique
Minimum age12 years on the group outing
Best timeMid-December to March
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Geneva 1 h 15 by car
from Geneva by the A40; with chains or winter tyres
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1
Guided snowshoeing in the Chamonix valley
Compagnie des Guides · €56 with snowshoes, poles and transfer; meet at the Maison de la montagne
+33 4 50 53 00 88
- 12 min on foot
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2
Maison Carrier
book; open Wednesday to Sunday
44 route du Bouchet, 74400 Chamonix-Mont-Blanc · +33 4 50 53 00 03
Restaurant €€€Book - 15 min on foot
- 3
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Back home
in Geneva around 18:30
Approximate cost
About €130–160 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Guided snowshoeing in the Chamonix valley
You do not need to ski to have a great winter day in Chamonix. This plan combines three things that require no technique: a half day of snowshoeing with a mountain escort from the Compagnie des Guides, a long lunch of fondue and grandmother's tarts at the Maison Carrier and the ride up the Brévent in the afternoon, when the sun hits the Mont Blanc face head on. It is designed for a Sunday, because on that day the morning snowshoe outing goes to the Bérard valley, a side valley in the upper part of the main valley, and the Maison Carrier opens at midday.
Getting there from Spain
There are direct flights to Geneva from Madrid, Barcelona, Málaga, Alicante, Bilbao, Palma and other Spanish cities. From the airport you continue to Chamonix by road, a little over an hour, by hire car or on a shuttle booked online. For this plan arrive on the Saturday and sleep in Geneva or in Chamonix: the meeting time is 8:45.
The day, hour by hour
7:15 · Leave Geneva. By the A40 to Chamonix. In winter bring chains or winter tyres and leave time to park.
8:45 · Guided snowshoeing. Meet at the Compagnie des Guides office, in the Maison de la montagne, on the church square. From there you are taken to the starting point: on Sunday mornings, the Bérard valley. It is three to four hours in all, with about two hours of walking, and you do not need to have used snowshoes before. Snowshoes and poles are included; you bring your own boots. The outing is confirmed with four people.
13:00 · Lunch at the Maison Carrier. Twelve minutes' walk from the church to the route du Bouchet. A Savoyard farmhouse rebuilt with old timber, with fondue, farçon and, for dessert, the Vré, the trolley of homemade tarts. On Sundays there is only the full set menu, at €39, or à la carte.
15:00 · Brévent cable car. Go back to the centre and walk up the slope to the Brévent departure point. Gondola to Planpraz and cable car to 2,525 m. At the top the whole massif is in front of you, in the afternoon light. Check the timetable for the day: in winter it closes around 16:45 or 17:15.
17:00 · Return. Road to Geneva.
What it costs
The group snowshoe outing costs €56 on the 2027 rate; the Brévent, €43 return; and lunch at the Maison Carrier, €40 to €60 per person. Not counting the car or petrol.
Time3 h 30
Change the route
If there is no snow for snowshoes or you are not four: the Montenvers train and the ice cave, from 19 December:
Montenvers train, Mer de Glace and ice cave
If the Maison Carrier is full or it is Monday or Tuesday: galettes in the centre, open every day:
Breizh Café Chamonix
If the day is clear and you do not mind the altitude: go up to 3,842 m in the afternoon, with a booking:
Aiguille du Midi cable car
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Breizh Café Chamonix
What to order: the raclette galette or the reblochon Breizh Roll, and for dessert the chocolate crêpe flambéed with Chartreuse.
Restaurant du Montenvers
What to order: the Savoy diot with polenta or the croûte with Beaufort and mushrooms; for dessert, the bilberry tart.
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
From mid-December to March, on a Sunday, when the morning snowshoe outing goes to the Bérard valley and the Maison Carrier opens at midday. In 2026 the Brévent reopens on 12 December and the Hameau Albert 1er on the 5th. Outside Sunday, the plan works just as well with a different snowshoe route.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the outing and the table days ahead
The snowshoe outing has limited places and so does the Maison Carrier.
- 2Dress in layers
In snowshoes you sweat on the way up and get cold when you stop. Category 4 sunglasses.
- 3If you travel with children under 12
Ask for a private outing, which does not have the group's minimum age.
We'd skip it
Mondays and Tuesdays, if you want to eat at the Maison Carrier: it closes those days.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do you need experience to go snowshoeing?
No. Walking regularly is enough.
How much does the snowshoe outing cost?
€56 per person in a group, with snowshoes, poles and transfer.
Does it work on a Sunday?
Yes, it is designed for Sunday: the outing goes to the Bérard valley and the Maison Carrier is open.
What if there is no snow?
Swap the snowshoes for the Montenvers train and the ice cave.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/france/auvergne-rhone-alpes/chamonix/itineraries/snowshoes-and-brevent-in-winter
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.