How to Hike to Lac Blanc: The Best Day Hike in Chamonix, France
Are you looking for an awesome day hike in Chamonix? Then check out the Lac Blanc hike! This iconic hike is packed with incredible views of Mont Blanc and the French Alps, leads to a gorgeous alpine lake, and is pretty accessible thanks to the lifts that bring you up from the valley floor and eliminate a lot of elevation gain. In this guide, learn everything you need to know to hike to Lac Blanc in Chamonix, including when to go, different hiking routes, what to expect on the trail, and more!
If you’ve done any research on Chamonix, you’ve likely seen gorgeous pictures of an almost glass-like blue lake reflecting views of the picturesque jagged peaks of the French Alps. Well, this is Lac Blanc, and it’s one of the most iconic views in Chamonix! Pictures of this lake are often what puts the small mountain town on people’s radar…I know it was a huge selling point for us for including Chamonix in our Alps itinerary!
The Lac Blanc hike is absolutely stunning from start to finish. Yes, you’re hiking to get to the beautiful Lac Blanc, but the journey to get there is filled with breathtaking views pretty much non-stop. From the Lac Blanc trails, you’ll be looking straight across Chamonix Valley to Mont Blanc, the French Alps, and the massive glaciers that cascade down from the peaks towards the valley below.
Because of this, unsurprisingly, the Lac Blanc hike is a crowded one. But trust us when we say this is one hike that’s worth braving the crowds for.
There are a few different ways to hike to Lac Blanc in Chamonix, with some harder than others. If you really want a challenge, you can hike to the lake all the way from the valley floor, or you can choose to bypass the big climb and take a series of lifts up to a higher trailhead.
In this guide, we’ll share everything you need to know to hike to Lac Blanc in Chamonix. We’ll go over the different hiking routes to Lac Blanc, what to expect on the trail, the best time to go, what to bring, and more! We’ll even give you some ideas on how to avoid some of the big crowds that this lake attracts.
Ready to hit the trails?
In this Lac Blanc hiking guide:
How to Get to Lac Blanc From Chamonix
Sitting above Lac Blanc
Lac Blanc is a picturesque alpine lake that sits at about 7700 feet (2,347 meters) in elevation, high above the Chamonix Valley in France. Its beautiful blue color and picturesque mountain backdrop make Lac Blanc a popular destination in Chamonix, but how do you get to it?
Well, there are several ways to get to Lac Blanc, but no matter which you choose, all require a bit of hiking. Fortunately, some trails are a bit easier than others.
Let’s go over the different hiking routes to Lac Blanc now.
Hiking routes to Lac Blanc
Lac Blanc hike from L’Index
The shortest hike to Lac Blanc is from L’Index as an out and back hike. L’Index is a mountain lift station that sits above Chamonix Valley at 8500 feet (2,590 meters). From the valley, you’ll ride a gondola, and then a chairlift to get to L’Index, and from there, it’s a 1.8 mile (2.9 km) hike to Lac Blanc (3.6 miles/ 5.8 km roundtrip).
Views from the trail from L’Index to Lac Blanc
In our opinion, this is the easiest way to hike to Lac Blanc. The two lifts bring you to the highest trailhead for the lake, so of all the ways to get to Lac Blanc, this route has the least elevation gain and it’s the shortest. In fact, the trailhead at L’Index is higher in elevation than Lac Blanc itself, so you’ll ultimately end up losing some elevation overall as you hike. It is quite rocky, and it does have its ups and downs, but there is never anything very long or steep that would make this trail overly challenging. And the views the entire way across the valley are stunning. We’ll talk more about this Lac Blanc trail later!
Lac Blanc hike from La Flegere
Another way to hike to Lac Blanc is from La Flegere. This is the midway station between the valley and L’Index, sitting at about 6100 feet (1,860 meters).
From Flegere, there are two main trails to Lac Blanc that we’ll call the upper and lower trails.
The upper trail from Flegere to Lac Blanc is the shorter of the two, but that means it’s steeper, climbing about 1600 feet (488 meters) in 2 miles (3.2 km). It can be a bit rocky but there’s nothing technical about the trail, and you’ll pass by the scenic Lac de la Flegere- basically a mini Lac Blanc! As with the trail from L’Index, you’ll have wide open views the whole time across the valley to Mont Blanc and the Alps.
The lower trail from Flegere to Lac Blanc is a bit longer- about 3.2 miles (5.1 km) one way to reach the lake. This trail starts off by traversing across the lower slopes from Flegere along a trail called the Grand Balcon Sud, gaining elevation relatively gradually. The steeper climbing comes at the final third of the hike, where you’ll pass by the Lacs des Cheserys (another super beautiful lake!), and finally to Lac Blanc. The final climb between Lacs des Cheserys and Lac Blanc is quite steep, involving two metal ladders and a bunch of wooden steps built into the steep granite. It’s nothing scary, it just might make the hike a bit more strenuous.
Views of Mont Blanc from the Grand Balcon Sud
Of the two trails from Flegere, the upper trail definitely seemed to be the most popular, likely because it’s shorter and doesn’t have the metal features of the lower trail.
We also had heard a few times that the trails from Flegere to Lac Blanc are more popular and busier than the trail from L’Index, despite the latter being shorter and with less elevation gain, and we read it’s because the Flegere trails are considered less “technical” and “easier”- but we would have to disagree with that.
While the trail from L’Index may be a bit rockier and along more rugged terrain, we definitely wouldn’t say it’s technical at all. We thought it was actually pretty straightforward and easy. The trails from Flegere are admittedly a bit more “trail-like” with a lot of straightforward dirt and gravel path through a subalpine meadow type of environment, but they do still have their fair share of loose rock and gravel, and they both end up on final steep rocky ascents just before the lake. Plus, there is a lot more elevation gain involved on the hikes from Flegere, making them a bit more strenuous of a hike in our opinion. When we were hiking down the trail from the lake back to Flegere, we were certainly glad that we didn’t hike up it earlier- it seemed like it would be much harder with all the climbing.
The loop trail to Lac Blanc from Flegere
A great way to hike to Lac Blanc is to combine the two trails from Flegere and make it a loop. This way, you’ll never hike the same trail twice, and you’ll get to enjoy the scenery a bit longer! Plus, you’ll get to see both Lac Blanc and Lacs des Cheserys.
In terms of which direction you should hike the loop to Lac Blanc, there are pros and cons to going clockwise and counterclockwise. If you go clockwise (taking the upper trail first), you’ll have a shorter hike to Lac Blanc with more steady elevation gain, and then you’ll be going down the wooden steps and metal ladders on the way down the lower trail, followed by a more gradual and easier descent to Flegere. If you hike counterclockwise on the lower trail first, you’ll have more gradual elevation gain with a final steep push up the ladders and steps to Lac Blanc. So it really just depends on your personal preference and what you’d be more comfortable with.
Hike to Lac Blanc from Planpraz
Another starting point for the Lac Blanc hike is from Planpraz. This is the midway station of a different lift out of Chamonix Valley.
From Planpraz, you can hike a 3.5 mile (8 km) trail across the Grand Balcon Sud to reach Flegere. From Flegere, you can then take either trail up to Lac Blanc and back. By doing this, you’ll extend your time out on the trail (trust us, you’ll never get sick of the views from the Grand Balcon Sud across the valley!), and have a bit of time away from the Lac Blanc crowds.
It’s a good add-on for before or after the Lac Blanc hike. You can either hike to Lac Blanc in the morning, and then in the afternoon extend your hike to Planpraz and take the cable car up to the Brevent viewpoint, or vice versa (visit Brevent, and then hike from Planpraz to Lac Blanc).
Lac Blanc hike from Chamonix Valley
If you’re someone who is thinking to themselves “I don’t want to take a chairlift halfway up the mountain…I want to hike it!”, then a. You’re better than me. And b. You are in luck, because there are in fact several trails that climb all the way from the valley floor up to Lac Blanc. Of course, these routes to Lac Blanc will be longer and more strenuous, involving about 3,600 feet (1,100 meters) of elevation gain or more, but hey…sometimes it’s more rewarding to take the harder route, right?
The two most common ways to hike to Lac Blanc from Chamonix Valley are:
Both start from trailheads just past the village of Montroc and climb from the valley floor to meet the Grand Balcon Sud below Lacs des Cheserys. From there, they follow the same route as the lower trail from Flegere, hiking past Lacs des Cheserys and up the metal ladders and wooden steps to Lac Blanc.
Map of Lac Blanc hiking trails
Here’s a map that shows all the different routes to hike to Lac Blanc in Chamonix that we mentioned above.
The different Lac Blanc trails (as well as the gondola and chairlift to Flegere and L’Index)
How did we hike to Lac Blanc?
Well, I’m glad you asked, because we think we did the best route to Lac Blanc!
We decided to hike to Lac Blanc from L’Index, and then hike back to Flegere via Lacs des Cheserys and the Grand Balcon Sud. This is the red and green trails in the Lac Blanc trail map above. We definitely think this Lac Blanc hiking loop is the best way to do it- you’ll start from L’Index and have the shortest and least strenuous hike to Lac Blanc. Then, you’ll get to hike to Lacs des Cheserys (which we loved even more than Lac Blanc!), after which you’ll have a gradual but super scenic hike back to Flegere. This loop doesn’t have a whole lot of strenuous elevation gain, but it’s an amazing half day hike with non-stop views and two gorgeous alpine lakes.
In this guide, we’ll be specifically talking about this Lac Blanc hiking loop in terms of stats and what to expect along the trail. So, let’s get into it now!
How Long is the Hike to Lac Blanc in Chamonix?
How long it takes to hike to Lac Blanc depends on the trail you pick, but in this guide, we’ll share our stats and experience from hiking to Lac Blanc using a combination of the trail from L’Index, and the Grand Balcon Sud trail from Flegere. This is the loop we’d recommend most for the Lac Blanc hike! (Again, you can always choose to pick just one of these trails and hike to Lac Blanc as an out and back hike.) Here are our stats for the full loop.
Distance: 6 miles (9.7 km)
Elevation gain: 1,020 feet (311 m)
Elevation loss: 2,760 feet (841 m)
Time: About 4 hours (plus any extra time to enjoy the lakes! For reference, it took us 1.5 hours to get to Lac Blanc from L’Index, 20 minutes to get from Lac Blanc to Lacs des Cheserys, and 1.5 hours to get from Lacs des Cheserys to Flegere.)
Elevation profile:
Our elevation profile for the Lac Blanc hike from L’Index to Flegere
Lac Blanc trail map:
Our Lac Blanc hiking route from L’Index to Flegere
How Hard is the Lac Blanc Hike?
We thought the hike from L’Index to Lac Blanc was easy to moderate. It is through rocky alpine terrain that can get a bit rugged, but it’s nothing technical or strenuous (sometimes you just really need to pay attention to the trail markers to stay on track!). There are a couple of sections where a metal rail is in place to guide you across a ledge-like area, but these sections weren’t scary or daunting at all.
Rugged and rocky trial conditions and some metal rails on the hike to Lac Blanc from L’Index
The trail does meander up and down, but nothing is ever too steep or long. The only thing that may slow you down is the altitude, as you’re over 7,000 feet above sea level for the entire hike. Overall, it does get pretty rugged and rocky, but if you have the right footwear and are comfortable in this type of environment, it shouldn’t be too challenging.
The hike to Lac Blanc from Flegere via the Grand Balcon Sud is a bit more “trail-like” than the hike from L’Index, but it has much more climbing involved, making it a little more strenuous. There are some rockier sections of trail, and some steep climbs, particularly up to Lacs des Cheserys and to Lac Blanc. The section in between the two lakes has a couple of metal ladders and a bunch of wooden steps up rocky sections of trail. We didn’t find these hard, but this section was slowing down a lot of people (you’ll see our experience with this in just a bit!).
The trail between Lacs des Cheserys and Lac Blanc has a ton of these steep wooden stairs and loose rock
We didn’t hike on the upper trail from Flegere to Lac Blanc (the shorter, steeper trail), but we imagine the views and the terrain would be pretty similar to the other Lac Blanc trails (but without the ladders!).
How to Get to the Lac Blanc Trailhead
To get to either the L’Index or the Flegere trailheads, you’ll take lifts up from Chamonix Valley. The bottom station for this series of lifts is in the village of Les Praz, just east of the town of Chamonix. On Google Maps, it’s called Station La Flegere.
Station La Flegere in Les Praz
If you have a car in Chamonix, there is a parking lot right at the station. It’s free and a decent size, but it can fill up quickly, so be sure to get there early.
We really liked the public transportation in Chamonix, and it’s super easy to get to the Lac Blanc lifts without a car.
If you’re taking the train (the Mont Blanc Express), simply get off at the Les Praz stop and it’s about a 5 minute walk (less than a half kilometer) to the Flegere Station.
If taking the Chamonix bus, be sure to take either Bus Line 1 or 2 to the stop labeled Les Praz-La Flegere which is more or less right at the lift station.
It really doesn’t matter too much whether you take the bus or train to get to the Lac Blanc cable car station- just check the timetables and see which one works best for your schedule (and which of the stations is closest to your starting point). The only time it might really make a difference is if you’re staying on the western end of Chamonix Valley (on the Les Houches side). In this case, getting to Les Praz might be fastest by bus, as the train tends to linger at Chamonix’s central station for 20-40 minutes before moving on to Les Praz.
Les Praz to Flegere- The Flegere Gondola
From the station in Les Praz, you’ll take a 10 person gondola up to the Flegere midstation. You’ll likely be sharing the ride with a few other people, as this is a popular hike in Chamonix! It’s short- about 6 minutes- but very scenic as you rise above the valley and look out to Mont Blanc and the jagged peaks across the way.
La Flegere Gondola
Once at Flegere, you can either continue up to L’Index, or take one of the trails to Lac Blanc from here. They’ll be signs to direct you to the start of the trails. Towards the mountains, you’ll see a wide gravel path up to another winter lift station. To the right of this, a gravel road will lead down (you’ll see a restaurant in the distance)- this is the way to Lac Blanc. Shortly after you start, there will be a junction. Head straight (and up) to take the upper (steep and shorter) trail to Lac Blanc. Or, head right to take the lower trail along the Grand Balcon Sud to Lac Blanc.
To hike to Lac Blanc from Flegere, don’t head up the path on the left. Instead, take the gravel road on the right down. The road will soon split and you can take either the upper or lower trail to Lac Blanc.
Flegere to L'Index- The L'Index Chairlift
To continue from Flegere to L’Index, take a left out of the gondola station- it’s just a quick walk over to the chairlift. It’s about an 8 minute ride up to L’Index, and unfortunately, all the amazing views of the Mont Blanc massif are behind you, so try to turn back every now and again to catch them! But don’t worry, once you’re at the top and get off at L’Index, you’ll get to fully enjoy the amazing views across the valley.
Heading up the L’Index chairlift to start the Lac Blanc hike
Views of Chamonix Valley and Mont Blanc from the L’Index Chairlift
From L’Index, it was a little confusing to see where to start the Lac Blanc hike, but there was a giant banner that pointed towards a wide gravel path (look for this trail counter).
The start of the Lac Blanc hike from L’Index
How much are the Lac Blanc cable cars?
You can buy either one- way or roundtrip tickets between each of the cable car stations. When we visited, a roundtrip ticket from Les Praz to L’Index was 39.50 Euro, while a roundtrip ticket from Les Praz to Flegere was 23 Euro, but check the Mont Blanc website for the most up to date prices. You’ll notice that roundtrip tickets are discounted from one-way fares, so it’s often cheaper to buy roundtrip tickets rather than a series of one-way tickets.
You can buy the Mont Blanc lift tickets in advance at the Mont Blanc website, or at the ticket counter at the bottom station in Les Praz. The lifts run continuously so you don’t need to reserve a spot or time in advance like some other popular Chamonix lifts such as the Aiguille du Midi.
The Mont Blanc Multipass
There’s so much more to do in Chamonix than the Lac Blanc hike, and many of them also require taking cable cars and lifts up into the mountains. These ticket prices can easily add up, but a great way to save some money while in Chamonix is to buy the Mont Blanc Multipass. This magical ticket is a one-time purchase and gets you onto pretty much all the lifts throughout Chamonix Valley!
You can buy the multipass here for the number of days you plan on being in Chamonix. After purchasing, you’ll be emailed a QR code (this is not your ticket!). Once in Chamonix, head to one of the kiosks in town (they’ll share a list of where these are located), and simply scan your QR code to print your multipass. It’s super easy! Then use your ticket to get onto all the Chamonix lifts and cable cars, including the one for the Lac Blanc hike.
If you plan on doing a few things in Chamonix other than the Lac Blanc hike, then the Mont Blanc Multipass is definitely worth getting.
When are the Lac Blanc cable cars open?
In the summer season, the lifts between Les Praz, Flegere, and L’Index are open between early June to mid to late September. (The Flegere gondola itself is open for a small window of time in spring and fall but usually at this point it’s out of season to hike to Lac Blanc.)
Depending on the month, these lifts have different schedules. In the peak months of July and August, the lifts stay open for a little bit longer each day than during June and September, so be sure to check the schedules carefully. You don’t want to miss the last lift down the mountain and be stuck hiking all the way back down to the valley!
The Lac Blanc Hike: Our Experience
Here’s our experience hiking to Lac Blanc in Chamonix so you know what you can expect on the trail!
After a series of cloudy and rainy days, today was our first (and really, only!) clear and sunny day in Chamonix, and we wanted to take advantage of the beautiful weather by doing the Lac Blanc hike (well, the joke was on us…as you’ll see in just a bit!).
The day started off foggy in Chamonix Valley, but we knew by looking at webcams that just above the valley, the mountain peaks were out and clear, and we were in sort of an inversion. So we were excited to get on the cable cars and head up to the trailhead.
As we rode the gondola from Les Praz to Flegere, it was pretty cool to rise above the inversion and finally get clear views of the Mont Blanc massif and jagged peaks of the Alps…we were feeling good!
Views of Mont Blanc from the Flegere Gondola
At Flegere, we quickly took in the beautiful views and then headed over to the chairlift up to L’Index.
From the top at L’Index, the views were even better, and the inversion effect was pretty cool as we watched the chairlifts emerging from the clouds below.
The L’Index Chairlift rising above the clouds
But, we did seem to be noticing something…the inversion seemed to be lifting. The clouds below were rising and getting bigger, and they were starting to obstruct the views. We were hoping that it wouldn’t last too long as we set off on our hike to Lac Blanc…
L'Index to Lac Blanc
From the L’Index chairlift station, the Lac Blanc hike starts off on a wide gravel path beneath the mountain peaks.
The start of the Lac Blanc hike in Chamonix
As soon as we started the hike, though, the trail quickly became shrouded in the rising clouds. We hoped it would pass quickly, but…spoiler alert: it didn’t, and we had no views for the majority of our hike into Lac Blanc. Needless to say, I was pretty frustrated…it was our one day in Chamonix that was supposed to be sunny and clear, and here we were stuck in a cloud on one of the most epic hikes in Chamonix!
Just to get a better idea of what was going on, I checked out the Chamonix Valley webcams on my phone (luckily we had great service up here still!). I looked at a webcam from the opposite side of the valley that looked straight over at the Lac Blanc hike, aaaaaaand this is what we saw…
A long thin cloud hovers directly along the Lac Blanc hike!
There was one single cloud in all of Chamonix and it was running right along the Lac Blanc hike! Just one thin long cloud running the length of the trail we chose. Mountain weather…gotta love it, right? Chamonix seemed to not like us very much, and as frustrated as we were, all we could do was laugh at this point!
It was super disappointing only because I knew the views we would be missing along this scenic Chamonix trail, but the good news is that the clouds did eventually lift by the time we made it to the lake, and the day did turn out absolutely beautiful and clear. Since the views don’t change too much along the hike, we felt we didn’t really miss too much, and we got to see everything on the return hike back.
So, even though our initial pictures we show here will be shrouded in a cloud, we still wanted to share them with you so you get an idea of what the trail is like from L’Index to Lac Blanc…but don’t worry, you’ll still get to see all the beautiful views from the trail once we get further into our hike!
Now, back to the trail…the initial wide gravel path eventually narrows into a rocky trail that skirts along the mountain slopes. When we first started, it seemed like the trail was going to be busy, but it was actually easy to space out well from others, and it actually felt like the trail was pretty quiet, which we really appreciated!
Hiking the rocky trail to Lac Blanc in the clouds!
The trail is pretty rugged and rocky, but it’s pretty clear to follow for the most part. There were a small number of areas where it might seem confusing, but just be sure to keep your eyes out for the rock blazes (sometimes yellow, sometimes red) to keep you on the right path- and don’t always necessarily just follow someone ahead!
Keep your eyes out for the blazes along the trail to mark the correct path to Lac Blanc
This Lac Blanc trail has a good mix of ups and downs, but the climbs were nothing ever too long or steep, but the altitude may slow you down a bit, or you just might notice you’re a bit more winded than usual. Though the trail is rocky, there’s no scrambling or anything technical, however, there are a few places where metal rails and steps are placed to help you navigate some of the rockier places on the trail. The trail also has a lot of loose rock so just use careful footing, especially on the downhills.
Some metal features along the Lac Blanc hike
A lot of the Lac Blanc hike consists of loose gravel
At one point in our hike, the clouds teased us a bit as they started to clear and reveal the awesome views in front of us out across the valley and to Mont Blanc, so we soaked them up before they quickly disappeared again, still hopeful that they were starting to clear. We slowed down our pace a bit, trying to wait out the clouds, and we even took a 15 to 20 minute break at one point just to see if things cleared. We got an early and fast start on the trail that day, but as we slowed down and paused for a bit, the trail very quickly started to become busy, so we decided to just keep moving despite the still shrouded views.
Mont Blanc made a quick appearance along the Lac Blanc trail!
A sneak peek of the views to come at Lac Blanc!
The trail continues along the rocky slopes and soon passes into Aiguilles Rouges Natural Reserve, where Lac Blanc lies. From here, the trail does become a bit more rugged underfoot. You’ll pass by a few small tarns on your right (which I’m sure have amazing backdrops when not in a cloud!), and you’ll reach one short ledge-like section where metal steps and a rail will guide you up the rocky terrain (this was nothing scary or difficult).
The rugged hike to Lac Blanc
As we got closer to the lake, the clouds seemed like they were finally starting to clear (though they were certainly taking their time!), and we started seeing the mountains at the far end of Chamonix Valley. We arrived at the junction where the upper trail from Flegere joins, and from here, there are great views of the mountains and glaciers of Chamonix.
The clouds are finally starting to clear!
The trail junction with the trail from La Flegere
Views from the Lac Blanc trail to the Argentiere and Tour Glaciers!
It was at this junction that the Lac Blanc hike really started to become crowded. Everyone was catching up after we slowed down our pace a bit, and they were now converging from two different trails, so it started to get busy.
From here, the trail does its final steep push up loose rock and stone steps to Lac Blanc. This is probably the most strenuous part of the Lac Blanc hike, but now that the views were actually out, we took our time and stopped a lot for pictures!
A look up the final push to Lac Blanc. This part of the trail is steep and rocky, with a few switchbacks at the top.
View of Mont Blanc and the Alps from the Lac Blanc trail
Looking back down the final climb to Lac Blanc
After some short switchbacks, the climb spills you out to a sign and large cairn, and you know you’ve made it! We were actually surprised- it seemed like a shorter hike than we were expecting, even with our slow pace (it took us an hour and half- so right on par with the times suggested by the trail signs, though it definitely could be done faster!).
The lake is kind of hidden at first among the rocks and boulders and you don’t see it right away. You’ll actually first spot the refuge and restaurant ahead, and as you walk the trail towards it, Lac Blanc will come into view on the left. It’s a beautiful area, with views to the mountains and Mont Blanc on one side, and a gorgeous deep blue alpine lake on the other.
Walking toward Lac Blanc (which will be on the left), with the Lac Blanc hut and restaurant ahead
Lac Blanc
Once at the lake, as you walk towards the lodge be sure to climb up the rocks on your right to some great viewpoints across the valley to Mont Blanc.
Views across Chamonix Valley from Lac Blanc!
Mont Blanc in all her glory, seen from the viewpoints in front of Lac Blanc!
Along the edge of Lac Blanc, you can admire the nice blue color and alpine backdrop of the lake, but this isn’t quite the view that makes this lake so famous…
Standing at the shore of Lac Blanc in Chamonix
You’ll cross a small wooden footbridge over the outlet stream of Lac Blanc just before the refuge, and instead of continuing up to the refuge and restaurant, take an immediate left to walk around the shore of Lac Blanc.
Crossing the small footbridge near the Lac Blanc hut
A rocky walk to get to the shore of Lac Blanc
From this side of Lac Blanc, you’ll get the famous view of the gorgeous blue lake and jagged mountain peaks in the distance- it’s honestly one of the best mountain lake views we’ve seen and definitely worth the hype. If you’re lucky with the right conditions, you may even get mountain reflections off of a still Lac Blanc, but regardless, this lake is a beauty.
Standing at the shore of Lac Blanc and admiring the awesome views!
You can continue to walk around the shore, and you’ll come to the back portion of Lac Blanc- a kind of hidden bonus lake! It’s a bit quieter back here, and you can hike around the rocky shoreline to explore some more if you wish.
Checking out the back section of Lac Blanc
As you approached Lac Blanc from the trail, you might have noticed that behind Lac Blanc are progressively higher rocky “bumps”. A herd path through the rocks starts from the Lac Blanc shore and leads up to these higher vantage points of the lake and mountains. While the views down at the shore of Lac Blanc are amazing, we definitely recommend heading up this herd path if you still have the energy.
Hiking up the herd paths for higher vantage points of Lac Blanc
This herd path is a bit rocky but well-defined. Along the way, stop to admire the views over the back part of Lac Blanc from this higher perspective. It’s pretty quiet back here, and from up here, this part of Lac Blanc has a really cool deep blue color- it looked almost fake, and kind of reminded us of Island Lake in Colorado.
Overlooking the back part of Lac Blanc
Look at that color!
You don’t have to hike all the way up to the top of these rocky hills (the trail actually continues on to another alpine lake- Lac de Perseverance). We just bounced around up here trying to find some good photo spots. Just as we arrived at Lac Blanc, the clouds had rolled back in (of course!), so we had to wait a while up here for things to clear again. We found a good rock to sit on and enjoy the view over the lake and…well, we waited. We watched a couple of helicopters bring in supplies to the refuge. And we watched as people poured into the area from every which way. And we watched as the clouds drifted in and out of the valley, giving us small teases of the views we were missing before quickly blowing back up and reforming. They certainly took their time, but the clouds ended up completely clearing, and it was exciting to watch the views finally and fully emerge behind the lake!
Watching the clouds finally clear around Lac Blanc!
View of Lac Blanc
We hopped around from rock to rock trying to soak it all in and capture as many views as we could. Since we had to wait almost an hour for the clouds to clear while at the lake, we didn’t have a whole bunch of time to hang out since we had other plans after our Lac Blanc hike and had to keep an eye on those cable car times!
If you have more time, you can stay a bit longer and have lunch at the refuge’s restaurant and café- talk about lunch with a view- before heading back down.
The Lac Blanc hut is a busy place!
Lac Blanc to Lacs des Cheserys
We made the Lac Blanc hike a loop by choosing to hike from the lake down to Flegere. We decided to take the lower path along the Grand Balcon Sud because it would go past another scenic alpine lake- Lacs des Cheserys- and we are super glad we did, as you’ll see in just a sec…
We followed the trail past the Lac Blanc refuge, following the trail signs for Lacs des Cheserys and Col des Montets. From the refuge, the trail climbs up a boulder to a viewpoint overlooking the length of Chamonix Valley.
Following the trail signs near the Lac Blanc hut towards the Lacs des Cheserys
It was the first time on the hike that we saw the entire view of the valley clearly, and we didn’t realize how much we could actually see from this hike! You could see the Mont Blanc massif to the west, and then the succession of glacial valleys, including that of the Mer de Glace, the Argentiere Glacier, and the Tour Glacier to the east (and we even saw the Albert Premiere Refuge near the Tour Glacier that we had hiked to just a few days prior!).
Below, you can also see the Lacs des Cheserys and some smaller tarns where you’ll be hiking to next, and the trail as it weaves along the grassy meadows below. The lakes look pretty close, but the trail to get there isn’t exactly a walk in the park…
Looking down over the Lacs des Cheserys, backdropped by the Argentiere and Le Tour Glaciers across the valley
Right off the bat, the trail continues down the other side of the boulder on a series of wooden steps bolted to the rock. From here, the trail continues down steeply and is a mix of dirt and loose gravel, but also has a lot of these sections of steep wooden stairs that traverse the giant boulder faces along the trail.
Lots of steep wooden steps and loose rock along the trail to Lacs des Cheserys
We didn’t think much of these stairs and were able to get down them with no issues. However, these features seemed to be slowing down a lot of people who didn’t seem confident or comfortable on them. This combined with the fact that it was midday on a busy trail and the fact that there was two-way traffic meant that there was a huge bottleneck along this part of the Lac Blanc hike. One rather large group of hikers in particular was really struggling on these trail features and holding up a lot of people in both directions, so the trail got a bit chaotic here with people trying to short cut around them in both directions.
This part of the Lac Blanc trail got very crowded! You can see the Lac Blanc hut perched above on the rocks.
In general, a lot of people seemed to be struggling here (especially on the way up since it’s a pretty steep climb!). We didn’t find it challenging- it kind of just seemed like walking down normal stairs (just down a rock face)- so if you’re an experienced hiker you shouldn’t have any issues here, but just expect it to possibly be a bit congested and slow-going here.
We ended up being able to skirt by the bottlenecks and continue past the crowds down the trail. The views from here are phenomenal as you are constantly looking down at the green meadow landscape spotted with lakes with a gorgeous mountain backdrop.
Getting closer to Lacs des Cheserys!
The last of the obstacles on the trail to Lacs des Cheserys are two short metal ladders. From there, it’s just a quick walk down the rocky trail to the lake.
Heading down the metal ladders on the way to Lacs des Cheserys
From the bottom of the descent, we glanced back up at the trail and saw the insane crowd of people still tackling the trail features. It was pretty crazy to see all the people on this trail! But despite the hold-ups, we were still able to make it down to Lacs des Cheserys in only 20 minutes (which is what the trail signs estimate). And fortunately, this should be the worst of the crowds on the Lac Blanc hike. The rest of the trail to Flegere was pretty easy-going and quiet.
Looking back at the bottleneck of people around the ladders!
Near Lacs des Cheserys
Beautiful views of Mont Blanc from the Lacs des Cheserys
The trail brings you around the front side of the lake, but we absolutely recommend taking the time to walk around the herd path to the far side. From here, you get an amazing view that was quite literally jaw-dropping for us. And you know what? We liked this lake way more than Lac Blanc! The water was still, and we got great reflections of Mont Blanc and the jagged peaks. We couldn’t stop gawking.
Reflections of Mont Blanc in Lacs des Cheserys
I mean- how beautiful is this?!
And there were way less people here than at Lac Blanc- way less. For some reason, most people on the trail just kept walking through without stopping to rest, enjoy the view, or visit the far side of the lake. They were totally missing out. But hey- we weren’t complaining! In fact, we wish we could have stayed for much longer. But after about 10 minutes, we needed to push on if we were going to fit all our plans in for the day. So, on we went…
Lacs des Cheserys to Flegere via the Grand Balcon Sud
From Lacs des Cheserys, the trail climbs briefly up a small hill that overlooks some distant tarns before heading steeply down a trail of loose rock and wooden steps.
Views near Lacs des Cheserys
The final set of steep wooden steps
At the bottom of this descent, the trail mellows out into a flat meadow walk with gorgeous mountain views. You’ll now get views of the trail below as it stretches across the meadows back towards Flegere and Mont Blanc.
Walking towards views of the Argentiere Glacier across the valley
From here, you can see the rest of the Lac Blanc trail (the Grand Balcon Sud) as it crosses meadows and finishes at La Flegere station in the distance
After about 10 minutes past Lacs des Cheserys, you’ll reach the junction for Col des Montets, which would take you all the way to the valley floor. Instead, make sure to follow signs for Flegere.
Make sure to follow the signs to La Flegere
From here, the trail continues on a gradual descent along a path of mostly dirt with some loose rock and continuously stellar views.
Views out to Montenvers and the Mer de Glace from the Lac Blanc trail
Looking back up the trail that heads down from the Col des Montets junction
Not even ten minutes past the last junction, you’ll come to another junction called Tete aux Vents, where the trail from Tre le Champ meets up. Again, continue following signs towards Flegere.
At this junction, you’ll now continue on the Grand Balcon Sud, the super scenic trail that runs along the slopes of the northern side of Chamonix Valley.
From here, the trail is relatively easy-going, with a gradual descent along a well-maintained but still fairly rocky trail through beautiful subalpine meadow. For the most part, you can see your destination (Flegere) in the distance.
Hiking the Grand Balcon Sud to Flegere (you can see La Flegere station in the distance)
But the best part? The constant stellar views you get along the entire length of this trail! For the entire rest of the hike, you’ll be walking towards Mount Blanc…I’m pretty sure we said some version of “Wow!” or “This is so crazy!” about 1000 times. And the whole time, Chamonix Valley, the jagged peaks, and the glacial valleys of Mer de Glace, Argentiere, and the Tour glaciers will all be in view. Honestly, while the views don’t really change much for the entire hike, it doesn’t matter- because it’s impossible to get sick of them.
Epic non-stop views from the Grand Balcon Sud
We were also really surprised at how quiet this trail was. Once on the Grand Balcon Sud, we only ran into a small number of people here and there and the trail was actually pretty peaceful, which was so surprising considering just how many people were up at Lac Blanc! It was a welcome change after the crowds earlier on the trail and made the hike so much more enjoyable. It was this solitude combined with the epic non-stop views that really made this a great way to end the Lac Blanc hike.
While the trail is mostly a gradual descent, there are some steeper parts, and some small sections that are a bit rockier to navigate, but these are interspersed with long easy flat sections as well.
Looking back up the trail on the Grand Balcon Sud
There are some rocky and rugged portions of trail on the Grand Balcon Sud
The Grand Balcon Sud also has lots of easy sections with stellar views of Mont Blanc
We couldn’t get over the views from the Lac Blanc hike!
Your next junction will be the Chalet des Cheserys, a small mountain hut with a scenic view. Again, follow signs to Flegere. From here, the trail descends down a rocky path, the bottom of which you walk right past a scenic waterfall (this trail really has everything!).
Hiking the trail down from the Chalet des Cheserys
Looking out at the Grand Balcon Sud as it heads towards Flegere
The waterfall along the Grand Balcon Sud
The trail continues with a mix of gradual descents and flat stretches as you follow the contours of the grassy slopes, with a few brief steep descents and one short, steep, rocky climb mixed in at one point.
Endless views of Mont Blanc from the Grand Balcon Sud during the hike back from Lac Blanc
Views from the Grand Balcon Sud
Looking back along the Grand Balcon Sud
Just before the station, you’ll pass right through Les Deux Aigles, a restaurant where, if you have the time, you can stop for a quick bite to eat and enjoy the views, but we continued on. From the patio of the restaurant, you can see the end of the trail- which was just plain cruel in our opinion: a descent followed by a short but steep final climb back up to the gondola station.
The final portion of the Lac Blanc hike back to La Flegere station
This final climb is where the upper trail from Flegere also came in, and we could see how much busier that trail was in comparison, so we were super glad with the Lac Blanc trail we chose!
Despite the crowds, we somehow scored a gondola all to ourselves and enjoyed the views on the way back down to Chamonix Valley.
Best Time to Hike to Lac Blanc in Chamonix
We’d say the best time for the Lac Blanc hike is from July to mid-September, and there are a few reasons for that.
Reason number one is weather. In June, there will likely still be a lot of snow on higher elevation trails, and Lac Blanc will probably be still somewhat frozen over. We have read reviews of the Lac Blanc hike with snow lingering even into early July, but by this point the hike should be doable without any special winter gear.
By September, you’ll start to get into some questionable weather. While September is historically pretty nice, it can be unpredictable, and when we visited in early September, we had an unusually bad stretch of weather throughout our time in the Alps, which ranged from 80 degree heatwaves to rain and storms, to an unseasonal polar vortex dropping snow on all the high elevation trails across the Alps…so- it can be a pretty mixed bag!
September views from Lac Blanc
But the other reason for our recommendation of when to visit is because of the cable cars. If you’re looking to hike to Lac Blanc in the summer, it’s important to look at the timetables carefully, and often, the lifts will stop running sometime in mid-September, meaning your only way up to Lac Blanc is to hike from the valley floor.
While we normally don’t recommend traveling during absolute peak season, we think it’s actually worth it when visiting Chamonix. That’s because in July and August, the cable cars typically run earlier and later into the day than in the shoulder seasons of June and September, meaning you can fit more into your days.
We wanted to do other things in Chamonix after our Lac Blanc hike in September, and as a result felt kind of rushed to make all the cable cars in time before they closed for the day. It especially didn’t help that we had to wait a while at Lac Blanc for the clouds to clear to see anything. If we went in more of the peak of summer, we would have had more flexibility to linger longer by the lake and not feel so rushed through our hike. Chamonix might be more crowded in peak season, but honestly, it was still pretty crowded in September, so for us, it would have been worth it to come in July or August and take advantage of the longer cable car windows.
Speaking of crowds, that brings up another question…
How Crowded is the Lac Blanc Hike in Chamonix?
We won’t sugarcoat this one at all…Lac Blanc is crowded. The Lac Blanc hike is one of the most popular things to do in Chamonix…and after you’ve seen the views, it’s not that surprising!
When we hiked to Lac Blanc, even as late as September, it felt like all of Chamonix was at the lake! It might have been because of the bad stretch of weather in the previous few days keeping most people off the trails, but I think mostly it’s just always a crowded place.
These views are worth fighting the crowds on the Lac Blanc hike!
We will admit, the crowds do kind of take away from the experience a tad bit, but honestly, the lake and the views are so gorgeous that it’s still worth hiking to anyway. Just come expecting the crowds and you’ll be better off.
So, is there any way to avoid the crowds on the Lac Blanc hike?
Well…kind of. There are a couple options.
The first is to start your Lac Blanc hike early. We got on the gondola in Les Praz right when it opened so we could be among the first wave of people to start on the trail and I think this helped a ton. There were quite a few people starting on the trail from L’Index with us, but it was actually easy to spread out pretty quickly and the trail really did feel pretty quiet for a while.
But if you read our experience hiking to Lac Blanc above, you’ll know that we slowed our pace down a bit and then stopped for a while along the trail waiting for the clouds to clear. And eventually, the trail started getting busier and busier.
We arrived at Lac Blanc at about 10:30 am. We thought there were already a lot of people there, but we later realized that it actually wasn’t that bad. As we sat and waited for the views to open up, we watched as the lake got busier and busier…and busier. People just kept pouring in. Luckily, there’s lots of places to spread out from the crowd around the lake so it’s not as bad as it sounds, but it does get busy.
So, our suggestion? Hike to Lac Blanc from L’Index, since it’s the shortest and quickest trail to the lake, start the hike as early as you can, hike at a good pace, and you should get there before the heavy crowds. You won’t entirely beat the crowds or have the lake to yourself, but there will be a lot less people there, and it’s worth it to experience the lake a bit before it gets packed. If we had a clear morning, we would have been able to hike faster and enjoy the lake a lot more before the crowds really descended. It was ok though…like I said, we were expecting the crowds, and the views were entirely worth the wait.
Another way to avoid the crowds is to either hike to Lac Blanc before the cable cars start running for the day, or to plan your hike down after they stop running for the day. If you wanted to beat the crowds in the morning, you’d need an early wakeup call and be motivated to hike over 3,000 feet up to Lac Blanc from the valley in time to get there before the cable cars start running and bringing up the crowds. After enjoying the lake, you can then simply hike to either L’Index or Flegere and take the lifts back down.
Alternatively (and perhaps preferably), you can take a late lift up in the afternoon and hike to Lac Blanc when all the crowds are hiking back out to catch the last lifts down to the valley. Spend the evening at the lake, and then have a long hike back down to Chamonix Valley (bring your headlamp for this!).
We considered doing this, but ultimately decided the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze (or maybe we are just becoming really lazy…).
People often suggest avoiding the Lac Blanc crowds by hiking one of the trails up from the valley, such as from Col des Montets or Tre le Champ. However, these trails are a lot of effort and climbing, and eventually just run into the crowds at the lake anyway, so we’d suggest doing this strategy only if you plan to hike to Lac Blanc before or after the cable cars are running like we suggest above. Otherwise, while yes, you may be hiking with few others for a lot of the earlier parts of the hike, you’ll still hit the midday crowds at the lake.
Finally, the last way you can avoid the crowds at Lac Blanc is to spend the night at the refuge by the lake. This refuge is a dorm-style accommodation that also provides meals during your stay. It’s a great way to spend time at Lac Blanc in the morning and evening when the crowds have left. The refuge can sell out in advance, so be sure to check current prices and booking information here.
More Tips for Hiking to Lac Blanc in Chamonix
All smiles on the Lac Blanc hike!
Make sure to wear a good pair of hiking shoes or boots- the trails in Chamonix in general can get rocky and rugged, especially the hike from L’Index to Lac Blanc. Trekking poles can be a good idea to have for some of the steeper descents as well.
Bring cash- If you plan on grabbing food or drinks up at Lac Blanc, they only accept cash!
Have sun protection- If you start the Lac Blanc hike from L’Index or Flegere, the entire trail is exposed to the sun, so be sure to have sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses.
Check the weather- This can be tricky, as the weather can be so unpredictable in the mountains and changes daily, but in general, checking the night before your Lac Blanc hike will give you a pretty good idea of what to expect. We recommend checking Meteoblue and/or En.chamonix.com and the Mont Blanc website (checking multiple forecasts is a good idea because sometimes they all say something a little different).
We also like to use the Mountain Forecast website to see the forecast for different elevations of nearby mountains to get an idea of whether or not different parts of the range will be in or out of the clouds.
Check the Chamonix webcams- This is one of our favorite tips for hiking in Chamonix in general! The Mont Blanc website has webcams from a bunch of locations in the valley, including at L’Index and Flegere. It gives you a good sense of what the views will be like before you commit to hiking to Lac Blanc. This is super helpful, because sometimes it might be foggy and viewless down in the valley, but super clear and sunny in the mountains due to an inversion. Or, some parts of the range may be socked in with clouds while others aren’t.
More Chamonix Guides
Planning a visit to Chamonix and looking for other things to do besides the Lac Blanc hike? Be sure to check out all our Chamonix guides to help you plan your trip!
Things to Do in Chamonix + A Complete Guide to Chamonix in the Summer
Chamonix Itinerary for 1 to 4 Days
Our Favorite Hikes in Chamonix Valley
How to Visit the Aiguille du Midi- One of the Best Things to Do in Chamonix
How to Hike the Grand Balcon Nord Trail in Chamonix
How to Hike to the Albert Premiere Refuge and the Tour Glacier in Chamonix
Are planning to hike to Lac Blanc in Chamonix? Let us know your questions below! The Lac Blanc hike was one of our favorite experiences in the Alps, and we hope you have a great trip!