Unforgettable Alpine Adventures: Discovering Chamonix Through Our Ultimate Itinerary
Chamonix, located at the foot of Mont Blanc in the French Alps, is a stunning town and an ideal holiday destination for families. With over 10 visits under my belt, including a recent trip in March 2023, I can attest that Chamonix has something for everyone. From skiing and hiking to exploring, eating, and simply relaxing, there is no shortage of activities to enjoy. Typically, we spend 2-3 days in Chamonix and another 2-3 days on day trips to nearby towns and villages. With its proximity to Switzerland and Italy, we were able to visit three countries in one trip.
Whether you're seeking adventure or relaxation, Chamonix is an excellent choice for families. My husband and I flew from NYC to Zurich, where we spent two days before taking a train to Geneva. After a day in Geneva, we rented a car and drove to Chamonix. My family, on the other hand, flew from India to Geneva and rented a car there for the drive to Chamonix. While visiting Chamonix, renting a car is highly recommended to provide the flexibility to explore the surrounding areas, although it's important to be comfortable driving in the mountains.
Additionally, I'm sharing insights on Zurich and Geneva, including details on our October 2021 trip, on my Instagram page. My highlights offer daily snippets of our travels, which can be helpful in planning your own trip. I have highlights on my Instagram page in which I’ve shared daily snippets of our trip which can be helpful.
Happy Traveling!
Overview of the trip:
Day 1: Flight to Zurich. Spend the evening in Zurich.
Day 2: Spent the day in Zurich
Day 3: Zurich to Genena in the first half by train. Spend the evening in Geneva.
Day 4: Geneva in the first half. Drive to Chamonix in the evening and reach by dinner.
Day 5: Spent the day roaming around in Chamonix
Day 6: Drove to Courmayeur, Italy in the afternoon. Spent the day there and drove back in the evening. Dinner at Chamonix.
Day 7: Drove to Zermatt, Switzerland early in the morning. Spent the day there and drove back in the evening. Dinner at Chamonix.
Day 8: Spent the day skiing in Chamonix.
Day 9: Drove to Gstaad, Switzerland in the morning. Spent the day there and drove back in the late evening. Dinner at Chamonix.
Day 10: Spent the day in Chamonix.
Day 11: Drove back early in the morning to Geneva. Took a flight from there to ZHR then to EWR.
Day 1: Flight to Zurich. Spend the evening in Zurich.
We took an overnight flight to Zurich from Newark and flew on Swiss Airlines. We reached in the afternoon on Day 1 and went to the hotel. We stayed at the Altstadt Hotel in Zurich. The hotel was okay, it was reasonably priced, the room was clean but very small and the location was amazing. English wasn’t well understood by the staff which was an issue. We didn’t include breakfast. After checking in to the hotel we took a bus to the Lindt chocolate factory which was very convenient. We spent the evening at the factory which has a tour and you can try so much chocolate! We went back to the hotel in the evening, got dressed, and went to Widder Bar which is very famous and it’s got a great selection of scotch. After that, we got a rosti dinner at Rheinfelder Bierhalle. After dinner, we roamed around the Old Town and then called it a night.
Day 2: Spent the day in Zurich
We spent the day roaming around Zurich and it was beautiful. We went to Babu Bakery for brunch and I highly recommend it. Their bread, drinks, and desserts are amazing! We went to the churches, and boutique shops and roamed around the Old town. We got fresh crepes from a cart which was delicious!! We visited my favorite chocolate shop Sprungli which made me so happy! Then we roamed around Banoffstrasse which has all the designer stores back to back. Then we got some Asian food in the Old town. In Zurich, we used the tram for traveling. We took the 24-hour pass and it was so convenient to get around our hotel was also very close to many stops. From my previous visits here’s what I think- Go boating on the lake it is beautiful. Walking around the old town in the morning and evening is very different and both are worth it. It’s a very romantic city. Restaurants you must try- Swiss Chuchi for fondue and Swiss food, Babus bakery for brunch, Sprungli for dessert especially the orange cake, Cedre Bellevue for Lebanese food, and La Taqueria for Mexican food. The food hall at Jelmoli is great!
Day 3: Zurich to Genena in the first half by train. Spend the evening in Geneva.
We checked out early morning and took the tram to the train station for the train to Geneva. If you buy a fixed-time train ticket, it is cheaper. The train to Geneva is very convenient to take and it’s very clean. We reached Geneva and took a taxi to the hotel NH City center- don’t take a taxi, take the bus or tram or Uber, taxis charge way too much! We freshened up and took a tram to get lunch. The hotel gave us 48-hour tram/bus passes so it was very convenient. We had lunch at Saj Eats which was so good. We walked around the city, along the lake, and saw the jet. It was raining so we could not roam around a lot. We got dinner at Zhou Yu which was so flavorful. After that, we took a tram back and called it an early night because of the rain.
Day 4: Geneva in the first half. Drive to Chamonix in the evening and reach by dinner.
In the morning we got brunch at Patisserie Sofia which was my favorite place! I was obsessed with everything at the store and if I had my way I would have gone there more! After that, we went to the Patek Phillipe Museum and the United Nations and then got lunch. After that, we checked out from the hotel and then went to the airport and rented a car. We drove to Chamonix which was about a 1 hour 30 min drive. We got to the chalet & I met my family after 3 months which seemed like forever. Dinner was at in the chalet. My sister made a jeera aloo and yellow dal and I made a paneer sabzi. My family carried all these groceries from India- from grains to spices to paneer. Seriously it is a suitcase full of Indian ingredients.
Day 5: Spent the day roaming around in Chamonix
The day started slow and we made breakfast at home. Late morning we went to the town center and explored it. We got lunch at a restaurant in the center which was very okay. We visited the tourist center and got all the information about skiing, hikes, and activities around. March is avalanche prone so a lot of the hikes were closed. We got back to the chalet and then prepped dinner before we went for a walk around our chalet. After that, we made dinner at home. I made a paneer biryani and Chola Bhatura! Yes, we managed to do that in the Alps! Also family to Alphonso mangoes from India so relished that!
Day 6: Drove to Courmayeur, Italy in the afternoon. Spent the day there and drove back in the early evening. Dinner at Chamonix.
After breakfast in the chalet, we got ready and left for Courmayeur. To get there we drove through the Mont Blanc tunnel which is one of the longest tunnels in the world. It’s quite expensive so something to keep in mind, along with following the speed limit, they will fine you. We got there for lunch and had lunch at Pizzeria Du Parc which had amazing food Their pizza and gorgonzola gnocchi was the best. After lunch, we roamed around the town center where there are many shops, restaurants, and gorgeous views. There is also a cable car to take you to the top of the mountain if you want to go. After exploring the town drove back to Chamonix, it’s about 40 mins. We got back to Chamonix and then I made Mexican food for dinner!
Day 7: Drove to Zermatt, Switzerland early in the morning. Spent the day there and drove back in the evening. Dinner at Chamonix.
Today started early as we drove to Zermatt which was about a 2.5-hour drive. We reached Visp around 10 am ( tha’s the closest point you can drive to for Zermatt) where we took the train to Zermatt which runs every 20 mins. By the time we got to Zermatt, it was about 10:30 am. There are no cars in Zermatt, and any mode of transport that run there is on electricity. My husband and brother rented skis (which are quite exp in Zermatt) and they took off. it was snowing so none of the viewing conditions were favorable for going on the Matterhorn Express. I spent the afternoon roaming around the town which was so much fun. It was like a winter wonderland. I got a cup of coffee and Nutella crepes which was fantastic. They have amazing bakeries and cafes all around the town center. After the boys were done skiing I met them in the center and we went back to Visp by train. After that, we drove back to Chamonix and got dinner at one of our favorite restaurants Chez Yang. We went to the casino after and then called it a night.
Day 8: Spent the day skiing in Chamonix.
We had a heavy breakfast at the chalet and then went to the town center to rent ski equipment. We had booked a ski course for 5 of us from the ski school and met him at the ski slopes around 1 pm. Some of us learned to ski while some of us like me needed a recap. We skied at the Planards ski slope and I managed to ski down the green slope. By the time we were done around 5, we were exhausted! We hadn’t had lunch so we shared burgers from Poco Loco (which has amazing burgers). We got back to the chalet, rested, and freshened up. We went to Annapurna for an Indian food dinner which is a must for us to visit every time we visit. The food was yummy and then we headed back and called it a night as we all were exhausted.
Day 9: Drove to Gstaad, Switzerland in the morning. Spent the day there and drove back in the late evening. Dinner at Chamonix.
We drove in the morning to Gstaad which is about a 2-hour drive from Chamonix. We first stopped at Glacier 3000 which was so much fun. A gondola takes you up about 3000m and there is so much to do apart from the beautiful views. Summer has more to do than winter but it’s so much like a winter wonderland in winter. We walked the suspension bridge between two peaks which was so insane. If you have a fear of heights, it is very scary. We also got some food up there and enjoyed all the views. After Glacier 3000 we drove to Gstaad and walked around the town village and went to many shops. We even saw the location where the famous Bollywood movie DDLJ was filmed. After exploring the town we drove to Chamonix and got back in time for dinner where we had fondue and Raclette at home.
Day 10: Spent the day roaming around in Chamonix
We started our morning early with a walk along the stream in Chamonix in the Le Praz area. We then drove to the neighboring town of Argentine for picking up croissants and pastries. The croissants of Boulangerie L’Al’Pain were amazing along with the choux at Au Mont Chou. We had all that and then got ready for our last day of the trip. We drove to the town center and then got tickets for Aiguille du Midi which is the highest point in Mont Banc. They give you a lot number so while we waited we went to a cafe. When our number came up we took the gondola up. There is so much to do including a 4d movie apart from the spectacular views. It is expensive but honestly so worth it! After combing back down we roamed around the town center and got food at Poco Loco. We went back home and had a feast that my mom and sister cooked. We had papdi chaat, palak paneer and jeera aloo! We all packed up since we leave the next morning.
Day 10: Drove back early in the morning to Geneva. Took a flight from there to ZHR then to EWR.
We packed everything up and left early morning for Geneva. It was so upsetting saying goodbye to my family for a while. We got to the airport, returned the car, and checked in. We got some food at the airport which was very okay and then boarded for Zurich. It was less than an hour’s flight with amazing window views. After the flight, we boarded for Newark. We flew Swiss Air and it was unfortunately so bad. All the seats were old and the food was okay, not good. I was very shocked since swiss air is usually good, but even the staff was very rude. So our flight back wasn’t the most comfortable.
