Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
French Alps: Lyon, Annecy and Chamonix
8 days from Lyon to Geneva: two nights in Lyon for the traboules and a bouchon lunch, two on Lake Annecy and three in Chamonix for the Aiguille du Midi and the Mer de Glace.
8 days · Lyon to Geneva · up to 12 guests
The Mont Blanc massif above Chamonix after fresh snow Photo: eGuide Travel, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chamonix_France_(6959362098).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Lyon to Geneva
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
City walking in Lyon of about 5 to 6 km a day on cobbles and stairs (the funicular takes you up Fourvière), easy mountain walks of 1.5 to 3 hours on good paths in Annecy and Chamonix, and two high-altitude visits: the Aiguille du Midi at 3,842 m and Montenvers at 1,913 m, where a gondola opened in December 2024 takes you down towards the Mer de Glace and a staircase remains to the ice cave (we confirm its length at booking). Every climb and walk has a sit-out option.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 1 dinner
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,085 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- Walk Vieux Lyon's hidden traboules, then a long bouchon lunch of Lyonnais classics
- Les Halles de Lyon in the morning, when the cheese and charcuterie stalls are busiest
- A lake cruise from Annecy's old town, with the Tournette rising above the villages
- An easy walk on the Semnoz above Lake Annecy, with Mont Blanc on the horizon on a clear morning
- The Aiguille du Midi on an early cabin, 3,842 m up and face to face with Mont Blanc
- The red Montenvers train to the Mer de Glace, the largest glacier in France, and its ice cave
- A balcony walk from Bellevue above Les Houches, with lunch at a mountain restaurant
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,085 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Lyon
Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport or Lyon Part-Dieu station to your hotel in central Lyon
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Lyon
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport (LYS), about 25 km east of the city, or arrive by train at Lyon Part-Dieu, and a driver meets you for the half-hour ride into the centre. Plan to arrive by about 4 pm. Lyon sits where the Saône meets the Rhône, and its historic centre, from the Roman hill of Fourvière to the Renaissance lanes of Vieux Lyon and the silk-weavers' quarter of the Croix-Rousse, is listed by UNESCO.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the week, then leads a gentle walk along the Saône quays as the lights come on across the river. We finish at a restaurant on the Presqu'île for a welcome dinner together, a first taste of the city that calls itself the capital of French cooking.
Included
- Pick-up at Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport (LYS) or Lyon Part-Dieu station
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Evening walk along the Saône
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the early evening briefing
Activity: About 2 km of flat walking in the evening.
Lyon: Les Halles, Fourvière and the traboules
Lyon on foot: Les Halles, Fourvière, Vieux Lyon
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lyon
- By train
Morning
We start at Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse, the covered market, in the morning when it is busiest: your guide buys Saint-Marcellin cheese, rosette sausage and pralines from the stalls for the group to taste. A short ride brings us to Vieux Lyon, where the funicular climbs to Fourvière. We visit the basilica before 10 am, when it is still quiet, and look out from the terrace over the red roofs to the Alps on a clear day. Then we walk down through the Roman theatres and into Vieux Lyon, one of the largest Renaissance quarters in Europe. Your guide opens the doors to the traboules, covered passages that cut through houses and courtyards from one street to the next, with spiral stairs and arcaded galleries hidden from the street.
Afternoon
Lunch is long and sit-down in a bouchon: quenelles, salade lyonnaise, a pot of local wine.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are yours.
Included
- Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse with tastings
- Funicular up to Fourvière and the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière
- The Roman theatres of Fourvière
- Guided walk through the traboules of Vieux Lyon
- Sit-down lunch in a Lyon bouchon
Easier option: Ride the funicular back down instead of walking, and rest at the hotel after lunch.
More active option: In the afternoon, walk with your guide's map up to the Croix-Rousse and its weavers' traboules, ending at the hilltop square for the view.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 5 to 6 km on foot, with cobbles and some steep stairs on the way down from Fourvière. Les Halles closes on Mondays, so day 2 never falls on a Monday.
To Annecy and out on the lake
Lyon to Annecy, then the old town and a lake cruise
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Annecy
- Drive about 2 h
Morning
After breakfast we drive east for about an hour and three quarters, leaving the Rhône plain for the foothills of the Alps, and reach Annecy by late morning, in time to check in or leave the bags. The old town is built around the Thiou, a short river that drains the lake through a grid of canals. Your guide walks you past the Palais de l'Isle, a 12th-century island prison shaped like the bow of a ship, along the flower-hung quays and up to the château above the roofs.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal in the old town, where tartiflette and Reblochon from the nearby Aravis valleys are on every menu. In the afternoon, once the light softens, we board a scheduled boat for a cruise of about an hour around the lake, known for its clear water, with the Tournette and the Dents de Lanfon rising behind the villages.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Drive from Lyon to Annecy with your guide
- Guided walk in Annecy's old town: the Palais de l'Isle, the canals and the quays
- Sit-down lunch in Annecy
- Lake cruise of about an hour
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 3 km of flat walking in the old town.
The Semnoz above Lake Annecy
Annecy to the Semnoz and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Annecy
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
If the calendar allows, we start in the old town's morning market, among the cheese, honey and charcuterie stalls. Then we drive up the mountain road to the Semnoz, the long ridge south of Annecy, about 40 minutes from town. We go in the morning, before cloud builds over the high peaks, because from the top on a clear day you see the whole lake below and Mont Blanc on the eastern horizon. The walk is easy: about an hour and a half on open meadow paths to the Crêt de Châtillon, the summit at 1,699 m, with an orientation table naming the peaks, and back by a different path through the pasture. In June and July the meadows are full of flowers.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal at a mountain restaurant on the Semnoz, then we drive back down to Annecy by mid-afternoon. The rest of the day is free: swim from the lakeside beaches, hire a bike on the lakeside path or sit in a café on the quays.
Included
- Annecy old town market (on market days)
- Guided walk to the Crêt de Châtillon on the Semnoz
- Sit-down lunch on the Semnoz
Optional experiences
- Bike hire on the lakeside cycle path (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Stay near the car park and the orientation views, or skip the walk and spend the morning in Annecy.
More active option: A longer loop of about 3 hours along the ridge with your guide, with about 300 m of ascent.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 4 km and 150 m of gentle ascent on grass and gravel paths. Weather can close in on the summit; your guide moves the walk to the drier day if needed.
Into the Chamonix valley by the Bellevue balcony
Annecy to Les Houches, the Bellevue cable car and Col de Voza, then Chamonix
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Chamonix
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
We leave Annecy after breakfast and drive about an hour and a quarter to Les Houches, at the mouth of the Chamonix valley, watching the Mont Blanc massif grow ahead. The Bellevue cable car lifts us to about 1,800 m, onto a balcony of open pasture facing the Bionnassay glacier and the Dôme du Goûter. The walk from here to Col de Voza is easy and mostly level, about 1.5 km and 30 minutes, or nearer an hour with stops at the viewpoints, on a section of the Tour du Mont Blanc path; you may see climbers heading for the Mont Blanc summit route from the rack railway stop at Bellevue.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal at a mountain restaurant on the col, with the whole valley below. Then we ride back down and continue the last few kilometres to Chamonix, our base for three nights, arriving by mid-afternoon. Your guide walks you through the centre, along the Arve river and past the statue of Saussure and Balmat, who first climbed Mont Blanc in 1786.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Drive from Annecy to Les Houches with your guide
- Bellevue cable car up and down
- Balcony walk from Bellevue to Col de Voza
- Sit-down lunch at a mountain restaurant
- Orientation walk in Chamonix
Easier option: Stay at the Bellevue terrace with the view while the group walks to Col de Voza and back.
More active option: Climb on from Col de Voza to Le Prarion (1,969 m) with your guide for a 360-degree view, about 1.5 hours more and 300 m of ascent.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: About 3 km of easy walking at about 1,700 to 1,800 m. The Bellevue cable car runs in summer only.
The Aiguille du Midi
Chamonix to the Aiguille du Midi and back
- Breakfast
- Stay in Chamonix
This is the early start of the trip, and the reason for it is the air. We walk from the hotel to the Aiguille du Midi station for one of the first cabins of the day, booked in advance, when the sky is usually clearest and the queues shortest. The cable car climbs in two stages, via Plan de l'Aiguille at 2,317 m, to a rock needle at 3,842 m, about 2,800 m above the town in around 20 minutes. At the top a lift inside the rock takes you to the highest terrace, face to face with Mont Blanc, with the Matterhorn and the Grand Combin on the horizon on a clear day. Step into the Void is a glass box over a sheer drop. Your guide explains the peaks and the glaciers below.
Afternoon
We come back down late in the morning, and the afternoon is free: lunch where you like, the shops of the rue du Docteur Paccard, or a rest after the altitude.
Included
- Aiguille du Midi cable car on an early booked slot, with your guide at the top
- Step into the Void (when open)
Optional experiences
- The Panoramic Mont-Blanc gondola from the Aiguille du Midi across the glaciers to Pointe Helbronner, in summer (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Ride only to Plan de l'Aiguille at 2,317 m and wait there with the view, or take a short walk to the Lac Bleu nearby.
More active option: Ride down only to Plan de l'Aiguille and walk the steep path down to Chamonix through the forest with your guide's directions, about 2.5 to 3 hours and 1,300 m of descent.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: At 3,842 m it can be near freezing even in July. Move slowly at the top; if you feel unwell, go down. If the summit is in cloud, your guide swaps this day with day 7; the Montenvers lunch moves with it and the farewell dinner stays on the last evening.
The Montenvers train and the Mer de Glace
Chamonix to Montenvers and the Mer de Glace, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Chamonix
- By train
Morning
A slower morning, then we walk to the station of the Montenvers railway, the red rack train that has climbed through the forest since 1908. In about 20 minutes it reaches Montenvers at 1,913 m, above the Mer de Glace, the largest glacier in France, with the granite spire of the Dru opposite. The glacier has thinned dramatically, and markers on the way down show where the ice stood in past decades, which your guide uses to explain what the Alps are losing. Since December 2024 a new gondola takes you from Montenvers down towards the ice cave, carved fresh into the glacier each year; a staircase remains for the last part, and we confirm its length at booking.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal at Montenvers, on the terrace if the weather allows, then the train takes us back to Chamonix in the early afternoon.
Evening
The rest of the afternoon is free before a farewell dinner together, with Savoyard dishes such as fondue or tartiflette if you want them.
Included
- Montenvers rack railway up and down, and the Mer de Glace gondola (we confirm at booking that it is on the same ticket)
- The Mer de Glace viewpoint and the ice cave, with your guide
- Sit-down lunch at Montenvers
- Farewell dinner in Chamonix
Easier option: Skip the gondola and the stairs to the ice cave and stay at the Montenvers viewpoint and terrace.
More active option: Walk down from Montenvers to Chamonix through the forest instead of taking the train, about 2 hours and 850 m of descent.
Free time: Afternoon free until the farewell dinner
Activity: The gondola takes you most of the way to the ice cave, then a staircase remains, with handrails; we confirm its length at booking. The ice cave is open through the June to September season.
Down the valley to Geneva
Chamonix to Geneva Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A last breakfast with the mountains in the window.
Afternoon
If your flight is in the afternoon, the morning is free for a final walk along the Arve, a coffee on the Place Balmat or a look at the peaks from the Bois du Bouchet park at the edge of town. Late in the morning we load the minivan and drive down the Chamonix valley, past Les Houches and the bend where the road leaves the massif behind, then along the Arve valley to the Swiss border and Geneva Airport (GVA), about 85 km and an hour and a quarter. We usually arrive around 1 pm. Your guide sees you to the terminal before saying goodbye. If you are staying on, Geneva's lakeside centre is a short train ride from the airport, and we can drop you in the city instead on request.
Included
- Drop-off at Geneva Airport (GVA)
Easier option: For a morning flight, we leave Chamonix early enough to reach the airport two hours before departure.
Free time: Morning free
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 3 pm to keep the morning free.
- Lyon2 nights
- Annecy2 nights
- Chamonix3 nights
- Genevaend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: June to September is the season: the summer lifts run, the Semnoz meadows are in flower in June and July, and Lake Annecy is warm enough to swim. Lyon can be hot in July and August; afternoon storms are common in the mountains, so we go high in the morning.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want the Mont Blanc views without a trekking week
- Food lovers who want Lyon properly, not as a lunch stop
- Couples and solo travellers who like a city, a lake and the mountains in one trip
- A mix of guided mornings and free afternoons
Not for you if you want
- Hikers who want long days on the Tour du Mont Blanc: see our hotel-based Tour du Mont Blanc trip
- Travellers with heart or breathing conditions who cannot go to 3,842 m (the Plan de l'Aiguille option helps, but ask your doctor)
- Step-free access: Vieux Lyon is cobbled and the ice cave is reached by a staircase below the gondola
- Winter ski travel
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Lyon2 nights
- Annecy2 nights
- Chamonix3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights in central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard: 2 in Lyon, 2 in Annecy near the old town and lake, 3 in Chamonix near the lift stations
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- We name each hotel when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up at Lyon Saint-Exupéry Airport (LYS) or Lyon Part-Dieu station on day 1
- A private air-conditioned minivan and driver for the group from Lyon to Chamonix
- The Fourvière funicular in Lyon
- Lake cruise on Lake Annecy
- Bellevue cable car at Les Houches
- Aiguille du Midi cable car
- Montenvers rack railway and the Mer de Glace gondola
- Drop-off at Geneva Airport (GVA) on day 8
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from arrival in Lyon to the Geneva Airport drop-off
Activities
- Lyon: Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse with tastings, Fourvière basilica and the Roman theatres, the traboules of Vieux Lyon
- Annecy: the old town, the Palais de l'Isle from outside, the canals and the lake cruise
- The Semnoz: guided walk to the Crêt de Châtillon
- Les Houches: balcony walk from Bellevue to Col de Voza
- Chamonix: orientation walk, the Aiguille du Midi on an early slot and Step into the Void
- Montenvers and the Mer de Glace, with the ice cave
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 5 sit-down lunches: a Lyon bouchon, Annecy, the Semnoz, Col de Voza and Montenvers
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Lyon and a farewell dinner in Chamonix
Not included
- International flights to Lyon and from Geneva
- ETIAS travel authorisation, if it is in operation and applies when you travel
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Drinks, except wine with the bouchon lunch
- Tips
- Optional activities such as the Panoramic Mont-Blanc gondola and bike hire
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,085 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, 7 breakfasts, 5 sit-down lunches and 2 dinners, airport pick-up in Lyon and drop-off at Geneva Airport, a private minivan and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every visit in the day plan, including the Aiguille du Midi, the Montenvers train and ice cave, the Bellevue cable car and the Annecy lake cruise.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, so the group fits in one cable car cabin, one bouchon table and one minivan, and everyone can hear the guide in a traboule.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from arrival in Lyon to the Geneva Airport drop-off, and a local driver handles the minivan. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be for this Alps trip?
Fit enough for city walking of 5 to 6 km and mountain walks of 1.5 to 3 hours on good paths. The hardest parts are the stairs in Lyon and the staircase that remains below the new gondola to the Mer de Glace ice cave. Every walk has an easy option, and longer active options are there if you want more.
Is the altitude at the Aiguille du Midi a problem?
For most people, no: you spend an hour or two at 3,842 m and may feel short of breath or light-headed. Move slowly and drink water. If you have a heart or breathing condition, ask your doctor; you can stop at Plan de l'Aiguille, 2,317 m, instead.
How is this different from your Tour du Mont Blanc trip?
The Tour du Mont Blanc trip is a walking week through France, Italy and Switzerland with most of each day on the trail. This trip adds Lyon and Annecy and reaches Chamonix's big sights by cable car and train, with short walks only. Choose it if you want the views without a trek.
I am travelling solo. What does a single room cost?
A room of your own is from CAD 1,085 more for the seven nights, shown up front with no surprise at checkout. If you would rather share, ask us: share matching is on request, when another solo traveller on your departure wants the same.
When is the best time to go?
Mid-June to mid-September. The Bellevue cable car and the Panoramic Mont-Blanc run in summer only, the Semnoz meadows flower in June and July, and Lake Annecy is warm enough to swim in July and August. September is quieter and often clear, with cooler mornings.
What if the weather is bad in Chamonix?
Your guide watches the forecast and swaps the Aiguille du Midi and Montenvers days so we go up on the clearer one. If the top is closed by wind on both days, we tell you the options, such as another lift or a valley visit. The Montenvers lunch moves with its day, and the farewell dinner stays on the last evening.
Do I need a visa for France and Switzerland?
Canadian, US, UK and Australian passport holders do not need a visa for short stays. The EU's ETIAS travel authorisation is not yet in operation and has no confirmed start date; Canadians currently enter on a passport alone, and we tell you if that changes before you travel.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 11,510 per person sharing. If you would rather travel independently, ask us from the dates section for a quote with the same hotels and lift tickets.
How does booking work?
Choose small group or private and pick a start date, then send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until then. The small group starts from CAD 6,395 per person sharing, taxes included.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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