5 Stars (185 reviews)
Every day was a "postcard" there are no words to express the spectacular views we experienced each day!
, October 2019
Wanda, Canada
4 Stars (185 reviews)
Active Adventures provided a wonderful blend of culture, hiking, kayaking, and mountain biking along with incredible scenery. Our blend of guides which included Holly, our Kiwi connection, Jean Marc, our French guide, and Boi, our Catalonian driver and food gatherer extraordinaire were fun, extremely knowledgeable, and very committed to the enjoyment of our trip. Taking a day to kayak in the middle of the trip and then a day for light mountain biking at the conclusion gave different perspectives of the area and a much needed rest to tired muscles. Jean Marc had a wealth of stories and details about the region and cultures that added depth to the beauty of each hike. He quite frequently took the 'road less traveled' to ensure that we were as alone on the trail as we could be. Our food in each location was of each region and excellent. One of my absolute favorite aspects of the trip was our daily lunches. Boi would procur items from each area; breads, cheeses, meats, spreads, etc and we would each take an item in our own pack. Holly and Jean Marc would then take other items like homemade salads, special condiments, or spreads. We'd hike to a spot and eat a wonderful picnic of essentially tapas at a Refugio or on a mountainside. My biggest regret is that they didn't keep a list of the things we ate so I could possibly find them at home. It was delicious and beautiful dining with glorious views of the mountains. Holly was certainly our caretaker. You'd never know it as she was delightful, fun, knowledgeable, and never seemed to tire. She packs a good snowball too. With all of that, she took good care of making things work, of being sure the guests were comfortable, and that life went smoothly. I'd travel with her anytime. One last thing, I like the guest limit that we had. There were eight of us and it was a good sized group. It was fun to meet new people but it wasn't so large that you either felt like a herd on the trail or that being at the front of the pack was imperative. Well done!
, October 2019
Ronette, United States
5 Stars (185 reviews)
Wonderful, entertaining and helpful guides. Magnificent vistas. Great hiking companions!
, September 2019
Ian, United States
5 Stars (185 reviews)
We met our guides at the hotel in Geneva, and the jokes and laughter started from there. First night was Chamonix at the charming Hotel Isabella. Each day brought magnificent alpine hiking and scenery, and we even watched the start of a heart stopping ultra marathon race in Courmayeur, whose runners passed us by all the following day. We hiked up and down steep mountain trails, passed waterfalls, mountain cows with their leather collars and bells and ate the most wonderful local cheeses, ham, bread and chocolates ...all guilt free. Each evening brought another delectable feast in another adorable chalet. Our guides were great, and gave us a lot of information about the local terrain and towns, history, geography and folklore. we were ensconced in the mountain world for the most memorable twelve days. Thanks for our Grand Adventure to the Active Adventure crew.
, September 2019
Susanne, United States
5 Stars (185 reviews)
My wife and I recently completed this trip.The scenery was truly amazing. We have hiked previously with AA in New Zealand on the Rimu trip which was likewise wonderful, but I found this to be an even better experience. Our guides Bernadette from France and Jo from Wales/New Zealand were unfailingly cheerful and fun to be around.Clem our driver and lunch preparer was very sweet and quite the driver on some very narrow winding roads. The food was very good and the hotels were very clean and comfortable while all being different in their own way. The hiking days were long but the pace was very comfortable. I've hiked all over the US including multiple trips to Alaska and Hawaii,Canada, Patagonia,Mexico, and much of Central and South America. Tour du Mont Blanc to me is at or close to the top in scenery perhaps with the exception of Wrangell St Elias National Park in Alaska. However, there are no amenities to be had there which made this trip so enjoyable. Our group was likewise a really nice and interesting group.There were a lot of interesting conversations. I recommend this trip and in particular Bernadette,Jo,and Clem.
, September 2019
Ron, United States
5 Stars (185 reviews)
Excellent!!
, September 2019
Jill, United States
5 Stars (185 reviews)
My wife and I had a marvelous time on our hiking circuit around Mont Blanc with Active Adventures. As a fairly but not overly fit couple in our 60s, our first worry was that we'd be overwhelmed by the physical challenges of hiking 8 miles or so on an almost daily basis. Let us not sugarcoat this: the hikes WERE a challenge. But the great pleasure and satisfaction of this trip was that we could and did meet those challenges. The other members of our seven-member group were on exactly the same level of fitness that we were, and our two guides, Jo and Bernadette, were just terrific: fun, encouraging, and extremely knowledgeable about all the mountains we hiked up. At the end of each hike - 4 or so pm - we were exhausted but psyched for a hot shower and cold beer in our next country inn. And by the next morning we were ready take the mountains on again. An important point to add here is that our trip was well scheduled, with a few critical breaks. In surveying other travel groups that hike around Mont Blanc, we had noticed that some called for really rigorous hikes every day..for ten or twelve days. Frankly, that would have been too much for us - and more stressful than satisfying. On Active Adventures, we started with a half day hike, followed by a day of kayaking...By the third day we were ready for our first full-day hike, and the others that followed. After that we were ready for another interlude, of mountain biking. We don't want to send in this review without emphasizing how great our guides were. Jo and Bernadette did more than get us from one trail and country inn to the next. They really knitted us together as a team. They were the best!
, September 2019
Michael, United States
5 Stars (185 reviews)
I know … this was a hiking trip. However, it was great to be guided by Holly and Jean Marc because I felt like I was a traveler not a tourist. It was like being a part of a European life style while enjoying hiking, biking and kayaking. The routes chosen were excellent, the food was great and the hotels were always comfortable.
, September 2019
Steve, United States