Les Houches, a village resort in the Chamonix valley, offers a privileged setting at the foot of the Mont-Blanc massif. Less bustling than its neighbour Chamonix, it cultivates a family atmosphere and an authentic mountain way of life. Spread across several hamlets, it stretches along the valley, offering spectacular views of the glaciers, including the Bossons glacier, which seems to cascade down towards the village. In winter, its ski area is known for its forest runs and the legendary “Verte des Houches”, venue of the Alpine Skiing World Cup (Kandahar). In summer, the resort is an ideal base camp for hiking, mountain biking and mountaineering.
Les Houches
Overview
Les Houches
📏 Altitude: 1000 m
🎿 Alpine skiing: 55 km
⛷️ Cross-country skiing: 4 km
🌟 Resort style: Village resort
💰 From 59 €/day (2025-2026)
📅 Open 19 December 2026 to 12 April 2027
Overview of Les Houches
The architecture of Les Houches is typical of Savoyard mountain villages, with a predominance of traditional wood-and-stone chalets that blend harmoniously into the landscape. The village centre has a slightly more urban feel, with some pretty, colourful, well-flowered houses in summer. The resort is not a single block but a collection of hamlets (such as Les Chavants, Le Griaz, Vaudagne), each with its own character, spread across a well-exposed hillside. The main lifts — such as the Bellevue cable car and the Prarion gondola — provide access to different parts of the high-altitude ski area. Urbanisation, though developed for tourism, has managed to preserve a diffuse character respectful of the mountain environment, maintaining the atmosphere of a genuine village.
Our review — Les Houches
3.8/5
Ski area — key figures — Les Houches
- 🌟 Village resort (Haute-Savoie)
- 📏 1000 m Village altitude (1890 m Top altitude)
- 🏨 15.765 tourist beds
- 🎿 27 runs
🚠 25 ski lifts
Average lift age: 31 years
When to visit
Les Houches in summer
In summer, Les Houches is paradise for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. It is a major starting point for numerous hikes, including stages of the Tour du Mont Blanc. The Bellevue cable car provides easy access to high-altitude routes with spectacular views, such as the ascent to the Nid d’Aigle, gateway to the royal route of Mont Blanc. Mountain bikers find suitable tracks. The Merlet animal park — a mountain wildlife park where ibex, chamois and marmots roam in semi-freedom — is a popular attraction for families. Climbing and alpinism are also flagship activities, with schools and guides for all levels. The proximity of Chamonix is a real bonus: the Aiguille du Midi, the Montenvers Mer de Glace, rafting on the Arve, museum visits and rail sledging all feature in the range of options.
🎯 Things to do in summer:
✅ Downhill MTB • ✅ Enduro MTB • ✅ Hiking • ✅ Glacier hiking • ✅ Mountaineering • ✅ Rock climbing • ✅ Via Ferrata • ✅ Rafting • ✅ Tree climbing • ✅ Paragliding • ✅ Summer sledging • ✅ Spa & wellness
Les Houches in winter
In winter, Les Houches seduces with its varied ski area and sweeping views of Mont Blanc. It is an ideal destination for families, with well-designed beginner zones (Ski Camp) and fun runs. More experienced skiers can take on the famous Verte des Houches World Cup run. Forest skiing is particularly enjoyable when conditions allow. Beyond alpine skiing, the resort offers marked snowshoe trails on the Bellevue or Prarion plateaus, ski touring and a small Nordic skiing offering at altitude. Activities such as ski joëring and torchlit descents complete the winter offering in a convivial atmosphere. When snow is short on the lower slopes, the high-altitude areas of Chamonix — Grands Montets, Brevent and Flegere — are easily accessible.
🎯 Things to do in winter:
✅ Alpine skiing • ✅ Cross-country skiing • ✅ Ski touring • ✅ Ski joëring • ✅ Mountaineering • ✅ Dog sledding • ✅ Snowshoeing • ✅ Winter walks • ✅ Paragliding • ✅ Spa & wellness
Skiing
Below are the 4 ski areas accessible from Les Houches: La Vallée de Chamonix (alpin), Les Houches – Saint-Gervais (alpin), Chamonix (nordique), Les Houches (nordique).
Ski area — La Vallée de Chamonix
⛰️ Altitudes: 1035 m – 3290 m
🎿 Alpine skiing: 155 km
💰 Day pass: 74 €
Chamonix has around ten ski areas covering approximately 120 km of runs. Several are small beginner areas perfect for family skiing. The 4 main substantial ski areas are: Argentiere/Grands Montets — a high-altitude, predominantly technical ski area, situated between the Argentiere glacier and the Mer de Glace, with 28 km of runs. Brevent/Flegere — a ski area directly accessible from the Chamonix town centre or from Les Praz. Mostly technical skiing, facing due south opposite the Mont Blanc massif, with 56 km of runs. Les Houches/Prarion — a family ski area with accessible and technical runs, linked to Saint-Gervais by the Mont Blanc tramway. Sunny skiing with fine views over the Chamonix valley and forest runs for a magical atmosphere, with 55 km of runs. Balme/Vallorcine — a family, sunny ski area with fine views of the Mont Blanc massif, with 29 km of runs. From the summit of the Aiguille du Midi (3,842 m), it is possible to undertake the most famous off-piste route in France: the Vallee Blanche descent (the Mer de Glace). In good snow years, the descent can reach all the way to the valley — 2,800 m of pure natural descent. Otherwise, it ends at the Montenvers site (rack railway). The route varies from very technical to relatively easy depending on snow conditions. Any reasonably competent off-piste skier can attempt it. In any case, hiring a mountain guide is strongly recommended, as you will be skiing on the glacier.
Ski area — Les Houches – Saint-Gervais
⛰️ Altitudes: 1000 m – 1890 m
🎿 Alpine skiing: 55 km
💰 Day pass: 59 €
The Les Houches – Saint-Gervais ski area extends from 1,000 to 1,900 metres altitude and offers around 55 kilometres of runs. It is particularly appreciated for its forest trails and unbeatable views over the Mont Blanc massif. The ski area has 2 green, 8 blue, 13 red and 4 black runs, including the mythical La Verte des Houches — a technical black run that regularly hosts World Cup alpine ski events (Kandahar). Fun areas and a Ski Camp for children are also available. The ski lifts, including the Bellevue cable car and the Prarion gondola, allow quick access to the high-altitude runs, with the effective start of the runs at around 1,800 metres. On the Saint-Gervais and Le Fayet side, access is by the Mont Blanc tramway (included in the lift pass). Skiers wishing to ski multiple nearby ski areas can choose the Mont Blanc Unlimited ski pass, opening up numerous skiing and high-altitude excursion possibilities at Chamonix, Megeve, Saint-Gervais, Courmayeur and more.
Cross-country ski area — Chamonix
⛰️ Altitudes: 1040 m – 1850 m
🌲 Cross-country skiing: 50 km
💰 Day pass: 10 €
With nearly 50 kilometres of dedicated runs, the Chamonix-Mont Blanc valley offers an appreciable playground for cross-country skiing enthusiasts in classic or skating technique. The varied routes, laid out in the heart of grandiose landscapes, are spread across four main sectors, each with its own character. Access to the Chamonix, Argentiere and Vallorcine runs is paid, while the Les Houches domain is free access (excluding the mechanical lift cost for the Prarion). If you are far from the major Nordic ski areas, skiing enthusiasts with a view will be satisfied. Les Houches/Prarion Plateau — high-altitude skiing at 1,850 m accessible by the Prarion cable car, offering spectacular views of the Mont Blanc range. Two main groomed routes for skating combine snowed plateaus and forest passages. This high-altitude environment guarantees good snow and a unique atmosphere far from valley bustle — a Nordic experience balcony-style. Chamonix/Les Praz — the heart of the domain at the Chamonix Nordic skiing lodge (near the Bois du Bouchet), offering three main runs: the green Bois du Bouchet (around 3 km) perfect for initiation, the blue Orthaz (over 7 km) and the red Les Bois (over 11 km) for experienced skiers, winding through forest and along the Arve. Direct link with the Argentiere domain allows up to 37 km for endurance skiers. Argentière — offering around fifteen kilometres of runs with striking views of the legendary Drus and Aiguille Verte summits. Green Iles run (1.3 km) near the car park, blue Chosalets (3 km) and the demanding red Moraine run (8.5 km) with some technical descents. Main departure from the Iles tennis car park. Vallorcine — at 1,300 metres, the last village before Switzerland offers a more intimate and wild Nordic domain of around 10 km. Trails wind between larch forests, along the black water stream and through preserved hamlets like the Montets. An ideal site for peaceful, family-oriented practice in an authentic end-of-the-world setting.
Cross-country ski area — Les Houches
⛰️ Altitudes: 1000 m – 1890 m
🌲 Cross-country skiing: 4 km
Les Houches offers a limited but pleasant Nordic skiing experience, mainly around the Lac des Chavants. Two loops of around 3 kilometres each allow free skiing in a charming setting with mountain views. These trails are not groomed daily, so it is advisable to check conditions before visiting. Higher up, 5.5 km of cross-country ski trails are also available at altitude, at the top of the Prarion cable car at 1,850 m. This skating route requires the prior purchase of a return pedestrian ticket. For a more substantial Nordic offering, skiers should head to other sites in the Chamonix valley such as the Argentiere or Chamonix Nordic ski areas. The most well-regarded nearby domain is that of Les Contamines-Montjoie.
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Ski pass prices — Les Houches
Current lift pass prices for ski areas accessible from Les Houches.
| Ski area | Day pass | 6-day pass | Season pass | Season (prices) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Vallée de Chamonix (alpin skiing) | 74 € | 360 € | 1400.8 € | 2025-2026 |
| Les Houches – Saint-Gervais (alpin skiing) | 59 € | 277 € | N/A | 2025-2026 |
| Chamonix (nordique skiing) | 10 € | 50 € | 90 € | 2025-2026 |
| Les Houches (nordique skiing) | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2025-2026 |
Additional information
- La Vallée de Chamonix: A la journée, mais aussi sur certains autres forfaits, Chamonix pratique la tarification dynamique : en fonction de la demande, les prix des forfaits baissent lorsqu’ils sont achetés en ligne. N’hésitez pas à consulter le site de la stations pour trouver le meilleur prix.
- Les Houches – Saint-Gervais: En ligne, le forfait journée est commercialisé en tarification dynamique. Plus vous réservez tôt et moins la période sera demandée, meilleur sera votre tarif !
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