Ski Le Tour & Vallorcine – Domaine de Balme

chamonix winter holiday, chamonix ski holiday, le tour, balme

Vital Statistics

Resort Height: 1453m | Highest lift: 2270m
Slopes: 18
Blacks: 1 | Reds: 7 | Blues: 11 | Greens: 1 (nursery slope)

Le Tour is situated at the top of the valley and is a traditional Savoyarde village.  The ski area which links across to the village of Vallorcine is also known as the Domaine de Balme and commands spectacular views back down the length of the Chamonix valley.

It’s a great area for beginners as La Vormaine in the village of Le Tour has some of the largest nursery slopes in the valley. The green and blue nursery slopes can be found just to the right of the main gondola at Le Tour. This area is perfect for gaining confidence and progressing quickly.

For the more experienced skier or boarder, Le Tour is well worth the 20 minutes’ drive/bus ride from Chamonix, as it has an array of wide cruisy blues and reds, as well as blacks and off-piste to negotiate your way down. This is also a great destination for ski touring (randonnée) with some awesome tours through powder bowls over the back into Switzerland.

There is also a snazzy snowpark which was new in winter 2016-17 – one of the largest in Europe in fact! The freestyle zone is 1000m long, running off the right of the Teleski du Col and served by its own dedicated drag lift and 4 person chairlift. A variety of runs allows skiers and snowboarders of various levels to practise their moves and, being located between 1900m and 2100m, the area also has significant natural snow cover which makes for reliable conditions all through the season. Not only that, but if crazy tricks aren’t really your thing then a relaxing “Cool Zone” will also be established complete with sound-system.

Check out our Mountain Restaurants guide for the best places to eat on the slopes.

View Le Tour piste map.

Local tip

If you’re planning to ski in le Tour and Vallorcine, we recommend taking the Mont Blanc Express train to Vallorcine instead of the bus to Le Tour. It’s free with your tourist guest card and usually much less busy than the ski buses, plus you can enjoy the great views on the way.

Lift passes

You can ski the Domaine de Balme (Le Tour) ski area on either the Mont Blanc Unlimited or Chamonix Le Pass lift passes. Read more about them in our winter guide or go straight to our Chamonix Resort Shop to book now online.