Things to do in Chamonix in winter without skiing

In any family or group of friends, there's often someone who doesn't ski. The valley suits them well: its five villages are linked by train, and many outings start from the valley floor. Here are nine ideas, from the most intense to the most relaxing. For other seasons, our guide to things to do in Chamonix adds to this list.

Can you go paragliding in Chamonix in winter?

Yes. You can fly when the lifts are running and the weather allows. In winter, the Planpraz gondola (around 2,000 m) generally runs from mid-December to mid-April. The Aiguille du Midi cable car, which serves the Plan de l'Aiguille (2,310 m), closes for a few weeks every year for maintenance, between early November and mid-December.

On a tandem flight, no experience is needed: you run a few steps at take-off, and the instructor flies the wing. The flight lasts 20 to 25 minutes in the air, and around 1 hr to 1 hr 30 in total. On PEAKED, David Paragliding Chamonix, an instructor born in Chamonix, offers the flight facing Mont Blanc and the flight from the Plan de l'Aiguille. The price of each flight is shown on its listing, service fee included. The lift ticket is not included: a one-way ticket to Planpraz or to the Plan de l'Aiguille depending on the flight, priced on the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc website.

You'll find all the details in our article Parapente biplace à Chamonix : tout ce qu'il faut savoir avant de réserver.

Can you climb an ice fall without being a mountaineer?

Yes, with a mountain guide. When the cold sets in, some of the valley's waterfalls freeze. With crampons on your feet and an ice axe in each hand, you climb roped up, belayed by the guide. The season is short: generally from late December to late February, sometimes until early March.

The tourist office features the Bérard ice fall in Vallorcine: an artificial one, maintained every evening by volunteers, where booking is compulsory. The valley's guiding schools run introductory days in groups of 3 to 4, from age 15 depending on the school, with a price per person shown on their websites. On PEAKED, Jeff Mercier, a mountain guide, offers a rarer outing: climbing in the moulins of the Mer de Glace, with a night in a bivouac. The price is shown on the outing's listing, service fee included.

Our full guide: Cascade de glace à Chamonix.

Where can you go snowshoeing around Chamonix?

Snowshoeing is the simplest way to walk in the snow: if you can walk, you can snowshoe. The tourist office waymarks several routes, such as the sentier des Cerfs in Les Houches (3.4 km, around 1 hr 10), the Petit Prarion at the top of the Prarion gondola, or the boucle des Granges starting from Le Buet, in Vallorcine.

A mountain leader chooses the route according to the avalanche bulletin, adapts the pace for children and shows you animal tracks. With the valley's guiding schools, a half-day in a group is priced per person, with snowshoes and poles often provided. On PEAKED, Valérie Dubois Delplanque, a mountain leader, offers La montagne en hiver in Megève: 3 hrs away from the pistes, snowshoes provided, from age 6, at the price shown on the outing's listing, service fee included. Message her from her profile page.

Our article Raquettes à Chamonix gives details of the routes, ages and equipment.

Is it worth going up the Aiguille du Midi in winter?

Yes, if the sky is clear. The cable car takes you up to 3,842 m, facing Mont Blanc, around 2,800 m above Chamonix. The price of a return ticket is shown on the tourist office website. The cable car generally closes from early November to mid-December for maintenance: check the opening dates on the same website before you go.

Check the weather at the summit before buying your ticket, and take gloves and a hat: it's much colder up there than in town.

Can you visit the Mer de Glace in winter?

Yes, by the Montenvers rack railway, which leaves from the centre of Chamonix and climbs above the Mer de Glace, the largest glacier in France. It also runs in winter, except during its autumn works: check the opening dates on the tourist office website. It is run by a public body of the Haute-Savoie Department.

Please note the access to the glacier: the gondola that goes down to the ice has its own dates and opening times, which vary with the season. Check on the railway's website whether the gondola and the ice cave are open during your stay. To walk or climb on the glacier, you need a mountain guide.

How can you discover the valley's villages without a car?

Servoz, Les Houches, Chamonix, Argentière and Vallorcine: the Mont-Blanc Express train links them, from Saint-Gervais-Le Fayet to Vallorcine, and then on to Switzerland. With the guest card given to you by your accommodation provider, the train is free between Servoz and Vallorcine. The valley buses are not free with this card, but it entitles you to discounts.

A day spent going from village to village makes a nice, quiet break between two outings.

Where can you go for a walk in the snow without any equipment?

The tourist office maintains groomed walking routes, waymarked in yellow, often alongside the cross-country ski trails. Two examples:

• The Argentière moraine and Les Chosalets: 6 km, around 2 hrs 30 there and back, starting from the old village of Argentière.

• The bois du Bouchet to the Désert Blanc: 4 km, around 2 hrs there and back, from the Maison Nordique in Chamonix, with views of the Drus.

They are free and open from mid-December to mid-April depending on snow cover. In Les Houches, the chemin des Villages and the sentier des Chavants are also open to walkers. Good waterproof footwear is all you need.

These paths can also be walked in summer: see Randonnée facile à Chamonix : six balades sans remontée mécanique.

What is there to do in Chamonix when you fancy something peaceful?

Two places for a relaxed half-day:

• The Richard Bozon ice rink, in the centre of Chamonix: a covered rink measuring 60 m by 30, open to the public (closed from late October to mid-December). Entry is free for under-6s, and you can hire skates there. Prices are shown on the tourist office website.

• The QC Terme spa: baths, saunas, hammams and an infinity pool facing the Mont Blanc massif. Entry from age 14. The price depends on the option and the season: it is shown on the spa's website.

How much do non-skiing winter activities in Chamonix cost?

The price depends on the activity, the format (group or private), the length and the number of people. For outings with pros on PEAKED, it is shown on the outing's listing, service fee included. For lifts and the valley's attractions, check their own websites or the tourist office's.

• Tandem paragliding (PEAKED): Duration: 20 to 25 min of flying, 1 hr to 1 hr 30 in total · Level: No experience · Price: on the outing's listing, service fee included, plus the lift · Period: Mid-December to mid-April from Planpraz

• Ice climbing, introductory group session: Duration: One day · Level: Beginner in good shape, from age 15 · Price: per person, on the valley guiding schools' websites · Period: Late December to late February, sometimes early March

• Moulins of the Mer de Glace (PEAKED): Duration: 10 hrs, with a night in a bivouac · Level: Good physical fitness · Price: on the outing's listing, service fee included · Period: From autumn to late winter, depending on the ice

• Snowshoeing with a mountain leader: Duration: Half a day, 3 to 4 hrs · Level: Easy · Price: per person in a group, or for the group on a private outing · Period: December to early April, depending on snow

• Aiguille du Midi: Duration: Half a day · Level: None · Price: on the Compagnie du Mont-Blanc website · Period: All year round, except for maintenance from November to mid-December

• Montenvers train: Duration: Half a day · Level: None · Price: See the railway's website · Period: All year round, except for closures for works

• Groomed walking paths: Duration: 2 hrs to 2 hrs 30 · Level: Easy · Price: Free · Period: Mid-December to mid-April

• Richard Bozon ice rink: Duration: One session · Level: All · Price: on the tourist office website, free for under-6s, skates extra · Period: Winter

• QC Terme spa: Duration: Half a day or a full day · Level: From age 14 · Price: depending on the option and the season, on the spa's website · Period: All year round

Should you go with a professional?

For outings in the wild, yes: paragliding, ice climbing, snowshoeing away from waymarked routes. A qualified professional chooses the location and timing according to the weather and the day's avalanche risk.

Each activity has its own profession. The paragliding instructor pilots your flight. The mountain leader takes you snowshoeing. The mountain guide looks after you on an ice fall and on a glacier. To make sure you pick the right one: Guide, accompagnateur, moniteur : qui fait quoi en montagne ?

On PEAKED, our team checks each professional's qualification, professional card and insurance. You see their price, service fee included, before you commit, and you can message the professional from their profile page. All the valley's outings are on the Chamonix-Mont-Blanc page.