The Real Deal: Seven nights' accommodations, breakfast daily, five picnic lunches, six dinners, transfers by minibus, and guided walking tours, from $1,287 per person — including all taxes and fees.
When: June 6, 13; Sept. 12, 19, 26; add $36 for June 20, 27; July 4, 25; Aug. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; Sept. 5, 2009.
The fine print: Airfare is not included. Based on double occupancy; single supplement is $170. Group sizes can range from 1 to 16 people. Read before you book any Real Deal.
Book by: No deadline; based on availability.
Contact: Adventure Center, 800/228-8747, adventurecenter.com.
Why it's a deal: The rate for this package breaks down to $184 per person per night and covers accommodations, some meals, transfers and walking tours. Since Adventure Center has working relationships with local properties, you'll benefit from lower nightly rates than you would find if you were to book on your own.
Tour highlights: You'll spend five days on guided walking tours of the circuit of Mont Blanc, with one day of independent exploration. Return each night to your base chalet in the Chamonix Valley to spend the night. Each day, you'll transfer by minibus to the spot where you left off the day before. This way you won't have to schlep your luggage or constantly pack and unpack.
Here's a brief summary of the route: Take a bus ride from Les Houches to Trient, Switzerland. Trek across the Col de Balme to Col de Montets in France. Drive through the Mont Blanc tunnel to Italy. Pass through Mont de la Saxe then go down to Courmayeur. Cross the Col de Voza and proceed to Les Contamines. Hike along Lac Blanc to La Flegere. Next, drive to Brevent, go up by téléphérique (aerial tram) to the middle station, and then walk along Brevent Peak to Les Houches.
Lodging: Seven nights at the nine-room Chalet Savoy in Les Chavants, a peaceful community near Les Houches in the heart of the Chamonix Valley.
More: If you're itching for an adrenaline rush, you can book an optional tandem paragliding flight from the Brevent or Aiguille du Midi middle stations for approximately $136 per person.
Before you go: For more information, visit the official tourism Web site of the Chamonix Valley. While weather conditions in the Alps can change suddenly and drastically, summertime temperatures hover in the balmy 60 to 75 range during the day and drop to the 50s at night.
Getting there: To give you a sense of how much it would cost you to get to your destination, we did a quick Kayak search for airfare to Geneva, Switzerland, in mid-June. The rates start at $573 from New York (United); $660 from Houston (United); $707 from Chicago (United); $752 from Denver, L.A., Seattle (United); and $754 from Miami (American).