W Trek Torres del Paine

Free morning in Puerto Natales.

At about 2.30pm, transfer from your hotel to Puerto Natales bus station.

Departure by shared bus to Torres del Paine National Park (2 hours 30 min).

On the way, short stop at the village of Cerro Castillo.

Arrival at Torres del Paine National Park by the end of the afternoon.

Located in the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, the southernmost and largest region of Chile, the 598,593 acres (242,242 hectares) of the Torres del Paine National Park, are home to famous landmarks likes Los Cuernos ('The Horns'), the Cordillera del Paine, the French Valley and the Grey Glacier.

The Park has several different types of landscapes and geographical features, such as pampas, dense forests, lakes, lagoons and impressive glaciers.

Enter the Park through the Laguna Amarga area, before taking the shuttle that will drive you to your refuge in Las Torres sector.

Overnight at the Torre Central Refuge.

Recommended departure time: 9am

Departure by foot to your first day of trekking.

The first hour and a half walking is steep, with fantastic views of lake Nordenskjöld and Mt Almirante Nieto (8,660 ft), with its hanging glacier.

You will reach Refugio El Chileno where you can rest briefly, leave your big backpack and switch to a leighter and smaller one.

Continue the trail through a millenary Lenga (beech trees) forest, for approximately 1 hour, until you reach the base of the moraine, with its challenging 45 min climb

This will take you to one of the most impressive lookouts in the park: right at the base of the three Paine Towers – South Tower (8,204 ft), Central Tower (8,701 ft) and North Tower (7,415 ft), as well as Cerro Nido de Cóndor (The Condor's Nest)

Walk back to El Chileno Refuge where you will rest before having dinner

Overnight at El Chileno Refuge

Recommended departure time: 9am

About 30 minutes after leaving Refugio El Chileno you will notice the sign to take the 'shortcut' that leads to the Refugio Los Cuernos. 

The trail goes past the foot of mount Almirante Nieto, part of the Paine Massif, with great views of the Nordenskjöld Lake.

Starting in December, the flora shows various colors, especially the Ciruelillo (the Fire Bush) which gets its name from the red color of its flowers. 

After about 4 to 5 hours hiking, you will arrive at the foot of Los Cuernos where your next Refugio is located, considered by many, as one of the most charming sites in the entire park.

This is a perfect spot to rest and recover energy for the next day’s challenging trek through The French Valley. 

Overnight at Los Cuernos Refuge. 

Recommended departure time: 9am

The first 2 hours vary between up and down hills and with lookouts over the Nordenskjöld Lake, all the way until Campamento Italiano.

At this point, we advise you to get in touch with the CONAF staff so you can leave your big backpack with them and start the next part of the trek with only a smaller day pack.

The climb lasts about 1 hour 30 min up to the French Glacier lookout, where you will be able to admire its hanging glacier and the occasional some small avalanches. 

The trail then continues to the Campamento Británico. From there another 20-minutes hike will take you to the Mirador Británico considered by many as the most breathtaking lookout of this entire trek.

Try to identify the many peaks in the distance, the Paine Grande, the Cerro Hoja, the Cerro Máscara, the Cerro Catedral, the Cerro Aleta de Tiburón, the Cuerno Nort.

Follow the same trail to return to the Campamento Italiano before heading to the Pehoé sector.

End of the afternon, arrival at Paine Grande Refugio. 

Overnight at Paine Grande Refuge. 

It is important time your walk well, in order to be on time for the departure of the catamaran.

It is possible to leave your backpack in the lockers at the Paine Lodge, and walk up to the Grey Glacier with a lighter pack.  

The trail that takes you to Grey glacier lookout goes through the western side of the Paine Massif with views across the Grey lake.

A 1.5-hour hike will take you to the first lookout point where you get great views of the Grey Glacier in the distance. 

An additional 2-hour walk will get you to the main lookout, right in front of the impressive glacier.

Walk to Pehoé Lake, where you will take the catamaran to sail across the Pehoe Lake at 6.30 pm. 

The boat will drop you off in the Pudeto sector, where your bus will be waiting for you to take you back to Puerto Natales. 

You will arrive at about 9.30pm in Puerto Natales from where our driver will take you to your hotel.