Torres del Paine W Trek: 7-Day Guided Tour in Patagonia, Chile

The Torres Del Paine W Trek starts with a morning pickup at your hotel or the airport in Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales. The minivan stops in Puerto Natales, a small town on the shores of Last Hope Sound, for lunch.

From there, the road runs into Torres del Paine National Park. Reach EcoCamp Patagonia at about 5:30 PM, settle into your dome, and meet your guide, who explains how the dry bags work and what the next day looks like.

Meals included: Lunch or box lunch / Dinner

The first day on the trail is a warm-up. The Los Cuernos path follows the shore of Lake Nordenskjöld, with the horn-shaped peaks of Los Cuernos above you—dark slate sitting on the grey granite of the Paine Massif.

End the walk at Los Cuernos, a small mountain refugio on the lakeshore, or at the El Francés refugio, between the Cuernos and Italiano campsites, depending on availability. Upon arrival at camp, your dry bag will already be waiting, leaving the rest of the evening yours to relax.

Meals included: Breakfast / Box lunch / Dinner

This is the day the Torres del Paine W Trek is known for. A steep trail climbs into the French Valley, at the heart of the Paine Massif.

How far you go depends on the group’s pace: a faster group reaches a hanging bridge at the foot of the massif’s southeastern face, then climbs into the upper valley, below the rock formations called the Blade, the Mask, and the Sword.

After a picnic in the valley, the trail descends through grassland and light forest to Paine Grande. If time and pace allow, the group adds the detour to Mirador Británico, the British Lookout (about 4 km more).

Meals included: Breakfast / Box lunch / Dinner

Leaving Paine Grande behind, the route skirts Lake Pehoé before heading toward Lake Grey’s northern banks for a picnic. A boat ride across the water brings you right up to the massive ice face of Grey Glacier. Once ashore on the southern side, transport takes you back to EcoCamp, where porters bring your dry bag in the late afternoon.

The boat can be cancelled because of weather or too few passengers. In that case, the group hikes to a Grey Glacier lookout, walks back to Paine Grande, crosses Lake Pehoé by catamaran, and drives to the camp. In October and April, the day may start from Paine Grande via the Pehoé crossing or the Las Carretas trail instead.

Meals included: Breakfast / Box lunch / Dinner

Hike toward Hostería Las Torres, then up the Ascencio Valley on the eastern face of the Towers, between ridges, beech forest, and streams.

The hardest part comes at the end: a steep moraine of large boulders that leads to the base of the three granite towers, above a glacial lake. Have lunch at the top, then return on the same trail to EcoCamp for dinner.

In October and April, this hike can be cancelled for weather and safety reasons.

Meals included: Breakfast / Box lunch / Dinner

After breakfast, the van drives west along Lake Nordenskjöld, stopping at viewpoints and at the Salto Grande waterfall. An easy walk of 7 km round trip leads to the Los Cuernos Lookout, with wide views of the lake and the massif.

Lunch is near Lake Pehoé. In the afternoon, a much steeper trail of 2.5 km round trip climbs to the Condor Lookout, over Lake Pehoé, the Paine River, and the western side of the park. Back at EcoCamp Patagonia, the evening ends with a farewell dinner.

Meals included: Breakfast / Box lunch / Farewell dinner

After an early breakfast, leave the park with a box lunch. The van reaches Puerto Natales airport or hotels in the late morning and Punta Arenas airport or hotels in the early afternoon. Book an evening flight home.

If you continue to Argentina, a transfer to El Calafate can be arranged instead by tourist bus and shared van.

Meals included: Breakfast / Box lunch