Classic Self-Guided W Trek
Explore at your own pace with detailed maps, flexible itineraries, and handpicked accommodations.
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The W Trek in Torres del Paine is a world-renowned 63-kilometer (39-mile) hiking trail located in the Chilean Patagonia region of Southern Chile. The iconic route typically takes 4 to 5 days to complete, leading trekkers through three primary valleys: the Ascensio Valley to the Torres Base, the French Valley, and the Grey Glacier valley. Trekkers can navigate the path from East to West or West to East, staying in a mix of fully catered refugios, serviced camping sites, or luxury lodges along the trail.
Participants of this activity will be able to hike, daily, between fixed accommodation locations, where they can meet with fellow hikers and enthuse, together, over a Pisco Sour, how their day has gone, before tucking into a hot dinner.
On the trail are refugios, which are hostels with bunk bed dorm rooms with a capacity for 6 people, and tents. On the eastern sector of the trail are Premium Camping tents and on the western sector are Standard Camping tents. All refugios and paid-for camping have hot showers What is the difference between Premium and Standard Camping? Premium tents are better quality and on top of a high-raised platform, whereas standard tents are more basic and on top of a ground-level platform.
Each night a hot dinner is served in the refugio even if you are camping (if you have booked all meals included – “full board”). The next morning, breakfast will be served and a box lunch handed to you for the day ahead.
Experience Chile can arrange a W Trek program where you are based for all, or some nights at a hotel. Such hotels can be at Puerto Natales, at the eastern end of the W Trek trail, or at other locations in Torres del Paine. In each case, where required, we will include the relevant transport to get you to and from the trail heads.
Also, for those with a high-end budget, we can offer any of the luxury lodges in the area for better comfort and facilities.
There is a summary below along with information relating to: East to West and West to East hiking descriptions, the meal times at refugios, all about the accommodation along the trail, the fitness level you need and the seasons.
Considering that Torres del Paine is located in the far south of Chile, in the heart of Patagonia, the weather is reliably changeable. One moment it can be very lovely, not much wind, dry and sunny. However, a few hours later is may change to being incredibly windy, rainy and cold. Therefore, it is essential that you have the right hiking clothes for both the good and the bad regarding weather.
The Circuit Trek Trail must be hiked in an anticlockwise direction from Central or Serón. The Circuit Trek also includes the W Trek Trail.
Circuit Trek Trail
Altitude 205m
Accommodation
Refugio, Standard Camping
Distance from last stop
From Serón 19 km / 11.9 mi · ≈ 6 h 20
Onward → Los Perros 12 km / 7.5 mi · ≈ 4 h
Any Questions?Circuit Trek Trail
Altitude 165m
Accommodation
Premium Camping only
Distance from last stop
From Central 15 km / 9.3 mi · ≈ 3 h
Onward → Dickson 19 km / 11.9 mi · ≈ 6 h 20
Any Questions?W Trek Trail
Altitude 135m
Accommodation
Refugio, Premium Camping, Hotel, ECO Camp
Distance & time — both directions
West → East
East → West
Trek start & finish point
Any Questions?W Trek Trail
Altitude 500 m
Accommodation
Premium Camping only
Distance & Time — Both Directions
West → East
East → West
W Trek Trail
Altitude 242m
Accommodation
Refugio, Cabins, Premium Camping
Distance & time — both directions
West → East
East → West
W Trek Trail
Altitude 95m
Accommodation
Refugio, Premium Camping
Distance & time — both directions
West → East
East → West
W Trek Trail
Altitude 45m
Accommodation
Refugio, Standard Camping
Distance & time — both directions
West → East
East → West
W Trek Trail
Altitude 64 m
Accommodation
Refugio, Standard Camping
Distance & Time — Both Directions
West → East
East → West
Circuit Trek Trail
Altitude 580m
Accommodation
Standard Camping
Distance from last stop
From Dickson 12 km / 7.5 mi · ≈ 4 h
Onward → Grey 17.5 km / 11 mi · ≈ 12 h
Any Questions?Total W Trek Hiking Distance: 63km approx., depending on which route you take.
Number of Hiking Days: Full Trek 5 days, but shorter version can be done in 4 days, and even in three days.
Explore at your own pace with detailed maps, flexible itineraries, and handpicked accommodations.
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Experience the W Trek with expert local guides who bring the landscape, culture, and wildlife to life.
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Enjoy the trek with the comfort of staying in quality hotels before and after your daily adventures.
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Indulge in premium lodges with top-notch service, gourmet meals, and stunning views every day.
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Enjoy the great outdoors with the comforts of luxury camping in unique and scenic locations.
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We design personalized itineraries tailored to your interests, schedule, and preferred comfort.
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The Base of the Towers
This is the most famous leg of the trek. It takes you through lush, green, lenga (beech) forests, and up and over a steep, rocky, glacial moraine to the iconic viewpoint at the foot of the threee spires.
The Middle Sector
Located in the centre of the “W”, this valley offers dramatic 360-degree views. You will hike alongside the roaring French River and look up at massive hanging glaciers that frequently carve off into thunderous ice avalanches.
Key Highlight: The French Valley amphitheatre and views of the Cuernos (Horns) peaks.
Hike Distance from Paine Grande or Cuernos: 16km (10 miles) round trip.
The Western End
The trail at the western end runs alongside the Grey Lake. It brings you face-to-face with huge blue, ice wall of Glacier Grey, which is part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.
Key Highlight: Grey Glacier viewpoints and the thrilling hanging bridges.
Hike Distance from Paine Grande or Cuernos: 11km (6.8 miles) from Paine Grande.
Starting in the west and hiking east means beginning at Glacier Grey, with the French Valley in the middle and saving the iconic dawn spectacle of seeing the Torres Base at the end.
On the other hand, if you start in the east, you will be able to hike up the steepest part of the trail to the Torres Base with new energy, then hitting the French Valley in the central sector before ending at Glacier Grey, or cutting it short at Paine Grande.
See our full East to West and West to East descriptions further below.
However, if you prefer to mingle with other travellers and are okay to share a dorm room, sleep in a bunk bed and have meals with everyone else, as well as share communal WC – shower rooms, then a refugio is what you need. Note that in one place, Cuernos, there are also private A-framed cabins that sleep up to three people (still need to use communal WC, shower room). The cabins are 50m away from the refugio, where meals are taken.
Refugios are youth hostels that are dotted along the trail and provide a fun social space to unwind and re-charge after your day on the trail. However, here at Experience Chile we only book full-board accommodation, so all of your meals will be included throughout the duration of your trip.
The refugios of Torres del Paine National Park vary in size and quality, so make sure to contact us if you’re unsure which option is right for you. If you don’t mind a bit of a squeeze and love a chat with interesting people then these are the perfect choice for you.
The W Trek refugios are located at key points along the trail so that trekkers have a sturdy, warm, shelter after several hours hiking.
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These cabins, which are private, are the Cabins Cuernos, located 50mts up the hill from the Refugio Cuernos in the middle of the W Trek Trail.
The cabins offer a private, snug and cosy alternative to staying in the dorm rooms in the refugio or tents in the serviced camping area.
The cabins are small, A-framed huts that can sleep two comfortably and three if you have a good friend. There are real beds with bedding too.
There is a communal shower and WC unit as well as a communal outside hot tub, from where you can relax after a heavy day walking – but bring your bathing gear.
View All Private Cabins
If you want privacy, like the outdoor experience and want to keep costs down, then the serviced camping option will work in the case. Serviced camping, that includes the tent, ground mat, sleeping bag, liner, and all meals, are located beside the refugios. Here at Experience Chile we will be pleased to include serviced camping in your itinerary.
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At some locations along the Torres del Paine W Trek trail, there is premium camping. Specifically at Chileno, Central, Frances and Cuernos, as well as on the full Circuit trek at Seron. Premium camping means that you get a superior category of tent that is pitched on a high-raise platform. The extra height lifts the tent off the colder, ground-level air, therefore contributing to an overall, more comfortable experience. Premium camping includes the tent, ground mat, sleeping bag and all meals, and are located next to the refugios. Experience Chile will be pleased to include serviced premium camping in your itinerary.
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These domes are located at Frances, which is a spot located half-way between Refugio Cuernos and the entrance to the France Valley (also known as Camp Italiano). The domes are structures built in the shape of a dome, hence the name, and comprise plastic supported over a metallic frame. Each unit is on top of an elevated wooden base and has its own, communal en-suite shower and WC unit. The interior is spacious with a bunk bed configuration in a dormitory format.
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This is hotel is located on an authentic, Patagonia working estancia. This means that on the land are sheep, horses and some cattle as well as thousands of hectares of Patagonian space.
The rooms are in the original, but renovated estancia accommodation buildings. With regard to design, this particular one is the country-style with large, private rooms with equally large en-suite bathrooms in its older sector. The restaurant offers good food and wines.
Here, you can experience life in Patagonia and also sense and feel the history of the past 100 years.
There is only one such place and it is located in the Torres del Paine zone.
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The Torres del Paine Glamping means that the accommodation is luxury level camping in either Yurt or Dome tent (two different places in different areas of the Torres del Paine zone). The exteriors maybe hard, plastic sheeting over metallic frames, but the interiors are decorated with nice fabrics, wooden furniture, good beds and bedding, and en-suite bathrooms that you would normally find in an hotel.
One has communal bar and dining area with wine, and in the other has more of an up-market restaurant with good wines. Both options are located within the Torres del Paine zone.
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There is only one hotel actually located on the W Trek trail and this is at the trail head to go up to the Torres Base. This hotel, called Hotel Las Torres, and one of our partners, is a good option to mix with either refugios and / or camping, or as a one or two night rest, followed by nights at other hotels when you complete the trail. The advantage of a hotel is that you get a private room, private en-suite bathroom, usually decent restaurant and an overall more comfortable experience.
Experience Chile can arrange full W Trek itineraries with accommodation at a hotel each night.
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Should you have the budget, namely a few thousand USD per person, for an all-inclusive 4-night experience then without doubt a stay at one of the up-market, top-end luxury lodges is where you need to be. The top-end of the market offers guests superb comfort, facilities (two of the places have excellent indoor pools), educated guides, nice transport and daily, guided W Trek excursions as well as plenty of other tours.
Here at Experience Chile we are distinguished partners of all the luxury lodges in Patagonia, whereupon we include additional, special offers should you book with us.
View All Luxury Lodges
Best Months for less people:
October and April
High Season:
December, January and February
Entry Tickets:
Must be bought in advance.
Reservations:
Best to use a service, like ours, to save the stress of tring to use two, different, clander booking systems when booking direct. Request spaces 6 to 8 mths in advance of arrival.
For those lucky enough to come here you can walk with and experience an incredible sense of freedom amid the raw, natural beautiful landscape of Patagonia. Here you can see tall, vertically sided, needle-like granite towers and blue-colored lagoons. Also, there are the massive, jagged mountain peaks, hanging glaciers and huge moving glaciers. This, in addition to the large lakes, waterfalls, puma’s, guanacos, eagles, condors and native forests to name some of the great attributes to this part of the world.
As well as the trekking and sights, you can also kayak in a lake past icebergs, climb on a glacier, ride at fast speed in a zodiac up or down river and horse ride. If you ever wanted to “feel alive”, then a visit and walk on the W Trek will certainly give you that feeling.
Here, below, we outline all you need to know about the W Trek in Torres del Paine.
Then, if you refer to the above tabs you will find more key information about the W Trek such as route descriptions, accommodation descriptions as well as hiking times and distances.
You can hike the Torres del Paine W Trek trail from Puerto Natales. Consider asking us to reserve accommodation in Puerto Natales or El Calafate the night before you start your trek and the night of the day you end your trek.
Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine is approx 2hrs on the old road or 1hr to the CONAF ADMIN (Sector Serrano) on the new road that passes by the Milodon cave.
Punta Arenas from Puerto Natales is approx 3hrs. There is a direct bus from El Calafate to TDP and also TDP to El Calafate and this transfer takes approx 6hrs.
In order to trek the Circuit and “W” people need to be reasonably fit.
Not necessarily as an athlete, but perfectly able to walk for up to 10hrs a day (in the longest sectors) over rugged terrain, uphill, over streams and rocks, through woods and sometimes in driving rain and strong winds.
If you are not able to endure this environment, you should seriously consider not trekking in TDP.
Hiking the Torres del Paine W Trek in December, January and February, are the most crowded months of the year.
For the reason mentioned above, October, November; March and April are considered by “those in the know” to the best months to embark on the W-Trek.
Flexible Dates
If your schedule is flexible, out of all the options we recommend visiting the park in April because it is quieter and there is less wind.
All bookings will need to be made up to one year in advance in order to secure your spot. However, if you have limited availability, don’t hesitate to get in touch and we can build a custom travel itinerary that suits your exact needs.
The winter months of Chilean Patagonia (late April to early September) present challenges to itinerary design that have to be worked around. Days are shorter and the weather is generally colder, leading to a high likelihood of snow on the roads and trails.
Guided Only
Self-guided programs are not available in the winter period, as a result and many hostels scale back their opening hours and services offered to compensate for the reduced quantity of tourists. If a Patagonian winter is still the only time you can make it, or you just love a challenge, we can still easily create your custom itinerary to work around these restrictions, but with a guide.
It should be said that the majority of people trek the trail self-guided. The routes are sign-posted clearly with orange-painted poles and are also well-trodden paths and, in the summer season (Dec – Jan – Feb) there will be numerous other hikers about. Nevertheless, this is wilderness country, very remote and subject to sudden changes in weather that can make conditions tough.
Take Note
Do NOT go off the trail because even if you have the slightest incident like a twisted ankle, you may find that no one will find you. It is essential that all walkers have the right clothing and food and know what to do it they are caught out in extreme, unpredicted bad weather.
However, if you are a group, you should take a guide to comply with the Park regulations, or if you are unsure of doing the trek on your own. The guide will also be able to inform you of valuable information during the trek, about geological features, vegetation, and wildlife, as well as handle the check-in.
Porters are available to carry one, back-pack style bag (NOT a suitcase) up to 15kg in weight.
For both a guide and / or porter there is, of course, additional cost.
People coming from Santiago will inevitably pass by Puerto Natales, either coming from Punta Arenas or on a direct flight to the village. Therefore, Puerto Natales is the ideal stop-off for a night or two pre and / or post your visit to Torres del Paine.
Based in Natales
Also, here at Experience Chile, we operate W Trek programs based from Puerto Natales, whereupon you can avoid the dorm-room sleeping situation in the refugios and, instead, enjoy a decent hotel or top-end hotel as well as restaurants and “vibe” of a village.
Alternatively, the other place to stay pre and / or post the W Trek is in El Calafate, over the border in Argentina, which is a 6hr transfer away. Moreover, over at El Calafate you will be able to visit the impressive Perito Moreno Glacier and / or go trekking at El Chalten (3hr transfer).
The W route is called so because the path you walk forms a pattern in the shape of a “W”, when viewed down from above.
For most of the time walking the footpaths in TDP you will be staring at the ground a few paces in front and looking up occasionally, and then stopping to take in the breath-taking views all around.
However, a number of people ask which way is better.
Is There Any Advantage?
In reality there is really no specific advantage over the other, but the main differences are that going West to East means that from Paine Grande you will have the Cuernos del Paine in view for most of the way, hanging glaciers on your left, and lakes on your right as well as the prevailing wind, which, if blowing, will be on your back.
If you go East to West you will have the beautiful view of the lakes to your left and hanging glaciers on your right and the prevailing wind against you, if it is blowing.
Ultimately, it is better to plan the route around the reality of travel logistics and connections you will require.
There is an entrance fee to pay to enter Torres del Paine and this will need to be paid in Chilean Pesos or in USD– equal to approx USD50 per person. Experience Chile will pre-arrange entry tickets for all our clients and have them sent to your cel phone or email.
Extras
Payment for all extras at the refugios can be paid in USD or in Chilean Pesos
Chile has a modern network of ATM machines called Red Bank located in many areas (banks, supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations) in villages, towns and cities.
It is easy to use a debit or credit card to get local currency cash out BUT NOT within Torres del Paine so ensure you have enough CASH with you before entering the park. More refugios are now accepting credit cards too (but do not rely on this).
Torres del Paine offers visitors various accommodation alternatives ranging from camping, to refugios (these are hostels), to hotels and luxury lodges.
For those walking the W Trek, the question for you is what type of person are you and how much money do you have to spend?
“All in all one of the best holidays we have ever had, if not the best, so thank you for putting together such an enjoyable itinerary for us.
With best wishes for the new year.”
Joe
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“Our 60th birthday trip has been so amazing because of your fantastic help. We both turned 60 years old in 2018 so we wanted to celebrate by proving to ourselves we were still fit enough to do this kind of trip.
Your help made this easy, so THANK YOU!!!!!!”
Randy and E
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“We are getting ready to leave and I just wanted to thank you for helping us along the way. We had a great time and the weather was perfect. On the “O circuit” all your arrangements went smoothly.“
Marc
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