At a Glance
The W Trek is the most famous route in the Torres del Paine National Park. Navigating up and down the mountain valleys, the W Trek brings you up close to its world-famous Patagonian views and natural, must-see attractions: Glacier Grey, Los Cuernos, Valle del Francés and Las Torres.
Hike five days on the W Trek with experienced and certified mountain guides and camp along the trail. Walk the W Trek from west to east, starting at Campsite Grey and ending at Refugio Las Torres. The trail runs up three valleys, creating the W shape that gives it its name. In each of those valleys lies one of the iconic sights of the park:
Lago Grey (Grey Lake), flecked with cobalt blue ice, flows up to the face of the enormous glacier that ...
Trip Highlights
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What's Included
- Trekking poles if required
- Entrance, camping & park fees
- Experienced and certified guide
- One night 4 star pre-tour accommodation in Puerto Natales
- Transportation to/from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine National Park
- 4 nights camping along the W Trek. Tents, sleeping pad and sleeping bag provided
- All meals along the W Trek. Breakfasts staying in Puerto Natales hotel
- Group gear (stove & cooking equipment)
- Private airport transfers to/from Puerto Natales. *Pickup and drop off Punta Arenas, El Calafate or other areas is also available at additional cost
Itinerary
Arrive in Puerto Natales airport (guest's own arrangement). Pickup from Punta Arenas, El Calafate or other areas is also available on request. Additional charge applies. Please see more details in "GETTING THERE" section. Private transfer to your hotel in the seacoast of Puerto Natales City, only 1200 meters from downtown. Your lodge in Puerto Natales is a charming place with a family atmosphere, a resting place with amazing views and also delicious food. You can easily walk to the city center by a beautiful coastal road, which is the habitat of black-necked swans and wild ducks. Make your own way to the expedition centre for a pre-tour briefing with the guide at 5:00pm, where your guide will also conduct gear check and itinerary review. Return to your lodge and enjoy dinner (at own expense). “Enoo Restaurant” in Weskar Lodge offers a suggestion of Patagonian dishes, Chilean wines, regional beers and homemade pisco sour, with the backdrop of the breathtaking views of Ultima Esperanza Fjord. |
Difficulty: Moderate You will start your trip in the early morning (around 7:30am), leaving Puerto Natales for an approx. 2.5 hour drive to the West entrance of the National Park Torres del Paine. On the way, you can enjoy the view of the mountains that form the amazing landscape of Patagonia. You will pass by lakes, forest and also one of the best lookouts of the whole national park mountain range. After you check in at the ranger station and entrance of the park you will continue driving for another half an hour to get to Pudeto pier. You board the catamaran that will take you for approximately 25 minutes over the Lake Pehoe, known as the most beautiful lake in the region, until you get to the Paine Grande Lodge/campsite. From here you start to get ready for your first hike and the official start of the ‘W’ Trek. After a quick organisational break, you begin hiking towards Campsite/Refugio Grey. This will be an 11 km hike with amazing views over the Grey Lake, which displays the impressive geological changes that have happened in this area. After arriving at the campsite, set up the tents and prepare for dinner. |
Difficulty: Moderate On the morning of the second day of the W Trek, you do a half day side-tour that goes up to an amazing viewpoint of glaciers and the southern Patagonian ice-field. During this hike, you will cross mainly forest and two hanging bridges to get to an encompassing view over Glacier Grey. Coming back to camp, pack your backpacks and start your hike back to Paine Grande campsite, where you will stay for the night. This campground is known for its amazing views of the “Cuernos”, big granite walls that are part of the unique mountain range of the national park, and also the strong gusts of wind that can make camping an all-together more challenging experience. |
Difficulty: Moderate Make your way to the beautiful Valle del Francés. Start your walk from Paine Grande to Campsite Italiano, over rolling hills you will arrive at a ranger station at the foot of the valley. Then hike up into the valley. There are two viewpoints to hike to. The first viewpoint is called Mirador Francés, taking 1 hour hiking up some steep parts of the valley. From this viewpoint, you can enjoy the view of the hanging glacier coming down from the largest mountain in the park, the Paine Grande. From this spot, it is another 1.5 hour hike to get to the second viewpoint called Británico. This next part of the trail is easier and relaxing, with a boulder field at the end were you can have the amazing 360° view around you. The Británico lookout is on a big rock formation at the end of the valley, the best spot for the perfect picture from the Valle del Francés. After some time enjoying the view, you turn around and go back to Campsite Italiano. Continue the last half an hour hiking to the campground for the night, camping Francés. |
Difficulty: Moderate You will cross forest, pebble beaches, some steep inclines and descents, all this with views overlooking Lago Nordenskjold and up against the impressive walls of the Cuernos and the Almirante Nieto mountain. Around every corner you will find a different perspective of the Patagonian steppe, making this a beautiful landscape. After a few hours of hiking, you get to the beginning of the Ascencio Valley, were you can start to see part of the famous Torres del Paine. |
This is your last W Trek trekking day, going up to the famous Torres del Paine. Starting the hike up into the mountain, you will have an amazing view from the green Ascencio Valley, and the mountains from the surroundings. After 2 hours hiking up, you reach “The pass of the wind”, the best view of the valley Ascencio. From here you start walking down to Refugio Chileno, located next to the river of the valley. After a short break you will continue hiking for another hour into the valley, through the beautiful Magellan forest. At the end of the forest, you will find “Camp Torres” and the ranger station of the area. From here you start hiking the last section of the trail. For 45 min you will make your way up and finally get to the “Mirador” where you can see the three towers standing in front of a glacial lake. After having enjoyed the spectacle at the towers, you will make your way back down to the camping ground. This marks the end of your W Trek. You will then be transferred back to Puerto Natales. Estimated arrival time: 18:30. Tour Ends Note: If you wish to be transferred to Punta Arenas or El Calafate after the W Trek, please contact us to customise your itinerary. Additional charge applies.
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Bahia Esperanza Excursion Full Day Program Starts/Finishes: Puerto Bories or Puerto Consuelo (which is a few minutes from Puerto Natales. Guests can arrange taxi through hotel) Luxury Escape to Bahia Esperanza The rustic ranch house features natural wood, contemporary furnishings, large windows, and neutral tones. Measuring 120 square-meters, this rustic escape comes completely equipped for an exclusive and authentic experience of Patagonia. The maximum capacity is for 9 guests and 8 - 9 beds. During your stay in Bahia Esperanza, you can also enjoy the following activities: Starts/Finishes: Puerto Bories or Puerto Consuelo (which is a few minutes from Puerto Natales. Guests can arrange taxi through hotel) |
Puerto Natales Biking Tour
During the excursion you will cross different streets and avenues to explore various monuments. You will visit the pioneer houses, the artisan village Ether Aike, the Cuatro Pueblos square and several unmissable landmarks of the city.
Puerto Natales is a place full of history and inspiration. This city is located on the banks of the Señoret canal, between the Admiral Montt gulf and the Last Hope Sine. Through this tour you will discover the history of Puerto Natales by bicycle, where you will learn more about the stories and monuments from your guides.
As you cycle through the streets and avenues of the city, you will visit several famous landmarks such as the waterfront, the houses of the first inhabitants, the main viewpoints, the Ether Aike village where you can get crafts from Patagonia, the Plaza de los Cuatro Pueblos, the murals of the original people, and finally you will conclude your tour in the Plaza de Armas Arturo Prat.
Starts/Finishes: Downtown Hotels |
Dates & Prices
Depart daily on request from October to April. Please contact us for group bookings.
More Info
The starting and finishing point of the tour is Puerto Natales, Chile.
Teniente Julio Gallardo Airport (PNT) is an airport serving Puerto Natales.
LATAM Airlines Chile is the only carrier to serve Puerto Natales and has scheduled the service to connect conveniently with international flights. LATAM operates flights between Santiago de Chile (SCL) and Puerto Natales (PNT).
LATAM Airlines Chile flight LA001 departs Santiago at 11:05, arriving in Puerto Natales at 14:25, with a journey time of 3 hours 20 minutes. The return flight (LA002) departs Puerto Natales at 15:00 and arriving in Santiago at 18:25, with a journey time of 3 hours 25 minutes (all times local).
In November, December and March, LATAM operates two weekly frequencies (on Tuesday and Saturday); and in January and February, it operates four flights per week (on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday).
*Note: please refer to the airline websites for updated information to schedule your flight.
Connecting to Other Locations
Pickup and dropoff Punta Arenas, El Calafate or other areas is also available on request. Additional charge applies.
Punta Arenas: 3hrs Drive from Puerto Natales
Presidente Carlos Ibáñez International Airport (PUQ) is an airport serving the city of Punta Arenas. 9 routes from Punta Arenas International Airport (PUQ) connects to 9 different cities in 3 different countries:
1. Santiago International Airport, SCL, Santiago, Chile
2. Puerto Montt El Tepual Airport, PMC, Puerto Montt, Chile
3. Capitan Fuentes Martinez Airport, WPR, Porvenir, Chile
4. Concepcion Carriel Sur International Airport, CCP, Concepcion, Chile
5. Guardiamarina Zañartu Airport, WPU, Puerto Williams, Chile
6. Balmaceda Airport, BBA, Balmaceda, Chile
7. Mount Pleasant Airport, MPN, Mount Pleasant, Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
8. Rio Gallegos International Airport, RGL, Rio Gallegos, Argentina
9. Ushuaia Malvinas Argentinas International Airport, USH, Ushuaia, Argentina
El Calafate: 3.5hrs Drive from Puerto Natales
Comandante Armando Tola International Airport (FTE) is an airport serving the city of El Calafate. 6 different routes from El Calafate International Airport (FTE) connects to 5 different cities in 1 different countries:
1. Buenos Aires Jorge Newbery Airport, AEP, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2. Ushuaia Malvinas Argentinas International Airport, USH, Ushuaia, Argentina
3. Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini International Airport, EZE, Buenos Aires, Argentina
4. San Carlos de Bariloche Airport, BRC, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
5. Trelew Almirante Marco Andres Zar Airport, REL, Trelew, Argentina
6. Cordoba International Airport, COR, Cordoba, Argentina
Day 1: Arrive in Puerto Natales
Day 2: Approximately 11 km, 4-5 hours; Elevation gain: 370m; Difficulty: Medium
Day 3: Approximately 6 km + 11 km, 7-8 hours; Elevation gain: 370m; Difficulty: Medium
Day 4: Approximately 21 km, 6-9 hours; Elevation gain: 680m - 950m; Difficulty: Medium
Day 5: Approximately 19 km, 6-7 hours; Elevation gain: 280m; Difficulty: Medium
Day 6: Approximately 21 km, 8-9 hours; Elevation gain: 680 - 950m; Difficulty: Moderate. Return to Puerto Natales
The Patagonian Andes is very exposed to winds that circle the Antarctic landmass. In addition, the strong marine influence and the effect of the Southern Patagonia Icefield make the weather hard to predict. In spring or early summer, fine weather may deteriorate almost without warning, bringing rain and even snow. Even in summer (December to March), you should come prepared to find strong cold winds (up to 130 km/hr) and rainfall. The summer’s average temperature is 11ºC/52ºF (24ºC max, 2ºC min). However, just as quickly as the weather turns nasty, it can become lovely and sunny. So come prepared for all types of weather!
The best time to travel to Puerto Natales is between the months of October and April. These months are spring and summer for the southern hemisphere, averaging 16 hours of sunlight with a lesser chance of rain.
Onlyluxe Travel Pty Ltd acts as travel agency and work with different tour operators.
Payment Detail
All pricing is in Australian dollars and are quoted on a per person twin share basis. A supplementary price is available. Bookings are not confirmed until full payment and the signed Booking Form (or email) has been received by Onlyluxe Travel. The AUD prices are based on USD and calculated at today’s rate of exchange and subject to change. See the terms and conditions for this trip for more information.
Single Supplement
All accommodation is twin share. Single guests will share with someone of the same gender. If a single room is demanded, a supplementary price of will apply. The supplementary price refers to our quotation and needs to be stipulated at the time of booking.
General Cancellation Policies
- Outside of 60 days monies will be refunded less 30% of full fee
- Within 60 days prior to arrival all monies will be forfeited
- No refunds will be given in the event of non-arrival, any unused services or unused nights due to flight or weather disruption
- We strongly recommend guests protect themselves with travel insurance and medical insurance
Please Note: Cancellations must be advised in email and will take effect from the date they are received.
Liability
The participant agrees to indemnify Onlyluxe Travel, and its servant, tour operator and agents, in relation to any liability, loss and damage which the tour operator, or its servants and/or agents may incur as a result of the participants, negligence or misconduct during the tour.
Smoking is not permitted on the bus, or in tents or in other accommodation being used by tour operator at the time that a trip is being conducted.
Child Policy
Not suited for children under the age of 8.
Changes to Itineraries
Local conditions may necessitate changes to sightseeing, walking and driving routes, camping and accommodation locations. While every effort will be made to provide the services and experiences as offered in our brochure, on our website, and in our trip letters, we reserve the right to vary your itinerary. In the event that we are forced to change your arrangements, substitute arrangements of a similar standard will be provided. The tour operator will not be liable where interruptions to itineraries are caused by weather conditions, technical problems to transport used by the tour operator, industrial action, political or civil commotion or other circumstances beyond our control. We refer you to the conditions regarding travel insurance.
Changes in Prices
While we will do its utmost to honour its pricing unforeseen circumstances may mean that prices may be subject to change without notice.
Pre-Existing Medical Conditions and Age Limits
You need to advise Onlyluxe Travel and the tour operator on any pre-existing medical.