Custom dates available to hike the W Trek from September 8, 2022 through April 30, 2023
To inquire on a custom date, please contact us!
11 Days / 10 Nights (hiking in Torres del Paine for 4 Full Days / 3 Nights)
6 Nights in Hotels / 4 Nights in Mountain Lodges or Camping Tents*
*choose between a 4 – 5 Star hotel package option or a 3.5 – 4 Star hotel package option, and between mountain lodges or camping tents while hiking in Torres del Paine National Park
Moderate/Advanced*
Activities: multi-day hiking on the W Trek route (total trekking distance: ~77 km or ~48 miles)
*Please refer to our Trip Activity Level Guide for more information
Bienvenidos a Chile! Once you arrive at Santiago International Airport, you will be greeted by a member of our team. Experience the scenery and history in the beautiful capital city of Santiago while you are transported to your hotel. Later this evening, you will have free time to explore this extraordinary city and enjoy one of its best restaurants.
Today, on a private half-day tour, you will be able to truly experience the sights and sounds of one of South America’s most impressive capital cities. The tour is flexible but will take you to visit the heart of the city and its emblematic sites such as the Plaza de Armas, the Cathedral, Santiago’s historic Central Postal Office, and more. We will also visit the Moneda Palace, which is the government’s headquarters as well as the traditional neighborhoods of the historic city center. Later, for lunch and dinner, you will be able to explore the gastronomy of the city at your leisure, at restaurants of your choosing.
This morning you will be heading south to Punta Arenas! Upon arrival we will provide you with a 2.5 hour guided private tour of this southernmost city, which has been shaped by a multitude of cultures – leaving a valuable historical and cultural legacy that still endures to this day. The city’s population descends mainly from Croatian, Spanish, Italian, German, as well as English immigrants.
The tour begins with a visit to Cerro Mirador, where you get a panoramic view of the city and the Strait of Magellan. You will explore main streets and avenues, various monuments, as well as the Maggiorino Borgatello Museum. This museum features a unique ethnological and natural history exhibit with a collection of flora and fauna specimens from Chile’s Magallanes Region, in addition to handicrafts and artifacts from the region’s indigenous Yaganes, Onas, and Alacalufes people, and information on the history and lives of the first European settlers. Later, the tour concludes in the Muñoz Gamero main square.
Early this morning you will be heading to Magdalena Island with a guide so that you can spend an hour with South America’s largest colony of Magellanic penguins! Afterwards, you will continue through the Strait of Magellan to Isla Marta to see sea lions, imperial cormorants, and hundreds of southern gulls. While there, you may even spot some dolphins! Later, after you return to Punta Arenas, you will board a bus north to Puerto Natales. You are one step closer to your journey to Torres del Paine National Park! Then in the evening, head to the W Trek information office in Puerto Natales for a 45-minute pre-trek briefing, and to collect your vouchers and trail maps. Following that, feel free to explore the town to grab dinner – perhaps with some other trekkers you may have just met!
Following breakfast at your hotel in Puerto Natales, you will have the morning to explore the town a bit more. Later, you will travel by bus to Torres del Paine National Park. Enjoy dinner in the Central Sector as the excitement undoubtedly builds for your W Trek adventure ahead, where you will have the rare privilege of exploring one of the planet’s most striking national parks!
Today, you will start early in order to begin your hike of the W Trek – one of South America’s most famous trails. Today’s destination during your Patagonia hike is the iconic Las Torres Lookout Point! During the first stretch, you will walk through the pampa, cross the Ascencio River, and then hike up to Los Vientos Mountain Pass, where you will enjoy amazing views of the valley and lakes. You will continue your journey to the Chileno Mountain Refuge, and then go deep into a lenga beech forest up to La Morrena, where the hardest part of the day’s hike begins. From there, you will be following a rock trail to the spectacular Las Torres Base Lookout Point. Later, you will return to the Central Sector to have dinner and rest.
Daily trekking distance: approximately 19.5 kilometers / 12 miles
Another beautiful day in Chile – today is your 2nd full day of hiking the W Trek! You will walk along the shores of Nordenskjöld Lake, below the peaks of Almirante Nieto as well as the striking Cuernos del Paine. During the hike, you will enjoy magnificent views of Los Cuernos, hanging glaciers, lakes, and the abundant vegetation and wildlife. Later, you will have dinner and sleep in the Francés Sector.
Daily trekking distance: approximately 13.5 kilometers / 8.5 miles
This day features one of the most memorable portions of the W Trek: the undeniably beautiful Valle Francés. Once you are packed and ready to start, you will begin early with a light hike to the Italiano Campsite. At this point, you will progress through the woods up the Francés River Valley. You will eventually reach the Francés Lookout Point, where you will enjoy one of the most breathtaking views in all of Torres del Paine National Park: the view of the valley framed by the Paine Grande, Catedral, Hoja, Máscara, Espada, Aleta de Tiburón, and Cuerno del Norte mountains. The landscape will undoubtedly leave you speechless! Later, you will begin the descent to the Paine Grande Sector for the evening.
Daily trekking distance: approximately 22.5 kilometers / 14 miles
Later on this day, you will reach the third major milestone of the W Circuit: the incredible Grey Glacier. The trail goes around the Paine Grande, the highest peak in the mountain range (3,050 m), with particularly impressive views of its hanging glaciers. Walking amidst Antarctic beech trees (ñirre), Dombey’s beech (coigüe), and Chilean firebush (notro), you will eventually reach the first lookout point of Grey Lake, where you will spot floating pieces of glacier. You will then continue hiking north towards the imposing view of Grey Glacier to reach the Grey Mountain Refuge. Later, after fully taking in the sights of the massive glacier, you will return to the Paine Grande Sector and board the catamaran that will take you across Pehoé Lake to Pudeto station. You will then take the bus from Torres del Paine National Park back to Puerto Natales.
Notes: We can also arrange optional add-on excursions in the Grey Glacier area if you are interested: kayaking (~3 hour activity, ages 16-65, 225 lbs. weight limit) and/or ice hiking (~5 hour activity, ages 16-65). These activities will require more time on your itinerary, and potentially also an additional overnight in the park. Please contact us for more details.
Daily trekking distance: approximately 22 kilometers / 13.5 miles
Today you will transfer from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas, then fly from Punta Arenas to Santiago.
Today, you will have breakfast at your hotel and enjoy a few more hours in this stunning capital city, before departing Chile.
Please contact us for a complete detailed itinerary.
Against a panoramic backdrop of the snow-capped Andes, the W Santiago reinvents style and sophistication. The city’s most fashionable enclave is a fascinating universe of urban innovation amid cobblestone streets and glitzy skyscrapers. Each luxurious room in this 5-star hotel offers wi-fi and TVs and features intriguing modern design elements, signature W beds, floor-to-ceiling windows, and Whatever/Whenever® service. The hotel has several on-site dining options including Karai (a Japanese-Peruvian fusion restaurant), NoSo (a French restaurant), Terraza (a Chilean bistro), and the W Lounge. There is also an upscale rooftop bar, a full gym/wellness center, and a rooftop pool with impressive city views.
Located in the heart of the historic district of Punta Arenas and immediately adjacent to the city’s iconic Plaza de Armas, Hotel Cabo de Hornos blends avant-garde interiors, cozy ambience, and contemporary guest rooms with marvelous views of the cityscape and the Strait of Magellan. Each of the recently-renovated rooms are decorated in Patagonian style and include breakfast and wi-fi. The hotel features an on-site restaurant, a well-equipped fitness center, and elegant social areas including a bar with a welcoming fireplace.
Remota is a world-class refuge overlooking the Última Esperanza Sound, just a few minutes north of Puerto Natales. The lodge is designed very deliberately to connect with the nature around it – not to compete with it – and offers excellent views of Chilean Patagonia. Its 72 contemporary rooms are remarkably spacious and showcase natural features such as rustic wood beams. The hotel features a pool, sauna, bar, wi-fi enabled common areas, as well as an on-site restaurant that serves fine meals crafted with local products. Remota is an excellent starting point from which to begin your W Trek adventure!
Nestled in the upscale Las Condes area of Santiago, Hotel Pullman El Bosque features modern, bright rooms with streamlined wood furnishings. Each room offers free wi-fi and TVs, and room service is also available. The hotel has an on-site swimming pool, a 24-hour fitness room, a business center, an airy restaurant/bar with a terrace, and a full buffet breakfast is included.
The Hotel Diego de Almagro is located in a privileged location on the waterfront of the Strait of Magellan, offering magnificent views as well as proximity and easy access to the city’s downtown area. Each room features free wi-fi and TVs. The hotel has a heated pool, a sauna, a gym, a business center, and included breakfast buffet. El Estrecho Restaurant is located on site as well.
Natalino is a contemporary hotel in Puerto Natales, with some of the most striking designs of any hotels. It is an excellent launching point before heading into Torres del Paine National Park! The hotel has a terrace, indoor pool, fitness center, and guests can also enjoy a drink at the bar. Breakfast and wi-fi are included for all rooms.
Lodges on the W-Trek route tend to offer communal dorm-style accommodation with bunk beds, comparable to many other mountain lodges in other parts of the world. These lodges can be rustic but comfortable (especially after long days of trekking!), though the best part are the warm communal dining areas where you can meet and mingle with other fellow adventurers.
If you’re looking for a more simplified approach as you take on the W Trek, you can opt for tent camping in Torres del Paine. These tents are already set up and ready to go at each site, so all you need to do is get there! The tents are equipped with sleeping bags and sleeping mats.
There is no other operator in the travel industry that will provide the same level of personal attention to you before your adventure in Patagonia. We get very involved with our clients before each trip by offering a series of pre-planning calls in the months and weeks before departure. This provides you with an opportunity to hear directly from us on preparation, trip experience, and training. It also gives you the platform to ask questions about any aspect of the trip.
Our knowledgeable support staff take care of the details of your in-country transportation, lodging, meals, tours, Torres del Paine park fees, and activities. We’ve even scheduled in a bit of free time for you to explore, relax, shop, or eat on your own.
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