Puerto Natales Trip Overview
During this 5-day tour, we will enjoy one of the most impressive treks in South America and experience the majestic landscapes of Chilean Patagonia with Howlanders. The 5-day W Trek is a self-guided trail, which is very easy to follow. You will stay in different areas along the famous W route. The tour includes everything you need to enjoy this experience (transfers, accommodation, food, tickets..). You just have to decide if you want to stay at a campsite or a refugio (mountain hostel). The most important areas you will visit during this tour are Base Torres, Los Cuernos, Valle Francés, and the Glaciar Grey Viewpoint. In these beautiful places, you will enjoy colossal mountains, deep blue glaciers, and forests that are so stunning, they seem to be from a fairytale.
Additional Info
Duration: 5 days
Starts: Puerto Natales, Chile
Trip Category: Outdoor Activities >> 4WD, ATV & Off-Road Tours
Explore Puerto Natales Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Puerto Natales, Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Chile
During this 5-day tour, we will enjoy one of the most impressive treks in South America and experience the majestic landscapes of Chilean Patagonia with Howlanders. The 5-day W Trek is a self-guided trail, which is very easy to follow. You will stay in different areas along the famous W route. The tour includes everything you need to enjoy this experience (transfers, accommodation, food, tickets..). You just have to decide if you want to stay at a campsite or a refugio (mountain hostel). The most important areas you will visit during this tour are Base Torres, Los Cuernos, Valle Francés, and the Glaciar Grey Viewpoint. In these beautiful places, you will enjoy colossal mountains, deep blue glaciers, and forests that are so stunning, they seem to be from a fairytale.
Itinerary
Day 1: Puerto Natales – Torres del Paine National Park
Pass By: Puerto Natales, Natales, Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Chile
Tour briefing +welcome kit Torres del Paine W Trek
A few days before the start of your adventure you will receive an e-mail with all the technical information you need to prepare for your trip to Torres del Paine. In addition, our staff will coordinate with you the tour briefing and the delivery of your welcome kit and park access tickets when you arrive in Puerto Natales. The Eighth Wonder of the World is waiting for you !
Stop At: Torres del Paine National Park, Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Chile
Access to the Torres del Paine National Park
On the day of the start of the W trek in Patagonia, you will take a bus at 2:30 p.m., at the bus station in Puerto Natales. The bus will take you to the entrance of Laguna Amarga and once there you will have to register as a visitor to access it.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Fantástico Sur – Refugio Torre Central, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine Pedro Montt 161, Torres del Paine, Torres de Paine, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile
Once inside the park, you will take a shuttle that will take you to the Central Sector in a few minutes. You will check-in at the refugio or campsite in the Central Sector where you will spend the first two nights, and the adventure begins!
During the afternoon you will be able to enjoy the surroundings. It will already be 6:00 p.m. and you will not have time to do a complete route, but you can take advantage to do a small one.
Even if you are staying in a camping site, the dinners of all the travelers will be served in the refuge and the breakfasts as well. After our dinner, it is time to rest and take strength for the next day.
Duration: 14 hours
Meals included:
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Central sector (camping or refugio)
Day 2: Trekking Mirador Base Torres
Stop At: Fantástico Sur – Refugio Torre Central, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine Pedro Montt 161, Torres del Paine, Torres de Paine, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile
Breakfast at Refugio Torre Central
Breakfast is served between 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. every day. When you finish breakfast you can pick up your lunch box which you can enjoy during the day. As you will be returning to sleep in the Central Sector, you will only need to carry in your backpack what you need for the day.
This path takes us through the Ascencio river valley until we reach a stretch of 3km that will lead us uphill to one of the most stunning viewpoints in Chile: the breath-taking panorama of the lakes and valleys of the Paso de los Vientos (Path of the Winds).
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Torres del Paine National Park, Torres del Paine National Park, Magallanes Region
Torres del Paine trekking begins
The hike begins by crossing the Ascencio River Valley, from which you will face a 1.86 miles (3 km) climb. It will be worth it when you find yourself in front of a beautiful panoramic view of the lakes and valleys offered by the Paso de los Vientos in Torres del Paine.
Duration: 4 hours
Stop At: Mirador Base Las Torres, Torres de Paine, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile
Lenga Forest – La Morrena – Base Torres Lookout Point
Once you reach Paso de los Vientos, you will start the descent passing through the area of Refugio Chileno. You will enter a totally different ecosystem as you cross the Lenga Forest to reach La Morrena.
Here you will be able to leave your backpack in a “nursery” so you don’t have to carry it all the way up to the spectacular Base Torres viewpoint. This uphill trail is the hardest of the day but when you arrive, you will see that it is well worth the effort.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: MIrador Las Torres, Torres del Paine National Park Chile
Views of Torres del Paine – Central Sector
From this viewpoint, you can enjoy views of the famous towers that give the name to the national park and the Torres del Paine Lake. After discovering the Paine Massif, one of the most impressive landscapes belonging to the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica division, you will return to the Central Sector by the same route. In this case, it will be much easier because it is downhill.
When you arrive at the refuge or campsite, you will have free time to have a drink with other travelers, chat, and have dinner.
Duration: 4 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Central sector (Camping or Refugio)
Day 3: Trekking French Sector
Stop At: Nordenskjold Lake, Torres del Paine National Park Chile
Lake Nordenskjöld – Cerro Almirante Nieto – Cuernos del Paine
After breakfast, the third day of the trek Torres del Paine W begins, possibly the least demanding. The terrain is fairly flat and during 8.38 miles (13.5 km), you only accumulate 200 meters of elevation gain.
You will walk along the Nordenskjöld lake and cross some small rivers. You can also walk down to the beaches that are formed. The backdrop of this beautiful landscape is the Cerro Almirante Nieto and the Cuernos del Paine. How imposing the Paine Massif looks from here, doesn’t it?
Duration: 6 hours
Stop At: Camping Francés, Torres de Paine, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile
French Sector en Torres del Paine
Undoubtedly, this is the best day to enjoy the scenery without rushing. The hike takes about 5 hours, so we recommend you take it easy and enjoy the views.
When you reach the French Sector of Torres del Paine National Park, you will find yourself in one of the most welcoming refugios of the W trek in Patagonia (and in our opinion with the best food ): Refugio Los Cuernos.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Sector Francés (Camping or Refugio)
Day 4: Trekking French Valley
Stop At: Torres Del Paine National Park, Torres del Paine National Park Chile
Route to Campamento Italiano
The penultimate day of the Torres del Paine W Trek begins with a gentle hike to Campamento Italiano. There, many travelers take advantage of the “nursery” to leave the backpack and not carry it during the route.
This quiet start gradually becomes more complicated and becomes the most difficult route of the entire W trek. The French Valley becomes steeper, especially in the two kilometers before the viewpoint.
Duration: 4 hours
Stop At: Torres Del Paine National Park, Torres del Paine National Park Chile
British Viewpoint
At this point, you decide whether to return to the camp or continue. If you have started early and have the strength, you can continue to the British lookout. This trail is especially difficult because of the steepness of the slope, but the wonderful views it offers make it worthwhile.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Lago Skottsberg, Torres de Paine, Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Chile
To finish the route, we return along the same path and pick up the backpack from the “nursery”. Afterward, you continue along the Skottsberg Lake until you reach the Paine Grande Sector. The fourth and last night will be spent at Refugio Paine Grande or Camping Paine Grande (depending on your choice).
This section is easier, but you will feel the fatigue as the route has more than 12.42 miles (20 km) in total and a lot of accumulated slope.
The last refuge is the largest of all and has a unique location, in front of Lake Pehoé is the Paine Grande Refugio. Here you will understand why Torres del Paine National Park is becoming for many the Eighth Wonder of the World.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Paine Grande Sector (Camping or Refugio)
Day 5: Grey Glacier Trekking – Sailing on Lake Pehoé – Return to Puerto Natales
Stop At: Cerro Paine Grande, Torres de Paine, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile
Cerro Paine Grande
The last path of our trek begins at the slopes of the Paine Grande, the highest point of the mountain range at more than 3.000m above the sea level, whose summit will reward us with a breath-The last day of the W trek through Torres del Paine has a high difficulty due to the steepness of the route. However, you can leave your luggage in the refugio, and not carrying it makes it much easier.
The route begins along the edge of Cerro Paine Grande. You will have already seen it from the Paine Grande campsite or refugio because of its more than 3000 meters of altitude. By skirting it, we will be able to see the wonderful views of its hanging glaciers.
Duration: 6 hours
Stop At: Grey Lake, Torres de Paine, Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Chile
Grey Lake Viewpoint – Glacier Grey
The first stop is the Grey Lake viewpoint, over which you can see numerous pieces of glacier floating from Glacier Grey.
Some travelers end their ascent here. Others continue on to the Grey Refugio, from where you can see the Grey Glacier at close range. It will be worth the last push!
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Lake Pehoé, Torres de Paine, Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Chile
Catamaran on Lake Pehoé
To return to the Paine Grande Sector, the road is downhill, so the journey will be easier and faster. It is important to keep an eye on the time on this route because at 6:30 p.m. you will have to take the catamaran that will take you back to Pudeto. You will sail across Lake Pehoé to Pudeto and once there, a bus will take you back to Puerto Natales.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Puerto Natales, Puerto Natales, Magallanes Region
You will arrive around 9:30 p.m. at the bus station in the city. Here, we will put an end to this magical adventure through Chilean Patagonia.
Now, you also consider it the Eighth Wonder of the World, don’t you?
Duration: 3 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.
