Torres del Paine W Trek

Torres del Paine W Trek Welcome Kit

We know that when planning a 5-day route many questions may arise, which is why we have made a video that we will share with you together with your reservation confirmation, so that you can enjoy your trip to the fullest. 

In addition, a few days before your arrival in Puerto Natales you will receive an email with instructions on how to pick up your welcome kit (which includes tickets, towel, bottle...) and answer any last minute questions you may have.

Access to Torres del Paine National Park

The first day of the W Torres del Paine trek starts after lunch, you will have to go to the bus station in Puerto Natales, where you will take a bus to the park departing at 14:15. 

The bus will take you to the Laguna Amarga welcome center, where you will register as a visitor and enter the park.

Central Tower Lodge

Once inside the park, you will take a minibus to the Welcome Center and from there you will walk to your lodge (if it is in the Central Sector you will arrive in a few minutes, if it is in the Chilean Sector you will have to walk for one hour). Upon arrival you will check-in, and you will be given your dinner and breakfast schedules. Breakfast and dinner are always served in the dining room of the lodge, even if you are staying in a camping site. You will be accommodated in the place where you will spend the first two nights, and then, the adventure begins!

Around 6:00 pm you will be settled in, so you can take advantage of this time to take a short walk around the area or just have a complimentary drink at the bar while enjoying the views. 

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The tour includes the first two nights in either the Central Sector or the Chilean Sector. The Chilean Sector is camping only (no lodges) when the Central Sector is full, especially if you are traveling during peak season. In case of having the Chilean Sector assigned for the first night, you will have to take the 7:00 am bus instead of the 2:15 pm bus.

Breakfast at Refugio Central

The day starts with breakfast at the time assigned during check-in (between 7:30 - 8:30). At the end of the day, you will pick up your lunch-box, which will be your lunch during the route. As you will return to sleep in the Central Sector, you will only have to carry in your backpack what you need for the day.

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The lunch-box included in the tour consists of specific foods which will help you fuel for the day’s physical activity: nuts, cereal bars, fruit, a sandwich and some sweets.

Trekking to the Torres del Paine base viewpoint

Today's route is the iconic ascent to the Base Torres viewpoint. 22 km of route divided in 3 parts: initial slope, descent into the Chilean sector and final ascent. 

You will start the hike flat for 2 km, crossing the Ascencio River Valley until you reach the first stretch with slope. This will be followed by 3 km of trail until you reach the Paso de los Vientos, with views that will make the initial effort worthwhile.

Lenga Forest - La Morrena - Base Torres Lookout Point

You will continue along a 4 km flat stretch, passing through the Chilean Sector area and you will suddenly enter a totally different ecosystem: the trail will take you to a lenga forest which ends at the beginning of the third stretch. Many travelers take advantage of this place to stop and refill their water bottles before facing the final stretch.

The trail becomes blurry in this area, and for almost 2 km you will find your own path through this area full of large rocks. The slope is considerable but the prize is even better: The viewpoint Base Torres del Paine.

Views of Torres del Paine

It is time to relax and enjoy. From this viewpoint you can enjoy views of the famous granite towers that give the national park its name and the Torres del Paine Lake. 

Central Sector

Once you are ready, you will start your way back along the same trail, until you reach your accommodation, where you will have free time to rest, have a drink at the bar while chatting to other travelers and have dinner.

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Please note that the Chilean sector is located 5 km from the Central sector, so if you stay in the Chilean sector on day 1 or 2, your route will be shorter

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Howlanders Tip
To avoid the large groups that arrive from Puerto Natales to do this route in one day, we advise you to start walking early as you will find the trail much quieter

Lake Nordenskjöld

After breakfast, the third day of the Torres del Paine W Trek begins. This is the least demanding stage, as there is very little elevation gain and the trail is in very good condition. During this day you will walk along the Nordenskjöld lake, cross a small river and walk some stretches along the beaches that form next to the lake.

Almirante Nieto Mountain - Cuernos del Paine

During most of the route the background scenery is Cerro Almirante Nieto and the Cuernos del Paine. Patagonia in all its splendor as a backdrop.

French Sector in Torres del Paine

Without a doubt, this is the best day to enjoy the scenery without rushing, as you will walk for 4:30 - 6:30 hours (depending on your accommodation). So you can take it easy and enjoy the views.

Both the French and Cuernos sectors have the smallest and coziest lodges and campsites. Many travelers do not reach them because they are not accessible by boat or bus. Some travelers prefer to stay in French sector in order to walk less kilometers the next day, while others prefer to enjoy the Cuernos Sector, our favorite one because of the atmosphere in the lodge area (and let's be honest, it has the best cuisine 😉).

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Please note that if you stayed in the Chilean sector the night before you have to add 5 km to the route.

The W Torres del Paine Trek tour includes the third night of lodging in the French Sector or Cuernos Sector depending on availability. Both are good options. If you have a preference, please let us know when you make your reservation and we will do our best to adapt your program.

Italian Camp - French Lookout

The penultimate day of the W Trek is one of the most demanding if you want to visit the French and British viewpoints, but you can skip it and go directly to the Paine Grande sector, where you will stay that night. In that case the route will be 13 km shorter and it will have practically no elevation gain.

The first section between the Cuernos and French sectors is a flat 4 km. It is followed by a 1.4 Km stretch to the intersection where the trail splits. From there, one trail ascends to the French and British lookout and the other continues to Paine Grande. If you decide to visit the viewpoint, you will walk 1 km to "Campamento Italiano". This camp is for the exclusive use of CONAF park rangers and offers a "nursery" service, where many travelers leave their large backpacks, so as not to carry it during the climb to the viewpoints, and carry only a small backpack with water, warm clothes and snacks. The hike to the French lookout begins, a 2.5 km walk with 300 meters of elevation gain. 

British Viewpoint Torres del Paine

Once at the French viewpoint you can continue to the British viewpoint, 3 km long with 280 meters of elevation gain. When you reach the viewpoint you will find a rocky area where you can climb to take the best picture of the British viewpoint and enjoy the best views. 

Skottsberg Lake

To finish the route, you will return along the same path and pick up the backpack from the "nursery". Afterwards, you will continue walking the remaining 9 km to the lodge with a slight negative slope that your legs will appreciate. You will then cross a sector that suffered a fire a few years ago, where the tree trunks create a somewhat gloomy landscape. 

Paine Grande Lodge

You will skirt part of the lake until you finally reach the Paine Grande sector, the largest lodge in Torres del Paine,  with a unique location in front of Lake Pehoé.

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Please note that if you stayed in the French sector the night before, the route will be 3,8 km shorter.

Cerro Paine Grande

The last day of the W Circuit through Torres del Paine is an out-and-back route along the same path, with a medium-high difficulty due to the slope, although the fact that you can leave your backpack in the lodge makes it less demanding.

The travel distance depends on each traveler as you will have to return to the departure point, so you decide how far you want to go and when to return. If you feel like it, you can leave early to get as close as possible to the glacier, always taking into account the departure time of the ship. 

Along the ascent route you will have Grey Lake on your left hand and the majestic Cerro Paine Grande on your right, which is already impressive from the Paine Grande sector.

Grey Lake Viewpoint - Grey Glacier

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 to the Grey Hut, from where you can see the Grey Glacier closely, some travel even further to the first suspension bridge. It's up to you!

Catamaran on Lake Pehoé

The way back to the Paine Grande Sector is downhill, so it is much easier. It is important to keep an eye on the time on this route, because at 6:30 pm 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, where you will arrive around 21:30, putting an end to this magical adventure in Chilean Patagonia.