Torres del Paine W Trek 6-Day Tour

Welcome W Torres del Paine W Trek 6-Day Tour

We know that a 6-day mountain route needs a good planning, that's why a briefing (explanation of the tour) is done online. 

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

Access to Torres del Paine National Park

The first day of the 6-day W Torres del Paine Trek starts after lunch. You will have to go to the bus station in Puerto Natales, where you will take the bus to the park departing at 14:15. 

The bus will take you to the Laguna Amarga welcome center. There 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 lodging. If it is the Central Sector, you will arrive in a few minutes, if it is the Chileno Sector, the first walk will take about an hour.

Upon arrival, you will check in, and you will be given your dinner and breakfast schedules. Both are always served in the dining room of the lodge, even if you are staying at a camping site. You will be accommodated in the place where you will spend the first two nights.

Around 6:00 PM you will be settled in, and you can take the opportunity to take a short walk around the area or have a complimentary drink at the bar while enjoying the views.

💬The tour includes the first two nights in either the Central Sector or the Chilean Sector. The Chilean Sector is assigned when the Central Sector is full, especially if you travel in high season. The Chilean Sector only has camping.

Breakfast at Refugio Central

Previously, at check-in, you will be assigned a time for breakfast between 7:30 - 8:30. At the end, 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 consists of specific foods for physical activity: nuts, cereal bars, fruit, a sandwich, and some sweets.

Torres del Paine Base Trekking

The route of the first day of the trek will be the iconic ascent to the Base Torres viewpoint. 13.67 mi (22 km) of trekking is divided into 3 parts: initial slope, descent, and final ascent. 

The hike will start flat for 1.24 mi (2 km). You will cross the Ascencio River Valley until you reach the first steep stretch. This will be followed by 1.86 mi (3 km) of trail until you reach the Paso de los Vientos.

Lenga Forest - La Morrena - Base Torres Viewpoint

You will continue along a flat stretch of 2.48 mi (4 km) that passes through the area of the Chileno Sector. Then, suddenly, you will enter an entirely different ecosystem: the trail crosses a lenga forest and ends at the beginning of the third section. We recommend you take the opportunity to make a stop here and refill your water before facing the final stretch.

The trail becomes blurred in this section and for almost 1.24 mi (2 km) you will find your own path between large rocks. The slope is hard but the reward is even better: the viewpoint Base Torres del Paine.

Views of Torres del Paine

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

After the break, you will start your way back along the same trail until you reach your accommodation, where you will have free time to rest, take a shower, have a drink at the bar, and have dinner.

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The Chileno Sector is located 3.1 mi (5 km) away from the Central Sector, so if you stay in the Chileno Sector on night 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 and you will find the trail much quieter.

Lake Nordenskjöld

After breakfast, the third day of the 6-day Torres del Paine W challenge begins. This will be the least demanding stage. It has 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 day the background scenery will be Cerro Almirante Nieto and the Cuernos del Paine.

Francés Sector in Torres del Paine

Undoubtedly, this is the best day to enjoy the scenery without rushing. You will walk for 4:30 or 6:30 hours (depending on your accommodation). 

Both the Francés Sector and Cuernos are sectors with the smallest and coziest refuges and campsites. Many travelers do not reach them because they are not accessible by boat or bus. Some travelers prefer to stay in the Francés Sector to subtract some miles from the next day's route, while others prefer to enjoy the Cuernos Sector, our favorite sector because of the lodge's atmosphere (and let's be honest, it has the best cuisine 😉).

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Please note that if you stayed at Sector Chileno on night 2, you have to add 3.1 mi (5 km) to the route.

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The 6 day Torres del Paine W Trek tour includes the third night of lodging in the Francés Sector or Cuernos Sector depending on availability. If you prefer to stay in one of the two sectors, 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 6-day W Circuit is one of the most demanding if you want to visit the French and British viewpoints. You can also skip it and go directly to the Paine Grande Sector, where you will stay that night. If you eliminate the viewpoints from the route, you subtract 8.1 mi (13 km) from the route and practically all the elevation gain.

The first section between Cuernos and French is a flat 2.49 mi (4km). It continues with a 0.87 mi (1.4 km) stretch to the intersection where the trail splits, 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 0.62 mi (1 km) to the "Campamento Italiano". It 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 them during the climb to the viewpoints.

From there, the hike to the French lookout begins, a 1.55 mi (2.5 km) walk with 984 ft (300 m) of elevation gain.

Torres del Paine British Lookout

When you reach the French viewpoint, you can continue to the British viewpoint. The route is 1.86 mi (3 km) long with 918 ft (280 m) 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 on the fourth day of the trek, you will return by the same path and pick up the backpack from the "nursery". Afterwards, you will continue walking the remaining 5.6 mi (9 km) to the Paine Grande refuge with a slight negative slope that your legs will appreciate. You will also cross a sector that suffered a fire a few years ago where the tree trunks create a somewhat gloomy landscape.

Paine Grande Refuge

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

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Please note that if you stayed in the Francés Sector the night before, subtract 2.35 mi (3.8 km) from the route.

👆 To be taken into account

Unlike the classic W trek of 5 days, this complete version of 6 days divides the last stage of the route into two days. This will allow you to enjoy more calmly and at your own pace what is surely the most impressive sector of the park: the Grey Sector.

On day 5 you will trek from Sector Paine Grande to Sector Grey 6.83 mi (11 km), and on day 6 you will trek from Sector Grey to Sector Paine Grande 6.83 mi (11 km).

One more day, you will have breakfast in the common dining room of your lodging and the trek will begin💪.

Paine Grande Sector → Lago Grey Viewpoint

The route will start bordering the Cerro Paine Grande and its hanging glaciers. You will have already seen them from the Paine Grande Sector itself because of its more than 9840 ft (3000 m) of altitude.

The first stop will be the viewpoint of Grey Lake, where you can see many pieces of glacier floating from Glacier Grey. Take advantage of today's quieter day to rest and take pictures.

Grey Sector

The trail continues until you reach the Grey Sector, where you will spend the night and you will be able to see the Grey Glacier up close.

Grey Glacier: Kayaking or Ice Hike

The route of the last day of the tour will be one of the shortest and easiest of the circuit.

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Our recommendation: take the morning off and enjoy the Grey Glacier. You can do it walking quietly, resting on the terrace of the Grey Refuge, or enjoying one of the two activities that the 6-day W trek has available as an extra:

• Grey Glacier Kayak (Duration 4 hours - Departure 8:00 AM)
• Grey Glacier Ice Hike (Duration 5 hours - Departure 9:00 AM)

👉 These activities are not included in the tour price, if you want to do one of them you just have to select it as Extra during the booking process. It is not possible to do both activities on the same day due to lack of time.

Paine Grande Trekking

Whether you have decided to rest or enjoy one of the two activities on the Grey Glacier, you will then begin the last trek of this 6-day trek: Trekking to the Paine Grande Sector from the Grey Sector.

Paine Grande 🚢 Pudeto 🚌 Puerto Natales

A very quiet route of 6.83 mi (11 km) and only 4 hours of duration. You will walk along the mountainside through forests of Antarctic beech (ñirre), coigües, and notros. Once in Paine Grande, you will go to the pier to take the catamaran that will take you to Pudeto (the catamaran ticket is included in the price of the tour). In Pudeto, you will board the bus that will take you back to Puerto Natales, where you will arrive at 9:30 .

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It is important that you calculate your walking time well and that you arrive at the pier at least 20 minutes before the departure of the catamaran.