Torres del Paine W Trek 6-Day Tour (extra day in Grey)

Welcome to the W Torres del Paine W Trek 6-Day Tour

We know that a 6-day mountain route needs good planning, so that's why we schedule a briefing (explanation of the tour) online with all trekkers. 

A few days before your arrival in Puerto Natales, you’ll receive an email with instructions to pick up your welcome kit (which includes tickets, map, metal bottle...) and we'll also answer questions or resolve any 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. First, go to the bus station in Puerto Natales, where you’ll catch the bus to the Torres del Paine National Park departing at 2:15 pm. 

The bus will take you to the Laguna Amarga welcome center and from there you can register as a visitor and enter the park.

Central Tower Lodge

Once inside the park, take a shuttle bus to the Welcome Center, pick up your welcome pack, then walk to your lodging. If it’s in the Central Sector it’ll take just a few minutes, meanwhile if your lodging is in the Chileno Sector, expect about an hour’s walk.

Upon arrival, check in and receive your dinner and breakfast schedules. Both are served in the dining room of the lodge (even if you’re staying at a campsite). You’ll be assigned a meal schedule based on the location of your first two nights.

Around 6:00 pm you should be settled in and ready to take a short walk in the surrounding 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 traveling in high season. The Chilean Sector only has a campsite.

Breakfast at Refugio Central

At check-in, you would have been assigned a time for breakfast, typically between 7:30 am and 8:30 am. When you’ve finished up, don’t forget to pick up your lunch-box! This will be your lunch during the route. Also, you’ll return to sleep in the Central Sector, so you’ll only have to carry daily hiking essentials in your backpack.

💬 The lunch box consists of foods specific 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 is the iconic ascent to the Base Torres viewpoint. Boasting 13.67 mi (22 km) of trails, the trek is divided into 3 parts: initial slope, descent, and final ascent. 

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

Lenga Forest - La Morrena - Base Torres Viewpoint

Continue along the flat stretch of 2.48 mi (4 km) and pass through an area of the Chileno Sector where the trail leads you to an entirely different ecosystem. The trail crosses a Lenga Forest lasting until the beginning of the third section. We recommend taking the opportunity to stop and refill your water before facing the final stretch.

Careful here! For almost 1.24 mi (2 km) the trail winds between large rocks. The slope is also a challenge but the reward is even better: the viewpoint of Base Torres del Paine.

Views of Torres del Paine

From this viewpoint, enjoy the sight of the Torres del Paine Lake and the famous granite towers that lend the national park its name.

Central Sector

After taking a break, return along the same trail until reaching your accommodations, where you’ll have time to rest after the day’s adventure, take a shower, have a drink at the bar, and eat dinner.

💬 The Chileno Sector is located 3.1 mi (5 km) away from the Central Sector, so if you’ll be staying in the Chileno Sector on night 1 or 2, your route will be shorter.

💙 Howlanders Tip

To avoid the large groups arriving from Puerto Natales, to do this route in one day, we advise waking up early to hike a much quieter and emptier trail. 

Lake Nordenskjöld

After breakfast, day number three of your 6-day Torres del Paine W challenge begins. Day three will be the least demanding stage. It has very little elevation gain and the trail is in very good condition. On this day, walk around the Nordenskjöld Lake, cross a small river, and stroll along stretches of beach that form next to the lake.

Almirante Nieto Mountain - Cuernos del Paine

During most of the day the scenery will consist of Cerro Almirante Nieto and the Cuernos del Paine.

Francés Sector in Torres del Paine

Undoubtedly, this is the best day to calmly enjoy the scenery. You’ll be walking between 4.5 and 6.5 hours (depending on where your accommodations are).

Both the Francés and Cuernos Sectors are considered the smallest and coziest campsites however many travelers never even see them because they’re inaccessible by boat or bus. While some travelers prefer to stay in the Francés Sector to walk a shorter route the next day, others prefer to enjoy the Cuernos Sector (our favorite) because of the lodge's great atmosphere (and let's be honest, it has the best cuisine 😉).

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

👇The 6-day Torres del Paine W Trek tour includes a 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 making your reservation and we’ll do our best to adapt to your wishes.

Italian Camp - French Lookout

The penultimate day of the 6-day W Circuit is one of the most demanding if you’ll be visiting the French and British viewpoints. Trekkers have the option to skip it and go directly to the Paine Grande Sector, where you’ll be staying that night. If you remove the viewpoints from the route, subtract 8.1 mi (13 km) from the route and practically all the elevation gain.

The first portion of the route between Cuernos and the French Viewpoint 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, with one trail ascending to the French and British lookout, and the other continuing to Paine Grande. If you decide to visit the viewpoint, 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.

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

After reaching the French viewpoint, continue on 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’ll find a rocky area where you can climb to take the best picture of the British viewpoint and take in the expansive landscape.

Skottsberg Lake

Finish the route on day four of the trek by returning to the same path and picking up your backpack from the "nursery". Then 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’ll also be crossing a sector that suffered a fire a few years ago where the tree trunks create a somewhat gloomy but intriguing landscape.

Paine Grande Refuge

Skirt around the lake until you finally reach the Paine Grande Sector, the largest rest stop in Torres del Paine and at a unique location: in front of Lake Pehoé.

💬 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 5-day W trek, this 6-day trek divides the last portion of the route into two days. This allows trekkers more time to calmly enjoy the route by moving at their desired pace in the most impressive sector of the park: the Grey Sector.

On day five, start from Sector Paine Grande working your way to the Grey Sector in 6.83 mi (11 km). Then on day six, trek from the Grey Sector back to Sector Paine Grande 6.83 mi (11 km).

For one more day, eat breakfast in the common dining room of your lodging and the trek will begin💪.

Paine Grande Sector → Lago Grey Viewpoint

The route borders the Cerro Paine Grande and its hanging glaciers. You’ll have already seen them from the high viewpoint of Paine Grande Sector itself (it sits at more than 9,840 ft / 3000 m of altitude).

The first stop will be the viewpoint of Grey Lake, where you can see many chunks of glaciers floating that have fallen from Grey Glacier. Take advantage of today's more relaxed atmosphere to rest and snap pictures.

Grey Sector

The trail continues to the Grey Sector, where you’ll spend the night and can also see the Grey Glacier up close.

Grey Glacier: Kayaking or Ice Hike

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

🙋‍♀️👇

Our recommendation: take the morning off and enjoy the Grey Glacier. Take a leisurely walk, rest on the terrace of the Grey Refuge, or enjoy one of the two activities available as an extras of the 6-day W trek:

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

👉 These activities are not included in the tour price, if you’d like to book one, 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, your next move is to begin the last portion of this 6-day trek: Trekking to the Paine Grande Sector from the Grey Sector.

Paine Grande 🚢 Pudeto 🚌 Puerto Natales

This is a very quiet route of 6.83 mi (11 km) and lasts only four hours. Walk along the mountainside through forests of Antarctic beech (ñirre), coigües, and notros. After reaching Paine Grande, go to the pier and board the boat (catamaran) that will take you to Pudeto (the catamaran ticket is included in the price of the tour). In Pudeto, you’ll catch the bus that will return you to Puerto Natales, where you’ll be arriving at 9:30 pm and bringing this long but wonderful adventure to a close.

🚨It’s important to accurately calculate your walking time so that you arrive at the pier at least 20 minutes before the departure of the catamaran.