You will experience the complete process of ancient explorers coming from the sea to the visually stunning highlights of the Torres del Paine W Trek, including the Grey Glacier, French Valley and the Towers Base, truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Enter the Park via the Last Hope Sound, then venture into remote trails crossing through the Park and spend your evenings at the refugios' campsite areas in connection with nature to finish at EcoCamp Patagonia, an award-winning sustainable hotel that combines revolutionary eco living with delicious food, yoga and great company.
The trip begins with a morning pickup at 7AM from your hotel in Puerto Natales*. We will take a short, scenic drive to the port. Once arriving, we’ll board a boat to travel to the Serrano and Balmaceda glaciers, where we will marvel at the incredible beauty of Patagonia’s icy giants. After we are dropped off at the Puerto Toro dock, it’ll be time to begin our W trek!.
We’ll start with a 4 to 5 hour walk through the mystical Nothofagus forest, where we may encounter diverse flora and fauna in this wet, rainy environment. We’ll finish off the day with an unbelievable panoramic view of Tyndall Glacier and the Macizo of Torres del Paine, before heading to our campsite and settling in for the night.
*This program begins early in the morning at Puerto Natales, therefore, you will need to arrive the day before in order to catch the navigation to enter the Park. If you arrive in Punta Arenas the day before, you might join our regular transfer to Puerto Natales as long as your schedule fits our Transfer Schedule. You can review it here: Weekly Transfer Board.
Please ask your Travel Experience Designer for more assistance if needed.
After a great night in the wilderness, we will depart from Lago Brush, passing by Lago del Jote and heading up to Río Serrano where we will be picked up by a van that will take us to Hotel Lago Grey Hotel, where we will have dinner and spend the night.
Today we will take the 9 AM navigation to Refugio Grey, from where we will hike toward a lookout to take in the views of the immense Grey Glacier and then we’ll walk along the shores of Grey Lake to the northern side of Lake Pehoe. The day's trek will end with a soft climb through an undulating terrain of mixed grassland and light forest to Paine Grande´s Campsite.
*During Low and Shoulder Season (October and April), the boat trip to Glacier Grey may be canceled, if this is the case we will offer you a comparable alternative within the park.
After breakfast at Paine Grande, we will begin the challenging trek along a steep trail leading into the very heart of the Paine Massif - the famed French Valley. A swifter walk will lead us to the French River’s hanging bridge, located at the foot of the south-eastern face of the Massif. We will then continue to ascend towards the upper section of the valley to marvel at the extensive mass of the valley's geological formations: Hoja (Blade), Máscara (Mask), Espada (Sword), Catedral (Cathedral), Aleta de Tiburón (Shark’s Fin) and the magnificent Fortaleza (Fortress). After our upward trek, we will pause for a picnic and relax for a while. Then we will finally start our hike back to Los Cuernos or Francés campsite, where we will have dinner and spend the night.
We’ll continue our journey along the Cuernos Trail which leads to the beautiful Lake Nordenskjold. During this walk, we will have the opportunity to admire the park’s exquisite flora and fauna and take in the views of the horn-like peaks of slate that sit atop the gray granite of the Paine Massif. The trek will end at Los Cuernos campsite, a small and cozy mountain campsite & guesthouse located on the shores of Lake Nordenskjold. Alternatively, the hike can end at El Francés camping, located between Cuernos and Italiano camping sites, with an amazing view of Nordenskjöld Lake. The evening is at your leisure.
Today is the big day -- the walk to the base of the famous Paine Towers. We will walk from the campsite towards Hostería Las Torres before ascending to Ascencio Valley on the Tower’s eastern face. Mountain ridges, beech forests, and small rivers line the scenic walk towards the valley. Our big challenge is the steep moraine, a huge mass of boulders that lead to that iconic base of the Towers, the three gigantic granite monoliths that are the remains of a great cirque sheared away by glacial ice. After a tough uphill climb, the Towers eventually come into full view, rising majestically before us with the glacial lake visible below. Is there any better place in the world to have lunch? After feasting on the view,we backtrack along the same trail through Ascencio Valley and return to EcoCamp for a well-deserved dinner and some tasty Chilean wine.
On to the next adventure! Today we will board an early morning vehicle, sit back, relax, and enjoy a scenic ride back to Punta Arenas in time to catch an evening flight onwards. Alternatively, you can ask for a drop off in Puerto Natales or board a bus to El Calafate.
Brush Lake is the perfect place for nature lovers looking for an authentic camping experience. Located in an idyllic setting, this rustic campsite offers visitors the opportunity to disconnect from the daily routine and immerse themselves in the tranquility of nature.
The Lago Grey Hotel is an impressive hotel establishment located in the heart of the Torres del Paine National Park, just a few steps from the majestic Grey Lake. With a privileged location, guests can enjoy panoramic views and an incomparable natural environment.
Accommodation will be provided in tents. The campsite provides satisfactory bathroom facilities. Meals will be served inside the refugio.
Ecocamp Patagonia is located in the heart of the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, overlooking the majestic Granite Towers. It was the first sustainable lodge south of the Amazon and the first of its kind in the Patagonian vastness. EcoCamp offers a dome camp inspired by the region's ancient nomadic inhabitants.
Suite domes were designed to further our goal of providing comfort in a natural setting with minimal environmental impact, and also maintain the hotel’s familiar and cozy vibe. The domes have comfortable double or twin beds, a wood stove and a private bathroom with a state-of-the-art composting toilet.
Suite dome lofts are two-storey domes which fit up to four people and have comfortable double or twin beds both up and downstairs. These domes, ideal for families or groups of friends, come with a wood stove, a private terrace and a private bathroom with a state-of-the-art composting toilet.
Spacious, comfortable and equipped with private bathrooms, Superior Domes are the optimum choice for trekkers wanting that bit more space and comfort at the end of a long day’s walk. Each Superior Dome has comfortable queen-size or twin beds, a propane heater, skylight windows and a private bathroom with a sophisticated composting toilet.
EcoCamp Standard domes were the world's first lodge accommodation in geodesic shape. They are resistant to the strong Patagonian winds, and come equipped with two single beds (doubles on request), cozy fleece blankets and feather quilts. There are windows in the ceiling for stargazing. Standard domes include shared bathrooms which are large, comfortable and gender divided.
Important notes:
Departures on Fridays.
This trip starts on Friday and finishes on Thursday with pickups and drop-offs in Punta Arenas, Puerto Natales or El Calafate. Please visit our Weekly Transfer Board for details of EcoCamp pick up and drop off times. (Remember that you will need to be in Puerto Natales before the first day of the program in order to board the navigation of Day 1 at 7 am).
This is the right trip for energetic people who like to be active and have a spirit of adventure and a positive attitude. During this trek you will walk a total of 77 kms /48,5mi. On the map, in the itinerary section, click on the walking person icon for daily information.
To enjoy this trek it is essential to be in shape before you arrive. It is not wise to regard this trek as a means of getting into shape or losing excess weight. Start a program of conditioning well before departure.
Those aged 14 years or older are welcome and are considered adults.
Children between 10 and 13 might be accepted in this program if their legal guardian sends a formal letter stating that the child is prepared for such an intense trekking trip and authorizes us to hire a private guide in case the child cannot perform well during the trek.
Children under 10 years of age cannot participate in this trip.
This trip doesn’t offer a special discount for children.
In Torres del Paine and throughout Patagonia transport is in minivans that normally seat from 8 to 14 people. Pick up/ off times will be confirmed locally by our operations team. An exclusive toll-free emergency number will be available for anyone needing additional support while they are in Chile.
The vast unbroken stretch of ocean to the west and south of the South American continent leaves the Patagonian Andes very exposed to the winds that circle the Antarctic landmass, making the weather hard to predict. Fine weather may deteriorate almost without warning; even in summer (December to March), you should come prepared to find strong cold winds (up to 130 km/hr) and rainfall. Summer’s average temperature is 11ºC (52ºF), ranging between 2 to 24ºC (35 to 75ºF).
Passengers need to be prepared for summer and winter all at once. We recommend the following:
The weather in Patagonia can be difficult to plan around at times. We reserve the right to change the order of the days in any itinerary at the discretion of the trip guide and based on operational considerations. The trip guide can modify, change or eliminate part of the itinerary based upon these safety/weather considerations.
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Updated October 4th, 2022
Dear Traveler,
We are very happy to announce that there are currently no travel restrictions in Chile.
Together with the above mentioned, it is mandatory to comply with the following requirements:
In case you have any questions, we will be happy to help you!
Best,
The Team at Cascada Expediciones & EcoCamp Patagonia