The Original Torres del Paine W Trek
Are you hoping to travel before March 2023?
Patagonia's a big trip and we know how crucial it is to get it right. As you’re considering travelling in the next couple of months, we want to be upfront with you…
Finding available accommodation is proving almost impossible in Torres del Paine and Los Glaciares National Parks. While not uncommon, the pandemic has exacerbated the situation this year.
Alongside this, Swoop are also currently focused on ensuring that all of the logistics are in place for our booked travellers who are due to head south shortly.
Swoop has therefore decided to no longer accept any new bookings departing before the beginning of March 2023.
As alternative options, here’s what we suggest:
Option A:
Push your trip back and choose to travel instead in early 2023. April onwards has more accommodation options still available. The Patagonian autumnal colours are stunning and trails less crowded.
Option B:
Defer your Patagonia adventure by 12 months, benefitting by getting exactly the trip you want without compromise, and lock in plans now while there’s still good availability.
If you are able to be flexible on your travel dates, the next step would then be for us to arrange a time to talk through the options.
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I want to travel before March 2023
Unfortunately we can’t currently help with short notice trips to Patagonia. Sign up to our newsletter to get some Patagonia travel advice and inspiration!
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I’m flexible and could travel later
Trip type
Guided Activity
Trip length
5 Days
From
$2,095
Location
Torres del Paine
The Original Torres del Paine W Trek - 5 - $2,095
Trip Summary and Itinerary Map
Day 1: Trek to Las Torres (The Towers) lookout; Refugio Torres Central
Day 2: Trek to Los Cuernos (The Horns) lookout; Refugio Los Cuernos
Day 3: Trek to the French Valley; Refugio Paine Grande
Day 4: Trek to Glacier Grey; optional kayaking; Refugio Grey
Day 5: Boat trip to face of Glacier Grey; optional ice hiking
Start from Puerto Natales and end at Puerto Natales
Landmarks visited on The Original Torres del Paine W Trek
Operator's Itinerary
Day 1: Trek to Las Torres lookout; Refugio Torres Central
We leave Puerto Natales at 7am for the drive to Torres del Paine National Park, passing flat pampas and lagoons where you can see guanacos, Darwin's Rheas, Chilean flamingos and black-necked swans.
After arriving at the Refugio Torres Central you’ll have time to relax before we begin our first hike of the trip, up to Las Torres lookout.
An initial ascent follows the Ascencio River into the Ascencio Valley. At a lookout point, about an hour into the trek, we’ll pause to take in the beauty of the valley's rich beech forests, glaciers and waterfalls.
After this point the path continues climbing through lush beech forests before ascending a gigantic terminal moraine (the ridge formed at a glacier’s end point). It's here, at an altitude of 900m, where we’ll be rewarded by the stunning sight of Las Torres and stay a while to soak up the amazing views, take photos and have lunch.
We'll then retrace our steps back to the Refugio where we’ll have dinner and rest for the evening.
Private transfer: 2hrs
Length of hike: 8-10hrs, 22km
Meals: Picnic lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Refugio Torres Central
Day 2: Trek to Los Cuernos lookout; Refugio Los Cuernos
Today we'll hike to Los Cuernos lookout, where monumental horn-shaped black twin granite peaks shoot skyward. This route is the best on the trek for all-round panoramic views where you can take in not only the Andes mountains, glaciated valleys and stunning lakes, but also the wind-swept rolling hills of the steppe which stretches eastwards to the Atlantic.
We'll leave behind the crowds who are entering the park just to see Las Torres and will follow a route via Inge Lagoon – condors and other birds of prey may be circling the skies above us. The well-marked trail climbs 200m from the base of Mt Almirante Nieto (2750m) and crosses the Bader River with the magnificent turquiose-hued lake a constant to our left until we reach our finishing point and accommodation for the night – Refugio Los Cuernos or Domos Frances.
Length of hike: 4-5hrs, 13km
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Refugio Los Cuernos or Domos Frances
Day 3: Trek to the French Valley; Refugio Paine Grande
A challenging trek to the heart of the Paine massif awaits us today. After breakfast, a meandering path leads us to the French River, a 1-2 hour hike depending on whether we stayed at Refugio Los Cuernos or Domos Frances the night before. On entering the French Valley – a glacial moraine surrounded by peaks and hanging glaciers – we’ll scramble over huge boulders and catch our first sight of the hanging glacier atop the valley.
From here we ascend for an hour through a dreamlike Japanese garden landscape before arriving at the French Valley viewpoint (the 'Plateau'). Your reward is a stunning bird’s eye view of granite peaks and hanging glaciers. On one side is the French Glacier and Paine Grande (3050m); while on the other, La Espada, La Hoja, La Máscara and the main and north 'horns' of Los Cuernos arch upwards. In the upper section of the valley, Mt Catedral and Mt Fortaleza loom like turrets above the landscape. We'll have plenty of time to rest and have lunch at the viewpoint, surrounded by these imposing peaks and open skies.
Our descent is via the same path until we reach the valley’s entrance, from where we’ll continue around the south-west side of Torres del Paine’s highest peak, Paine Grande. This final stretch passes through native firebush and evergreen beech forests to Refugio Paine Grande, by the shores of Lake Pehoe. We'll have dinner and rest here for the night.
Length of hike: 8-9hrs, 18km
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Refugio Paine Grande
Day 4: Trek to Glacier Grey; optional kayaking; Refugio Grey
We’ll start early, ascending 200m on the winding trail to Lake Negra. It's here where we’ll see sections of the massive Southern Patagonian Ice Field, a geological phenomenon that still guards many unexplored peaks.
Continuing on to Glacier Grey’s lookout point, we pass forests and rivers, with possible sightings of the spectacled and flightless steamer ducks. Lunch is at the lookout point with the monumental Glacier Grey at our feet. We might catch sight of ice calving from its huge walls into the freezing waters below.
There is a fantastic opportunity to go on a 2.5-hour kayaking excursion in the afternoon where you'll paddle around the huge floating icebergs that have calved from the glacial wall. You'll first receive a safety briefing from a specialist guide covering the kayak, paddling, route and conditions. All necessary equipment will be provided - neoprene suit, waterproof jacket, gloves, boots, kayak skirt and life vest. Advance booking and payment is required - please see the 'Additional Notes' section below.
Accommodation for the night is at Refugio Grey, on the shore of Lake Grey.
Length of hike: 4hrs, 11km
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Refugio Grey
Day 5: Boat trip to face of Glacier Grey; optional ice hiking
The final day starts with a free morning to relax and take in the landscape or go kayaking. There's also an excellent option to ice hike on Glacier Grey which would be great if you had already kayaked the day before. Following a safety briefing you'll take a boat ride, then hike for an hour to safely reach the glacier. From here your guide will check the equipment provided to you - ice axe, crampons, helmet and harness. You must have your own hiking boots with ankle support, gloves and sunglasses - without these you will not be permitted to take this ice hike. The hike on the glacier lasts for 2.5hrs, with the whole trip taking about 5hrs. You must be in very good physical shape for this excursion as the hike to the glacier is challenging. Advance booking and payment is required - please see the 'Additional Notes' section below.
After lunch we’ll take a boat across Lake Grey to the massive facade of Glacier Grey. There will be plenty of time to study the wall’s textures, lines and colours and of course, watch for ice calving. The return journey passes blue icebergs and you’ll also see the wind-sculpted 'ice mushrooms' atop the massive peaks of Paine Grande.
Once back on dry land, we’ll hike 20 minutes along Grey Beach to rendezvous with our private transfer. This takes us back to Puerto Natales where our journey ends.
Boat trip: 2hrs
Private transfer: 2hrs
Length of hike: 20mins
Meals: Breakfast, picnic lunch
What our customers think of The Original Torres del Paine W Trek
The Original Torres del Paine W Trek trips scored 4.7/5 from 61 reviews
Review:
Original W Trek
Prices, Departures and Inclusions
Prices for the 2022/23 season are:
4-8 people: USD $2,095 per person
3 people: USD $2,195 per person
2 people: USD $2,395 per person
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Prices are likely to increase by at least 10% for the 2023/24 season. Rates are confirmed by refugios mid-way through the year. Book now and we will not charge you more than this 10% increase. If the price is eventually confirmed as lower than a 10% increase, we will charge you this lower rate.
| Start date | Price (pp) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2023 | ||||
| 2-Feb-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 9-Feb-2023 | $2,095 | Fully Booked | Enquire | |
| 16-Feb-2023 | $2,095* | Fully Booked | Enquire | |
| 23-Feb-2023 | $2,095 | Fully Booked | Enquire | |
| March 2023 | ||||
| 2-Mar-2023 | $2,095* | Fully Booked | Enquire | |
| 9-Mar-2023 | $2,095 | Fully Booked | Enquire | |
| 12-Mar-2023 | $2,095* | Fully Booked | Enquire | |
| 19-Mar-2023 | $2,095 | Limited Availability | Enquire | |
| 23-Mar-2023 | $2,095* | Fully Booked | Enquire | |
| 29-Mar-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| April 2023 | ||||
| 2-Apr-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 6-Apr-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 16-Apr-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| October 2023 | ||||
| 3-Oct-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 10-Oct-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 17-Oct-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 24-Oct-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 31-Oct-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| November 2023 | ||||
| 2-Nov-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 7-Nov-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 9-Nov-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 14-Nov-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 16-Nov-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 18-Nov-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 21-Nov-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 23-Nov-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 25-Nov-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 28-Nov-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 30-Nov-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| December 2023 | ||||
| 5-Dec-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 7-Dec-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 12-Dec-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 14-Dec-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 16-Dec-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 19-Dec-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 21-Dec-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 23-Dec-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 26-Dec-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 28-Dec-2023 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 30-Dec-2023 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| January 2024 | ||||
| 2-Jan-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 4-Jan-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 6-Jan-2024 | $2,095* | Fully Booked | Enquire | |
| 9-Jan-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 11-Jan-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 13-Jan-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 16-Jan-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 18-Jan-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 20-Jan-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 23-Jan-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 25-Jan-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 30-Jan-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| February 2024 | ||||
| 1-Feb-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 3-Feb-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 6-Feb-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 8-Feb-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 13-Feb-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 15-Feb-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 17-Feb-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 20-Feb-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 22-Feb-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 27-Feb-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 29-Feb-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| March 2024 | ||||
| 2-Mar-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 5-Mar-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 7-Mar-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 12-Mar-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 14-Mar-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 16-Mar-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 19-Mar-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 21-Mar-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 26-Mar-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 28-Mar-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| April 2024 | ||||
| 2-Apr-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 4-Apr-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 9-Apr-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 11-Apr-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 16-Apr-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 18-Apr-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 23-Apr-2024 | $2,095 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| 25-Apr-2024 | $2,095* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
* Note: Prices are per person. Paid in USD ($) - figure above is based on today's exchange rate. Actual cost $2,095
Additional Notes
Group size – 8 maximum, 2 minimum.
Optional excursions – Kayak on Lake Grey (2.5hrs, USD $115 per person). Ice hike on Glacier Grey (5hrs, USD $200 per person). Both excursions are subject to availability and must be booked and paid for in advance as they are not included in the trip price. Please contact us for more information.
Joining & departure instructions – Please arrive in Puerto Natales on the afternoon before for your trip starts for your group briefing. It is also recommended that you plan to stay in Puerto Natales when you finish your trek. If you would like help booking your pre/post-trek arrangements please just let us know.
Availability of refugio dormitories – In some cases where refugio dorm beds are not available, you will be offered fully supported camping. This will be confirmed with you in advance of travel.
Includes
- Meals: 4 breakfasts, 5 picnic lunches, 4 dinners
- Accommodation: Refugio dormitory rooms
- Sleeping bags and liners (when possible with sheets, blanket and pillow)
- Torres del Paine entrance fee
- All private transport included in the itinerary
- Boat trip on Lago Grey
- English and Spanish speaking guide
Excludes
- Meals not indicated in itinerary
- Drinks during lunch or dinner
- Any extra/optional excursions
- Travel insurance
- Personal equipment (our recommended kit list)
- Gratuities/tips
- International and domestic/in-country flights
- Any visa, passport and vaccination expenses
