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Complete Guide to Patagonia's W Trek

Self-guided 5 days, 4 nights in Patagonia’s Torres del Paine National Park

Trekking from Refugio Grey and ending the last morning at the Torres for sunrise. This post will cover everything we did to make this dream a reality:

  • Itinerary
  • Trail Map
  • The W Trek
  • Camping at the Refugio’s
  • Logistics (getting to and leaving the park)
  • Weather Considerations
  • Gear you need to have an enjoyable experience
Glacier Grey Mirador 2

Trekking Itinerary

  • Day 1: Catamaran drop off at Paine Grande –> Refugio Grey
  • Day 2: Refugio Grey –> Glacier Grey Mirador near Camp Paso –> Refugio Paine Grande
  • Day 3: Refugio Paine Grande –> Frances Valley –> Refugio Cuernos
  • Day 4: Refugio Cuernos –> Refugio Chileno
  • Day 5: Refugio Chileno –> Torres del Paine –> Shuttle pickup at Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

Trail Map

The trails are well marked with signs and you’ll always be between a mountain and a body of water, so it is difficult to get lost. There are times when you have to walk on rocks across a stream, but for the most part the path is defined. The trails to Glacier Grey from Paine Grande, and from Hotel Las Torres to the Torres are like highways. 

The W Trek

Day 1: Hike to Refugio Grey

Catamaran from Pudeto to Paine Grande

The catamaran dropped us off at Refugio Paine Grande around 12:00. From there we began our trek to Refugio Grey. 

Note: If you are hungry and need to use your camp stove, do so when you get off the boat at the camping area at Paine Grande since you are not allowed to have an open flame anywhere along the trail. 

  • Distance: 8.36 miles
  • Steps: 19,163
  • Flights of stairs climbed: 105
  • Duration: 5 hrs
  • Level of difficulty: Medium
This is not a strenuous hike, but it can be slick, and since we didn’t train, hiking for 5 hours was more of a mental challenge. That said, the recommended time is 3 hours, but we stopped a lot for pictures. At the highest point the winds can pick up, so be ready to hold onto your hat. I had to chase mine a 100+ yards down the trail. 

Day 2: Hike to Glacier Grey Mirador's then to Refugio Paine Grande

First view of Glacier Grey past the second suspension bridge near Camp Paso

We broke this day into two parts. The first was a hike to two different miradors of Glacier Grey, returning to Refugio Grey for lunch. After lunch we made the trek back to Refugio Paine Grande to spend the night. 

  • Distance: 13.56 miles 
  • Steps: 32,434
  • Flights of stairs climbed: 240
  • Duration: 5.75 hours of hiking (3 hrs round trip to mirador Grey 2 from Refugio Grey, 2.75 hours from Refugio Grey to Refugio Paine Grande)
  • Level of difficulty: Easy

Hike from Refugio Grey to Mirador Glacier Grey near Camp Paso

The morning of the second day we intended to wake up early and break camp by 8:30am. However, we aren’t early risers and we forgot to put in earplugs. The booms from the glaciers breaking and loud voices from a couple who got into an argument that night kept us up late. We didn’t end up leaving until 10:00am and left our big packs at the refugio while only brought our day packs.  

  • Distance: 5.25 miles round trip
  • Duration: 3 hours including stops for pictures

Our first stop was the mirador closest to Refugio Grey. It might be a quarter mile and is not strenuous at all. 

After pictures, it was already 10:30am and we had a decision to make. We could continue to the lookout that we were told was 1.5 – 2 hours away and risk trekking back to Paine Grande with our headlamps on in the dark, or stroll back to Refugio Grey and miss out on the second mirador. My wife, being the amazing woman she is said, ‘we can just walk in the dark’, and I was reminded again why I married her. The next section of this hike was the highlight of the entire trip.

Weaving through the forest we eventually made it to the first suspension bridge. To get on you have to climb about a 12 foot ladder and then cross  40 yards. From here, it is another 45 minutes to the lookout but in between is the more harrowing of the two bridges. For those afraid of falling/heights, don’t look down! I almost lost Crystal at the start of the second bridge and it took a couple of attempts for her to gather the courage to make it across. The second bridge is so long that it starts to bob up and down about half way across, but then the wind picks up and the bridge also starts swaying side to side. The mirador is only 2 minutes past the second bridge and the views are breathtaking. 

Day 3: Refugio Paine Grande to Valley Frances to Refugio Cuernos

Paine Grande towards Camp Italiano

Starting at Refugio Paine Grande, this is another long hike to end at Refugio Cuernos but this time with the big packs. In the middle of the hike is a short climb into Valley Frances where the roars of avalanches crashing down occurs at least once every five minutes and hikers have a front row seat at Mirador Frances. The best news is that you can leave your packs at the base of the valley, which is Camp Italiano. 

  • Distance: 11.89 miles 
  • Steps: 27,417
  • Flights of stairs climbed: 190
  • Duration: 7-8 hours of hiking 
  • Level of difficulty: Easy/Medium

Day 4: Refugio Cuernos to Refugio Chileno

Overlooking Refugio Cuernos

This is another long stretch of the trail which contains a slow incline but in some places gets rather steep. As we wrapped around the hills the weather changed dramatically and so did the scenery. There will be a well marked split in the trail where you can go left to Chileno or right to Hotel Las Torres. Make sure to stay left to Chileno. This point was good stopping point for lunch. 

  • Distance: 10.47 miles
  • Steps: 24,287
  • Flights of stairs climbed: 185
  • Duration: 5-6 hours
  • Level of difficulty: Easy/Medium

Day 5: Sunrise at Torres del Paine

Sunrise at the Torres on March 14th, 2019

The best opportunity for a clear view of the Torres is in the morning. We set a 4:00am alarm to leave by 5:00am for a hike up to the Torres from Refugio Chileno for sunrise at 7:15am. Leaving the big packs at camp, walking out you can see dots from headlamps up the mountain looking like a line of ants. There’s plenty of room at the top for everyone to enjoy and celebrate the main event together! These pictures make the Torres look small, but they are massive. 

After the show, at around 8:15am, we headed back to Chileno to pick up our bags and continue down the hill to Hotel Las Torres where we grabbed a bite to eat at the bar and celebrated having completed the W Trek before catching the shuttle back to the entrance of the park. 

  • Distance: 11.45 miles
  • Steps: 26,574
  • Flights of stairs climbed: 227
  • Duration: 5 hours (2 hrs to the Torres, 1.5 hrs back to Chileno, then another 1.5-2 hrs to Hotel Las Torres)
  • Level of difficulty: Easy/Medium

Camping at the Refugio's

There are two different companies that you have to use to book your stays online for the W Trek.

There are also two options for staying the night: 

  • Camping
  • The Lodge 

If you choose to camp, like we did, there are bathrooms, warm showers, potable water faucets, a camp store, and all but Refugio Chileno allowed the use of gas camp stoves. Inside each lodge there is a full bar if you need a pisco sour and all locations accepted cash and credit cards. 

Camping has the option of bringing your own gear, or renting it from the refugio. We chose to bring all of our own gear. Learn about how we got our gear from America to Patagonia in our blog, How to Fly With Your Backpacking Gear.  

There are also food options to purchase breakfast, lunch, or dinner from the refugio. We chose to purchase Cena for each night, which was a three course dinner at the lodge served between 7:00pm – 9:00pm (19:00 – 21:00). I highly recommend this option for three reasons: 

  1. The food is delicious. I’m talking salmon, pork, chocolate fudge brownies. It was nice! 
  2. You will be seated at a table with a bunch of strangers from all over the world. We met people from Norway, France, Japan, UK, Germany, Canada, Brazil, America, and the list goes on. 
  3. Frees up space in your pack.
Whether you choose to camp, stay at the lodge, or reserve whatever is available at the time of booking, you will be in good hands. No one is roughing it given all the amenities. Learn about each location in our Patagonia Refugio’s blog. 

Getting to Torres del Paine National Park

Entrance to Torres del Paine
8 full days to include travel, with 5 days of self-guided hiking while coming from San Francisco, California. Here is what we did:
 
  • Day 1 – Friday: Fly from San Francisco, California, USA (SFO) to Santiago, Chile (SCL)
  • Day 2 – Saturday: Fly SCL to Puerto Natales, Chile (PNT)
  • Days 3-7 Sunday – Thursday: Torres del Paine National Park ending in Punta Arenas 
  • Day 8 – Friday: Fly from Punta Arenas, Chile (PUQ) to Santiago, Chile (SCL)

Getting to Torres del Paine National Park, coming from America, you can either fly into Puerto Natales or Punta Arenas. Best case scenario you to fly into Puerto Natales and the next day take a 2 hour bus ride into the park. The other option is to fly into Punta Arenas where you will take a bus 2-3 hours to Puerto Natales, and then another bus 2 hours into the park.

Below I will outline the trip we designed, following three criteria: 

  1. Minimize travel time 
  2. Take as few days off from work as possible 
  3. Make it back in time for Friday night festivities in Santiago for our friends pre-wedding celebration

Travel Day 1: USA to Santiago - Chile

Flight: San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Santiago International Airport (SCL)

We flew from San Francisco, had a short layover in Panama City, and ended the day at Santiago International Airport. The main influence of taking this flight was the short flight time, optimal arrival time for a good nights sleep, and enough buffer to account for any travel delays that may interfere with our flight the next day down to Puerto Natales.

  • Departure Time: 12:30am
  • Arrival Time: 9:30pm
  • Airline: Copa Airlines

Baggage Policy: You cannot carry-on trekking poles on any airlines. This holds true when flying out of Santiago, Punta Arenas, or Puerto Natales (there are signs). We utilized the Osprey Duffel to ship our poles and food. We were able to pass our backpacking packs as our carry-on and day packs containing a sleeping bag and jackets as our personal items. Check out our How to Fly With You Backpacking Gear blog for how we made this happen. 

KEY NOTE: At the Santiago Airport, when you go through customs, you will receive a PDI card. DO NOT LOSE THIS. Everywhere you stay you must present this card, including each Refugio inside Torres del Paine National Park. I almost threw it away in my delirious state Friday night. 

Hotel: Holiday Inn Santiago - Airport Terminal

After exiting the international terminal, we walked 40 yards across the street and into the Holiday Inn Santiago – Airport Terminal. This was the perfect ending to the day since we did not have to get into any other transit after a long time traveling. 

Holiday Inn Santiago Link: https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/santiago/sclap/hoteldetail

Note: On our return from Valparaiso back to the airport, which was later on our Chilean adventure, we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Santiago Airport since the Holiday Inn was sold out. It was also a nice hotel and much cheaper, but it wasn’t as convenient as the Holiday Inn.

Travel Day 2: Puerto Natales - Chile

Pier in Puerto Natales

Flight: Santiago International Airport (SCL) to Puerto Natales Airport (PNT)

We breezed through the SCL airport and our excitement started to build knowing that we weren’t the only crazy ones wanting to trek miles through the rain, snow, and wind in a mysteriously mystical land. Pro tip is to sit on the LEFT side (when looking at the cockpit) of the plane for the best views of Torres del Paine National Park as you fly over.

The airport in Puerto Natales is very small and there are only two days a week you can fly in. This was a major factor we took into consideration since we wanted to minimize travel time to the park. 

  • Departing Time: 11:00am
  • Arriving Time: 2:10pm
  • Airlines: LATAM

Shuttle from Puerto Natales Airport to the hotel

At the Puerto Natales Airport, there is only a small baggage claim room and a booth off to the left side of the with employee(s) selling shuttle passes for 5,000 Chilean pesos per person. The shuttle drops you off at your hotel in town. 

Hotel: Hotel Costaustalis

This was a very convenient location, right on the water, has great continental breakfast, clean rooms, and friendly staff. It is definitely better to stay as close to the downtown area as possible and it’s a short 5-10 minute taxi from the bus station. When we checked into the hotel the receptionist gave us a map of the downtown area that had all of the key establishments marked (money exchange, sports and hardware stores, grocery store, restaurants, etc.). 

Hotel Costaustalis Link: https://www.hotelcostaustralis.com/en/

Exploring Puerto Natales

We picked up a gas can for our camp stove at a hardware/sports store (there are a lot of them), grabbed a bottle of sunscreen at a pharmacy, and went into several shops to pick out some small souvenirs.  

After walking around the town we wanted to find a bite to eat and came across a corner pizza shop, Mesita Grande, with a long table inside that was lined with other people. We figured they had a bar, seemingly tasty food, and good company so it must be worth trying. It was the perfect experience. To top off the good food and drinks, the company is exceptional. We found ourselves next to trekkers from the UK and Germany. Meeting others from around the world and learning about their experiences turned into a major theme of this trip.

Travel Day 3: Enter Torres del Paine National Park

Guanacos near the entrance

Bus: Terminal Rodoviario to Torres del Paine - Pudeto

The morning of we asked the front desk at the hotel to have a taxi arrive at 6:30am as we went into the continental breakfast. The taxi arrived on time and dropped us off at the bus station around 6:40am for 3,000 pesos. This was a good time to arrive since we beat the rush. 

I recommend reserving seats on a bus prior to your trip. There were about four other buses taking trekkers into the park the same morning, and hundreds of people on board.

Torres del Paine Entrance

This bus will take you to the entrance of the park where everyone must de-board, go inside the bulding to watch a video about the rules of the park, fill out paperwork, pay the entrance fee of 21,000 pesos, and get a map. Make sure to have your passport, PDI, proof of refugio/camping reservations, and pesos ready and not buried under the bus. Once we had our paperwork settled we went outside for pictures before getting back on the bus to go to Pudeto to catch the boat to Paine Grande.

Catamaran to Pudeto

The catamaran cost us 20,000 pesos per person which we paid on the boat.  A pro tip we received was to be the last ones to board and it was good advice. Your bags won’t get stuck at the bottom of the pile, its easy to de-board, and you will be able to get a spot outside at the very back of the boat which offers the best views for pictures!

  • Bus Arrival: 10:30am
  • Catamaran Departure: 11:00 – 11:30am (there will be a sign)   

Leaving Torres del Paine National Park to Punta Arenas in the same day

Hotel Las Torres Patagonia

There are two shuttles that you are going to take to get back to the entrance of the park where the bus will pick you up. No reservations for the shuttles are needed. 

At the end of the trek you will end up in the foothills at the Hotel Las Torres Patagonia hotel. As you reach the parking lot there will be a sign telling you when the shuttle is going to pick you up. At the hotel is a restaurant, bar, and convenience store where you could also buy a beer. We opted to get a sandwich to-go from the bar, but we had to run to the bus and barely made it on due to waiting for the meal. 

The first bus was free and will take you to a second shuttle stop down the road. Here you will get off the little shuttle and board the larger shuttle for 3,200 pesos per person. The larger shuttle will take you to the pickup location of all the commercial buses taking trekkers back to Puerto Natales. 

I recommend purchasing a round trip bus ticket prior to your trip. The buses are like clockwork and the whole system made for a seamless transition from Torres del Paine to Puerto Natales. 

From Puerto Natales we had planned to make it to Punta Arenas that night to catch our flight to Santiago Chile the next morning. Bus Sur’s schedule from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas did not line up with our arrival from Torres del Paine and made us have a two hour layover at the bus station. We decided to take an early bus on a different company, Bus Fernandez, which left about 30-45 minutes after our arrival from the park. We bought the tickets at the bus stations and this put us into Punta Arenas around 7pm. 

We had booked a room at the Best Western in Punta Arenas before going to Chile and Bus Fernandez’s and Bus Sur’s final destinations were only two blocks from the hotel. For more information on our experience in Punta Arenas, check out our One Night Stay in Punta Arenas blog. I wish we had more time there. 

Weather Considerations

The weather in Patagonia changes drastically each day. You must be prepared for sun, rain, and snow, along with high winds. 

We were fortunate with weather and had mostly sunny skies, but the week before they had to shut down the W and evacuate hikers due to heavy rains. Apparently the rains were not normal, but it goes without saying that you have to be aware of your surroundings and especially careful of rising rivers as you cross. 

Following weather.com from a Google search of ‘torres del paine weather’ was accurate for us. 

Starting Sunday March 10th

5 Day Backpacking Gear List

Having an enjoyable trip requires having gear that does what you need it to. We tried to pack small and light which led to a lot of research and purchases of new gear from multiple retailers. Unless you have a pile of money laying around, I would recommend spreading purchases over a period of time, looking for sales, utilizing old and used gear, and becoming a member at REI so that you can get some money back. 

If I were to do the trip over again, I would bring the exact same gear. The items below kept me cool on the hot days, dry on the wet, and warm on the frosty mornings and nights. 

Packs &  Pack Accessories
Sleeping Kit
Clothing
Meals
** We had pre-purchased cena with our reservation so we were able to cut down on food space and weight. If you don’t pre-purchase you can purchase it at the refugio with your credit card or pesos. At the camp store you can buy day snacks if you run out.

Miscellaneous

Medical Pack
  • Assortment of Band Aids
  • Neosporin
  • Alcohol Wipes
  • Tape Wrap
  • 2 Ace Bandage Wraps
  • Blister 2nd Skin
  • Ibuprofen
  • Pepto Bismol
  • Tums
  • Gauze
  • Blood Clotting Pads
  • Sunscreen
  • Lip Balm
  • Bug Spray
  • Hand Warmers
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