Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Patagonia: the W Trek in Torres del Paine, with refugio nights
8 days from Punta Arenas: two nights in Puerto Natales, then the W Trek east to west over four days, from the Towers through the French Valley to Grey Glacier, with three nights in mountain refugios and porters for the kit.
8 days · Round trip from Punta Arenas · up to 12 guests
Glaciated peaks in Chilean Patagonia Photo: Ciprian Morar ciprianmorar, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pyramids_of_Chile_(Unsplash).jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Punta Arenas
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 3 h on day 1No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Active
Four trekking days in a row of 11 to 24 km, 4 to 10 hours on foot on rocky, windy, sometimes muddy trails. The hardest are day 3 (Base Las Torres, about 20 km with 800 to 900 m of climbing and a steep boulder finish) and day 5 (French Valley, 17 to 24 km). Porters move the kit, so you carry a daypack of about 5 kg. Each long day has a shorter choice, but you must walk between refugios on days 4 to 6.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 5 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 905 (estimated price)
- Season
- November to March
Highlights
Why this trip
- The lagoon under the three granite towers on the first trekking day, while your legs are fresh
- An easy day along the turquoise shore of Lago Nordenskjöld, with the afternoon free at the refugio
- The French Valley, with hanging glaciers on Paine Grande cracking above the trail
- The walk along Lago Grey to the glacier, then a boat out past its blue ice face
- Three nights in mountain refugios with dinner cooked for you and porters carrying the kit
- A slow start in Puerto Natales and a last night in Punta Arenas, close to your flight home
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 905 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 3 h, on day 1.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Patagonia
Punta Arenas airport (PUQ) to Puerto Natales
- Dinner
- Stay in Puerto Natales
- Drive about 3 h
Fly into Punta Arenas (PUQ) on the Strait of Magellan, usually via Santiago, and plan to land by about 2 pm; the latest arrival time is confirmed with your final itinerary. Your See Sight Tours guide meets the group at the airport and we drive north on Ruta 9 across open sheep country, about 245 km and three hours, with a coffee stop on the way. Watch for rheas and guanacos on the steppe and flamingos on the shallow lagoons by the road. Puerto Natales sits on the Última Esperanza Sound, a fjord with snowy peaks across the water, and in December the sun sets after 9 pm, so there is light for a walk along the seafront after check-in.
Evening
In the evening we meet for a short briefing on the trek ahead, then sit down together to a welcome dinner of Magellanic lamb or local seafood. If you fly into Puerto Natales airport (PNT) instead, a driver brings you to the hotel.
Included
- Pick-up at Punta Arenas airport (PUQ), or at Puerto Natales airport (PNT)
- Drive to Puerto Natales with your guide
- Trek briefing
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free time on the Puerto Natales seafront before dinner
Activity: Book a flight landing at Punta Arenas by about 2 pm.
Milodón Cave and kit day
Puerto Natales to the Cueva del Milodón and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Puerto Natales
- Drive about 1 h
A slow start after the long flights. At about 9:30 am we drive 25 km north to the Cueva del Milodón, a huge cave where remains of a giant ground sloth were found in the 1890s, and walk the short paths through it and up to the rock outcrop of the Silla del Diablo for a view over the steppe and the fjord; this is a gentle first stretch for the legs.
Afternoon
We are back in town for a sit-down lunch together. In the afternoon your guide checks boots, waterproofs and layers with each guest, hands out the porter bags and explains what goes in them and what stays in the hotel storeroom until day 6. Anything missing can be rented or bought in Puerto Natales, which has outdoor shops and gear rental.
Evening
The rest of the afternoon and evening are free: the seafront, a coffee, an early night before the trail.
Included
- Cueva del Milodón natural monument
- Sit-down lunch in Puerto Natales
- Kit check and porter bag packing with your guide
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Puerto Natales
Activity: Bags you do not need on the trek stay in the hotel storeroom until day 6.
The Towers
Puerto Natales to the Welcome Centre, then on foot to the Base Las Torres viewpoint and back to the Las Torres sector
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Torres del Paine, Las Torres sector
- Drive about 2 h
The trip's one early start: we leave Puerto Natales at 7:30 am for the two-hour drive to Torres del Paine National Park, created in 1959 and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, enter at Laguna Amarga and continue about 7 km to the Las Torres Welcome Centre at the trailhead, so we are walking by about 9:30 am with time to reach the lagoon before any ranger cut-off. The trail climbs the Ascencio valley to a windy pass, drops to the Chileno refuge for a rest, then follows the river through southern beech forest. The last hour is a steep scramble up a boulder moraine to the lagoon at the foot of the three granite towers.
Afternoon
We eat a packed lunch there, then walk back down the same way. In all it is about 20 km with 800 to 900 m of climbing and eight to ten hours on foot, led by a licensed local trekking guide with your See Sight Tours guide.
Evening
The porters have taken the bags ahead, and dinner is at the refugio in the Las Torres sector.
Included
- Torres del Paine National Park entry
- Guided hike to the Base Las Torres viewpoint with a licensed local trekking guide
- Porters move your overnight bag to the refugio
- Packed lunch
- Dinner at the refugio
Easier option: Walk to the Chileno refuge and back with your See Sight Tours guide, about 11 km with 400 to 500 m of climbing, and have the late afternoon at the refugio.
More active option: The full climb to the lagoon at the base of the towers: about 20 km return, 800 to 900 m of climbing, 8 to 10 hours.
Activity: Rangers can close the last section in strong wind or set a latest time to start the final climb; if the towers are in cloud, the guide may turn at the Chileno refuge. The last 7 km from Laguna Amarga to the Welcome Centre is by our van or the park shuttle, confirmed with your dates.
Along Lago Nordenskjöld
Las Torres sector to Los Cuernos on foot
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Torres del Paine, Los Cuernos sector
A shorter day to rest the legs after the Towers.
Morning
We set off after breakfast along the lower slopes of the massif, with the turquoise water of Lago Nordenskjöld below and the dark-capped Cuernos del Paine rising ahead. The path is about 12 km and four to five hours on foot, rolling rather than steep, crossing open grassland, small streams and patches of beech forest; it is the stretch where hikers most often meet guanacos and grey foxes, and condors ride the wind above the ridges.
Afternoon
We stop for a packed lunch on the shore, out of the wind if we can find shelter. We reach the refugio in the Los Cuernos sector by mid-afternoon, where the porters have already left the bags. The rest of the afternoon is free: sit by the lake, stretch, or simply read with the Cuernos outside the window.
Evening
Dinner is at the refugio, and the guides brief the group on the French Valley day.
Included
- Guided trek from the Las Torres sector to Los Cuernos
- Porters move your overnight bag
- Packed lunch
- Dinner at the refugio
Free time: Afternoon free at the refugio by Lago Nordenskjöld
Activity: There is no shorter way between the two refugios, but the trail has little climbing and the pace is relaxed.
The French Valley
Los Cuernos to Campamento Italiano, up the French Valley, then on to Paine Grande
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Torres del Paine, Paine Grande sector
The longest day on the W, so we leave Los Cuernos early to reach the French Valley ahead of the hikers coming up from Paine Grande. The trail follows the lake shore to Campamento Italiano, about 5.5 km, crossing a swing bridge over the Río del Francés. From there we climb into the valley with the French glacier hanging off Paine Grande on the left; you often hear ice break off and see small avalanches. The shorter choice turns at the Mirador Francés, about an hour above Italiano, for about 17 km in the day. The full route continues through forest and boulders to the Mirador Británico, a ring of granite walls and spires, for about 24 km and nine to ten hours on foot.
Afternoon
Lunch is packed and eaten in the valley.
Evening
Both groups return to Italiano and walk west past Lago Skottsberg to the refugio in the Paine Grande sector on Lago Pehoé for dinner.
Included
- Guided trek into the French Valley with a licensed local trekking guide
- Mirador Francés, or on to the Mirador Británico
- Porters move your overnight bag
- Packed lunch
- Dinner at the refugio
Easier option: Turn at the Mirador Francés with your See Sight Tours guide: about 17 km in the day, 6 to 7 hours.
More active option: Continue to the Mirador Británico: about 24 km in the day, 9 to 10 hours.
Activity: Rangers can close the upper valley in bad weather; then both groups turn at the Mirador Francés.
Grey Glacier and back to Natales
Paine Grande to Refugio Grey on foot, by boat across Lago Grey past the glacier, then by road to Puerto Natales
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Puerto Natales
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
The last day on the W, with breakfast at 6:45 am so we are walking by about 7:30 am to reach Refugio Grey before the Lago Grey sailing, whose time varies by season and is confirmed with your dates. From Paine Grande the trail climbs gently past Laguna Los Patos and along the slopes above Lago Grey, where icebergs drift on grey water, to the Mirador Grey and on to the Refugio Grey, about 11 km and three and a half to four hours on foot. From a lookout near the refugio you face the ice of Grey Glacier, a tongue of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.
Afternoon
We eat a packed lunch, then board the Lago Grey boat at the refugio landing; it sails close to the blue ice face before crossing the lake to the dock near the southern shore, where our van waits. The easier group walks to the Mirador Grey and back, then crosses Lago Pehoé by catamaran to Pudeto, where the van collects them first.
Evening
We are back in Puerto Natales by early evening, with bags from the storeroom, a hot shower and a free evening in town.
Included
- Guided trek from Paine Grande to the Grey Glacier lookouts
- Lago Grey boat past the glacier face
- Or the Mirador Grey and the Lago Pehoé catamaran to Pudeto
- Packed lunch
- Drive back to Puerto Natales
Easier option: Walk to the Mirador Grey and back (about 8 km, confirmed by your guide), then take the catamaran across Lago Pehoé to Pudeto.
Free time: Evening free in Puerto Natales
Activity: The Lago Grey boat does not sail in very strong wind. Your guides check with the boat operator at Paine Grande before we set off; if a cancellation is likely, the whole group turns at the Mirador Grey and takes the Pehoé catamaran instead. We confirm this fallback, and what happens to the boat fare, with the operator when you book.
South to Punta Arenas
Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Punta Arenas
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
A late breakfast and no alarm. We leave Puerto Natales at about 10 am for the drive south to Punta Arenas, about 245 km and three hours on a paved road across the steppe, with a coffee stop on the way. Punta Arenas grew rich on wool and shipping before the Panama Canal opened, and the mansions of the sheep-farming families still line Plaza Muñoz Gamero. After check-in your guide walks the group round the plaza and its statue of Magellan, then up to the Cerro de la Cruz viewpoint for the view over the red and green roofs to the Strait of Magellan, and on to the Cementerio Municipal with its clipped cypress avenues and family mausoleums.
Afternoon
The late afternoon is free to rest or wander the waterfront.
Evening
In the evening we meet for a farewell dinner in the centre, to share photos and stories from the trail.
Included
- Drive to Punta Arenas with your guide
- Walk with your guide: Plaza Muñoz Gamero, the Cerro de la Cruz viewpoint and the Cementerio Municipal
- Farewell dinner
Optional experiences
- Boat to the penguin colony on Isla Magdalena (seasonal; price shown at booking, sailing days and times confirmed with your dates)
Free time: Late afternoon free in Punta Arenas
Home from Punta Arenas
Punta Arenas to Punta Arenas airport (PUQ)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 30 min
No early drive today: Punta Arenas airport is about 20 km and 20 minutes north of the city, which is why the trip ends here rather than in Puerto Natales, three hours away.
Morning
After breakfast the morning is yours until the transfer. Walk the waterfront promenade along the Strait of Magellan, visit one of the small museums on the history of the region and its sheep-farming families, or buy warm wool and local chocolate to take home. Your guide arranges transfers to match the group's flights and sees everyone into the terminal before saying goodbye. Flights from Punta Arenas go to Santiago and other Chilean cities, with connections home. If you would rather stay on, ask us when you book to add nights in Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales, or a few days in Santiago on the way home, and we arrange the hotel and transfers.
Included
- Drop-off at Punta Arenas airport (PUQ)
Free time: Morning free in Punta Arenas
Activity: Any flight from Punta Arenas on day 8 works; tell us your flight time so we can plan the transfer.
- Punta Arenasstart
- Puerto Natales2 nights
- Torres del Paine, Las Torres sector1 night
- Torres del Paine, Los Cuernos sector1 night
- Torres del Paine, Paine Grande sector1 night
- Puerto Natales1 night
- Punta Arenas1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: From November to March days are long, with up to about 17 hours of daylight around December, but the weather changes by the hour and the wind is strongest early in the season. March brings calmer days and red and gold beech forest. On the trail look for guanacos, grey foxes, condors and Magellanic woodpeckers; pumas live in the park but are rarely seen from the W.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Regular hikers who want the whole W Trek without carrying a heavy pack
- Travellers happy to share a bunk room for three nights to sleep on the trail
- People who like a slow start and a calm finish around a hard few days
Not for you if you want
- Anyone who wants a private room and bathroom every night: see our hotel-based Patagonia trip instead
- Travellers who cannot walk 12 to 20 km on rough ground several days in a row
- Those who want Perito Moreno, El Chaltén or Argentina in the same trip
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Puerto Natales2 nights
- Torres del Paine, Las Torres sector1 night
- Torres del Paine, Los Cuernos sector1 night
- Torres del Paine, Paine Grande sector1 night
- Puerto Natales1 night
- Punta Arenas1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 3 in Puerto Natales (2 before and 1 after the trek), 3 in mountain refugios on the W (Las Torres, Los Cuernos and Paine Grande sectors) and 1 in Punta Arenas
- Hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms and heating, central in each town; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Refugios: shared bunk rooms with bedding and shared bathrooms with hot showers, full board
- Hotel rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Punta Arenas airport (PUQ) or Puerto Natales airport (PNT), and drop-off at Punta Arenas airport (PUQ)
- A private vehicle and driver for the group on every road day
- Porters carrying group kit and an overnight bag for each guest between refugios
- The boat across Lago Grey past Grey Glacier
- The Lago Pehoé catamaran for the easier group on day 6
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 8
- Licensed local trekking guides for the four days on the W, so the group can split on the long days
Activities
- Puerto Natales: Cueva del Milodón, kit check and porter bag packing
- Torres del Paine: park entry, guided hike to Base Las Torres or the Chileno refuge
- The W along Lago Nordenskjöld to Los Cuernos
- The French Valley to the Mirador Francés or the Mirador Británico
- Grey Glacier lookouts and the Lago Grey boat
- Punta Arenas: Plaza Muñoz Gamero, Cerro de la Cruz viewpoint and the Cementerio Municipal with your guide
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 5 lunches: a sit-down lunch in Puerto Natales and packed trail lunches on the four trekking days
- 5 dinners: welcome dinner in Puerto Natales, three dinners in the refugios and a farewell dinner in Punta Arenas
Not included
- International flights to and from Punta Arenas
- Any visa or entry fees for your passport
- Travel insurance, which must cover trekking
- Meals not listed (2 dinners in Puerto Natales)
- Drinks, including at the refugio bars
- Tips for your guides, driver and porters
- Optional activities: the Isla Magdalena penguin boat
- Personal expenses
- Hiking boots, poles, sleeping bag liner and rain gear (rental can be arranged in Puerto Natales)
- A private refugio room, if you want one and it can be booked
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 905 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Four hotel nights and three refugio nights with full board on the trail, 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 5 dinners, airport transfers, a private vehicle and driver on road days, porters between refugios, your See Sight Tours guide, licensed local trekking guides, Torres del Paine park entry, the Lago Grey boat and every visit in the day plan. Only the Isla Magdalena penguin boat is optional.
Do I have to carry my own backpack on the W?
Only a daypack of about 5 kg with water, lunch, layers and a camera. Porters carry the group kit and an overnight bag for each guest between refugios; the exact weight allowance comes with your kit list. Everything else waits in the Puerto Natales hotel storeroom until day 6.
What are the refugios like?
Mountain huts with shared bunk rooms, shared bathrooms with hot showers, bedding provided, a dining room and usually a small bar. Dinner, breakfast and a packed lunch are included. Private rooms are rare; we book one only if we can confirm it, and the cost is shown before you pay.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough to split into two groups on the Towers and French Valley days, each with a guide, and to fit together at one table in the refugio dining rooms.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide is with the group from the airport on day 1 to the airport on day 8. On the four trekking days, licensed local trekking guides walk with the group too, so the longer and shorter routes on days 3 and 5 each have a guide.
How fit do I need to be?
Fit enough to walk 12 to 20 km a day on rough, windy trails for four days in a row. The full Towers and French Valley routes add steep climbing and up to ten hours on foot; the shorter choices cut those days to about 11 and 17 km. If you regularly hike five hours or more, you will manage.
I am travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?
Only for your own room on the four hotel nights, and the price is shown up front: from CAD 905 on the small-group trip. Refugio bunk rooms are sold by the bed, so there is no supplement on the trail. Solo travellers are part of every meal and every hike.
When is the best time to hike the W Trek?
November to March, when the refugios, the Lago Grey boat and the Pehoé catamaran run and days are long, with up to about 17 hours of light around December. November to January brings the strongest wind; March is often calmer, with red and gold beech forest.
What if the weather is bad on the trail?
Refugio bookings fix where we sleep each night, so we do not swap days. Instead your guides change turn-around points: the Chileno refuge instead of the Towers, the Mirador Francés instead of the Mirador Británico, and the Mirador Grey with the Pehoé catamaran if wind is likely to stop the Lago Grey boat. We confirm that fallback with the boat operator when you book.
How do I get there, and do I need a visa for Chile?
Fly to Punta Arenas (PUQ), usually via Santiago, landing by about 2 pm on day 1; seasonal flights to Puerto Natales (PNT) also work. The trip ends in Punta Arenas, 20 minutes from the airport, so any flight on day 8 works. Canadians have usually visited Chile visa-free for short stays, but we confirm entry rules for your passport when you book.
How does booking work?
Prices are per person sharing, with taxes. The small group starts from CAD 6,030 and the private trip from CAD 10,855. Pick a start date and request to book; we confirm your place within 24 hours. No payment is taken until we confirm. Book early: refugio places sell out months ahead.
Can we trek privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The private version is for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guides, porters and pace, subject to refugio space. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the refugios, transfers and boats.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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