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Chilean Patagonia is a bucket list dream for anyone who loves hiking and travel. And Torres del Paine National Park is the icon of the region, the place you picture when you think of jagged granite towers, teal lakes, and of course, the Patagonia logo. Reaching southern Chile usually takes some effort. So it makes sense to make the most of it. This comprehensive guide to the W trek will help you do exactly that.
There are a million resources on how to hike the W Trek. You could spend days comparing advice on routes, gear, camps, and food. Here, I am doing the heavy lifting for you and sharing the essentials I learned along the way, so you can plan with confidence.
Want the long version with daily feelings and funny moments? Read my W Trek travel diary for a day by day recap, check out the posts below:
Transportation Overview
The trailheads for the W and O routes sit deep in the mountains of southern Chile and the town of Puerto Natales is the start for visiting Torres del Paine. Puerto Natales has domestic flights from Santiago and Puerto Montt and frequent buses.
| Option 1 | Option 2 |
|---|---|
| Home → Santiago, Chile (SCL) | Home → Santiago, Chile (SCL) |
| Santiago → Puerto Natales (PNT) | Santiago → Punta Arenas (PUQ) |
| Note: there are limited direct flights from Santiago to Puerto Natales. These are popular and pricey. | Punta Arenas → Puerto Natales via Bus Note: the bus is about 3 hours and will be the most likely route. |
You can technically fly to El Calafate in Argentina. Unless your trip already includes Argentina, this adds a border crossing and rarely saves time or money.
Two Key Decisions Before You Book
- Direction. Do you want to hike west to east or east to west?
- East to west: You complete the most difficult part of the hike first and get to see Las Torres during the true middle of the day. Additionally, there may be slightly less traffic going this direction.
- West to east: Build up over the 4-5 days of hiking. Day 5 culminates in a hike watching the sunrise over Las Torres.
- Comfort level. How much do you want to carry compared with how much you want to spend for convenience and a lighter pack?
Hiking Overview
Listed below are the two main routes to complete the W trek, both with advantages and disadvantages. See the charts below for more details, including: distance and elevation for each hiking section included. Apologies in advance for the clarity on the graphs.
Sample Itinerary West → East
Day 1
Option 1: Grey Glacier Catamaran → Refugio Grey
- Bus from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine entrance. Communicate with Hotel Lago Grey for a transfer from the park entrance to their hotel where you will take the catamaran.
- Book the catamaran cruise with Hotel Lago Grey for a one way journey. The best option is to grab the 3rd navigation, which is quite late in the day. However, this is the only navigation that allows you to stay on the boat AND see Grey Glacier up close and personal prior to disembarking at Refugio Grey.
Option #2: Bus → Paine Grande → Refugio Grey
- Bus from Puerto Natales to Pudeto.
- Hop on the Lake Pehoe ferry that jumps over a lake to Refugio Paine Grande. Otherwise plan on paying 27,000 CLP on the boat in cash. This route has you hike from Paine Grande to Refugio Grey where you will stay the night. You will return to Paine Grande the following day and stay the night there on day 2.
Day 2: Grey Glacier → Paine Grande
Day 3: Paine Grande → Cuernos or Frances with optional Mirador Britanico hike.
Day 4: Cuernos or Francés → Chileno
Day 5: Sunrise hike to the towers → Centre & Norte → Puerto Natales
Sample Itinerary: East → West
Day 1: Bus from Puerto Natales to Centre & Norte. Complete the hike to the towers and stay at Chileno or make it a day hike and head back down to Centre & Norte.
Day 2: Centre & Norte or Chileno to Cuernos or Frances
Day 3: Cuernos or Frances → Paine Grande
Day 4: Paine Grande → Grey Glacier
Day 5: Grey Glacier → Paine Grande → Lake Pehoe Ferry → bus to Puerto Natales
What To Carry Versus What To Pay For
Sleeping and Shelter
| Bring it All | Middle of the Road | Full Board |
|---|---|---|
| Trek with your own tent, sleeping bag, and pad. You only pay for a tent platform or campsite. | Let the refugio provide a tent or a sleeping bag or both. You carry less and still sleep in the camp areas. | Stay in refugio rooms with provided linens/sleeping bag plus your liner. |
| Pros: you only pay for a tent platform or campsite. This is the cheapest option. | Pros: you don’t have to carry all of your sleeping gear. Your tent is set up and ready to go at each stop. | Pros: you have a roof over your head and sleep on a mattress each night. You have access to the indoor spaces at the refugios. |
| Cons: this option is the most effort. Carrying all your gear plus daily set up and take down of your tent. | Cons: cost prohibitive and germy. You are sleeping in your own liner in a communally used sleeping bag. | Cons: this is the most expensive option and can be difficult to book for a group if not booking far in advance. See also, germs. |
Hot tip: I definitely have become more aware of germs since Covid and my years working in a hospital. While I wouldn’t say I am a complete germaphobe, I would recommend at least bringing your own sleeping bag if you choose to stay in the refugio cabins or tents. Sharing a sleeping bag (even utilizing your own liner!) with other sweaty hikers in remote locations where laundry and disinfection are limited, does not sound like my cup of tea.
Food
| Bring it All | Middle of the Road | Full Board |
|---|---|---|
| Pack breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Think dehydrated meals, trail mix, and bars. | Order a packed lunch at each refugio. You pick it up before hiking. It usually includes a sandwich, fruit, and several snacks. Vegetarian options are common. | Eat breakfast and dinner at the refugio and add the packed lunch. This is the easiest and least time consuming option. |
| Pros: you have full control over your food choices. Perfect for those with dietary needs. | Pros: incredibly convenient. You are only worrying about daily breakfast and dinner. The packed lunches can be robust. | Pros: you don’t have to trek your food with you, cook or clean up after a long day of hiking. Also you have access to the indoor spaces at the refugios. |
| Cons: not every refugio has on demand hot water thus you will need propane and a light weight camp stove. You must pack it all in and carry it throughout the trek. Plus cooking/cleanup daily. | Cons: this option is expensive for what it is and the quality differs from refugio to refugio. May not meet specific dietary needs (ie: vegetarian, vegan). | Cons: can be quite expensive. May not meet specific dietary needs (ie: vegetarian, vegan). |
Bookings You Will Need
- Refugios and camps. Once you pick your direction and comfort level, book each night. I highly recommend booking through Torres Hike , which bundles all refugio and meal bookings and keeps your paperwork organized.
- Admission to Torres del Paine National Park is mandatory. Buses stop at the administration building so staff can verify your entry. .
- Buses. Popular options include Bus Sur and aggregators like Bus bud. Buy your tickets early during peak months.
Packing List
Similar to all the guides/plans/recommendations on ways to complete the trek, you will also find a million packing lists all over the internet. Here are my straight to the point essentials. Packing is a bit of “choose your own adventure”, just remember everything you bring you have to carry. I have linked the exact things I brought with me! We had wind, rain, freezing temperatures, sun, sunburns (eek!) and everything in between. Through all that, my gear was never an issue. If you want a full break down on what went well packing and what I would change, check out my post here.
Clothing
- Rain Pants
- Rain Coat
- Fleece layer
- Warmer Coat/Puffer layer (optional). Bonus points if its packable.
- Undergarments (underwear, sports bras etc.)
- Pajamas: your choice. I bought Chill Angel‘s joggers which are temperature balancing pants. Check out their website to see all the amazing work they do for women and those with cancer!
- Socks for each day of the trek, including a fresh pair for sleeping. This will total 6 pairs of socks.
- Shoes: hiking boots are NOT necessary ! A simple waterproof hiking shoe/trail runner will work perfectly. I LOVED these Hoka’s. I am notorious for foot blisters, and I had absolutely zero problems with these shoes for the entire trek.
- Camp Shoes: flip flops, sandals, I brought crocs for walking around camp and giving my feet some breathing time out of the hiking shoes.
- Tops: such as this Lulu Lemon or a classic Merino Wool. Bring 2-5, with at least one short sleeved and one long sleeved. This depends on how much you want to rewear.
- Bottoms: hiking pants/shorts, leggings etc. 2-4. I recommend at least 1 pant and 1 short. This depends on how much you want to rewear. A third bottom would be very nice if one pair of bottoms is wet from hiking the day before.
Ready to Explore? Book Here ↓
Accessories
- Baseball cap : I recommend a custom one by Magnolia Made to commemorate your trek!
- Sunglasses
- Beanie
- Wallet and cash
- Toiletries: your call ! Showers are available at every refugio. So feel free to bring shampoo, conditioner, body wash, bar soap, whatever you’re willing to carry.
- Any medicines, glasses, contact lenses, hearing aids or personal items.
- Electronics and solar charger. I brought: phone, apple watch, headphones and my kindle for evenings.
Gear
- Backpacking backpack: find an REI and get fit for a backpack, it’s an invaluable experience. Must have a backpack rain fly, bonus points if the backpack turns into a day pack. I used the Osprey Ariel 55 L size small and it worked well for my petite 5’1 frame!
- Backpack Travel Pack : a bag for a bag yes, but keeps your backpacking straps, clips, handles etc. safe while traveling.
- Quick dry towel
- Head Lamp
- Water bottle and/or camelbak/hydration bladder
- If bringing your own gear/food
- Backpacking tent
- Camping pillow
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping pad
- Backpacking stove, pot, utensil
- Coffee/hot water/hot drink mug
My Path
We booked later than ideal and could not find enough refugio beds for a group of five on every night. Thus, we chose to carry our own camping gear so we would be covered at all stops. Additionally, there was mixed reviews at the time about refugio meals, so we also packed our own food.
Our group hiked west to east. Starting at Grey Glacier and finishing with a sunrise at Las Torres, which was unforgettable. The towers hike felt brutal to me and the sunrise was both freezing (I had every layer on) and spectacular. As I was jogging down to Central and Norte mid morning, I was very happy not to be making that intense climb (central to the towers in one day, woof!). The one tradeoff is that I would have liked to see the towers under blue skies during the day instead of just at sunrise.
You: “why didn’t you just stick around for the sun to finish rising and see the towers in the daylight?”
That would have been ideal ! However, with this being the last day of our trek, we had a bus at 3pm that we had to make, plus a rental car pick up and drive to our accommodations just outside of town for the night. So that meant we had to hike down about 9 miles in total, plus packing up our gear and making sure we made it to the bus on time.
Overall, our choices worked. With hindsight, I might pay for a few more conveniences. Check out my post on what I would have done differently if I were to hike the W Trek again.
The Bottom Line
• Do not stress. Every mile of the W Trek is gorgeous. You will have an amazing time no matter which direction you hike or which refugio you choose.
• Train a little. The internet sometimes calls the W easy. While the trail is accessible, the elevation changes are real and “Patagonia flat” often means rolling climbs that add up. Try to get in some solid weight lifting and cardio before you go, just in case.
• Bag storage. The Puerto Natales bus station offers luggage storage. We combined suitcases into our backpack bags and stored three large bags for about $120 total for five days. It was simple to pick everything up on the way back as the bus from Torres del Paine arrived at the Puerto Natales bus station.
• Bus sanity. Leaving Puerto Natales is orderly and easy. Leaving the park can feel chaotic. Get in line early, show the driver your ticket, and make sure your bag is loaded. Some travelers will try to board buses they are not ticketed for because they are there and ready. Be patient and firm.
• That little white card. On arrival in Chile you receive a small PDI slip at immigration. Keep it with your passport. You may be asked for it at refugios, car rentals, or border checks. I threw mine in the garbage (no one said it was important!) in Puerto Natales. Fortunately, nothing dramatic happened and I was only asked for it at Grey Glacier, but the official guidance mentions a hefty fine. Better to keep it safe.
Have the best time. The effort you put into planning and hiking pays off with views and memories that do not fade.
