Torres del Paine
W Trek
The classic W in Chilean Patagonia, fully guided: five days to the foot of the granite towers, the French Valley and the Grey Glacier, sleeping in mountain refuges with every meal included.
The classic W in Chilean Patagonia, fully guided: five days to the foot of the granite towers, the French Valley and the Grey Glacier, sleeping in mountain refuges with every meal included.
The W links the park’s three great sights in five days: the granite towers, the hanging glaciers of the French Valley and the ice of the Grey Glacier. A bilingual guide walks with the group the whole way, and the refuges, meals and transfers are all arranged.
Five days from Puerto Natales and back, east to west along the W — tap each day to expand it.
Fly to Santiago de Chile and take a domestic flight to Punta Arenas (about 3.5 hours), then the bus to Puerto Natales (about 3 hours). In season there are also direct flights from Santiago to Puerto Natales. The briefing with your guide is in the afternoon of day 1, so most people arrive the day before and rest. We help you find the best flight connections and a hotel in Puerto Natales, which you then book directly.
Afternoon briefing with the guide in Puerto Natales, then a private transfer into the park (about 2 hours). Welcome drink and dinner at the refuge. Night: Central sector refuge.
Up the Ascencio Valley to the Paso de los Vientos and past the Chileno sector, through native lenga forest, then the final rocky climb to the lagoon at the foot of the towers. Hot drinks at Chileno on the way down. Night: Central sector refuge.
Along the shore of Lake Nordenskjöld beneath Monte Almirante Nieto and its hanging glaciers, across the Arriero River and on to Cuernos and the Francés sector. Night: Francés sector refuge.
Past Italiano and a waterfall into the French Valley: first the Francés viewpoint, facing the glacier and the Cuernos, then the Mirador Británico, the high point of the valley, surrounded by granite walls. Night: Francés sector refuge.
Walk to Paine Grande and on to the first Grey Glacier viewpoint, looking out over the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. Catamaran across Lake Pehoé, farewell dinner at Central and private transfer back to Puerto Natales in the evening (leaving the park around 21:30).
Our departure is in March, autumn in Patagonia. Expect days of around 10–15 °C and nights close to freezing, with strong wind and rain possible at any time: the weather can change several times in a day. You sleep in refuges with a sleeping bag provided, so there’s no tent or sleeping bag to carry. Unless you add a porter, you carry your own pack from refuge to refuge, so keep it under 10 kg.
Questions about your gear? Message us on WhatsApp.
An outstanding experience with Thin Air Trips! Isa and the team brought so much care, enthusiasm and professionalism to the whole adventure. Their thoughtful planning, clear communication and attention to detail made everything feel smooth and well organised, allowing me to relax and enjoy the experience.
What stood out most was the personal approach. Isa was approachable, helpful and always happy to answer questions. You could really feel her passion for the mountains and her commitment to making the trip special.
A fantastic team that I would happily recommend to anyone looking for a memorable trekking or mountain adventure. Thank you, Isa and Thin Air Trips—I would love to join you again!
I’ve now travelled with Thin Air Trips twice — to Torres del Paine and Kyrgyzstan — and both trips were absolutely incredible. Two very different destinations, but equally unforgettable adventures!
One of the best things about travelling with them is that they take care of everything. From planning the itinerary to organising accommodation, transport and all the logistics along the way, they make the whole experience feel easy. There’s so much that goes into organising trips like these, and having it all managed means you can relax, enjoy the adventure and focus on the places you’ve come to explore.
Torres del Paine was spectacular, and Kyrgyzstan was another amazing experience, with breathtaking mountains and landscapes that will stay with me for a long time. Both trips gave me so many special moments and memories that I’ll always treasure.
For me, the real value of Thin Air Trips is being able to experience these extraordinary destinations without the stress of coordinating everything myself. You get all the excitement of an adventure, with the reassurance that the details are taken care of.
The fact that I booked a second trip after my first probably says it all! I would happily travel with them again and highly recommend them to anyone looking for a well-organised, memorable adventure. An easy five stars!
Fuimos con ellos al Ararat y todo perfecto, organización de 10, muy buena comunicación antes y durante el viaje, y muy buenos guías. Repetiremos!
I had a fantastic experience travelling to Russia to summit Mt Elbrus. Isa has been really communicative and helpful. I had a lot of hestitations about travelling to the region, but all went smooth and the entire trip was amazing. The team on ground were also just as professional and helpful, really helping to take off the logitical pressure and allowing me to focus on the summit.
Espectacular!!la ruta , la organización , la gente…repetiré sin duda!
Viaje top y equipo mejor aún!
Five guided days along the W from Puerto Natales, with refuges, all meals, park entry, catamaran and transfers included. There is also a camping option, and more dates available from November to April: just ask us. We also organise the full O Circuit self-guided, on request.
Bring a friend: $100 credit each towards your next trip
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Keep reading
It is a demanding but non-technical trek: five days in a row, with two long days of 8 to 12 hours (Base Torres and the French Valley). You need good fitness and to be used to walking several days in a row; no climbing skills are needed.
From $2,990 per person, sleeping in refuges. That includes the bilingual guide, 4 nights in refuges, all meals, park entry, the Lake Pehoé catamaran and private transfers from Puerto Natales. Flights, hotels in Puerto Natales and travel insurance are extra.
Save your spot for free with the button on this page — you don’t pay anything yet. Once the departure is confirmed, you secure your place with a non-refundable 20% deposit. When the balance is due depends on each trip, and we send you the exact conditions together with the itinerary. You can pay in euros, dirhams or US dollars, depending on the destination.
In mountain refuges inside the park, in shared rooms of 6 to 8 beds, with sleeping bag included. All meals are included too. There is also a camping option; ask us.
Yes. There are more dates available from November to April. Ask us and we’ll find the one that suits you.
Fly to Santiago, then take a domestic flight to Punta Arenas and the bus to Puerto Natales (about 3 hours), or fly direct to Puerto Natales when there are seasonal flights. The briefing is in Puerto Natales in the afternoon of day 1, so most people arrive the day before.
March is autumn in Patagonia: the colours change, there are fewer people on the trail and the days are getting shorter and cooler. The weather changes fast at any time of year, with strong wind and rain possible, so good waterproof layers are essential.
Yes. If someone books a trip on your recommendation, you each get $100 credit towards your next trip with Thin Air ($50 if the trip they book costs under $1,500). The credit isn’t taken off the trip being booked now: it’s used on the following one. They just need to mention your name when booking.
Torres del Paine W Trek · 11–15 Mar 2027