4.7
Hike Chile’s W Trek, Self-Guided
- Chile
- 4 nights
Explore the wild Patagonian wilderness of Torres del Paine National Park at your own speed
What's Included?
- Small Like-minded GroupsSolo-friendly by design, join our small n’ sociable groups of up to 8 like-minded, active and outdoorsy people
From…excluding flights
Highlights
Experience one of the most famous hiking routes in South America - the legendary W Trek, on this self-guided adventure
Trek to the base of the awe-inspiring granite towers that give the Torres del Paine National Park its name
Visit ancient glaciers and hike through deep valleys dotted with grazing guanacos as condors soar on the thermals high above you
Itinerary
Day 1
The famous Towers
Hiking6.5hrs · 10miMountain hutMixed dormShow Day 1 detailHide detail
Wake up early and board the bus to Torres del Paine National Park, where you'll check in with the park authorities and set off on foot into the wilderness. Hike up Almirante Nieto to get your first taste of Patagonia, including views of Lake Nordenskjold and the Asencio Valley. Continue to Refugio Chileno, your home for tonight, where you can leave your backpack and take a short hike through the dense Lenga forest. Emerge back into the open at a glacial moraine with the granite peaks known as the Torres, or Towers, ahead of you. Stop at the turquoise lagoon at the base of the towers for a rest before returning to Refugio Chileno for a hot meal and a good night’s sleep.
Day 2
Lake Nordenskjold
Hiking4.5hrs · 7miMountain hutMixed dormShow Day 2 detailHide detail
Follow the edge of the Paine Massif, with the milky waters of Lake Nordenskjold to your left and the jagged peaks of Los Cuernos to your right. Cross several rivers on foot, hopping from rock to rock as you wind your way down through the mountains, surrounded by herds of grazing guanacos as they keep a wary eye out for predators. Arrive at Refugio Cuernos, tonight’s destination, set before a dramatic backdrop of rocky peaks.
Day 3
Explore the French Valley
Hiking7hrs · 11miMountain hutMixed dormShow Day 3 detailHide detail
Hike across a lakeside beach and into a deep and sheltered valley. Leave your rucksack at Campamento Italiano and continue into the wild landscape of the French Valley for some epic views of Lake Nordenskjold, Lake Skottsberg, Lake Pehoe and the hanging French Glacier itself. After you’ve had your fill, retrace your steps, collect your rucksack and hike to Refugio Paine Grande, set on the shores of Lake Pehoe where you'll stay tonight.
Day 4
Glacier Grey
Hiking4hrs · 7miMountain hutMixed dormShow Day 4 detailHide detail
Set off into the forest that borders Lake Grey - this section is quite exposed so be sure to wrap up warm against the wind that comes off the Southern Ice Field. After around two hours of hiking, get your first look at the 6km-wide Glacier Grey, one of the most iconic sights in Torres del Paine. Continue on to tonight’s destination, Refugio and Camping Grey, where a hot drink will be waiting. If you’re feeling energetic, hike out for a closer look at the glacier and cross one of the park’s famous suspension bridges, returning in time for dinner. Optional excursions are available from Refugio Grey including kayaking on Lake Grey, or ice hiking on the glacier. Please contact your host in advance if you’d like to include one of these on your trip at an additional cost.
Day 5
The face of the glacier and home
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Enjoy your final views of Torres del Paine, or add an optional excursion, and then head to the lakeshore and board the Grey III, for a trip right up to the face of the glacier. Dock at the far side of the lake and relax with a hot drink in the café at Hotel Lago Grey, before driving back to Puerto Natales, where your Patagonian adventure will come to an end.
Getting There
- Nearest airport
- Pdte. Carlos Ibañez del Campo Airport (PUQ)
- Pick up
- Puerto Natales
18:00 - Drop off
- Puerto Natales
Flexible
What is and isn't Included?
What's included
4 nights dorm accommodation in Refugios within the National Park
4 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners
Local transport to and from Puerto Natales and a boat trip on Lago Grey
Entrance fee to Torres del Paine National Park
What's not included
You know your own spending habits best, so please budget an appropriate amount for things like optional meals and drinks, shopping, optional activities, and laundry.
Optional Extras
Activities
- Ice hike on Glacier Grey
- …/per person
- Kayak trip on Lago Grey
- …/per person
Equipment / Kit Hire
- Sleeping Bag Hire
- …/per person
Transfers
- Public bus El Calafate - Puerto Natales one way. Prices from
- …/per person
- Public bus Punta Arenas - Puerto Natales one way. Prices from
- …/per person
To request any extras, message your host via your Much Better Adventures account once you have booked your trip.
All extras must be paid before your trip starts.
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What to Pack
Know before you go! Some stuff we'll provide, other things you'll need to bring.
FAQs
Can I leave my excess luggage somewhere?
You can leave any items that you don't need at your local guides office before you set off.
What is the up to date travel advice?
For current advice about travelling in Chile, have a read of the UK Foreign Office pages here.
Can I book on my own?
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Who is running the trip?
Our team of Adventure Hunters co-create exclusive adventures which are run by highly vetted, specialist hosts. The trip is run by our trusted host partner in the destination. We only work with independent, local, in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with. You’ll be introduced to the host straight after making a booking via the Much Better Adventures platform.
What is the official travel advice?
Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers review the practical information available on the UK Government’s FCDO website, where you can find up-to-date advice by searching for your destination(s).
If you are based in the United States, you can also check the latest travel advisories from the U.S. Department of State.
For customers joining from other international locations, we recommend checking the official travel advice issued by your country of residence, as guidance may vary.
What vaccinations do I need?
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
How are the trips priced?
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates daily, so prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
Why are your adventures only for adults?
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. You must be over 18 to join one of our trips.
Who else will be on my trip?
You're always in good company on one of our adventures.
Our trips typically consist of a mix of solo travelers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.
Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves, and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.
It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.
Don't just take our word for it:
- 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
- 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
- 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends
See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.
What's the carbon footprint for this trip?
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre program, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 96kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000 miles/1609km would be approximately 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person, if there were two of you in it).
- A return economy class flight between London and New York would be approximately 1619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approximately 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity, ensuring the protection of the reserve and its wildlife.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
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