Untouched Torres Del Paine
An epic trekking adventure in this famous park, accessing off-the-beaten track spots few others do.
9 days of Patagonian adventure in one of the world’s most spectacular National Parks. Tick off the must-do ‘W’ trek, jump in a boat to navigate up close to the walls of Glacier Grey, and spend a few days exploring parts of the park few others do. Want more? Combine this with our Fitz Roy and Perito Moreno Glacier trip for the ultimate trekking fortnight.
Your hassle-free adventure includes
- 7 days of hiking in Torres Del Paine
- 6 nights camping in the national park (tent + sleeping mat included)
- 2 nights B&B in Puerto Natales
- Boat cruise to Glacier Grey
- Expert local guide and porters
- All meals while hiking
- Transfers to/from Puerto Natales and shuttles within the park
- Entrance fees to park
Perfect for
This trip is an unforgettable adventure for keen hikers and trekkers in good condition and with some previous experience. While the trekking is not technically difficult, you are out in the wild for 7 days and covering good distances each day with some steep and/or uneven sections.
Need To Know
While the trekking is not technically difficult, you are out in the wild for 7 days and covering good distances each day with some steep and/or uneven sections. This trip is perfect for hikers and trekkers in good condition and with some previous experience.
The highest ascent is in trekking to the famous Towers, climbing from the starting point at ~100m to ~900m above sea level over the course of 4 hours.
The food varies along the trek. Your chef will serve up surprisingly lavish meals at the wilderness camps, and in the managed camps you may find a few extra delicacies thrown in. As a rough idea, you can expect;
Breakfast: Corn Tortilla, Granola, Tea, Coffee, Chocolate Milk, Bacon, Butter, Jam. Eggs, yogurt and bread at some camps.
Box Lunch: Chocolate, Dried Fruit and Nuts, Cereal Bar, Fruit, Sandwich.
Dinner: Cream of Courgette Soup/Cocktail, Beef Chop Suey with Rice/Legumes with Smoked Meat (or vegetarian alternative), Brownie with Chocolate Sauce/ Fruit with cream.
All dietary requirements including vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and allergies can be catered to happily - please make this known on booking.
The following are not included in the trip price:
- Flights
- Travel to/from Puerto Natales
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner on Day 1
- Dinner on day 8
- Drinks during lunch and dinner
- Personal trekking gear inc sleeping bag (see kit list)
- Travel Insurance
- Tips for your guides (optional)
This trip will run with a minimum of 2 people, and a maximum of 8. The guest to guide ratio will be 1 guide to 8 people max, with 1 porter per 2 people for carrying camping equipment, food etc (you will need to carry your personal items as per the kit list).
Sure can! A lot of people do, and it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
You will be carrying your own kit, so keep that in mind. Your host recommends to pack:
Upper body:
- Windproof and waterproof jacket, such as Gore Tex or similar
- Fleece or pile coat
- Quick-dry long sleeve t-shirt
- Quick-dry short sleeve t-shirt
- Winter hat
- Light gloves
Lower body:
- Quick-dry hiking socks
- Quick-dry, light weight long underwear bottoms
- Quick-dry/breathable windproof pants
- Waterproof rain pants
- Quick-dry/breathable shorts
- Light trekking boots (broken in)
Other necessary items:
- Pyjamas/something to sleep in
- Sleeping bag* (-5°C for November – March trips; -15°C for April – October trips)
- Toiletries
- Water bottle (1.000cc)
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Chapstick w/ sunscreen
- Sports watch
- Insect repellent
- Trekking poles
- Backpack (big enough for all your personal things, you will be carrying it)
- Shower shoes/flip flops
- Earplugs
- Head lamp and/or flashlight
- Camera
You can leave items you don’t need on the trek at your local guides office before you set off.
*Sleeping bags can be hired locally if needed.
Tents and sleeping mats are provided, and your porters will pitch camps ready for your arrival. Please check the kit list for a full packing list. Sleeping bags can be hired locally if needed.
Absolutely, most accommodation offer storage services but, if not, you’re hosts are more than happy to store things for you in the office in Puerto Natales.
We’ve teamed up with the guys at World Nomads to offer insurance designed for adventurous travellers across 140 countries that includes overseas medical, evacuation, baggage and a range of adventure sports and activities. To get yours sorted, click here.
Tipping is of course optional, but very common in Chile and Argentina, in restaurants as much as with guides and porters on your trek. As a rough guideline, you host recommends each person on the tour leaves 5 to 10 USD per day per staff member (porter or guide) as a tip. However, this can vary depending on the number of days you spend with the person and how you feel about their job. A tip is a great way to show your appreciation of their efforts.
Got a question not covered here? Contact the host.
Location
Torres Del Paine is undoubtedly one of the gems of wild, magical Patagonia. In fact, to come all this way and not spend a significant chunk of time here would be foolish. The most famous landmark is of course the three soaring granite peaks of the Paine massif. It’s not a one trick pony though. This wonderful national park serves up a spell-binding array of mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers and forest, with views evolving and changing with every step. The glaciers, including Grey, Pingo and Tyndall, spill out into impressive lakes and wind their way up pre-historic valleys to join the Southern Patagonia Ice Field. Wild nature in all it’s glory.
Start point
Puerto Natales, 18:00
Get to Puerto Natales any time and check in to your accommodation. Meet your guide and the rest of the group at the local hosts office in central Puerto Natales at 18:00. You will be sent the address of both your accommodation and the guides office as part of your pre-trip info pack.
The best options to get Puerto Natales depending on your other plans are either flights from Santiago to Punta Arenas, from where there are convenient buses running regularly from the airport (3hrs), or flights from Buenos Aires to El Calafate from where two buses a day run to Puerto Natales (5-6hrs with border crossing). Your host can arrange transport as an optional extra, enquire when booking.
Finish point
Your accommodation in Puerto Natales
You will be dropped at your accommodation in Puerto Natales after the final days hiking. Breakfast is included, so checkout when you like the following morning and continue with your adventure, wherever it takes you next!
What to Expect
Day 1: Get to Puerto Natales
Arrive in Puerto Natales in your own time, and settle into your accommodation before heading to your local guides office at 6pm to meet your guide and the rest of the group. Afterwards, we can head out for dinner together to get to know each other, then get some rest before the adventure truly starts.
Day 2: Enjoy a Bird’s Eye View of the Torres del Paine Massif
We’ll set out this morning with our guide to drive to the park. After a couple of hours drive and checking-in at “Guarderia Grey”, we’ll hike up to Mirador Ferrier for beautiful views of the Torres del Paine massif (2 hours up). Back at Guarderia Grey, it’s a half hour hike up to nearby Pingo Camp at the entrance of the Pingo Valley – our home for the night.
4-5 hours hiking
Day 3: Hike into Pingo Valley
After a delicious camp-side breakfast we’ll begin a hike that leads us through this solitary, remote valley. During the hike you will be able to enjoy a spectacular view of the Torres del Paine massif. If you are lucky you can see one of the rare, endangered South Andean deer known as Huemul or the mysterious feral cows known as Baguales! The hike to our next camp, Camp Zapata, is approximately 4 hours, 11km. After a late afternoon break we will explore more of the Zapata valley before returning to camp for dinner and a good night’s rest.
4-5 hours hiking / 11km
Day 4: Cruise to Glacier Grey
After breakfast, we will leave our backpacks at camp and begin exploring the valley! There was a prehistoric marine animal found in the valley (similar to a dolphin) and if you look closely you might find some of the fossil remains of the animal! In the early afternoon, we will return to Camp Pingo and continue towards Hotel Lago Grey.
Next we’ll jump on a boat cruise up Lago Grey, taking in the grey waters dotted with brilliant blue icebergs. The boat will navigate alongside the glacier, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the impressive wall, before leaving us near Refugio & Camping Grey, where we will spend the night.
4 hours hiking, boat cruise
Day 5: Hike to Lake Pehoe
After breakfast, if you’d like, you can continue past the camp with a day pack for a spectacular view of the glacier and a chance to cross one of the parks famous suspension bridges. Upon return to Camp Grey, collect your belongings and we’ll begin our hike back towards Paine Grande, where we’ll camp along the shore of Lake Pehoe.
4 hours hiking / 11 Km
Day 6: Hike Behind the Cuernos
Get a good breakfast in, today is a longer day. We’ll head towards Bader Valley, located between Almirante Nieto and the famous Cuernos. Along the way we will border Almirante Nieto and pass by Lake Nordenskjold. There will be a few rivers we’ll need to hop over the rocks to cross. As you hike you will catch glimpses of glaciers and the mountaintops hovering over you.
Finally we’ll see the monstrous peaks of the Cuernos. We’ll enter the remote Bader Valley and continue to the campsite, before taking time to explore deeper into the valley. Tonight you will spend the night just behind the Cuernos.
7.5 hour hiking / 18 km
Day 7: Explore Bader Valley
Today after breakfast we’ll have another opportunity to explore Bader Valley and enjoy the remoteness of this amazing place. When we’re ready, we’ll descend the valley and back to the marked trail. We’ll follow the shore of Lago Nordenskjold, hiking past Almirante Nieto and finally reaching Camping Central, where we’ll spend the night.
5.5 hours hiking / 11 km
Day 8: Visit the Famous Towers!
Todays the big day! We’ll hike to the iconic towers of the park – Las Torres! After breakfast, we’ll hike up Almirante Nieto, a mountain with incredible views of Lake Nordenskjold and the Asencio Valley. After two hours of hiking steadily upward we’ll arrive to Refugio & Camping Chileno to enjoy a good lunch before continuing onto the Las Torres lookout. We’ll walk for one hour through a dense Lenga forest before approach the moraine and climbing until we see Las Torres — imposing granite peaks rising 9,000 feet into the air. Take many photos and breathe it in.
It all has to come to an end though. We’ll hiking down the Asencio Valley to Camping Torre Central to be collected by our driver and taken back to Puerto Natales, where we will say good-bye to our guide.
8 hours hiking / 18 km
Day 9: Say goodbye
Check out after breakfast and head off to your next adventure! Your local host can help arrange your onward travel if needed.
Accommodation
In Puerto Natales, accommodation will be in comfortable B&B’s or boutique hostels such as Amerindia, Treehouse Patagonia or Aquaterra lodge. Prices are based on room sharing with others of the same sex. Private rooms are available as an extra, and hotel upgrades are also available - enquire when booking.
Out in the National Park you’ll be camping. Tents and sleeping mats are provided, and your porters will pitch camps ready for your arrival. The camp facilities depend on the section of the park. On the Pingo/Zapata side and in Bader Valley it is true wilderness camping - off trail and without facilities. All other sites on the main ‘W’ stretch have toilets and showers.
Tent sleeping arrangements will be decided during the pre-trip meeting before you set off - you can decide who you want to share with, and if you prefer your own tent, that’s fine.
Dates & Prices
Prices include
Accommodation · Equipment · Financial Protection · Guide · Happiness Guarantee · Local Transport · Meals As Described · No Single Supplements · Happiness Guaranteed · 100% Financial Protection · No Single Supplements
Please note: Flights are NOT included and must be purchased separately.
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Optional Extras
Make your life easy. Once you have reserved your space, your host can help you arrange the extras you’ll need. Here are some guide prices which can be confirmed with you during booking.
| Hotel upgrades | Payable Before Departure |
|---|---|
| Luxury hotel | · · · Per Person, Per Night |
| Boutique hotel | · · · Per Person, Per Night |
| Extra adventures | Payable Before Departure |
|---|---|
| Kayak trip on Lago Grey | · · · Per Person |
| Ice hike on Glacier Grey | · · · Per Person |
| Private room | Payable Before Departure |
|---|---|
| Sole occupancy of rooms | · · · Per Person |
| Bus travel | Payable Before Departure |
|---|---|
| El Calafate to/from Puerto Natales one way | · · · Per Person |
| Punta Arenas to/from Puerto Natales one way | · · · Per Person |
