The W Trek is the reason most hikers go to Patagonia. Over roughly 75 km and four or five walking days, the trail stitches together the three postcard views of Torres del Paine National Park: the granite Towers of Paine, the hanging glaciers of the French Valley and the blue icebergs of Grey Glacier. There is no technical climbing, but don’t let that fool you — this is a demanding mountain walk where the wind, not the gradient, is the main opponent. The payoff is a string of alpine sights you simply cannot get anywhere else on Earth.
Which direction to walk
You can walk the W in either direction, and both are popular. West to east means starting with a catamaran across Lake Pehoé to Paine Grande, doing Grey Glacier and the French Valley first, and finishing at Base Las Torres — the grand finale. East to west gets the towers done first and finishes with the long walk out along the lake. Many trekkers find west-to-east kinder on the legs, since the first days are relatively gentle and the hardest climb (to the towers) comes last, when your body has adapted. On clear-weather days, experienced walkers say starting from the towers side works best — but clear days are never guaranteed here, so build flexibility into your plan.
The route, day by day
A typical five-day west-to-east plan looks like this: day one, take the catamaran from Pudeto to Paine Grande, hike to Refugio Grey (about 11 km, 4-5 hours) and back to sleep; day two, walk back to Paine Grande and continue into the French Valley, hiking up to Mirador Británico and descending to Camp Frances or Los Cuernos; day three, follow the north shore of Lake Nordenskjöld to Camping Chileno; day four, hike up to Base Las Torres for sunrise or mid-morning, then descend to Hotel Las Torres. The full French Valley side trip is roughly 5-6 hours return from the valley entrance, and many trekkers drop their heavy packs at the ranger station for it. The towers viewpoint is about a 4-hour round trip from Chileno, but starting around 3-4 a.m. puts you there for sunrise — worth it on a clear day.
Bookings: the part you cannot skip
Torres del Paine has no casual camping — every overnight inside the park needs a reservation, including campsites. Refugios and campsites on the W are run by two main operators (Fantástico Sur covers Los Cuernos, Francés, Chileno and Torres Central; Vértice Patagonia covers Paine Grande and Grey), and booking happens through each operator’s site. In high season (December to February) you should book at least 60 days ahead; the most popular dates and refugios sell out four to six months in advance. Showing up without reservations in peak months simply does not work. Keep every confirmation offline on your phone, along with your passport.
Best season and weather
The trekking season runs roughly October to April, with December to February the warmest and busiest months — and also the windiest. Patagonian weather is famously violent and fast-changing: you can get sun, rain, sleet and 100 km/h gusts in a single afternoon. Shoulder months (October-November, March-April) bring fewer crowds and lower prices but colder nights and a higher chance of storms. Always check the forecast in the days before departure, pack a genuinely waterproof shell, and accept that at least one day will probably be miserable — that’s part of the deal here.
Costs
The park entrance ticket for foreigners costs about 48,500 CLP for a 2-to-10-day pass in the 2026/27 season (credit or debit card only; also purchasable online beforehand). Buses from Puerto Natales to the park run about 15,000 CLP one-way, and the Pudeto-Paine Grande catamaran is about 26,000 CLP one-way. Accommodation: campsites cost roughly USD 10-20 per person per night, refugio dorm beds run about USD 60-150 per person per night, and full board at a refugio (breakfast, packed lunch, dinner) can cost around USD 75 per person per day. An independent camping trip with self-cooked food works out to roughly USD 300-350 per person for the full trek; refugio-to-refugio with full board is several times that. Pre-booked five-day self-guided packages currently run around USD 1,100 per person, guided ones over USD 2,000. Bring cash for extras — cards aren’t useful on the trail.
Practical tips
Base yourself in Puerto Natales for a night before and after — buy any missing supplies there, since nothing inside the park is cheap. Layer for wind first and cold second: a hardshell jacket, fleece mid-layer, warm hat and gloves belong in your pack even in January. Pack snacks from town — refugio shops are expensive. Take your time on the French Valley day; rushing the Mirador Británico viewpoint is the classic W-trek regret. And respect the wind: it has blown trekkers off their feet on exposed ridges, so crouch and brace when gusts hit.
Arjun Mehta is the pen name behind Mountains Bliss — practical mountain-travel guides with routes, costs, seasons and safety notes, researched from real trekker discussions and cross-checked before publishing. No sponsored posts, ever.
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