W Trek hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The W Trek is the classic multi-day walk of Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia. Its name comes from its shape: three valleys walked in and out from a lakeside path below the Paine massif. You visit the granite towers of the Torres del Paine, the Valle Francés between the Cuernos and Paine Grande, and the Grey Glacier, with turquoise lakes below you most of the way. Most hikers take 4 nights and 5 days. You sleep in mountain refugios (bunk dorms with meals) or at paid campsites, and you must book every night before you arrive.

The route

This guide follows the usual east-to-west direction. It starts at the Central sector next to the Las Torres Welcome Center and climbs the Ascencio valley past the windy Paso de los Vientos to Chileno, a campsite in the forest below the towers. From Chileno a shortcut drops to the shore of Lago Nordenskjöld and follows it west to Los Cuernos and the Francés sector. The next day passes Italiano, at the mouth of the Valle Francés, and crosses open country between small lakes to Paine Grande on Lago Pehoé. The last stage climbs past Laguna Los Patos to the lookouts over Lago Grey and ends at Refugio Grey, beside the glacier.

The guide splits the main line into 4 stages of about 10.0 km each, about 40 km in total. The two side valleys are out-and-back walks and are not part of that line:

• Base Torres lookout: from Chileno about 4 km and 450 m up each way, the last hour on a steep boulder moraine; 3.5 to 4.5 hours return. Most hikers go up for sunrise on the morning of stage 2.
• Valle Francés: from Italiano 2 km up to Mirador Francés, below the hanging glacier, and about 5.5 km to Mirador Británico, with views all round. Allow 4 to 5 hours return to Británico; leave your big pack at the Italiano ranger station.
• Grey Glacier lookouts: short walks beyond Refugio Grey to the suspension bridges and the ice front.

With the side trips your total is 70 to 80 km, which is the figure most guides quote.

When to go

The season runs from October to April. December to February is the busiest time, with up to 17 hours of daylight; it is also the windiest, and gusts over 100 km/h are normal on the open stretches near Paine Grande and Grey. October, November, March and April are quieter and colder, with snow possible on the high parts. Las Torres opens most of its sites from mid-September or October to late April, and Cuernos from about November to March. In winter 2026 the W was closed in June and July, and from late April to 15 September only guided groups with microspikes were allowed; from 16 September 2026 independent hiking is open again. Weather changes in minutes in every month: in November 2025 a storm with snow and gusts of 190 km/h killed five hikers on the O circuit.

How hard is it?

The W is a moderate trek on clear, busy paths with no technical sections. The daily stages are short, but the side trips make the real days long: 6 to 9 hours on the Base Torres and Valle Francés days. The climbs to Base Torres and Mirador Británico are steep and rocky, and wind is the main hazard: it can knock you over on exposed ridges. Times in this guide allow for a full pack and wind but not for the side trips. If you sleep in refugios and buy meals, your pack can be light; campers carry 12 to 15 kg.

Permits and booking

• Park ticket: buy it online at pasesparques.cl at least 24 hours before you arrive. In 2026 a multi-day pass costs CLP 48,500 for foreign adults.
• Every night must be booked: rangers check your bookings at the gate and at the sites, and you cannot enter the mountain area without them. Free wild camping does not exist on the W, and the CONAF campsites (Torres, Italiano) were closed in 2025–26.
• Two operators: Las Torres (lastorres.com, formerly Fantástico Sur) runs Central, Chileno, Los Cuernos and Francés; Vértice (vertice.travel) runs Paine Grande and Grey. Book them separately and as early as possible: popular December to February dates sell out months ahead.
• In 2026–27 a dorm bed costs from about USD 200–230 at Las Torres and from about USD 46–114 at Vértice; campsites from about USD 11 (Vértice) to USD 50 (Las Torres) per person. Meals are extra at both.
• Trail closing times are enforced. In 2025–26 the last entry towards Grey from Paine Grande was 15:30, and to Mirador Británico 14:00.

Getting there and away

Fly to Punta Arenas (PUQ) and take the bus north to Puerto Natales (about 3 hours), or fly direct to Puerto Natales in the summer season. From Puerto Natales, buses (Bus Sur, Buses Gómez, JB and others) run every morning to the Laguna Amarga park gate (about 2 hours), where you show your ticket. A shuttle bus continues to the Las Torres Welcome Center (CLP 4,500 or USD 6 each way in 2025–26, cash only). The same buses go on to Pudeto, the catamaran dock on Lago Pehoé.

To finish, either take the Grey III boat from Refugio Grey across Lago Grey to Hotel Lago Grey and a transfer or bus from there, or walk back 11 km from Grey to Paine Grande and take the catamaran to Pudeto (about 30 minutes, weather permitting) for the afternoon bus to Puerto Natales. You can also walk the W west to east by starting with the catamaran to Paine Grande.

Money and phone signal

Chile uses the peso (CLP). Foreign visitors pay refugio and campsite prices in US dollars. Bring cash pesos for the shuttle and small purchases; refugios and minimarkets usually take cards. The last ATMs are in Puerto Natales. There is no mobile signal on the trails; refugios sell paid wifi.

What to pack

• Waterproof jacket and trousers, warm layers, hat and gloves, even in January
• Sturdy boots and trekking poles; microspikes in October, April and early spring
• Sunglasses and strong sun cream: the UV is high and the wind dries your skin
• Sleeping bag if you book a simple bed or camp; a gas stove only for the marked cooking shelters (stoves are banned at Chileno)
• Optional water filter: CONAF says stream water is safe if collected upstream of trails and camps
• Bags to carry out all your rubbish, and sealed food bags against mice

Safety

Call 133 (Carabineros) or 131 (ambulance) if you have signal; otherwise go to the nearest ranger station, refugio or campsite, where staff have radios. The nearest hospital is in Puerto Natales. Do not walk after dark, do not leave the marked trails, and do not cross rivers above knee depth. Pumas live in the park: stay together and never run. Register at every ranger station, respect the closing times, and turn back if the wind becomes dangerous on exposed ground.