W Trek Patagonia: The Four Stages From the Towers to Grey

The W Trek in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park climbs into three valleys on the south side of the Paine massif. You walk through lenga beech forest to a lake below three granite towers, into the French Valley's ring of rock walls and along Lago Grey, where icebergs break off the Grey glacier.

Most walkers take four or five days over about 65 km, with a refugio bed and a hot dinner at the end of each day. Every one of those nights must be booked before you start, with two different companies, so the planning comes before the packing.

The trail splits into four stages, one a day, from the towers in the east to the Grey glacier in the west.

What Is the W Trek?

The W Trek joins three side valleys of the Paine massif with the path along Lago Nordenskjöld, and on a map the route draws a W. The eastern arm climbs the Ascencio valley to the Base of the Towers, the middle arm the French Valley, and the western arm ends at Lago Grey.

Published lengths run from 60 to 83 km because walkers start in different places. The sections of CONAF, Chile's national park service, add up to about 65 km from Refugio Grey to Hotel Las Torres with both side valleys, and starting at Paine Grande adds 11 km for the walk to Grey and back.

It can be walked in either direction, because buses from Puerto Natales serve both ends, and it is the first entry in our list of the best hikes in Patagonia.

W Trek Stage by Stage

The W Trek splits into four stages, one a day, that follow CONAF's own trail sections from the towers in the east to Lago Grey in the west. If you walk west to east, the same distances and times apply in reverse.

Stage 1: Welcome Center to the Base of the Towers and Back

• Distance: about 19 km return from the Welcome Center at Hotel Las Torres

• Climb: 1,150 m up and down, to a viewpoint at about 870 m

• CONAF time: 4 hours 30 minutes one way

• Sections: Hotel Las Torres to Chileno 5 km, Chileno to Guardería Torres 3 km, then 1.4 km of moraine

• Grade: medium, with the last 1.4 km demanding

• Sleep: Refugio Torre Central or the Chileno camp, both run by Las Torres

The day starts with the 07:00 bus from Puerto Natales to Laguna Amarga and a shuttle over the 7 km to the Welcome Center. The path climbs the Ascencio valley through lenga forest to Chileno, where stoves are banned because of the fire risk. Sleeping at Torre Central lets you climb with a day pack.

Above Guardería Torres the trail crosses a boulder moraine for the last 1.4 km, 1 hour at CONAF's times, to the lake below the towers. CONAF bans walking on its trails without daylight, so a sunrise at the towers would mean breaking the park rules; leave Chileno at first light instead.

Stage 2: Torres Central to Los Cuernos

• Distance: 11.6 km from Hotel Las Torres

• Climb: about 270 m up and 320 m down

• CONAF time: 4 hours 30 minutes

• Sections: one CONAF section, Hotel Las Torres to Refugio Los Cuernos

• Grade: medium

• Sleep: Refugio Los Cuernos, its campsite or its cabins, run by Las Torres

Below Monte Almirante Nieto, the path stays low on the north shore of Lago Nordenskjöld for 11.6 km, and most of it crosses private land of the Estancia Cerro Paine. The open lakeshore gives no shelter from the west wind, so this is the day to keep a shell jacket at the top of the pack.

Refugio Los Cuernos, its campsite and its cabins stand at the foot of the Cuernos, and the cabins are the only private rooms on the W Trek. Walkers who want a shorter Stage 3 sleep at Francés instead, about 3 km further west.

Stage 3: Los Cuernos to Paine Grande via the French Valley

• Distance: about 23 km with Mirador Británico and back

• Climb: 820 m up and 860 m down

• CONAF time: about 11 hours

• Sections: Los Cuernos to Italiano 5 km, Italiano to Británico 5.4 km each way, Italiano to Paine Grande 7.5 km

• Grade: medium, with the climb to Británico demanding

• Sleep: Refugio Paine Grande or its campsite, run by Vertice

This is the longest day on any version of the W Trek, about 23 km. From Guardería Italiano, the ranger post at the valley mouth, the path climbs 5.4 km below the Francés glacier to Mirador Británico, a ring of granite walls at the head of the valley.

Back at Italiano, the last 7.5 km pass Lago Skottsberg to Paine Grande on Lago Pehoé. CONAF's posted times add up to about 11 hours, and with no walking allowed after dark, an early start matters most on this day.

Stage 4: Paine Grande to Grey

• Distance: 11 km one way

• Climb: about 330 m up and 320 m down

• CONAF time: 3 hours 30 minutes

• Sections: one CONAF section, Paine Grande to Refugio Grey

• Grade: medium

• Sleep: Refugio Grey or its campsite, run by Vertice

From Paine Grande the path heads north for 11 km past Laguna Los Patos and climbs above Lago Grey to the first glacier lookout. Beyond it the path follows the lake towards the ice, and icebergs from the glacier often drift below the trail.

Refugio Grey has two ways out. Walk back to Paine Grande for the catamaran to Pudeto, or board the Grey III boat at the beach below the refugio, then walk 30 to 45 minutes along Grey Beach to the bus at Hotel Lago Grey.

Which Direction to Walk: Let Free Refugio Nights Decide

There is no one-way rule on the W Trek, unlike the O Circuit, and CONAF lists its sections in both directions. East to west puts the towers first and ends on the Grey III, while west to east starts on the Pudeto catamaran and saves the towers for last.

In practice the free nights usually decide the direction, because one full refugio can turn a plan round. Los Cuernos had the shortest season of any W Trek refugio last year, from 1 November to 30 March, so check its calendar before the others.

4, 5 or 7 Days: Common W Trek Itineraries

Every W Trek itinerary fits one of three common shapes, and the number of nights you can book in a row decides which one you walk. All three use the same four stages, in a different order or over fewer nights.

How Hard Is the W Trek?

The W Trek needs fitness rather than climbing skill: stages run from 11 to 23 km and nothing on the trail calls for ropes. Refugio nights also mean no tent or stove in your pack, only clothes, water and lunch.

The Two Demanding Climbs

CONAF grades only two sections of the W Trek as demanding. The last 1.4 km to Mirador Base Torres crosses a boulder moraine, and CONAF warns that it can injure leg joints; the 5.4 km from Italiano to Mirador Británico climbs for 3 hours.

Everything else is graded medium: forest and lakeshore paths with short climbs, and boardwalks over the wettest ground.

Descents, Wind and Long Days

Descent tires most legs: the four stages drop about 2,650 m in all, 1,150 m of it on the towers day. Long hours add to it, because Stage 3, from Los Cuernos through the French Valley to Paine Grande, takes about 11 hours at CONAF's times.

Wind adds to the effort. The westerlies are strongest from November to January, and El Calafate, across the border, averages 21.6 strong-wind days in December against 14.2 in March. On open shores and ridges, a turn-back time matters more than speed.

Waymarking and Safety

The path is clear and marked, and CONAF keeps ranger posts, called guarderías, at Torres, Italiano, Paine Grande and Grey. Its rules are strict: no walking on the trails without daylight, and always walk with company, because most fatal accidents in the park have involved people walking alone off the trail.

Mobile signal reaches only Villa Monzino, the park administration, and CONAF warns that help in the mountains can take several hours to arrive. Carry a first-aid kit: CONAF puts ambulance times from outside the park at up to 2 hours.

When to Hike the W Trek

The refugios set the W Trek season, roughly October to April. Las Torres prices its beds from October 2026 to April 2027, but last season Los Cuernos opened only from 1 November to 30 March, so every W Trek refugio was open from November to late March.

Summer brings the longest days and the most wind: about 16½ hours of daylight at the December solstice, and 21.6 strong-wind days in December at El Calafate. March has a third fewer windy days, and Puerto Natales still averages 18.1 °C by day.

Winter is guided or closed. In 2026 CONAF required an accredited guide from 27 April to 15 September and closed the W Trek in June and July. Our guide to the best time to visit Patagonia covers every month.

Know Before You Arrive

Planning the W Trek comes down to beds booked months ahead, an early bus into the park and layers for wind and sleet.

Where to Stay on the W Trek

The W Trek's refugios and camps belong to two companies: Las Torres runs Torre Central, Chileno, Francés and Los Cuernos in the east, and Vertice runs Paine Grande and Grey in the west. Wild camping is not allowed anywhere in the park.

• Torre Central (Las Torres): six-bed mixed dorms with hot showers and a campsite, near the Welcome Center; open 1 October to 25 April last season

• Chileno (Las Torres): rented tents or your own, on ground or platform pitches, with no stoves allowed; 1 October to 25 April last season

• Francés (Las Torres): six-bed dorms and a campsite 2 km from Italiano, the closest beds to the French Valley; 15 September to 27 April last season

• Los Cuernos (Las Torres): dorms, a campsite and cabins with made-up beds on Lago Nordenskjöld; 1 November to 30 March last season

• Paine Grande (Vertice): bunk rooms for 100 guests a night and a campsite by the catamaran pier; check-in from 13:00, dinner booked by 15:00

• Grey (Vertice): 60 guests in unheated bunk rooms, plus a campsite; open all year

Vertice's single bed comes with only a mattress cover and a pillow, so bring a sleeping bag or pay for a made-up bed. Both companies sell full board, and campers cook only in the signed shelters at Central, Francés, Paine Grande and Grey.

How to Book the W Trek

Booking the W Trek means building an unbroken chain of nights before you reach the park. CONAF lets overnight walkers into the mountain area only with a reservation for every night, in a refugio or a campsite; day walkers going to the towers and back are exempt.

Pick a direction, then match the two calendars night by night: Las Torres for Central, Chileno, Francés and Los Cuernos, and Vertice for Paine Grande and Grey. Both companies have their 2026-27 rates and beds on sale.

Read Las Torres' 2026-27 terms before paying: stays booked alone are paid in full, and it keeps 20% of the price if you cancel 89 to 70 days out, 50% from 69 to 45 days and all of it from 44 days. No dates can be changed once you have paid, even for a bad forecast.

Last, buy the park ticket on Pases Parques at least 24 hours before you enter and save its QR code offline. Rangers check it at Laguna Amarga, where the bus stops first, and the gate opens from 07:00 to 21:00 between October and April.

How Much Does the W Trek Cost?

The biggest W Trek cost is the beds, because both refugio companies charge foreign visitors in US dollars while tickets and buses are priced in Chilean pesos.

The dollar rates need your passport and the tourist card (PDI slip) you get at immigration, or 19% VAT is added. Four refugio nights east to west with full board, at Central, Los Cuernos, Paine Grande and Grey, come to about USD 1,070 before the ticket, buses and boat.

Getting to the Trailheads

Reaching the W Trek takes a flight, a long bus ride and an early start. Most walkers fly to Punta Arenas and take Bus-Sur to Puerto Natales, about 3 hours 15 minutes. Runway works limit Puerto Natales' own airport to Friday to Sunday in January 2027 and to weekends in February and March.

From Puerto Natales, the 07:00 park bus reaches Laguna Amarga at 09:00 for the eastern start, where a shuttle, paid in cash, covers the 7 km to the Welcome Center. It reaches Pudeto at 10:00, in time for the 10:30 catamaran to Paine Grande.

Buses back to Puerto Natales leave Laguna Amarga at 11:00, 15:00 and 20:00, Pudeto at 10:30, 14:30 and 19:30, and Hotel Lago Grey at 13:30 and 17:15. From the Grey III landing, the walk to the hotel takes 30 to 45 minutes.

What to Pack for the W Trek

Torres del Paine's weather can bring sun, sleet and gales in one afternoon, so pack layers you can add and remove quickly. Refugio nights keep the load to a 25 to 45 litre pack.

For any multi-day trek:

• Waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm mid-layer and a down jacket

• Warm hat and gloves, even in summer

• Sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen for long days on open ground

• Walking boots you have worn in, with grip on wet rock

• Head torch and a small first-aid kit, plus a power bank

For the W Trek:

• Trekking poles for the moraine below the towers and 2,650 m of descent

• Microcrampons in spring and autumn, because CONAF can turn walkers back at Base Torres without them

• A sleeping bag or liner, since Vertice's single beds come with only a mattress cover and pillow

• A padlock for the lockers in Vertice's rooms

• Cash in pesos for the Laguna Amarga shuttle

• Your passport and PDI slip, which the refugios' dollar rates need

W Trek or O Circuit?

The O Circuit is the W Trek plus the remote back side of the Paine massif, walked as one loop with stricter rules.

On its back side the O adds Serón, Lago Dickson, the Los Perros glacier and John Gardner Pass, with no road access. Since it reopened after the storm that killed five hikers near the pass in November 2025, it has run one way only, and it has been closed since May 2026.

Choose the W Trek for a first multi-day trek, a one-week holiday or a trip early or late in the season. Our O Circuit guide covers each camp and the pass day.

Book the Refugio Chain Yourself, or Let Us?

For most walkers the hardest part of the W Trek is the booking. Four or five nights must line up across Las Torres and Vertice, and Las Torres takes full payment with no date changes and no refund from 44 days out.

If you book it yourself, reserve the Los Cuernos night first: it had the shortest season last year, 1 November to 30 March, and sits in the middle of the chain. Then fit Paine Grande and Grey around it on Vertice's calendar, and Central or Francés on the Las Torres one.

Our self-guided Patagonia W Trek Tour books that chain for you:

• Duration: 7 days / 6 nights, Puerto Natales round trip

• Walking: four days of 11 to 24 km, to the towers, Los Cuernos, the French Valley and Grey

• Nights: Refugio Torre Central, Refugio Los Cuernos, Refugio Paine Grande and Camp Grey, plus two hotel nights in Puerto Natales

• Included: the park entrance fee, transport, the one-way boat on Lago Grey, four dinners, a GPS app and a digital guidebook

We book the beds, the ticket, the buses and the boat, and you have support while you walk. Ask us about dates for next season.

The last stage ends at Lago Grey, where icebergs from the Grey glacier drift past the beach below the refugio. The next morning the boat picks walkers up from that beach for the trip back towards Puerto Natales.