Self-guided trek through the W Circuit, leaving the park by catamaran thorugh Pehoé Lake. Refugios and transport included. Departures every day of the week.
This is a high demand program and its spaces are limited, having dates in which we are running out of spaces with months in advance. Our recommendation is to plan your trip in advance as early as possible.
*The refugios confirmed for every night of your program will depend on the availability they have during the date of your trip. Because of this and/or the catamaran availability, the program could be confirmed with an inverted itinerary (1st night in Grey, 2nd night in Paine Grande, 3rd night in Cuernos and 4th night in Central.)
*Prices subject to change without notice.
*Full board: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, starting with dinner the first day and ending with lunch the last day. Lunch is always packed to go, while breakfast and dinner can be packed or served, which will depend only on the availability of meals in every accommodation (you cannot choose).
*The following itinerary is only referential for new bookings and not necessarily matches with your confirmed program. If you have doubts about your confirmed program, contact us at reservas@denomades.com.
Start: Day 1 at 7:00 am in Puerto Natales Bus Station.
End: Day 5 at 9:30 pm in Puerto Natales Bus Station.
Day 1: Departure from Puerto Natales and Base of Torres del Paine Hike (22 km, 13.7 miles, 8 to 9 hours).
The program starts in the Puerto Natales Bus Station to take the bus to the Portería Laguna Amarga, where you will enter the Torres del Paine National Park. After that, you will be able to take another ground transport to the Welcome Center, where you will have to register. After leaving your things in Refugio Central, you will start walking up for 4 hours, crossing the Ascencio Valley and the Paso de los Vientos until reaching one of the most known places inside the national park: Base of Torres Lookout Point. After visiting the lookout point, you will go back by the same track to spend the night in Refugio Central.
Day 2: Cuernos Trek (11 km, 6.8 miles, 4 to 5 hours).
The hike continues from Refugio Central going around the Paine Massif, going through the base of the Cerro Almirante Nieto. During this way you will see the local flora, the Nordenskjöld lake and the hanging glaciers. After 4 or 5 hours walking, you will reach your next destination, the Cuernos del Paine, where you will be able to take some pictures, if the weather is good enough. When night falls, you will sleep in Refugio Cuernos.
Day 3: Francés Valley Hike (25 km, 15.5 miles, 10 to 12 hours).
During this day, you will have to go over 15.5 miles, so the general recommendations is starting the excursion early. The first two hours are smooth, with views of the Nordenskjöld Lake. The first stop will be in the Italiano Campsite, where you can leave your backpack and continue the route only with the essentials (water, warm clothes and food). From there, you will start going up for 1 hour and half through the Francés River Valley until reaching the Francés Glacier Lookout Point. The rip continues until reaching the Británico Lookout Point, where you will be able to see unique scenarios inside the national park: Paine Grande, Catedral, Aleta de Tiburón and Cuerno Norte. The return is by the same track until Italiano Campsite, and then you will follow the route to Paine Grande for your third night of accommodation in Refugio Paine Grande.
Day 4: Grey Trek + additional activity on the glacier (11 km, 6.8 miles, 4 to 5 hours).
During this day you will be able to visit the Grey Glacier Lookout Points. To reach to the first lookout, you have to walk for 1 and a half hour from Paine Grande, from where you will start to see the final destination. You have to continue walking for almost 2 hours to reach the Refugio Grey, where you can leave your things to keep walking for another 15 minutes until reaching the Main Lookout Point. After this effort, you just have revel with the magnitude of the Grey Glacier, the Cordón Olguín and the small icebergs. After going back to the Refugio Grey, where you will stay the night, you will be able to go to the base to make one of the two optional activities available:
Day 5: Paine Grande Trek and arrival to Puerto Natales (11 km, 6.8 miles, 4 to 5 hours).
In the morning, you will start walking by the same track to the Paine Grande Area, seizing the last views of the Grey Glacier, passing by the Patos Lagoon. While you continue, you will have views of the Pehoé Lake and the Cerro Paine Grande, until reaching the pier where you will have to take the catamaran that crosses the Pehoé Lake to Pudeto. In that last place will be waiting the bus that will take you back to the Puerto Natales Bus Station.
There are no refunds no reschedule in case any of the following situations may prevent making part or the entire program: adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, fires, flooding, road cuts, accidents, strikes, demonstrations, pandemics, epidemics, flight cancellations, lost luggage, accidents of the passenger inside the park, and personal or health problems of the passenger. For passengers that have travel insurance (suggested), due to the impossibility to make part or the entire program because of the reasons described above and whose insurance policy covers the case at hand, we will provide the required documents to be presented to the insurance company.
Yes. In common areas of the accommodations there are sockets, which work until 00:00 am (time in which power is cut off). Because there are just a few sockets, there's not always availability, so our recommendation is bringing a power bank with you.
Yes. All meals can be adapted for vegetarian, vegan or celiac people, considering that all food are prepared in the same kitchen and might be contact with other food. When booking you must specify your food restrictions in the “additional comments” section.
During the whole year, even in summer, weather is ever-changing. In a single day you can have sun, clouds, rain and wind. So, our recommendation is be prepared for all kind of weather.
Yes. All accommodations have hot showers.
Yes. All accommodations have drinking water that comes from the natural springs of the park.
Yes. In every accommodation there is satellite internet (paid with credit card, from CLP$ 10.000 for 1 hour).
In much of the circuit, no. Only in some specific spots in the park (usually at the beginning and end of the circuit), it is possible reaching places for having some signal.
Breakfast include coffee, tea, milk, bread, eggs, cheese, ham, jam, juice and fruit. Box lunch usually is a cold sandwich, cereal bar, chocolate bar, dried fruits and fruit. Finally, dinner includes menu of the day, with first course, second course, dessert and water.
This program is self-guided (without a guide), so you will go on your own walking through the tracks of the park. This way is possible due to all tracks in the park are duly marked and that before starting the program we will send you all the details and a map of the circuit.
This program is high demanded, and its places are limited. That's why our recommendation is booking as far in advance as possible. Availability is subject to changes up-to-the-minute.
In a program with accommodations in refugio you will sleep in a shared room (bunkbeds), with shared bathroom (hot shower), while in a program with accommodations in campsite you will sleep in a double private tent (sleeping bag and sleeping pad included) with shared bathroom (hot shower). Notice that for this second mode the tent will be set up in every accommodation place, that is you won't have to carry, set nor disassemble the tent.
