How to Hike the W Trek in Torres del Paine - Day-by-Day Itinerary (2025)
- Nicoletta Dasara
- May 25
- 14 min read
When it came to planning the W Trek, one of the biggest challenges for me was figuring out the itinerary. How many km's per day are we going to cover? In which campsites are we going to stay? And most of all: Are we going to go East to West, or West to East?!
In this post, I summarized all the information I gathered before and during the trek, detailing the possible itineraries and pros & cons for each. I hope it helps you in your own planning!
The W Trek is a 80-km long hike that most people do in 4 or 5 days. It goes through all major highlights of the Torres del Paine park, such as the famous towers, Frances valley, and glacier Grey.
There are many options to do the hike: You can hike either East to West, or West to East. Or if time or budget are a concern, you can hike portions of it.
We did the full hike East to West, and this is also the route I'd recommend.
By hiking East to West, you will have a more challenging start (hiking up to Base Torres), but you will ease into the trek the following days.
Conversely, by hiking West to East, you will have a more gentle beginning, but as the hike gets more intense you may be feeling tired by the time you hike up to Base Torres on your last day.
Not sure how to book refugios and campsites along the W Trek? Check out my guide here.
And in this article learn everything you need to know to be prepared for the hike: when to go, what to pack, and more pro tips!
Table of contents - What is in this article?
Hiking East to West
Here's how to hike the W Trek from East to West in 5 days.
Day 1: Puerto Natales to Base Torres to Central
Distance covered: 22 km
Hiking time: 8 hours
7:00 AM
Take your bus from Puerto Natales to Laguna Amarga.
Laguna Amarga is the gateway to the park and the starting point of your adventure in Torres del Paine.
9:00 AM
Arrive in Laguna Amarga. Here, you will be asked to show the QR code from your park entrance tickets. Make sure you bought these online in advance, but no worries if you forgot. A couple of people in our group didn't have tickets, and they were able to buy them in Laguna Amarga.
You can buy your entrances here: https://www.pasesparques.cl/en/parks/torres-del-paine
For the W Trek, you will need a 3+ day pass, which costs CLP $46.200.
From here, you'll need to walk down to the shuttle which will take you to the Welcome center. The shuttle costs CLP $4.500, which you need to pay in cash on the spot.
9:30 AM
In about 20 minutes, the shuttle will take you to the Welcome center. This is where you will start your hike!
Pro tip: Make sure to use the toilets as there will not be any until the next refugio! Also, buy your last supplies (snacks, water) if you need to stock up for the day.
The trail starts with an uphill through rocky sections, and finally will take you around the edge of the mountain - you will get fantastic views over the river. At km 6, you will get to the first campsite, Chileno. Here you can stop for a quick break, replenish your water bottle (there are water fountains at every refugio), have a snack (you can buy snacks or even a pizza for CLP $10.000) and drop your heavy backpack before continuing towards the Base Torres viewpoint. The hardest part is yet to come!
Back on the trail, you'll walk on relatively flat section, going through a beautiful forest, until you reach the beginning of the final ascent. This is a very steep section, and you'll gain about 400m in elevation! The terrain is rugged, with loose rocks and boulders, which will require you to scramble through rocks all the way up.
When I did the hike in January, at this point I was pretty tired! I had done the Laguna de los Tres hike in El Chalten one week earlier, which was already pretty challenging, and was hoping this last km here would not be as difficult (if you have done the Laguna de los Tres hike... you know what I'm talking about!). At Chileno, I made friends with some fellow hikers who had already come back down from the Towers, and they said: "It's not as bad as El Chalten!". So, my expectation was this would be easier... but for me, it turned out really challenging! I was out of breath halfway through, and the climb felt like it would never end. On multiple occasions I stopped only so that I could swear haha. In my defense though, while I had left most of my stuff at Chileno, my backpack was still quite heavy - and in hindsight I should have left it all down, that would have made a significant difference.
IMPORTANT! The last section of the trail to Base Torres, closes at 3:00 PM. Therefore make sure you get there before this time or they will not allow you in!
13:30 PM
If you’re an average hiker like me, you should reach Base Torres in 4 hours.
Upon reaching the top, you'll be rewarded with some of the best views you've ever seen! The 3 towers in all their glory, facing the turquoise laguna, is a breathtaking view. Take your time to rest, have a snack or lunch, and soak it all in!
When you're ready to turn back, you'll have to go through the same route that you came from, but this time it'll be easier because you're going downhill.
(Though, I have to say, in my experience, going down was not that much easier! The steps are quite large, particularly for someone like me with relatively short legs, so using trekking poles was essential. They were truly a game changer, I can't imagine managing without them!)
Pro tip: It's crucial to watch your step here because there are many loose rocks, and a misstep could lead to a rolled ankle, which is definitely something you want to avoid while in the middle of the park!
The hike back down to Central is another 10km and will take you another 4 hours.
18:30 PM
You made it through the first day! Arrive to Central and check in for the night.
Day 2: Central to Cuernos
Distance covered: 12 km
Hiking time: 4-4.5 hours
9:00 AM
This was by far my favorite day throughout the whole trek! The hike from Central to Cuernos is gorgeous, and we were lucky to have fantastic weather that made the day even more enjoyable. There aren't particularly tricky sections on this trail, and since it is "only" 4 hours, it means that you can start a bit later (recovering from the long hike from the previous day!) and take the time you need. We took several stops along the way, and it took us 6 hours overall, only because we were essentially having a stroll in the park, stopping at every viewpoint, taking loads of pictures, and having long snack breaks.
15:00 PM
Arrive to Cuernos. Sit down by the picnic area and have a celebratory drink with incredible views of the Cuernos!
If you’re staying at Frances, take into account an additional 1.5 hours (3.5km).
Day 3: Cuernos to Valle del Frances to Paine Grande
Distance covered: 24 km
Hiking time: 8 hours
8:00 AM
Welcome to the most challenging day of the trek! By now, you have already walked 35 km and your legs are probably feeling it. And today, another long 24 km hike with a 1000 m elevation gain awaits you!
After about 1.5 hrs (3.5 km) you will reach the Frances campsite. An additional 30 minutes (2 km) will bring you to Campamento Italiano. Although this is an unused campsite, you can leave your bags here if you want to continue to Mirador Frances or Britannico. I highly recommend you do!
10:00 AM
You're now entering the stunning Valle del Frances. I found the hike to Mirador Frances to be surprisingly challenging, with a steep uphill through loose rocks and a rugged path. However, it is totally worth it because Mirador Frances is gorgeous! You will reach the Mirador after ~1 hour (2.5 km). From here, you can decide to either go back to Italiano or continue further to Mirador Britannico. That is an additional 3.5 km hike, which would take another 1.5 hours.
I wasn't sure if I would go all the way to Britannico (I didn't want to commit completely!), but after reaching Frances, I decided I had to keep going. And I'm glad I did! I expected a challenging hike to Britannico, but it was actually a pleasant, relatively flat trail running next to a beautiful river and through a lush forest. Only the last 500 meters were quite steep, but it was nothing compared to the hike up to Torres. The views were absolutely breathtaking, and few places in the park can compare to it. I totally recommend going the extra kilometers to see Britannico!
15:00 PM
Hike back down to Italiano, pick up your bags and continue for 7.5 km to Paine Grande. This will take you around 2-2.5 hours, as the trail is flat and quite easy.
18:00 PM
Arrive to Paine Grande and check in for the night. We were so happy to see Paine Grande appear at the end of the trail! Our legs were so tired, and sleeping at the refugio that night felt extra luxurious.
Day 4: Paine Grande to Refugio Grey
Distance covered: 11km
Hiking time: 4 hours
9:00 AM
Today is going to be your last day of hiking. You will trek 11 km (approximately 4 hours) along the coastline to Lago Grey, with incredible views of the Grey Glacier in the distance.
14:00 PM
Upon reaching Refugio Grey, you can drop your bags and continue further to the hanging bridges. These are 2 suspension bridges with epic views over the Grey Glacier - they are well maintained and safe to cross, but perhaps not recommendable for those with fear of heights!
We skipped this part because my shoes were completely broken (that's a story for another time!). Fellow hikers told us that this was probably the best part of the whole trek! The views of the glacier from the bridges left them speechless.
As an alternative to the hanging bridges, you can walk down to Mirador Glacier Grey. It's close by and easy to walk to, and you'll get close up views of the glacier. When we went there, we were met with a beautiful, but sad view: it was a pool of melting ice. We stood there for a while, just watching in silence. Contemplating and reflecting.
Day 5: Ice Hike and Return to Puerto Natales
8:00 AM
If you still feel energetic and up for an adventure, you should absolutely do the Ice Walk on Glacier Grey. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to do this, but the pictures we saw from other hikers were insane. It is a 5-hour tour: a 1-hour hike to the glacier, and then 2.5 hours spent on the ice going through crevasses, rivers, lagoons, and ice caves! It costs USD $225 and you can also book it directly at Refugio Grey the night before, given availability.
Finally, it is time to go back to civilization - back to Puerto Natales.
Walk for 10 minutes down to the lake, and take the ferry to Hotel Lago Grey. From there, you will walk 20 minutes to Guarderia Grey, and finally catch your bus going directly to Puerto Natales. Not many knew about this option - most people hike back to Paine Grande and take the catamaran to Pudeto. But I recommend against this: you would be hiking another 11km the same way you came from; Taking the ferry directly from Grey will save another day hike and give you outstanding close up views to the Glacier.
The ferry leaves from the refugio 4 times a day: 11:00AM, 2:00PM, 5:45PM, 8:00PM. The navigation lasts about 1-1.5 hours, so make sure you line it up well with your bus schedule. The ferry costs CLP $100.000 one way and you can book it here: https://www.lagogrey.com/en/navigation/
Variations to the East-to-West itinerary
Day 1: Go to Base Torres and spend the night in Chileno instead of Central:
On your first night, you could stay at Chileno instead of Central. The advantage of this is that your first day hike will be significantly shorter (and thus, easier). Your second day hike will be still around 14km, so it doesn't make a huge difference overall.
Day 1: Go to Chileno, spend the night, and then go to Base Torres for sunrise:
This is what Reid and I did: on our first day, we hiked up to Chileno (6km) and spent the night; then, the morning after we hiked up to Base Torres. From here, you can hike back down to Cuernos or Frances for your second night. This is a great alternative as it gives you the chance to hike up to Base Torres earlier in the morning. This means you can see the towers at sunrise, which is a magnificent show with incredible colors; and it also means that you get to hike up with much fewer crowds, as most people arrive with the 7AM bus from Puerto Natales around 1PM.
Day 4: Paine Grande to Grey to Paine Grande: This is a great alternative if you are short on time or budget. Instead of staying at Refugio Grey on your last night, turn around at Grey and walk back to Paine Grande. From here, take the catamaran to Pudeto and your bus back to Puerto Natales. You will need to start early and it will make it a looong day, but save you quite a lot of time and money.
Hiking West to East
If you decide to go West to East, here’s the itinerary I’d recommend:
Day 1: Puerto Natales to Lago Grey to Refugio Grey
12:00 PM
Take your bus from Puerto Natales all the way to the last stop: Hotel Grey (Guarderia Grey).
15:00 PM
Walk a little further up to take the ferry "Grey III" which will take you across Lago Grey on a scenic route close to the Glacier. I can't think of a better way to start your adventure in Torres del Paine than getting a close up view to a massive glacier!
The ferry leaves from Hotel Grey 4 times a day: 9:00AM, 12:00PM, 3:00PM, 6:00PM. The navigation lasts about 1-1.5 hours. The ferry costs CLP $100.000 one way and you can book it here: https://www.lagogrey.com/en/navigation/
The ferry will drop you off at Refugio Grey. This is where you'll check-in and spend the first night.
If you have time, you can walk to the hanging bridges: These are 2 suspension bridges with epic views over the Grey Glacier - they are well maintained and safe to cross, but perhaps not recommendable for those with fear of heights!
As an alternative to the hanging bridges, you can walk down to Mirador Glacier Grey. It's close by and an easy walk, and you'll get close up views of the glacier.
Day 2: Refugio Grey to Paine Grande
Distance covered: 11km
Hiking time: 4 hours
9:00 AM
Today is going to be your first day of hiking! You will trek 11 km (approximately 4 hours) along the coastline to Lago Grey. Don't forget to look behind as you will get incredible views of Grey Glacier in the distance!
14:00 PM
This day trek is pretty easy and will take you around 4 hours. Therefore you will likely get to Paine Grande early. Check in and spend the night.
Day 3 Paine Grande to Valle del Frances to Cuernos
Distance covered: 24km
Hiking time: 8 hours
8:00 AM
Welcome to the most challenging day of the trek! Today, a long 24 km hike with a 1000 m elevation gain awaits you!
After about 2.5 hrs (7.5 km) you will reach Campamento Italiano. Although this is an unused campsite, you can leave your bags here if you want to continue to Mirador Frances or Britannico. I highly recommend you do!
10:30 AM
You're now entering the stunning Valle del Frances. I found the hike to Mirador Frances to be surprisingly challenging, with a steep uphill through loose rocks and a rugged path. However, it is totally worth it because Mirador Frances is gorgeous! You will reach the Mirador after ~1 hour (2.5 km). From here, you can decide to either go back to Italiano or continue further to Mirador Britannico. That is an additional 3.5 km hike, which would take another 1.5 hours. The views were absolutely breathtaking, and few places in the park can compare to it. I totally recommend going the extra kilometers to see Britannico!
16:00 PM
Hike back down to Italiano, pick up your bags and continue for 2 km to Cuernos campsite. This will take you around 2-2.5 hours, as the trail is flat and quite easy. If you're staying in Frances, it will be a very short hike from Italiano - just 30 minutes (2km)!
18:00 PM
Arrive to Cuernos and check in for the night.
Day 4: Cuernos to Chileno
Distance covered: 14km
Hiking time: 5 hours
9:00 AM
This was by far my favorite day throughout the whole trek! The hike between Cuernos and Chileno is gorgeous, and we were lucky to have fantastic weather that made the day even more enjoyable. There aren't particularly tricky sections on this trail, except the last part towards Chileno which is a bit more uphill.
15:00 PM
Arrive to Chileno.
If you’re starting from Frances, take into account an additional 1.5 hours (3.5km).
Day 5: Chileno to Base Torres to Puerto Natales
Distance covered: 16km
Hiking time: 6 hours
4:00 AM
Yes, you read that right. Today, the alarm is set very early! That's because you're going to hike to the Towers for one of the most glorious and spectacular sunrises of your life.
If you have booked breakfast at Chileno, you will have the choice of having it now at 4AM, or later after 7AM.
Leave your heavy backpack at Chileno, and get on the trail towards the Base Torres viewpoint. You'll be walking on relatively flat section, going through a beautiful forest, until you reach the beginning of the final ascent. This is a very steep section, and you'll gain about 400m in elevation! The terrain is rugged, with loose rocks and boulders, which will require you to scramble through rocks all the way up.
6:00 AM
You should reach Base Torres in about 2 hours. Just in time for sunrise!
Make sure to double check sunrise times here, to adjust your timings based on the time of the year you're traveling, so that you arrive at the right moment for sunrise.
Upon reaching the top, you'll be rewarded with some of the best views you've ever seen! The 3 towers in all their glory, facing the turquoise laguna, is a breathtaking view. Take your time to rest, have a snack, and soak it all in!
When you're ready to turn back, you'll have to go through the same route that you came from, but this time it'll be easier because you're going downhill.
Pro tip: It's crucial to watch your step here because there are many loose rocks, and a misstep could lead to a rolled ankle, which is definitely something you want to avoid while in the middle of the park!
Back at Chileno, pick up your bags and continue towards the Welcome Center.
The hike back down to the Welcome Center is another 10km and will take you another 4 hours.
18:30 PM
Congratulations - You did it! You successfully completed the W Trek!
Back at Welcome Center, take a moment to rest your feet, have a celebratory drink, and contemplate the adventure you just lived.
Finally get to the shuttle to Laguna Amarga (make sure to save some cash, as the shuttle costs CLP $4.500 in cash), where your bus back to Puerto Natales awaits you.
Got questions or need help with planning the W Trek? Drop a comment or send me a message - I’m happy to help!
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