Torres del Paine W-Trek · The Towers, Earned on Foot
Cover · Introduction
Private Journeys
Torres del Paine W-Trek
The Towers, Earned on Foot
Nine days through Torres del Paine: the Cuernos trail, the French Valley, Grey Glacier, and the base of the Towers.
Duration9 days, 8 nights
Journey TypeTrekking & Wildlife
StyleDomes & Trail Refugios
Best Time to GoOctober to April; late February to March for calmer wind and fall color
Your Route
Chile
Primary StaysDay ExcursionsTransit Routes
The Journey Design
Between the horned peaks above Lake Nordenskjöld and the blue face of Grey Glacier, nine days that walk all three arms of the W.
What follows is a W trek arranged so the mountain arrives in the right order. One night in Santiago's Providencia quarter, then the flight south and a road north from Punta Arenas through Puerto Natales and the Milodón cave, scenic enough to count as the first day of the trip rather than the transfer it technically is. EcoCamp takes the first night inside the park, and the walking opens gently the next morning along the Cuernos trail beside Lake Nordenskjöld. That day ends at the domes at Francés. The morning after, the catamaran crosses Lago Pehoé and the trail climbs into the French Valley, the middle stroke of the W and the steepest thing yet, with Mirador Británico held in reserve for whoever still wants it at the top. Paine Grande, which no road reaches, holds that night.
Then it consolidates. Grey Glacier on foot and afterward from the water, close enough to watch the ice come off the face, and back to EcoCamp for the rest of the trip. The Towers themselves are saved for day six, four days into the walking rather than one: up the Ascencio Valley and over the moraine to the lookout, the hardest climb of the week and the reason most people come. Day seven asks almost nothing, on purpose. Laguna Azul, the Fauna Trail along Sarmiento, guanacos and ñandús and the occasional puma print, with a pre-dawn start available for anyone who would rather spend a last morning with the tracking team looking for what the park mostly keeps hidden. Two nights fall in trail refugios and four in the domes, all of it full board. Nothing on the route asks you to carry a week of food up a mountain.
Chapter 1 · 1 Night
Santiago
Hotel Boutique Le Reve · Regional excursions & stays.
Arrival in Santiago
Day 01 of 09
Santiago announces itself quietly — the wide residential calm of Providencia, the Andes holding the eastern horizon. You have one night here, enough to feel the city's particular weight before the journey properly begins.
RESIDENCE DOSSIER
Boutique Hotel
Hotel Boutique Le Reve
Orrego Luco 023, 7510105 Providencia, Región Metropolitana, Chile
Garden courtyard and outdoor pool in the heart of Providencia
Intimate residential-scale property offering a counterpoint to Santiago's larger hotel scene
Outdoor Pool
Restaurant
Rooftop
Bar & Lounge
Room Service
24-Hour Concierge
24-Hour Front Desk
Airport Transfers
Hotel Boutique Le Reve occupies a quiet address on Orrego Luco in Providencia, one of Santiago's most liveable and well-connected residential neighborhoods. It operates at a deliberately human scale, with the feel of a private residence rather than a conventional hotel.
For travelers who find Santiago's larger hotels impersonal, Le Reve offers a genuinely local foothold — close to Parque Balmaceda and the restaurants of Providencia without the noise of the city center.
Transfer
TransferFlexible
Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL) → Hotel Boutique Le Reve
Arrivals Hall
Your driver will meet you in the arrivals hall and transfer you to your hotel for the evening.
Chapter 2 · 6 Nights
Torres del Paine
EcoCamp Patagonia, Refugio and Camping Francés & Refugio & Camping Vertice Paine Grande · Los Cuernos Trek, The Paine Massif’s Heart: French Valley Trek, Grey Glacier Trek & Boat Ride.
Torres del Paine
Day 02 of 09
Santiago loosens its hold somewhere over the Andes. By the time Patagonia fills the windows below — the steppe opening wide, the Torres still hours away by road — the day has already changed register entirely.
Check-outHotel Boutique Le Reve
Departure Transfer
Departure TransferFlexible
Hotel Boutique Le Reve → Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL)
Your driver will meet you in the hotel lobby and transfer you to the airport for your flight.
✈
SCL
Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International
PUQ
Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Carlos Ibañez del Campo
Scenic Transfer
TransferFlexible
Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Carlos Ibañez del Campo → Hotel Boutique Le Reve
Upon landing your Patagonian adventure begins!
Your road transfer to Torres del Paine National Park, en route you make a couple of stops.
First, in Puerto Natales, a small, lively town on the shores of “Seno de Ultima Esperanza," where you enjoy a hearty local lunch, and second at Cueva de Miolodon, a massive prehistoric cave where the remains of a giant ground sloth were discovered in the 1890’s. The whole journey is very scenic, with plenty of wild birds and wonderful landscapes to be seen. The day ends with your arrival and overnight stay.
EcoCamp Patagonia, nestled in the heart of the park with a view of the Torres. During summer the sun sets around 11pm, so upon arrival there’s plenty of light to admire the Patagonian steppe wit its guanacos and snow-peaked mountain horizon.
RESIDENCE DOSSIER
Tented Camp
EcoCamp Patagonia
Estancia Cerro Paine, Torres del Paine, Torres de Paine, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile
Geodesic dome accommodations designed to minimize environmental footprint while framing views of the Torres del Paine massif
Guided trekking into Torres del Paine National Park, including the W Trek and full Circuit routes
Stargazing from the domes under some of the darkest skies in the Southern Hemisphere
Daily naturalist-led excursions covering flora, fauna, and glaciology of the Patagonian steppe
Carbon-neutral camp operations with solar power, composting, and greywater recycling systems
Restaurant
Bar & Lounge
Concierge
Airport Transfers
EcoCamp Patagonia sits within Estancia Cerro Paine, directly inside Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia. The camp is built around a series of geodesic domes — some standard, some suite-scale — that sit lightly on the land and open toward the granite towers above. It is the closest accommodation to the park's most iconic trails.
What sets EcoCamp apart is its position: no other property places guests this deep inside the park with this level of access to the W Trek and Circuit routes, combined with a genuine commitment to low-impact design that goes well beyond marketing.
Dome
Full board
All EcoCamp Patagonia domes are immersed in nature, resistant to the fierce Patagonian wind and have ceiling windows to look up at the stars as you fall asleep. While many domes have private bathrooms, guests staying in Standard Domes use a shared bathroom, for several environmental reasons: minimizing constructed areas, controlling water and heating consumption and collecting waste in a central heated composting chamber. Electricity is very limited inside the domes, meaning hairdryers are not permitted, but laptops and cameras can be charged.
Torres del Paine
Day 03 of 09
The last hours inside the park begin at the water's edge — Lake Nordenskjold stretching wide beneath the Cuernos, those horned peaks that give the trail its name. By nightfall you'll be deeper in, settled somewhere along the W, the day measured in distance walked rather than miles driven.
Check-outEcoCamp Patagonia
Scheduled TimeMorning
Los Cuernos Trek
Adventure
You start your adventure in the Park with a pleasant walk through the curly Cuernos trail located beside beautiful Lake Nordenskjold. During this appetizer walk you admire the park’s flora and fauna, its strong wind and the curious, rapidly-changing weather that will accompany us in the upcoming days. As you walk along the trail you enjoy magnificent views of the park’s central lakes and the Paine’s Horns, majestic black horn-like peaks of slate atop gray granite which crown the center of the Massif. The trek ends at Domes Frances, a small and cozy mountain refuge located by the shores of Lake Nordenskjold.
The evening is free for relaxing and enjoying dinner.
RESIDENCE DOSSIER
Property
Refugio and Camping Francés
Torres de Paine, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile
Part of Small CollectionPurpose-BuiltMountainRemoteEco-ConsciousFamily FriendlyIntimate
Only Here
Direct access to the Valle del Francés hiking circuit within Torres del Paine National Park
Base camp positioning for the W Trek and Circuit routes
Operated by Las Torres Patagonia, offering logistical integration with the broader Las Torres lodge network
Refugio and Camping Francés is a trail-side refuge and campsite operated by Las Torres Patagonia, positioned deep inside Torres del Paine National Park at the entrance to Valle del Francés. It serves trekkers on the W Trek and full Circuit, offering basic covered accommodation and tent pitches in one of Patagonia's most dramatic glacial valleys.
Its position at the Valle del Francés trailhead — one of the park's most rewarding day hikes — makes it the natural overnight stop for trekkers who want to explore the valley at dawn, before the day crowds arrive.
Dome
Full board
There are three domes which sleep eight and each dome has its own private bathroom.
Torres del Paine
Day 04 of 09
The catamaran crossing from Pudeto is the only way in — no road reaches Paine Grande — and that fact alone tells you something about the valley waiting beyond it. Valle Francés demands the approach: a steep trail into the Massif's interior, where the afternoon earns its silence.
Check-outDomes Frances
Scheduled TimeMorning
The Paine Massif’s Heart: French Valley Trek
Adventure
After breakfast we drive toward Pudeto dock where we board the catamaran to Pehoe, from here we will begin the challenging trek to Valle Frances (French Valley), along a steep trail that leads to the very heart of the Paine Massif. How far in we go depends on our group's trekking rhythm. A swifter walk will lead us to the hanging bridge over the French River, located at the foot of the south east face of the Massif, where we will be treated to fantastic views of the valley.
We continue to ascend towards the upper section of the valley where we will be able to marvel at the extensive mass of the valley's geological formations. After our upward trek, we will pause for a picnic and relax a while. This day's trek will end as we descend through an undulating terrain of mixed grassland and light forest which will take us to Refugio Paine Grande, located on the peaceful shores of Lake Pehoe.
*An optional trek to Mirador Británico is also available.
RESIDENCE DOSSIER
Guesthouse
Refugio & Camping Vertice Paine Grande
Parque Nacional Torres del Paine - Sector Paine Grande, Torres de Paine, Magallanes y la Antártica Chilena, Chile
Direct access to the W Trek and Circuit trekking routes in Torres del Paine National Park
Arrival and departure by catamaran across Lago Pehoé — the only access point to the refugio
Dormitory and private room accommodation designed for multi-day trekkers completing the W or O Circuit
Panoramic views across Lago Pehoé toward the Paine Massif and Los Cuernos
Restaurant
Bar & Lounge
Concierge
Refugio Vertice Paine Grande sits at the western hub of Torres del Paine National Park, on the shore of Lago Pehoé in Chilean Patagonia. Accessible only by catamaran, it serves as a base camp for trekkers on the W Circuit and O Circuit routes, offering dormitory and private room accommodation in one of the most remote settings in South America.
Its position at the junction of the W Trek's most dramatic legs — Los Glaciares and Valle del Francés — makes it the strategic overnight stop that no serious Patagonia itinerary can route around.
Torres del Paine
Day 05 of 09
The park receives you on its own terms — wind off the ice, the particular grey-blue of glacial water seen from a boat's prow. By evening, your dome sits somewhere in that vast interior, the mountains still visible through the curved glass long after dinner.
Check-outRefugio & Camping Vertice Paine Grande
Scheduled TimeMorning
Grey Glacier Trek & Boat Ride
Adventure
Today you hike from Paine Grande Refugio along the shores of Lake Pehoe to the northern end of glacial Lake Grey. You enjoy a picnic lunch before boarding the boat that sails to the blue face of Glacier Grey. There is lots of time to marvel at this calving glacier during the boat ride across this lake, with its floating pieces of ice. From Lake Grey’s southern end you transfer to EcoCamp.
Geodesic dome accommodations designed to minimize environmental footprint while framing views of the Torres del Paine massif
Guided trekking into Torres del Paine National Park, including the W Trek and full Circuit routes
Stargazing from the domes under some of the darkest skies in the Southern Hemisphere
Daily naturalist-led excursions covering flora, fauna, and glaciology of the Patagonian steppe
Carbon-neutral camp operations with solar power, composting, and greywater recycling systems
Restaurant
Bar & Lounge
Concierge
Airport Transfers
EcoCamp Patagonia sits within Estancia Cerro Paine, directly inside Torres del Paine National Park in Chilean Patagonia. The camp is built around a series of geodesic domes — some standard, some suite-scale — that sit lightly on the land and open toward the granite towers above. It is the closest accommodation to the park's most iconic trails.
What sets EcoCamp apart is its position: no other property places guests this deep inside the park with this level of access to the W Trek and Circuit routes, combined with a genuine commitment to low-impact design that goes well beyond marketing.
Dome
Full board
All EcoCamp Patagonia domes are immersed in nature, resistant to the fierce Patagonian wind and have ceiling windows to look up at the stars as you fall asleep. While many domes have private bathrooms, guests staying in Standard Domes use a shared bathroom, for several environmental reasons: minimizing constructed areas, controlling water and heating consumption and collecting waste in a central heated composting chamber. Electricity is very limited inside the domes, meaning hairdryers are not permitted, but laptops and cameras can be charged.
Torres del Paine
Day 06 of 09
By now the geodesic domes and their particular silence are familiar. What isn't familiar — what earns its own category — is what waits at the end of today's trail: the eastern face of the towers themselves, approached on foot through the Ascencio Valley, earned rather than observed.
Scheduled TimeMorning
The Big Challenge: Torres Del Paine
Adventure
Time for a big breakfast and lots of enthusiasm – your goal today is to complete the most famous trekking trail in Torres del Paine NP! You walk from EcoCamp towards Hosteria Las Torres and join the uphill path to Ascencio Valley on the Tower’s eastern face. Dry mountain spots, beach forests and small rivers line the scenic walk towards the valley. Our big challenge comes as we climb the steep moraine, a mass of boulders leading us towards one of the world’s most famous views overlooking the Towers.
The famous Torres del Paine (2,900m / 9,400ft) consist of three gigantic granite monoliths, the remains of a great cirque sheared away by the forces of glacial ice. After an uphill slog, the Towers eventually come into full view, rising majestically before you, with the glacial lake visible below. Is there a better place in the world to have lunch?
After feasting on the view and your picnic, you backtrack along the same trail through Ascencio Valley and return to EcoCamp for a well-deserved dinner and a glass of Chilean wine.
After yesterday's exertion, the park asks less of you — or offers you the choice of how much to give. Guanacos graze the quebradas without urgency; the light over the eastern lakes arrives the same way.
Scheduled TimeFlexible
Eastern Lakes
Nature
Today is a relaxed day after yesterday’s challenge. You set off leisurely after breakfast and drive to Laguna Azul passing by Canadon Macho, home to rich fauna including guanacos and nandues. You stop en route to enjoy views of the Patagonian steppe and the towers from a different angle.
At Laguna Azul you hike to the viewpoint where you have a gorgeous view of both the lagoon and granite towers.
After lunch you drive to the northern shore of Sarmiento Lake where the Fauna Trail begins. As you walk northwards along the trail you see fauna on the Patagonian plains including guanacos, ostrich-like nandusand maybe the occasional puma print!
You pass by Goic Lagoon and after an approx. 5 kms relaxed walk you reach the Laguna Amarga ranger station where you are picked up and driven back to EcoCamp to celebrate over a farewell dinner.
We’ll start the day early, observing the sunrise while enjoying hot coffee and breakfast on the go. Our puma tracking team, who will let us know the location of the park's most elusive animals, are already hard at work.
Our guide takes us through the different habitats and ecosystems in the area, introducing us to the unique and colorful wildlife of Torres del Paine and teaching us the methodology for responsible wildlife observation.
Hotel Boutique Le Reve · Regional excursions & stays.
Santiago
Day 08 of 09
The park holds you through one last breakfast before releasing you north. By evening, Santiago's Providencia quarter — all mid-century apartment blocks and plane trees — will have replaced the granite towers on your horizon.
Check-outEcoCamp Patagonia
Departure Transfer
Departure TransferFlexible
EcoCamp Patagonia → Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Carlos Ibañez del Campo
✈
PUQ
Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Carlos Ibañez del Campo
SCL
Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International
Transfer
TransferFlexible
Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL) → Hotel Boutique Le Reve
RESIDENCE DOSSIER
Boutique Hotel
Hotel Boutique Le Reve
Orrego Luco 023, 7510105 Providencia, Región Metropolitana, Chile
Garden courtyard and outdoor pool in the heart of Providencia
Intimate residential-scale property offering a counterpoint to Santiago's larger hotel scene
Outdoor Pool
Restaurant
Rooftop
Bar & Lounge
Room Service
24-Hour Concierge
24-Hour Front Desk
Airport Transfers
Hotel Boutique Le Reve occupies a quiet address on Orrego Luco in Providencia, one of Santiago's most liveable and well-connected residential neighborhoods. It operates at a deliberately human scale, with the feel of a private residence rather than a conventional hotel.
For travelers who find Santiago's larger hotels impersonal, Le Reve offers a genuinely local foothold — close to Parque Balmaceda and the restaurants of Providencia without the noise of the city center.
Departure
Day 09 of 09
Providencia at the early hour has a particular stillness — the plane trees along Avenida Italia barely moving, the city not yet fully awake. Nine days distill into a bag by the door. The road to the airport awaits, and beyond it, home.
Check-outHotel Boutique Le Reve
Departure Transfer
Departure TransferFlexible
Hotel Boutique Le Reve → Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL)
At a Glance
Everything in one place.
Day
Carrier
Route
Times
Day 2
SCL → PUQ Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International → Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Carlos Ibañez del Campo
— → —
Day 8
PUQ → SCL Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Carlos Ibañez del Campo → Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International
— → —
Day
Property
Location
Nights
Day 1
Hotel Boutique Le Reve
Santiago, Chile Orrego Luco 023
1 Night
Day 2
EcoCamp Patagonia Dome
Torres del Paine, Chile Estancia Cerro Paine
1 Night
Day 3
Refugio and Camping Francés Dome
Torres del Paine, Chile Torres de Paine
1 Night
Day 4
Refugio & Camping Vertice Paine Grande
Torres del Paine, Chile Parque Nacional Torres del Paine - Sector Paine Grande
1 Night
Day 5
EcoCamp Patagonia Dome
Torres del Paine, Chile Estancia Cerro Paine
3 Nights
Day 8
Hotel Boutique Le Reve
Santiago, Chile Orrego Luco 023
1 Night
Day
Route
Day 1
Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL) → Hotel Boutique Le Reve
Day 2
Hotel Boutique Le Reve → Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL)
Day 2
Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Carlos Ibañez del Campo → Hotel Boutique Le Reve
Day 5
Grey Glacier → EcoCamp Patagonia
Day 8
EcoCamp Patagonia → Aeropuerto Internacional Presidente Carlos Ibañez del Campo
Day 8
Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL) → Hotel Boutique Le Reve
Day 9
Hotel Boutique Le Reve → Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport (SCL)
