Hike the famous W Trek in the wilds of Patagonia's Torres del Paine National Park on this shortened 5-day hiking and camping adventure. Follow your path down into the French Valley, experience panoramic views of Grey Glacier, witness the gigantic spires of El Paine, and enjoy a stay at EcoCamp. Explore Torres del Paine National Park in less time on this 5-day trek!
Highlights
Hike the famous W Trek in the wilds of Patagonia
Cruise on Lago Grey, passing among icebergs of fantastic colors & shapes
Hike in the majestic Patagonian landscape with views of Torres del Paine
Requires high-intensity physical efforts that push the limits of one's fitness. May include tours with multiple days in a row of strenuous physical activity or single requiring more than 7 hours of activity. Recommended for travelers maintaining a demanding fitness level.
Your journey of a lifetime begins in Punta Arenas, Chile! Transfer today into Torres del Paine National Park (via shuttle drive from Punta Arenas or public bus and shuttle drive combination from El Calafate). You will be picked up either from your hotel or the airport in the morning and driven to EcoCamp, your home base located in the world-famous Torres del Paine National Park. En route, you make a stop in Puerto Natales - a small, lively town on the shores of "Seno de Ultima Esperanza", where we enjoy a hearty local lunch. During the drive, take in the scenery featuring many wild birds and breathtaking Patagonian landscapes.
Arrive at EcoCamp with its prime view of the majestic Torres. Sunset is usually around 11:00PM during the summer months, so there will still be enough daylight for you to admire the Patagonian steppe, guanacos, and snow-peaked mountain horizon to end your first day.
After breakfast, you will board a catamaran to Pehoe – where the challenging trek to French Valley begins! Hike along a steep trail that leads to the very heart of the Paine Massif. A swift walk will lead you to the hanging bridge over the French River where you will be treated to fantastic views of the valley. Continue to ascend towards the upper section of the valley where you will marvel at the extensive mass of the geological formations. After the upward trek, you will take a break for a picnic lunch. End the day’s trek with a descent through mixed grassland and lightly forested terrain which will take you to Refugio Paine Grande. Spend your second night on the peaceful shores of Lake Pehoe. Accommodations this evening are based on availability in deluxe camping at Paine Grande. Lodging provided on our trekking tours is deluxe tent camping in the Refugio campgrounds while Meals are provided inside the Refugio buildings, as is access to the bathrooms, showers and all common areas.
*An optional trek to Mirador Britanico is sometimes available for travelers, as well.
French Valley Trail
Distance: 25km/15mi
Walking time: 8 hrs
Max. Altitude: 686m/2250ft
Today you will hike from Refugio Paine Grande along the shores of Lake Pehoe to the northern side of the beautiful Grey Lake. You will feast on a picnic lunch before boarding the boat that sails right to the huge, crystalline facade of Grey Glacier, where you will have plenty of time to marvel at the calving glacier. Transfer back to EcoCamp.
*Please be aware that boat trips may be canceled if the minimum number of 10 passengers has not been reached. If this is the case, you will trek up to the sightseeing point to enjoy panoramic views of the glacier instead. Then, you will return on foot to Paine Grande and take a catamaran to the dock, where you will be picked up and driven to EcoCamp.
The goal of this day of our 5-day trek will be to complete the most famous trail in Torres del Paine National Park! Start towards Hostería Las Torres before ascending to Ascencio Valley on the Tower's eastern face. Mountain ridges, beech forests and small rivers line the scenic hike towards the valley. The challenge comes when you arrive at the steep moraine - a huge mass of boulders which will lead us to that iconic base view of the Towers. These three gigantic granite monoliths were formed by the forces of glacial ice.
After an uphill climb, the Towers eventually come into full view to reward you. Towers above and a glacial lake below, there is no better place in the world to have lunch! After feasting on the view and our picnic, we backtrack along the same trail through Ascencio Valley and return to EcoCamp for a well-deserved dinner.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
$1,4102-3 travelers
Notes
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Tour price varies depending on season and current exchange rate. Please contact us for a quote.
Initial deposit is 20% ($400 minimum), and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
The trip was terrific with great planning on your part. Most of the adventures were not mainstream and somewhat off the beaten path which made it especially enjoyable!! We felt taken care of and you all were readily available to respond to questions and issues. I would highly recommend your company and friends have already expressed interest based on our pictures and excitement.
Gale Cantor
TrustScore 4.9 | 333 reviews
TrustScore 4.9 of 5
Based on 333 reviews on
5 days ago
My tour operator was helpful. Unfortunately she was unable to get my single-supplement canceled. Not too many tours charge for that anymore and I almost canceled my trip because of that.
Joel
1 month ago
Excellent communication and coordination for our proposed trip. It couldn't have been smoother, and any question we did have was rapidly addressed. It has made the whole process nearly seamless.
Quinn Johnson
1 month ago
Great suggestions. Knowledgeable about the area and options. Flexible. Taking time to understand the experience we are looking for.
Mark Esposito
4 months ago
This is at least the fifth trip we have booked with AdventureLife. Jess has always had excellent ideas.