Trekking W in Torres del Paine: 5 days, 4 nights, no illusion

The first time I did the W was in February 2017 with rented boots in Puerto Natales that gave me blisters on the second day. The second was in November 2023 with my own gear and three months of physical preparation. The difference between the two trips was stark. One was survival. The other was the trip that justified the expense.

This guide assumes you will do the W with refuges (not camping). Camping is another trail — cheaper (USD 800-1,200 total), more technical, and outside the scope of this text. Refuges mean sleeping in a bunk bed with sheets, eating three hot meals a day, and carrying a 25-35 liter backpack instead of 50-65.

The W has this shape because the trail draws a capital W on the map: French Valley in the middle, Grey Glacier Valley to the left, Towers Valley to the right. Five days is the civilized minimum. Four days is possible but cruel. Six days with an extra night at Chileno is what I recommend.

---

Step by step (west to east — most used direction)

TL;DRThe west-east direction starts at Refugio Paine Grande (arriving by catamaran across Lake Pehoé) and ends at Refugio Las Torres. The advantage: you save Mirador Las Torres for the last day, with a view of the three towers at sunrise as the climax.

The west-east direction starts at Refugio Paine Grande (arriving by catamaran across Lake Pehoé) and ends at Refugio Las Torres. The advantage: you save Mirador Las Torres for the last day, with a view of the three towers at sunrise as the climax. The opposite direction (east-west) is technically the same but most agencies and refuges assume west-east, so it's easier to book.

Day 1 — Puerto Natales → Refugio Paine Grande

You leave Puerto Natales on the 7 am or 7:30 am bus (Bus-Sur, Buses Fernández, or Buses Pacheco — USD 22 one-way). Arrive at Portería Pudeto at 11 am. Take the 11 am or 12 pm catamaran to cross Lake Pehoé to Paine Grande (USD 38 one-way, 30 minutes). Arrive between 12:30 pm and 1 pm.

The afternoon of day 1 is light. Check-in at the refuge, lunch (usually included in full board, USD 30 separately), and a short walk. You can go to Mirador Lago Grey (4 km round trip, 1h30) or just rest to face day 2.

Day 2 — Paine Grande → Mirador Grey round trip → Paine Grande (recommended variant)

This is a key decision. There are two ways to do day 2:

Variant A — Paine Grande refuge as a base. You leave in the morning walking to Mirador Glaciar Grey (11 km, 3h30 one way, with some dramatic suspension bridges). At the viewpoint, view of the entire glacier, icebergs floating in the lake. Packed lunch (full board gives you a lunch box). Return via the same trail. 22 km in the day, 7-8 hours. Sleep at Paine Grande again.

Variant B — Paine Grande → Refugio Grey → Paine Grande the next day. You sleep at Refugio Grey (at the foot of the glacier) and return on day 3. More immersive, less tiring, costs an extra night (USD 90-130). This is the "W with 6 days" version.

I recommend variant A if you're in shape. I recommend variant B if it's your first long trail.

Day 3 — Paine Grande → Italiano → Mirador Británico → Refugio Cuernos

The longest and most beautiful day. You leave Paine Grande in the morning (departure 7 am-8 am) walking east for 7.6 km to Campamento Italiano. There, leave the big backpack at the ranger station (free), take only water, jacket, and snack, and climb the French Valley.

Ascent 5.5 km to Mirador Británico. This is the classic view of the W: granite amphitheater with the Cuernos del Paine on one side, the French Glacier falling on the other, and on clear days, view of the towers in the background. 2h30-3h ascent.

Return to Italiano (2h30), pick up the backpack, continue another 5.5 km to Refugio Cuernos. Arrive between 5 pm and 7 pm. Total of the day: 25 km, 8-10 hours. Dinner at the refuge, sleep early.

Important: the French Valley closes when the wind exceeds 80 km/h or when there is avalanche risk. In November and March, this happens 1 in 4 days. Have a plan B (descend directly to Cuernos without climbing Británico).

Day 4 — Refugio Cuernos → Refugio Chileno

11 km, 4-5 hours. Relatively flat trail, skirting Lake Nordenskjöld, with wind that can reach 100 km/h in the open section. Keep the backpack with low weight on top, rain cover at hand.

Arrival at Chileno between 1 pm and 4 pm. Lunch, rest. You have the option to climb that afternoon to Mirador Las Torres (8 km round trip, 3-4 hours, last steep section on moraine), but most leave it for the next day.

Why I recommend sleeping two nights at Chileno: sunrise at the towers fails 60% of the days due to clouds. If you only have one morning, it depends on luck. With two, you have an 84% chance of catching at least one clear morning (composite probability). Costs USD 90-130 for the extra night. Worth it.

Day 5 — Chileno → Mirador Las Torres → Refugio Torres Central → Puerto Natales

Wake up at 4 am. Departure at 4:30 am. 4 km walk with a headlamp through the Ascencio Valley, then 1.5 km of steep moraine (literally climbing between rocks, in the dark). Arrival at Mirador Las Torres between 6:30 am and 7 am, depending on the month.

The sunrise itself: the sun rises in the east and hits the peaks of the three towers first, turning them red-orange for 15-30 minutes. Below, Lake Torres still dark. It's the photo you've seen a thousand times. When it works, it justifies everything.

When it doesn't (closed cloud), you have three options: wait (it may clear between 9 am and 11 am), descend and return the next day (if you booked two nights), or descend accepting defeat and count it as a story.

Descent 6 km to Refugio Chileno (collect big backpack), plus 7 km to Refugio Torres Central. 13 km descent in total. Lunch at Central. Bus back to Puerto Natales (Laguna Amarga → Puerto Natales, 2h30, USD 22).