Torres Del Paine Trek

The Torres del Paine Trek begins in Punta Arenas early morning, either at your hotel or at the airport. From Punta Arenas, drive to the EcoCamp Patagonia located in the world famous Torres del Paine National Park for briefing and your first nights’ stay. On the way, stop at Puerto Natales, a small but lively town on the shores of Seno Ultima Esperanza, “Last Hope Sound,” to enjoy a hearty lunch with delicious local food. The journey is scenic and highly atmospheric, featuring many wild birds and wonderful Patagonian landscapes. The day ends with your arrival and overnight stay at EcoCamp Patagonia, nestled in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park and with a prime view of the majestic Torres. Sunset is usually around 11pm during the summer months, leaving plenty of daylight to admire the Patagonian steppe with its guanacos and snow-peaked mountain horizon upon arrival.

Today’s adventure begins in the Torres del Paine National Park with a pleasant walk through the curly Cuernos trail located beside beautiful Lake Nordenskjold. During this warm-up walk admire the park’s exquisite flora and fauna, enjoy the magnificent views of the park’s central lakes and the Paine’s Horns – majestic black hornlike peaks of slate atop gray granite which crown the center of the Massif. The trek ends at Refugio Los Cuernos, a small and cozy mountain refuge located by the shores of Lake Nordenskjold. Alternatively the trek ends at Domo el Francés, located between Cuernos and Italiano camping sites, with an amazing view of Nordenskjöld lake. The evening is free for relaxing and enjoying dinner.

After breakfast at Refugio Los Cuernos, begin the challenging trek to Valle Frances (French Valley) along a steep trail that leads to the very heart of the Paine Massif. The distance achieved today depends on the group’s trekking rhythm. A swifter walk will lead to the hanging bridge over the French River, located at the foot of the south east face of the Massif, where you will be treated to fantastic views of the valley. Then continue to ascend towards the upper section of the valley and marvel at the extensive mass of the valley’s geological formations: Hoja (Blade), Máscara (Mask), Espada (Sword), Catedral (Cathedral), Aleta de Tiburón (Shark’s Fin) and the magnificent Fortaleza (Fortress). After your upward trek, pause for a picnic and relax a while. End the day descending through an undulating terrain of mixed grassland and light forest that lead to Refugio Paine Grande. An optional trek to Mirador Britanico is also available.

Today hike from Paine Grande Refugio along the shores of Lake Pehoe to the northern side of the glacially beautiful Lake Grey. Feast on a picnic lunch before boarding the boat that sails right to the huge, crystalline facade of Glacier Grey, where you will have plenty of time to marvel at the calving glacier. From the southern end of Glacier Grey transfer to EcoCamp. Due to the temperamental weather of the region, boat trips across the lake may occasionally be cancelled if the required minimum of 15 passengers is not reached. If either is the case, you will trek up to the sightseeing point and profit from wonderful, panoramic views of the Glacier instead. Then return on foot to Paine Grande and take a catamaran to Pudeto’s dock, where you will be picked up and driven to EcoCamp.

*Please note there is an optional kayaking excursion around Glacier Grey that starts at 1:00pm and lasts 2.5 hours. Discover the amazing glacier by kayaking around huge floating icebergs to get closer to the giant ice wall. There is a minimum age of 15 and maximum age of 65. Kayaking option is only available until March 19th.

The goal of today is to complete the most famous trekking trail in Torres del Paine National Park! Walk from EcoCamp 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 walk towards the valley. Your big challenge comes in the form of the steep moraine, a huge mass of boulders that lead you to that iconic base-view of the Towers. Three gigantic granite monoliths, the remains of a great cirque sheared away by the forces of glacial ice. After a tough uphill climb, the Towers eventually come into full view, rising majestically before you with the glacial lake visible below. What a perfect place to have lunch. After devouring the picnic and view, you will backtrack along the same trail through Ascencio Valley and return to EcoCamp for a well-deserved dinner.

After yesterday’s worthy but strenuous trek, wake up today to breakfast and take a leisurely car journey towards Laguna Azul, passing Cañadón Macho, home to many wild guanacos and ñandúes. You will pause occasionally to admire the views of the Patagonian steppe and the towers from a different perspetive. At Laguna Azul, hike to the lookout point where you will be treated to a gorgeous view of both the lagoon and granite towers. After lunch, drive to the northern shore of Sarmiento Lake where the Fauna Trail begins. As you hike northbound, you will spot an impressive range of Patagonian fauna on the vast plains, including guanacos, ostrich-like ñandús and maybe the occasional puma print! Pass the charming Goic lagoon and after approximately 5km of relaxed walking, you will reach the Laguna Amarga ranger station where you will be picked up and driven back to Ecocamp to celebrate over a farewell dinner.

*Please note that if there are more than 6 travelers in the group there’s an option to split into two groups, with one group (or the whole group if everybody’s in the mood!) cycling to Laguna Azul.

Board an early morning vehicle, sit back, relax, and enjoy a scenic ride back to Punta Arenas in time to catch the evening flight to Santiago.

Included

All ground transport private and domestic as indicated in the itinerary; regular bus tickets if starting/finishing in Calafate; boat crossing on Grey Lake (depending on season); 4 nights accommodation in EcoCamp; 1 night accommodation at Refugio Paine Grande and 1 night in Refugio Los Cuernos or Domo El Francés (depending on availability); park fees for Torres del Paine National Park; one expert English speaking trekking guide; sleeping bag for refugios if needed; transportation for your luggage within the Park (note that while trekking you will carry just your daypack); meals as indicated in itinerary.

Exclusions

Airfare; insurance (it is mandatory you purchase appropriate insurance for this trip); voluntary tipping to guides and staff; soft drinks or snacks not served with the meals included at the EcoCamp or refuges (bringing USD cash for buying extra drinks/snacks or souvenirs in Torres del Paine NP is suggested); optional kayaking at Glacier Grey (approximately $120 per person); items of personal nature.

Payment & Cancellation

In order to confirm this trip, a deposit of 20% is required per person at time of booking. The balance of the trip price is due 90 days before the departure date. Special holiday payment and cancellation terms may apply. Guests who must cancel their trip for any reason must do so in writing. Standard cancellations are subject to the following per-person fees, based on number of days prior to departure:
Up to 61 days – 100% of deposit
60 to 45 days – 40% of total trip cost
44 to 31 days – 60% of total trip cost
30 to 0 days – 100% of total trip cost

Terms & Conditions

This trip is subject to AdventureSmith Explorations Terms and Conditions. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A Traveler Information Form, which includes a release of liability, must be completed and signed by all travelers. Your Adventure Specialist will send you a unique link to complete this form along with a packing list and extensive pre-departure and travel insurance information upon booking confirmation.

Arrival & Departure

The Torres Del Paine Trek begins and ends in either Punta Arenas (PUQ) or Puerto Natales (PNT). We highly recommend arriving one day prior to your trip start date in case of any flight delay, cancellation or lost luggage issues. Plan flights to arrive to Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales before 3:00pm on day 1. Plan flights to depart Punta Arenas or Puerto Natales no earlier than 3:00pm on day 7. Transfers between Punta Arenas/Puerto Natales and EcoCamp are provided. If you would like assistance with international flights, please visit our Booking Flights resource page.

Activities

The Torres del Paine Trek involves extensive hikes and an opportunity to cycle on day 6 if enough travelers are interested. The following table can give you an idea of what to expect, listed in order of walking time, distance and max altitude:
Day 2: 7 hours, 10 miles, 800 feet
Day 3: 8 hours, 15 miles, 2250 feet
Day 4: 4 hours, 9 miles, 800 feet
Day 5: 10 hours, 13 miles, 3000 feet
Day 6: 3 hours, 4 miles, 590 feet

Room Configuration

Prices listed are for double occupancy in Standard Domes. Suites and Superior Domes are available at an upgrade cost. If you are a solo traveller you will be expected to share a dome with another traveller of the same gender. If there is availability at Ecocamp, most likely in low season, you may be allocated your own dome. EcoCamp follows this sharing policy in order to keep dome numbers to a minimum and preserve the surrounding wilderness as much as possible. Of course, you are entitled to pay for the whole dome to avoid sharing. Contact AdventureSmith for single, triple and quad rates at EcoCamp.

Please note Standard Domes do not have electricity or a heater.

Families & Children

Children who are 13 years of age or older are welcome and are considered adults. Children between the ages of 10 and 12 can only participage in this trip if their parent or legal guardian hires an independent, private guide to accompany the child during excurstions, as well as signs a legal waiver from the trip operator stating that the child is prepared for such an intense trekking trip, and includes information about the indepently hired guide. Children under 10 years of age cannot participate in this trip. There is no special discount for children.

Travel Insurance

Protect your travel investment with insurance. Our partners at Travelex Insurance offer a variety of plans and policies to fit every trip and budget. You must purchase your travel insurance policy within 15 or 21 days of booking (depending on plan) for it to cover pre-existing medical conditions; refer to plan details. Learn more about travel insurance or get a free quote.

Itinerary Notes

The weather in Patagonia can be difficult to deal with at times. We reserve the right to change the order of the days in any itinerary at the discretion of the trip guide and based on operational considerations. The trip guide can modify, change or eliminate part of the itinerary based on safety/weather considerations. During Low & Shoulder Season (October and April)  the Towers Trek excursion might be cancelled because of weather conditions and safety considerations and the boat trip to Glacier Grey may be cancelled. If this is the case, good alternative excursions will be offered.