Patagonia

El Chalten, El Calafate, Torres del Paine National Park ‘W Trek’

The ‘W Trek’ quite stunning – and also a lot bougie-r than expected. We did the trek in 4days/3nights, and gathered tips along the way that we hadn’t expected or read about online.

Wrote a quick “What they don’t tell you about the W trek” below, presented in a five-part accordion format. This should help supplement research you’re doing. Let me know if you have questions!

(For Strava-finatics: strava link)

What they don’t tell you about the W trek

Bookings for refugios open in April, but we booked in August with Torres Hikes for the 4d/3n West to East route. (For Strava-finatics: strava link)
There are 3 focal sites on route: Glacier Grey, Mirador Francis with a glacier (and Mirador Britanico if you choose), and the towers of Torres del Paine. These are all at the ‘top points’ of a drawn W.
The refugios we stayed at are at the bottom points of the W: Paine Grande, Frances, and Torres Central.
- Refugios on the west side of the route are owned by Vertice Patagonia, and east side by Las Torres Patagonia
- The refugios were honestly like nice ski lodges – the fancier being on the outside of the W (more accessible) than in the middle of the route.
- They are new and modern!! Cafe’s with food/drinks for purchase, showers (hot showers on the east side/Las Torres owned properties, less so on the west side), and hot water dispensers (keep in mind for later..).
It is smart to book transportation and camping ahead of time as spots sell fast (more in next section).
We only saw signs on the east side – no running (sorry trail runners)! TdP hosts the highest density of pumas around and the signs suggest you may attract them if you run.
Many water sources – clean glacier water! Just be smart where you get it (ie. up-river).

You will want to start your journey from Puerto Natales. It is a 1-hour bus ride (bus tickets) to the Torres del Paine National Park entrance where you will need to present a park entrance ticket
If you are starting the W from the west, you will then need to take a shuttle from park entrance to Pudeto (free shuttle once you’re inside. It will be in the same spot as where your bus stops), and then a boat (boat tickets) to Paine Grande. Refer to Torres Hikes itinerary outline
If you are starting from the east, you will need to take a shuttle from park entrance to Laguna Amarga (free shuttle once you’re inside. It will be in the same spot as where your bus stops).

We chose camping spot and premium campsite options (whichever was the best option available upon booking). We were also able to rent comfortable sleeping mats from the refugio (some being the full size of the tent footprint🤩). Whatever you choose, tent and rooftop car tent will be set-up for you upon check-in. (Refer to Torres Hikes rental options as to what is available.)

You can rent/purchase equipment in Puerto Natales (ie hydrated meals, hiking poles, backpacks, tents, anything) – MANY rental stores in this bougie-touristy port town.
Don’t bother purchasing a gas canister! Literally go to your hotel/hostel front desk and ask if they have used ones from previous guests. We didn’t use ours, and others we met post-hike didn’t use theirs either. Hikers will leave them at the front desk OR at the trek refugios. At trek refugios, there are ‘take or leave’ crates (see photo below), and you will find a pile of gas canisters at either trek starting point. Alternatively, if you run out of gas after acquiring your *free* one, just hydrate your meals with the boiling water dispenser at the refugios!!

Leave your non-trek items at Puerto Natales hotel/hostel. We stayed at Hostel America because it was a 7-min walk to the bus terminal for our 7:00am bus, and because we could leave luggage. Everyone leaves luggage. Wherever you book, you’ll be able to leave luggage (I am 99.9% positive, but maybe ask before booking)
Day-hike pack (or running vest?). You can leave your larger backpacking backpack at the bottom of each climb at designated areas/refugios.
- Leave items at Paine Grande refugio before hiking to Glacier Grey and back
- Leave items at Italiano ranger station before Mirador Francis
- Leave items at Torres Central refugio before the towers hike on the last day.
  - If you are staying at Cuernos refugio rather than Torres Central, can leave your stuff at refugio
Toilet paper just in case (you will likely use it)
Layers – check the weather. It was pretty cold at night…
Strap sandals and towel – because you can shower! We suggest strap sandals vs flip-flops because if your campsite is up a rocky hill….flip flops seem difficult. It’d doable though.
Passport and PDI paper to check-in to each refugio.
- PDI paper: Immigration officers from the PDI (Policía de Investigaciones de Chile) will give you a small paper slip known as the Tarjeta de Turismo (Tourist Card) when you land in Chilean airport. You’ll be asked to present it upon check-in
  - If you forget it, it’s ok. The couple in front of us were still able to check-in, but it’s recommended to present it to avoid paying high taxes
Cash not necessary. All refugios on the W take credit card! There’s no discount benefit to using cash.
Charging cables for your phone, camera, ipad, whatever! Refugios have charging port areas inside their fancy little lobbies. Be sure to bring your charging adapter(s).

Our days followed exactly as outlined in Torres Hikes itinerary. Our first day started around 11am (post-6am bus and 10am boat), and we hiked out-and-back for 16 miles to Glacier Grey, returning to camp at ~5:00pm. They are pros with the itinerary, trust it. We think a 5day/4night itinerary would have been more relaxing and enjoyable for the views.
Trails have cut-off times sections. These are as of late November 2025:
- Day 1 to Glacier Grey: We got to our destination at 3pm (Paine Grande to Glacier Grey), and saw a sign that said trail cut-off was 3pm. We had to return back to Paine Grande without fully enjoying the glacier view
- Day 4 to Towers of Torres del Paine: hikers must pass to the top marker by 2pm if you want to reach the base, so be sure not to start this hike too late.
The Towers of Torres del Paine hike gets very narrow and rock-scrambly (ie climbing Mt. Tam for my bay area locals). You will want to beat the day-tour hikers (arrivals around 8:30am) so leave Torres Central camp by ~7:15am, or plan accordingly.
Towers of Torres del Paine has an epic sunrise we hear (but didn’t see) so maybe plan for that?!
Camp Francis kind of sucks – it’s on a steep hill so depending where your camping spot is, you’ll need to hike a bit to find your spot. The one bathroom area is at the bottom of the camp…😑 It was not fun hiking and climbing up a ladder to the rooftop tent after an 8-hr day. (Refer to photo in accordion section 3)
You will (probably) not get lost – It’s literally a very visible single-track. 95% of the time and you will likely see other hikers (note: we did this when O-trek was closed so there were more people rescheduled for W)
No stove cooking allowed on the trail, only at refugio properties. Another reason to not bring a gas canister and stove.
No running! TdP hosts the highest density of pumas around and the signs suggest you may attract them if you run (signs seen on the east side of the W).
If you’re trying to maximize for getting to the focal views during sunrise, we think going east to west is the best option. West-east does not start with climbs like east-west, so no alpine glow and quiet serenity for us in the summer early-sunrise summer months.
Regarding Mirador Frances and Mirador Britanico: If you are tired and don’t feel like hiking more, you really don’t need to continue to Mirador Britanico. Britanico is another ~1.5-2hrs hiking up with a 360 view of the mountains. We agreed that Mirador Frances glacier was better and more relaxing and would have rather enjoyed the view there. (Refer to middle of W: strava link)

Puerto Natales

Puerto Natales is a bougie town – feels like a quaint mountain town. You’ll see lots of tourists prepping their trek, and there is an abundance of great restaurants.

Souvenirs: there is no shortage or stores selling the same magnets, pins, trinkets, etc…BUT If you want local art:
- Minerals Exhibition: An overwhelming and quirky little store mainly for rocks, BUT the wife sells her paintings of the Patagonia scenery for a super reasonable/affordable price. Post-card and printing paper-sized watercolor and acrylic paintings that will fit in your luggage!
- Otherwise, we encourage you to purchase from the local artisans (easy walk around, you’ll find them)
Try the calafate berry! Calafate is the native berry of the Patagonia region. If you love açai like I do, I think you’ll like this. They sell calafate marmalade, honey, tea, etc, but you can also order a Calafate Sour at a bar/restaurant.

El Calafate

El Calafate is a 6hr bus ride north of Puerto Natales, and probably the destination you will be flying into to begin your journey in broader Patagonia.

Perito Moreno Glacier – honestly, a huge highlight. If you rent a car like we did, you can drive straight to the dock to book your ferry tour directly. It was ~$90 USD/person? Worth it 🤩
Or book a trek on the glacier (~$300 USD/person…). We did not do it, but Reddit raves about it!

El Chalten

El Chalten is 2-3hr bus ride away from El Calafate, and only accessible via El Calafate airport.

There are three main day-hikes all starting from town:
- Laguna de los Tres
  - This climbs up to the base of Fitz Roy (aka Patagonia brand logo). There is a lookout to it about ~1hr from the town trailhead and it is highly recommended to reach that lookout for sunrise to see the alpine glow on Fitz Roy.
  - After climbing to the lagoon, there is a small hill on the left when facing the Fitz Roy. On the other side of this hill, you will find Laguna Sucia (did not do 😥)
  - This is what we did for reference (strava link)
- Laguna Torre (did not do 😥)
- Loma del Pliegue Tumbado (did not do 😥)
It is a pretty expensive town, so if you plan to pack a lunch, maybe go to the grocery store. We bought sandwiches ($30 each…).
Maffia is a delicious and quite popular Italian restaurant in El Chalten – you will likely need to make a reservation ahead of time if you’re interested. You can ask for a reservation for the following night if you visit.