Note: For chilean and resident rates, or to inquire about alternative travel dates, please complete the contact form.
DURATION
5 days / 4 nights
DIFFICULTY
Demanding
QUANTITY
Por person
Before your trip, the Vertice Travel operations team will contact you to schedule an in-person briefing in Puerto Natales, led by a specialized coordinator.
During this session, you will review the day-by-day itinerary, the difficulty level of each segment, key schedules, and transport logistics in detail. You will also receive recommendations on clothing and equipment, learn about the rules of Torres del Paine National Park, and be provided with essential information regarding safety and emergency contacts.
This session is designed to help you resolve all your questions before starting your journey, ensuring a well-planned, informed, and safe experience.
At the end of the briefing, you will receive your complete travel documentation, including a printed detailed itinerary and all service vouchers or tickets. You will also be provided with the box lunch for your first day of trekking, along with a welcome kit containing useful items for your experience.
The experience begins early, heading towards Torres del Paine National Park. You will travel through beautiful landscapes until you reach the main entrance, Laguna Amarga, where it is necessary to register with CONAF (park rangers). Then the journey to the Welcome Center begins. From there, it is a five-minute walk to Torre Central, where you must check in, either in refuge or camping, before starting your trek. Today’s hike begins in the Ascencio Valley, enjoying its extensive forests. During the final ascent, you will cross an immense field of giant rocks until you reach one of the most emblematic viewpoints in the world, the famous Base of the Towers lookout. At an altitude of 900 m.a.s.l.m., you will marvel at the 3 granite towers (north, central, and south) and the bright turquoise glacial lake at its feet. Take beautiful photos and enjoy your box lunch before returning along the same path back to Torre Central. After a long day and enjoying the Towers, enjoy dinner at the refuge.
Enjoy breakfast and then request your box lunch to start the walk in the depth of the park to Los Cuernos or Francés. During this hike you will pass through beautiful crystal-clear streams, and you can admire the snowdrifts of Almirante Nieto mount at 2,670 meters. You will be able to see the majestic condors gliding from the heights and go alongside the fascinating waters of the Nordenskjöld lake. Continue along the trail until you reach Los Cuernos or Francés refuge, where you will relax for the evening.
We recommend to begin early! This hike will take you to the heart of Torres del Paine National Park. After breakfast, ask for your box lunch and get ready for a day of amazing Patagonian landscapes. After 2 hours walking, you will pass through the Francés campsite, and you will arrive at the entrance of the French Valley. You can leave your backpack at the Italiano camp, where there is a park ranger outpost, and start your journey up to the French Valley. Climb through a massive boulder field and follow a tree-lined ridge until reaching the French plateau. Here, you will be rewarded with stunning views of Los Cuernos (the Horns), turquoise glacial lagoons and amazing blue hanging glaciers cascading down the east face of the Paine Grande Mountain (3,050 m.a.s.l.). If you are lucky, you will hear the thundering sound of water and ice crashing down, as it is very common to witness avalanches. Keep walking for 3 hours and you will reach the incredible Mirador Británico viewpoint.
Take some photos, enjoy your box lunch and a well-deserved rest. Descend through the same path back to the Italiano camp (remember to grab your backpack). From here walk to Paine Grande refuge (about 2.5 hrs). Take it easy as it is practically flat. In the evening you will enjoy a delicious dinner at the refuge.
After breakfast, remember to ask for your box lunch and start today’s trekking. The hike begins through a narrow and winding valley that leads to Los Patos lagoon. As you continue, you will get glimpses of the immense Southern Ice Field, as well as the icebergs in the Grey Lake. After passing the sometimes very windy viewpoint, the path descends through a mountainous forest until it reaches the Grey refuge. From here, you can continue your walk for about 10 minutes until you reach the Grey Glacier lookout, where you will be facing the bluest glacier in the world. Dinner will be served at the refuge in the evening.
OPTIONAL:
For an unforgettable panoramic view of Grey glacier, set off for an extra 3 – 4 hrs. (round trip) past the refuge in the direction of the famous hanging bridges. It is by far the best viewpoint of the glacier. In addition to contemplating the impressive ice, you can see the depth of the ravine formed by the rivers and waterfalls that come from the Olguín Range. If luck is on your side, you may catch ice calving into the deep, freezing waters of Grey Lake.
In case you did not have the chance to visit the hanging bridges the day before, you can use the morning to explore the spectacular panoramic views of the Grey glacier. Then, continue the same path back to Paine Grande to take the catamaran at 6:35 pm to Pudeto, where you will take the bus back to Puerto Natales.
