W Trek Express: 5-Day Torres del Paine Trek

The W Trek Express is a guided five-day, four-night version of Torres del Paine's classic W Trek, combining the Base of the Towers hike, the French Valley and a Grey Glacier crossing into one bundled package with meals, transfers and lodging included. Prices start at EUR 1,046 per person, making it the highest-ticket option among Torres del Paine tours on this site.

What Makes the W Trek Express Different from a Day Tour?

The full W Trek, named for the shape its route traces across the map, normally takes independent trekkers a week or more of planning: booking campsites and refugios separately, arranging ferry tickets across Lake Pehoé, and carrying full trekking gear between stops. This express version compresses the three signature hikes, the Base of the Towers, the French Valley and the approach to Grey Glacier, into five days with the logistics handled for you. Transfers, boat tickets, trekking poles for day one and a mix of dome-style and cabin accommodation in Puerto Natales plus a night of camping at Paine Grande are all bundled into the price, which is the main appeal over booking each leg independently.

What Happens on the Torres del Paine W Trek Express?

Day one is arrival and a welcome briefing in Puerto Natales, with dinner and drinks included. Day two is the most demanding: an 18 kilometer guided trek to the base of the Paine Towers, roughly 7 to 8 hours of hiking, followed by a night near Laguna Amarga with panoramic tower views from your accommodation. Day three shifts to the French Valley, reached by a boat connection at Pudeto, hiked self-guided with route markers, and followed by a night camping at Paine Grande. Day four covers the Grey Glacier viewpoint before a catamaran crossing back to Pudeto and a bus to Puerto Natales, capped with dinner in town. Day five is departure, with transfers arranged to the airport or bus terminal.

Who Should Book This Multi-Day Torres del Paine Trek?

This trek is built for travelers with real backcountry hiking experience who want to complete the W Trek's three main valleys without independently booking huts, ferries and permits. It is not the right fit for casual sightseers, since three of the four days involve multiple hours of hiking, one of them self-guided. If you want the park's headline views without a multi-day commitment, the Torres del Paine Full-Day Tour covers similar territory in a single day, and hikers who only want the Base of the Towers hike can book that as a standalone trip through the Base of the Towers day hike.

Prices and What's Included

Prices start from EUR 1,046 per person, covering private transportation between hikes, three nights of shared accommodation in Puerto Natales plus one night camping at Paine Grande, the guided Base of the Towers trek, the French Valley and Grey Glacier hiking days, ferry and bus tickets, a welcome dinner, a pizza night, breakfasts, boxed lunches and dinners, trekking poles for day one, and luggage storage. Not included: travel and health insurance, which is required for the trek, the Torres del Paine National Park entrance fee (around USD 49), a guide for the French Valley and Grey Glacier days, and drinks and gratuities. Prices are scraped from the operator and can shift by season and group size, so confirm the final total at checkout.

How Do You Get to the Trek's Starting Point?

Puerto Natales is the base for the whole itinerary, with private transfers included for the park entry and exit legs. You can fly into Puerto Natales, Punta Arenas or, for those coming from Argentina, El Calafate, though the operator recommends arriving in El Calafate at least a day early to make the day one briefing. Airport or bus terminal pickup in Puerto Natales is arranged as part of the package.

Insider Tips for the W Trek Express

Break in your boots well before day two, which is the longest and steepest day of the trek at 18 kilometers. Pack a proper waterproof shell rather than relying on layers alone, since Patagonian weather changes fast and days three and four are largely self-guided with less shelter available. Bring cash for the park entrance fee and any extras, since card access is unreliable this far south. Since accommodation is shared, pack earplugs and an eye mask if you are a light sleeper, and confirm your exact arrival city with the operator in advance if you are flying into El Calafate rather than Chile.

How Does This Compare to Other Torres del Paine Tours?

Among the Torres del Paine tours on this site, this is the only true multi-day trek and by far the most expensive, but it is also the only one that completes the full W route rather than a single valley. Travelers who want just the French Valley without the full five-day commitment should look at the standalone French Valley trek. For background on the trail network and the park's UNESCO status, see the Torres del Paine National Park entry on Wikipedia.