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How to Book Campsites in Torres del Paine: A Step-by-Step Guide | Chile

T he O Circuit is tough, but more unexpectedly arduous is actually booking those campsites in Torres del Paine. Camping in Torres del Paine requires making reservations across three websites (CONAF, Fantastico Sur, and Vertice Patagonia) which aren’t exactly the easiest sites to use. Factor in sporadic availability and a whole lot of outdated information, and you’ll really have to work for it.

Have you found making arrangements for Torres del Paine camping to be a pain in the ass? Below you’ll find everything you need to know camping regulations in Torres del Paine National Park, suggested trekking routes , and information on exactly how to book campsites in Torres del Paine.

What’s changed since 2016? 

Back in October 15, 2016, Torres del Paine made it very hard to show up and improvise . So what changed? You can read the full PDF in Spanish here , or I’ve summarized it below:

• It’s now mandatory to have advance reservations for all the campsites along the W Trek and the O Circuit. Printed vouchers are required at designated checkpoints on the trail.
• The O Circuit can only be traveled counterclockwise.
• The Las Carretas – Paine Grande Trail is closed in high season.
• It is now prohibited to camp at Las Carretas camp.
• The Laguna Amarga – Serón trail is closed.

Map + Campsites in Torres del Paine

There are three different agencies (CONAF, Vertice Patagonia, Fantástico Sur) that offer shelters and camping in Torres del Paine National Park. The campsites you need to reserve will depend on your route and budget.

You can either wait and book your campsites in person in Puerto Natales (very limited availability) or book online, alternating between corresponding websites.

• Refugio and Camping Las Torres: Book with  fantasticosur **
• Chileno Refugio and Camping: Book with  fantasticosur
• NOT AVAILABLE FOR 2019-2020 // Camp Torres: Book with CONAF
• Camp Seron: Book with  fantasticosur
• Refugio Dickson: Book with  Vertice Patagonia
• Camp Los Perros: Book with  Vertice Patagonia
• Camp Paso: Book with CONAF
• Refugio Grey: Book with  Vertice Patagonia
• Refugio Paine Grande: Book with  Vertice Patagonia
• Camp Italiano: Book with CONAF
• Camping El Frances: Book with  fantasticosur
• Refugio Cuernos: Book with  fantasticosur

THE 5 BEST TREKKING ROUTES IN TORRES DEL PAINE

How to book campsites for torres del paine.

Updates from September 2019: CONAF campsites for 2019-2020 are now live for booking!

To book your campsites, go to the CONAF Reservation System and create your account. Once you’re logged in, click on the “Inicio” drop-down and select “Comprar”. After you’ve filled in your personal details to pay for your entrance, you’ll be prompted to “Reservar Servicios”. Then click the “Selecionar Servicios” and tick the radio button for the dates that you want each campsite. If you don’t see all your campsites, go back to “Inicio” and select “Ver Disponibilidad” to check the availability of the sites during your trip.

I’ll be honest that this process still seems completely complicated. The site is only available in Spanish, so tick on your Google Translate plugin if you’re not comfortable navigating in Spanish.

Step 1: Choose your Trek

There are three main trekking routes in Torres del Paine : The W Trek, The O Circuit, and the Q Circuit. Each of the routes will take you in on a path the shape of the indicated letter. The W Trek is the shortest at 3-5 days, the O Circuit is meant to be trekked in 6-10, and the Q Circuit can be accomplished in 7-11 days. Most treks will begin at Paine Grande or Las Torres and travel counterclockwise. Here’s a post on trekking routes in Torres del Paine if you want some inspiration!

Step 2: Plan your Route

Once you’ve decided between the routes, you’ll need to pick the campsites you wish to stay in along the way. The sites you choose will be impacted by your budget, preferred trekking times, and campsite availability. Check out our post on which route to take so you can determine which sites to book. This post also includes hiking distances and suggested itineraries for the W Trek, the O Circuit, and the Q Circuit.

Step 3: Check Availability

Before making your bookings, you’ll need to check that almost  every campsite on your route is available for your dates. Once you have a start date in mind, make an Excel sheet with the dates you’d stay in each campsite. You’ll need to visit the fantasticosur, Vertice Patagonia, and CONAF websites separately to check availability. If one date is unavailable, consider checking availability for nearby campsites. If you’re running into problems, try the whole itinerary with a different start date.  Tip:  The best way to see the sunrise at the Torres del Paine is to camp at the free CONAF site – “Torres” – one hour from the viewpoint. This is the most popular campsite in the park, so I’d recommend checking availability for this site first and planning your trip backward. (UPDATE JULY 2017: Campamiento Torres isn’t accepting reservations for 2018-2019. Instead, you can either splurge on a night at Chileno or wake up extra early to see the sunrise from Central)

Step 4: Make your Reservations

It is most economical to start your reservations with the free campsites in Torres del Paine on CONAF (you can cancel if needed). Next, book your campsites along the W Trek as these are the most likely to fill up first. Finally, head over to fantasticosur and Vertice Patagonia to finalize your reservations. To ensure you don’t get stuck with an incomplete itinerary, it is important to make all of your reservations on the same day . Note:  If one or two of your preferred campsites are booked, you may consider leaving holes in your itinerary, and trying daily for new spots to open up. Once you arrive in Puerto Natales, you can inquire in person. If you’re traveling in low season, there is constantly new availability.

Step 5: Double Check ’em!

After making reservations across three different websites, you’ll want to double check that you didn’t make any mistakes on dates or campsites. You can easily cancel and rebook on the CONAF site, and you will need to message fantasticosur and Vertice Patagonia directly to make changes to your reservation.

Step 6: Print and Get Ready

Print a paper copy of all your reservations to carry with you on your trek. You’ll need to show proof of reservation to get past some of the checkpoints in the park. Now that you’ve got your dates locked in, you can  start planning the trek itself !

… no campsites available? 

The reservation process for camping in Torres del Paine was a bit of a disaster for the 2016-2017 season. There were two main checkpoints along the O Circuit: Guardaria Coirón where they required proof of booking for Dickson or Los Perros and Guardaria Los Perros where you must show a reservation for Paso or Gray. Proof of reservation was mandatory, but I met people traveling without them.

UPDATE MARCH 2019: When I did the trek in 2017, it was possible to make reservations along the way by asking the campsites to call ahead. According to park officials, people are now sent back to the Central Sector or Paine Grande, where they must 1) pay a higher rate in a refugio (where available), 2) hire a private transfer to leave the park or 3) get sent back to Guardería Torres and have to redo their same hike the next morning.

It sucks to miss out on this hike, but this place is fragile and beautiful and the restrictions are in place for a reason. In the name of being a responsible traveler, do your best to plan well ahead or find an alternative to Torres del Paine that doesn’t require reservations as far out. 

Read More:  15 Wildest Treks in South America

Read More:   AN OUTLANDISH GUIDE TO THE O CIRCUIT

Where to stay in puerto natales.

Need a place to stay the night before your trek? Here are some of the best hotels in Puerto Natales.

Refugio Hoshken | The best part of Refugio Hoshken is its inexplicable ability to draw cool people together.  The rooms themselves are quite basic, but the vibe is right in the shared kitchen and common areas. The staff is super friendly and they’ll even let you leave your stuff in storage while you undertake your trek!  Dorms from $14 .

The Singing Lamb  | The Singing Lamb is the best-rated hostel in Puerto Natales thanks to their helpful staff and clean rooms. The place is quite simple but spacious common areas and its location just five blocks from the bus station makes this one the go-to for many people trekking in Torres del Paine.   Double rooms start from €51 .

Hotel Simple Patagonia | While the name might not have you expecting much, the Hotel Simple Patagonia is one of the more luxurious accommodations in Puerto Natales. The property is a full 4km from the bus station, but sleek architecture and floor to ceiling windows (with views of the Ultima Esperanza Sound) easily make up for it.  Double rooms from $158 .

Do you have any other questions about camping in Torres del Paine? Want more information on booking campsites or what to expect? And if you’re traveling in Patagonia…

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Taylor record.

I'm Taylor and this is Travel Outlandish. I’m an independent traveler kind of like you. I believe we deserve better than crowds of people and manufactured experiences when we explore. Whether you're going into the wild on a backpacking trip or planning a weekend in a foreign city, you'll find everything you need to plan something awesome on Travel Outlandish. Thanks for stopping by!

344 Comments

Camp Torres isn’t coming up on the CONAF site, but two other campsites are. Does that mean Torres is sold out, or am I looking in the wrong place?

Hey Paul! Torres is often the first to sell out, but I believe it’s also closed through winter months. Are you looking for dates in November? If I were in your position, I’d consider making a backup reservation at Central Torres with fantasticosur, checking the CONAF site daily, and worst case, simply waiting until you get to Puerto Natales for an in-person booking. Please let me know how it goes!

I have received an email acknowledging that I requested campsites through Vertice but after two days have not heard from the “sales” team to confirm we have sites and to make a payment. What is normal to expect in this process to aid in trip planning. I have sent two emails back asking for an update and to get final confirmation. Any advice is appreciated.

Also, I am going in Dec 10th and could use advice of what to do upon arrival from Puerto Natales. Is it wise to start the first leg and get to Seron or is there a good place that might be available to camp that night for an early departure the next morning.

Advice on these two items is greatly appreciated.

Hey Troy! Most people have had the same problem You can either send over your card details via email (which I wouldn’t love to do) or follow up a few times (Spanish can help!) and wait on them to get back in touch. It’s kind of a painful waiting game, but at least you know they’re not replying to anyone and giving up your spaces!

As for your arrival to Puerto Natales: Buses from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine (2 hours) depart daily at 7:00am and 2:30pm. You’ll likely need to wait to arrive unless you get into Puerto Natales early. If you do wind up on the afternoon bus, the trek to Seron is easy but 4-5 hours and you’d be pushing it to finish before dark. I’d recommend grabbing a campsite or hostel in Puerto Natales (there are plenty) and heading off early the next morning. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions!

Same situation here! Been waiting for Vertice to get back to us for two weeks now, and that’s holding us from booking for Fantasticosur sites. Not great!

I was also waiting for Vertice for a couple of weeks then I finally just called them at +56 61 241 5693. They had someone that could speak in English on the phone to me and I had everything confirmed via email within a couple hours of that phone call.

Thanks for the extra advice. I ended up calling vertice (two hours one day without success then got the line right away next morning ) and they were really nice and my reservations were completed and paid for by the evening. Fantasticosur went through immediately online so that wasn’t a problem. We are now all set to do the W 🙂

Thanks again!

I have tried calling so many times too! I didn’t book our Fantastic Sur spots because we were waiting to book it all at once and now there aren’t any left but the really expensive ones! I will call first thing in the morning tomorrow. Fingers crossed!

Hi, Thank you for all the info. One question, its written that the Laguna Amarga to Seron trail is closed this season, but you are talking about doing it anyway if I well understand ?

Hi Alice. I haven’t seen any updates, but I don’t believe it’s possible to hike Laguna Amarga to Seron trail this season.

Hi, thank you for your answer, so if I want to do the O starting in laguna amarga in the direction of Seron, I have to go through Torres ?

Hello! Question about reservations with Vertice… I have had no luck locating the page on their site to reserve campsites. They seem to imply that I must now reserve via email. I have been sending them emails and trying to call them this week with no luck. Any help/suggestions? I have already booked the Fantástico Sur campsites for my friend and I do to the W at the start of December but I still need to book Paines Grandes… then I plan to carry on with the O by myself but, since Vertice owns that side of the park, it has been a painful waiting game.

Hi everyone! I’m hoping you can provide an update on when you ended up hearing back from Vertice (if at all). A friend and I reached out to Vertice today in hopes of staying early-December but we are worried with all of the comments above that we won’t hear back in a timely manner to book the Fantastico Sur lodgings. I’m wondering if anyone has a WhatsApp number for Vertice, or if someone was able to get in touch with the company another way. We are specifically looking to book Refugio Grey and Refugio Paine Grande through Vertice. Thanks in advance!!

Taylor, thanks for the note. Since my post is took roughly a month to hear back from them for booking the campsites but they did finally get back to me. My trip is next week so I think I am set on the itinerary. I am learning that patience and persistence is the key. I speak no Spanish so that slight barrier does make it a bit challenging but not impossible.

I appreciate your advice and look forward to this incredible adventure. Happy hiking!!

Hey not sure if you’ve figured this out yet but it looks like Camp Torres is closed this year. I was just on the CONAF site and it had an update on there.

Thanks for the update, Marissa! I really appreciate it. I’ll make an amendment to the post now!

Hi Taylor! Do you know if Torres opens back up in 2018 or is it closed for all of 2017/2018?

Hi Stephen. I just checked the TdP website, and I’m afraid Torres is closed for the whole season. Hard to say exactly why! Your option is either to stay at Chileno (a bit pricey) or the Torres camp owned by Fantastico Sur (requires an early wakeup). Bummer that it’s closed – I hope it opens back up again next season! > http://www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl/es/sistema-de-reserva-de-campamentos-1

we got almost the same problems everybody has. just two questions: is it possible to walk the w-trek the other way round? i managed to book camp central at the first night, then camp frances for the following night. what i need know is my booking confirmation for camp paine grade and camp grey for the last two nights. i ll try to call again later. there is just a strange beep right now. the other question is: if i didnt get camp paine grande and camp grey, we thought about booking a second night at camp frances, just walk up to mirador britanico and get back later. and then for the last night, just walk to camp grey without reservation. do you think its possible to just be very sorry for have no reservation and just pay double or something? thanks for answering!! we are kind of desperate, as we already booked our flights from germany… (Date for the Trek should be 17-21 November)

To answer your first question: Yes! It is possible to hike the W-Trek in reverse. As for reservations, I understand all the camps have a one night limit. Unlike the O, there were no checkpoints for campsites along the W portion of the trail (aka they won’t stop you from walking onward). That being said, you typically do need a reservation to stay the night and they’ll give you some sort of tent tag at some of the camps to indicate it. I’d recommend popping into the offices when you get to Puerto Natales and I’d expect you’ll be able to have a reservation before starting the trek. Good luck!

Hi Taylor, thanks for the fast reply! there is no one night limit for the fantasticosur camps – i tried to book the second night in frances and it worked. so we got our first three nights safe… we will just try as you said. get to puerto natales and try to book at the vertice office… this blog really is great by the way. 🙂

Brian Zimmerman

Vertice has been horrible replying to me too. I am in the same boat. Is popping into the offices a viable option? I am looking to do the same as the reservation system has been a mess. I can pay on site as I would hate to “sneak in”

How long after you reserve spots with Vertice Patagonia are you excpected to get a response it’s been about three weeks

Is there a step by step to actually booking? I’ve gone through the Fantastico Sur website and I cannot find where to book. I click on the campsites and nothing happens.

Hey Kate. I checked on FantasticoSur today and it looks like their booking engine is undergoing a revamp. Unfortunately, your only choice for now is to email them at [email protected] . Hope this helps!

Hey! I love this post, I’ve been struggling to find decent information and this is the best resource! One thing I wondered, is that you mention equipment rental at sites is not possible for the O trek, yet when I checked out the Suggested Route: Serón > Dickson > Los Perros > Gray > Paine Grande > Frances > Torres, they all mention rental. I’d love to know why you mentioned you couldn’t rent equipment on the O trek as I wouldn’t want to get there and it be an issue if I didn’t take my own.

Thank you so much for all your help with these posts.

I haven’t had any luck booking anything with Vertice. No matter what date I choose, it shows the sites as “vendido”. I can’t believe they are all actually sold out. I have emailed them with no response. Any suggestions on what I should do? Thanks.

Hi Andy! I emailed Vertice and FantasticoSur a couple of weeks back. I never heard back from Vertice, but FantasticoSur said that 2017-2018 availability would come available the end of May. My guess is that Vertice hasn’t made the switch between seasons yet, but that it should be coming soon. When are you planning your trip?

I’m planning on being at Torres del Paine starting November 17. Hiking the O route. I also had the same issue as Paul, can’t seem to reserve Camp Torres. The Conaf website only allows you to book sites so far in advance. Once you get past early December it says the dates are too far in advance. So I’m not convinced that the Torres campsite is sold out, because it doesn’t show up on any possible date. Thanks for your blog, I appreciate the information trying to figure this out.

Cara Walker

Hi there! I am not sure what other information I hope to gain because you all have already provided so much, but I am struggling with Vertice reservations. My flights are booked and I hope to complete the O Trek December 24-January 1. FantasticoSur responded promptly and was easy to book. Sadly, I still haven’t received a response from Vertice – even after my initial online booking request and 3 follow up emails. I emailed Erratic Rock also on the off-chance they have insight. Nothing. Any suggestions or tips? Also, as my timeframe is somewhat crunched, are you familiar with a direct transfer from Punta Arenas airport to Erratic Rock? Thank you so much for your blog and insight!

Hi Cara. It sounds like everyone is struggling with Vertice. Someone above mentioned they got a faster reply by emailing in Spanish — perhaps you can give that a try? As for the transportation, you can easily take transport from the airport in Punta Arenas straight to Puerto Natales. As the town is tiny, you’ll get dropped maybe a 15 minute walk from the Erratic Rock office? From Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine, busses depart daily at 7:00am and 2:30pm so you’ll want to plan ahead for this. Good luck!

Vaclav Dekanovsky

Hello, I can just add that I struggle with Vertice. I emailed them many times, used their form online (which works just for some camps), I tried to call, but even when I someone picket up the phone (usually 10 or more tries on both numbers) then the call ended in few second with ‘Can you hear me?’ (I’m calling from Europe). I tried their facebook, twitter, yesterday I even send a postcard and I have contacted CONAF in the region if they can help me. So far no luck, but I don’t give up. Fingers crossed to everyone and thanks for news.

Next Stop – South America! | Traveling Honeybird

[…] If you do need some advice then see our friends at Travel Outlandish and their amazing guide on How To Book Campsites In Torres Del Paine.  […]

Hi there, I just left a comment on another post actually, because I ran into the same problem as Andy F. I looked for campsites on Vertice today for October and Novemeber, and everything came up as sold out. I really want to do the W this fall, and just about fell out of my chair thinking perhaps everything was already booked up this far in advance. I’m supposing that isn’t the case quite yet, but in your experience, how soon should we be booking for those months?

Hey, Jaz! I just reached out to Vertice again via email. My guess is that Vertice hasn’t updated their availability for the next season yet, as FantasticoSur just released dates at the end of May. I’ll update the information here if I hear back from them. Good luck and thanks for taking the time to comment!

Hi there, has anyone had luck with booking through Vertice or FantasticSur yet? I’m pretty flexible with dates over November/December but having the same issues with everything appearing as sold out for Vertice. Has anyone had any luck booking with FantasticoSur via email, given their online booking system is still not up and running?

Hey Julia! I just got an update from one of the gear rental shops in town. I’ve added a note to the end of the post if you’d like to check out the most current information. I emailed both FantasticoSur and Vertice this month and got a reply (albeit slow). Good luck!

Thanks for the update. Was wondering what the go was this year!

Sure thing! It’s certainly not the most straightforward process 😉

I’ve received the following information: We will start taking individual bookings or W or O circuit program reservations for next season during the first weeks of July.

As we’ve kept your email address, we are going to send you all the information then.

Best Regards,

Alejandra Vargas Alvarez Ejecutiva de Ventas y Reservas

Fantástico Sur Treks and Lodging W Trek – Torres del Paine Patagonia – Chile T: (56)(61) 2 614 184

[email protected] http://www.fantasticosur.com

Thanks for sharing the update, Tom! Fingers crossed they keep the commitment to email you. Hope your trip planning goes smoothly!

Hi Tom, Now that is is July, I am trying to book camping spots on the W circuit. I am unable to access the reservation pages for the reasons everyone has stated above. Have you had any luck with the start of July?

Mirla Klijn

Same problem here, both with the website of Vertice and FantasticoSur.. Hoping an email will help!

Claire Lawrence

Just an update! I’m all booked through Vertice, but haven’t heard anything at all from FantasticoSur yet, has anyone heard anything from them?

Im still getting an error through vertice online booking system “the requested page could not be found”. Did you book via email? No word from fantastico

Yeah I couldn’t get that to work, I just forwarded my previous email to bug them a bit and got a reply the day after. The prices have gone up so I guess they’re changing the site to fit!

Daniel Johnson

What dates did you get with Vertice Claire? We have sent them multiple emails over the last couple of months trying to get space in their refugios in mid Nov and we finally got a response this morning saying that they are fully booked on the dates we wanted. If this is the case for November I can’t imagine what Dec/Jan/Feb would be like!

Wow, really, Daniel? I’m surprised to hear November is already sold out. Have you looked into doing the trek in reverse? Another pretty trusty strategy is to check back. There’s enough time between now and November that I’d expect cancellations. Good luck!

Hi all, just seeing this thread which is helpful as I’m getting a “sold out” or grayed out dates for Vertice and FantasticoSur, respectively. I spoke to someone over the phone at Vertice today and it sounds like they haven’t yet released dates for late December (when we’ll be there), however, I haven’t been able to contact anyone at FantasticoSur. Is anyone traveling around the same time? If so, have we missed the boat for reservations?

Hi Maggie. I’m certain there are still sites available during that time, but the website isn’t updated. I’ve sent 4-5 emails just to get 1 back, so perhaps contact them a few more times and see what you can get? Good luck!

Hi Maggie, I booked with Vertice for late December last week. I also tried to contact FantasticoSur but they haven’t reply to my email.

Thanks for letting me know. Do you mind sharing the email that responded to you? Did you book individual nights or some king of package? They seem keen to sell me expensive tours at the moment but I can’t book individual nights on my own.

Best, Maggie

I booked two individual nights for the camping with rental of a tent and camping gear. I sent them an email with the specific nights and campsites I wanted (dec 20-21th) and what gear I needed. They back on July 12th with a detailed bill and booking conditions. Once I agreed, they sent me the paiment link.

Update…It looks like Camp Torres is not available next season!!! http://www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl/es/sistema-de-reserva-de-campamentos-1 See the important notice at the bottom.

Hi everybody, We also planed to do the W treck in october. I have contacted directly CONAF for explanations regarding the Camp Torres. Here is the answer… Not Good ^^

Dear Christophe,

Along with greeting, we thank you for contacting us to express your inquiry.

In this regard we can inform you the following:

The reservation system for high season (October-April) is already operational ( http://www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl/es/system-of-reserve-of-campamentos-1 ) but reservations can only be made 6 months in advance (more than 180 days in advance, will not allow you to book) so that at this moment it is possible that you reserve for the months of October, November and December, as the days elapse you will be able to access the following months. For the next season the Torres Camp will be closed, only the Paso and Italiano Camps, which are the free CONAF sites, will be enabled.

Services in concessioned and private areas must be reserved directly by users in the respective companies, as depending on your itinerary on the trails, you may have to book more than one camp.

FANTASTICO SUR Contact http://www.fantasticosur.com / [email protected] – [email protected] / telephone 56 61 2614184 (Campsites Seron, Frances, Los Cuernos, Las Torres, Chileno).

VERTICE PATAGONIA Contact http://www.verticepatagonia.com / [email protected] / telephone 56 61 2412742 (Campsites Dickson, Perros, Grey, Paine Grande).

The suggestion is to be attentive to what is reported on the official website of the park http://www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl / Daily Report, in relation to the operation of tourism services, states of roads and trails and requirements for mountain circuits. On the same page you will find the information necessary to plan your trip in a better way: rates, access, what to do, downloadable map with distances and times of travel of trails, etc.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us again. Hoping to cooperate with your concern, greet you.

OIRS Magallanes

Phone 56 61 2238554

Hi Christophe. Thanks for sharing this update! I’m disappointed to hear that Torres is closed – definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me. In this case, you’ll either need to shell out the cash for Chileno, or camp at Central and wake up 3-4 hours early to get to TdP in time for sunrise. Hope your booking goes smoothly, and I’m looking forward to hearing about your trek!

Fantastico Sur is open for reservations. E-mail [email protected] & they’ll send you a PDF and word doc to fill out. Pretty janky process. They said they’re backed up with 500 unread emails so might take a bit to hear back.

They don’t provide prices without room and board. I guess you could ask for a separate list of prices but I didn’t want to risk it selling out…

Thanks for the update, Paul! 500 unread emails makes me feel pretty good about my own inbox.

Another update! I got final confirmations with both Fantasticosur and Vertice last week, Fantasticosur tend to get back if you send multiple emails… I got an email last week basically saying that they needed confirmation that anyone who had emailed before still needed to book, so it’s worth another message.

Also, for anyone who doesn’t want to carry equipment, you absolutely can rent camping equipment the whole way around.

Hey everybody,

I emailed both vertice and fantastico sur last week to book campsites in January. No word back from fantastico sur yet, but I did receive the following email from Vertice:

Good afternoon,

Dear, I respect your request.

I inform you that the website will be operational in a couple of days, so you can make your reservations online. Please be attentive

Have a nice day Best regards

Ventas y Reservas

Sounds like their system will be back up and running soon.

Fingers crossed that “a couple of days” is a genuine timeline. Let me know how it goes, Ryan!

Just wondering if anything is experiencing the same issues at the moment? I’m trying to book camping reservations for the O circuit in February 2018. I am having trouble booking with Fantastico Sur and getting any response from them. It seems they have opened up there reservations on the website, but I can’t seem to work it out. Has anyone had any difficulties booking Camp Chileno as Camp Torres is closed? When I try to book it is not even an option on the reservations page. Also, they seem to only have the option of booking Camping at Seron, and if you want to book at Frances there is no camping option and it says you must book ‘Platformus Premium’ which is 160 US per night for 2 people.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

After several emails to Fantastico Sur, they emailed me back a word doc form to fill out for reservations. I filled it out and actually got a reservation confirmation from them. I would try to get that form because their website definitely isn’t fully fixed. For whatever reason ($$$) they force you to buy the Platformus Premium for Frances and El Chileno. Definitely more money than what I was hoping to spend but with Camp Torres closed there isn’t a good alternative…

I also got the same response from Vertice as Ryan did. Hopefully their website becomes available for reservations soon, not sure how much longer I can handle the uncertainty lol. Best of luck everyone.

Hey Andy, Thanks for getting back to me. I just got the same emails from both Vertice and Fantastico Sur as you and Ryan did. Very frustrating about the cost but looks that there is no other option! Just wondering how did you pay for the reservation? Or are you paying later. I can’t see any area on the form to put down credit card details etc. Thanks again, Mel

My mistake Andy I was looking at the wrong form!

Hi Andy, Did you have the get the premium platformas when you booked with them through e-mail? The Premium Platformus for the Chileno site show that they’re already sold out for when I was looking to go in November. I was hoping to just reserve a campsite space.

Liz, I did reserve the Premium Platformus for El Chileno when I booked with them over email. Sorry to hear they are already sold out… From what I can tell they don’t allow you to reserve just a campsite.

I’ve been having the same issues, within the last week fantasticosur updated the site but still no just regular campsite reservations. Previously no dates for after november 2017 were selectable and I think only had some refugios options

for vertice pantagonia reservations (e.g. perros, paine grande, not available in their website) they also had just responded to my email they are updating their site too, and their site still displays they are to be updating

“Dear, regarding your request.

I inform you that the website will be operational in a few days, so you can make your reservations online

Have a nice day”

Liz it seems they only offer Chileno Platform Premium sites when you receive the booking form from Fantastico Sur, or look on the website, and you cannot just book camping sites. You can only book full board as well and the prices are sky high. Interestingly on the emailed booking form, you can book a campsite at Seron, but on the website it only allows you to pay for the expensive Platform Premium option. The website also only allows you to pay in USD rather than CLP which is an option on the booking form. You’re a lot worse off if you pay in USD it seems. I have not been successful in Fantastico getting back to me about my booking form despite me mailing it to them last week. I’m still having no luck with Vertice either. Bit of a nightmare really!

Hey Mel, I just finally heard back from fantastico sur about my order this morning about a week after I submitted it. I sent them a couple of follow up emails to check in on it. Not sure if that helped move things along or not.

Still no luck with Vertice here either despite my follow up emails.

I also have had no luck with vertice, but yea the email they sent today fantasticosur says chileno and cuernos are only full board (I confirmed my reservations with fantasticosur)

I wasn’t trying to stay at those sites; their rate pdf they email with their word form for campsite reservations for torre central but they only accept reservations for plataforma premium (or the other options). Be ready to spend some $$$, as even just a campsite at seron is $20 USD

Also if anyone needs to google, Bus Sur goes from the punta arenas airport (PUQ) to puerto natales and you can book that online, some sites seem to suggest the bus fernandez or bus sur aren’t at the airport.

André Baumgarten

Hey, Torres Central has Sitios right now. Whatever goes on with their website, yesterday I couldn’t find Torres Central at all, today it appeared and showed camp sites. Cheers

Thanks once again for such an insightful post! According to my own research, it appears that booking on refugio campsite grounds allows you access to their showers, kitchen, and bathrooms. My questions for you are: 1) How on earth did you do laundry while touring? Did you have time to do laundry at all? 2) I am planning to bring a GoPro and Phone for pictures and video… how often were you able to charge your equipment on the O and/or W circuit? 3) Can you rent daily tent equipment from some of the more desolate campsites on the O Trek or do you have to bring your own equipment?

Thank you!! Zach

Hi everyone. We are in the same shoes with my girlfriend, banging my head against crappy websites, emails without responses, random rules and terrible official communication … I am loosing my nerves to the point I want to skip Torres altogether. Is it worth to play the game of a bunch of exploiting local companies and incompetent governance that obviously care more about the money than their guests. This truly saddens me.

We want to do the O circle starting 30th of September. This is what we know so far: – Serron is closed until 1st Octobre, Fantastico Sur stating that it is then impossible to camp there. Not sure, but I think that people are doing O circuit even in low-season, so they must camp somewhere. Does anyone have any info on this? – Vertice opens their camps on 15th of September, the website says that reservations should be done online. – After two emails with reservations within two weeks, still no response from Vertice. Will call them in the next days. – There are supposedly 2 checkpoints on the O circuit where they check your bookings; there are 3 checkpoints “guarderias” on the O circuit. – Fantastico Sur only sells Full Board (breakfast, lunch, dinner) on “platforms” in Chileno and Cuernos for 120.000 CLP. This is beyond ridiculous. – This year CONAF has closed the Torres camp, so for the sunrise view of Torres it is only possible to sleep over in Chileno (with inclusive full-board) or in Central. But this is very far away, making it nearly impossible to see the sunrise — or even sunset at Torres except for those who can spend 120.000 CLP.

It seems to me that all this got so complicated and misinformed also due to local guides offering the same tours we are looking into for a couple of thousands USD, which they wouldn’t get if people would be doing this themselves. Very sad.

This all got me so very angry I am thinking either to skip this broken paradise or just not reserve a single camp anymore, go there and hassle.

I booked Fantastico through their website without any issue, and got a confirmation through Vertice. But Vertice said I need to pay withing 48hrs, but didn’t tell me how (of course I emailed them asking, but they’re slow to respond and I don’t want to lose my tent sites). Anyone know how to pay? They mentioned WebPay, but I’m not sure what that is. Thanks.

Jodi, I’m having the same issue. I got a reservation confirmation from Vertice but they don’t explain how to pay. And of course they don’t respond to email, even though they expect payment within 48 hours. I just passed 48 hours and don’t know what to do. Did you figure anything out from them? Thanks.

Hi Jodi! I am curious approximately how long it took Vertice to respond to your inquiry. I heard back from Fantastico right away. I am on week 4 of no response from Vertice. I submitted the only request for reservation and received the confirmation in my email. Yet, I ‘ve heard nothing since, even after multiple follow up emails from me. My flights are booked and I plan to be there December 24-January 1, so the lack of confirmation is making me nervous! Thank you!

Hi there, thanks for this great guide! I was wondering, is it necessary to book the double platforms when booking for two people (sharing one tent), or can you just book the single platform? These websites are terribly confusing.

Hi Jess! I’m trying to figure out if a small tent (with two people) will work with a single platform. Did you ever find the answer to this? Thanks!

Hi Jess and Michaela, did you figure out the single versus double platform issue?

Hi Sten, Michaela, and Jess. I checked with Erratic Rock and they confirmed that single platform is still for a two person tent. The only bit I’m still confused about is board if you’re staying at one of the camps where meals are included. Did you figure it out yet?

Nathan Putnam

I have the same question! It is very confusing. Choice 1 = Single platform + fullboard ( FOR ONE PERSON). Choice 2 = Double platform + Fullboard ( FOR TWO PEOPLE). Then you have to choose QTY. I am thinking Choice 1 and then QTY 2 for two people sharing a tent. Can anyone confirm this is correct? Thanks!

Hey Nathan, sorry for the delay! I checked with Erratic Rock and they confirmed that single platform is still for a two person tent. Which campsite are you looking at? I’m still a bit unsure at sites that are supposed to include board.

Hi Taylor, Thanks for the reply and for all this great info. I quickly bookmarked the site when we started planning. My guess is that Fantastico is not going to care whether it’s single platform with two people or double platform and one tent–considering it costs the same price! Also interesting about Perros to Paine Grande. We face the same challenge because Vertice is impossible to book and clearly Grey is full-up. Current plan is actually to take the Hotel Lago Grey boat from Grey to extract at the end of the trip, rather than keep walking down from Grey.

Is it true that the O circuit is not open until November? Vertice told me they did not take bookings until then but I’m not clear on what that means – if it’s actually closed, or if I just don’t need to make a reservation.

Hi Elise. I’ve done some research and found that it’s only possible to book the O Circuit during the winter months with a certified guide. Are you planning to go on your own or were you expecting to do a tour?

Well this nightmare appears to be over for me. Just wanted to pass along the results I had.

Vertice: After completing the online reservation form, they sent me a confirmation email that showed the details of reservation, and instructions indicating you need to pay with webpay within 48 hours. Three days later, I received another email with a link that connected me to webpay where I was able to pay for the sites online. That gave me the final confirmation.

Fantastico Sur: I reserved this through email, but it looks like their website is now working. I got screwed into paying full board for El Chileno, but I want to see the Torres at sunrise and with Camp Torres closed it was really the only option.

CONAF: I still only have the “temporary” reservations from them, they said they will be getting back to us with actual confirmations. I don’t have any expectation of when this will actually happen.

Best of luck everyone, I still can’t believe it took me 4 months of emailing to deal with all this BS. But confident it will be worth it.

Hopefully the worst is over for you, pal! I think you’ll find that once you’re actually in the park, the bureaucracy dies down a bit and you can just enjoy some hiking 🙂 Have a good trip.

We are just sorting out camping now and it is great to read everyone’s comments. I just wanted to check that there is no alternative to staying at Chileno. The price seems so ridiculous!! Thanks

Thanks for the great post, Taylor. I’ve found more useful information in this post than I have from emailing and visiting the website for Fantistico Sur and Vertice Patagonia over the past 3 months. Trying to get any useful information from them has been so frustrating, so much so that I’ve been considering abondoning my plans to visit Torres del Paine all together!

I have a couple of follow up questions I hoped you might be able to answer. I’m planning to do the W trek over 4 nights/5 days in mid February but I’m unsure how far in advance I’ll need to book. Do you have any idea how long I should give it? I appreciate this will depend on which campsites I’m looking to stay at. In short, my plan is to be at Vertice Grey on the first night and Paine Grande on the second – it looks like I can book these through Vertice Patagonia at the moment.

I originally wanted to stay at Los Cuernos on the 3rd night. However, after contacting Fantistico Sur, they informed me they only offer full board options ( no cooking facilities) and prices are started from $113. As an alternative, I’m looking at staying at camp Italiano, am I right in thinking they aren’t taking bookings at the moment?

As for the last night, my original plan was to stay at campamento torres, but as i can see through your post and comments, this isn’t available. The only feasible alternative i seem to be able to find is staying at Refugio Torre Norte (fantistico Sur) at the cost of $90 a night. Far from ideal but I want to be able to see the sunrise. Would this work as an alternative?

Any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated 🙂

Hi David. That’s pretty high praise – I’m really glad you’ve found it useful! Stick it out, and I swear the trek will be worth it. To answer your questions: * The W Trek doesn’t have the same restrictions in place as the O Circuit. While you’ll need to book well in advance for the refugios, there are hundreds of campsites and I don’t think they’ve limited the daily visitors yet. I’d say go ahead and make your reservations whenever you’re certain on your dates! * I just took a look, and CONAF will allow you to book for Italiano in February now. * I’m so disappointed that Torres is closed this season! Torres Central is the most popular backup camping option, and a site will only cost you $16. You’ll be able to see sunrise with a 4 hour head start. Let me know if you have any other questions, and good luck with your trip.

Thanks for the response, Taylor. Again, I’m close to giving up arranging campsites to do the W trek. I’ve emailed both Fantistico Sur and Vertice Grey several times over the past month with no response. I’m now considering just being based in Puerto Natales and doing a couple of day treks in the park. Is this something you have any experience of? From what I’ve read, I know you can do a trek to the towers in about 7-8 hours (roundtrip), but I’m unsure if you’ll be able to take in other treks such as the French Valley. Thanks.

Hi David. If you decide not to do the full W, have you considered staying for a few nights at Torres Central? The park is a bit far to do repeat day trips, but the hikes are doable in a day! If you take the catamaran to the Paine Grande, and start at 10am, you’ll be to Italiano within 2.5 hours. In another 1 hour, you’ll hit the first mirador, and another hour is the second. I think the last catamaran is around 6pm so you should be able to do that in a day if you’re feeling fit!

Hey Taylor! I emailed both Vertice and Fantasticour about reservations for the O trek January ’18 a few days ago. How long does it typically take them to respond regarding reservations? Our group wants to hold off on purchasing a flight to Chile until we’ve nailed down our dates. Your blog has been so helpful! Really appreciate it.

Hi Stephen, so glad you’ve found the post helpful! To be honest, it varies. I’ve written and heard back within a day, and I’ve written to never hear back. I’d recommend following up in 2 days if you haven’t heard back. Let me know how it goes!

Just an update. I received my confirmation finally from Vertice but it took them almost a week to actually give me the details of how to Web Pay. I did send them a reminder email at about 72 hours so that may help. Fantastico Sur seems to be running smoothly through the website, however I noticed there website only allows you to pay for the Platform Premium option at Seron, where as on their list of rates they have a cheaper camping option at Seron. For this reason we paid via the website for Chileno, and then emailed them for a booking form for Seron and sent it back via email. Was a bit more tedious but I was so frustrated at there money grabbing tactics with Chileno that I stubbornly did it through email. Still waiting for the official email confirmations for CONAF and not sure how long that it will take but appears we have temporary reservations for Feb. For those trying to do O circuit in Sept/early Oct, we had initially planned our trip for early October this year but had to postpone as it appeared we were unable to do O circuit as the camps weren’t open without a guide. The W circuit was a possibility at that time but they couldn’t guarantee until around July which was to late for us. Best of luck everyone, sure it will be worth it!

Mel – Thanks for the update/letting me know. I’m planning to hike the O trek with a group of friends in January. I ended up going back to the fantasticour site and was able to make reservations at what appeared to be a cheaper Seron option (Camping Seron Sitio Suelo) which came out to roughly $21 a person. The other sites I’m trying to make reservations at Cuernos (or Frances) and Torres but it appears they only have domos or premium platform options. Curious if they’re doing a similar money grabbing technique with these sites….I’ve already made my reservations on the CONAF site and received confirmation back relatively quick.

Mel/Taylor – I still have not heard back from VP which is making me kind of nervous. I’ve sent follow up emails to both Fantasicour and VP, wondering if I should call them directly?

Thank you both for your help!

im going in november have tried to book paine grande and the grey site through verticepatagonia. they sent and email confirming it and that i must pay within 48 hours otherwise i lose the booking. but in the email they dont tell you how to pay give you no link to go to and i have trawled their website for days and cannot find out how to pay. its so frustrating!! thinking of giving up now. can’t believe how hard they make it for you too book! can anyone help on how i can pay them so i can reserve my booking??

Hi Nick! I never got so far with Vertice, but Fantastico Sur asked me to send them my Card Number and Expiry Date via email – not ideal! Another option might be to pay via Bank Transfer – did they include any attachments in your email?

First, thank you for such a helpful blog! This has been one of the BEST sources of information about camping in TDP.

I wanted to pass along some information. It looks like you can book the free campsite through the CONAF website ~6 months in advance. We just booked a campsite for late February and did not have to wait until October to do so.

Also, if anyone has any tips of receiving the payment information from Vertice that would be greatly appreciated. It appears that we all are having a similar issue with only receiving the initial confirmation email.

Hi Kristin. I’m so glad you found the post useful! I remember the campsites being kind of a nightmare to book. Thanks for the tip about the CONAF sites! As for Vertice, the comments have been pretty active on this post. Perhaps check back in a few days and see if anyone has had luck? If you hear back, feel free to note it here. Appreciate your comment and best of luck!

Jason Barton

Currently going through the same struggles that everyone else appears to be going through in regards to Vertice. Received a confirmation e-mail 10 days ago, instructing me to provide them with some general details so that they could then send a link to pay via WebPay…I am yet to receive a link still. Have sent several follow up e-mails to them to try and get some traction but it hasn’t helped. Does anyone know why it takes so long for them to process the bookings?

I am going to try and call them tonight and will keep this post updated with progress. Good luck everyone! Good things take time 🙂

Hi Jason! Sorry that it’s been such a long wait! If you email them your card details I’m sure you’d get a faster booking, but that’s never ideal. The reservation requirements were just introduced in 2016, so I think that Vertice, CONAF, and Fantastico Sur haven’t scaled up quick enough to accommodate the influx of advance bookings. In general, the “why” may become apparent after you spend a bit of time in Chile — things will happen when they happen. I think you’re right to follow up, and they’ll get back with you soon enough! Good luck with your booking.

That makes sense. After having no luck with getting a reply from e-mails written in English, I had a Colombian friend draft up an e-mail in Spanish which I then sent off – I got a reply in the next day or so…not sure if that’s a coincidence but worth a try for other struggling out there who are worried about not being able to fully “confirm” the booking 🙂

Thanks Taylor for this blog, very helpful for this process 🙂

Any chance you’d be willing to share that email Jason? Haha

Alison Roberts

Hi Taylor. Great advice. Quick question. We (2) intend to do the W trek in mid October 2017. Do you think it will be ok to book in person when we arrive in Puerto Natales as its so early in the season?? Many thanks

Hi Alison. Is there any reason you’d prefer to wait rather than doing it online? I also went in a shoulder season (late March) and found that most things were still sold out well in advance. The W Trek has a lot more availability than the O Circuit, but in recent years, the demand has far exceeded the availability. If you CAN, I’d say book ahead, but if you need to wait, there’s always a chance that you can grab things locally.

Thanks Taylor. We are not exactly sure of our dates yet but will heed your advice. Alison

Hi again Taylor More help needed please. I am trying to book W trek. CONAF web site just keeps coming up Unavailable, any other way to contact them. And I am trying to book a camping spot at Chileno but the price keeps coming up as $194 us, for 2 of us Full board. (Ridiculous) We only want a camp spot as we are carrying all our own gear. Is this possible? Many thanks again Alison

I contacted Fantastico by email, they are not offering a camping only option only the full board. We also will be carrying our own gear, Yes we are getting ripped, not sure what else we can do.

Called vertice after waiting 8 business days. The lady said she can’t help and they have to process via email. She kept saying they have 7 business days so they still have time to respond. I told her it’s been 10 days so we were clear. Anyway, I feel stuck. Can I just pitch a tent anywhere?

Hey Sam. Wouldn’t that be nice? The park is very strict about only camping in designated spots and they’ve begun cracking down on presenting reservations throughout to prove you have bookings. Don’t give up! If you bother them enough, they’ll get back to you eventually!

Eh, we are fully booked with tickets, campsites, etc. – except for Vertice Patagonia. What exactly does cracking down mean and what’s the penalty? At this point we’re going to the park with or without a reservation there…

Very helpful post Taylor. I am doing the O circuit in January 2018. Same problems as others. Patagonia Sur and CONAF were easy to book online. I switched out Torres for Chileno because of the Torres closure. Vertice Patagonia was harder to book. I made the reservation request online. Received the e-mail saying that their sales department would be in touch soon. Radio silence. I sent e-mails. Crickets. Called a jillion times. No pick up. Phone line would drop. Used the Rebtel app. Called with the app and they picked up on about the 13th try. Not sure if Rebtel made a difference or not but it was free to try so it didn’t hurt. Spoke to a very nice woman. She found my original reservation request. Said someone would be in touch with me later that day to confirm if the dates were available. Someone did e-mail me to confirm. They requested some payment details, which I responded with, and the next day I got the weblink for payment which worked smoothly. No more stress.

Glad to hear your booking saga finally came to an end, Stephen! It sounds to me like Vertice hasn’t yet scaled up their operation to accommodate the new regulations from 2016 and are struggling to keep up. Good luck on your trek!

I’m also going for December/January. I’ve had a very similar experience. Finally spoke with a woman at Vertice last Wednesday and received the same assurance that an email would be forthcoming. Sadly, no email as of yet and I’ve been trying to call again today. The good bit is that the women with whom I’ve spoken at Vertice have been super nice and helpful with my lame Spanish!

Hi Stephen,

We are now undergoing the same stress you did 🙂 We are heading over to Patagonia the beginning of December. We were able to book the campsites on Patagonia Sur and CONAF but are still waiting on a respons of Vertice Patagonia. I tried calling several times but nog answer… my Spanish is okay (so I can manage) but I never heard of the Rebtel app. So I just downloaded it. Can you explain me how it works? or which phone number you called?

Thanks for the useful blog, I found the information here more useful and up to date than that of any of the internet sites of the park managers. I am in Puerto Natales at the moment (11/09/17), I had been trying to book the w for for six months with no luck, so I gave up and decided to wait until I was here. The situation as of the moment is: Paine grande (vértice) is open and plenty of availability at the moment (6mil for camping) and there is a boat everyday at around 11am from pudeta (11mil) Camping grey (vértice) isn’t open until October and they have availability for October (not sure how much) Italiano (conaf) is open and fully booked for all of September Frances (fantástico) not open until October (lots of availability) Cuernos (fantástico) open on the 20th of September with availability Central (fantástico) open now and plenty of space, but no camping here only full board Refugio 60,000 pesos And las Torres (conaf) closed for the season.

ThIs process has been a huge pain in the ass, hopefully in the future the three administrators will get their shit together, work together, with sole agencies to offer an easy booking system. But for now we have to work with what we can. Good luck people, I hope others trying to navigate this mess in the low season have better luck than I did!

Thanks for sharing these updates, Joshua! I’m sure it will be useful to everyone who reads the comments, and I’ll pass the details along to anyone that asks 🙂

I had the same experience as everyone else. Both Fantastico Sur and Vertice don’t reply to emails. The process to book online at Fantastico Sur was smooth, but don’t expect replies to emails. Vertice didn’t respond after I submitted booking request online, no response to my email reminders either. So I started calling after one week. On the 3rd call which is one week after the first call, they finally confirmed availability on the phone and sent me the payment link through email. You have to hold them to check availability while you are on the phone. If they say they’ll check and reply later in the day, it most likely won’t happen. But I have to say every lady who picked up my call was very nice. I found calling in the afternoon was easier to get through.

Joscha Martin

Hey, I tried to make reservations on fantasticosur but its showing me ridiculous prices.. Are 113$ for a night normal? Anyone else getting the same? Am I doing something wrong? Any tips? Thanks

Unfortunately, their prices are insanely high…Had to book 2 premium nights at $130 even thought I have my own tent! I could’t select the other options since they were sold out! 🙁

Nope, sadly these prices are right. God damn cutthroats. Only possible “budget” alternative is camping at Torres Central, skipping Chileno. There you can find camp sites without platform and full board. It is still 4.5 hrs away from the Torres del Paine, but if you are not in the need of seeing the sunrise there or if you are keen to start extra early in the night, then this is the only alternative to stay “low cost”, even that a simple camp site at central costs you 21 USD. My “low cost” split for the O:

Las torres – 10k CLP (15.5 USD) Serón – 10k CLP (15.5 USD) Dickson – 8 USD Los Perros – 8 USD Paso – Free Grey – 8 USD Paine Grande – 10 USD Italiano – Free Total: 65 USD!

Cheers, André

Laura Skead

Thanks for the incredibly useful post!! I wanted to know, is it possible to get the 2;30 from TDP to Puerto Natales and then onto El Calafate in the same day?

Hi Laura. I’m so glad you found it helpful! If the schedules haven’t changed, the Puerto Natales to El Calafate bus only leaves at 7:30am and the earliest bus from Torres del Paine to Puerto Natales is at 2pm. We ended up hitchhiking the route, so if you’re not too tired after your trek, that might be an option!

I am really at wits end with the booking process. My original Vertice request was submitted on August 14 (for which I received a confirmation email). Since then I have sent 26 follow up emails, 2 of which were in Spanish (no hyperbole), and called the two different numbers 45 times over the course of the past 2 weeks (again, no exaggeration here). Two weeks ago I was able to speak with someone who was very helpful and nice and spoke amazing English. Unfortunately, two weeks ago this woman told me that she would send me an email for the payment by the next day. Two weeks later I have still not received anything. I’m all booked with Fantastico and have all of my flights booked and paid for. I decided to go back online and start the reservation request process over (something I’ve tried to avoid so as to avoid confusion). Now though I only see Paine and Grey as options for locations. Now I am a bit panicked that sites have already booked. Does anyone have any insight? I am usually not a huge planner when traveling but this obviously requires it. Is anyone aware of companies who will accept a fee to book? Any help will be appreciated!

Hi! Going through the same thing. I have everything booked with Fantastico Sur, flights, etc., but nada with Vertice. However, I finally got a response last week by sending a message through their Facebook profile:

“Hi, Jennifer, We have a very high demand of request that´s why we are taking about 2 weeks to answer. I will give your information to the sales team, in order to send you this week a confirmation of your request. Please don´t send any other mail or request because that is one of the reason why we have a delay, people have sent more than one and we have thousand of them. Thanks for your patience .”

Yep. I’m supposed to do the W Trek November 12 – 17, so just over a month away. I have no idea what to do at this point.

I share the same destiny as your. I did the booking just 1.5 weeks ago from now and since then wrote a few emails and started calling them last week without success (prob. 50 and more attempts) . I called via my Skype Account, on which I have credit, but either the connection could not be established, or it broke down, or it ringed but no one picked up or the line was busy. I am already in Chile and today I tried it with an cellphone of a Chilean friend. After another 20 call trials I finally came through and a woman spoke to me. Long story short, I told her I sent a reservation 1.5 weeks ago, spelled my name and then she said she would write back and I ran out of credit, call ended, so calling back wasn’t a success after topping up. But, I couldn’t believe it, a mail appeared with request of a few details and later the payment email arrived.

How does it help you? For Los Perros and Paso there isn’t an online reservation. I send them a mail that I need them as well. But if you get through them on phone, mention you want to do the circular grande, and you want these campsites as well. Maybe it exists an app for cellphones with which you can call free to landline phones in Chile. Skype isn’t a good alternative, even that it costs just a few cents. Hm, probably you just can keep on trying. :-/

Kate Bennett

Hola Andre – gracias por el mensaje, ha sido super informativo!! entonces hiciste tu reserva original para Grey/Paine Grande sin los para Dickson & Los Perros? (Paso es con CONAF, creo, imagino que se estan mezclando entre si debido al caos de las reservas.. 🙂 ) Como pagaste – diste su informacion financiera por la llamada, o ellos utilizaron la misma informacion que proporcionaste para Grey/Paine Grande electronicamente? Yo tambien sin respuesta a mi correo original y estoy por llamarles por skype (a ver si funciona…)

Ahh…Hola Kate, sííí…he mesclado los campamentos. Vertice is Dickson y Los Perros, pero es no posible reservar estos en linea. Vertice te va a enviar un email en cual ellos preguntan mas detalles: nombre, apellido, nationalidad, numero de pasaporte. Despues ellos enviarán un otro email con tu confirmación y un link por una pagina se llama WebPay. Aqui es posible por pagar con Paypal o tarjetas diferentes (Visa, etc.) Y luego has pagado, un email automatico se envidado con una confirmación de pagar. Eso. Creó el ultimo email voy a imprimir y ojalá va a functionado 😉

Hola Andre! Thank you for your message! I had very good luck on Friday and received an email from Vertice after I also spoke with someone on The phone on Thursday. The woman said that they have been running almost 2 Weeks behind, even though it’s clearly a bit more than that. 🙂 I rushed to make my payment and now with my confirmation I am confident I will be able to enjoy the amazing Circuit Trek at Christmas! I am very happy to hear that you also have had luck!! Thank you again!

Hello Cara! I also tried to call Vertice multiple times but none of them got through… Do you have any tips on when might be a good time to call them? I’m also trying to do travel there during Christmas and it seems like a lot of the camps are booked out already… Many thanks!!

Sierra Kona

Do you still have the number that you called, per chance?

Hi, my name is Choi Thank u for the great informations Im planning to visit torres del paine on 30th July, and Im wondering how i can book the campsites. Im from south korea and there aren’t so much information through blogs.. And My budget is tight so can you recommend the cheapest way? And I dont care about how long the camping takes. Thank You!!

Hi Choi, from what I’ve read, it is now required that you go with an accredited guide when you hike during the winter months. I’d recommend reaching out to a few of the local agencies in town to get a quote on how much this would cost. There could be a work around, but unfortunately, I’m not sure what it is since this is a new rule!

Hello Taylor, Thank you for the useful information. I plan to do the Trek W (W-E) between Nov 9th. and 13th. I am still waiting for a confirmation from Vertice on Day 1 and 2 (Gray/Del Paine) , already booked Day 4 with Fantastico at Chileno and still haven’t figure out how to book my day 3 at the free campsite Italiano. I heard that it’s now mandatory. Any suggestions?

Just thought about it, will most likely book my day 3 at camp cuernos.

Hi Sam, any luck on this? I’m guessing you’ve checked the CONAF site and found the sites are sold out? You can check back every few days and spaces usually come available.

I’m about to book for December and wanted to confirm — I need to book a reservation for each at every stop I make, correct? I had additionally assumed that I would be packing my own meals for each and every day, but after emailing with Fantasticosur, I was told there is no option to book a reservation at Los Cuernos (for example) without also reserving meals and fullboard, since open cooking is prohibited. So the cheapest option is to select “Single platform + fullboard” for $226 USD. Does that sound right to you?

Thank you for all the help!

I have to firstly agree with everyone here on 2 points;

1. This is the most informative source of information I have found, thanks all! 2. Why is this so difficult????? I have seen better organisation in drunken bar crawls across various European cities!

Myself and a friend are looking to do a 3 night excursion along the ‘w’ trek. Granted, we were late in booking, Today we came across the following;

Night 1: No booking, we wanted Camp Torres, but it is closed for 2017/2018 –> second choice was Refugio Chileno run by Fantastico Sur, but they are only providing the Full Board camping option for $97 per head…. ridiculous. So far nothing booked, and I think this alone may force us to abort the whole of Torres del Paine.

Night 2 : Camp Italiano- I managed to book it no problem, but my friend tried straight after and failed with the website claiming the camp is now full for that night….. (as even though we are sharing a tent, the booking clearly states 1 adult), surely it does not matter whether there is 1 or 2 people in the tent…. I have emailed to suggest this fact!

Night 3: Paine Grande – My friend managed to successfully book Paine Grande for 2 people on the Vertices website…. we are yet to confront the whole ‘pay within 48 hours, but receive no email confirming how’ scenario…..

What an absolute mess. Any thoughts or suggestions on how I can sort the problems above would be hugely appreciated!

Regards to all,

Hi Sia. I’m glad you’ve found it helpful, and sorry about all the difficulties in your booking! 1. Unfortunately, your options are Chileno for an exorbitant price or Torres Central for an early wakeup. You will need to get up 4 hours before sunrise, but it’s worth it! 2. Check back! These sites have fluctuating availability and she will probably have luck if she checks back a few times a week. They do check the reservations per person, and at times, won’t let you proceed through the checkpoints without proof of reservation. That being said, I know people who managed to sneak onto the sites and as long as you have a reservation for the tent, it’s not the biggest issue. 3. Latest news is there is a 2 week delay. They are receiving hundreds of emails (including hundreds of follow up emails) and it’s taking time to sort through them. That being said, you should have a space reserved for you even if you take more than 48 hours to pay. GOod luck!

Hey, I have updates!

1. My friend contacted the Fantastico Sur I believe they are who run ‘Torres Central’, not to be confused for ‘Camp Torres’, and managed to get a booking, unfortunately it was $32.5 dollars per person (£25) for just camping without food or anything provided, which was still disappointing, but better than Chileno!

2. I have had no response with regards to Camp Italiano allowing me to have a booking with a tent but claiming to be full when my friend attempted booking. Hopefully they reply my email at some point, although my friend is confident that as we have bookings the night before and after Camp Italiano, and are staying the same tent, they should hopefully allow him passage.

3. The booking we made at Paine Grande with Vertice still stands as far as we are aware despite receiving no payment follow up email……..

Hey Sia, have you had any further luck? We are going through the exact same thing now trying to book the O circuit for January – it’s probably the most complicated thing I’ve ever tried to organise! We have managed to book our first three nights (and have had to shell out for Chileno), but are yet to get through to Vertice. Has anyone had any luck booking Vertice sites for January 2018, or is it all booked up? We are holding off booking international flights whilst we try and sort this out (as we may re arrange the order we do things and do TdP at a later date if we can’t get in), but flight prices are going up by the day. Honestly if anyone wants to open a business organizing the camping for people for a fee, I think you’d do fantastic business! Cheers 🙂 T

Btw gorgeous website Taylor! I love the photography 🙂

That’s the best compliment, T. Thank you! 🙂

Does anyone know what’s the best way to call Vertice from US? I’ve tried both Skype and Google Hangout for more than 30 times… It’s either busy or failed to connect or no one answer…. Not sure if it’s because I’m using Skype/Hangout or their lines are busy… Any good tips?

I’ve heard Torres campground is closed for the 2017-2018 season. If that is the case, what is the best campsite to use as an alternative?

Hi Rachel. Chileno is the only closest to the Torres, but it is quite expensive to stay there and you have to book your site with full board. If you book Torres Central, you’ll need to wake up about 4 hours before sunrise to see sunrise at the Torres. Neither are great options, but it’s totally worthwhile! Good luck with your trek.

I had a question about the reservations at Los Cuernos and Chileno related to your comment above — I’d prefer to use a tent and bring my own food, but when I spoke with a woman at Fantastico, she said my best option would be a platform + full board, since there is no open-air cooking allowed at those campsites. That seemed odd to me, since it’s about $226 USD and much more expensive than the other campsites. I though maybe I had made the wrong reservation, but after seeing your comment above, maybe not? What do you think? Thank you!

Hi Julia. Unfortunately, they kind of gouge you at those camps! If things are still the same, you can’t even get away with eating cold, and you’ll still have to book full board. Los Cuernos is a lot cheaper than Chileno, isn’t it? Good luck with the booking!

So if I understand correctly, the trek from Torres Central to the ‘Towers’ is 4 hours? (and thus 4 hours back?)

Is it possible to get up to Torres for sunrise (is this the location of the towers?) and back down, and then onto Camp Italiano in one day? We will be two fairly fit guys aged 27.??

Hi Sia! I didn’t do this stretch of trail myself, but anecdotally, it takes 4 hours hiking uphill from Central to the Towers; the same hike down would probably only take 2 hours. After seeing sunrise, you could definitely make it from Torres to Italiano. It will be a long day, but it’s mostly downhill, so you should be alright. It will be a long one, but totally possible!

Bill Collis

I did the original booking request online with Vertice on 21 Aug, still no response from them I have emailed and I am now trying to ring everyday, most days it is just engaged Occasionally it rings, once a very nice woman answered and she found our booking request and said it would be 3 days, but that was 10 days ago. All the other times it rings it just gets cut off

Fiona McEwan

Hi Bill, Have you heard back from Vertice yet & if so, did they give you any update on their response times/priorities or whether you needed to resubmit your original booking request form on their website? My booking request made on the 29 August is still answered and I’ve followed up, in Spanish, via three further unanswered emails now. Cheers Fiona

Thanks for posting this – it is very useful! We are planning on going in April 2018.

Do you know when these campgrounds / huts will start to sell out?

Hi Cassie. I believe booking opens 6 months ahead and it’s best to get the reservations as soon as you know your dates. That being said, April is creeping into low season, so you don’t have to worry quite as much as those traveling in high season.

cool thanks Taylor!

I am doing a Torres Del Paine circuit starting the 25th of December if Vertice Patagonia ever replies to my emails or answers my calls.

Does anyone have any information regarding the availability of Camp Dickson, Camp Perros and Camp Paine in the final days of December? This is getting quite frustrating and I hope that if I don’t manage to get reservations that it is still possible to camp on these sites.

Hi Taylor. I got back off the trek yesterday (16 October) and thanks so much for all the advice. Maybe I could add some up to date info. We booked about 3 weeks ago and had no problems with either Vertice or Fantastico. They both replied with in a couple of days and even when we had to change our original dates it was no problem. Perhaps they are getting their act together at last and it is the quiet part of the season. I did however have a major problem with CONAF and could not contact them at all. (This turned out to be very lucky as we had torrential rain and camping at Italiano would not have been pleasant) As we couldn’t book at Italiano we decided not to carry all our camping gear so we booked a ready set up tent at Paine Grande for the 1st night. Good tent, brand new sleeping bag, cooking area is very good, you are in a warm room with dinning room attached and lots of power points for charging things. You need your own stove. Day 2, walked to Los Cuernos in torrential rain. Italiano looks like a great spot to camp in good weather but in the rain it was miserable. They even stopped people going further up the Francis valley. We preceded to Los Curnos, where we had again booked a set up tent, only to be told that the tents were not in use and that we would have to sleep in a lovely warm, dry dorm. This made 2 dripping hikers very happy). Staff were great here. If you meet Paco say hi from me please. The tracks in the Vertice area are very well maintained with bridges over streams and walk ways over boggy bits. But in the Fantastico area you have to wade through streams and rivers (very dangerous with the amount of rain we had) and there is a very swampy area where people lost shoes, so wear boots. Day 3 weather better but very windy. Almost got blown off the track near Chileno refuge. Once again we were moved from the tents into dorms (I had to ask here so if the weather is bad it’s worth a try. Again there was no extra charge.) We cooked our selfs at P G but had to do the full board option at the other 2 and we felt that the food was very good. My partner has dietary problems and she was very well looked after. We informed Fantastico Sur before we started and all her meals etc were ready.

Also, there is a talk every day at 3pm at Erratic Rock in Puerto Natales. It’s free and very informative. I recommend going.

Hope you all have a great time. We did despite the bad weather Alison

Hi Alison. Sorry about your grim weather, but thanks for the updates!

Thanks for all the useful information on this thread.

Can I please get advice on the following schedule for campsites on the W Trek. I have chosen these specific campsites due to availability according to Vertice & Fantastico Sur sites but have yet to receive confirmation: Jan 6: Camp Grey Jan 7: Camp Paine Grande Jan 8: Camp Frances (what is another option in case this is booked out) Jan 9: Camp Chileno (because we really want to see the Torres at sunrise)

Thanks in advance, Anne

Hi Anne! Your itinerary sounds perfect — you won’t even have any miserable days of walking in there! Enjoy your trip!

have you got places in Camp Grey and Paine Grande in mentioned dates?

Yep, I managed to get reservations at both sites.

If they tell you they’re booked out keep trying in case someone cancels their reservation.

Hi everyone, I finally managed to get bookings through Vertice by using some advice I found on tripadvisor:

The agents all have email addresses that follow the following format:

[email protected] [email protected]

So I emailed ventas01 through ventas06 with blind carbon copy, and two days later ventas05 got back to me… The person I got this from received a response from ventas06 so I think it is worth going through all of them.

I would also say you should be very careful in making sure they book what you ask for, as first she had the wrong campsites, and then she had the wrong month! There was also about a 5 hour gap in the time where she originally contacted me and when she responded again, so don’t get frustrated.

That’s great news!

I filled in the form online and they got back to me the next day saying one of the campsites I wanted was full, but last night I got lucky because someone cancelled their reservation. So happy!

Still no word from Fantastico Sur though after several follow ups.

Whoop whoop! Thanks for the advice Alex! I wrote to ventas01-ventas10 and ventas10 replied!

Which form online did you fill? I looked all over. Emailed then a week ago, nothing. Just emails again, but will also use Alex’s tip also

Eric Leithliter

I’m with you Jojo! Where is this mythical online form?

Alex, your advice helped us a lot and we managed to finalize our reservation in few days after ventas05 got back to us. Thanks a lot! Taylor, this blog post is great, thank you, thank you, thank you. And comments – awesome.

About the whole process – at first (after more than 3 weeks) Vertice answered us that they have no availability for our dates. But when we reached them by phone they told us that they are not taking reservations for November for O circuit because they are not sure if they can provide service because of the weather. They recommend us to contact them at the beginning of November again. But then (like 10 minutes later) other person responded by email that they can make a reservation for our schedule (that is Dickson – 20.11, Los Perros 21.11, Grey 22.11) and they actually did. So I have no idea how it works and if they have any policy for that, but keep in mind that when they say “we have no availability” it might not be “we are sold out”. It is worth trying to reach them again.

Alex – when were you able to book this for? We are looking to go in January 2018, do you happen to know the availability around this time, we’ve been trying to book for weeks and weeks with no success so far.

Thank you for this fantastic post! Wish I had found it sooner.

My partner and I had our bookings all set back in Sept. for a late November 21-28 O Trek for the schedule below but then never heard confirmation back from Vertice for weeks. We started getting more panicked and following up with more emails to ventas01…06 and phone calls (we are in Chile now). [email protected] just got back to us.

Unfortunately, we can get a space for Dickson & Perros but Grey is completely booked and Paso is not available at all in November. We could also get Paine Grande for the day before our Italiano.

Our original schedule: Nov. 21 Serón (confirmed) Nov. 22 Dickson (available) Nov. 23 Perros (available) Nov. 24 Grey or Paso (unavailable); Paine Grande is avaialble Nov. 25 Italiano (confirmed) Nov. 26 Francés (confirmed) Nov. 27 Chileno (confirmed)

My questions on which I’d appreciate your opinion/advice, since we are approaching our window to cancel existing reservations: 1) Do we cut our losses and just plan to do the W Trek starting with Paine Grande? (We’ll have to hang out in Punta Arenas/Puerto Natales longer since we already have plane tickets set). We can potentially tack on Camping Pehoe beforehand for more camping time. 2) Do we keep our bookings for Serón, Dickson & Perros and keep trying for Paso or Grey for that very specific day, while booking Paine Grande in case Paso/Grey never materialize and we have to do the W? (Assumes we will lose money on a reservation somewhere). 3) If we can’t get Paso/Grey, could we potentially hike as far as Serón and then turn back around? (Or even Dickson or Perros? Assuming we could get camping spaces We then could take a bus/catamaran to pick up the W from the West as we originally planned.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you can offer.

Update! I actually managed to get a response and successfully book my campsites with Vertice. I did what Alex suggested above, thanks Alex!, and I got a response in a few hours from ventas05. They had my dates available ( the week of November 12). Wooho!

VERY IMPORTANT UPDATE!!!!!

I got an email from FantasticoSur today in which they told me that the CAMPGROUND SÉRON WILL STAY CLOSED UNTIL 15TH NOVEMBER DUE TO FLOODING OF THE TREKK. This follows up the heavy rains Alison wrote here on the 16th October. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO WALK THE O. Panic but I found a solution for which I only have to change three camps. For everyone with the same problem, here my idea:

Instead of Séron take Frances (both FantasticoSur, if availability, should be fine to change, I will write them after my post here) Instead of Dickson take Paine Grande (both Vertice, same, I try) Instead of Los Perros take Grey (both Vertice). The next day arrive at Camp Paso, which you probably will have booked already, because it will be the same day just you arrive from the other side. And then the way back or the ferry .

Good luck guys and girls. Saludos

I just got a message from fantasticosur saying that the o circuit will be closed until November 15th due to flooding. Now I can’t get new reservations. Sucks as I booked over two months ago. Anyone else got this problem. I was booked for November 7th to start.

Hey Peter, read my comment directly above yr post. Same problem :-/ Thats the unpredictable nature Paragonias.

Hey André, I just read your message now. Yeah seems like a few people will be having the same problem. As for your plan to walk backwards, in a clockwise direction, that will only work until you reach refugio grey. Right after refugio grey, there is a guards building that will not let people enter into the ‘o’ circuit section from that direction. So it will not be possible to use the campamento paso unless you enter from a anti-clockwise direction. But it will be possible to hike until refugio grey.

Does anyone know where I can find information on this? I have bookings on similar dates but have no email telling me things are closed. Does anyone know if the W trek is still open or is everything closed off?

Andre Baumgarten

Hi Claire, if you walk the W all is fine. It is just the section between Torres Central and Séron. Thats why you hvnt got an email. Enjoy.

No, I wasn’t meant to be walking the W, I was meant to be doing the ‘O’ and have bookings for Torres Central and Séron. I’m just wondering if that part is closed, will we be refunded for those sites and we can just walk the W instead if there’s no option to do the O part.

FantasticoSur offered a 100% refund or what I will do, I will ask for Camp Frances. What about Vertice, I don’t know, I was in contact with them yesterday in order to swap Dickson and Los Perros for Paine Grande and Grey and I hope that will work. So far nothing got sure. Don’t suppose that there will be something automatically be refunded or changed. Def. you have to do it and pray, that it works.

the free campsites are really full until February ??? We currently let ourselves be carried by our trip. We had to anticipate reservations for November 26th … too late! Or maybe I’m doing it wrong …

Hi Taylor, Do you know if the O Circuit can be hiked in April? The various websites say the track is open until 30 April but I’ve just been emailed by Vertice saying they wont take my bookings at Dickson and Perros around the 18th April as the O Walk closes 30 March (Although Fantastico Sur let me book for 17th April at Serron)- I cant seem to find anything on any websites verifying this close of 30 March and Vertice are not responding. Many thanks.

I am having the same problem trying to book Dickson.

Did you have any luck?

Any updates? I was supposed to start my circuit hike on Nov 19th. Is this possible? Does anyone know what campsites/routes would be best if trying to do the circuit in 8 days?

Hi there, just wondering if anyone knows if there is a place to fill up a fuel canister for a MSR Windburner or Jetboil in Puerto Natales or if that has to be done in Punta Arenas? Any help is greatly appreciated!

Hi Jenna. I didn’t do it myself, but Puerto Natales is quite a busy trekking town, so I imagine it’s actually a better place to do it! Erratic Rock collects partially used fuel canisters, so I have to imagine they can fill them as well. If they can’t they’ll surely know where to send you. Enjoy your trip!

Hi Taylor. Thanks for all the info. A huge help. I’m doing the Q next month and rumors is that Grey is booked and Paso is not showing up on the CONAF site. What’s your take on doing Los Perros to Paine Grande in one day? Traveling solo and seasoned backpacker. Thanks!

You’re asking the right person! I was in a similar situation in April — I ended up hiking Dickson to Paso in one day (not recommendable as you finish with the pass) but Los Perros to Paine Grande is definitely doable. I think you should expect to walk around 11 hours, but it’s a nice trail and it starts with the hard part and gets easier. The day before will be challenging, but as long as you’re willing to struggle a bit, you’ll absolutely make it in one piece and before sunset. Good luck with your trek!

Thank you so much Taylor. Now just to get Vertice to reply…

I know it’s frustrating, but it’s worth the wait 😉

Hi Eric, I wanted to check in around whether you did the Los Perros to Paine Grande hike in one day. I e-mailed Vertice about booking those campsites with nothing in the middle and they stated that it was not permitted to skip so many sites. (Therefore they will not allow me to book Dickson and Perros without Grey or a CONAF site.) Any update on how this went for you in terms of campsite bookings, etc would be mucho appreciated!! (We hope to do the hike end of January.) Thanks so much in advance!

Got any news ? I’m in the same situation….

Hi, I am scheduled to do the W Trek Nov 11 – Nov 15. I have been closely watching the weather for the past two weeks. It looks like Nov 11 and Nov 12 are going to be pretty bad for rain (both 80% chance of rain with rainfall nearing a quarter of an inch). My current plan is Refugio Grey (Nov 11); Paine Grande (Nov 12); Italiano (Nov 13) Chileno (Nov 14).

Is it too late to try and switch refugio campsite reservations around to try and avoid the possible down pour of rain? I was thinking I could maybe try to switch my trek to Nov 14 – Nov 18: staying at Chileno (Nov 14); Italiano (Nov 15); Paine Grande (Nov 16); and finally Grey (Nov 17).

Is it possible to make last minute changes like this with campsite reservations? Do the booking agencies have offices in Puerto Natales that I could go to and talk with someone about this situation. Any recommendations will be helpful! Thanks 🙂

Thanks for a great guide. My question is; is it allowed to do an ‘incomplete W trek’ or do you have to book and pass all campsites/accommodations along the trek?

Hi Agnes! The W-Trek is quite accessible. It’s actually possible to do each leg of the W in 1-2 days if you choose! Which part are you considering?

hello,hello so, if i fly to puerto natales and get into any hotel, how possible is to do all of the reservations and all on site? or it’s all close to impossible? sounds pretty Epic thank You

Hi Alex. For the most part, campsites are booked months in advance. You’d be lucky to fill in 1-2 sites locally! Good luck with your booking.

Jonathan Urey

I wanted to book my camping spots for glacier grey and paine grande but I couldn’t reach them. I tried to call them several times a day, and did send many emails but without any succes. Now everything is already fully booked for the beginning of December, which means that I can’t do it anymore..

Never saw something organised this bad

Jerome Poon

I am going for a hike O trek in mid December. I cannot contact vertice patagonia via both email and phone. I have already booked the other campsites. Please help me figure out how to book Dickson Camp, Los Perros Camp, Grey Camp, Paine Grande Camp please. Thank you very much

Hi Jerome. It sounds like Vertice has opened a new online payment system ( http://verticepatagonia.cl/reservas ). Let me know if this works for you!

Hola guys. How to book Camp Italiano? CONAF’s site doesn’t work.

Hey Mila! Which dates are you looking at? I’ve heard that the CONAF sites are booked up for a while.

I am in the same situation here. I am getting there on Dec 27 and want to do the W from Dec 28 to Jan 1. All the Fantastico Sur camps for those dates are completely full (I have not seen a vacancy for a long time) and Vertice does not bother to reply. I have already booked my air tickets. Not sure about what to do! Is there anything else to see in that area (just preparing for the worst case scenario)?

We are hoping for the O Circuit starting Jan 22, and any information you find in your experience in late December would be ultra-incredible for us! We will also keep you updated if we hear anything else – a friend of a friend was there recently and I’m hoping to get some info from that source. All the best!

Callum Yeomans

They’ve just released a new online booking system as promised, I’m still having some issues with it (can’t get a USD option or choose a tent), but it’s a way to get a booking if one is available! http://verticepatagonia.cl/reservas

You can choose English from the homepage and go back to bookings if your Spanish isn’t too sharp.

Callum THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was able to use this to book and pay— I had booked and those reservations seem to be taken (I have not been able to pay for them), but I think I have enough proof to make the case that I tried. Huge thanks for the update!

Hi all! What is the difference between Camping Chileno Plataforma Premium and Camping Chileno Plataforma? If we are looking into renting tents at the sites to avoid carrying them, does ‘2 people + FB + camping gear included’ mean that we get the tent with it?? Thanks 🙂

Hi Ashlee. I believe the difference with Platforma Premium is that all the gear is included while the Platforma is simply just the platform and you set your own tent up. It’s quite cheap to rent one in Puerto Natales if you want to save a bit of money and don’t mind hauling it!

Richard Carton

Hi Taylor! Thanks for providing so much information! We’re not hoping to to do the W circuit until February of 2019. Making the bookings seems to be a bit of a nightmare. Any idea how much some of the companies (Chile Nativo, Keteka Tours, Hue Que etc). charge to make the bookings for you? Maybe it would be worth paying something to avoid the headaches. Also: I have looked at booking accommodation at Dome Frances. It seems that one can only book meals if they stay in the dome or pay for premium camping that includes equipment rentals. I see no spot on the form to book meals if you just rent a spot on a platform. Is this your understanding? Thanks!

Hey Richard! It’s my understanding that the booking agencies can charge upwards of $500 to make the reservations for you, and guided treks are from $1,500+. That being said, I imagine local operators have an allocation of spaces and they will be able to get sites you won’t find online. As for your other question, I didn’t personally stay in Frances, unfortunately. I just checked their site and it looks like you do have to have one of the premium accommodations booked to book meals ($30+ each). You might bring some extra food just in case, but I imagine they’d love to have your money if you want to eat there!

Thanks so much for compiling all this info. You’re a saint and a huge help to rookies like myself. I’m shooting for the O in February. Best I can tell CONAF’s Paso and Italiano are fully booked as well as Grey thru Feb. Is it doable to plan from Perros all the way to Paine Grande in one day?

Thanks! Marshall

Heya Marshall. I’m so glad you’ve found it helpful! Only wish I had a bit more leverage with any of the operators 😉 I’m afraid Perros to Paine Grande wouldn’t be doable in a day as you’ll have to conquer John Garner Pass. I’ve heard of people doing Perros to Grey in a day (maybe 10 hours of hiking?). If I were you, I’d leave a hole in the itinerary and keep checking back on Paso and Grey — February leaves you a fair amount of time to get the site you need. Good luck!

Hey Marshall and Taylor, I’m in the same boat as having Grey booked out for our dates in Feb 26th. Your advice is to leave the hole, but what happens if the slot never becomes available?? How can one site be booked out and the others not? We are all doing the same circuit! I’m very grateful for the online booking now available I just wish I knew about it earlier!!! I’ve been trying to book this for the last month. Do you have any other advice for us?

Following on my comment, the way the system is you can’t leave a gap. So i read this as basically the the O circuit is not available to do late February. This leaves us in a big pickle!!!!! Soooooo frustrating!

Hi JoJo. I guess it’s not possible to leave a gap with the new booking system! I had the benefit of going in April (low season) where the slots were easier to come by, but I had friends with no reservations that were able to take care of everything locally before departing on the trek. Bottom line is that they’re REALLY cracking down, but I think this year is still a big enough mess that you should be able to make it work. Good luck, let me know if you find a way around the new booking system!

I’m actually starting to think it s bug with the Greg campsite. I just tried to book in the middle of July and I still got no avaialble dates for only Grey. I’m calling them tomorrow.

Thanks for the quick reply Taylor! If no reservations for Paso or Grey become available, do you think the rangers would let me thru the Perros checkpoint with reservation for Paine Grande that night? The park’s map lists the distances as Perros-Paso 8km, Paso-Gray 7km, Grey-Paine 11km, so 25km/16.2 miles in total. While it would be a difficult day with John Garner Pass and any potential weather, it seems like it would be physically doable with an early start so long as the rangers let you press forward. What do you think about planning for Perros to Paine Grande then spend an extra rest day at Paine Grande before continuing on? This way I would at least have reservations for all nights on the circuit. If Grey or Paso freed up last moment, then I could stay there while only have to burn the $10 for the first night at Paine Grande. Thanks again!!!

Well…I don’t think my idea is possible. For booking the O with Vertice’s website, there is no option to book individual campsites for the circuit, nor is their a booking option that doesn’t include Grey (say if you wanted to do Paso-Paine Grande for one day). Bottom line seems to be that if Grey is sold out, then your SOL for the circuit. There’s no way to even book Dickson and Perros independent of Grey, unless you can get in their good graces via email or phone.

Hi Marshall. I just had a chance to look at Vertice’s new booking system, and it is certainly making things easier/harder at once. Bottom line is when you’re on the back side of the park, there’s only two ways out (the way you came or the way you’re going). I think rangers are probably annoyed by people traveling without reservation, but they figure you’re going to have to camp SOMEWHERE without a reservation that night, so hopefully they’d learn towards letting you proceed. Please let me know if you do find a workaround with the booking system. Good luck!

For the O in February…Just got off the phone with Vertice at +56 61 241 2742. Used Skype and the call was busy/failed about 20 times, but eventually went thru. Guy on the other end was very friendly and spoke super clear, slow Spanish. Moral of the story, per Vertice, Refugio and Camping Grey are booked full thru Mid-March. They won’t allow you to book Dickson or Perros without sending them proof of a CONAF reservation for Paso, which doesn’t have availability until early-mid March. Asked about a wait list or being contacted in the event of a cancellation at Grey, but he said there are many people waiting and just recommended checking back to the website or doing the W.

Any other ideas out there?

Hi Marshall,

We are hoping for the O in January (cutting it even closer), and are finding ourselves in a very similar boat to yourself. May I ask, did the representative at Vertice suggest that you might be able to do just the W, even with the current full bookings? (Just inquiring regarding the last sentence in your post above.) Thanks so much! We will be sure to let you know if we find any helpful information.

I’d recommend updating the links at the top of this page for Vertice. Their old website http://www.verticepatagonia.com does not at all redirect or provide any information on their new online booking system. If people go there they will still get lost in the email booking loop. The new link http://www.verticepatagonia.cl will be much more helpful for future readers.

Thanks again for an amazing job with this blog post. It has been super helpful!

Thanks for that information, JoJo! This new booking site is a HUGE step up from the last one. Thanks for the tip, I just made the update 🙂

Hello! A friend and I are planning on doing the O later in January. We’ve also run into these issues for booking but can’t rearrange our travel dates. Does anyone know what would happen if we started hiking and only had a couple sites booked? Would our reservations be checked before we even start the hike?

Hi Rosanna! As recently as April, they weren’t checking reservations at the start of the hike, but there are two checkpoints: Guardaria Coirón where they require proof of booking for Dickson or Los Perros & Guardaria Los Perros where you must show reservation for Paso or Gray. I had a few pals ask rangers to call ahead and check availability at certain campsites, but only the friendly ones were willing to do it. I’d say if it’s just one or two, it should be workable, but you should do whatever you can to lock down the rest of those sites, even if it’s checking back daily or setting them up in Puerto Natales. Good luck!

Thanks Taylor! We currently have Seron, Grande Paine and Central booked….checking everyday for the ones in between! Fingers crossed 🙂 PS this blog has been SUPER helpful, so thank you!

First, thank you so much for all the effort put into this post and the blog in general. It has by far been the source of the most helpful info on the painful process of booking the campsites for torres. Unfortunately, I’m on the same boat as my fellow travelers above: planning to do the O circuit in late January, flights booked and all but I haven’t been able to book any of the campsites from neither Vertice nor Fantasticosur (as I was waiting for Vertice to answer my e-mails to book with the latter). I just found out about the new website for Vertice and realized Grey is sold out for my dates, which makes it impossible to book the other sites (Dickson, Los Perros etc). Now I also noticed that all the camping sites for the W circuit are sold out as well and that leaves me in a very tricky situation, as I can’t rearrange my travel dates.

My question is: how realistic is it to get to Puerto Natales and manage to sort out the bookings just a day or two before starting the trek?

Hi Daniel. Sounds like things are quite rough this year! I’m sorry you’ve had trouble booking. While booking one or two days before the trek was possible in April, I’m not sure it will be during January. Have you had any luck reaching the operators since you wrote?

Hi all! This is the best thread, THANK YOU for all the helpful information! Taylor, we are considering (hopefully) trekking from Camp Frances to Camp Central in one day, in order to avoid the high cost of staying at Cuernos. Do you know if this would be doable in one day? The research I’ve done so far has told me yes, but I wanted to check with you!

I have reservations for Dec 24-30 for the O Trek. However, in completing my preparation I realize that Vertice never sent a final confirmation voucher like Fantastico did. When I contacted Vertice they replied that I was supposed to print something out when I paid online. I have all of my emails between Vertice and I printed and also a copy of my bank statement where I paid. Long story short, what do I need to be prepared to show the guards as proof of my reservation? THANK YOU!

I am doing the O circuit in April and it looks like Dickson is already booked out which seems odd!!

Is anyone else going at this time and can help me out?

Hey Taylor, Just want to express my sincere gratitude for this post. Super helpful! Mil Gracias!

Thanks for saying so, Gracie! Hope you were able to book all the sites you needed 🙂

Do you know if full board or “pension complete” means three full meals? Does this mean they give you a packed lunch on the morning you leave camp?

Hey Steven, are you finding this option on Vertice or Fantastico Sur?

Hi Taylor. Fantástico Sur says full board. Vertice says pension completa.

Yes, if it’s full board you get a nice little To go lunch in the morning. Usually available for pick up during the breakfast offering.

Francesco Zoleo

this is Francesco nice to meet you I come from Naples but I live in UK. Congratulation for your blog and travel. I am planning a trip top Torres del Paine in March.

My plan is:

Seron 03/4 Dikson 03/05 Los Perros 03/06 Paso Campo 03/07 Paine Grande 03/08 Campo Italiano 03/09 Torres Ranger Station 03/10

Torres Ranger Station to the Hotel Puerto Natal/Punta Arenas on the 03/11

I am doing the full circuit could be between 7 to 9/10 days. Might add extra days/Refugio, I will see.

Well I wouldn’t say I am on budget….but for what I am reading online….there is a chance to do this tour almost for free, like just touch all the free Refugio…..but you need to walk for long days….I might try this.

Do you know which free Refugio I should choose to make the full circuit or I can follow your itinerary as well. Also before that, there are just silly money if you want do throw an Agency, thousand of dollars, cheers.

I have few question: What you think I will have enough time to do all the circuit?

I am also booking the Refugio, I can see from the website Campmento Torres is closed, I think the main attraction of this tour is to see the sunrise at Los Torres…. so the only option is to stay Campamento Chileno, where you pay at least 100 uds…..great!

I have gears, the only things I will rent is tents and sleeping bag, and about food I will buy everything in Puerto Natal, which in all the Refugio, it is silly money…….

That’s for now. Any advice or help will be appreciate.

Thanks and Regards, Francesco.

Karen Hedegaard Lyngsøe

Hi I am trying to find a map, where I can see the distances. I understand that the Serron camp is closed this season. Is there other camps between the Eco camp and Dickson? If not. How long is trek between the two camps?

Hi Karen! Another blog, Adventure Alan, took a photo of the trail distances and posted it here ( http://www.adventurealan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2017_TdP_Map_back-ed.pdf ). Hope this helps!

I was there a couple weeks ago and staying at Seron. Unless it’s closed in the interim, it should be accessible. As for the times, all of the quoted times on blogs and also the time available on Fantástico Sur’s site were very accurate for an average hiker. Until my knee started hating me, I was approximately an hour faster each day but I made very few stops. Enjoy!

What is the best way for me to reach Camp Torres from Argentinian side? We are thinking of doing a short 2 day trip to catch the peaks, however I cannot seem to find much info on coming in from the Argentinian side. What will be your recommendation?

Interesting question. I’ve never heard of anyone entering the park from the Argentinian side, so I’m pretty sure it’s not possible. There are fixed entry points to the trail and you must hike counter-clockwise, so I’d guess your best bet will be to start from Puerto Natales. Sorry I can’t offer more info here — let me know if you learn anything else?

Thank you SO MUCH for this — what a great resource! We’re trying to book the O-trek for March 4-11, approximately. We’re flexible with +/- 2 days or so, but not too much more than that. We were able to find camping spots on Vertice except for the Grey campground — seems to be booked up (and camas too) for Feb 23-March 12th, which is really our whole trip. Any tips here? It looks like we can’t book campground seperatly — the Vertice site makes us book the whole itinerary 🙁 Any help would be greatly appreciated, THANK YOU!

Hi Alix. Vertice just introduced the new booking system this year, so I’m not exactly sure what the workarounds are if one of the sites is unavailable. Have you tried corresponding directly with Vertice by phone or email? I know they’re quite tough to get ahold of, but I imagine that would be the best way to try. Good luck and sorry I don’t have any better tips for this!

Donna Simek

Hello Taylor, Thank you for a great blog post to decipher the puzzle. We missed the boat for this past season so are really trying to plan ahead this year. We have a family of 6 and want to hike the W at the end of December ’18. Do you know when the reservations open for Vertice and Fantasticour or even CONAF?

Hi Donna! Planning a year out seems to be the only way to go these days! If I remember correctly, CONAF reservations opened up in October last year, and the private companies only started showing availability on their websites at the end of winter. Perhaps the best route is to wait for the chaos of the 2017-2018 season to die down, and give them a call during summer? Hope you guys are able to make it next year!

Barbara Zamudio

Hello, Thanks for such a helpful article. We are planning to do the O Trek November 17, 2018. We tried to go online to book, but Fantistico Sur did not even look like it existed right now, and Venice appeared that you can only book 6 months out. Do you know how far out you can begin booking?

Hi Barbara. From the sounds of it, booking was a nightmare this year! I understand CONAF sites usually open up in October, and Fantastico Sur and Vertice aim to have availability 6 months ahead of time. They got pretty backlogged, but maybe you can get ahold of them by phone near the end of the season to ask? Best of luck!

Captain Fake-Name

Hi Taylor, as others have said thanks so much for posting and continuing to update!

I’m in a bit of a situation with CONAF. My friend booked camp sites awhile ago, including with Paso and Italiano, but made the reservation for one person (one tent). When we arrived today in Puerto Natales, we were able to get Vertice and Fantastico to add me to the reservations as an extra person in the same tent. However, CONAF refused to do so for Paso (on Feb 9) or Italiano (on Feb 12), which surprised us a bit since we have heard that CONAF is actually more relaxed since the sites are free…

We’re thinking that since we already have a tent site booked and are only adding an additional person to the same tent, we may be okay once we get on the trail, but we’re worried that it is possible we get turned away at a check point.. Thoughts on this?? Any idea what time the check point between Seron and Dickson starts and whether we may be able to get up early and beat it? Other ideas?

Anyone happen to have a booking at Paso on Feb 9 or Italiano on Feb 12 that you’re not going to use?

Thanks so much!!

Torre was (Del) a Pain(e) – Une Lente Déambulation

[…] Patagonia. Like many, I had been fed on wonderful images of the park, and the promise that it was a complicated, but worthy matter. Well, it was such a pain that we went for only one day trip to the mirador over […]

Maggie Schneider

Hi Taylor! Extremely helpful post with great information! I am trying to book campsites for early January 2019 (starting on Jan 2 or 3) but Vertice is already listing as sold out. CONAF’s site says the dates are too far out – could this be the same thing with Vertice? It looks a lot of people have run into booking issues with Vertice and mentioned that campsites are only available 6 months out, but I didn’t see any message of that.

Hi Maggie. Last year, I don’t think they opened bookings for the next season until August, so it’s a very good chance Vertice isn’t sold out and just not listing it yet!

Hi Taylor, First of thanks so much for compiling this. It is super super helpful. I am aiming to do the Q trek starting December 19, 2018. I have been looking online at Vertice and fantasticosur to book and it’s saying all sold out. Is this possible or is this just because the sites aren’t online yet? I read the comments above and it looks like that’s the case, I just want to triple check. I am doing a study abroad program in Villarica August- December, and really do not want to miss my opportunity to backpack Patagonia (because it might be my only one). I would really appreciate any information as to the best way to book these sites to be sure I will get a spot and if you know when the best time to start booking / forcibly emailing them to respond is? Thanks for your help! Also, do you know if Camp Torres will still be closed then? Thank you!

Hi Lexi. I’m just noticing this comment slipped through the cracks! Sorry about that. Did you get everything sorted for your trip? I’ve heard everything is bookable by now with exception of CONAF. Shoot me an email if you have any other questions and I promise to reply quicker next time!

Nayara Xavier Jones

Hi Taylor, I’ve been waiting to get camping reservations for more than 3 weeks! Nothing so far! So, help me please if you can. I’ll de driving a rental car and decide to stay in Puerto Morales in a hotel for 3 nights in November 8 to 11, 2018. Where can I park the car and hike to Torres del Paine base mountain (mirador) and return to the car in one day? How far in miles it’ll be? I wont have the time to the O or W, but at least I can see the Torres! And what else would you recommend to hike doing the same, to drive to the closest point and returning the same day. I will be doing all by myself, so I decided to return to the hotel every night and just hiking during the day! Thanks a lot! Nayara Jones

Hi Nayara. Sorry to hear they haven’t gotten back to you yet. Did you do them via email or using the online booking system? I’m not familiar with Puerto Morales – most people will come to the park from Puerto Natales, and as not all the entrances are open, you might have to do the same. It’s about 1.5 hours between Puerto Natales and TdP. The hike to the Torres can definitely be done in a day – I’m guessing 8 hours round trip?

Hi Taylor, great side and extrem helpful informations! We would like to visit TdP by mid of December 2018. Just managed it to book all campsides exept the Conaf parksides. The webside is a total desaster and it looks like that the reservation system broke down. There is no chance to do any reservation. Do you have any idea how we can book the missing campsides? Btw – we will do the Q-round and start at entrance at Los Torres. Is it possible to leave the car there for the 8 days? Best

Hi Holger. You got lucky to get all your campsites besides CONAF! Just checked the booking system, and it looks like it is entirely down. Perhaps you can try again in a few days?

As for parking, it is best to take a bus from Puerto Natales (07:30 or 14:30) as parking can be tough during high season. If you’d prefer to drive, I know you can park in the Hotel Las Torres parking lot, but I’m not sure about the others. Hope this helps a bit and let me know if you have other questions!

Hi Thanks for a great post really helpful 🙂 Unfortunatly (if I understand the spanish correct) the Torres campsite will be closed next summer season too (18/19). Would it be a good plan to do Camp Italiano and then Camp Chileno and get up super early for the sunrise at the towers? and the Conaf website does not work yet. I’ll keep on trying every day from now.

Hi Malin, so glad you found it helpful! I took a look, but didn’t see an official update. If Torres is still closed, your best choice is to stay the night in Chileno. It’s about 4 hours to the Torres, but it’s doable to get there for sunrise if you’re early! As for the CONAF site, I know it’s frustrating! Keep at it, and know that they’ll open it soon. Good luck with planning and let me know if you have any questions.

Have you been able to book with CONAF or Vertice yet? CONAF doesn’t seem to be taking reservations as of now. Have you been able to book with CONAF? Also, Any date we enter with Vertice for camp grey isn’t available. Have you been able to book Vertice? If so, did you use their website?

Thanks I’ve decided to book Torres central, since it is much cheaper (camping only). This is what I found on the website: A continuación usted podrá reservar alojamiento sólo para los campamentos de CONAF: PASO (abierto entre Noviembre – Abril) e ITALIANO (abierto entre Octubre – Abril). El campamento TORRES se encontrará cerrado durante la temporada 2018 – 2019. Estos son gratuitos y, por lo tanto, los servicios son básicos (espacio de carpa, baño y cobertizo para cocinar). Si necesita reservar más de un campamento, debe repetir este procedimiento.

Hi Taylor, We are planning on doing the W in March 2019 (I know long time from now ;). But what I was wondering if we have refugio’s I think we can manage with smaller packs than our big travel backpacks that we have with us since we are traveling for a couple of weeks trough Chile. Is there any possibility of storing our bigger packs somewhere and do the hike with our smaller ones and pick our bigger ones up when we leave again? BR Paul

Hi Paul. Definitely! Most hotels/hostels in Puerto Natales offer luggage storage while people are off doing the W Trek. I left my laptop, jeans, and boots behind for the trek because I knew I sure as hell wouldn’t need them out there. Hope you’re looking forward to the trip and please let me know if you have any questions!

Thank you for the fast reply. We are definitely looking forward to the trip. The hike will be one of the highlights of the trip. If I have more questions I know now where to ask them 🙂 Thanks again

You were saying the booking can be kind of complicated. When I try to book with CONAF it says the website isn’t available. Is it too far out to make reservations via CONAF for October of this year?

Hi Henry, I gave it a try and heard similar feedback from other people booking the trek right now. I assume the CONAF bookings are closed for the winter and will open up again around July? Will update the post if I hear anything before then, but please let me know if you get through?

Thanks to your blog I was successful in booking 3 out of my 4 nights! I just booked with Fantasticosur and had a couple questions. It wouldn’t let me book a campsite (just the ground for our tent) – I had to choose a platform, which is fine. I selected a single platform based on comments I read here that a single platform can sleep 2. We don’t need food provided so I only booked a platform (it was like $20.) Should we be okay but just booking that single platform? My next question is about using my own tent. Can you set up your own tent on the platform… curious about the stakes that normally go in the ground? I had heard people saying a tent was provided but I did not opt to rent one.

Thanks! Maggie

Alright! The single platform is enough to sleep two, so no issues there. I didn’t personally stay on any platforms, but I’d imagine they have eye screws, nails, or other tie downs. Just to be on the safe side, I’d bring something to tie your tent down or to one of these things. Tent rental is an additional cost, so if you’ve just booked the platform, you can go ahead and use your own. Good luck and let me know if any other questions pop up!

Oh the night of the platforms… I stayed on a platform at Cuernos. I splurged on an awesome dinner in the dining hall and returned to my Big agnes in a crumpled mess, ripped to shreds. I had set her up using the screws, nails, and tie downs provided, but I still wasn’t able to set up my tent in a way that withstood the Patagonian winds. My advice is to be prepared, do some research ahead of time and make sure that sucker can withstand because being up on the platform you’re way more susceptible to the winds. Luckily an amazing person stepped in and loaned me a tent for the remainder of my hike. The way the pros set up the rented tenants is insanely impressive. If I go back, I’m going to suck it up and rent the pre-setup tents. 🙂

Doug Pearson

Taylor, thanks so much for your website–it was very helpful when organizing our trek of the O in March 2018. We encountered some difficult conditions on the trail…first big snow of the season on Pass day and much of the trail was under 6 or more inches of water, so I wanted to warn your readers: DON’T BELIEVE ALL YOU READ ABOUT DOING THIS TREK IN TRAIL RUNNING SHOES!! We had nice full shank goretex backpacking boots and thanked god every day. There were a lot of young and suffering people going “ultra-light” on the O (120km in sopping wet feet). You can maybe pull this off on the W, but it will not work on the O or Q. Please benefit from my 40 years of mountaineering and backpacking experience! Also, beware of Vertice. We got accused of “fraud” at Paine Grande by the camp host playing amateur detective (I’m an actual fraud investigator for a living). Anyway, Refugio Grey “tipped him off” because they couldn’t find our reservation and, the print-outs from Vertice’s website came out mixed English-Spanish, like Los Dogs (instead of Los Perros), etc…of course, the only explanation was we were frauds…rather than Vertice has a crappy website. Management eventually figured out their error and we got free wine, but the anxious and hostile host was itching to call the police on us. I strongly advised him to please call the police… Anyway, once you get to Paine, it’s a crush of humanity most of the entire W with tour groups and day hikers. I feel like the photos and coverage of Torres do not often reflect the reality on the trail, but still a good adventure–just not one we wouldn’t do twice. In the realm of places we’ve travelled and trekked, I’d give Torres a 6 out of 10.

A few quick questions. First off – your website it awesome! Helped me get all my resos complete. CONAF sucks, but that doesn’t matter b/c their sites really are moot, esp since the Torres CONAF site is closed. So just go w/ Vertice & Fantastico.

That said, …I’m pondering a few gear questions. Am I insane to entertain a bivy? Is cortisone necessary? Are propane cans easy to procure like we have here? What level bag do you suggest from mid-Oct to mid-Dec? Are the plugins issue a big problem for our American cords? And last, a bit beyond but perhaps you know – am I able to get a bus from Bolivia’s salt flats to cross the border into Chile to get to the Atacama WITHOUT a return flight? I want to just find my own way from Bolivia into Chile, and meander as far south beyond Torres as possible. Thus, a return flight is best purchased when I’m ready to return b/c I have no way of knowing how the weather will be as I’m traveling, perhaps as far south as Port Williams and beyond if possible.

Hey Joe. I’m glad you found it helpful! I know the CONAF site is kind of a nightmare, but good to hear the other bits are confirmed.

Regarding your other questions: A bivy could be nice! The park has notoriously unpredictable weather, and you’ll never regret staying dry. Cortisone probably depends on you. Propane cans are cheap and readily available in Puerto Natales, and you’ll even be able to pick up some partially used ones from campsites within the park. I went in April, but I was recommended a -5° sleeping bag just in case. As for the border crossing, I’m sure I didn’t have a departure flight when I crossed the border, and I don’t remember any problems.

Can you clarify your question about plugins? Talk soon!

I went to Fantasticosur via your link, but there I have to choose first from Sector Central, Sector Cuernos, Chilenos etc. What the hell are these?

Hey Heinrich. Those are the names of the campsite sectors. Central is Torre Central, their camp closest to the Torres. Cuernos, Chileno, etc. are the names of their other refugios and campsites. Let me know if you have any other questions as you’re making your reservations and I’ll be happy to help!

Hi Taylor, thanks for all the helpful infos! We are wondering about the following things

For staying in Refugio central -> early bird hike to the torres mirador: – Is the path easy to follow so we dont get lost in total darkness at night?

For staying in Refugio chileno: – How much time do we save in comparison to ref. central?

Further questions: – Is there a place to park the car for some days at the park entrance? – Is there a way to get to the catamaran leaving at pudeto from the park entrance?

Thanks a lot for the help

Hey Pascal. Sure thing! To answer your questions: the path between Refugio Central to the Mirador is easy to follow with orange dots along the way, but you’ll definitely need a headlamp to navigate. If I remember correctly, the hike from Chileno to the Mirador should be about 2 hours (compared to 4 hours). I didn’t drive to the park, but it’s my understanding that you’re better off parking in Puerto Natales and taking the bus to the park. Here’s more info on transport on the official website ( http://www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl/en/como-llegar ). And finally, I’m afraid I don’t know much about the catamaran, but I came by this ( http://www.torres-del-paine.org/catamaran.html ). Good luck with your planning and let me know if anything else comes up!

Hello Taylor! Fabulous blog! Thank you for all the helpful information. Anyone know any updates on CONAF campsite bookings? The website says ‘Still not available for a very long time. Any suggestions? Anyone to contact for more info? It’s so frustrating. We booked everything but 2 campsites with CONAF. Any tips would be much appreciated.

Hey Alina. I’m sorry to hear CONAF still isn’t accepting bookings 🙁 I just took a look on the park website and it says “THE NEW BOOKING SYSTEM FOR 2018-2019 STILL NOT AVAILABLE. THE STARTING DATES WILL BE ANNOUNCED OPPORTUNELY THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AND OTHER SOCIAL NETWORKS.” I guess at least this means no one is booking! If I were you, I’d subscribe to their Facebook page with notifications so you can be the first to act when the news is available. Best of luck!

Hello Taylor. Ugh yeah, I’ve been checking eveyday 🙁 Sadly for this matter, I don’t have Facebook. Any other way I could track progress or someone to contact? If they still haven’t opened booking online … does that mean no one was able to book campsites all this time? How does that work out??

Thanks Taylor.

Hello Taylor, this blog is fantastic, thanks 🙂

I am a bit confused about the platforms. When booking a single platform at Francés, it costs $ 31, double $ 40. Serón, however, charges $ 20 per person which means $ 40 for 2. From what I read, 1 single platform should be alright for 2. Is this also valid this year, especially because the per person price is obviously $20?

When booking with Vertice, is there a chance to start the booking with los Perros instead of Dickson? I would like to go from Serón to Los Perros in 1 day without a stop at Dickson. And how can it be possible that there are still spots open for Dickson but not for Perros and Seron when you can only book the 3 of them together. Why would I stay at Dickson when there is no chance to stay in Perros or Gray as the next stop? Even if I would, there is no way to make a booking only for Dickson.

Thanks for any answers, Stephan

Hello Taylor, this is a very helpful blog! Thank you!

I would like to make a reservation with Vertice for Perros and Grey. During the reservation process, it is only possible to select Dickson, Perros and Grey together. Is there a way to leave Dickson out? Another strange thing is that there are spots available for Dickson but not for Perros and Grey and there is no option to make a reservation only for Dickson. Did anybody have the same problems?

Thanks in advance, Stephan

Hey Stephan, apologies for the delay! It’s my understanding that in the new online booking system, you have to book it in sequence. They’re trying to make it difficult for people to skip nights of accommodation by making the whole circuit mandatory. If you’re looking for something more custom, you’re best off emailing them directly to set this up. As for Dickson, anyone else have the answer? Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to help!

We have the same problem. Would like to skip Grey on the O as we have a reservation for Paso and Grey seems to be the only Camp not available. Did you solve the problem ?

Hey Jana. Have you tried emailing them? It’s my understanding that you have to book everything in sequence at the moment. They haven’t quite gotten this reservation system down yet! Stephan, did you have a different experience?

Yes, we tried. No reply so far, so we will try to call during the next days..

Santo Dileo

Hello there! So admittedly, I’m new to backpacking and I’m a little confused. I want to hike all over Patagonia and specifically Torres Del Paine by myself, using all of my own equipment, with my own tent and my own food and everything.

Do I still have to book campsites? Or do I only have to do that if I want to stay in the refugios? I thought the only expense I’d have to pay for is the entrance into the park, after that, I would be on my own. But now I’m confused, do I have to pay/register just to set my tent up on a camping ground?

Cheers, Santo

Hey Santo. I was pretty new to backpacking for this trek too, and it’s a good place to start. The park prohibits wild camping, so you will need to book campsites for every night you’re staying in the park. While some camps rent gear, you’re just paying for the space. At most sites and will still need your own tent and food. It’s not a cheap camping trip (over $100 if you don’t get the free sites). Hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions!

Taylor, thank you so much for your help!!

I’m trying to go in March 2019, and trying to avoid the crowds so will probably stay away from the free campsites.

How much, on average, should I expect to pay per night for each different campsight?

Also this seems really difficult to time out all reservations before you show up to the park. What happens if I book 10 nights worth of spots for the full circuit, but when I get there my pace is different than I expected. How flexible are they? Surely not everyone gets all the reservations timed perfectly for the whole visit?

Hey Santo. Glad you found it helpful! The trek has taken off in popularity so I’m afraid most campsites will be fully booked, free or not. The cheaper ones were around $10 per night, and I believe Chileno is the most expensive at $101 for just the platform (and since cooking is not allowed, you’ll probably pay for meals as well).

As for your reservations, they aren’t super flexible. You’re expected to keep pace with your bookings unless you’re injured, and if you fall behind, you’re kind of at the whims of campsite managers and park rangers. Especially at some of the more popular camps, it’s possible that they’d ask you to turn around. Good luck with your trek and let me know if any other questions pop up.

Hi Taylor, unbelievable but the new booking System from Conaf is available now (or it was now the site is not working anymore) However, we have registered us there, choose the 2 Camping sides with a date and paid the entrance fee. 9h later we got a confirmation about the entrance fee but not for the campsides. Do you have any contact details from Conaf we can write to? We have bookes every single campside now exept the 2 from Conaf and I will go crazy if they will not let uns into the park to do the O-Track without the 2 campsides… all the best, Holger

Wow! Never thought we’d see the day. My guess is that they received the booking but were overloaded with confirmation emails. I received my confirmations from [email protected] , perhaps you can give that a try? Let me know what you find out!

Jason Masud

Thanks for your great articles. Make your Reservations is an important point. I have made this type of mistake and faced a huge problem. So do not forget to make sure your reservations.

hello, firstly thank you for taking your time to recompile all these useful information, secondly I was trying to buy the tickets in conaf system it redirects me to webpay and when I enter my credit card and click send I get the credit card rejected, I tried with a visa and a american express credit cards. I sent them an email but got no reply, can you advise me what can i do in these case?, did it happen to you in when you book your tickets?. thanks in advance, regards.

Hey Federico. I was only doing a test booking so I didn’t get so far as putting in card details! I guess you’ve already called your bank, but do they give an option for PayPal?

hi taylor, I had to authorize the transaction but it never worked though they told me everything was fine. I will keep trying. they said paypal was an option but whenever you want to buy the tickets it redirects to webpay system.

Dror Shayovitz

Hi Taylor Thanks for the excellent guide to booking campsites in the Torres del Paine – its the clearest explanation I’ve seen yet! I’ve been trying to book entrance to the park and a campsite on the CONAF website, but when I click on the “Pagar” button I get a time-out, it looks like the payment system is down. Has anyone else had this problem in the last few days?

Hey Dror. I’m happy it was helpful for you! The process was nightmarish a year ago, and it seems it’s only gotten more so. I’ve heard a few people comment that they’re having payment issues. Have you made any progress since you wrote this comment that you can share with anyone else having the same problem?

Hi Taylor, Thank you very much for all this great information! I was trying to book the W-trek, but unfortunately I figured out that it is not possible to book a place at Chileno in January. Do you know if there is any way to still do the hike?

Or in case not, do you have any recommendations for other nice multiple day hikes in Patagonia?

Hey Crystal. Chileno books out pretty quickly! Did you already check if there’s space available at Torres Central? It’s a longer hike to the Torres, but it’s worth it if it means you get to go in the first place! There are tons of great alternative hikes in Patagonia. You’ll find a few detailed here . If you can’t get into Torres del Paine, maybe take a look at the hikes in Fitz Roy on the Argentinian side? Good luck with your trip planning, and glad you found the info useful!

Johanna Lassl

Hey! First of all, thank you SO MUCH for this, I was really confused about how to book the campsites and your post has really helped me figure it out! I have booked at Vertice and Fantasticosur. From the first, I instantly got a confirmation mail after paying. Fantasticosur hasnt sent me anything yet. Did you (or anyone else) experience the same? I am just a bit stressed out about it because I have booked everything else at this point and it would be a desaster if I had to find out that my booking didnt work out. Thank you already (again)! Johanna

Hey Johanna. You’re welcome! I’m glad it’s been so useful. Did you get a confirmation number or anything when you booked through Fantasticosur? I haven’t had the exact experience, but I can say that automated emails/booking/confirmation isn’t very well streamlined. If your payment went through, you’re safe to assume it worked and I’d expect confirmation to arrive later. Please let me know if this is not the case and maybe your experience will be helpful for someone else experiencing the same issue. Good luck with your hike!

Hello, do you know of a phone number for contacting Conaf? I keep getting blocked at the payment stage and have tried all manner of cards, phoned the bank etc and it seems to be a problem at the Conaf end. I know others have mentioned this issue so i wanted to see if anyone found a solution.

Abhichart Krissanaprasit

Thank you so much for the booking guideline. It is very helpful. I am going to trek in March. I have already booked most of the campsites except Italiano due to payment problem. Unfortunately, I can’t make a payment on CONAF website. Do you have any suggestion? Could I pay the entrance fee when I arrive at the park?

Hey Abhichart. You won’t be able to pay upon arrival. Have you tried multiple cards or PayPal as a payment method? I’ve heard a lot of people are having the same trouble but no clear solution just yet!

Thank you for your fast response. I have tried with multiple cards (VISA and Mastercards) as well as paypal. None of them works with CONAF. If you know a solution please let me know. Hope the website will be up soon

My plan is to do W-trek and start at Paine Grande. I will take the bus from Punta Natalas to Pudeto and take the ferry to start the trek. Could I buy the entrance fee at the park? I have vouchers from fantasticosur and Vertice Patagonia. Where can I get the entrance ticket? Laguna Amarga or Pudeto?

Looking forward to hearing back from you Abhichart

Tent Sites on the W. Hello Taylor, Your blog has been so helpful. Now that we are booked for campsites, (Family of 6), we are in the planning part. We will be there between Christmas and New Years and doing the W. We have 3 backpacking tents. I hear the wind can be high. Are the tent sites in a slightly protected space? Is it possible to tie down the tent stakes? Are the sites a first come first serve basis? Any info you could provide would be helpful on tent sites and weather.

Hey Donna. Some of the campsites along the W are sheltered, but I remember Paine Grande in particular, is not. Campsites are first come, first serve. And the wind in TdP is really serious! But if you stake your tent and have low-profile camping gear, you guys should be alright. If you’re worried about it, I recommend bringing along extra stakes to really get it secured. Hope you guys enjoy the family trip! Sounds awesome.

Hi Taylor, My husband and I want to move only by car. We plan to sleep in the car or in a tent (may be near the hotel Lago Grey or Villa Serano or Salto Chiko) . Is it necessary to book an overnight stay if we are not going to go to the W-track or O-track?

Hey Karina. Gonna take a stab at your question, but not sure I understand fully. Are you planning to stay overnight, but you’d like to avoid booking one of the campsites? Since camping is so regulated, I doubt that car camping is allowed. You could look into reserving a spot at Torres Central or one of the sites on the bottom points of the W as they’re closest to the park entrance. Feel free to clarify and I’ll give a better answer!

Hi Taylor, I have an interesting situation and was wondering if you had any insight. I booked all my campsites for January but unfortunately misunderstood the Fantastico website. I was booking for myself and my soon-to-be husband and selected a single platform (no food or anything) but selected quantity at 1. I realize now that quantity was referring to number of people not number of platforms. So I have a platform but need to pay for the additional person. I emailed them but it seems replies are slow. Do you think it will be an issue to add him? Could we get away with just showing up if we are unable to get an answer and pay there?

Hey Maggie! The website is super confusing, I’m sure you’re not the only one in that situation! Since the single platform is indicative of the number of tents and not the number of people, I don’t think it should be an issue. I’d recommend printing out your reservation twice so you can show it at the checkpoints if necessary. As for food, some of the sites don’t allow cooking, so you might want to see if you can add board (or bring no-cook meals) for those nights. Hope this helps at least a bit, and good luck with your trip!

Hey, came across your guide while writing an extensive guide for Chile myself. Thank you so much for this detailed guide.

Glad it was helpful, Priyanka! Are you planning a trip to Torres del Paine?

Just sent you an email, too. Not right now, but of course in the future, when I visit Chile again.

I love what you guys are usually up too. Such clever work and coverage! Keep up the very good works guys I’ve you guys to our blogroll.

Dear author! Thank you for your post, I checked lots of sites and blogs before planning our trip to Patagonia but didn’t find full info in Russian net. Thanks to you blog I’ve known about reservation of camps and it helped us to make in beforehand and avoid make stupid situations. We made full W treck with the child and felt in love with Patagonia and Sout America. Gonna visit other countries and I’ll use your advices.

Thanks so much for leaving a comment, Barbara! I’m so glad to hear that the information was helpful and got you through your family’s trip to Patagonia. It’s such a special place, isn’t it?

Hi Taylor, Thanks so much for the information! Clears up so much. I’m getting a jump on planning for next year and plan to do the W-Trek January 2020. Do you know about how far in advance the websites open up booking for next season? Thanks! Jessica

Hey Jessica. Glad you found it helpful! These systems are less than exact, but if I remember correctly, CONAF reservations opened up in October last year, and the private companies only started showing availability on their websites at the end of winter. Hope this helps a bit!

Does anyone who has done the W circuit in Torres del Paine have any tips for booking campsites? – Zolas Blog

[…] I'm trying to figure out if myself and 4 friends can still camp there in early-mid April (of 2019). I know spots fill up crazy early, but I'm honestly having trouble figuring out what's available… I'm following the tips on this blog. […]

Buenos días. Soy Guardaparque en Torres del Paine y felicito por el nivel de información y respuestas que aquí se brindan entiendo que totalmente desinteresadamente. Estoy de acuerdo en que los sistemas de reservas funcionan espantosos y es super complicado para los visitantes planificar sus viajes. Pero sinceramente esta temporada muchos visitantes han tenido graves problemas por seguir el tipo de consejos que aquí en una parte se brindan en caso de no conseguir reservas:

“El último recurso es llegar a su campamento a oscuras y disculparse por ello. Es posible que los guardabosques pongan los ojos en blanco, pero generalmente no lo enviarán a usted para que se convierta en una tarifa de puma después del atardecer.”

Pero sinceramente si, se envia a la gente de regreso al menos hasta Sector Central o Paine Grande, ocurriendo que: – En estos casos si es que queda lugar, son las tarifas mas altas (Refugios) o al no haber mas lugar en ellos deberán pagar un transfer privado para retirarse del parque (ya que no hay buses disponibles entrada la noche). – A demás si se los hace regresar desde Guardería Torres, habrán caminado 16 km al vicio. Por lo cual al otro día deberán repetir el sendero para finalmente llegar a las torres por el día. -Esto implica malestar en los visitantes, mal rato para los trabajadores que realizan cierre se sendero y al fin y al cabo una experiencia poco agradable para todos.

Como bien aclaraste al principio las reservas tienen una razón de ser y es fundamentalmente la poca disponibilidad de los baños y cámaras sépticas, y la capacidad de turistas con su respectivo impacto que pueden soportar los sensibles ecosistemas de Torres del Paine. Gracias

Hola Melina. Muchas gracias por su mesaje. Cuando escribía ese articulo, no tenía un idea cuantos lectores vamos a tener. Estoy de acuerdo que este punto no es tan correcto en este momento, y he cambiado a reflectar los reglas en 2019. En la interesa a mejorando este articulo, puedo enviarte un email para discutir los puntos mas importante en este momento? Gracias por su tiempo y hablamos pronto.

Edward Setterington

Loved the article and found it really informative thanks!

I am trying to book onto the O Circuit for this October (only slightly panicking that I left it too late!) but having issues across all the accommodation sites.

I have registered on the CONAF website but every time I enter the dates and try and book a message pops up saying “You can not buy tickets to Torres del Paine National Park. This protected area is inactive.” Do you know what this actually means? Has the booking season not started or is it fully booked?

Appreciate any help on this! Thanks in advance and keep it up!

Hey Edward. Glad you found it helpful! Everything kind of hits pause during the winter. The backcountry is closed during winter for trekkers without a guide (May 1 – November 1-ish) and the booking sites are out-of-date and not open for booking again until late summer (CONAF as late as October). The good news is that sites are definitely not sold out yet! But are you looking to go during the winter? If so, you’re best reaching out to one of the guide agencies in town. Ask them when the park is open for regular season. If it’s still closed for trekkers without a guide, then you might consider booking through them. Best of luck!

Thank you so much for this! It’s been really helpful. I just wanted to ask you a question. I’ve been looking at my availability for the month of November 2019 (2nd week of November) in Vertice and Fantastico Sur and I have been getting “Not Available”. Similarly when I tried looking at later dates, I still get “Not Available”. I’m not sure if this means that it’s been booked for all 2019 and 2020 or if I’m just booking too early ahead of time.

If you could help me out on this, I would really appreciate it.

Glad it was helpful! Since November is the start of the season, it’s not possible to book until the winter is over. This was as late as September – October last year. I’d recommend checking back every week from August since they don’t formally announce when the booking opens and this will give you the best chance to get first dibs on reservations. Hope this helps!

Heather Foster

Can anyone share their experience booking through CONAF? Trying to reserve Paso and Italiano.

Hi Taylor, thanks for the helpful article. We’re planning a roundtrip through Chile and Argentina in late september this year and just realized, that most of the camps are still closed at that time. Do you know, if the date they open varies? Especially the Conaf-website doesn’t have sufficient information on that. And do you have an update to the Camp Torres, is it still closed for the 2019/20 season? Regards, Paul

Hey Paul, sorry for the delay! The backcountry is closed off in winter unless you’re traveling with a tour. If you have your heart set on going, you can reach out to local operators to see if space is available! And as far as I know, Torres is still closed for 2019. Will update the post as soon as I hear otherwise.

Robb Linnemanstons

Hi Taylor, We are headed to Torres del Paine in late February 2020 to do the O circuit. I have been able to make all of my campsite reservations with Vertice Patagonia and Fantastico Sur, but we have a hole in the middle of our itinerary – I have not been able to book the one night I need in Camp Paso, and have no idea what to do at this point. An email to the CONAF folks resulted in a form email response. Any advice or direction is appreciated. Robb

Hey Robb. Is the issue that the dates are sold out or is it a booking issue on the CONAF site? You’re unlikely to get an email response from CONAF in my experience. If dates are sold out, I’d recommend adjusting your route to include a night in Greys or Los Perros. Last option is that there are in-person CONAF offices in Puerto Natales. I understand it’s harder than ever to book sites this way, but you could get lucky. Hope this helps a bit?

Trying to book the Italiano campsite from 7-8 January 2020, however it does not work yet. Any advice when the booking system will open? Already booked all other stops around this one. Many thanks in advance. Great and very informative blog!

Hi Marvin. As far as I know, the sites are open for 2020 already! Are you able to see availability or are you having problems at the login?

Unfortunately not – still not enabled, any indication when they open the booking system? Thanks a lot

Pyara Ingersoll

Wanting to book Refugios in advance for Dec 2020. when would reservation open up for that? Right now it won’t reserve past Spring 2020 Thanks

Hey Pyara. None of the agencies that offer camping have an official go-live date, but the last few years, CONAF has opened late September and the others between July and August. I’d recommend following CONAF, Fantastico Sur, Vertice, and a few rental/tour agencies around town on your preferred social media channel. That’s the quickest way I’ve found to stay updated when booking does open up for the season!

Can someone tell me if the CONAF site is working at all at the moment? I have made an account but it doesn’t work in Chrome or Firefox so have to use Internet Explorer.

On clicking “Inicio > Comprar” you just get stuck on a screen saying “Seleccione un área protegida” but there aren’t any options to choose?

Can anyone who has used this site in the past confirm whether it’s working at all or not?

Hey Jon. Just took a look for you, and the website does appear to be malfunctioning. I’ve tried “Ver Disponibilidad” > “Ir a comprar” but when it puts me through to that page, it’s just a carousel of images and a message that I should select a protected area. Good news is that you’re not wrong! But I know it’s frustrating when the website has these malfunctions. I’d expect they’re receiving lots of emails about it (you can send one too) so check back in a day or two to see if the system has been updated. Good luck!

magarac shumski

Taylor good morning,

thanks for the wonderful post ! Could you advice me on the following please:

(a) I would like to hike the O-circle during the last week of November 2020. What do you think, when is the earliest I could book the accommodations in refugios and hotels ? (b) Would it be possible to hike the O without carrying tent ? This summer I did Tour Du Mont Blanc, (solo) hiking from a refuge to refuge (and occasional hotel in-between), so I was hoping the O could have the similar option ? (c) I studied “Torres Del Paine” ( Ciceron ), and came up with the following itinerary: (1) Posada Rio Serrano (2) Refugio Paine Grande (3) Refugio Los Cuernos (4) Hotel Las Torres ? (5) Campamento Seron (6) Refugio Dickson ? (7) Campamento Los Perros ? ( ) SKIP Campamento Paso (8) Refugio Grey (9) Refugio Paine Grande

Now, the book describes: Campamento Seron Campamento Los Perros

as “Partially serviced campsites”. Questions: (c1) Does this mean that I could rent a tent at those two places ? (c2) From Refugio Dickson to Campamento Paso is ~ 6 hrs hike. From Campamento Paso to Refugio Grey is another ~ 4hrs. So, from (7) to (8) would be ~10 or ~11 hrs hiking. Does this seem too much in a day ? BTW, I did cover 10-12 hrs a day in the Alps, and that included elevation gain of 1000+ meters, and it was not a big issue (even with 10kgs backpack).

( BTW, I will probably stay extra nights in Hotel Las Torres so to explore the Vale Ascencio )

Thanks for all comments & feedback !

Best, magarac shumski

bellymamamidwifery

Also complicating things is the closure of Campamento Torres, leaving Campamento Chileno (Area de acampar Chileno) the only game in town to camp at before hiking up to the Torres del Paine This makes planning itineraries for the W far more difficult.

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Hiking The W Trek In Patagonia: A Self-Guided Itinerary [2024]

01 apr 2024 11 nov 2023 | dan.

You can choose your own adventure when it comes to trekking in Chile, but if you like to plan ahead, here’s our tried-and-tested 5 day/4 night, east-to-west, self-guided itinerary for hiking the W Trek Patagonia .

Last updated on 26 March 2024 by Dan

Torres del Paine National Park is a place so epic and otherworldly, its name is often spoken with a kind of hushed reverence. This vast and dramatic stretch of Chilean Patagonia is home to some of the most mind-blowingly beautiful scenery on Earth, and hiking the W trek is one of the greatest ways to immerse in it.

This is Patagonian hiking at its very best, but  how you trek the W trail is entirely up to you .

You can go with a guide, or do the W trek self guided (in the warmer months anyway). You can stay in lodges and enjoy a cooked meal and a warm bed. You can carry your own gear and pitch your tent in one of the designated campsites along the way, or carry no gear and book a tent at each site. You can carry all your food, or add a half or full board meal package to your booking, or do a bit of both.

We opted to camp but rather than carry all the gear, we arranged for a pitched tent to be waiting for us each day. We packed food for most of the trek and booked a full board meal package (dinner, breakfast and packed lunch) at one of our overnight camping stays.

The direction you hike and the time you take to do the trek is also your call. As occasional hikers with temperamental knees, we opted for the typical self guided W trek itinerary of  5 days and 4 nights .

Many argue that hiking west to east, and saving the striking granite peaks of Las Torres for the last day is a fitting finale to this incredible hike. We took the opposite view though, starting with the awe-inspiring torres and  hiking the W trek east to west  so that we could tackle the toughest legs of the trail in the first couple of days, while we still had plenty of energy.

At the end of the day, no matter how you take on the W hike, you’re still trekking one of the most spectacular trails on the planet. And you’ll still get to enjoy the jaw-dropping vista of Las Torres. Twice even, if you’re keen.

Hiking the W Trek Snapshot Location:  Torres del Paine National Park, Chile Nearest town:  Puerto Natales, Chile Getting to and from the park: Torres del Paine is easily accessible by bus from Puerto Natales. Park entry: Park entry tickets and overnight stays in the park (campsites and lodges) must be arranged before visiting the park. Start and finish:  The W Trek traverses a roughly w-shaped route through Torres del Paine National Park between Refugio Las Torres in the east and Refugio Paine Grande in the west. For this itinerary, we start in the east and hike west. Distance:  appx. 74 kilometres (46 miles) one-way Time:  This itinerary is 5 days and 4 nights Difficulty:  Moderately difficult, with some challenging stretches and steep climbs, plus highly changeable weather. We’re occasional hikers but with some preparation and a reasonable level of fitness, we found the W Trek very do-able (even if all our muscles were screaming for days afterwards!).

What’s in this post?

Preparing for hiking the W Trek Patagonia What time of year is best for hiking the W? Where to stay before and after the trek Entry to Torres del Paine National Park Booking Camping and Accommodation on the W Trail Bus tickets to and from Torres del Paine Packing for the W Trek Our Self-guided itinerary for hiking the W Trail Day 1 – Puerto Natales to Chileno via Las Torres Day 2 – Chileno to Francés Day 3 – Francés to Paine Grande via Francés Valley Day 4 – Paine Grande to Grey Day 5 – Grey to Paine Grande (and return to Puerto Natales)

This post contains affiliate links. If you find these links useful and you choose to purchase through these links we may receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, which helps us to keep this website running. Your support is much appreciated!  

Preparing for hiking the W Trek Patagonia

We aim to fully check and refresh this post for each trekking high season (October to April). Things can change without notice though, so we recommend also visiting the links below for information while you’re planning and before you go: 

• For the latest updates on requirements for travel to Chile, visit the official  Chile tourism website .
• Torres del Paine National Park is managed by the park agency CONAF. Visit the official national park website for park reports, park entry information and more.
• When you check-in at the park for your trek, you’ll receive an information guide with a map showing the park’s trails, services and accommodations. The current brochure can be found here .

What time of year is best for hiking the W?

Patagonian weather will keep you on your toes no matter when you visit Torres del Paine National Park. Be ready for everything. However, there are two distinct periods to be aware of when planning your trip.

High Season – October to April

These are the warmer months in the southern hemisphere, and December to March is the busiest time of year to trek in the park, with visitation peaking over January and February. During this period, you can choose to do a self-guided hike or go with a guide .

If you’re travelling in high season, and particularly if you’re planning to visit during the peak months, be sure to reserve your place in the lodges or campgrounds as far in advance as possible . Torres del Paine is now one of the most popular places to trek in Chile and overnight places book up very quickly.

We hiked the W trail towards the end of March, and while sections were busy, like the path to Las Torres, there were stretches where we wouldn’t see more than a handful of people in hours.

That said, despite making our campsite reservations months prior to our visit, we initially struggled to find availability and had to change our trekking dates to suit what we were able to book.

Low Season – May to September

Many people say winter is even more magical in Torres del Paine.

The park entry fee drops during the low season and you’ll find far fewer people in the park. But temps will also be lower, daylight hours are shorter, rain is frequent and there can be snow and ice. Many of the mountain trails are closed, as are a number of the mountain lodges and services. Trails that are open can also close suddenly due to weather (though that can happen at any time of the year).

Most importantly, to do the W Trek or hike to the base of Las Torres during the low season, you must have a qualified guide . This period typically runs from 1 May to the end of August, but check the official Torres del Paine website for more information if you’re planning to visit over this time.

The bottom line: No matter what time of year you visit Torres del Paine, given the changeability of the weather there, you should check in with park agency CONAF for latest updates and closures.

Where to stay before and after the trek

The nearest major population centre, and the main jump-off point for a Torres del Paine trek is Puerto Natales , a low-key Patagonian town hugging the shores of the picturesque Última Esperanza Sound.

The drawcard of Torres del Paine’s trails has seen Puerto Natales develop a buzzing trekker scene.

We suggest giving yourself a couple of days in Puerto Natales before your trek to get organised, shop, hire any gear you need, and sort out transport to and from Torres del Paine if you haven’t already (see our section on sorting out bus tickets further on).

Just about everyone staying in Puerto Natales is out and about doing the same thing, so having extra time in town means you can stress less if you don’t find what you’re looking for in the first place you visit. 

Spending a couple of days here after your trek is also worthwhile – you can rest your weary bones and enjoy this charming little town.

Accommodation in Puerto Natales

Puerto Natales isn’t a big place, but you’ll find everything from budget hostels through to five-star luxury in and around the town.  

We stayed at the charming, centrally-located Hotel Aquaterra both before and after our trek. This is a great mid-range option and we really enjoyed our time here. They also stored our luggage for us while we were on the trail. 

For more accommodation options like this in Puerto Natales, take a look at Booking.com . Or, if you’re after something more in the budget range, you’ll find various hostel options here .

One place we’ve definitely got our eye on for a future stay is this unique domed apartment . It’s about eight kilometres (five miles) out of town, but with the views this place has, we wouldn’t be moving from the window seats anyway. Perfect for a post-trek, legs-up retreat!

Entry to Torres del Paine National Park

Entry to Torres del Paine National Park is ticketed and there are capacity limits in the mountain lodges and campgrounds. This is for the long-term care and protection of this wild and remote place, and for the safety of visitors to the park. So whether you’re planning to hike the W, trek the O circuit or visit for the day, you will need a ticket to get into the park.

You must now buy your entrance ticket for Torres del Paine National Park at least 24 hours in advance of your visit to the park. You can no longer buy an entry ticket at the park itself. Visit the CONAF website to buy your park entry ticket . 

Entry fees vary depending on whether you are Chilean or international, as well as your age, and whether you intend to stay in the park up to, or more than, three days. At last check, international adults 18 and over will pay CLP$31,200 (CLP is Chilean pesos) for up to three days in the park, and CLP$44,500 for more than three days.

Download your ticket to your phone before you head to the park (you won’t have reception there) and carry a printed copy just in case. You should also carry a copy of your passport as you may be asked to show your ID/nationality.

Booking Camping and Accommodation on the W Trail

There are various ways to stay overnight on the W trek in Torres del Paine National Park, but whether you’re planning a lodge stay, hiring camping equipment, or camping with all your own gear, you’ll need advance reservations to do so.

Overnight reservations are mandatory for Torres del Paine and, like park entry tickets, need to be made in advance . You cannot book camping or accommodation once you’re at the park, or camp outside the designated bookable camping zones.

You’ll also need to carry evidence of your overnight reservations as you may be asked to show proof at any time by a park ranger or when passing through checkpoints. We printed our reservation confirmations and carried these with us.  

With trekking in Torres del Paine becoming ever more popular, limited accommodation spots and advance booking necessary, sorting out campsites or lodge accommodation is – in our experience – probably the trickiest part of planning a self guided W trek itinerary. 

For this reason, we recommend booking your overnight stays as far in advance as possible , preferably as soon as bookings open for the season.  

It also pays to be flexible about where you stay, as you may find you need to rework your trekking dates and approach based on what’s available. 

Our final W trail hiking itinerary was the direct result of where and when we could get an overnight booking.

How to book your overnight stays in the park

There are a number of mountain lodges (refuges) and campsites in Torres del Paine, and you can only stay overnight in these designated zones.  

Broadly speaking, the zones in the east are managed by  Las Torres Patagonia  (formerly Fantástico Sur) and those in the west are managed by  Vertice Travel . 

There are also a couple of free campgrounds in the park which are managed by the Chilean park agency CONAF. However, these campgrounds are closed for the 2023-24 season – visit the CONAF website  for updates. 

You can book direct via the Las Torres Patagonia and Vertice Travel websites, however we know from experience that trying to align availability and book spots for a workable W circuit itinerary across different websites can be complicated and time-consuming. Another reason to plan well ahead.

We’re now aware of a new website called Booking Patagonia , which offers an integrated booking system for travel, tickets and accommodation for Torres del Paine. Tours can also be booked through this site. We haven’t used it yet so we can’t personally vouch for it, but if you do use it, we’d love to know how you go (one of our readers has recently provided some feedback about their experience in the comments at the end of this post).

Bus tickets to and from Torres del Paine National Park

We based ourselves in Puerto Natales, the nearest town to Torres del Paine, before and after our trek and most travellers do the same. From Puerto Natales, it’s an easy bus trip to and from the park.

If you’re travelling by bus, we recommend organising your bus tickets to and from Torres del Paine well in advance . Don’t leave this until the day you head to the park or you may find the buses already full. 

If you plan to buy your tickets when you arrive in Puerto Natales, aim to do so as soon as you arrive in town. You can buy bus tickets at the main bus station (Terminal Rodoviario), or through your hotel or hostel. We travelled to Puerto Natales by bus so we bought our tickets to Torres del Paine at the bus station the day we arrived. You can also search bus services and buy tickets online here .

It’s important to note that your bus drop-off/pick-up points at the park may vary depending on your final W trail itinerary, so keep this in mind when booking your bus ticket.

If you follow this itinerary and trek from east to west, you’ll start with the bus from Puerto Natales to Laguna Armaga . After your trek, you will board the bus at Pudeto for the return journey to Puerto Natales (this follows a catamaran ride across Lake Pehoe to Pudeto from Paine Grande). Vice versa if you’re hiking the W from west to east.  

To ensure you’re on the trail in good time (and in line with this itinerary), we recommend booking one of the earliest buses out of Puerto Natales on Day 1. 

Packing for the W Trek

Any hike, but especially a multi-day hike, can quickly lose its appeal if you’re carrying too much weight in your pack; something we can personally attest to. So we strongly recommend packing light and only carrying the clothes, gear and food you need for the trek.

If you’re travelling longer term and have more stuff with you – which was our situation – leave it in storage at your hotel. Your back will thank you for it.

You can find most of what you need to buy or rent in Puerto Natales for hiking into the surrounding landscapes, from sleeping bags, camping stoves and hiking poles to dried fruit and nuts for your trail mix.

That said, this is a small and relatively remote town and the local prices reflect it. We’re told there’s more choice and better prices at the supermarkets and shops in Punta Arenas, so if you’re coming from or via Punta Arenas, you might consider doing your trek shopping while in that town.

We’ve also read recent reports that it hasn’t been so easy to find dehydrated meals lately in Puerto Natales. If you’re planning your menu around these, you might think about sourcing them elsewhere.

It’s important to know that Chile has stringent rules around what foods you can and can’t bring into the country (fresh foods, fruits, honey, etc are a no-no). Be sure to declare any foodstuffs you do bring in and plan on buying most of what you need for trek meals and snacks once you’re in the country.

We had a tight meal plan for our spin on the W, but with hindsight, we would swap out some of the bulkier food stuffs we packed for lighter, more compact foods. Next visit, we’ll be looking to pack some dehydrated camping meals and light-weight but filling carbs like cous cous and oats.

The night before the trek, organise any food you’re carrying into daily packages of brekkie, lunch and dinner. Pre-bundling your meals saves scrabbling around in your pack for particular items on the trail). Then pack all the gear you’ll be taking with you in waterproof bags inside your backpack.

Cash, pesos or credit card? One question we get asked is whether to carry US dollars or Chilean pesos into the park, and whether the refuges accept credit cards. We carried all three. We paid for some things in pesos, like snacks and the shuttle to the trail head, and other things in USD, like the catamaran from Paine Grande to Pudeto. We also used our credit card at one of the refuges to buy beers. It’s our understanding that all of the refuges accept credit cards.

Our self-guided itinerary for hiking the W Trail

Day 1 – puerto natales to chileno via las torres, total distance: appx. 13.8 km (8.5 miles) total time: appx. 8 hours overnight: camping chileno.

Let’s get trekking! Hopefully you’ve secured your seat on one of the earliest buses out of Puerto Natales this morning (see above regarding buying your bus tickets in advance).

Buses making the run to Torres del Paine National Park generally depart from Terminal Rodoviario in town. Find your bus and load your pack, then kick back until it’s time to go. It’s around two hours to Laguna Amarga, the gateway to Torres del Paine National Park, so settle in, this is a perfect excuse to grab some extra sleep before starting the hike. 

When you arrive at the Laguna Amarga Ranger Station, have your pre-purchased park entry ticket ready on your mobile phone or bring a printout. Here, you’ll check in and receive information about visiting the park, and its rules and regulations. 

Don’t forget to buy your entrance ticket for Torres del Paine in advance, and at least 24 hours before you head to the park . It’s no longer possible to buy entry tickets on arrival at at the park. Head to the CONAF website for more information .

At Laguna Amarga, hikers split into two groups: those starting their journey here at the eastern end of the park, and those heading to the western starting point at Paine Grande, which involves a further bus trip to Pudeto and a catamaran ride across Lake Pehoé (even if you’re hiking west to east, you’ll get off the bus here to check-in before reboarding the bus for Pudeto).

If, like us, you’re  hiking the W from east to west , your next step after check-in is to jump aboard the Hotel Las Torres public shuttle bus from Laguna Amarga to the Welcome Centre and the eastern starting point of the trek. This costs around US$5 per person and is paid in cash as you board (we paid this in pesos). 

Alternatively, you can start your hike here from Laguna Amarga. The shuttle will just spare you a dusty 7 kilometre walk along the gravel road. 

There’s a toilet at Laguna Amarga, and another at the Welcome Centre. This is a good chance to go before setting off into the mountains.

Trekking tip: We booked our first night’s accommodation at Camping Chileno, which is en route to today’s main destination – the towering granite peaks of Las Torres. We’ll be checking in at Chileno on the way and dropping off our packs ahead of the steep and challenging climb to the Las Torres mirador.  If, however, you’ve booked your first night at Hotel Las Torres or Central Refuge and Camping, then we’d suggest dropping off your packs there first, and setting out on today’s hike to Las Torres with a lighter load.

1st Leg: Hotel Las Torres to Chileno ( appx.  5 km / 3.1 miles, around 2 hours)

We’re officially underway on the W trail around 10.30am and from the word go, the views are eye-popping. After a flat kilometre or so, the path starts to climb: get used to it, it’s pretty much uphill from here.

The hike is moderately steep in some spots, until about a kilometre (0.6 miles) or so from Camping Chileno, where the trail flattens out a little before descending into the campground.

Despite feeling like our hearts might explode for much of this first stretch, we cover the distance in around two muscle-busting hours, with frequent stops to take in the views, rehydrate, and give our racing pulses a break.

Drinking water There’s no need to lug extra water with you on the Torres del Paine circuit. You’ll pass pristine mountain streams regularly throughout your journey. Bring a water bottle, fill up at nature’s tap and enjoy some of the purest water you’ll ever drink. Just remember to top up well away from the camps and upstream of the trails. 

We   haul our packs into Chileno around 12.30pm . This campground is operated by Las Torres Patagonia (formerly Fantástico Sur), and is the closest camp you can stay at to the famous Las Torres hike and mirador (the CONAF-managed campground near the base of the Las Torres climb has been closed for some time). 

The riverside setting at Chileno is truly stunning and the sheer peaks of the three granite towers – our ultimate goal today – rise tantalisingly above the forested mountains ahead.

The campground itself is a nice set-up of tiered camping platforms among the trees. There are shared bathrooms with hot showers, and a restaurant and bar with big windows, plus an outdoor terrace for soaking up the epic views.

Our tent is ready for us when we arrive at Chileno, so we check in, drop our bags in our tent, grab a smaller pack with snacks, water bottles and cameras, eat the lunch we prepared last night, and  set out for Las Torres around 1.30pm . Timings here may vary depending on your check-in.

2nd Leg: Chileno to Las Torres (appx. 4.4 km / 2.7 miles, around 2 hours)

This is without doubt today’s toughest leg, so there’s a huge bonus in not having to tote your full pack up the mountain.

From Chileno, you’ll hike for around 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) or so along a meandering path through pretty woodland, across rushing rivers, and through a wonderfully moody stretch of fallen forest that we dub the ‘tree cemetery’. It’s a lovely, moderate walk, and we have no sense of what’s ahead when we reach the sign that tells us ’45 minutes to Mirador Las Torres’.

My notes from this point in our trek simply state: ‘hiking hell starteth here’. A touch dramatic maybe, but as irregular hikers, this was probably the hardest section of the entire W for us. Maybe you’ll breeze through it, just be ready for it.

Shortly after the sign, the climb to Las Torres begins in earnest. It’s a gritty, rocky terrain of steep, gravelly inclines and large boulders. The panoramas as you climb are absolutely breathtaking, but so is the hike itself. There are moments while we’re in the throes of it, looking up and spotting the tiny trekkers far above, that this stretch feels like it will never end.

It does end though, about an hour later, and the scene that awaits as we round a final boulder and face the towering granite pillars of Las Torres makes every single breath-wrenching step worth it.

It’s buzzing at the top: hikers drape the rocks surrounding the glacier lake; a bushy-tailed Patagonian fox weaves its way between the boulders; there’s even a guy getting his hair cut at the water’s edge (one hairdresser’s quirky approach to memorialising his travels while promoting his business).

We spend some time taking pics before settling onto a boulder of our own to simply take in this awe-inspiring scene. Aim to spend around an hour at Las Torres .

3rd Leg: Las Torres to Chileno (appx. 4.4 km /2.7 miles, around 2 hours)

The journey back down from Las Torres is in some respects even more challenging than the climb up. The constant down is tough on knees and the gravel makes the going slippery. We’re beyond grateful for our hiking poles, though we both still manage to pull off some memorable butt slides.

Trekking tip: Hiking poles made all the difference for us when we were trekking in Patagonia. We carried one each, which was ideal as it left us both with a hand free to grab branches and rocks, haul each other up and down, and catch our fall when we slipped. Which was often.

It takes us around two hours to get back to Chileno; we have time to shower, buy a couple of well-earned beers and watch the sunset burn the tips of Las Torres molten gold.

It was cloudy the entire time we were up at the base of the towers, so watching them all beautifully backlit now is a bit of a kicker, but if there’s one thing you’ll learn quickly hiking the W Patagonia, it’s that the weather doesn’t give a rats what you think.

Preparing for Patagonian weather If there’s one constant about the weather in Patagonia, it’s that there’s nothing constant about it. We were particularly lucky on our five days in Torres del Paine, but you should be ready for four seasons in a day. Layer up, have a rain jacket handy, and wear quick-dry clothes. Skip a rain cover for your bag though. While we never experienced the legendary winds that tear through the park from time to time, we heard plenty of stories of pack covers being whipped off suddenly and disappearing into the wilds.  Expect to get rained on, and pack your gear in bag liners or waterproof bags inside your backpack instead.

Cooking stoves are not allowed to be used in the Chileno zone, so we opted for the full board food package here, which includes dinner tonight, breakfast tomorrow and a packed lunch to take with us.

Later in the evening, we join a host of other hikers in the restaurant for a surprisingly tasty and filling three-course meal full of protein and carbs.  

We’re absolutely wrecked by the end of dinner, and we’re tucked up in our sleeping bags by 9.30pm. 

Sunrise at Las Torres When we originally planned our itinerary for hiking the W, we had every intention of doing a second trek to Las Torres for sunrise on Day 2. In late March, this would have entailed getting back on the track up the mountain by 5.30am . As we climbed into our sleeping bags that first night though, we decided to pull the pin: we were just too tired, and we were also a little wary of making the tricky climb in the poor dawn light.* It was a tough call at the time, and it didn’t help when we poked our heads out of our tent the next morning to see the torres erupting with golden light above the silhouetted foreground. As we watched though, the clouds rolled in and soon enough the peaks were shrouded in mist. There’s no accounting for Patagonian weather, or how your body may feel after a long day of hiking. The best you can do is plan, and be flexible on the day. *PS. For safety reasons, hiking in the dark isn’t actually allowed in Torres del Paine. Trail sections have opening and closing times, check the park brochure for more info.

Day 2 – Chileno to Francés

Total distance: appx. 18 km / 11.2 miles total time: appx. 6 hours 45 minutes overnight: camping francés.

Sunrise is around 8am when we do the W trek in late March, and as we haven’t made the dawn hike to Las Torres, we enjoy a more leisurely start to the morning on Day 2. 

If you do decide to do the dawn hike up to Las Torres for sunrise, factor in around five hours this morning and adjust the following timings for today’s next legs accordingly.

As breakfast is part of our full board package at Camping Chileno, we pack up our gear and head to the dining room at 8.30am for a hearty kickstart to the day.

1st Leg: Chileno to Los Cuernos (appx.  15 km / 9.3 miles, around 4.5 hours)

We’re on the trail by 9.15am , heading back towards Hotel Las Torres. We won’t be going all the way to the hotel though as there’s a shortcut off to the right around half-an-hour after leaving Chileno. The shortcut is signposted and takes you along a mostly downward sloping path surrounded by undulating hills and lake views.

We reach the end of the shortcut and  rejoin the main W route around 11am . At some point after this though, we suddenly find ourselves in what can only be described as the Patagonian Swamps of Mordor and we start to wonder whether we’ve veered off on to a secondary trail by mistake.

We can still glimpse the Nordernskjöld Lake off to left, and we know the official trail travels alongside it. To this day, we’re unsure if we did actually go off piste (though the number of bootprints in the mud suggests not).

Eventually, we seem to be back on track according to the map, just a little muddier for the experience (and even more grateful for our depth guage hiking poles).

The next stretch travels up and down through very pretty lakeside country, with the occasional steep section, before passing down into the valley at Los Cuernos.  We arrive at the Los Cuernos shelter and camping area around 1.45pm .

You could stop at any point along the stretch to Los Cuernos for a lunch break; we stop just past the shelter and find a nice rock with a view. We opted for the full board meal package with Camping Chileno so we’ve been provided with a packed lunch today as part of this. 

We chill for around 45 minutes and then  set off around 2.30pm for Camping Francés , where we’ll be staying tonight.

2nd Leg: Los Cuernos to Francés (appx.   3 km / 1.9 miles, around 1.5 hours)

The trail to the Francés campground is up and down and rubbly, with some steep sections, and a pretty pebbly beach crossing. Today’s walk has been positively sedate compared to yesterday’s heart-starter climbs, but never fear, a leg-burning rise awaits just before the descent into the camp.

We arrive at Camping Francés around 4.00pm . The campground here is run by Las Torres Patagonia   (formerly Fantástico Sur).

The tent platforms are clustered between the trees and there’s a good shower and toilet block a short walk from the campsite. There’s also a small shop with basic amenities. 

By 5.15pm we’re checked in and set up on our platform. We’ve arranged for a tent at Camping Frances but we’re cooking our own food tonight.  

Sunset is close to 8pm in late March, and having made it through our second day on the W trail, we’re zipped up in our sleeping bags soon after.

Day 3: Francés to Paine Grande via Francés Valley

Total distance: appx. 20.3 km / 12.6 miles t otal time: appx. 9 hours overnight: camping paine grande.

Despite our fatigue, neither of us sleeps particularly well on our second night and we’re both groggy when the alarm goes off at 7am.

Our restlessness is partly due to the strange soundtrack that has accompanied us throughout the night: sharp cracking sounds like distant shot gun blasts and deep, thunderous rumbles. It’s not until we set out on the trail through the Francés Valley today though, that the source of the unnerving noises becomes obvious.

On this itinerary, today is the longest day hiking the W, and based on our experience, we recommend getting on the trail by 8am at the latest to maximise your time in the Frances Valley. We departed later when we trekked, so we’ve adjusted the timings below to suit an earlier start.  

1st Leg: Francés to Italiano Ranger Station (appx. 2 km / 1.2 miles, around 30 minutes)

The first leg this morning is a rejuvenating, 30-minute leg-stretcher to Italiano Ranger Station. Aim to pack up and set out from camp by 8am. 

There’s a ranger at the Italiano Ranger Station when we arrive. He points to some racks opposite the office building; this is where we opt to leave our backpacks ahead of the challenging hike into Francés Valley.  

We sort our valuables and lunch into a smaller daypack, lock up the big packs, and get going again. Look to be back on the trail by 8.45am . 

2nd Leg: Italiano Ranger Station to Británico Lookout (appx. 5.4 km / 3.4 miles, around 3 hours)

The first kilometre (0.6 miles) out of Italiano is a flat trail through pleasant forest, after which the track starts to climb steeply through a rocky, rubbly stretch.

The scenery is seriously beautiful, serving up views of the ironically named Paine Grande Hill – 3,050 metres above sea level – and the Francés glacier that clings to it. This is the source of the crackshots and grumbles we’ve been hearing as the hanging ice shifts, melts and avalanches down the mountain.

Soon enough, you’ll reach the Francés mirador, a lookout offering spectacular panoramas over the ‘hill’ and its glacier; this is the perfect spot for a short break and a snack, as the next stretch is tough.

From here, the trail to Británico Lookout is a challenging, rubble-strewn boulder dash with lots of climbing.

A flat, rocky clearance scattered with the parched white trunks of dead trees and overshadowed by the jaw-dropping Cuernos massif, marks the final stretch before a steep, 10-minute climb to the mirador itself.

Summitting the boulders of the Británico Lookout around three hours after setting out , we cast our eyes over what will become our favourite panorama of this epic journey: the vast and spectacular Francés Valley. Find a rock to perch on and settle in for lunch with this glorious scene at your feet.

We’ve come a long way, but there’s still a huge day of hiking the W ahead. To our eternal regret, we were only able to linger here for half an hour as we left camp too late on this morning. That’s why we recommend getting on the trail no later than 8am today – trust us, you’ll want as much time at Britanico as possible and by arriving around 11.45am, you’ll have close to an hour here.

We’ve promised ourselves that next time, we’ll spend an extra day or two in this valley so we can take in this view at our leisure. For us, this remains one of the most magnificent vistas we’ve come across in all our world travels.

Trekking tip: Get on the trail by 8am at latest this morning so you can hang out for at least an hour at Britanico, or better yet, stay an extra day in the Francés Valley. 

3rd Leg: Británico Lookout to Italiano Ranger Station (appx. 5.4 km / 3.4 miles, around 2 hours)

Aim to set off back down the trail to Italiano around 12.45pm . We find this a knee-buckling downward journey and our legs are screaming by the time we reach our packs back at the Italiano Ranger Station just over two hours later. 

Once we’ve retrieved our packs (now four-deep in a giant bag pile), re-sorted them, and stopped for a quick breather, we set out for the Paine Grande refuge and camping area, starting with a bridge crossing out of Italiano.  It’s around 3pm by this stage . 

4th Leg: Italiano Ranger Station to Paine Grande (appx. 7.5 km / 4.6 miles, around 2.5 hours)

The final stretch of the W trail today is a journey of around 7.5 kilometres (4.6 miles) and it’s mostly flat with some sloping ups and downs.

Travelling out of the valley and along the raised walkway as you head towards Sköttsberg Lake, remember to turn around and take in the mountain scene back the other way: it is immense.

After some more steady rises, we make our final descent into Paine Grande Refuge and Camping around 5.30pm . By this stage, we’re seriously sore and tired and very ready for a beer from the lodge bar, which is the first thing we do once we’ve checked in and dropped our packs at our tent.

The campground at Paine Grande, which is managed by Vertice Travel, is large and separated into sections for campers carrying their own gear, and those like us who have booked a tent. A wooden walkway links the campgrounds with the lodge, the campers’ kitchen and bathrooms.

As Paine Grande is the western starting point for hiking the W and a transit point for O circuit trekkers, as well as for day trippers and short stay visitors, this is the largest and busiest lodge and campground in the park. 

There’s a good-sized kitchen building, which is heaving with trekkers when we make our way in there to cook dinner around 7pm. 

The camp shower and toilet facilities here are basic. We recommend getting your ablutions out of the way while everyone else is cooking dinner and before the post-meal rush. Paine Grande also has dorms, a restaurant and bar, and a mini-market. 

We’re tucked up in our tent just as a light rain begins to fall around 8.30pm. 

Day 4 – Paine Grande to Grey 

Total distance: appx. 11 km / 6.8 miles total time: appx. 3 hours 45 minutes overnight: camping grey.

Today is our shortest day so far on the W trail, so we decide to set out a little later as we’re definitely starting to feel the past three days’ hiking, and a strange kind of exhilarated fatigue. 

We’re up at 8am with plans to be on the trail by 9am. However the banshee-like screeches of a fox followed by the thrilling appearance of a large, tawny-coloured puma on the hill behind the camp has us – and everyone else – lingering for a while in hushed awe, until the sleek big cat disappears around a bend into the next valley. Which happens to be the same valley we’re about to trek into. 

After checking in at the ranger station for advice on what to do if we see the puma again, we set off through the narrow, pretty dell at around 10am . We’re both relieved (and maybe a touch disappointed) to find no further sign of our feline friend.

The big cats of Patagonia Don’t let the thought of pumas roaming the forests of Torres del Paine put you off trekking there. The fact is, these magnificent creatures are extremely shy and actively avoid humans. Seeing a puma is incredibly rare. Spotting one near camp as we did is apparently almost unheard of. However, it’s important to be across what to do and how to act if you do encounter a puma; you’ll find advice on this in the guide that you receive when you register for your Torres del Paine trek.

The valley walk is flat at first but soon begins to climb, and continues to serve up steady inclines followed by some steep descents into the Grey refuge and camping area.

The scenery on this leg is still epic, but maybe a touch more serene than the high drama mountainscapes of the last couple of days. Grey Lake is flat and still on the day we hike the trail, and dotted with blueish lumps of ice from the vast Grey Glacier at its head.

About halfway along the trail, a rocky lookout reveals the first glimpses of this immense glacier, a sea of ice six kilometres (3.7 miles) wide and 30 metres (98 feet) high in places.

We arrive at the Grey Camping area around 1.45pm , a journey of 3 hours and 45 minutes, with plenty of photo and snack stops along the way.

Grey Refuge and Camping is also operated by Vertice Travel. The lodge has a lovely bar and lounge area in addition to its dorms, and the campground out front is overlooked by the stunning peaks of the Cordon Olguín. By the time we arrive, the clouds have cleared and the mountains burn golden as the sun drops.

If you’ve got the energy, check in (or leave your pack with the office if check-in hasn’t opened yet), and then head back out to hike past the western tip of the W trail and on to the first leg of the O circuit towards Paso Ranger Station. This will bring you much closer to the glacier, but bear in mind, it’s a five hour, one-way hike to Paso itself.

Trekking tip: Leaving Paine Grande at 10am worked well for us, but if you do want to hike a stretch of the trail from Grey towards Paso and back to Grey today, consider starting out from Paine Grande earlier in the morning so you have more time to do this.

We opt to stop and enjoy our lunch with mountain views, then roll out our mats and nap in the sun until check-in opens. 

After getting our tent sorted, we hike to a rocky outcrop on the lake just 15 minutes from camp. The views from here towards the glacier’s terminus are gorgeous and we spend time here just soaking up the scene.

On our return to camp, we head to the lodge for a drink at the bar before making dinner on one of the picnic benches outside the buzzing campers’ cooking area.

In addition to the bar, there’s a restaurant at Grey, and a small shop selling grocery basics. There’s an equally small toilet and shower block for campers (the showers only have certain hours of operation but the water is hot).  

We’re in bed by 9pm and prepped for a very early departure in the morning.

Day 5 – Grey to Paine Grande  (and return to Puerto Natales)

Total distance: appx. 11 km / 6.8 miles total time: 3 hours 15 minutes.

It’s our last day on the W hike! We’re on the trail early so we can get back to Paine Grande in time for the late morning catamaran across Lake Pehoe to Pudeto, where we’ll pick up the bus back to Puerto Natales. 

It shouldn’t take more than four hours to get back to Paine Grande from the Grey campground, but we’re feeling pretty exhausted by this stage and John has nurtured some nasty blisters, so we’re up and on the trail before sunrise . 

It’s freezing when we set out at dawn but as the day lightens, we’re treated to a stunning peach-tinted sky reflecting off the lake, and we stop often to snap pics.

Despite John’s sore feet, we make good time on the return journey and while we’re climbing for much of the first half, it feels easier than the trek up from Paine Grande yesterday. Maybe it’s because we’re on the home run, even though the thought makes us sad.

Our journey back to Paine Grande takes us 3 hours and 15 minutes , 30 minutes less than yesterday’s hike in the opposite direction. 

We haven’t eaten breakfast and we’re starving by the time we arrive. We were planning to grab something to eat at the restaurant at Paine Grande, but we discover it’s closed between breakfast and lunch. 

We make do with our leftover trail mix instead, which is a bigger deal than you might think: we packed way too much of the bitty hiker’s snack and after five days we have a serious love/hate relationship with it. 

Fortunately, there’s now a mini market at Paine Grande, which is apparently open from 7am. But if you’re setting out really early like us, perhaps have something you can eat on the go for this final morning.

Tickets and times for the ferry between Paine Grande and Pudeto Ferry departure times from Paine Grande and Pudeto change throughout the year so be sure to check the schedule when you’re planning your w trek itinerary, and adjust your final day hiking start time to ensure you arrive back at Paine Grande at least 30 minutes before the ferry departs.   You don’t need to reserve a place on the boat, just hop aboard and buy your ticket with cash (at last check, it’s US$30 for internationals). The journey to Pudeto takes around 30 minutes.  

We board the late morning catamaran  for our return to the eastern side of the park. The boat trip across Lake Pehoé offers spectacular views of the entire mountainscape we’ve spent the last five days traversing. It’s an epic perspective of the W panorama and a mesmerising finale to our W trek itinerary. 

If the weather is nice, we totally recommend taking a seat outside on the catamaran so you can properly admire the breathtaking scenery. 

Disembarking the ferry at Pudeto, we grab a coffee from the lakeside café (open from October throughout the trekking season), take a seat in the sun, and enjoy our last moments in Torres del Paine while we wait for our bus. 

Pudeto ferry and bus connections   In addition to checking ferry times for the catamaran between Paine Grande and Pudeto when you’re organising your trek, it’s also worth checking the bus connections to and from Pudeto, so you can work out the best approach for your final day on the trail.  

From Pudeto, the bus makes its way back to the Laguna Amarga Ranger Station to collect hikers finishing their trek at the eastern end of the park. From there,  we settle in for the return two hour bus journey to Puerto Natales . 

Tonight, back in Puerto Natales, after a good hot shower and a lamentation on the ridiculous amount of trail mix we’ve got left over, we head out for a celebratory drink.

Our legs might be seizing, our knees protesting and we’re beyond exhausted, but we’re buzzing with the sheer thrill of having completed this epic trek. We’re already talking about when we might come back and hike the W trail again, or better yet, take on the longer O circuit. 

However we do it, trekking in Torres del Paine is one nature experience we’re keeping firmly on our bucket list. 

Got any questions? Have you trekked in Torres del Paine recently? We’d love to hear from you, drop us a message below.

For more exciting experiences and things to do in this incomparable part of the world, head to our Chile page or our South America section.

49 thoughts on “Hiking The W Trek In Patagonia: A Self-Guided Itinerary [2024]”

Great website! We’re hoping to do this February/March 2025, and are wondering how best to spend our time on either side of this hike. Did you travel to El Calafate and El Chalten while you were in the area? Or do you recommend other areas down there? Any advice greatly appreciated!

Hi Lisa, thanks for your message! Fantastic to hear you’re planning a trip to Patagonia! Besides the W Trek, there are various activities you can do in and around Puerto Natales and Torres del Paine, like boat trips on Grey Lake to Grey Glacier or horseback riding.

We most definitely did travel to El Calafate and El Chalten after our trek and absolutely recommend, especially if you’re keen to get out on some further hikes. We bussed from Puerto Natales to El Calafate and the next day did a day trip to the Perito Moreno Glacier, which is an absolute must. From El Calafate, we travelled by bus to El Chalten (the panoramas on the bus ride in are wow – try and get the front seats!) and spent a good couple of days exploring this gorgeous area and just hanging out. There are a range of hikes you can do out of El Chalten – the day hikes to Laguna de Los Tres and Cerro Torre are epic.

If you head south from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas, you can do day trips to see King penguins, Magellan penguins, whales and dolphins, so that’s another option.

Have a wonderful time and happy trip planning! Cheers, Danielle

Thank you for sharing your Patagonia insights! I found it very thorough and incredibly helpful. I we are planning our trip for October 2024. I have a question. How did you book your meal plan? Thanks! Kim

Hi Kim, thanks for your feedback, we’re glad you’ve found our post helpful! When you go through the booking process for each accommodation (including camping) along the trail, you’ll have the opportunity to add meals as part of those bookings. Links to the accommodation providers are in the post. Good luck with your planning and happy trekking in October! Cheers, Danielle & John

Hi thank you so much for this detailed blog. It appears that one would have to stay at Frances camp if going east to west in order to shave hiking time on day 3. Is there a bus company through which we have to pre-book a bus ticket from Pudeto ferry to Las Amargo? Or is it a shuttle service? Do you have any idea if booking a guided tour via Las Torres means that they carry your heavy rucksacks?? Is the last day at Grey really worth it ? Or would you rather end the trek on day 4? Thank you!

Hi SK, thanks for your message. Until the CONAF Italiano camp reopens, Frances camp is the closest camp to the Frances Valley so yes, it is the best bet timing-wise for getting in and out of the Frances Valley and on to Paine Grande on Day 3 if travelling from east to west. You could also stay at Los Cuernos, but that would add around 1.5 hours to Day 3.

The buses running from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine drop off and pick-up from Laguna Amarga and Pudeto. When you buy your bus ticket to Torres del Paine, you’ll note where you’ll be getting off and on again (it will depend on your itinerary, but for us, travelling from east to west, we got off at Laguna Amarga and boarded at Pudeto on our return. Check out the section in our post on bus tickets to and from the park for more info. There’s a shuttle that runs between the Laguna Amarga ranger station and Hotel Las Torres for a fee.

We would suggest contacting the tour company you’re interested in for advice about whether porter services are available on their guided tours. We left most of our luggage in one of our backpacks at our hotel in Puerto Natales and carried only what we needed for the trek to keep the weight down.

We personally feel that every leg of the W is absolutely worth it – the scenery is superb throughout. Five days gave us just the right amount of time to enjoy the whole trail without pushing too hard. To do the trek in four days, you’d likely need to compromise on either the full hike into Frances Valley or the Grey leg in order to reach camps before dark, and we wouldn’t want to skip either. But that’s us. If four days was all we had to trek, we would possibly leave Grey but we’d have to make sure we did a boat tour out to the glacier instead! 🙂

All the best with your planning! Cheers, Danielle & John

This is seriously one of the best breakdowns I’ve read. Patagonia is one of three “Someday” treks I have on my list to head off on once my son is a little bigger and can carry more of his own gear. We’re building up now with longer and longer trips around Central/Eastern Europe

Love this site!

Thanks for your message Brian, we really appreciate your feedback. So cool that you and your son are already hiking together, and what an awesome bucket list adventure to look forward to with him! Happy trekking and thanks again! Danielle & John

Do you have a map with the accommodations you booked or where you rented out tents/gears? Planning on doing this solo in June!

Hi Erika, thanks for your message! There’s a trail map available at the official Torres del Paine website: https://parquetorresdelpaine.cl/mapa-2023-2024/ – it shows all the accommodations/campsites along the trail. You can also find links in our post to the accommodation providers we booked our campsites and camping gear through.

As you’re considering a June trip, we’d also encourage you to check out the official Torres del Paine website for information about winter hiking regulations – https://parquetorresdelpaine.cl/permisos-especiales/ . Many of the accommodations and trails close over winter and while you can visit the park, we understand it’s mandatory to have a guide for the W Trek and the trek to the base of Las Torres between 1 May and 30 August (though the timeframes can change depending on weather). All the best with your planning! ~ Danielle

Hello Dan, What a great find this was. Thank you so much for writing it. I’m looking to mimic your trek with some modifications. I will very likely have a car rental when I arrive into Punta Arenas. My plan is to drive myself and 2 others into the park and leave the vehicle parked at the welcome center or hotel (unsure if this is allowed). At the end you mention that you ferry to Pudeto- then catch a bus that swings by Laguna Amarga into Puerto Natales. Is there a bus that goes directly back to the welcome center or hotel from Pudeto so we can get back in my rental? It looks like the Laguna Amarga ranger station is about 8.5 km from the welcome center. Or is it best to just shuttle from Puerto Natales for the whole thing and leave the rental somewhere in town?

Hi Bruce, thanks so much for your message and feedback! Very good question re. parking – based on our limited research into this, our understanding is that you can leave your car at Hotel Las Torres while you trek if you’re a guest there, otherwise, cars can be parked at the nearby Welcome Centre. We’ve also seen reference online to a small car parking area at Pudeto, so in theory you could arrange bus tickets from Pudeto to Laguna Amarga, and from there get the hotel shuttle to Hotel Las Torres/the Welcome Centre. I would suggest posting your question on Tripadvisor and hopefully someone has done something similar recently and can provide latest info. It might also be worth contacting Hotel Las Torres and asking their advice; no doubt they get questions like this frequently. All the very best for your trip planning and the trek itself – it’s an unforgettable experience! Cheers, Danielle & John

Thank you so much for the great information. I’m a long term planner and we’re looking to book for our family of four, Christmas 2024. I found this blog really really helpful in hiking cost effectively. Thanks Again!

Hi Melissa, thank you so much for your message, we’re really happy you’ve found our post helpful in your planning. Also very excited for you and your family – what a fantastic Christmas experience! We hope you have a really wonderful time hiking the W, it’s just such an incredible place! All the best and happy hiking! Danielle & John

Thanks for the article, I find it very useful. I have just booked the circuit trail for this April. About that: I looked into using Booking Patagonia for the reservations, and it works really well. Though, there is a downside: they charge an extra $90. You’ll notice this at the very and of the booking process, which I found quite frustrating. For me that was a reason to book directly at Vertice and Las Torres Patagonia, which works fine.

Hi Valentijn, thanks so much for this update, that’s really helpful to know! Thanks also for your feedback on our post, we’re pleased you’ve found it useful. All the best for your upcoming trip in April, have a sensational time and happy hiking! Cheers, Danielle & John

Thanks for the great write up. The details are useful and your descriptions are inspiring. I’m leaving for Chile in a couple days and your post just added to my excitement.

Hey Mike, thanks so much for your feedback, we hope you have a really fantastic trip. Chile is an incredible country, one of our faves!

Cheers, Danielle & John

Thank you for that informativ Blog! I have a question: are there any possibilities to heat up some water in the Refugiés without a stove?

All the best Sophie

Hi Sophie, thanks for your message!

As we had a cooking stove (and booked meals at Chileno where stoves can’t be used), we can’t personally say for sure whether hot water is currently available at all of the stops on the route. That said, we did find a trekker’s report online from late 2023 noting that they were able to access hot water (not boiling) through the coffee/tea dispensers at each of the refugios they stayed at, which they used for their dehydrated meals. Would suggest seeing if there are other trip reports from this season, or posting on a forum for latest updates. Or perhaps hire a stove in Puerto Natales and buy a gas canister just to be on the safe side! We’d love to know what you find out!

Have a magic time trekking the W!

Cheers, Dan & John

Hi guys. Thanks for all the detailed info. Just wondering if you could give an estimate of how much it cost for the W trek. I am being quoted $1180 per person for 4 nights and five days starting 12th February with this included:

•⁠ ⁠camping accommodation with all the equipment •⁠ ⁠all the meals •⁠ ⁠transportation from/to natales-park •⁠ ⁠park entrance •⁠ ⁠catamaran •⁠ ⁠welcome kit

Not sure if this price is really high or if it would work out as that much if I book everything myself separately anyway.

Many thanks

Thanks for your message and feedback – we’re really excited for your trek in Torres del Paine.

We were travelling long-term when we did the W Trek so we went out of our way to keep costs down by booking the campsites directly, carrying some of our own camping gear and bringing most of our own food. Travelling as a pair also helped as the single supplements can add quite a bit. We’d also note that, like everything, prices have hiked post-Covid.

We’ve included some costings in our post but not many as we’re conscious things can change quickly (plus there are so many potential cost combos for accommodation/food, it’s tricky to provide a general estimate). As the bulk of your costs will be in the camping, gear and food components, you might consider checking out the latest price lists for camping and food package options on the Vertice and Las Torres Patagonia websites; that would give you a sense of costs in the context of your quote. Given how quickly accomm/campsites book up for the season and the challenge of trying to coordinate an itinerary across multiple websites, having a third party making the arrangements, while costing more, would take the hassle out of that.

All the best with your planning and we hope you have a sensational time trekking!

Cheers Danielle & John

Your hikes sounded amazing. We are going in Feb and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Sounds like I should do some training! Do you recommend stiff hiking boots to navigate the big rocks or are light hikers enough support?

Thanks for sharing, Karen. Canada

Hi Karen, many thanks for your feedback! To be honest, if you’re a regular walker/hiker, you may find the W Trek a breeze – we met plenty of people who barely cracked a sweat, lol. As irregular hikers, we found some of the steeper sections a little more ‘breath-taking’ but still very do-able. We both wore regular lightweight hiking shoes and they were fine (apart from John developing blisters towards the end), but we also saw people in solid boots. I guess it depends on your preference. We did find having a hiking pole each was useful on some of the more uneven terrain like the rocky climb to Las Torres. We’d love to hear about your trek when you get back – have a fantastic time! Danielle

Going in February, cant wait. Did you know how anyone who did the kayak at Grey and talked about there experience?

Hi Efren, that’s so exciting! We don’t personally know anyone who has kayaked at Grey but we wish we’d had time for it – what an amazing experience! The lake is beautiful and the glacier is epic! If you do kayak, we’d love to hear about it! Have a fantastic time, Cheers, Danielle & John

Awesome Post!

I’m looking at doing this the same direction as you guys did around the same time in 2025.

You mentioned availibilty determined your campgrounds; that being said would you change any of your stays if you could in retrospect? Maybe saw some better campgrounds/lodges along the way that you wish you could have booked had there been availibilty?

Hi Chris, thanks for your message and good question! We were on a long travel stint when we did the W Trek so we opted for camping to keep our costs down, plus the campsites we ended up with proved to be very well located for a five-day itinerary. That said, all of the lodges and refuges looked quite nice so if we were to do it again (and we hope to!), we would consider adding some lodge/refuge stays, following the same itinerary. Location-wise, the Cuernos and French refuges would be good alternatives to camping (though these are beds in dorms, which is less appealing to us). We would definitely consider the Cuernos Cabins (2-3 people per cabin), especially if we were planning a longer stay in the French Valley! We’d also consider staying at the lodge at Grey next time as, of all the campgrounds, this was probably our least favourite (plus we were very ready for a bed by that stage!). Overall, the quality of the campgrounds/refuges throughout the park is very good and we were really happy with our camping experience and itinerary. Best of luck with your planning and we’d love to know how you go! Happy travels!

Wonderful description. We are going in Jan 2024! Looking forward to it.

Hi Kishore Joshi, thank you so much for your feedback, we hope you’ve found it helpful! Wishing you a fantastic W Trek, it really is the most incredible place! Happy travels!

Hi! How much cash would we need, knowing that the bus and entrance are paid for and also full board meal plan at the refugios is booked? So for snacks, water or other costs etc? Do they accept USD or should we have it exchanged? Thanks!

PS, did you also really use ‘poop bags’ for your used toilet paper along the way? 😅

Thanks for your message. We carried both USD and Chilean pesos with us just in case, and we were able to use credit cards at the refuges. We paid for the shuttle from Laguna Amarga and the catamaran from Paine Grande in pesos, though we have read that the catamaran operators may take USD in high season. It’s handy to have pesos for smaller purchases like snacks. We carried a refillable bottle and filled up in streams and at the refugios, so we didn’t purchase water.

We have packed degradable doggy bags for carrying out toilet paper on past hikes! 🙂 On the W Trek though, we carried a loo roll and some trusty Ziploc bags, but we mostly just made strategic use of the campground facilities!

Happy trekking!

Hi John and Dan Thanks for such good info. Is it safe doing it self guided ? Thanks

Hey Iris, thanks so much for your message, we hope you found the post helpful. We found going self-guided very easy – the trails are well trodden and during the peak season, there are plenty of other people hiking too (guides are mandatory in winter). Plus all trekkers have to stay in the designated camping and accomm areas so there are others around and you can stay in dorms if you’re not keen on camping. Conditions can vary dramatically though and it is the great outdoors, so having appropriate gear is essential and hiking with friends is good idea though we hear lots of people do it solo. Everyone we met en route were friendly, encouraging and helpful too. We absolutely loved the hiking the W and hope you get to experience it too! Happy travels! Dan & John

This is really helpful thank you so much. Did you have much hiking experience before you took this on? Would you recommend any training prior to going? What size backpack would you recommend taking?

Thank you so much

Hi Jo, thanks for your kind words, we’re glad you found the post useful! We’re casual hikers and while we’d done a bit of hiking before the W, it was certainly one of the ‘biggest’ hikes we’d done. We definitely tried to up our walking/hiking game before the W in preparation and glad we did as we personally found some of the steeper, sustained-climbing parts of the trek relatively tough – we just took our time and had lots of breaks; necessary anyway to take in the gorgeous views! I carried a 30L daypack and John carried a 50L backpack – between us we carried everything we needed for the five day hike, but I would note that we didn’t have to carry tents, sleeping bags or mats as we hired these. We hope you have the chance to hike the W trek, it remains at the very top of our hiking list! Happy travels!

Thank you all for this awesome breakdown and information! We followed it exactly to book our accommodations and plan to do the trek end of March. Thanks again!

Hi Kristen, thanks so much for your feedback! We’re stoked you found our post helpful and we’re very excited for your upcoming trip. Torres del Paine is sooooo spectacular, wishing you a fantastic trek – let us know how you go! ~ Danielle & John

Thanks Dan for the great details and info.

Hi Kristen. I am doing the trek around of march with a friend. We are travelling from Perth, Australia. Would be great to collaborate in planning.

Thanks Bikash

Hello! This page is fantastic, thank you so much. We are looking at November and can be flexible in terms of dates. Did you book your accommodation first? Are there any other considerations i.e. tickets or entry to the park? Or should we just arrange accommodation and go from there? Do you mind sharing how much you paid approximately for your camping accommodation? No worries if not. Thanks 🙂 Amie

Hi Amie, many thanks! We booked our accommodation first and a couple of months in advance. Site availability ended up driving our approach to the trek – so it’s good that you have flexibility! Would definitely get in as early as possible to book. Tickets for the park itself are arranged at the park entry office, but you will need to have the accomm bookings in place (and evidence of them) when you get to that point. So it’s important to book the accommodation and bus tickets to the park in advance. Bus tix you can buy when you get to Puerto Natales, but try and do that as soon as you arrive rather than on the day you intend to travel to the park. Prices for camping and cabins may have changed since we trekked, but if you head to the accomm links in our post, you’ll be able to find out the current prices as it’s all bookable online. Hope that helps and have a fantastic trek! Cheers, Dan & John

Thank you for the detailed information. We are trekking this exact route this March 2020!

Hi Jackie, thanks for your message, we’re really happy you’ve found it helpful for planning. Hope you have a sensational trek!

Thank you so much for the detailed guide! This is really helpful 🙂

Hi Katherine, thanks for getting in touch! We’re really pleased you found the guide useful – happy hiking!

How did you book the campsite ? I unable to locate the source to book just the campsite

Hey Rajesh, thanks for the message.

The Camping areas are run by three different operators in the park, and you can find links to all three operators in our post.

All three operators’ websites have information about their camp sites, and how to book.

Hope this helps.

John & Dan

Exactly what I’m looking for, thanks! Chileno and Los Torres always been there on my bucket list, now I know where and how to start.

Awesome, thanks Rika, we’re really pleased you’ve found it helpful. It is the most spectacular walk – even if you just did the one leg to Las Torres, you’d have photography opps galore! Happy travels!

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Step-by-Step Guide On How to Book W Trek Accommodations

• South America

Along the W Trek, there is a limited number of accommodations available. With the short open season and the number of hikers flocking to do this amazing trek, it makes booking the accommodations one of the most daunting tasks of this adventure.

This guide is to help anyone interested in completing W Trek, or just some stages of it, better understand how to book campsites, refugios (hostels/mountain huts), mountain cabins, or a hotel in Torres del Paine National Park. There is limited availability of such accommodation at each stage.

W Trek is a 5-day trek in Torres del Paine National Park. It is a popular hike named after the shape the hike takes. Learn more about the trek and get an overview of each day in our 5-Day W Trek Itinerary . And if you are looking for more detailed information about accommodation amenities and a cost breakdown on the W Trek check out our post W Trek Accommodations .

When can you hike the W Trek?

Torres del Paine National Park is open year-round. However, the hiking season is considered from September to April. This is when refugios are open and ferry services are running.

Hiking during winter is possible, but you risk hiking on snow-covered trails and no services are available at the refugios. Water pipes will most likely be frozen so cooking and drinking will require melting snow.

We hiked the W Trek from December 24 to December 28, which is probably the busiest time on the trail.

Factors Limiting Accommodation Availability

The narrow window of time, when you can hike the W Trek, is one of the factors that limit accommodation availability.

Also, there is a limited number of campsites, refugios, and hotels in the Torres del Paine National Park. People booking those accommodations are not just W Trek hikers but also, O Trek hikers and day hikers.

To ensure you can book your W Trek accommodations in proper order, it is important to know how to check availability, stay organized, and make your reservations as early as possible.

When to Book Your W Trek Accommodations

The earlier the better, right?

It helps to plan early and have flexibility in your hiking days. The accommodations are limited and book up fast. Not just by hikers but also by tour operators that always have a certain number of annual reservations in place. The booking websites make upcoming season dates available in mid-May.

Being flexible when it comes to accommodation style helps too. If you are willing to sleep in a tent or just need a campsite and plan to carry your camping gear, you do not need to plan as early as if you are strictly interested in sleeping in refugios.

We started looking at booking in July 2022 for December 2022 and it was too late. The reason it was late for us is we did not want to sleep at the campsite and our hiking dates were preset. The lack of this flexibility forced us to go to a tour operator to get what we wanted.

There is nothing wrong with using a tour operator however, it can be much cheaper if you do it yourself. If you are interested in how to do all the booking on your own this post will walk you through it step by step.

Sectors and Accommodation Options

Torre sector.

This is a sector that is either the beginning or the end of the W Trek. The trail to the base of the towers is the busiest section of the W Trek and luckily has a few different accommodation options. Here you can find Hotel Las Torres, Refugio Central, and Refugio Chileno.

Hotel Las Torres is the most luxurious and expensive accommodation on the trail. It is located at the trailhead of the towers. Refugio Central is a little over 0.5 miles east of Hotel Las Torres and has both refugio and camping-type of accommodations. Refugio Chileno is on the trail to the towers, a half point on the trail, and has both refugio and camping options.

Curenos Sector

Cuernos (the horns) sector also has multiple accommodation options, Refugio Cuernos and Refugio Frances.

Refugio Cuernos has both refugio and camping options but in addition, also has tiny mountain cabins that fit 2-3 people. Refugio Frances has dome-style refugios and campsites. Frances Domos was our favorite accommodation on the W trek.

Both Torre and Curenos Sector accommodations are managed by the Las Torres management company and all the accommodations can be booked here .

Paine Grande Sector

The only accommodation in the Paine Grande Sector is the Paine Grande refugio and campsite. Paine Grande refugio is a very busy location because a lot of people start the W Trek or day treks from here coming on the ferry over Lago Pehoe. Paine Grande Refugio is the biggest of all the refugios on the W Trek.

Grey Sector

The home of the Glacier Grey and either beginning or the end of the W Trek. The only accommodation here is Refugio Grey with a refugio and campsite option.

Both Paine Grande and Grey Sector accommodations are managed by Vertice Travel management company and all the accommodations can be booked here .

TIP: I could not get Vertice Travel bookings to work through Chrome and had to use Microsoft Edge.

Booking the Accommodations

This is our step-by-step approach to booking accommodations for the W Trek. It can be applied to any other hike as well.

A couple of things to note about the information in the spreadsheet:

We were not able to find all the refugio accommodations and ended up booking through a tour operator, but this is the approach we used.

Highlighted options in the spreadsheet are just an example.

The full board cost at Central is higher than other Las Torres accommodations because it was Christmas Eve.

Step 1 For Booking W Trek Accommodations – Set the Dates

The first step in booking the accommodations on the W Trek is deciding on the general time frame you would like to do the hike in. If you can be flexible with your dates, you will have a higher chance of finding availability.

Step 2 For Booking W Trek Accommodations – Develop a Spreadsheet

Yes, we are engineers and love spreadsheets, but one really helps in this case. Layout your desired dates, all available accommodations, and accommodation options (refugio vs campsite). Also, place them in order of how you would like to do W Trek, east to west or west to east. It’s a good idea to be flexible with this option too, gives you a better chance of finding desired accommodation.

Step 3 For Booking W Trek Accommodations – Populate the Spreadsheet

Once we developed the spreadsheet, we populated it with the cost for every option we were interested in. The cost of every option is preset and the same throughout the season. Once we found the match, we would highlight that cell and add up the costs right away.

Step 4 For Booking W Trek Accommodations – Book your Accommodation

When you have your dates, the trail, and accommodations figured out book them as soon as possible. Once you have them all booked, follow up with each of the accommodation management companies (Las Torres and Vertice) to make sure they have your booking. You are done!

This was a very stressful process for us. Kris spent a lot of time looking at the different options but being inflexible with the dates and the type of accommodations did not work in our favor. If that is the case for you as well, make sure you book much earlier than we did. Mid-May is when the booking opens for the upcoming season.

Other helpful posts…

5-Day W Trek in Torres del Paine W Trek Accommodations Things to Do in El Calafate Things to Do In Bariloche

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Random question – when you’re looking to book your accommodation yourself, when you put in “for 2 people”, everything beyond that will assume the price of 2 people correct? (so breakfasts, etc, if you then enter 1, it knows you need 2 since you already told it in a previous field that you were booking for 2?) This is thing we’re most unsure of if trying to book ourselves (me: “one dinner can’t be $45” lol)

Hi Sheena, As unreasonable as it may sound, that is the price for 1 person. If you book half-board (breakfast and dinner) or full-board (breakfast, box lunch and dinner) it’s better value than buying individual meals. Cheers, Dana

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Torres del Paine National Park Hotels and Places to Stay

Dickson Shelter & Campground

Bulnes 100, Puerto Natales - +56 612 412 742 - [email protected] - www.vertice.travel/alojamiento/refugio-camping-dickson/

This shelter and campground are located on the banks of the Dickson Lake and is the farthest point of the O Circuit in the Torres del Paine National Park. Located in one of the sectors with greater vegetation of the park has some of the most beautiful views of the entire circuit. Trails are reaching the Dickson area from the campsite Vértice Los Perros and the campsite Serón. It is a simple shelter from Vértice yet the most welcoming. It counts with 27 beds arranged in comfortable dormitory rooms on the ground and first floor. Shared bathrooms are equipped with wash basins, toilets and showers with hot water. It counts with independent bathrooms for men and women.

The restaurant offers american breakfast and daily menus for lunch and dinner. Furthermore, it is possible to order lunch boxes for those who perform walks during the day. Enjoy a coffee or just ask for a delicious sandwich.

At the end of the day hikers can enjoy drinks and a nice wine.

Here you can buy souvenirs, clothes, food and drinks.

Grocery Store

There is a grocery store with everything you need for snacks and basic supplies.

This is a public area to seek shelter from the weather.

The campsite Vértice Dickson has tents, sleeping bags and mats for rent. All have to be reserved in advance.

Details of Dickson Shelter & Campground

• Bulnes 100, Puerto Natales
• +56 612 412 742
• +56 612 415 693
• [email protected]
• www.vertice.travel/alojamiento/refugio-camping-dickson/
• booking.vertice.travel/booking
• Breakfast, lunch and food
• Hygienic services
• Store and Quincho
• Camping and equipment rental

Contact the accomodation Dickson Shelter & Campground

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The Ultimate Guide to Hiking the W Trek in Patagonia: Full Itinerary, How to Self Book, Cost Breakdown & More!

March 28, 2023.

Hiking the W Trek in Torres Del Paine National Park is an incredible experience that will reward you with endless views and memories that will last a lifetime. You will see jagged mountain peaks, aqua blue lakes, waterfalls, glaciers and more as you take the journey. If you’re lucky, you’ll also see giant condor birds and make new friends as you stay at the inns along the way.

I found the W Trek to be incredibly rewarding and definitely worth the effort, planning and costs. The trek is also perfect for those who are newer to backpacking but are experienced day hikers. Trekking during the day with inns to stay overnight is the perfect combination!

This blog includes a W Trek itinerary and covers everything you need to know to book the W Trek self guided, pack for the W Trek and be prepared. This is based on my experience visiting over New Year’s in December 2022 and January 2023.

Table of Contents

Overview of the w trek, when to hike the w trek, hiking the w trek self guided vs with a guide, how to book the lodging for the w trek, booking an entry ticket to torres del paine national park, booking transportation between puerto natales and torres del paine national park, w trek planning checklist (for self booking), tips and important things to know before hiking the w trek, day one of the w trek, day two of the w trek, day three of the w trek, day four of the w trek, how should you end the w trek, ways to save money on the w trek, what to pack for the w trek, other ways to see torres del paine national park, faqs about the w trek, final thoughts.

• Located in Torres Del Paine National Park, Chile
• 50 miles/80 km
• Typically done in 4 Nights, 5 Days
• The highest elevation is at the Base of Towers, 2,788 feet above sea level

The W Trek refers to a multi-day hike that is shaped like the letter W. This area is unique because there are several inns along the trek where you can spend the night. You can choose between hostel-style lodging, have them provide you a tent at the campgrounds or bring your own tent. Each inn serves food, has restrooms and showers and even offers wifi for an additional fee.

The W Trek is about 50 miles and is typically done in 5 days and 4 nights. There are very few technically challenging sections of the trail, but there are long days with steep climbs. If you have experience hiking 10+ miles in a day in mountainous areas and feel that you can do that for a few days in a row, then you will be set up for success.

Because of the amenities offered, this is a great trip to do if you’re new to backpacking or if you just prefer to stay in a bed instead of a tent. If you stay in the refugios and purchase their full room and board package, you will not have to carry all of your food, water and sleeping equipment. The lighter you can pack for the trek, the more comfortable you’ll be.

While the hike itself is not overly difficult, dealing with the unpredictable weather is the toughest part. I experienced really high winds during my trek. Bad wind is common and it’s not uncommon to experience heavy rain, fog or even snow. You’ll want to make sure you’re prepared with the good layers and keep your expectations low in case it’s too foggy to see some of the best views along the trail.

For a shorter version of this blog, check out my top 30 tips for hiking the W trek!

You will most likely hike the W Trek in the summertime for the Southern Hemisphere (winter in the Northern Hemisphere). The W Trek is typically open to hiking self-guided from October to the end of April, and you’ll likely have the best weather from November to March. I hiked the trek over New Years (December and January), which was really special!

If you would like to hike in the park during the winter months, you can do so with a guide.

There are several companies that offer guides if you’re not comfortable hiking the W Trek on your own. This can be a great option for some!

However, I think a guide is unnecessary, as the trail is well marked and easy to follow. It all depends on your comfort level, abilities and budget.

If you are looking for a guide, some companies that offer services include Swoop Patagonia, Tangol Tours, Chile Nativo and many more.

How to Self Book the W Trek

Many people assume you have to go through a third party company to book the W Trek. A third party would certainly be a little bit easier, but if you prefer to do it all yourself, I’m going to tell you exactly how!

Two separate companies own the various lodges in Torres Del Paine National Park: Vertice Travel and Las Torres Patagonia (previously called Fantastico Sur).

For this itinerary, you will book with Las Torres Patagonia for the first two nights at Los Cuernos and El Chileno, and Vertice Travel for the second two nights at Paine Grande and Refugio Grey.

You can book directly with each company on their websites.

To book El Chileno and Los Cuernos, start on the Las Torres website . Choose to book the ‘shelters’ and then make reservations at the Central Refuge and the Chilean Refuge. Upon booking, you can select to add on full room and board (breakfast, packed lunch and dinner) or any combination of only dinners, only breakfast, etc.

To book Paine Grande and Refuio Gray, start on the Vertice Travel website. Under accommodations, make reservations at ‘Refuge & Camping Paine Grande’ and ‘Shelter & Camping Gray.’ When you book, you will select that you’re doing the W Circuit and be able to book both lodges at once, along with the full room and board.

If you have any dietary restrictions, be sure to request that when booking. If you don’t see the option, send an email to their customer service to confirm. I am a vegetarian and all of the inns were very accommodating!

I booked my trip for December/January in May and June. In 2022, the reservations for Las Torres went on sale well before the reservations for Vertice Travel. So, I booked half of the trek and then waited until the Vertice released their openings. Keep an eye on their social media platforms and/or send an email to their customer service to stay up to date.

After your lodging and transportation is squared away, it is very important to book an entry ticket into the national park. I did this a week or two ahead of time.

To buy your ticket, go to aspticket.cl and select ‘buy or reserve.’ You will then select the correct park, which is listed as ‘Parque Nacional Torres del Paine (Venta)’ in Spanish. From there, you will input your entry and exit dates in and out of the park.

You will then need to fill out a variety of information, such as your birthdate and passport number, where you are staying each night of the trek, if you are traveling with a guide and more.

When you complete the form, you will pay the fee ($49 USD per person at this writing) and receive an email with a QR code. Make sure you have this QR code saved offline (and/or printed) for when you arrive at the park! The rangers will scan it upon arrival and there is not reliable cell reception.

The cheapest and easiest way to get between Puerto Natales and Torres Del Paine National Park is by bus! There are a few different bus companies that run multiple daily trips between the city and the park.

I booked my tickets a week or two in advance with Bus-Sur, and I used busbud.com for easy booking. For the beginning of the trek, I recommend leaving Puerto Natales as early as you can (mine left at 6:45AM).

Keep in mind that you will be starting and ending at different places inside the national park.

For the beginning of the W Trek, book a ticket from Puerto Natales (Rodoviario) to Terminal Laguna Amarga . For the ending of the W Trek, book a ticket from Pudeto (Catamaran Paine Grande) to Puerto Natales (Rodoviario). I recommend an afternoon or evening time for the end of the trek, my bus left Pudeto at 2PM.

The bus rides will take about two hours and there are some great views along the way. Be sure to print out your bus tickets ahead of time and arrive a little early.

If you’re booking everything yourself, here is a quick checklist to make sure you have everything you need before setting out!

• Los Cuernos
• Paine Grande
• Refugio Grey
• National Park Entrance Ticket
• A morning ride from Puerto Natales to Laguna Amarga to start the trek
• An afternoon or evening ride from Pudeto to Puerto Natales to end the trek
• (Optional) A glacier trek or glacier kayaking from Refugio Grey (book with Bigfoot Patagonia)
• (Optional) The catamaran ride on Grey Lake

• Expect all kinds of weather, especially high winds. Wind is very common in the area and can be really intense. Also know that it’s possible fog will sock in some of the most epic views. Keep your expectations low just in case.
• You can drop off your heaviest gear at parts of the trail! Bring a day pack and drop your packs at El Chileno and Camp Italiano before ascending up the most difficult parts of the trail.
• The towers will be crowded but the rest of the trails won't be. But overall, the W trek is not the best for solitude and you will often see other people around. It’s a good social hike because you can meet people every night at the inns.
• The elevation of this region is relatively low (2,788 feet is the highest point on the W Trek), so you shouldn’t have an issue adjusting to the altitude.
• Each inn on the trek has drinking water, food and alcohol for sale, plus wifi for purchase and more. You will not exactly be roughing it on this journey! That being said, you should bring a water filter just in case you’re sensitive to the water or want to make sure you can fill up at streams on the way.
• Download the map of the trail on All Trails to follow along with your progress throughout the trail.

For a full list of tips for hiking the W Trek, check out my top 30 W Trek tips !

W Trek Itinerary: East to West

I hiked the W Trek from East to West. You can also hike it in the opposite direction, but hiking it east to west tends to be more common. I liked hiking it from east to west because I got the most difficult portions out of the way early. It was also fun to end the trek with a gorgeous catamaran ride across Lake Pehoe!

Below is my full itinerary for hiking the W Circuit! I hiked 50 miles over 4 nights and 5 days total.

• Take the bus from Puerto Natales, hike to the Base of the Towers, stay at El Chileno
• 9.9 miles, 3,000 feet of elevation gain

The best way to get to Torres Del Paine National Park is by taking a bus from Puerto Natales. The bus ride will take about 2 hours to reach the main entrance of the park (Laguna Amarga), which is where you’ll be exiting the bus for this itinerary.

When you arrive, you will need to exit the bus and have a ranger scan your entry ticket. You should have your ticket saved offline ahead of time and ready to show from your phone.

There was a bit of a language barrier for us here, as none of the instructions were given in English. How it worked was that everyone got off to get their ticket scanned here, whether you were getting off here or not. After they scanned our tickets, we went back to the bus to collect our backpacks.

From there, you will take a smaller shuttle bus to get to the start of the W Trek. This bus costs an extra fee of 4000 Chilean pesos per person in cash. It was a quick, 10 minute bus ride to reach the Torres Del Paine Welcome Center, where you will officially begin your trek! The welcome center has packed lunches, hiking poles and other items if you have forgotten something.

I calculated the day one milage to be 9.9 miles with just over 3000 feet of elevation gain. In terms of steepness, it was definitely the hardest day of the trek for me.

As you begin the trail, you’ll start with a short and flat walk back to Hotel Las Torres Patagonia. This is where most people stay to do a day hike up the Towers, and some people stay here for the first night of the W trek. It’s an option, but I definitely recommend staying in El Chileno instead if possible!

The trail is flat at first but you will quickly begin to gain elevation. A little under 2 miles from Hotel Las Torres, you’ll come to the first fork in the trail. Stay to the right as you continue up into the Windy Pass.

This portion of the trail gets a bit steep and there is a chance you’ll experience high winds. Luckily, there are some amazing views whenever you stop to take a break. Two miles from the hotel, you’ll reach a high point and then need to descend to reach El Chileno. El Chileno is located right next to the river and the perfect place to stop for lunch.

You can use the cubbies inside of El Chileno to drop off your heaviest gear before continuing up to the Towers. Depending on the time of day, I don’t recommend spending too long on a break at El Chileno. At some point in the afternoon, the park rangers will stop letting anyone hike up to the Towers, so be sure to stay on schedule.

Since you will be staying at El Chileno tonight, go ahead and check in when you pass through. Your room will probably not be ready, but you can let them know you're there and be assigned a time for dinner.

The hike to the Towers gets quite steep for the last 0.7 miles. There is a bit of rock scrambling and a lot of dusty areas if conditions are dry. Be sure to watch your step and take your time. This is also a popular day hike so you’ll likely encounter crowds and need to spend a lot of time stepping aside for other hikers.

But the crowds and steep scrambling are worth it. At the top, you’ll be rewarded with an incredible view face to face with Lago Torres and the three Towers. The towers; Torres d'Agostini, Torres Central and Torres Monzino, are the most iconic sight in Torres Del Paine National Park, and certainly could be considered among the best views in the world. On a clear day, the towers stand tall as a backdrop to the bright turquoise lake below.

After enjoying the towers, make your way down to El Chileno for your first dinner of the trek. While El Chileno had my least favorite food of the W trek inns, I loved the atmosphere. Before or after dinner, you can hang out outside where there are picnic tables overlooking the river. Dinner at El Chileno is served at long tables and offers a great chance to get to know fellow hikers.

The rooms inside El Chileno were pretty basic. My room slept 6 people over 3 bunk beds (but there were only 4 of us for this night). There were shared bathrooms divided by gender down the hall. Overall, El Chileno is nothing fancy but I had no complaints.

• Hike from El Chileno to Los Cuernos
• 8.2 miles, 1,174 feet of elevation gain

On day two of the W trek, you’ll hike from El Chileno to Los Cuernos. In this itinerary, this day is tied for the easiest. The day will begin uphill as you hike out of the valley where El Chileno sits, but then it will be mostly downhill the rest of the day.

This trail includes many fantastic views of Nordenskjöld Lake. The lake is a brilliant aqua green color and there are some beautiful viewpoints.

This is the day where I saw a large hoard of condor birds flying up above and sitting on nearby cliffs. Condor birds are the largest flying birds in the world and they’re fascinating to watch!

Los Cuernos is owned by the same company as El Chileno and has a similar vibe. I actually was here on New Year’s Eve, so we were served a special meal. They also threw a NYE party for the staff (that we were invited to as well). I’m not sure what it’s like on other nights, but the atmosphere was lively and celebratory. This meant it was loud and hard to sleep, so you may want to bring along ear plugs.

Los Cuernos also offers private cabins that sleep 2 people, so try to book one of these if you prefer things a bit quieter.

• Hike from Los Cuernos to Paine Grande and into the French Valley on the way
• 16.4 miles, 3,102 feet of elevation gain

Day three is the longest day of the W Trek. You will hike up into the French Valley, the center of the ‘W,’ to reach Mirador Britannica. Then you will continue onto the third inn of the trip, Paine Grande.

If you do the entire trail, it will be about 16.4 miles and 3,102 feet of elevation gain. I turned back early due to high winds and fog on this day, so I only went about 13 miles.

The trail starts out relatively flat and easy until you reach Camp Italiano. If you have a very windy day like I did, watch out for the beach areas. The beaches are very exposed and the wind almost knocked us over at one point.

When you reach Camp Italiano, there are some outdoor shelves where you can drop off your heaviest gear. There was also a whiteboard here that had information on what time the viewpoints would close for the day and a warning about the high winds.

The hike up into the French Valley is steep at times, but felt more gradual than the hike to the Towers. You will go in and out of forest areas and viewpoints. Even if you just go part of the way, there are some fantastic views where you can admire the surrounding mountains and look for waterfalls, avalanches and glaciers in the distance.

There are four main viewpoints along the way. When I reached the second one, Mirador Valle de Frances, the wind was extremely strong, so many people turned around here. We went a little bit further, but decided to turn around before making it to the third.

After returning to Camp Italiano to pick up your gear, it will be about 5 more miles to reach your inn for the night. It’s mostly downhill and relatively easy. However, the wind was very intense for me and made the miles feel quite long.

There was one suspension bridge crossing that felt particularly daunting, as the wind was shaking the bridge all over the place while we crossed over a river canyon.

You will also pass an area of wildfire damage. Unfortunately, there have been multiple cases of fires started from the mistake of tourists in the park, so please make sure to follow the rules. Open fires are strictly prohibited and camp stoves are only allowed to be used in designated areas.

After this long day, it’s a great feeling to reach Paine Grande. This inn feels nicer than the first two inns, as it’s newer and larger. However, what you gain in newness means that there is less of the great community feeling you get from the smaller inns.

The rooms here are equipped with two bunk beds and more comfortable bedding than Los Cuernos and El Chileno. They also have real lockers if you want to lock up any valuables. Dinner is served buffet style and there is a bar upstairs as well.

• Hike from Paine Grande to Refugio Grey. Optionally, hike up to the suspension bridges and a view of Grey Glacier.
• 6.9 miles, 1,319 feet of elevation gain
• Second hike is 5 miles with 1,014 feet of elevation gain

On day four, you’ll hike to the final inn of the trip, Refugio Grey. You also have the option to hike an additional few miles to see some suspension bridges and close up views of the Grey Glacier, which I highly recommend doing.

The first trail between the two inns is 6.9 miles with 1,319 feet of elevation gain. While it isn’t difficult, this was the windiest area of my trek. The wind made it difficult to move forward at times and definitely slowed us down.

However, the trail has some fantastic views of Grey Lake and about halfway through you’ll start to see the Grey Glacier in the distance. The trail has multiple ups and downs, so you’ll have a nice variety.

At one point about 2 miles from the inn, there is a short portion of the trail where you’ll have to climb down a rock scramble that can be slick. It’s very doable if you have some hiking experience, but I found this to be one of the most technical portions of the entire W Trek.

When you reach the Refugio Grey, there are a few excursions and additional trails you can choose from if you’re up to it. First, you have the option to kayak next to the glacier or go on a guided glacier trek. These activities cost extra and you should reserve them in advance if possible. We reserved the kayaking excursion, but unfortunately it was too windy for us to go out. It had been too windy to kayak for a couple weeks, so keep in mind that this cancellation is very common.

Additionally, you can take a hike up to see some incredible suspension bridges and a view of the Gray Glacier. This trail is about 5 miles with a little over 1,000 feet of elevation gain. It is part of the O Circuit, so you’ll likely see hikers on the O coming the other way.

There are three suspension bridges you can hike to, but I only went to the first two.

The second bridge is especially magnificent. It is quite long and dangles 100’s of feet in the air over a large valley. On one side, you get a fantastic view of the glacier. On the opposite side, you can see a tall waterfall coming down from the mountains. I don’t recommend this if you’re afraid of heights, but it’s a really neat experience if heights don’t bother you.

If you aren’t up for the longer trail, there is also a viewpoint very close to the Grey Inn (a half mile) where you can get a nice view of the glacier.

After an additional hike, an excursion or some rest, enjoy your final dinner of the W Trek. I thought that Refugio Gray had some of the best food for dinner on the trip!

Day Five of the W Trek

• Hike from Refugio Grey to Paine Grande, take the catamaran across Pehoe Lake, take a bus back to Puerto Natales.
• 6.9 miles, 1,208 feet of elevation gain

On your final day on the W Circuit, hike back to Paine Grande to catch the Grande Catamaran. This is the same trail that you did on day four in the opposite direction, but you’ll have about 100 less feet of elevation gain. When you reach Paine Grande, line up to take the catamaran to Peduto.

There are actually catamarans from both Refugio Grey and Paine Grande, and they go different places. I was confused about this, so I’m going to explain the difference and the pros and cons of each.

For the least amount of hiking, you can end your trek from Refugio Gray and take the catamaran across Lago Grey. This journey will take about an hour and costs $75 one way. It will take you to Hotel Lago Grey.

Pros of the Lago Grey Catamaran

• Less hiking! You get to leave from your final lodge via a beautiful boat ride.

Cons of the Lago Grey Catamaran

• It’s about 3 times the cost of the Lake Pehoe Catamaran.
• We were told that this boat is much more susceptible to delays and cancellations due to wind.
• It will bring you to the Lago Grey Hotel, which has fewer transportation options to get you back to Puerto Natales. You may need to stay at the hotel and arrange private transportation.
• This boat is not first come first serve like the Lake Pehoe Catamaran. You should make a reservation before your trek because it is likely to sell out.

For the reasons listed above, most hikers return from the trek via the Lake Pehoe Catamaran. The boat ride takes about 25 minutes and runs a few times a day. Check for the most up to date schedule at Paine Grande.

You cannot make a reservation for the Lake Pehoe boat. You’ll need to wait in line by the dock and board first come, first served. You also need to make sure you have cash - the boat requires $30 USD or $25 Chilean pesos per person, each way. During peak season, they take cash in US dollars or Euros as an alternative to Chilean Pesos.

The boat is quite large so you shouldn’t worry if there is a long line to board. Also note that even though there is a schedule, the boats do not always run on time.

The boat also has stunning views! If it’s a clear day, you’ll get a new perspective of the park and see incredible mountain peaks as you ride through turquoise colored water.

When you reach Pudeto, take a bus ride back to Puerto Natales to end your time in Torres Del Paine National park. There is a small cafe to wait in before your bus ride. You should make sure that you have reserved a bus ticket ahead of time.

I took the second ferry of the day back from Paine Grande (it was scheduled for 11 but ended up being closer to 12) and then waited about 2 hours in the cafe for my 2 PM bus ride. The cafe sold lunch items, coffee, beer and more. There is also a one mile waterfall trail you can enjoy if you have the energy!

When you reach Puerto Natales, celebrate your hard work with a delicious meal, a pisco sour and a nice hotel stay. I loved eating at Cafe Artimana, Cafe Kaiken and La Guanaca Pizza.

How Much Does it Cost to Hike the W Trek?

In December/January 2022/2023, we paid $872 per person to hike the W Trek. This included 4 nights of lodging, full room and board, the bus tickets to and from the park, the ferry at the end and the entry ticket into the national park. We had to pay about $37 extra for a special New Year’s Eve Dinner, so you can subtract that if you’re not going over Christmas or New Years!

Here is the cost breakdown:

Night 1: El Chileno - $125 per person for the bed with sheets, $88 per person for the food

Night 2: Los Cuernos - $125 per person for the bed with sheets, $124 per person for the food (This was New Years Eve so the food cost extra - they did something special!)

Night 3: Paine Grande - $92 per person for the bed with sheets, $61 per person for the food

Night 4: Gray - $92 per person for the bed with sheets, $61 per person for the food

Ferry to return from Paine Grande and end the trek: $30 per person (cash only)

Bus Tickets on Bus Sur between Puerto Natales and the national park: $10 per person each way. There is also a shuttle between the entry to the park to the actual start of the trek that cost $5 per person (chilean pesos only)

Entry ticket into Torres Del Paine National Park: $49 per person

You also have the option to pay extra for wifi, alcohol or extra food at all of the inns. They all take credit cards.

Prices are subject to change, these were the prices for the 2022 - 2023 season.

This does not include flights into Puerto Natales to start and end your trip. This can vary a lot based on where you’re flying from! Note that it is very likely to need to connect through Santiago first.

There are definitely ways to cut out some of the costs!

• You can camp instead of staying inside the inns. The inns all offer options to rent out tents so you don’t have to carry your own. Or you will pay the least if you carry your own.
• You can bring your own food instead of paying for full room and board. I would recommend bringing your own breakfast and lunch items and only paying for dinner if this is something you’re considering. I did not love the breakfast service because on some days, I wanted to leave earlier than breakfast was being offered.

• A backpack that will fit your needs for carrying your things for 5 days and 4 nights. I carried a 40L backpack and thought it was the perfect size.
• A small day pack to carry the essentials for the times you can leave your bigger pack behind.
• A water bladder or water bottle.
• A water filter (We only filled up on water from the inns, which have drinkable water. But it’s good to have a water filter just in case. It depends on your comfort level and sensitivity.)
• Snacks! I did not need any extra food than what was provided from the full room and board, but it’s always good to have some options if there are items in the packed lunches that you don’t like.
• Hiking essentials including a first aid kit , knife, emergency shelter, headlamp and sun protection.
• Your passport, printed out tickets and confirmations, cash and credit card.
• Rain gear. Rain is common on the trek, make sure you have a good rain coat and a rain cover for your backpack.
• Layers. It might get cold, so I recommend bringing a warm hat and gloves.
• Sturdy hiking boots .
• Hiking socks and the clothing you’ll need for 5 days and 4 nights. Avoid cotton and bring items that are moisture wicking.
• Small towel for showering .
• Toiletries such as soap, moisturizer, toothbrush and whatever else you need.
• A second, lightweight pair of shoes to wear around the inns.
• A phone charger and portable battery.
• A buff to help protect against the dust on windy days.
• Insect repellent . I did not encounter mosquitoes, but I’ve heard during certain times of year they can be bad.
• A kula cloth to use instead of toilet paper.
• Trekking poles .
• Ear plugs if noise would bother you in the inns.

For a more detailed packing list for the W Trek, check out my W Trek packing guide !

There are certainly many other things to do in Torres Del Paine National Park besides the W Trek!

If you’re up for a more challenging adventure, consider the O-Trek, which is approximately 68 miles and takes 6-10 days.

If hiking for 5 or more days isn’t your thing (or you have less time) but you want to see some of the park, consider some day hikes.

Day Hike Options Include:

• Mirador Las Torres, the most iconic view in the park, is often done as a day hike. Stay at the Hotel Las Torres and the trail will be about 12.5 miles.
• Take the catamaran from Hotel Grey and hike up to the suspension bridges for a view of Glacier Gray. The hike from Refugio Grey is about 5 miles.
• Hike to the Salto Grande from Pudeto, the trail is 0.9 miles.
• Hike to the Rio Pingo waterfall from Hotel Grey, the trail is 5.3 miles.

There are many more day hike options, these are just a few! You can also go horseback riding, fly fishing or biking or a variety of other activities.

How difficult is the W Trek?

The trail itself is not difficult on the W Trek. It is well marked and there are just a couple areas of rock scrambling. However, the difficult part is hiking a long distance every day and carrying heavy packs. You should be used to hiking 10+ miles on a day hike and carrying a heavy bag.

Can you hike the W Trek solo?

While I did not hike the W Trek solo, I would be very comfortable doing so. I thought that the trail was well marked and felt very safe. With the shared dorms and communal dinners, it’s really easy to meet other hikers and make friends along the way.

Would you recommend the W Trek or doing day hikes?

My experience on the W Trek was one I will never forget and I think it is very much worth doing! If you have the time, I highly recommend doing the entire W trek instead of just day hikes.

Is the water safe to drink in Torres Del Paine National Park?

The water tends to be safe to drink from the water sources at the inns. Some hikers also drink water directly from streams, but I’ve heard mixed reviews and that is not something I would recommend. I recommend bringing a water filter just in case, but it all depends on your comfort level and sensitivity.

Are there mosquitoes on the W Trek?

I did not encounter mosquitoes on the W trek, but I’ve heard that others have during certain months when it is rainy and warm. Bring insect repellent just in case.

What is the hardest part of the W Trek?

I thought the hike to the Base of the Towers was the hardest part of the trek. It’s a long day with a steep climb.

What kind of wildlife will you see on the W Trek?

I saw very little wildlife on the trek, but I did see several condor birds! There are gauchos (llamas) in Torres Del Paine National Park, but it’s rare to see them on this trail. You will likely see them along the roads driving in and out of the parks instead.

Other animals that live in the park but are rare to see are pumas, huemul deer and foxes. There are no bears in Torres Del Paine, so there is no need to carry bear spray.

If you have dreamed about a trip to Patagonia, I hope this guide will help you make it a reality! The W trek and a visit to Torres Del Paine National Park a bucket list experience that you’ll remember for years to come.

If you’re flying all the way to Patagonia, I recommend more adventures than just the W Trek. After the trek, I drove into Argentina to continue my trip. Check out my 2 week Patagonia itinerary and my guide to renting a car in Patagonia to continue planning!

For more Patagonia guides, check out these blogs:

• The Ultimate 2 Week Itinerary for a Patagonia Road Trip
• A Guide to Renting a Car and Driving in Patagonia
• 30 Tips for Hiking the W Trek
• A Detailed Packing List for the W Trek

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What to know for booking summer travel: Expert tips on airfare, destinations and more

Where to score flight deals during the prime summer travel season.

As the surge of summer travel draws near, the race to book a great vacation is on.

"If you're looking to travel domestically within the U.S., I think you should be booking now for summer travel," Clint Henderson, travel expert and managing editor of The Points Guy, told "GMA."

Earlier this month while reporting quarterly earnings, Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian projected "record advance bookings for the summer," telling CNBC that the carrier's credit card data and bookings show customers are highly interested in air travel.

An increase in budget airline routes that has created more competition, paired with an easing of the post-pandemic revenge travel surge, means travelers could see more deals.

"Overall prices are down from where they were when we just had that boom out of the pandemic," Henderson said. "So things are more reasonable."

Hopper, the flight booking app, has shown predicted fares for flights to Europe will be down 10% in price from the same time last year.

Google recently announced its top 20 trending summer destinations , which saw a few newcomers on the list and Paris rose to the No. 2 spot.

With the Olympics taking place there from July 26 through Aug. 11, an uptick in airfare and hotel pricing is expected during the Games.

But those willing to wait out the Olympics could find big savings for flights to the host nation.

The Points Guy has featured deals from Atlanta, Dallas and Charlotte to Paris for as low as $515 from August through the fall.

Amsterdam, Prague, Spain and Iceland are among the most reasonably priced European destinations, as seen on Hopper.

Tips for booking summer travel

Don't forget to stay flexible with travel dates and keep midweek in mind for possibly lower fares.

There's also a time during the post-summer rush known as "shoulder season," between September and October, when fares could drop by as much as 30%.

When it comes to airfare purchase timing, the experts at The Points Guy have found prices dip eight to four weeks before the outbound flight, but after the one-month mark, prices will creep back up.

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Travel | Travel Troubleshooter: I accidentally paid…

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Travel | nfl draft: 49ers make two trades en route to defensive back green, offensive lineman puni, travel | travel troubleshooter: i accidentally paid twice for my hotel. can i get a refund.

DEAR TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER:  I recently reserved and paid for a room at the Marriott Vacation Club Pulse at Custom House, Boston, through Booking.com. I prepaid $1,191 for my accommodations.

I received a confirmation that I had booked a room at the property and that I had paid for it. However, when we checked out, my husband paid for the room again — not realizing that I had already paid for the hotel through Booking.com. We received an email invoice from the hotel and left the Marriott property, not realizing we had paid for our stay twice.

I contacted Booking.com straight away, but I don’t have a record of our interaction. Booking.com deleted all the messages relating to my inquiry. Marriott has referred the matter to Booking.com, and Booking.com will not help me. Is there anything you can do?

— Valeska Wehr, Bute, Australia

ANSWER: Booking.com should have charged you once, and Marriott shouldn’t have charged you at all. I know — thank you, Captain Obvious. But it merits repeating. I’ve reviewed your paperwork, and you should have only received one charge.

Marriott believed that you hadn’t prepaid your room. You might have been able to clear up the matter while you were at the property, but it looks like your husband didn’t get the memo either. (Next time, please tell him that you’ve prepaid.)

Still, this should have been easy to clear up. But as I reviewed the correspondence between you, Booking.com and Marriott, I saw more issues. Booking.com referred you to Marriott, even though this was a Booking.com reservation. Marriott sent you what appears to be a form letter, saying that you can’t get loyalty points for your stay in Boston. Wow, talk about confusion.

This is not the first time Booking.com has billed one of its customers twice. I had a similar case a few months ago, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. You have to watch your final bill carefully. When you give a hotel your credit card for “incidental” expenses, make sure that it doesn’t charge you for the room again. It’s happened to me, and let me tell you, it is no fun to resolve it.

But there is a resolution to your case. You reached out to my advocacy team, and I contacted Booking.com. It asked for proof of payment, which you furnished. Within a week, you had a full refund of the amount that you’d overpaid.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy , a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at [email protected] or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy.org/help/ . (c) 2024 Christopher Elliott Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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Automatic Refunds and No More Hidden Fees: D.O.T. Sets New Rules for Airlines

The Transportation Department issued new requirements on refunds when flights are canceled or delayed and on revealing “junk” fees before booking. Here’s what passengers can expect.

By Christine Chung

The Transportation Department on Wednesday announced new rules taking aim at two of the most difficult and annoying issues in air travel: obtaining refunds and encountering surprise fees late in the booking process.

“Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them — without having to ask,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement, adding that the changes would not only save passengers “time and money,” but also prevent headaches.

The department’s new rules, Mr. Buttigieg said, will hold airlines to clear and consistent standards when they cancel, delay or substantially change flights, and require automatic refunds to be issued within weeks. They will also require them to reveal all fees before a ticket is purchased.

Airlines for America , a trade group representing the country’s largest air carriers, said in a statement that its airlines “abide by and frequently exceed” D.O.T. consumer protection regulations.

Passenger advocates welcomed the new steps.

Tomasz Pawliszyn, the chief executive of AirHelp, a Berlin-based company that assists passengers with airline claims, called it a “massive step forward and huge improvement in consumer rights and protection” that brings the United States closer to global standards in passenger rights.

Here’s what we know about the D.O.T.’s new rules, which will begin to go into effect in October.

There’s now one definition for a “significant” delay.

Until now, airlines have been allowed to set their own definition for a “significant” delay and compensation has varied by carrier . Now, according to the D.O.T., there will be one standard: when departure or arrival is delayed by three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights.

Passengers will get prompt refunds for cancellations or significant changes for flights and delayed bags, for any reason.

When things go wrong, getting compensation from an airline has often required establishing a cumbersome paper trail or spending untold hours on the phone. Under the new rules, refunds will be automatic, without passengers having to request them. Refunds will be made in full, excepting the value of any transportation already used. Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in the original form of payment, whether by cash, credit card or airline miles. Refunds are due within seven days for credit card purchases and within 20 days for other payments.

Passengers with other flight disruptions, such as being downgraded to a lower service class, are also entitled to refunds.

The list of significant changes for which passengers can get their money back also includes: departure or arrival from an airport different from the one booked; connections at different airports or flights on planes that are less accessible to a person with a disability; an increase in the number of scheduled connections. Also, passengers who pay for services like Wi-Fi or seat selection that are then unavailable will be refunded any fees.

Airlines must give travel vouchers or credits to ticketed passengers unable to fly because of government restrictions or a doctor’s orders.

The vouchers or credits will be transferable and can be used for at least five years after the date they were issued.

Fees for checked baggage and modifying a reservation must be disclosed upfront.

Airlines and ticket agents are now required to display any extra fees for things like checking bags or seat selection clearly and individually before a ticket purchase. They will also need to outline the airline’s policies on baggage, cancellations and changing flights before a customer purchases a ticket.

The rules, which apply to all flights on domestic airlines and flights to and from the United States operated by foreign airlines, have varying start dates.

For example, automatic refunds must be instituted by the airlines within six months. But carriers have a year before they’re required to issue travel vouchers and credits for passengers advised by a medical professional not to fly.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Christine Chung is a Times reporter covering airlines and consumer travel. More about Christine Chung

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

Apelsin Hotel

Noginskoye Shosse 36B, 144008 Elektrostal', Russia – Good location - show map

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Value for money

Apelsin Hotel Reserve now

Located next to Noginskoye Highway in Electrostal, Apelsin Hotel offers comfortable rooms with free Wi-Fi. Free parking is available. The elegant rooms are air conditioned and feature a flat-screen satellite TV and fridge. The private bathrooms come with a shower, hairdryer and free toiletries. Hotel Apelsin has a café serving Russian cuisine. The 24-hour front desk offers ironing service. Mashinostroitel Train Station is a 10-minute drive away. Domodedovo Airport is 88 km away.

Couples particularly like the location — they rated it 8.0 for a two-person trip.

Distance in property description is calculated using © OpenStreetMap

• Free parking
• Non-smoking rooms
• Airport shuttle

Property highlights

Free parking available at the hotel

Loyal customers

끖 There are more repeat guests here than most other properties.

Saved to 137 lists

Availability

Select dates to see this property's availability and prices

Categories:

Hotel surroundings, facilities of apelsin hotel.

• Toilet paper
• Bath or shower
• Private bathroom
• Free toiletries
• Refrigerator
• Clothes rack
• Flat-screen TV
• Satellite channels
• Street parking
• Accessible parking
• Invoice provided
• 24-hour front desk
• Daily housekeeping
• Ironing service Additional charge
• Laundry Additional charge
• Fax/photocopying Additional charge
• Meeting/banquet facilities Additional charge
• Fire extinguishers
• CCTV outside property
• CCTV in common areas
• Smoke alarms
• Security alarm
• Key card access
• 24-hour security
• Safety deposit box
• Vending machine (drinks)
• Air conditioning
• Non-smoking throughout
• Wake-up service
• Packed lunches
• Airport shuttle Additional charge
• Wake up service/Alarm clock
• Upper floors accessible by elevator

Property practices

See availability house rules.

Until 12:00

Cancellation/ prepayment

Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to accommodation type. Please enter the dates of your stay and check the conditions of your required room.

Children and beds

Child policies

Children of any age are welcome.

Children 16 years and above will be charged as adults at this property.

To see correct prices and occupancy information, please add the number of children in your group and their ages to your search.

Cot and extra bed policies

Prices for cots and extra beds are not included in the total price, and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.

The number of extra beds and cots allowed is dependent on the option you choose. Please check your selected option for more information.

All cots and extra beds are subject to availability.

No age restriction

There is no age requirement for check-in

Free! Pets are allowed. No extra charges.

Accepted payment methods

Cash Apelsin Hotel accepts these cards and reserves the right to temporarily hold an amount prior to arrival.

Billing/invoices

Official invoices (for tax/billing purposes) are available at this property for business travellers.

FAQs about Apelsin Hotel

How far is apelsin hotel from the centre of elektrostal'.

Apelsin Hotel is 1.1 miles from the centre of Elektrostal'. All distances are measured in straight lines. Actual travel distances may vary.

What is there to do at Apelsin Hotel?

What are the check-in and check-out times at apelsin hotel.

Check-in at Apelsin Hotel is from 14:00, and check-out is until 12:00.

What type of room can I book at Apelsin Hotel?

• Twin/Double

How much does it cost to stay at Apelsin Hotel?

The prices at Apelsin Hotel may vary depending on your stay (e.g. dates you select, hotel's policy etc.). See the prices by entering your dates.

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• Central Air Force Museum

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Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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