8-Day Patagonia: Torres Del Paine O-Trek

*** We recommend that you arrive in Puerto Natales the day before and spend the night before starting the trek. You will get an online briefing that will help guide you on the trek.

Arrive at the bus station by 7:00am (taxi or Uber). There will be a representative from "Las Torres," who will assist you. They will give you a Welcome Kit.

• 7:00am Registration time at Rodoviario Puerto Natales Bus Station (Av. España #1455)
• 7:30am Departure
• 9:30am Arrival to Porteria Laguna Amarga (park entrance)

Transfer by bus from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine. The journey lasts approximately 2 hours (112 Km.), passing through Cerro Castillo, a small border town situated along the route to the park and 54 Km from Puerto Natales.

Upon arrival to Laguna Amarga (park entrance), all travelers must get off of the bus and visit the CONAF Administration Office where they will follow all protocol necessary to enter the park. The park entrance fee is included in the cost of the program.

You then board the transfer vehicle that belong to "Transportes Las Torres," which will take you to the Welcome Center.

*** Pick up a box lunch at the Central Refugio.

Hike to the Seron Sector. Sunset is usually around 11 pm during the summer months, meaning that there will still be enough daylight for you to admire the Patagonian steppe with its guanacos and snow-peaked mountain horizon once you arrive.

• Distance: 13km / 8mi (4-6 hours)
• Max Altitude: 250m / 820ft

Meals included: Dinner
Mid-Range Accommodations: Camping Seron Campsite

The trail to Dickson Lake will lead you northwards along the eastern bank of the Rio Paine. Stop at a natural lookout point with a stunning panoramic view of the Lago Paine before descending and continuing west across open grasslands towards Refugio Dickson. The campsite is situated in the Dickson Valley, surrounded by towering snow-capped peaks and the crystalline waters of Lake Dickson. The stunning Dickson Glacier and parts of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field can be spotted in the distance.

• Distance: 18km / 11mi (5-6 hours)
• Max Altitude: 369m / 1200ft

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Mid-Range Accommodations: Refugio/Camping Dickson

Follow the trail along the Los Perros River in what will be the wildest and most remote grounds on the trek. You will pass under the Los Perros Glacier, which merges into a small lake and cross a virgin beech forest before reaching the beautiful Laguna Los Perros.

• Distance: 9km / 5mi (5 hours)
• Max Altitude: 500m / 1640ft

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Mid-Range Accommodations: Camping Los Perros

This day marks our ascent to the highest point of the circuit as you reach altitudes of around 1300 mt (4000 ft) with awe-inspiring views of Grey Glacier, an enormous fractured mass of ice with towers in the valley. The John Gardner pass is one of the most famous sectors of Torres del Paine and a must-do for any serious trekker. Continue south along forested slopes with beautiful views of the enormous Grey Glacier (more than 28 km in length) before spending the night camping at Grey Campground on the shores of Lake Grey.

• Distance: 22km / 14mi (12 hours)
• Max Altitude: 1200m / 3937ft

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Mid-Range Accommodations: Refugio/Camping Grey

This morning, take some time to rest, replenish, and revel in Lake Grey's surroundings before making your way along the eastern side of Lake Grey through clearings of gorgeous Calafate bushes. The view over the lake, with numerous giant icebergs drifting across the waters, is a true wonder to behold. The trail after this point becomes flatter as you descend through a shallow dry valley headed towards the turquoise waters of Lake Pehoe.

• Distance: 11km / 7mi (5 hours)
• Max Altitude: 400m / 1312ft

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Mid-Range Accommodations: Refugio/Camping Paine Grande

After breakfast at Lake Pehoe, begin the challenging trek to Valle Frances (French Valley), along a steep trail that leads to the very heart of the Paine Massif. Cross the hanging bridge over the French River, located at the foot of the south-east face of the Massif, where there are fantastic views of the valley. Then continue to ascend towards the upper section of the valley where you will be able to marvel at the extensive mass of the valley's geological formations: Hoja (Blade), Mascara (Mask), Espada (Sword), Catedral (Cathedral), Aleta de Tiburón (Shark's Fin) and the magnificent Fortaleza (Fortress). After an upward trek, pause for a picnic and relax for a while. Continue hiking to Mirador Britanico. This day's trek will end descending through an undulating terrain of mixed grassland and light forest to camp Frances.

• Distance: 25km / 15mi (8 hours)
• Max Altitude: 686m / 2250ft

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Mid-Range Accommodations: Refugio/Camping Frances

Today, trek to Camp Torre Central through the Cuernos trail, which will take us along the beautiful Lake Nordenskjold. Today's walk is less strenuous yet richer in the diversity of terrain. It will, therefore, be the perfect opportunity to take in the park's charming flora and fauna. The trek ends as you arrive at Camp Torre Central where you will enjoy a hearty meal and prepare for tomorrow's big challenge.

• Distance: 16km / 10mi (7 hours)
• Max Altitude: 244m / 800ft

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Mid-Range Accommodations: Refugio/Camping Torre Central

The goal of our penultimate day of the Paine Circuit will be to complete the most famous trekking trail in Torres del Paine National Park! We will walk from the campsite towards Hotel Las Torres before ascending to Ascencio Valley on the Tower's eastern face. Mountain ridges, beech forests and small rivers line the scenic walk towards the valley. Our big challenge comes in the form of the steep moraine, a huge mass of boulders which will lead us to that iconic base-view of the Towers - Three gigantic granite monoliths, the remains of a great cirque sheared away by the forces of glacial ice. After a tough uphill climb, the Towers eventually come into full view, rising majestically before us, with the glacial lake visible below. Is there any better place in the world to have lunch? After feasting on the view and our picnic, we backtrack along the same trail through Ascencio Valley and return to the Central Sector. Bus back to Puerto Natales.

• Distance: 21km / 13mi (10 hours)
• Max Altitude: 914m / 3000ft

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch