Torres del Paine - The Essential Travel Guide for an Unforgettable O and W Trek Experience

Torres del Paine National Park in Chile is, in our opinion, one of the most beautiful parks in South America. With an unparalleled variety of hiking trails suitable for both beginners and advanced hikers, this park offers a unique experience in rugged, breathtaking nature. In this park, you can tailor your adventure to be as challenging and immersive as you desire. Whether you're an adventurous soul who brings everything yourself or prefer the convenience of the various refugios in the area and the meal options they offer, the choice is yours.

This blog serves as a complete guide for booking, organizing, and preparing optimally for your trip. The first part of this guide covers choosing your route and booking and reserving the campsites. Next, we provide a detailed overview of each day on the O-trek. Then, we discuss preparations, including packing lists, and offer tips and tricks for a successful journey. Finally, we highlight organizations and tours you can book if you want to visit Torres del Paine, either through a day trip or a multi-day excursion, without handling everything on your own.

---

Planning and the Trail You Want to Embark On

If you're reading this blog, you're likely planning to embark on a trek in Torres del Paine National Park. Through this blog, we aim to provide you with a deeper understanding of the options available, how to book everything, and what to keep in mind during your preparation. Let's start with the different trails.

The map provided above, which can also be downloaded via this link, offers an overview of the entire national park. We'll now focus on the O-trek and the W-trek. The O-trek is marked by a red line starting at the Torres hotel, running along the north side of the park, and transitioning into an orange line that represents the W-trek. By doing the O-trek, you'll pass by three additional refugios compared to the W-trek, thus following the entire W-trek route.

During the W-trek, you'll visit the park's most famous landmarks, including the iconic towers of Torres del Paine, the Británico Lookout, and the Grey Glacier.

On the O-trek, you'll first hike around this area through beautiful valleys and glaciers, eventually crossing the John Gardner Pass to follow the W-circuit along the Grey Glacier. Although the W-trek is much more well-known and busier, the O-trek offers the opportunity to experience this area in solitude. The starting points for the O-trek are limited to 70 per day.

We believe that with proper preparation, the right mindset, and some training, everyone can complete the O-trek. However, this doesn't mean it's not challenging, given its duration of 8 days, changing weather conditions, and the heavier packing required. What we found enjoyable about the O-trek was being in nature with not too many people around. The locations are more secluded, and the campsites are basic. Moreover, you build a close and fun bond with the group, as everyone arrives and departs from the same campsite.

For the W-trek, I would recommend it if you have less time but still want to experience the multi-day trek of Torres del Paine. This trek is a few days shorter, which reduces the amount of camping gear, food, and drink you need to carry. Additionally, you get to see nearly all the highlights of the park, though you'll miss the John Gardner Pass.

Further in this blog, we describe our experiences day by day, to give you a more detailed picture of the differences between the W- and O-trek in Torres del Paine.

Comparing Your Travel Dates with Availability and Booking the Campsites

Now comes a challenging part. Once you've decided on the trail you want to embark on, it's essential to check if you can still book everything for your trail and if the campsites/refugios are available for your travel dates. Therefore, you should book your campsites at least 2 to 3 months in advance to ensure you can secure your desired camping spot. This is especially true for the peak season. There are some variations possible by skipping campsites on the W-trek and walking a longer distance, but it's best to book as early as possible. It may also happen that you can book a campsite with a rented tent at a camp but not a spot for your own tent. This costs more and is a waste if you're bringing all your own gear.

But when is the best time to hike the trail? The peak season, which runs from mid-December to February, is the ideal period. When it's winter here, it's summer there. Want to go earlier? You can, as the O-trek opens from late October, but the trail may still be partially covered with snow, making the hike more challenging. Weather conditions can also lead to the closure of certain viewpoints, such as the Británico and the Torres Lookout. However, this can also occur during the summer months. For example, we hiked through a snowstorm over the John Gardner Pass, and the Británico Lookout had been closed the day before our visit due to rainfall.

Booking the campsites is done through two different websites, as two different organizations manage different campsites. This isn't very complicated, as you can keep both sites open side by side and check if they match up.

The Central, Serón, Chileno, Francés, and Los Cuernos campsites are booked through the Las Torres organization via this link. On the site, you can also find more information about the campsites, booking options, and other details.

The Dickens, Los Perros, Grey, and Paine Grande campsites are booked through the Vertice organization via this link. For more information about Vertice's campsites, click on this link.

Since Vertice's campsites are interconnected, booking through their site is quite straightforward. You enter the number of people and choose the circuit you want to hike. Then, you select the campsites you want to visit, all four, and enter the start date when you expect to arrive at Dickson, the second campsite after Serón on the O-trek. The system then automatically fills in your other dates at the other campsites, and you can choose any extras related to food & drink and sleeping options.

Before you finalize these dates, you also need to check if the Las Torres campsites match up with these dates. Using the previously shared link from Las Torres, you'll see a calendar on the right side of the webpage with 'Book now!' This takes you to a new screen where you can align the correct dates. In this booking program, you can see the different campsites listed. You can choose when you want to stay at each location and see if your desired overnight option is still available. If it's not, you'll need to adjust your travel dates and compare your new travel dates on both sites.

Which places do you need to book exactly? It depends on your mode of transportation. If you're traveling with your own camper van, you can stay for free in the parking lot next to the entrance, near the Torres hotel/Camping Central. This saves you a night's accommodation, meaning you might not need to book Camping Central or Chileno, and you can start the trail to the famous Torres Towers directly from your campervan. This is very relaxing, as you can spend another night in your campervan. If you're traveling by car or public transport, then you book your first campsite for the day of arrival, depending on whether you're doing the W- or O-trek.

Here's an example of the O-trek and the campsites you need to book:

• Starting campsite Serón (Las Torres)

• Second campsite Dickson (Vertice)

• Third campsite Los Perros (Vertice)

• Fourth campsite Grey (Vertice)

• Fifth campsite Paine Grande (Vertice)

• Sixth campsite Francés or Los Cuernos (Las Torres)

• Seventh campsite Chileno or Camping Central (Las Torres) or your campervan.

Many people who do not travel with their own transport choose the Chileno campsite on the last day to walk to the Torres Towers early in the morning and watch the sunrise, a special moment.

The difference between Francés and Los Cuernos is that if you book at Los Cuernos, you must go to the Británico Lookout on the day from Paine Grande, while at Francés, you have the option to do this the next morning. This offers the possibility that if the lookout is closed for a day due to bad weather, you might still have a chance the next morning from Francés. From Los Cuernos, it is too far to walk back and forth and then proceed to Central or Chileno.

A variable in planning with a campervan is that you can enter the park earlier. For example, we entered the park with our campervan two days before the start of the trail and camped at the entrance. Thus, we chose to visit the Torres Towers before our trek because of the good weather. After all, the weather can change if you plan it at the end of your trail.

For the W-trek, the campsites to book are as follows:

• Starting campsite Chileno or Central (Las Torres)

• Second campsite Los Cuernos or Francés (Las Torres)

• Third campsite Paine Grande (Vertice)

Upon arrival, you can directly proceed to Chileno, so you can go to the Torres Towers the next morning. Then, you move to Los Cuernos or Francés, and afterwards through the Británico Lookout to Paine Grande. On the last day, you visit the Grey Glacier and return. You can choose to spend another night in Paine Grande or exit the park via the south side by bus if you're using public transport. If traveling by car or campervan, you walk back to the starting point the next day. A variation is to book an extra night at the Grey campsite if you can stay longer.

Once all travel dates are checked and compared and you've made your choice, you can proceed to book the options. The only thing left to do is to book your entrance to the park. This is done through the CONAF website via this link. It's wise to do this immediately as well, since there's a visitor limit for the entire park. The only difference in price is whether you're staying longer or shorter than 3 days. So, you can always set a broader margin of time. They don't check whether you leave on the correct date, however.

---

The O-Trek Day-to-Day Overview

The O-Trek is a significant challenge and requires thorough planning and preparation. As you might have read, we traveled with a camper van, which slightly altered our planning for the O-Trek compared to a journey with a backpack. For instance, our start day was different. On the first day, we went from our camper van to the Torres lookout and spent the night again in our camper. On the second day, we packed up all our belongings and began the O-Trek.

Day 2: From the Entrance to Campsite Serón

On the first day, you start from the information building near Hotel Torres and Camping Central, heading towards Campsite Serón. This is a relatively short hike of about 3 to 4 hours. This way, you don't have to start too early and have plenty of opportunities during the trek to get used to your heavy backpack and enjoy the surroundings. Just before arriving at Campsite Serón, you pass by a river. Here, you can take a break and enjoy a refreshing dip.

The campsite where you pitch your tent is quite large and offers many good camping spots. There is a small building with two showers and two toilets. There is also a covered area where you must cook and a small indoor space where you can eat your meals if you have ordered them.

In Torres del Paine, it is mandatory to cook in designated areas within the campsites. You must use a stove, and cooking on an open fire is not allowed. In the past, too many massive wildfires were caused by hikers making fires on the trail. Recently, it has been decided that cooking with a gas burner on the trails is also no longer allowed, and all open fires are prohibited outside the designated areas. This requires different planning for preparing your lunch while hiking the trail. But more on that later.

Day 3: From Serón to Campsite Dickens

This day is longer than the first, and you are required to depart before 10 a.m. This is due to the requirement to be past the ranger checkpoint halfway through the trail by 2 p.m., where you must register.

This day takes about 5 hours and leads you through beautiful valleys and forests to Campsite Dickson. The final descent to the camp is challenging, with many loose stones that can easily slip under your feet. The campsite is located in a valley, surrounded by mountains. Behind the campsite is Dickson Lake. This camp has only a few good shelters with picnic benches. Therefore, it is advisable to arrive a bit earlier than most people, so you can pick out a good spot for your tent.

The indoor space of this campsite is comfortable, and there's even a small store where you can buy snacks or basic necessities.

Day 4: From Dickens to Campsite Los Perros

Although the previous day was beautiful with sunshine, we started this day with heavy rain showers. After an extra cup of coffee in hope it would clear up, we went on through the rain showers. Fortunately, you walk through forests for the first part, which remained a bit dry. This is the day when you trek to the base of the John Gardner Pass and climb to an altitude just below the snow line. The day lasts about 4 hours.

You set up your tent among the trees, and arriving early gives the advantage of finding a more spacious spot. Once you've settled with your tent, you can walk to a small lake with a glacier near the campsite.

Day 5: From Los Perros to Campsite Grey

This is both the highlight of the O-Trek and its toughest challenge. On this day, the rain poured down on us in buckets, and we had no choice but to start this pass in the pouring rain. Completely soaked – even our Gore-Tex shoes and raincoats could not withstand this amount of rain – we climbed higher and higher up the pass. Eventually, the rain turned to snow, and we walked the last part of the journey in a snowstorm. This was our toughest ordeal ever.

At the top of the pass, in clear weather, you have a fantastic view over the Grey Glacier. Unfortunately, our view was limited due to the weather. Luckily, there are several other points from where you can enjoy a beautiful view of this glacier.

The descent can be very difficult in bad weather; the path with a clay-like surface can turn into a slide. In total, it took us about 9 to 10 hours to complete this day.

After crossing several bridges, you arrive at the campsite where you can warm up with a hot shower!

Day 6: From Grey to Campsite Paine Grande

This is a relaxed recovery day, which was very welcome after the climb of the John Gardner Pass. It's not the most exciting day of the trek, and you walk only about 3 hours. However, the wind can be strong here, so it's advisable to arrive early in Paine Grande. This way, you can set up your tent along the edge of the mountain or behind one of the windbreaks. But be aware: the good spots are limited, and unfortunately, when we were there, a few tents were blown away.

In Paine Grande, you immediately notice that you've entered the W-Trek. The terrain is large, there's a restaurant, and a spacious indoor area.

Day 7: From Paine Grande to Campsite Los Cuernos

For us, Francés was already fully booked, so we had to opt for Los Cuernos. This was the day when injuries occurred, and the duration of the trek began to feel heavy. At the same time, this is also one of the most beautiful days. You walk to the base of the Británico Lookout. Here, you leave your backpack to climb to the lookout without any load. Absolutely relaxing! You're surrounded by various types of rock formations and a palette of colors from the mountains. A perfect spot for lunch.

You return via the same route and continue your way along a lake to Los Cuernos. This campsite is also quite large, and upon arrival, you are assigned a tent spot. During our stay, there was a severe storm, and it haunted the whole night. The next morning, it turned out that several tents were damaged by the storm.

Day 8: From Los Cuernos to Chileno, Camping Central, or your campervan

Since we had already visited the Torres Towers on the first day, this day was mainly focused on the return trip to the bus. The route is exceptionally beautiful as you walk along a turquoise lake. The total walking time back to the starting point is about 4 hours. When you walk back to the starting point, at a certain moment, the paths divide; one path leads to the starting point, and the other to Chileno.

As mentioned earlier, most people opt to go to Chileno. This campsite is halfway up the trail to the Torres Towers. It is located among the woods, so you only have a small section left to climb. However, don't be mistaken, the last part to the lookout is treacherously steep. As previously described, many choose to climb up in the dark to see the sunrise. Expect very low temperatures while waiting; it is, therefore, advisable to bring your sleeping bag.

---

Preparation and Packing List

Preparation is crucial, especially since the weather in the mountains can be very unpredictable. Predicting the weather over an 8-day period is difficult, even with weather apps like Windy or Windguru. Moreover, you book all your campsites far in advance and have no option to wait for better weather. For instance, we experienced worse weather than expected and as indicated by the weather apps. The snowstorm was a significant challenge, and we were not adequately dressed for it. For example, we did not have rain pants, and our gloves were not waterproof. The amount of rain followed by snow makes these two items essential. Now, this was our hardest day, and if your weather forecast only indicates sunshine, you might be able to leave these out.

Keep in mind that Puerto Natales is very expensive, and if you need to buy last-minute items, you will pay a lot.

Hiking and Camping Equipment Packing List

• Backpack

• Trekking poles

• Tent with enough pegs and guy lines for severe storms

• Sleeping pad

• Sleeping bag

• Inflatable pillow

• Sleeping bag
  

• Cooking gas and stove (2 large gas canisters are sufficient if you cook all your meals yourself)

• Lighter

• Windshield for stove

• Swiss army knife

• Knife, spoon, fork

• Cup

• Cleaning sponge

• Water bottle (with filter) or a camelbag

• Garbage bags for waste and toilet paper

• Duct tape for emergency repairs
  

• Mobile phone

• Power bank

• Headlamp
  

• Sunscreen

• Toothbrush + toothpaste

• Toilet paper

• Blister plasters

• Disinfectant

• Plasters

• Loperamide (for diarrhea)

• Paracetamol (pain relief)
  

• Underwear

• Hiking shoes

• Hiking socks

• Hiking leggings/pants

• Sweater

• Thermal shirt

• T-shirts

• Water and windproof jacket

• Cap

• Beanie

• Buff (neck warmer)

• Gloves (preferably waterproof with bad weather forecast)

• Sunglasses

• Quick-dry towel

• Wash bag

Recently, the rule has been implemented that you can no longer cook outside designated areas on fire or a gas burner, which also changes the packing list for food slightly. We were not aware of this in advance and had planned for noodles for lunch. As a result, we had to redistribute the food we brought and, for example, cooked pasta meals in the morning to eat during lunch on the trail.

Since we had our camper in the parking lot, we were also able to prepare some fresh meals with lots of vegetables, so we could consume nutritious meals during the first days.

Food and Drink Packing List

Breakfast

Every day - Oatmeal thickened on the stove with water and powdered milk + nut mix and cinnamon (We had all portions measured and brought in small Tupperwares)

Lunch

Day 1 & 2 - Fresh bread with peanut butter

Day 3 & 4 - Wraps with peanut butter and dried banana

Day 5 & 6 - Pasta with tomato sauce and tuna

Day 7 we walked back to the bus and still had some wraps left

Dinner

Day 1 & 2 - Pre-made fried rice with lots of vegetables (if you're not able to make something in advance, the following is a good option: couscous with salami, corn, and chickpea)

Day 3 & 6 - Noodles & Instant soup

Day 4 & 5 - Pasta with tomato sauce and tuna (also prepared for the next day's lunch)

Extras

8 tea bags

Jar of instant coffee

Powdered lemonade

8 muesli bars

4 cup soups

Bag of salted peanuts

2 chocolate bars

Above, you find the lists that we consider the best preparation, but of course, there is a lot of room for personal preferences and preparation. After many multi-day hikes, we have discovered that this is the ideal balance for us between taking enough food, not being too heavily packed, and still saving costs. We also met hikers who relied on powdered food or solely on Snickers. Others had freeze-dried meals for every meal. This is, of course, ideal but much more expensive.

---

Costs

As you may have noticed, you can make the treks through Torres del Paine as expensive as you wish. Organized tours can be booked from €1,200 for the W-trek and €1,800 for the O-trek. If you choose to arrange everything yourself and bring everything with you, like we did, you will spend significantly less. However, if you opt for a combination of self-sufficiency and extra luxury, such as purchasing food and a more comfortable sleeping place, additional costs will be added on top of our expenses. Additionally, we saved two nights because we were parked with our camper van at the entrance. Below is an overview of our costs:

Entrance park: €50 per person

Campings Las Torres: €70 for Serón and Los Cuernos for a double spot with your own tent

Campings Vertice: €22 for Dickson, Perros, Grey for a double spot with your own tent

Campings Vertice: €24 for Paine Grande for a double spot with your own tent

Food and drinks: +/- €150 for two people

Total: €240 per person

---

Tips for Traveling with Your Own Vehicle

If you're traveling with your own vehicle, there are two tips we'd like to share!

On the way to Torres del Paine, you'll pass by the Mylodon Cave. This is a prehistoric species that went extinct there, and its remains have been found. We found this a fun and educational stop on the way to Torres del Paine. Click here for more information and current ticket prices.

Another tip we can offer concerns the way you enter the park. We chose to enter the park through the southern entrance (Serrano). This is the unpaved, longer route, but it offers beautiful views of the mountain landscapes and lakes of Torres del Paine. Along the way, you'll come across various viewpoints where you can stop and enjoy the unique park. For the return trip, you can drive back via the other side (Lago Sarmiento). This is the fastest route and also paved.

---

Organized Tours

If you'd like to visit Torres del Paine National Park but have limited time or don't want to arrange everything yourself, there are various options. Several tour operators offer both day trips and the full O-Trek in groups with a guide.

The tour organization Las Torres, which several campsites are affiliated with, offers both the W-Trek and the O-Trek with a guide. Click here to go directly to their page for an overview of the different tours.

For day trips, you can look on GetYourGuide through this link. They offer various day trips, for example, to the Torres Towers or a day trip along the different viewpoints in the park.

---

This was our blog about Torres del Paine National Park in Chile. If you have questions about the different campsites, the trails, or the park as a whole, feel free to send us a message in the chat!