Itinerary Details
MT Sobek: Chile Patagonia Torres del Paine O Circuit Trek
Day 1 Arrive in Puerto Natales
20-minute private van transfer
Arrive in Puerto Natales, where you will be met at Teniente Julio Gallardo Airport and transferred to your hotel. Depending on when you arrive, you may want to stroll along the waterfront, keeping an eye out for the cormorants that frequent the wooden dock posts on Seno Ultima Esperanza (Last Hope Sound). Meet up with the group and your guides for an early evening welcome dinner and discussion of your O Circuit adventure!
Accommodation: Remota Patagonia Lodge
(D)
Day 2 Travel to Torres del Paine
2-hour private van transfer
4-5 hours/up to 9 miles hiking with 1,312' elevation gain (may be shorter depending on weather)
Spot guanacos on golden plains under wide-open skies as you travel toward Torres del Paine National Park. Head out on your first hike, a hidden gem and an excellent introduction to the park. Begin at a classic estancia (cattle ranch) and wind along jewel-toned lagoons and through lenga and coigue forests, watching for wildlife and birds. Climb until the trail opens to gorgeous 360-degree views across glacial waterways with snow-dusted peaks in the distance. Back at the hotel, pack your daypack plus a provided 15L stuff sack for the trek—the rest of your luggage will be secured at the hotel until your return.
Accommodation: Hotel Las Torres
(B, L, D)
Day 3 Begin O Circuit & Hike to Seron Camp
4-5 hours/9 miles hiking with 1,083' elevation gain and 1,742' elevation loss
Departing from Las Torres trailhead, begin your epic trek circumnavigating the Paine Massif, which towers above you as you hit the trail. Ascend gradually through grasslands and lenga forests, where sightings of guanacos and birdlife are common. As you travel further into "the backside" of the massif, the windswept landscape grows wilder, and the trail opens onto sweeping views of the Paine River zigzagging across the valley floor. Cross wooden footbridges and walk through rippling grasses and wildflowers as you descend. Reaching the riverbank, you can see its milky green glacier-fed water up close. Continue the last stretch to Seron Camp, the first leg of your O Circuit journey completed.
Accommodation: Camp Seron
(B, L, D)
Day 4 Enjoy Epic Patagonian Views on the Trail to Lake Dickson
6-8 hours/11.5 miles hiking with 1,175' elevation gain and 978' elevation loss
Journey deeper into Torres del Paine, reaching the remote northern section of the park and some of its most beautiful scenery. Hike through wildflower meadows and rolling hills, hugging the course of the Paine River as the breathtaking Patagonian landscape unfolds. The view of Lake Paine's opal waters against distant peaks is sublime. Climb further and cross marshland boardwalks, catching your first view of Lake Dickson—another showstopper—your camp is visible on a peninsula as Mount Dickson and its glacier soar above.
Accommodation: Refugio Dickson
(B, L, D)
Day 5 Hike to Spectacular Los Perros Glacier
5-6 hours/8 miles hiking with 1,680' elevation gain and 528’ elevation loss
Enter dense beech forest, climbing through its emerald light, colonnaded by mossy trunks, and immersed in fern-covered boulders and berry bushes. The trail rises steadily, revealing glimpses of distant glaciers spilling down toward the valley below. Follow the roaring Los Perros River, its icy waters carving a path through the forest, crisscrossing wooden bridges deep into the wilderness. Emerging onto the moraine, magnificent Los Perros Glacier hangs dramatically from a cliff, its waters surging down to the lake below. Cross the moraine and follow the river to your camp, tucked into an old-growth forest.
Accommodation: Camp Los Perros
(B, L, D)
Day 6 Summit John Garner Pass & Marvel at Grey Glacier
8-10 hours/11 miles hiking with 1,970' elevation gain & 3,940' elevation loss
Get ready for the most challenging climb of the Circuit through some of the most awe-inspiring scenery in Torres del Paine—including a bird's-eye view of phenomenal Grey Glacier and the Southern Patagonia Ice Field! Ascend through the forest over rocky terrain. Above the tree line, traverse loose moraine in the deep saddle of a U-shaped glacial valley with serrated peaks swooping toward the sky on all sides. Follow the undulating contours of the John Garner pass until you reach its summit (4,000') where you are rewarded with an astonishing view over a vast expanse—17 miles long—of luminous blue rippled ice, Grey Glacier. Descend alongside the glacier into the forest, crossing a series of suspension bridges over dramatic river gorges as the opaque aqua-gray surface of Lago Grey and the terminus of the massive glacier come into view. An incredible day on the trail!
Accommodation: Refugio Grey
(B, L, D)
Day 7 Explore Enchanting Grey Glacier & Lago Grey
2 hours/4 miles hiking with minimal elevation gain & loss; optional kayaking or glacier hike at additional cost
After the big effort yesterday, enjoy a low-key rest day or set out for more adventures. Grey Glacier is Torres del Paine's largest, its miles of blue ice abruptly stopping at three sheer faces, each calving otherworldly icebergs into the lake. Stretch your legs on an easy hike with excellent views of Grey Glacier and Lago Grey. The afternoon is free to relax and explore the black pebble shores of the lake on your own. You can choose to kayak amid the floating ice as the glacier's faces tower, or hike on top of its craggy surface. Both options are at extra cost.
Accommodation: Refugio Grey
(B, L, D)
Day 8 Begin the W Trek with a Hike to Paine Grande
4 hours/7.5 miles hiking with 1,200' elevation gain & 1,200' elevation loss
The O Circuit transitions into the W Trek today, beginning with an ascent along the length of stately Lago Grey through a ghostly forest of weathered trunks left by fires a decade ago, then passing under leafy trees that escaped the blaze. Pause to take your last sweeping views of the lake and the magnificent Grey Glacier. Turning inland closer to the flanks of Cerro Paine Grande, wind through rolling terrain studded with large blocks of natural granite and striated rocky cliffs. Descend into the valley with gorgeous views of cerulean Lago Pehoe and the jagged peaks of the massif reaching into the clouds. Your refugio sits on the shores of this stunning lake.
Accommodation: Refugio Paine Grande
(B, L, D)
Day 9 Experience the Astounding French Valley
9-10 hours/12 miles hiking with 2,800' elevation gain & 2,800' elevation loss
Hike into the heart of the Paine Massif for one of the most iconic views in the park—the magnificent French Valley. Begin with spectacular views of turquoise Lago Skottsberg, then start to climb. The trail twists through forest and scrambles over rocks, passing the impressive French Glacier with its thunderous calving, and below the jagged peaks called Cuernos del Paine (horns of Paine), a geological wonder of pale towers capped with dark spires. The view widens expansively with peaks towering all around you in a jaw-dropping cirque at the Mirador Britanico. The 360-degree views are absolutely astonishing here. Return to the base of the valley and hike to remote cabins below the Cuernos, a great spot to see the sunset light up the horn-shaped peaks.
Accommodation: Cabanas de los Cuernos
(B, L, D)
Day 10 Behold the Cuernos del Paine
5 hours/8.5 miles hiking with 1,148' elevation gain & 2,352' elevation loss
Set out along the shores of Lago Nordenskjold, where turquoise waters lap against pebbled shoreline and the cuernos rise in dramatic formation above. The trail rolls gently through forest and open terrain, offering ever-changing perspectives of the massif and its incredible spires. Savor your last look at the cuernos before turning inland to the Ascencio Valley. The landscape shifts into a steeply sloped V-shaped valley with a silvery glacial river barreling along its base. The trail hugs the mountainside with dazzling alpine views as you climb toward your destination, Chileno—a strategic stopping point for tomorrow's early ascent to the iconic Towers!
Accommodation: Camp Chileno
(B, L, D)
Day 11 Catch the Sunrise at the Base of the Torres del Paine
7 hours/10 miles hiking with 2,300' elevation gain & 3,200' elevation loss
Before dawn, set out with headlamps glowing for your final ascent to the Base of the Towers and the grand finale of the O Circuit. Pass through the forest and over rocky moraine, then push upward over switchbacks and boulders, scrambling toward the summit as first light begins to break. Arrive at the edge of a glacial lake just as sunrise ignites the three iconic towers in brilliant color. After soaking in the views, descend back through the valley to the Las Torres trailhead, closing the circle of your circumnavigation of the Paine Massif. Transfer to Puerto Natales, where a celebratory dinner marks the end of your Patagonian adventure.
Accommodation: Remota Patagonia Lodge
(B, L, D)
Day 12 Depart from Puerto Natales
After breakfast, transfer to the airport in Puerto Natales for your onward journey, carrying with you the memories of Patagonia's wild beauty and rewarding days spent on the trail, having now completed the O Circuit.
Accommodation: Remota Patagonia Lodge
(B)
