INDEPENDENT PAINE O CIRCUIT

At 6:45 AM, we will depart from the Puerto Natales Bus Terminal directly to Torres del Paine National Park. Upon arriving at Laguna Amarga, the main entrance to the park, you will present your park entry QR code, which is included in your program. Then, you will board a shuttle heading to your refuge (Las Torres Sector).

Here, you will leave your backpack at your accommodation and have lunch before embarking on the first highlight of the Big Circuit Trek: the hike to the Torres viewpoint. At the top, you will be rewarded with the breathtaking view of the Towers. At this viewpoint, 900 meters (2953 feet) above sea level, the three granite towers dramatically rise from the rocky landscape, while a bluish-green lagoon at their base provides a serene contrast. After resting and enjoying the spot, we will begin our descent back to Las Torres. Once we arrive, we will have dinner and spend the first night.

This day begins with a delicious breakfast at the refuge, before embarking on the journey through an ancient beech forest. Today’s hike is 9 km (5.6 miles), the easiest part of the circuit, and takes you along a well-marked trail with a gentle incline. Along the way, you’ll be accompanied by an exceptional view of Cerro Paine Chico.

Depending on the season, on the third day, we will be able to observe the floral beauty of the park, such as orchids, calceolarias, violets, and oxalis in bloom. Surrounding Lake Paine, we will encounter several breathtaking mountain views, such as Mount Escudo and Mount Cabeza del Indio (where the profile of an indigenous person is seen carved into the rocks). Additionally, we will have the opportunity to see the curved summit of Mount Cubo, as well as Lake Dickson (one of the boundary glaciers between Argentina and Chile).

Today is a day to please the senses, filled with beautiful views and textures. We will walk through ancient beech forests, travel along winding paths, and follow the Los Perros River. Mountains, waterfalls, and lush vegetation will always be nearby as our trail crosses the river via a hanging bridge, reaching the base of our second terminal moraine. A final half-hour walk will take us to today’s destination, the Los Perros Campsite.

This is the most exhausting day of the Paine Circuit, with demanding trails and varying weather conditions. Of course, your effort will be more than rewarded with some of the most breathtaking landscapes of Torres del Paine, experienced by very few visitors to Torres del Paine. We will ascend to the John Garner Pass at 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) above sea level. The famous Patagonian winds are strong, and the views of Grey Glacier and the still unexplored peaks of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field are stunning.

The trail now takes us along the glacier, ascending and descending through forests of fallen trees and beneath the towering, almost muscular granite walls of the Olguín Cordillera. As we approach Grey Glacier, we may witness an icefall o calving (where chunks of ice break off from the edge of a glacier).

On this second-to-last day, you can choose from various activities. We will walk to the Grey Glacier viewpoint to observe calving from the massive walls; you can complement this with a walk on the ice using crampons; or kayak on Grey Lake, paddling around the icebergs and in front of the glacier. Later, we will have lunch at the refuge and take a walk to Lake Pehoe. (The ice hike and kayak expedition have an additional cost; advance reservation is required; please contact our travel specialists).

We end this journey with the Francés Valley, a spectacular natural basin surrounded by peaks and hanging glaciers. This is a round-trip hike, which we will begin by walking around Paine Grande. At the suspension bridge over the Francés River, you can see the impressive hanging glacier that overlooks the valley. From here, we will walk for another hour to the viewpoint (the “mesa”), where we will have lunch surrounded by these imposing peaks and open skies. Our return hike is along the same path, and the catamaran will take us back across Lake Pehoé to meet our transfer that will take us safely back to Puerto Natales.