PAINE “O” CIRCUIT

We start at 7:30 AM, when a transfer will pick you up from Puerto Natales and take you to Torres del Paine National Park. From there, the trekking adventure begins, taking you through forests, grasslands, and lagoons. We will ascend a large terminal moraine (a ridge formed at the end of a glacier), where you will be rewarded with a breathtaking view of the Torres. There, we can have lunch before descending to the first campsite.

Depending on the weather, our morning will begin with the orange glow over the Torres. Then, we will start a 9 km (5.6 mi) trek through an ancient beech forest, where we might hear woodpeckers or spot fresh puma tracks. This is the easiest hike of the circuit, following a well-marked trail. Our destination is Camping Serón, where we will set up camp and enjoy a comforting dinner.

Depending on the season, on the third day, we will be able to admire the park’s floral beauty, including orchids, calceolarias, violets, and blooming oxalis. As we hike around Lake Paine, we will be treated to breathtaking mountain views, such as Cerro Escudo and Cerro Cabeza del Indio, where the profile of an indigenous figure appears as if carved into the rocks. Additionally, we will have the chance to see the curved summit of Cerro Cubo and the stunning Lake Dickson, one of the border glaciers between Argentina and Chile.

Today is a day to indulge the senses, filled with beautiful sights and textures. We will walk through ancient beech forests, follow rolling trails, and trek alongside the Los Perros River. Mountains, waterfalls, and lush vegetation will always be close as our path crosses the river via a suspension bridge, leading us to the base of our second terminal moraine. A final 30-minute hike will take us to today’s destination: Camping Los Perros.

This is the most challenging day of the Paine Circuit, with demanding trails and variable weather conditions. However, your effort will be more than rewarded with some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Torres del Paine, experienced by only a few visitors to the park.

We will ascend to John Garner Pass, reaching 1,200 meters (3,937 feet) above sea level, where you’ll feel the strong Patagonian winds and be dazzled by the Grey Glacier and the still-unexplored peaks of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.

The trail then leads us along the glacier, climbing and descending through forests of fallen trees and beneath the towering, almost sculpted granite walls of the Olguín Range. As we approach Grey Glacier, we may even witness an ice calving event.

On this penultimate day, you can choose from several activities. We will hike to the Grey Glacier lookout to witness ice calving from its massive walls. You can also enhance your experience with an ice trek using crampons or a kayaking adventure on Grey Lake, paddling around icebergs and in front of the glacier. Later, we will have lunch at the refuge before hiking to Lake Pehoe. (The ice trek and kayak expedition have an additional cost and require prior reservation. Contact our travel specialists for more details).

We bid farewell to this journey with a visit to the Francés Valley, a spectacular natural basin surrounded by towering peaks and hanging glaciers. This round-trip hike begins with a trek around Paine Grande. At the suspension bridge over the Francés River, you’ll witness the impressive hanging glacier towering over the valley. From there, we’ll hike for another hour to the viewpoint (the “plateau”), where we’ll have lunch surrounded by these majestic peaks and open skies. Our return hike follows the same trail, and a catamaran will take us back across Lake Pehoe, where our transfer will be waiting to safely return us to Puerto Natales.