In this complete guide to experiencing the W Trek with a group tour vs. independent hiking, you’ll find all the pros, cons, and considerations for both options. Plus bonus planning tips to help you decide which is the best for you.
The W Trek in Torres del Paine National Park is an unforgettable adventure filled with stunning scenery and pure physical accomplishment. When planning this multi-day hike, one of the first major decisions is whether to book it as a guided tour or to tackle it independently. I recently completed a 3.5 week trip through Argentina and Chilean Patagonia where I hiked about half of my excursions with guides and the other half on my own. In doing so, I gained a pretty good understanding of the pros and cons of both sides!
In this article, I’ll break down the key factors to weigh when deciding whether to experience the W Trek with a group tour vs. independent hiking. We’ll go over all the logistical challenges to be aware of, what you gain and lose from both options, W trek cost breakdowns for both options, and more.
A Complete Guide to Hiking the W Trek With a Group Tour Vs. Independently
Do You Need a Guide for the W Trek in Patagonia?
The short answer is no. As long as you are traveling within hiking season from October – April you are not required to hike the W Trek with a guide or tour. However, there can be enormous benefits to going with a guided tour that are still important to consider. These factors can depend on your level of experience, whether you’re traveling with others, your priorities as a traveler/outdoor enthusiast, and the time you can dedicate to planning the trip.
How to Choose Between Hiking the W Trek With a Guided Tour Vs. Independently
The decision ultimately comes down to what you weigh importance on for each factor. For example, if budget is most important to you, then that alone might be the reason you choose to hike the W Trek one way or the other. This guide is meant to inform you of all the factors so you can make a decision based on what is most important for you to get out of this experience.
Pro’s of Hiking the W Trek with a Guided Tour
Hiking the W Trek with a guided tour means you simply book the trip, show up, and all the logistics are taken care of for you. Most guided W Treks are booked as a group trip, where you’ll be joined by other active travelers from around the world. However, there are some options for private tours if you’re willing to pay the extra dime. The benefits of hiking the W Trek with a guided tour are…
1. You’ll Save Hours on Planning and Booking the Trek
Planning an independent trekking itinerary for the iconic W circuit presents some logistical challenges. First, you’ll have to research and sort through the optimal refugios to stay at based on your desired daily distances and itinerary. Trekkers can structure their route over varying durations, from 4 days up to a full week. Next comes individually reserving your overnight accommodations, which involves navigating each refugio’s booking platform approximately 6 months in advance. It’s important to note that, especially during high season, prime sites may be fully booked, requiring you to reconfigure your route.
The refugios also offer tiered lodging, such as pitching your own tent in a reserved spot, premium camping that is set up for you, or even indoor shared accommodation. You’ll also have the choice to add on a partial or full board package to lighten the food load you have to carry.
Overall the process requires dedicated hours researching and coordinating reservations and details. By comparison, booking with an experienced tour company streamlines the planning hassle and quite literally saves you hours of precious time. Not to mention, the major cognitive offload of leaving the logistical heavy lifting to the pros so you can focus your energy on meaningful trail moments amid Patagonia’s magic.
2. Your Transportation To/From Torres Del Paine Will Be Taken Care Of
Just like the ease you gain from a professional booking your trek, guided tours of the W trek also include transportation to and from the park. You’ll meet with your group in Puerto Natales, where from then on everything is taken care of logistically. You won’t have to research schedules and book ferry or bus tickets. Getting to and from the park won’t even be on your radar of things to think about. You’ll receive a comfortable direct ride in a smaller vehicle.
3. You Gain the Extra Safety Assurance of Being With a Trained Mountain Guide
The W Trek is considered a safe multi-day hike overall. The trails are easy to follow and there are plenty of others on the trails. However, accidents do happen, so having a trained mountain guide can add some extra safety assurance. Whether an incident occurs or not, this assurance can be valuable to many in itself.
If an accident were to occur, getting help in Torres del Paine is typically slow to arrive. Due to the inability to land helicopters in the park, you’d have to find help and coordinate rescue out of the park yourself. The guide I hiked with on my 4 day W Trek explained that hiking with a guide not only means you’d receive help from them right away but also due to their network of guides in the park, the rescue efforts would occur much quicker.
In addition, the mountain guides are trained for and accustomed to the changing weather conditions in Torres del Paine. They can identify risky situations and potentially help avoid incidents altogether. For example, the high winds in Chilean Patagonia can sometimes escalate to a point where certain portions of the trail become risky. Therefore, trekking with a guide adds further safety assurance that you’ll be well taken care of throughout your adventure.
4. You Will Only Need to Carry a Day Pack
Unless you hire porters yourself, hiking the W trek with a guided group will mean the difference between carrying all of your stuff or not. Many of the guided group trips to Torres del Pain include porters to carry some, if not all, of your belongings for the hike.
On my W Trek trip with G Adventures, we had porters to carry our sleeping bags and an extra 2.5kg of our belongings. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but I only needed to bring a change of clothes and some toiletries. As a result, I only needed to carry the clothing layers and snacks I wanted for the day.
If you were to hike the W trek independently, you could opt for the full board and fully equipped tents/shared rooms to reduce the amount you need to carry. But like paying for the guided trip, that will come with an added expense.
5. You’ll Save Hours on the Pre-Trip Prep
In addition to the logistics of actually planning and booking your excursion, hiking the W Trek will also require some preparation before you depart to ensure you are well-prepared. Hiking with a guided group reduces some of this by assisting in these steps.
For example, G Adventures provided me with packing lists, a guide to the average tipping amounts, and a pre-departure meeting to answer some W Trek FAQs. Also, because almost all the gear we needed for the trek was provided (i.e. tents, food, sleeping bags, etc.), I didn’t have to spend time renting gear, making a meal plan, or doing a full grocery shop.
6. Hiking the W Trek With a Guided Tour is a Great Option for Solo Travellers
This was originally the main motivation for why I chose to hike the W trek with a guided group. If you are traveling alone, a multi-day hike in an unfamiliar country can be pretty daunting. In general, it is often not recommended to hike alone. Plus, being a female added some extra concerns.
In hindsight, hiking the W trek solo might not have been so bad, but you never know how you’ll feel before you actually arrive. Therefore, booking your W Trek with a tour group is a great idea for solo travelers and can add a lot of reassurance.
7. You Won’t Have to Worry About the Details On the Trail
There are small details along the way that are offloaded from your mind when hiking the W trek with a guided trip. Certain trails close at specific times (like to the base of the towers), there are ferry times to be aware of, navigation on the trails, checking in to the refugios, and more. All of this gets taken care of by your guides.
When we’d arrive at our campsite for the night, we could sit back and relax after a hard day of hiking because our guides took care of the check-in process and showed us to our tents. These small conveniences can add up. You’ll truly be able to kick back and soak in every minute of the trek completely stress-free.
8. You Could Meet Some New Friends and Enjoy the Group Dynamic
Hiking the W trek with other like-minded active individuals from all over the world is a great opportunity. One of my favourite parts of traveling is making connections with fellow travelers and having new friends to visit across the globe. You might end up really connecting with the people you meet in your group and that could add to your overall experience even more!
9. You’ll Have a Better Chance of Booking Your Trek Closer To
If you are hiking in and around peak season, you’ll need to reserve your spot early. Booking the trek on your own requires you to do so as soon as the websites open bookings about 6 months in advance. There is a larger demand than the park can supply, so accommodation fills up fast.
While this remains somewhat true for the guided W trek experiences, there is often a little more leniency than booking it on your own. The different tour operators will often book the accommodation in advance of filling their tour reservations to hold their spots.
While I don’t recommend taking a chance if you don’t have to, if you are already within that 6 month window before your trip, then you’ll have a much better chance of finding a tour with spots available than directly booking campsites.
10. Your Local Guide Will Have Expert Knowledge on Torres del Paine For Your Interest
One of the best parts of having guides with you on the W trek in Torres del Paine, is that they will have tons of knowledge to share with you as you go! You can learn more about the natural landscape, the history of events in the park, the local wildlife, and more. My group had tons of questions about what we were seeing and experiencing and the guides were enthusiastic in answering all of them. This can enhance the overall experience of the hike.
Pro’s of Hiking the W Trek Independently
If you choose to hike the W trek independently, you’ll be taking care of all the details on your own. There are a ton of great reasons why this might be the option for you.
1. Hiking the W Trek Independently Can Be A Lot More Budget Friendly
For many who choose to hike the W trek independently, this is the number one reason to do so. At its cheapest, hiking the W Trek without a guide can save you thousands of dollars and end up being quite affordable.
There are tiered costs associated with hiking the W Trek independently. The cheapest tier would equate to you carrying all your own gear, such as a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, food, cook stove, and whatever else you need for a multi-day hike. You’ll pay for the cheapest campsites available, pitch your own tent, and cook your own food.
There are then several upgrade options to make the trip easier for yourself, from paying for meals at the refugios to lighten your food load, to opting for a full board meal plan with a bunk bed in the refugio or a premium camping set up with everything included. The most expensive options basically mean you can hike the W trek without having to carry everything yourself and not having to do the tent set up every time you arrive at camp for the evening. I go into a full cost breakdown and comparison for the W trek below.
2. You Can Gain a Sense of Self-Reliance and Achievement
For many, hiking the W Trek independently comes with a sense of self-reliance that enhances their entire experience. By carrying all of your own food and gear, navigating transportation arrangements, and route planning alone, you could develop confidence in your abilities and resilience. Upon completion, you will feel empowered by having traced the W Circuit under your own guidance. Dealing with logistics solely through your own initiative helps foster valuable problem-solving skills. Overall, trekking the iconic W trek independently can provide a tremendous feeling of achievement from accomplishing such a feat entirely by your own hand.
3. You Can Set Your Own Pace
While there are numerous tour options that allow you to choose the ideal itinerary for you (including the number of days and kilometers for each one), your day-to-day pace is what I’m getting at here. When hiking with a group, you usually need to stick somewhat close together and the pace at which you hike could be affected by the rest of the group.
Hiking the W trek independently, you’ll be able to hike at the pace you like, stop when you want to, and avoid any pressure to speed up or slow down for others.
4. You Won’t Have to Hike With Other People
By hiking the W trek independently, you’ll avoid hiking in a group setting. Many people enjoy hiking in pairs or smaller groups to feel more immersed in the trail without being surrounded by other people. In addition, you won’t have to hike alongside or socialize with strangers, giving you more flexibility for solo reflection or simply relaxing quietly in nature.
5. You Can Tailor The W Trek to See and Do Exactly What You Want
While the number of tour operators makes it pretty doable to find a W Trek itinerary that fits your preferences, there are always exceptions. Independent trekkers have the flexibility to customize their itinerary for non-standard pacing or to include additional activities.
For instance, you may wish to extend your time at Refugio Grey to embrace the optional side excursions like kayaking Lago Grey’s waters or exploring Grey Glacier up close with ice trekking. The self-guided approach permits indulging in these extra experiences and allows you to experience the W trek exactly as you want.
A Third Alternative to Hiking the W Trek – Self-Guided Tours
If you are still not sure about experiencing the W trek with a group tour vs. independent hiking, then there is one more option that might pique your interest: Booking a self-guided W Trek.
Booking a self-guided tour means that a tour company will take care of the itinerary, accommodation, food bookings, and transportation to/from the park. However, you will be hiking without any guides or porters. These tours are great options if you want some of the convenience and ease of a guided tour with some of the benefits of hiking independently. I’ll break down the costs for this tour option in comparison with the other options below!
Cost of Hiking the W Trek With a Guided Tour
The cost of hiking the W Trek with a guided tour can vary depending on the tour company you choose. Here is a breakdown of the range of average tour costs, as well as any additional fees to consider. For comparison purposes, I will be basing this off of 4 day treks and providing some examples below:
- G Adventures 4 Day Trek | Approximately $2,600 USD per person
This trek includes 6 days total (including accommodation for 2 nights on either side of the W Trek and breakfast). You join a guided group tour of 12 – 16 people. There are no extra single occupancy fees. All of your meals, transportation, and park entrance fees are included for the 4 day trek. You’ll also have multiple mountain guides, porters, and extra bonuses like a night at a dreamy private campsite.
- Swoop Patagonia 4 Day Trek | Starting at $1,995 USD per person for groups of 4 – 8, $2,295 USD for groups of 3, and $2595 for groups of 2
This tour includes all your meals and accommodation for the trek, entrance to the park, and transportation.
Extra Costs For Hiking the W Trek With a Guided Group:
With guided trips for the W trek, pretty much everything is included. However, one extra cost you will experience with a guided trip is tipping. In Chile, tipping your guides, porters, and servers is expected, although not required. The recommended tips we received for the 4 days of hiking the W trek were:
- Guides: $40 USD/35000 CLP total for the 2 guides for the whole trek
- Porters: $20 USD/18000 CLP for the porters for the whole trek
- 10% at restaurants *
* You don’t need to tip the servers when your food is provided, this more applies to any restaurants you visit before and after the trek begins
Cost of Hiking the W Trek Independently
Here is a complete list of all the costs to hike the W trek without a guide in USD and CLP:
Torres Del Paine Entrance Fee: $49 for 4+ days
Transportation To/From Torres Del Paine: About $25 (22,000 CLP) + $6 (5000 CLP) to take the minibus transfer to the Welcome Centre from the Laguna Amarga entrance
Lake Pehoe Ferry: About $30 (25,000 CLP)
Accommodation
If you are pitching your own tent:
- Central, Los Cuernos, Chileno, and Frances for 2 people: $25 each + an additional $12 for single occupancy
- Paine Grande for 2 people: $9 – $13 each
- Grey for 2 people: $9 – $13 each
If you are booking premium tents (permanent canvas tents with mattress floors and sleeping bags included or a regular tent set up for you with a sleeping pad):
- Central, Los Cuernos, Chileno, and Frances for 2 people: $70 each + an additional $12 for single occupancy
- Paine Grande and Grey for 2 people: $60 each + an additional $16 single occupancy
If you are booking a bed in one of the refugio’s shared rooms:
- Central, Los Cuernos, Chileno, and Frances: $125 each
- Paine Grande: $59 each without bedding or $92 each with bedding
- Grey: $40 each without bedding, $92 each with bedding
Food
Similar to accommodation on the W trek, you’ll have tiered options for food. You’ll have the choice between full board, half board, and bringing your own food.
- Full board at Central per person: $88
- Full board at Los Cuernos per person: $100
- Full board at Paine Grande per person: $61
- Full board at Grey: $61
If you purchase your own groceries, the costs will be dependent on personal eating habits. However, the average estimated food budget per person per day is about $20.
Rental Gear
If you book the cheapest accommodation options, you’ll need to bring all the camping gear with you. You can rent camping gear in Puerto Natales and these are the average prices:
- Tent 2 person: $7/day – 4,500 CLP
- Cooking set (including cutlery and bowls): $5/day – 3,500 CLP
- Sleeping pad: $3/day – 1,500 CLP
- Sleeping bag: $6/day – 4000 CLP
You can rent other items such as a hiking backpack, rain jacket, trekking poles, headlamps, and even a pair of hiking boots.
Cost of Hiking the W Trek With a Self-Guided Tour
To examine the costs of a self-guided W Trek experience, we’ll look at the 4 day trek with Howlanders. They offer self-guided tours starting at $950 with accommodation in premium tents and food included. They also have the option to add a porter for an additional $1,325.
The W Trek With a Group Tour Vs. Independent Hiking Cost Comparison
Doing the math for you, the cost of hiking the W Trek independently for 4 days can cost you anywhere between $313 (based on traveling with one other person and renting/carrying all your own gear) – $700 (staying in the refugios with full board). You’ll also need to pay for a hotel/hostel/airbnb stay in Puerto Natales on either end of the trek for as low as about $50 per person.
Alternatively, the W Trek with G Adventures costs $2,600. But keep in mind that you are also paying for expert guides, porters to carry your belongings, the hours you save on research, booking, and logistics, plus extra perks.
Hiking the W Trek With G Adventures
If you are considering a guided tour for your W Trek experience, I cannot recommend G Adventures enough. Having recently completed their 4-day W trek itinerary (6 days total with hotel stays on either end), it far surpassed expectations from beginning to end. This once-in-a-lifetime trek through Torres del Paine was elevated by G Adventures removing all logistical concerns from my plate and allowing for complete immersion in the stunning landscapes. I was incredibly busy leading up to the trip and wasn’t able to dedicate much time to preparation, yet G Adventures took care of everything so seamlessly that I really didn’t have anything to worry about.
Their trusted local guides have trekked these trails for years and were excited to share their knowledge to take our appreciation of the park to the next level. Our guides were so authentic and fun to be around that they felt more like part of the group by the end of the trek – they even came out to a group dinner after the trek concluded!
We also had the privilege of staying in a stunning private campsite, where views of the towers loomed over a sparkling lake with horses grazing in the nearby fields. The delicious meals also surpassed my expectations.
Overall, my experience hiking the W Trek with G Adventures was one of complete ease, adventure, and awe around every corner. Trust me on this one, this is an investment worth making for the memories that will last a lifetime. I truly believe they are the best option for booking your W Trek experience with a guided group.
Check out the G Adventures W Trek here!
How to Book Your W Trek Independently – A Step-by-Step Guide
If you are considering the independent option, here is a quick guide to everything you need to plan and book for a successful trip.
1. Research and Plan Your W Trek Itinerary
You’ll need to research and plan how many days you want to spend on the trail, the hiking distances for each day, the direction, and which refugios you’ll stay at each night. Here are two great resources to help you in your planning:
36 Things You Need to Know Before Hiking the W Trek in Patagonia
The Best 4 Day W Trek Itinerary – A Complete Day-By-Day Breakdown
2. Budget Your W Trek and Decide on Levels of Comfort
After determining your W Trek itinerary, you’ll want to decide on your budget for the trek and what tiers of accommodation and food you are going to book. The biggest factors to consider are how much weight you want to carry (which also relates to how much you’ll need to train in advance of the trek), how comfortable you want to be on the trek, and if you want to cook after long hiking days.
3. Book Your Accommodation 6 Months in Advance
The refugios along the W trek are run by Vertice Patagonia and Fantastico Sur. You’ll need to go on and book your sites individually on their websites. There is also a hotel in the park called Hotel Las Torres, located in Central Sector if you are willing to spend the extra money.
- The refugios/camping run by Vertice Patagonia – Refugio Grey and Refugio Paine Grande
- The refugios/camping run by Fantastico Sur – Central Sector, Refugio Los Cuernos, Refugio Chileno, and Refugio Frances
- Hotel Las Torres
4. Do More Research Leading Up to The Trip to Be Prepared
Leading up to your trip, it is important to do some research and make sure you are prepared for the trek. You’ll want to ensure you are packing everything you need and also inform yourself of any logistics to be aware of on the trail. For example, the last portion leading up to Mirador Torres (the base of the towers) closes at 3 pm. We encountered a couple of independent hikers who were not aware of that and had to turn back. You’ll also want to be aware of how equipped the refugios are, how to arrange transportation, and the specific rules to follow in Torres del Paine. You can find all that info here.
5. Rent Your Gear
When you arrive in Puerto Natales, you’ll find numerous rental gear shops to get equipped for your adventure in Torres del Paine. Whatever gear you were not able to bring with you, you can find at these shops. From tents, sleeping bags, and cookstoves, to trekking poles and even hiking boots.
If you need to rent overnight gear for camping, it is often recommended to reserve this in advance of your trip. Especially during peak season, there is a possibility of the shops running out of supply.
I rented trekking poles from Rental Natales and had a great experience. The gear was in good condition and the overall process was easy and seamless.
6. Pay Your Park Entrance in Advance Online
There is a park fee of $49 USD for 4+ days in Torres Del Paine. You’ll need to pay for this in advance on their website: https://www.aspticket.cl/
When you arrive at one of the park’s entrances, you will need to check in and provide your entrance tickets as proof of payment.
7. Arrange Transportation To/From the Park
Hiking the W Trek independently will require you to arrange transportation to and from Torres del Paine. The drive to the park from Puerto Natales is approximately 2 hours. The most popular way to get to and from without a guide is to take the bus. There are numerous bus companies that leave at various times throughout the day starting at 6:45 am with the last bus departing the park around 7 pm in the high season.
Bus tickets cost about $25 round trip and can be booked online, at your accommodation, or directly at the bus station. Due to the number of buses that run to the park everyday, it is usually perfectly fine to buy your ticket at the station.
Final Thoughts on Hiking the W Trek With a Group Tour Vs. Independently
Both guided group tours and independent hiking of the W Trek in Torres del Paine offer unique strengths and experiences. Guided tours provide maximum comfort and assistance from expert local logistical handling and guiding. This allows hikers to relax into the experience and take in everything around you completely stress-free. However, independent trekking cultivates self-reliance, flexibility over pacing and activities, and greater solitude on the hike. With adequate planning, independent trekkers can enjoy memorable adventures tailored exactly to their interests and schedules. Ultimately, the best approach depends on your individual priorities for organization, socialization, and the levels of comfort or challenge you seek. Both options will bring you incredible encounters with Torres del Paine’s raw natural beauty. Whether with the support of a group or alone, the W Trek promises to be an iconic highlight of any visit to Chilean Patagonia.
* Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I receive a commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through a link. I only recommend products and companies that I use. Thanks for the support!
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