Considering G Adventures for your W Trek in Patagonia? I recently completed this tour with them and am here to share my experience. Read on for my honest G Adventures W Trek review.
Hiking the famous W Trek in Torres del Paine National Park is a once-in-a-lifetime trip. It also happens to be a bit of a logistical challenge to plan on your own. This is why I booked and embarked on the 6 day W Trek group tour with G Adventures in November 2023.
Prior to booking my trip with G Adventures, I scoured the internet for everything I could find with the intent of hiking this trip on my own. Instead, I discovered numerous reasons why a group tour was the better option for me and my priorities. The logistics of planning and booking each lodge along the route seemed complicated and time-sensitive, transportation was less direct, I didn’t want to carry my food, and I was a solo female who didn’t feel confident in hiking alone. For this bucket list experience, I wanted to make sure I got it right.
I chose to book with G Adventures because they stood out as having one of the best itineraries at one of the most affordable prices. Combined with their adventurous values and other great reviews, it seemed like a great fit. Here is a complete breakdown of my honest evaluation of G Adventures after hiking their W Trek tour in Patagonia.
View the Tour: G Adventures W Trek Tour in Patagonia
My Completely Honest G Adventures W Trek Review
The Booking Process
The booking process for the G Adventures W Trek tour was pretty standard and easy. You pay a “lifetime deposit” when you book it and then 60 days before the trip, pay the rest of the full payment. I really appreciated the lifetime deposit because before booking the W Trek tour, I had actually booked a different trip with them and had to cancel it due to personal reasons. Sure enough, when I booked in with the W trek, I was able to use that previous deposit towards this one.
Another win for G Adventures is that they don’t charge a single supplement. If you aren’t familiar, many tour companies will charge extra when booking as a single traveler. As a solo traveler, this made the trip much more affordable.
One thing to note is that the recommended tips for your guides and CEO are not included in the trip price. This is similar to any other tour operator but the extra cost is good to be aware of in your budgeting.
Preparation and Communication Leading Up to the Trip
In the weeks leading up to the trip, G Adventures sent me a link to a portal where I could upload my passport information, dietary restrictions, and insurance details. It is important to note that they require you to have travel insurance to embark on the trip, although you really should be traveling with that anyway!
Something I really liked about this tour was that under the G Adventures trip details section, they have a ton of resources for preparing for your trek. There are packing lists, recommendations on how to get to Puerto Natales from El Calafate, and even a system that checks the country’s entry requirements.
W Trek Logistics
This was the number one reason I chose to book the G Adventures W Trek tour and I can confidently say that I am so glad I did. All of the planning was taken care of meticulously from the accommodation we stayed in before, during, and after the trek, to the transportation and meals along the way. The only thing I had to think about or plan in advance was getting to/from the meeting points and my own packing preparation.
While getting to skip the logistical challenges of booking the W Trek was super convenient, I was surprised to find that when I appreciated the logistics being handled the most was actually on the trek itself. We arrived at our campsites to tents that were already set up, the guides checked us in at the refugios so we could immediately start relaxing after long hiking days, packed lunches were handed to us every morning, and the guides had us on and off the trails perfectly timed with any trail closures. I was able to completely enjoy the awe of Torres del Paine’s beauty with no worries in the world. These were things that never bothered me when I had to do them on my own, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much enjoyment this added to the trek.
Something else that was fantastic to avoid was the stress of having a heavy backpack. G Adventures provided porters who carried a small bag with a sleeping bag and 2.5kg of extra stuff for us. This significantly reduced the weight and size of my backpack.
W Trek Guides and CEO
All of G Adventure’s trips come with a CEO (Chief Experience Officer) who is your tour leader. They are the number one person that you can to for questions and ensure everything runs smoothly. The CEOs are typically local to the general region – my guide was from the neighbouring country Argentina and had travelled extensively in South America. They are knowledgeable guides whose job is to make sure you have an absolute blast!
Our CEO, Gabi, was so fun to be around, made us feel confident in everything, and truly became part of the group. From what I have seen from other reviews and from the survey we received asking for our feedback on our CEO, this appears to be a common denominator across G Adventure’s trips. They specifically vet their CEOs for these qualities and that was something I really appreciated.
In addition to our CEO, we were also accompanied by two local mountain guides. While the CEO’s job is to make sure the trip goes according to plan, the local guides are there to actually run the trek itself and ensure a safe experience. Similar to our CEO, the guides became part of the group by the end and really enhanced our overall experience. It was also great getting to know some local people.
I will also note that it was great to have a total of 3 leaders for the group, specifically when some hiked faster/slower than others. There were a couple of sections on the trek where we could hike the full portion or a shorter half portion for anyone feeling tired or sore. We were able to split up because of the number of guides.
Accommodation on the G Adventures W Trek Tour
The accommodation on the W trek was exactly what you’d expect. Camping with basic hotel stays the night before and after the trek. Hot showers along the trek were possible but not reliable in any way. However, that doesn’t change with whom you book the trek with. When you book as an individual, you’ll share your room/tent with one other person unless you choose to upgrade to have your own room. Something to note is that 2 nights of camping had to be shared despite any payment for the single room upgrade. I did get really lucky because there were only 2 other single females on the trip who paid for the upgrade, so without paying for it myself I automatically got 3 nights of private rooms!
One thing I will say is that if you are a bigger/taller person, sharing the tent with a stranger might get a little cozy. Two of the tents were on the smaller side and if you have issues with personal space this is something to consider.
While the accommodation was as you’d expect, there was one night that had some wow factor. We actually got to stay at a private campsite located a short drive away from the park entrance on the first camping night. It had a gorgeous view of the towers over a sparkling blue lake. The campsite was stunning and there were even roaming horses in the field nearby. This was a huge bonus and was definitely my favourite night of the whole trip.
Food on the G Adventures W Trek Tour
The food completely shocked me on this trip! I have done organized group hikes in the past and typically the food you can expect is super basic. So, going into the W Trek I was expecting cold cut on bread type lunches. However, the food was amazing. The packed lunches featured high-quality meats and cheeses with fresh bread for most of the days. They also always came with a protein bar, trail mix, fruit, and a sweet treat. The dinners were delicious as well. Lunch on the fourth day was a little more basic, but that’s probably because I had been spoiled so much the previous days!
In the packing list, G Adventure recommends bringing your own snacks, but I actually ended up carrying mine back out. The food provided was plenty for me.
G Adventures Review – The W Trek Itinerary & Hiking Experience
Pre-Trip Meeting:
Puerto Natales is the gateway to Torres del Paine’s W Trek. This is where you’ll spend the first night of the trip and grab any last-minute supplies. When you arrive, there is a welcome meeting to get acquainted with your guides, the group, and the trip CEO.
I found this meeting to be incredibly helpful with any final details. We were advised on how much cash to bring, the average tip amounts for the porters and guides, the exact weight requirements for the bags being carried by the porters, and more. We got to know everyone and then had the rest of the evening to finish packing and preparing.
The W Trek Route:
The trek itself was an exceptional route that featured all the best highlights of Torres del Paine. Just to clarify, while the tour is a total of 6 days, the actual hiking portion is a 4-day excursion. The G Adventures W trek route goes East to West, starting with the hardest hiking day first on fresh legs. You spend your mornings and afternoons hiking with the group and then have some free time in the evening to relax and do as you wish. The highlights you experience along the way are:
Hike to the Base of Las Torres (The Towers):
A 20 km day with a steep rocky section for the final hour. This day is incredibly rewarding with iconic views and a massive sense of accomplishment.
Lago Nordenskjold
On day two of the 4-day excursion, you’ll see the incredible Lago Nordenskjold. This turquoise lagoon is completely breathtaking and with mountains as the backdrop, you’ll have a hard time believing it’s real.
Hike to the French Valley lookout
On day 3, you’ll hike to the French Valley lookout. This day was by far my favourite, as you get right up close and personal with some incredible mountains. You may even get lucky to witness some avalanches falling over glaciers in the distance.
Paine Grande Mountain
Paine Grande mountain is an imposing view on days 2 – 4 of the trip, however, you get closer to it on day 3. With tiered colouring and a fascinating shape, this mountain is a unique and gorgeous highlight.
Grey Glacier/Grey Lake
On the final day of the W Trek, you’ll hike to a lookout point with views over Grey Lake and the famous Grey Glacier. You’ll see small icebergs floating in the water and have lots of mountain views along the route.
Lake Pehoé
To finish your W trek experience off with a bang, you’ll take a picturesque ferry ride across the stunning Lake Pehoé. This ferry ride offers the best panoramic views of Torres del Paine’s mountains so make sure to have your camera ready.
Safety on the G Adventures W Trek Tour
The W Trek is considered a safe multi-day hike overall. However, accidents do happen anywhere, so having trained mountain guides did add some extra safety assurance. The guides are also accustomed to the changing weather conditions in Torres del Paine, so they can identify risky situations and help avoid incidents altogether. If an emergency evacuation ever became necessary, they would get you help much faster than if you were hiking independently, due to their network of guides. Again, this just added a nice extra safety assurance while enjoying the hike.
Something else that was pretty handy, is that they carry a pretty extensive first aid kit. My knee got pretty sore after the second day, so our guide put some KT tape on for me and it made a huge difference.
The Group Dynamic
G Adventures’ small group tour allows for up to 16 people. If this is not your cup of tea, then I probably wouldn’t join any group trips for the W Trek and would opt to do it independently. Most of the time I prefer to travel independently, but I actually really enjoyed the group dynamic and made some great friends along the way. With how fun and casual the CEO and guides are, it is easy to connect with your fellow group members. Plus you’ll be travelling with like-minded active travellers from all over the world, so it is a great opportunity to meet people.
The CEO did a great job of engaging the group together, starting a WhatsApp group chat in advance of the trek. She also organized and reserved a group dinner for us on our last night after the trek was complete.
G Adventures Review – Sustainable Tourism
One aspect I particularly admire about G Adventures is their unwavering commitment to sustainable tourism. They employ a unique metric called the “ripple score” to assess the extent to which each of their tours uses local businesses, aiming to keep money in the local economy. As a result, G Adventures’ tours intentionally create a positive ripple effect in the communities they travel to.
Alongside their dedication to sustainability, G Adventures has a partner non-profit organization, Planaterra. With a vision to uplift 300 local enterprises by 2030, Planaterra actively seeks out and collaborates with small local businesses. This collaboration not only enriches the travel experience by immersing travelers in authentic cultural encounters but also extends support to these enterprises, such as artisan groups, by exposing tourists to their business offerings.
Overall, it felt nice to travel with a company that has such positive values and takes sustainability so seriously.
Final Thoughts on This G Adventures W Trek Review
Overall, my experience hiking the W Trek with G Adventures far exceeded my expectations. From the seamless logistics and accommodations, to the knowledgeable guides and delicious meals, I felt completely comfortable and cared for throughout the challenging yet rewarding trek. It was also reassuring to know they had our safety in mind at all times. While the group size works for some and not others, I enjoyed meeting new people from around the world along the way. I can confidently say that G Adventures has the route, guides, and operations down to a science. Most importantly, I was able to fully appreciate and immerse myself in the spectacular beauty of Torres del Paine without any worries, leaving me recharged for my following adventures. I would definitely travel with G Adventures again in the future to explore more adventure travel destinations worldwide in good hands.
View the Tour: G Adventures W Trek Tour in 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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