Private Journey

PatagoniaThe W Trek in Torres del Paine

A private journey through Chilean Patagonia built around the full W Trek in Torres del Paine, with four nights inside the park, no camping at any point, and every day shaped around you.

7 Days6 NightsPrivate & Bespoke
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The Journey

Seven days, shaped entirely around you

01

The full W Trek

Walk all three arms of the W in Torres del Paine, 49.7 miles and 8,956 feet of climbing, at whatever pace suits your party.

02

Four nights inside the park

Tierra Patagonia is your base for four nights. You are driven to and from every trailhead, so there is no camping and no gear to carry.

03

Entirely your own

Private guides, private vehicles and your own dates. Swap any trekking day for horseback riding, wildlife tracking or the spa.

Day by Day

Seven days through Chilean Patagonia

Day 1

Arrive in Santiago

Land in Chile’s capital and settle in before the trekking begins. Your private driver meets you at the airport and takes you to The Singular, Santiago, in the heart of the cultural and historical district. The evening is yours for a traditional Chilean dinner and a first glass of Carmenere.

Trail Notes
A private airport transfer and a gentle first day on foot in Santiago.
Stay
The Singular, Santiago
Good to Know
Fly into Santiago (SCL) on or before this day. Extra nights in the city are easy to add.
Private trip: this day flexes to your pace
Day 2

Fly South to Patagonia

A flight of about three hours carries you south to Puerto Natales, the gateway to Torres del Paine, followed by a private transfer of about ninety minutes to your home for the next four nights. Settle in to Tierra Patagonia’s award winning architecture, built low into the landscape with the massif filling the windows.

Trail Notes
Flight to Puerto Natales, then a private transfer into the national park.
Stay
Tierra Patagonia
Good to Know
Spa treatments are available by advance reservation, availability is limited.
Private trip: this day flexes to your pace
Day 3

Mirador Base Las Torres

The eastern arm of the W, and the classic view in Patagonia: three granite towers rising above a glacial lake. It is a steep, sustained climb, and your private guide sets the pace and turns the day around your party rather than a group timetable.

Trail Notes
Steep eastern arm of the W Trek, with alternatives available all day.
Stay
Tierra Patagonia
Good to Know
Prefer a different pace? Swap the climb for horseback riding across an estancia or a wildlife excursion.
Private trip: this day flexes to your pace
Day 4

French Valley to Paine Grande

The central arm of the W and the biggest day on foot, weaving up the French Valley to Mirador Britanico and across to Paine Grande before the catamaran. It is close to twenty four miles at full length, and the route can be shortened to match your party.

Trail Notes
Full day trek, close to 24 miles at full length, moderate to challenging.
Stay
Tierra Patagonia
Good to Know
The itinerary can be modified to your pace and interests, including a shorter turnaround in the valley.
Private trip: this day flexes to your pace
Day 5

Grey Glacier Bridges

The western arm of the W, and the most manageable of the three trekking days. The morning begins with a scenic drive to Hotel Lago Grey for coffee, then a catamaran crossing to Sector Grey and a rewarding trail out to the suspension bridges above the glacier.

Trail Notes
Western arm of the W Trek, including the catamaran crossing to Sector Grey.
Stay
Tierra Patagonia
Good to Know
The gentlest of the trekking days, and the one with the most time on the water.
Private trip: this day flexes to your pace
Day 6

Transition to The Singular Patagonia

It is always hard to leave Tierra Patagonia, but the move is softened by a night at The Singular Patagonia on the Señoret Channel, once Latin America’s largest cold storage plant and now a National Monument with a museum inside the hotel. Spend the afternoon in the spa and the evening at another fabulous table.

Trail Notes
A rest day and a private transfer between properties.
Stay
The Singular Patagonia
Good to Know
Spa treatments are available by advance reservation, availability is limited.
Private trip: this day flexes to your pace
Day 7

Farewell from Puerto Natales

Your journey closes with a private transfer and the flight back to Santiago for your onward connection, or the start of an extension deeper into Chile or across the border into Argentina.

Trail Notes
Private transfer and flight from Puerto Natales back to Santiago.
Stay
Departure day
Good to Know
Extend privately to the Atacama Desert, El Calafate and El Chaltén, or Mendoza and Buenos Aires.
Private trip: this day flexes to your pace
Where You Stay

Three properties, city to the end of the road

Your journey opens at The Singular Santiago, in the heart of the city’s cultural and historical district, where classical European design meets modern comfort and the Andes sit on the skyline.

Tierra Patagonia is home for four nights, built low into the landscape at the edge of Torres del Paine, with panoramic dining, an open air whirlpool looking out at the massif and every meal included.

The last night is spent at The Singular Patagonia on the Señoret Channel, a National Monument that now houses a museum, a celebrated spa and one of the best tables in Chilean Patagonia.

Photos

Patagonia in pictures

Autumn colour, glacier ice and the wildlife of Torres del Paine, in a handful of frames from the trail.

Los Cuernos mirrored in a still lagoon
An autumn cascade on the climb to the towers
Pumas are regularly seen in the park
Golden lenga forest on the trail to Base Torres
Guanacos on the steppe outside the park
Grey Glacier, at the western end of the W
Extensions

Extend your private journey

Chile and Argentina pack an extraordinary range of landscapes into a single trip, and most guests add days on one side of the W Trek or the other. Because this is a private journey, every extension is built straight into your itinerary.

Atacama Desert

The driest non polar desert on earth, and the sharpest possible contrast with Patagonia. Salt flats, shimmering lagoons, geysers, the Valley of the Moon and some of the clearest night skies anywhere.

8 Day Private Atacama Itinerary

El Calafate and El Chaltén

Cross into Argentina for ice trekking on the Perito Moreno Glacier and a stay on a Patagonian estancia, then continue to El Chaltén and walk beneath the spires of Mount Fitz Roy.

14 Day Chilean and Argentine Patagonia

Mendoza and Buenos Aires

March and April are peak harvest in Mendoza. Taste high altitude Malbec in Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, then finish in Buenos Aires for tango, steak and San Telmo.

Mendoza and Buenos Aires Extension

Patagonia and Atacama

Twelve days linking Torres del Paine with the Atacama Desert, two of the planet’s most extraordinary and contrasting landscapes inside one country.

Patagonia and Atacama Itinerary

Tierra del Fuego and the Lake District

Begin in Ushuaia, the southernmost city on earth, for Tierra del Fuego National Park and the Beagle Channel. Or head north to the lakes and volcanoes around Bariloche and Puerto Varas.

Design a Custom Extension

Valdes Peninsula

A UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Atlantic coast and the finest marine wildlife stop in Argentina, with whales, sea lions, elephant seals and orcas.

Design a Custom Extension

What is included

  • Six nights across The Singular Santiago, Tierra Patagonia and The Singular Patagonia
  • Round trip flights between Santiago and Puerto Natales
  • Private transfers throughout, including to and from every trailhead
  • All meals and drinks from breakfast on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 7
  • Expert local guides with your party throughout Patagonia
  • National park permits and entrance fees
  • Alternative excursions on every trekking day, from horseback riding to wildlife observation

What is not included

  • International flights into and out of Santiago (SCL). As a private trip your dates are entirely flexible.
  • Travel insurance, which we ask every traveller to arrange
  • Spa treatments, personal spending and gratuities
  • Optional extensions and experiences added to your bespoke itinerary

Good to know before you go

Fitness
The full W covers 49.7 miles and 8,956 feet of climbing across three trekking days. A good level of fitness helps, and every day has a gentler alternative.
No camping
Unlike most W Trek itineraries there is no camping and no gear to carry. You are based at Tierra Patagonia for four nights and driven to and from each trailhead.
Flexibility
Every day can be adjusted in pace, activity or order. Two people travelling together can take different excursions and meet again in the evening.
Getting there
You fly into Santiago and the journey begins with a night in the city, so there is no tight connection to worry about. We arrange the flights south, the transfers and any extra nights around whichever international routing suits you best.
When to travel
The Patagonian season runs October to April. Our favorite windows are March and April, when autumn colour sweeps the lenga forest and the trails quieten, and November and December, when the days are at their longest.
Food and drink
The very best of Chilean cuisine, with produce sourced from nearby estancias. All meals and drinks are included throughout.
Reviews

What our guests say about Patagonia

★★★★★
I’ve wanted to hike the W Trek and visit Torres del Paine for the last 10 years. When I learned about Gritara - I couldn’t say yes fast enough and even convinced my husband, who was new to this type of travel and adventure - to come along.
Elena S. · Google Review
★★★★★
Just hiked the W Trail in Patagonia with Gritara. Luxury accommodations, incredible guides, all details handled by Rob! All we had to do was show up & hike 45 miles!
Noah P. · Google Review
★★★★★
The trip to Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile was phenomenal in so many ways. The accommodations were spectacular, the food excellent and the fall scenery thrown in was a bonus to the already rugged beauty of the Andes.
Julie W. · Google Review
Good Questions

Private Patagonia W Trek FAQs

How difficult is the W Trek?

Moderate to challenging. The full route covers 49.7 miles (80 km) with 8,956 ft (2,730 m) of elevation gain across three trekking days. The hardest is the French Valley to Paine Grande crossing at close to 24 miles; the Grey Glacier day is the most manageable. On a private trip your guide adjusts the plan to your party during the day, and there is an alternative excursion available every day.

Do I have to camp on the W Trek?

No. Unlike most W Trek itineraries there is no camping. You stay at Tierra Patagonia for four nights and The Singular Patagonia for one, with The Singular Santiago at the start, and you are driven to and from each trailhead.

When can we travel, and who comes with us?

Whenever suits you within the Patagonian season, roughly October to April. This is a private journey, so the group is your party only: a couple, a family or a small group of friends, with your own guide and vehicle throughout.

How is this different from the small group departure?

The route, the hotels and the guiding standard are the same. What changes is that the dates are yours, the pace is yours, and each day can be reshaped on the morning of, rather than around a shared timetable. Extensions are built straight into the itinerary instead of arranged around it.

Do I need to book my own flights?

You book your international flights into and out of Santiago. Everything inside Chile is arranged for you, including the roughly three hour flight south to Puerto Natales and the ninety minute transfer to the lodge. Because you spend the first night in Santiago there is no tight connection to worry about.

What if we cannot complete one of the trekking days?

That is planned for. Alternatives run every day, including horseback riding across an estancia, wildlife observation excursions and time at the lodge spa, and two people travelling together can take different excursions and meet again in the evening.

Design your private W Trek

The same journey our small group departure is built on, arranged privately for your party on the dates that suit you. Tell us who is travelling, how hard you want to walk and when, and we will shape a version that is entirely your own.

Start planning