Fitz Roy and Paine Hiking Tour
Trip type
Group Tour
Trip length
12 Days
From
$5,195 -$5,495
Location
Multi-location
Fitz Roy and Paine Hiking Tour - 12 Days - $5,195
Trip Summary and Itinerary Map
Swoop have been planning trips to Patagonia for 15 years and we've put all the best bits into this group trekking tour.
- Visit Magnificent Perito Moreno Glacier, taking the scenic route by boat to avoid the crowds.
- Hike the 3 headline day hikes of the Fitzroy range Laguna Torre, Laguna de Los Tres and Pliegue Tumbado.
- Trek from hut to hut on the iconic W Trek
- Hike an off the beaten track trail in Torres del Paine because we think you should marvel at this beautiful range from afar before you get into the thick of the action.
- Spend your final night having a traditional asado: after all that trekking you have earned a feast!
Start from El Calafate and end at Puerto Natales
Landmarks visited on Fitz Roy and Paine Hiking Tour
Operator's Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in El Calafate, transfer to El Chaltén and meet your guide
Arrive in El Chaltén and meet your Tour Leader who will give you an introductory briefing to the fantastic trip that lies ahead. If arriving in El Calafate, we include transport to El Chaltén, during which you’ll enjoy some of the amazing Patagonian scenery. Let the excitement build as your fellow travelling companions arrive from all corners of the globe.
Argentina’s trekking capital, El Chaltén, sits at the base of Mount Fitz Roy and attracts hikers and climbers from all over the world to explore the adjacent wilderness of forests, glaciers, and of course, its world-famous mountains!
Given that some guests arrive late this day, your group's welcome dinner will be taken on day two.
Transfer duration: 3hrs
Accommodation: Cumbres Nevadas or Lunajuim Hotel, El Chaltén
Day 2: Group Trek to Laguna Torre; Mt Cerro Torre
The trek to Laguna Torre is one of the most spectacular walks of El Chaltén, with impressive views of the Torre massif and other peaks in the region. It is a relatively gentle trail, so it's a great hike to ease you in on your first day which leads you to one of El Chalten’s iconic photographic viewpoints: Laguna Torre and Cerro Torre! After a rest and lunch, you will return along the same trail.
This evening you’ll enjoy a welcome dinner with your tour leader and fellow travelling companions at Madsen House Museum, the first house built in El Chaltén in 1905 by the Danish pioneer, Andreas Madsen. Take a journey through time during this unique dining experience.
Length of hike: 7-8hrs, 18km/11.2 miles
Meals: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Cumbres Nevadas or Lunajuim Hotel, El Chaltén
Day 3: Group Trek to Laguna de Los Tres; Mt Fitz Roy
This is your chance to get up close to the iconic and imposing Mount Fitz Roy and trek one of the most iconic day hikes in the world. While this trek is steep in places, the spectacular views once you reach the top make it totally worth it. Unlike other outfitters, we transfer you to the trailhead, around half an hour's drive from El Chaltén, meaning you do not back-track on the same trail.
You will probably take lunch at Laguna de Los Tres, whilst witnessing one of the most impactful sights in Patagonia: Mount Fitz Roy. The trek continues through a variety of different landscapes of forests, crystal clear streams and lagoons, ending up once more in El Chaltén in the early evening.
Transfer duration: 30mins
Length of hike: 8-9hrs, 20km/12.4 miles
Meals: Breakfast, box lunch
Accommodation: Cumbres Nevadas or Lunajuim Hotel, El Chaltén
Day 4: Trek to Loma del Pliegue Tumbado; afternoon transfer to El Calafate
This lesser-visited trail provides fantastic, elevated vistas overlooking the National Park with a panorama of peaks, and is the best place to see both Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre. This full-day hike is moderately testing, as it constantly gains in height to reach the viewpoint on Loma del Pliegue Tumbado. The goal of today will be to gain a wonderful perspective of where you have hiked over the last few days. After lunch, you return back along the same path to El Chaltén.
A private transfer will take you to El Calafate later in the afternoon, where you'll check in and enjoy a home-cooked meal for dinner at the hotel. Prepare yourself for tomorrow's exciting experience!
Transfer duration: 3hrs
Length of hike: 8-9hrs, 20km/12.4 miles
Meals: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Los Canelos or similar, El Calafate
Day 5: Mayo Spirit Boat & Hike to Perito Moreno Glacier
You can't visit this part of the world without visiting the captivating Perito Moreno Glacier, and we will take you there on an unforgettable, unique day trip. Driving west out of town, you will then board a comfortable expedition boat which will take you into the different branches of the immense Argentino Lake, arriving in the afternoon at the north face of the magnificent Perito Moreno Glacier.
You will spend some time watching its spectacular display of calving ice and the formation of deep blue icebergs from the water and afterwards explore the walkways and viewpoints from land, right in front of both faces of the glacier.
Alternatively, you may wish to take the full-day ice hike on the glacier, at an extra cost. Please enquire with Swoop's Customer Experience team at the time of reserving your trip.
This afternoon is for you to enjoy at your own pace; you may wish to check out one of the world's few glacier museums or have time at your leisure in El Calafate town.
Transfer duration: 1hr to the pier plus 1.5hrs back to El Calafate
Length of excursion: 9hrs
Meals: Breakfast, box lunch
Accommodation: Hotel Los Canelos or similar, El Calafate
Day 6: Bus Transfer to Puerto Natales, Chile; afternoon at leisure
Your tour leader will accompany you on the morning bus crossing the border from El Calafate to Puerto Natales, in Chile. The landscapes witnessed are the same as those which inspired Charles Darwin on his voyage to Patagonia almost 200 years ago. Arriving in the early afternoon, you will enjoy some free time to stretch your legs and explore this picturesque little town.
This afternoon you'll meet your Torres del Paine Mountain guide at a trek briefing for you to get prepared for hiking the famous W Trek. Afterwards, you'll be accompanied by both your Argentine tour leader and your TdP leader and guide to a local restaurant for your first dinner together on Chilean territory!
Transfer duration: 5-7hrs (depending on border crossing)
Meals: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Big Sur or similar, Puerto Natales
Day 7: Enter Torres del Paine; Half-day Lazo-Weber hike; Glamping at Serrano Camp
The day begins in Puerto Natales from where we transfer 2hrs to Estancia Lazo. This working 13,000-hectare cattle ranch on the shore of Laguna Verde is over one hundred years old. We'll start the trek here and enter Torres del Paine National Park along a fairly flat trail through beech and coihue forests.
There will be plenty of wildlife to watch out for – condors in the sky, guanacos on the hillsides and woodpeckers and owls in the trees. We'll reach Honda Lagoon before continuing to Lake Toro lookout where we'll have fantastic panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, rivers, lakes and glaciers. From here we'll be able to spot the Grey, Paine and Serrano rivers and most of the Torres Del Paine massif.
It's a short descent from here to Weber Bridge where our private transfer will take us to our deluxe camp on the bank of the Serrano River. Here we'll enjoy a welcome dinner with views of the Paine Massif and spend the night in deluxe tents.
Transfer duration: 2hrs
Length of hike: 5hrs, 13.5km/8.4 miles
Meals: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Bell-tent glamping at Serrano Camp
Day 8: Begin W Trek with boat and trek to Glacier Grey; Refugio Paine Grande
Today you will be transferred into the national park and enjoy a short boat ride across the beautiful Lago Pehoé to reach our first Refugio, Paine Grande. Leaving your heavier items here, you will spend the rest of the day hiking with just your day-pack, as you begin the famous W Trek of Torres del Paine.
The trail will take you closer and closer to the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, and the vast Glacier Grey. You’ll stop at viewpoints, taking lunch along the way, as your guide explains the magnificent landscapes that you are hiking through. This afternoon, when your guide determines (depending on the speed of the group and the weather conditions), you’ll return to the Refugio along the same trail, where you can rest up before dinner. Therefore the distance of today's hike is variable.
Refugio meals are usually lively events where all nationalities of hikers gather, exchange travel experiences, and reflect on trekking in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.
Transfer duration: 30mins
Length of hike: 8hrs, 15-22km/9.3-13.7 miles
Meals: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Refugio (or camp) Paine Grande
Day 9: Trek the French Valley; Refugio Los Cuernos
Today you’ll follow the edge of Cerro Paine Grande through the middle section of the W Trek. Along this trail, the Cuernos or 'horns' will be your guide as you edge closer and closer to them - a truly stunning sight!
You will explore the French Valley, considered by many to be the most spectacular region of the whole park, as you leave your heavier packs at the start of the valley. After reaching the French valley viewpoint you will be surrounded by the wildly beautiful, rugged mountains!
Follow the same path back down, pick up your backpack and continue to Refugio Los Cuernos.
Length of hike: 8hrs, 23km/14.3 miles
Meals: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Refugio (or camp) Los Cuernos
Day 10: Trek along Lake Nordenskjöld; Camping Chileno
Today's hiking is a little gentler than yesterday’s as you follow the base of the Almirante Nieto Mountain, with the imposing Cuernos (the horns) of Paine to one side, and the beautiful Lake Nordenskjöld to the other. This section of the ‘W Trek’ has great panoramic views and is an exciting place to try to spot the elusive Andean condor!
This afternoon you’ll arrive at at our final refuge in the El Chileno areato relax and prepare for tomorrow’s final trek to the base of the towers.
Length of hike: 5hrs, 13km/8 miles
Meals: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Camping Chileno
Day 11: Finish W Trek to the base of the Towers; Transfer to Puerto Natales
This truly iconic day hike is a wonderful way to end our experience hiking the ‘W Trek’ in Torres del Paine. This testing, yet fascinating trek follows the Ascencio River, undulating through forests and rising high into the valley to the base of the colossal towers.
You will have lunch at this incredible spot, admiring the view of the towers, before returning down the same trail.
This afternoon you will be transferred to Puerto Natales and in the evening the farewell dinner will prove a fitting end to a wonderful group adventure!
Transfer duration: 1hr
Length of hike: 7hrs, 14km/8.7 miles
Meals: Breakfast, box lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Big Sur or similar, Puerto Natales
Day 12: End of tour with a transfer to Puerto Natales Airport
Say goodbye to your guide and fellow group members.
A group transfer will be provided this morning to Puerto Natales Airport. We can help you with your onward travel plans to Punta Arenas of El Calafate if you wish.
Meals: Breakfast
Why Swoop
We’ve got our feet on the ground
Impartial advice and a bespoke service to make your trip perfect.
Deep Roots in Patagonia
We are former guides, tour leaders, outdoor enthusiasts & adventurers.
For The Ends Of The Earth
Swoop is proud to be B Corp Certified as we know sustainability is more than our carbon footprint (but we’re reducing that too).
We’re With You At Every Step
We’ll make sure you have the adventure of a lifetime.
What our customers think of Fitz Roy and Paine Hiking Tour
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Prices, Departures and Inclusions
| Start date | Price (pp) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | ||||
| 12-Jan-2025 | $5,495 | Limited Availability | Enquire | |
| February 2025 | ||||
| 9-Feb-2025 | $5,195* | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
| March 2025 | ||||
| 9-Mar-2025 | $5,495 | Limited Availability | Enquire | |
| 23-Mar-2025 | $5,495 | Provisional Date | Enquire | |
* Note: Prices are per person. Paid in USD ($) - figure above is based on today's exchange rate. Actual cost $5,195
Additional Notes
Group size – 14 maximum, four minimum. We will guarantee your departure with four travellers signed up. If you are travelling solo, please ask us about our provisional dates. We may have other solo travellers who can join the tour.
Optional excursions – On day five you can hike on Perito Moreno Glacier along with exploring the walkways and a boat trip to the face of the glacier. "Minitrekking" is USD $320 for the full day with 1.5 hours of hiking on the glacier; the age limit is under 65 years. There is also a "Big Ice" option with prices starting from USD $870 with 3 hours on the glacier; you must be aged 18-50.
Accommodation – Whilst we have requested refugio shared dormitory rooms for days eight and nine, the local operators of each refugio reserve the right to offer supported camping in place of this. If this is the case, we will inform you ahead of your trip. You will be provided with a pre-pitched tent, roll mat and sleeping bag at each night stop in this instance.
Single supplement – USD $850 per person for a single room in El Chaltén, El Calafate, Puerto Natales (seven nights in total).
Solo travellers – If you are willing to share with another solo traveller then you will not be charged the single supplement and we will match you with someone of the same gender. If there is no other same-gender solo traveller in the group, you will be granted a single room for the hotel nights, at no extra cost.
Joining & departure instructions – It is recommended to spend a night in Buenos Aires, or El Calafate, before the tour and a night in Santiago after the tour; if you would like help booking your pre/post tour arrangements, please just let us know.
Peak season departures - For the departures of the 17th and 22nd of December 2024, a supplement of USD $50 per person is charged by the refugios for Christmas or New Year.
El Chaltén Hiking Fees - As of November 2024, a new entrance fee for Los Glaciares National Park was introduced for anyone hiking in the El Chaltén area. We and our local operators cannot purchase the entrance fee on your behalf so you will need to buy it in advance (from 4 months before your trip) via an online form. We can offer more guidance once booked but it will be your responsibility to ensure you have paid the required fee.
Includes
- Meals: 11 breakfasts, 10 box lunches, 8 dinners
- Accommodation: Seven nights in hotels; two nights in refugios or shared (double) tents; one night camping in shared double tents; one night camping in shared (double) bell tents
- Three hikes in the Los Glaciares National Park with a local mountaineering guide (English-speaking)
- 4-day W Trek with local mountaineering guide/group leader (English speaking)
- Perito Moreno Glacier excursion including boat trip to face of glacier
- All national park entrance fees (excluding Los Glaciares North/El Chaltén - see additional notes)
- All ground transportation in either private transfer, public bus or by boat
- Airport pick up and drop off (El Calafate/Puerto Natales)
- Tour leader in Los Glaciares National Park (English speaking), days 1-6
- All bedding for your nights in the shared tents and glamping
Excludes
- Meals not indicated in the itinerary
- Drinks during lunch or dinner
- Local bus terminal tax (USD $2 approx) on Day 6
- Ice hiking at Perito Moreno Glacier (can be added optionally)
- Any extra/optional excursions
- Personal equipment (see our recommended kit list)
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal porters
- Gratuities/Tips
- International and domestic/in country flights
- Any visa, passport and vaccination expenses
- Los Glaciares North/El Chaltén - National Park Entrance Fees
