The Original Torres del Paine W Trek

Our guide was Chilean and knew the area and the park well, he had formerly been a park ranger which gave us lots of confidence. He went out of his way to make sure our trip went according to plan, stayed on schedule and made sure everyone was safe. It was challenging and some days were long, but that is what made it fun. There was always a reward at the end, an amazing view, a fun lively dinner, an unexpected surprise. I did not want to leave on the last day.

Travelled: February 2024

There are so many memorable moments! The towers, the horns, the plants and berries along the path, and the breathtaking views!

Travelled: February 2024

There were many memorable moments! Seeing the three iconic towers during our first day hike was very memorable. Rounding the corner to see the Grey Glacier on our 4th day was also pretty amazing. Having the staff at the refugios sing happy birthday was also pretty cool. We were fortunate enough to have great guides and fellow trekkers!

Travelled: January 2024

What was your most memorable moment? The W Trek Hike which is fabulous. Great guide and experience.

Travelled: January 2024

The scenery throughout the W trek was continually AH-MAZING! So awesome and awe-inspiring.

Travelled: January 2024

Each time I looked up, which I tried to do as often as my footing would allow, I said "WOW!". The W is straight out of a movie with it's breathtaking landscape. The entire trek was my most memorable moment. :)

Travelled: December 2023

March was a lovely time to go with the leaves starting to change and we had fantastic weather. We were very lucky. However be prepared for all weather. The wet weather gear was great protection against the wind and cold, especially up high and at the glacier.

Travelled: March 2023

The guides were both excellent. And the group were all at the same level. I was very impressed with this.

Travelled: March 2023

The process was very smooth from initial call to the moment we left the park. We felt very supported/ prepared. Not worrying about logistics let us focus on the adventure!

Travelled: March 2023

Beautiful hiking, great people, good (and ample!) food. As keen hikers we were not disappointed by the beauty and majesty of the park.

Travelled: March 2023

This was the trek of a lifetime for me! I have been thinking about doing this for years and it was better than I imagined.

Travelled: February 2023

Well organized trip planning process. You delivered a seamless adventure, as planned. Excellent guides. Provided helpful advice for rest of our trip planning. Allows for customizable adventures.

Travelled: February 2023

We lucked out on weather. Hiking was fabulous. Our two guides were knowledgeable, fun and enthusiastic and provided a great deal of education on Chilean history and people, Patagonian geology and wildlife.

Travelled: February 2023

I am immensely grateful for the chance to experience Patagonia. The Chilean people were extremely friendly and welcoming, and I look forward to learning Spanish and returning to explore more of this fascinating and diverse country.

Travelled: February 2023

The W trek is beautiful but not without its physical challenges. Our guide was very experienced and knew every nuance of the trek. He also was able to teach us about the mountain, glacier and wildlife. We wanted to complete this trek the way it was intended to be done and the help from Swoop allowed us to accomplish this!

Travelled: February 2023

The second and third day were a really pleasant surprise. The first day to the towers was expected but really liked the days after that. The weather was amazing which was lucky.

Travelled: January 2023

It was great going through a company like swoop- everything was taken care of. After a long day of hiking, you don’t want to show up somewhere and not have a room or a camp spot. Swoop had everything organized for us, it made the journey even more enjoyable!

Travelled: January 2023

Don’t worry about no makeup and wind blown hair, you can’t take a bad picture with this scenery.

Travelled: January 2023

The trek was equal parts beautiful and challenging. The most spectacular views I’ve ever seen hiking, and just enough of a challenge in the hike to make you earn it. We took a lot of breaks and took so many great pictures. Don’t worry about no makeup and wind blown hair, you can’t take a bad picture with this scenery.

Travelled: January 2023

Our guide on the W hike, was outstanding! He was kind, knowledgeable, and more than helpful. Can't say enough about how spoiled I felt. All we had to do was hike, enjoy, and buy him a beer at the end of the day. (that was our choice, really!)

Travelled: January 2023

I think the most memorable moment on the trail was finally getting to the view points in the French Valley and Mirador del Torre. They were breath taking. The most memorable moments off trail were enjoying time with our group and amazing guides at the end of each day.

Travelled: January 2023

Our guides were wonderful. They were super knowledgeable about everything from the park to the animals to Chilean culture. The Refugios were also very comfortable and the food was good.

Travelled: January 2023

Our guides made the hike for us. They were incredibly knowledgable and kind. They were very fun and personable to be with essentially 24/7 for the days of the hike and I could tell genuinely cared for our safety and well being. I would definitely recommend having guides to other hikers and travelers because they were able to set a pace that made sure we were where we needed to be and when.

Travelled: January 2023

Completed the W Trek with my 19 year old daughter where I would say the Trek and adventure was life changing.

Travelled: January 2023

Our guide was incredible. He was extremely knowledgeable and managed the personalities in our group with ease and patience. I would absolutely request he be my guide again if I were to do the trek again.

Travelled: December 2022

What was your most memorable moment? Our Guide, people in our group, and of course the hikes were amazing. Loved it… Great way to spend Christmas. The staff at the camps were amazing. Great beer too!

Travelled: December 2022

Lived up to expectations. Great views. Challenging hiking, but worth it throughout.

Travelled: December 2022

What was your most memorable moment? There are too many to count. The second I saw the park it was so amazingly beautiful. And as I walked through the park, I liked seeing how the landscape changed. The ice hike was an incredible experience.

Travelled: December 2022

The landscape is so beautiful. There is so much to see. While the hike can be incredibly difficult at times, it’s worth it. You will also experience many types of weather in a short period of time. Having hot food and a bed to sleep in at the refugios really made it luxury backpacking.

Travelled: December 2022

We absolutely adored our guide. This was the first tour/hike I've ever taken with an actual guide, and he really made the experience a positive one for all of us.

Travelled: December 2022

Hard work pays off with the scenery! Well organised, lots of information and lots of fun.

Travelled: December 2022

Everything was well organized so we didn’t have to deal with any annoying details, and we could focus on the amazing adventure. We also were very lucky and had perfect weather!

Travelled: November 2022

Amazing. Awesome. Should be on anyone's bucket list.

Travelled: March 2022

So many moments of the trip were special and memorable, but one that stands out is getting to the first lookout in the French Valley and watching several avalanches send snow spilling down the glacier. The views were amazing despite mist and light rain. So worth the tough hike up.

Travelled: March 2022

The trek is brutal but motivational. Each day, you get to experience a different landscape: lakes, mountains, valleys, rivers, waterfalls, cliffs, multiple glaciers. However, the path is long, rocky, and never flat. The number one priority is having good shoes and socks.

Travelled: March 2022

Guide was amazing, knowledgeable, personable, funny and encouraging. Felt like a long time friend.

Travelled: February 2022

Standing on the viewpoint looking out at the pristine landscape. No jet trails in the sky. No roads cut into the landscape. No buildings, power lines, or other visual impact from humans. Inspiring to see the land the way nature created it.

Travelled: February 2022

Absolutely! It is breathtaking - and each day offers a new adventure. It is challenging, but approachable for most. The highlights were Cuernos, the glacier and the French Valley hike.

Travelled: February 2022

We had a marvelous time. The scenery on the W Trek was outstanding, our guide was fantastic, the food surpassed our expectations.

Travelled: February 2022

While the W Trek can be accomplished unguided, we felt like we got great value with our guide. He was very familiar with the trail, the geology, and the flora and fauna. For example, on our windy and rainy day (can't have the true Patagonia experience without one of those) he had us stop for a break before cresting a hill because he said "we would be very exposed there and it is better to break now." Indeed, winds were crazy strong over the hill. He also had friends in every refugio, so knew the inside track on the fun stuff. For example: at Lago Grey, we had whisky on the rocks using glacier ice. How cool is that?!

Travelled: February 2022

We had a large group of 7 family members with varying hiking abilities and experience. Our two guides, Minerva and Katty, were so great with the group. They adapted their hiking style to meet our needs, helped encourage people and celebrated our achievements. More than that, they became our friends. Trekking is physically and mentally challenging at times. Our guides helped up meet the challenge and also gave us room to struggle a little, so we could grow. It was a life-changing trip for our family.

Travelled: December 2021

There were so many highlights but I found the hike on Day 3, through the French Valley to be out of this world.

Travelled: November 2021

What was really impressive was what our guides could carry including the tents and so many treats for us like pesto sauce, real coffee and chocolate.

Travelled: November 2021

The whole park was a memorable moment! So many to choose from, but I think the tent set up on the platforms in the trees at Refugio Chileno was my favorite memory. Sleeping out there was pretty awesome!

Travelled: March 2020

We saw a Puma resting under a tree not far from the trail within an hour of our first day of hiking. Such a thrill! Enjoying camaraderie with other hikers at the lodges after long days of peaceful solitude on the trails was bliss!

Travelled: December 2019

We love Torres del Paine! The hiking was spectacular. The continuous views are amazing. The whole time you are hiking, the views are incredible and ever changing. Our guide was great and throughout the hike, gave us the history, geology, wildlife, and plant descriptions of the area. The refugios were really nice compared to others we have seen.

Travelled: February 2019

Guide was excellent he had an extensive knowledge of the park , its geology flora and fauna and was always helpful and encouraging accommodation was good , very clean and the food was good.

Travelled: January 2019

We were fortunate to be part of a very interesting and fun group. We all got along beautifully and intend to continue to stay in touch. We hiked in sun, rain, snow and strong winds at times that made the trip magical. Our guide was engaged, caring, knowledgeable, funny and took great care of all of us.

Travelled: December 2018

We especially loved hiking the W. It was so beautiful, with dramatic mountains of towers and glaciers, and hillsides in prime flower blooming season. We met lots of other travelers and shared stories, and ibuprofen for our sore muscles, at the dinner table.

Travelled: December 2018

The highlight of the trip was definitely riding on the Grey III and getting to experience the Glacier super close up. I also really enjoyed the day hike from Refugio Chileno to Domo Frances, it was the most scenic in my opinion. The landscape was just mesmerizing. I couldn't stop looking at the granite peaks to the right and the turquoise blue glacier lakes to my left.

Travelled: December 2018

I recommend booking the refugios because it is extremely worth it after you hike all day. The food was extremely delicious and lodging was excellent.

Travelled: December 2018

Many highlights, but possibly the strange highlight of being woken in the French campsite by thunderous roars from the glacier in the French Valley before trekking to the viewpoint to watch the ice falling. Spectacular landscapes, lovely birds and flowers, excellent guide, accommodation very good and transport couldn't have been better.

Travelled: November 2018

The trip was incredible! We lucked out on the weather. On our first day, the Towers were gorgeous and getting to visit the Britanico Valley was spectacular, despite being long, somewhat difficult days of hiking. The picturesque views on day two could not be beat, especially coming into Los Cuernos. We really loved the experience with our group, both the other people and our guide.

Travelled: November 2018

The trip was incredible! We really lucked out on the weather. On our first day, the Towers were gorgeous and getting to visit the Britanico Valley was spectacular, despite being long, somewhat difficult days of hiking. The picturesque views on day two could not be beat, especially as coming into Los Cuernos. We really loved the experience with our group, both the other people and our guide.

Travelled: November 2018

Our guide was brilliant and added to the experience. He gauged the pace of the group well and offered to take photos at every viewpoint. We had perfect weather, but had it been worse, his charismatic chirps of encouragement and knowledge of when it is and isn't appropriate to take the extended French Valley detour would have been invaluable.

Travelled: November 2018

Our guide was awesome. Not only was he a great guide who taught us a ton about the fauna and flora in the region, but also told us so much about Chile and the people. He was so helpful and a really smart and fun guy!

Travelled: March 2018

This was definitely the highlight of our trip! I am so glad we did the W trek from site to site, as opposed to trying to do various hikes from other jumping off points. I liked the refugios and would definitely recommend doing it that way to others.

Travelled: December 2017

My trip has really left me at a bit of a loss for words. While I tremendously enjoyed every piece of my trip (hiking, kayaking and then day hiking with an afternoon of horseback riding), I really loved hiking the W. I was traveling solo, but I enjoyed my time with our small group during the W trek. The Patagonian landscape was breathtaking - I've never been in a place quite so beautiful.

Travelled: December 2016

Beyond my expectations. I could not get over all of the beauty on my trek. Everyday there was something new and amazing to discover.

Travelled: December 2016

Swoop did a good job of staying in contact with me and quickly responding to my questions. I honestly can’t think of anything you should have done differently, you were great!

Travelled: December 2015

Many thanks for supervising a terrific and memorable trek. The highlight to me was the hike to the Towers and view there, though the entire 5 day trek was awesome.

Travelled: November 2015

I had for many decades dreamt of travelling to Patagonia. Our five days hiking in Torres del Paine with our guide are five days that I will never forget.

Travelled: October 2015