Everything to Know About The O Trek in Torres Del Paine National Park

A few days ago, I returned to Wyoming for three weeks in South America. Nine of those days were spent in Torres Del Paine National Park hiking the O Trek.

The trip was one of my hosted group trips, which brings people together for adventure trips worldwide. I picked out the O Trek in Patagonia as a trip back in 2023, and it finally took place recently in January 2025. Together, the ten of us completed 9 days and 80 miles on the trek. 

It was one of the most rewarding, bougie, and epic camping experiences I’ve had yet to date. As someone who usually spends her backpacking trips suffering in the wilderness and living off cheap ramen and instant mashed potatoes, this trek was pure luxury. It was also filled with some of the most incredible scenery. Torres Del Paine National Park is even more beautiful in person. 

Everything to Know About The O Trek in Torres Del Paine National Park

The Specifics: O Trek vs W Trek 

To start, let’s look at the details: 

Total Mileage: 136km (83.3 miles) 

Total Gain: 16,200ft 

Total Time: 8-9 days

The O Trek is a longer and more remote variation of the more popular W Trek. If you’re wondering where their names come from, the W Trek is shaped as a ‘W,’ and the O Trek is shaped as an ‘O.’ Pretty simple! 

The O Trek includes the W Trek and an additional 50 miles in more remote sections of Torres Del Paine National Park. 

The W Trek is 37 miles long and can be done in as little as 3 days. It is incredibly popular and crowded, and, in my opinion, I would’ve been a little disappointed if I had just done the W Trek because it is so commercialized and crowded. It felt more like a series of day treks strung together instead of a true trekking experience. With that being said, the W Trek has some incredible scenery and is still worth every step. It’s just different from the O sections! 

The O Trek is a one-way trail, so if you do the trek, you will always complete the ‘O’ section first and finish on the ‘W’ trek. Once you enter the W Trek section, the trail can be hiked both ways. 

This map shows the entire O Trek, with the W section highlighted in Yellow: 

Meals & Drinks Along the O Trek 

One of the craziest parts about the O Trek is the access to food. In fact, you could trek the entire loop just carrying snacks and a stove. There are two main ways to eat along the trek: 

1. Pay for meals prepared by each camp: It’s important to note that no, these meals aren’t cheap. Every camp along the way has a dining hall with food prepared by the workers that groups and individuals can pay to eat at, like a restaurant. Along the O Trek portion of the trail, camp employees prepare meals that include soup, main dish, salad, bread, and dessert. Once you get to the W Trek, meals at Grey and Paine Grande are buffets. The buffets cost $55, which is very pricey! This option also includes a packed lunch every day, which they give you before departing camp to carry along the trail. The packed lunch usually includes a sandwich, protein bar, dried fruit, sometimes an orange, and some sort of chocolate treat. 
2. Pack a camp stove: Many trekkers opt to bring a camp stove with a couple of meals but buy food along the way. In addition to each camp having a dining hall, everyone also has a small market. The market size varies at each camp. For example, Dickson and Paine Grande have larger markets, while Perros camp only has a small, minimal market. However, they all offer snacks (cookies, chips, granola bars, etc.) and a range of meal ingredients (noodles, pasta sauce, ramen, tuna, etc.).

So, even if you aren’t splurging on the fancy lodge meals, you can still complete the O Trek carrying minimal food & meals if you plan to buy them along the way. Yes, the markets are slightly more expensive, but the prices weren’t bad. $2 for candy, $3 for bags of chips, $2 for pasta, etc. 

I was also surprised that some of the camps have bars. Yes, you read that right…bars! Camp Grey, Paine Grande, and Cuernos all have bars inside their lodges. All of these are located on the W side of the trek. You can order beers, pisco sours, cocktails, wine, or whatever else you want to drink. I told you this trek was boujie! 

Even the camps without bars offer local Patagonian beers for sale. The only camp that does not sell alcohol is Perros camp, which is the most minimalist camp. 

WiFi Along the O Trek 

Another surprise along the trek is that almost all camps have WiFI available for purchase. Perros, the camp before John Gardner Pass, is the only camp that does not offer WiFi. As of 2025, the WiFi prices are: 

7,000 (roughly 7 USD ) for 30 minutes 

10,000 (roughly 10 USD) for one hour 

15,000 (roughly 15 USD) for six hours 

25,000 (roughly 25 USD) for 24 hours 

What to Pack for The O Trek

Here is everything I would pack for the O Trek. If you do the trip as a group or through G Adventures, you may also have a group of porters to help carry your sleeping bag and 2.5kilos of additional weight. 

If you don’t have porters, you can still choose not to carry your own tent, as every camp has fixed tents that can be rented. Here is what I packed: 

• Two hiking pants (one to wear and one in my bag) 
• One sleeping pant (that also doubled as an extra hiking pant)
• One wool long sleeve 
• One quick-dry sun hoodie 
• Windbreaker 
• Down puffer 
• Rain jacket 
• Rain pants 
• Sandals (Tevas to walk around camp) 
• Toothbrush/Toothpaste 
• Travel-size deodorant 
• Travel-size brush 
• Shampoo/conditioner 
• Quick-dry towel 
• Inflatable Pillow 
• Two tank tops 
• Two sports bras 
• 7 pairs socks 
• Blister band-aids 
• Regular band-aids 
• Knee brace 
• Beanie 
• Ballcap 
• Sunscreen 
• Hand Sanitizer 
• Sunglasses 
• Waterbottle (one) 
• Gloves 

Additional things to pack if you are doing this on your own: 

• Camp stove & fuel 
• Freeze-dried meals 
• Sleeping bag 
• Sleeping pad 
• Lightweight tent

Water Along The O Trek 

Want to know one of the best things about the O Trek? Giardia doesn’t exist in Patagonia, which means you can fill up and drink from a stream in the park without filtering it. I thought our guide was exaggerating when he said you only need to carry a half liter of water at a time. I didn’t quite do that; I was carrying one liter of water most of the time, but there are frequent streams to fill your water throughout the entire trek. 

Nine days of drinking pure water straight from the source - it doesn’t get better than that! 

The lodges and camps are required to treat their water, which makes it taste a little blah. Most of the time we’d dump out our camp water and refill with stream water the first chance we got every day. All that to say, you don’t need to worry about carrying a ton of water every day! Trek lighter and carry one liter at a time. 

How Tough is The O Trek?

Depends on who you ask! For me, I picked to do this as a group trip because I love hiking, backpacking, and mountains. For many in our group it was the first time ever doing anything like it, and they did a fantastic job! I was so incredibly proud of how everyone handled 80 miles in Patagonia like a champ, even when the wind blew and the snow fell. 

All this to say, it is enjoyable and doable for both beginner and experienced hikers. As long as you are fairly in shape, pace yourself slowly, and prepare ahead of time, you do not need to be an advanced hiker to complete it. Will it be a challenge? Yes. Is it doable? Totally!

If you are an advanced hiker or backpacker, you’ll probably find the O Trek a luxury! Hell, I keep saying that I don’t know how I’m ever going to go back to regular backpacking again. Preparing my own meals? No beers at the end of a long trail day? Turns out I’ve been backpacking wrong my entire life! 

Hiking the O Trek: Day by Day Breakdown 

Day One: Las Torres - Guarderia Torres

Distance: 14.04 Miles 

Elevation Gain: 3,868 ft 

Most groups end the O Trek with a hike to the base of Torres Del Paine towers at Guarderia Torres. It’s the iconic view at the base of the granite pinnacles that you see when you Google Torres Del Paine National Park. 

Instead of ending the trek with this hike, we started with it. Getting to Guarderia Torres is one of the toughest days of the O Trek, and by day 8/9, many hikers are physically exhausted. There were quite a few people on the trail that were dealing with blisters and exhaustion that still had the toughest day ahead at the very end. 

So instead, we started with the hardest day on the first day, doing an out and back from the visitors center to Guarderia Torres. The rest of the trek, we were SO happy we had already completed the section of the trek. 

Deciding to do it this way also depends on what time of day you want to visit the lookout. If you complete it on the last day, most hikers get started around 3:00 am to make it to the lake for sunrise. The benefit is the lack of crowds up there at sunrise. 

If you do it in the middle of the day, it is the most crowded hiking trail I have ever been on. It’s the only trail in the national park that doesn’t require a permit, meaning that hundreds of people make the trek every day. 

Unfortunately, you will have to decide whether to do the towers first or last before you start the trek, as it will impact your reservations and permit dates for the rest of the trek. 

Day Two: Las Torres - Camp Seron 

Distance: 8.57 miles 

Elevation Gain: 1119ft 

The first official day on the O Trek goes from the visitor center to Camp Seron. The trail is relatively easy, with most of the elevation gain for the day occurring in the first couple of hours.

It’s probably the least scenic day on the trail, but it is still gorgeous. Make your way to camp by winding through forests, crossing rivers, and trekking through gorgeous fields of daisies. Keep an eye out for horses along this section of the trail! 

After eight miles, you’ll enter Camp Seron, which is one of two privately owned camps along the O Trek. It has a small lodge/hut with three picnic tables inside for seating. These tables fill up quickly, so if it is cold out try to make it camp early to claim a spot. 

There are also shipping container-style bathrooms with private toilets and hot showers. Again - the luxury! 

Day Three: Camp Seron - Dickson Camp 

Distance: 11.46 miles 

Elevation Gain: 1680ft 

The second day is longer & requires a bit more elevation gain, but overall the day is beautiful and straightforward. It is on this day that you’ll truly start to see the surrounding mountains and catch the first glimpses of glaciers. 

After 11 miles, you’ll come to a stunning viewpoint where you can see Camp Dickson, Dickson Lake, and Dickson Glacier. Truly a beautiful place to take a break before making the final 10-15 minute walk to camp. 

Dickson Camp was one of my favorite camps along the trek. It has a large, grassy area in the middle of the camp that people use to play catch, stress, or read books. You can grab a beer and go hang out down at the lake. There is a common area for cooking that is separate from the restaurant (unlike Camp Seron, where they are shared). 

The restaurant has an organized meal, but you can also go over there and order pizza, burgers, etc. At a cost, of course! 

The camp also has a decent-sized market, hot showers, and an outdoor sink for laundry. 

Day Four: Dickson Camp - Perros  

Distance: 8.62 miles 

Elevation Gain: 1657ft 

Dickson to Perros camp is an easy day, covering just under 9 miles. A majority of the elevation gain happens at the beginning of the day up a small pass to switch over to another valley. Once you come to a lookout, it’s an easy and beautiful hike through a forest. Just before you get to Perros Camp, you’ll get to a stunning lookout of the Perros glacier and lake. Worth some photos before making your way to camp! 

Perros is the most minimalistic camp on the entire trek. The lodge meals are minimalist, with powdered soup and a microwaved meals. There is no WiFi for purchase, and there is only one small indoor common area, which gets crowded very quickly. The camp here is also the coldest camp, located just below John Garnder Pass. 

The most important thing to prepare for at Perros camp is that it is the only camp without hot showers. They do have showers, they are just freezing cold. So plan on that! 

Here, most campers opt for an early night's rest, as the next day is the longest day over John Garnder Pass.

Day Five: Perros - Camp Grey 

Distance: 10.18 miles 

Elevation Gain: 2976ft 

Although technically easier than the towers hike on day one, this day is the second toughest and longest day of the trek. When leaving Perros, there is a sign that says Camp Grey is a 10-hour hike away. The fastest hikers could make it to Grey Glacier camp in about 6 hours, with the average group taking about 8-10 hours. 

Immediately after leaving Perros camp, the trail steepens to quickly gain 1600 feet to the top of John Gardner Pass, the highest point of the trek. From the top of the pass, the expanses of the Grey Glacier open up beneath you, and you begin the long trek down to Grey Glacier. Although there is almost 3,000 feet of elevation gain on this day, elevation loss is the most challenging part. 

Once crossing over the pass, you will then lose 4,000 feet of elevation in under four miles. This is the day that will test your knees! A majority of the elevation loss is complete when you reach Guaderia Paso Ranger Station. 

From there, it is still five miles to Grey Camp, with a lot of ups and downs. The last five miles from the ranger station seem to last forever, but the views make every step worth it! Along this section there are never-ending views of the Grey Glacier and three suspension bridges that really get your heart racing. It’s a long but fun and rewarding day! 

Camp Grey is the official start of the W trek, and it’s apparent from the moment you arrive. It’s more crowded, there are people visiting for the night by ferry, there is a larger market, an inn, and an entire bar & restaurant. Here, you’ll miss the remoteness and quietness of the O Trek, but a new adventure is beginning! 

Day Six: Rest Day 

Distance: N/a

Elevation Gain: N/a

Now, this is the day when you can opt to continue on your trek or take a rest day. As part of our group trip, we had a rest day included. If you aren’t in a rush to finish the trek, a rest day was quite nice, especially after the long pass day! 

It’s a great day to do laundry, relax, read a book, or do one of the two excursions offered from Camp Grey: kayaking or a glacier hike. 

Both are quite expensive. As of 2025, kayaking is $140 USD and the glacier hike is $190 USD. 

Day Seven: Camp Grey - Paine Grande 

Distance: 6.98 miles 

Elevation Gain: 1217ft 

If you don’t want a rest day, the day after the pass is extremely easy and under 7 miles. Some people still opt to do the glacier hike or kayak in the morning and then make the hike in the afternoon to Paine Grande. 

The trail starts by traversing Lago Grey over a small pass and then slowly descends to Paine Grande. The camp is one of the most scenic camps along the trek, and is also one of the fanciest. Similar to other W Trek camps, it has an inn, restaurant, bar, market hot showers, a cooking hall for campers, and more. At this camp, there is no shortage of indoor seating areas and is a great place to kick back, relax, and start celebrating that you are nearly complete with the O Trek! Just a couple more night!  

Day Eight: Paine Grande - Los Cuernos 

Distance: 12.5 miles 

Elevation Gain: 2451ft 

Leaving Paine Grande is the third hardest day of the trek, but it’s nothing too bad. This was the one day on our trek that we had downpours of rain. But overall, we were lucky; it was our only day with heavy rain on the entire trail. 

After about five miles, you’ll get to Gauderia Italiano, a quick pit stop before making your way into the French Valley. Here, most hikers drop the backpacks and carry a small day pack with snacks and a water bottle since it is an out-and-back section of the trail into the heart of Torres Del Paine National Park. Hike below the glaciers of Paine Grande and surrounding granite towers. 

Once you get back to Gauderia Italiano, you will either stop for the day at Camp Frances or Los Cuernos. We went to Los Cuernos, which is what I recommend. Besides Dickson, it was my other favorite camp of the trail. It was a nice interior lodge, a scenic lodge, and it sits just at the base of the stunning Cuernos Del Paine. 

If you decide to hike the towers on the first day of the trek, this will be your last night on the trail. Soak it all up! 

Day Nine: Los Cuernos - Las Torres 

Distance: 8.08 miles 

Elevation Gain: 1808ft 

Now, if you did the towers hike first, this is the last and the easiest day of the trek! A short 8-mile day back to the visitors center, and you will be an O Trek complete! 

If you saved the tower hikes for the last day, this day will look a little bit different, leaving Los Cuernos veering off toward the towers around mile 5. From there, you will start the elevation gain up to Refugio Chileno for your final night of the trek. If you plan to do the towers the same day, make sure you make it to Refugio Chileno by mid-day, and just beyond camp the stop access to the towers at 3pm. 

Most who save the hike for the end opt to get to the camp mid-afternoon, then wake up at 3:00am to make it to the towers for sunrise. At sunrise, you will share the lookout with W and O trekkers, but day hikers shouldn’t start arriving until late morning. 

Whew - after all that, congratulations! You’ve completed all 136km (83.3 miles) of the O Trek! 

After you arrive back in Puerto Natales, stop by Rental Natales. They have O Trek completion stickers for $2! They also mail postcards from their location.