
Guided treks & climbs · Patagonia, 3,405 m
Guided Patagonia treks and climbs, compared
Torres del Paine's W and O circuits on the Chilean side, Fitz Roy, the Huemul Circuit and the Southern Patagonian Ice Field from El Chaltén in Argentina. A guided W runs about $2,750–$3,150 with the park's own concessionaire or a big group company; El Chaltén guides sell a Fitz Roy day for USD 228 and the Huemul Circuit from USD 1,282. UK and US two-country trips cost £7,695 to $9,975.
Start here
What kind of trip do you want?
Copied from each company’s own pages on Oct 22, 2026. Every “See dates” button opens the page we used. Where a page says which season a price is for, we show it. Prices are in each company’s own currency; sorting by price uses rough exchange rates. Prices change; the operator’s page wins if it disagrees with this one.
Free · no guide
Climb Patagonia yourself
Everything above is for hiring a guide. If you have the skills, this is what you need to do it on your own, free. Facts come from the summit’s own page on PeakSeeker, with sources.
- Normal route
- Franco-Argentine Route (Southeast Ridge) — the original 1952 line, still the most-traveled way up despite being far from easy
- Grade
- TD to TD+ — sustained technical rock and ice climbing on the order of 5.8-5.10
- How long
- Multi-day; commonly 2-4 days round trip from a high camp once climbing begins
- Best season
- Weather windows are narrow and unpredictable; attempts cluster in the Southern Hemisphere summer, roughly November-March
- Permits
- Trekking to the base viewpoints requires no permit, but climbers attempting the summit must register their ascent plans with Los Glaciares National Park rangers in El Chaltén.
- Start from
- El Chaltén (Los Glaciares National Park gateway / ranger registration point), 1,316 ft (401 m)
- Climb from there
- Roughly 1,300-1,600 m
- Getting there
- El Chaltén, Argentina's self-declared 'National Trekking Capital,' is the trailhead town for the roughly 20 km round-trip hike to the Laguna de los Tres viewpoint beneath the peak, though the summit itself is reached only via serious technical climbing. Nearest airport: Comandante Armando Tola International Airport in El Calafate (FTE); commonly cited as roughly 220 km / about a 3-hour drive from El Chaltén, though that exact distance was not independently verified in this pass.
- Hazards
- Notoriously violent and unpredictable Patagonian weather (including williwaw winds), sudden storms, rockfall and icefall, extreme cold, and long exposed pitches high on the mountain.
- Gear
- Full technical alpine kit — rock rack, ice axes and crampons, mixed-climbing gear, and multi-day bivouac equipment — plus warm layers and windproof shells for Patagonia's severe, fast-changing weather; this is a serious objective for experienced technical alpinists, not a trekking peak. By contrast, the approach hike to viewpoints like Laguna de los Tres needs only standard trekking gear.
Sources: parquetorresdelpaine.cl ↗conaf.cl ↗argentina.gob.ar ↗fitzroyexpediciones.com.ar ↗
Read this before you pay a deposit
On the W, buy from the park's concessionaire if you just want the trek. Las Torres' guided W Journey is from US$2,800 with meals, shuttle, catamaran and park admission. That is cheaper than Intrepid (from $3,120 on sale), Swoop's Original W ($2,900) or Much Better Adventures ($4,633) for the same trail. Only Swoop's Classic W group trek starts lower, at $2,745.
G Adventures' W is the cheapest group-company trek at $2,949 ($2,212 on sale), but meals are extra (USD 80–105 budget). Check what is included before comparing it with all-meals packages.
In El Chaltén you can hire a local guide by the day. Fitz Roy Expediciones charges USD 228 for Laguna de los Tres and USD 1,282 for the 4-day Huemul Circuit. Swoop sells the Huemul Circuit at $2,440, nearly twice as much.
The full O circuit adds only about $750–$1,200 to a guided W at the same company: G Adventures $4,162 for 11 days, Swoop from $3,650 for 7. KE's O is $8,235 with hotels included. All of them depend on the circuit reopening after the winter closure, which CONAF announced would last at least until 31 October 2026.
UK and US two-country trips cost two to three times what the local legs cost: Exodus £7,695, KE $7,880, Alpine Ascents $9,975. You pay for flights between parks, hotels and one booking. Alpine Ascents' trip is lodge-based day hikes, not a backpacking trek.
The Southern Patagonian Ice Field crossing and the technical Fitz Roy traverse were priced only by Swoop ($5,470 each). Ask El Chaltén guide offices such as Casa de Guías for a direct quote; none showed a price in our results.
- Torres del Paine: entry passes must be bought online (pasesparques.cl) at least 24 hours before you enter. Hikers on the W and the Paine Massif (O) circuits must hold bookings for refugios or campsites inside the park, or they cannot enter the mountain sector; day hikes such as Base Torres and the roadside Serrano and Pehoé campsites are exempt. Camping is allowed only at authorised sites. parquetorresdelpaine.cl ↗
- CONAF changed Torres del Paine's fee structure on 1 May 2026: the old 'up to 3 days / more than 3 days' passes became a single-day entry and a 2+ day entry valid for up to 10 consecutive days. CONAF points to pasesparques.cl for current foreign-visitor rates. The ticket shop page we could read still showed foreign adults 'CLP 31.200' (up to 3 days) and 'CLP 44.500' (over 3 days), which may predate the change. conaf.cl ↗
- CONAF said the Paine Massif (O) circuit would stay closed, initially until 31 October 2026, with reopening depending on weather and safety. In winter (May–August) CONAF requires guides for certain routes and registration at control points. conaf.cl ↗
- Los Glaciares National Park now charges at El Chaltén (Zona Norte) as well as at Perito Moreno: from 1 June 2026 the general rate is published as '$50.000' (ARS), with Flexipass 3 days '$100.000' and 7 days '$175.500'. Zona Norte tickets are sold online only (web or QR code on site) and paid by card; local residents and guides are exempt. argentina.gob.ar ↗
- Laguna de los Tres, the classic Fitz Roy viewpoint, is a 19.6 km day with about 890 m of ascent, 8–10 hours. On remote routes such as the Huemul Circuit and Laguna Toro, registering with the park is mandatory. fitzroyexpediciones.com.ar ↗
The companies
Las Torres Patagonia (formerly Fantástico Sur)
- Based
- Torres del Paine, Chile
- Programs
- 2
- Private
- Its self-guided W Circuit 5D/4N page (from US$1,640 camping) says a private guide can be booked through a form; no price given.
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Las Torres ↗Policy from: lastorres.com, lastorres.com, lastorres.com
Vertice Patagonia
- Based
- Puerto Natales, Chile
- Programs
- 1
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Vertice ↗Policy from: vertice.travel, vertice.travel, vertice.travel
Fitz Roy Expediciones
- Based
- El Chaltén, Argentina
- Programs
- 3
- Deposit
- Huemul Circuit: USD 550 deposit once the group minimum is reached; balance due 30 days before departure; registrations close 15 days before.
- Private
- Private guide for any El Chaltén trek: fixed price quoted on WhatsApp by trek, date and group size.
- Contact
- +54 9 2494 62 6852
contact@fitzroyexpediciones.com.ar
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Fitz Roy Expediciones ↗Policy from: fitzroyexpediciones.com.ar, fitzroyexpediciones.com.ar, fitzroyexpediciones.com.ar, fitzroyexpediciones.com.ar
Casa de Guías El Chaltén
- Based
- Av. Lago del Desierto 468, El Chaltén, Argentina
- Programs
- 1
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Casa de Guías ↗Policy from: casadeguias.com.ar, casadeguias.com.ar
Swoop Patagonia
- Based
- Bristol, UK
- Programs
- 9
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Swoop ↗Policy from: swoop-patagonia.com, swoop-patagonia.com, swoop-patagonia.com, swoop-patagonia.com
Exodus Adventure Travels
- Based
- London, UK
- Programs
- 2
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Exodus ↗Policy from: exodus.co.uk, exodus.co.uk
KE Adventure Travel
- Based
- Keswick, UK
- Programs
- 2
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit KE Adventure ↗Policy from: keadventure.com, keadventure.com
Much Better Adventures
- Based
- London, UK
- Programs
- 1
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Much Better Adventures ↗Policy from: muchbetteradventures.com, muchbetteradventures.com
Intrepid Travel
- Based
- Melbourne, Australia
- Programs
- 1
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Intrepid ↗Policy from: intrepidtravel.com, intrepidtravel.com
G Adventures
- Based
- Toronto, Canada
- Programs
- 2
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit G Adventures ↗Policy from: gadventures.com, gadventures.com
Alpine Ascents International
- Based
- Seattle, USA
- Programs
- 1
- Deposit
- $700 deposit reserves a space; balance due 120 days before departure.
Cancellation terms not published where we looked. Get them in writing before you pay.
Visit Alpine Ascents ↗Policy from: alpineascents.com, alpineascents.com
Get an email when bookings open
Several operators show two or three different prices for the same trip, and the O circuit reopens after its winter closure. Get an email when 2026–27 prices and dates firm up.
Before and after the trip
Most programs start in El Chaltén, Argentina / Puerto Natales, Chile. Lodging is extra on nearly all of them.
Patagonia on PeakSeeker → routes, live summit weather and permits.
More comparisons
How this page makes money: links to Booking.com, Viator and 57hours may earn PeakSeeker a commission if you book. Links to the guide companies themselves don’t, and nobody pays to be listed or to change what we say. Spot something out of date? Tell us.
Sources
- parquetorresdelpaine.cl/sistemas-de-reservas/
- conaf.cl/el-1-de-mayo-entra-en-vigencia-nuevo-sistema-tarifario-para-el-parque-nacional-torres-del-paine/
- conaf.cl/a-mayo-de-2026-se-aplaza-nuevo-sistema-de-cobro-diferenciado-para-el-parque-nacional-torres-del-paine/
- argentina.gob.ar/interior/ambiente/parquesnacionales/losglaciares/tarifas
- fitzroyexpediciones.com.ar/
- lastorres.com/en/hikking-circuits/w-journey-circuit-5d-4n/
- lastorres.com/en/all-inclusive/w-circuit-hotel/
- lastorres.com/en/hikking-circuits/w-circuit-5d-4n/
- vertice.travel/servicios/8d-classic-o-circuit-guided/
- vertice.travel/accommodations/
- vertice.travel/trail-closure-coiron-to-grey-sections/
- fitzroyexpediciones.com.ar/huemul-vuelta/
- fitzroyexpediciones.com.ar/custom-patagonia-trekking-private-mountain-guides/
- fitzroyexpediciones.com.ar/scheduled-multi-day-expeditions/
- fitzroyexpediciones.com.ar/cagliero-glacier-expedition/
- casadeguias.com.ar/
- casadeguias.com.ar/eng/expediciones.html
- swoop-patagonia.com/chile/torres-del-paine/hiking/w-trek/original
- swoop-patagonia.com/regions/ice-cap/ice-field
- swoop-patagonia.com/argentina/los-glaciares/marconi-pass
- swoop-patagonia.com/argentina/los-glaciares/el-chalten/cerro-solo
- exodus.co.uk/trips/argentina-holidays/walking/classic-patagonia-treks/taf
- exodus.co.uk/trips/argentina-holidays/culture/discover-patagonia/aah
- keadventure.com/holidays/chile-trekking-patagonia-fitz-roy-paine
- keadventure.com/holidays/chile-argentina-trekking-patagonia-paine-circuit
- muchbetteradventures.com/en-us/products/10969-adventures-hike-w-trek-patagonia/
- muchbetteradventures.com/explore/trek-patagonia
- intrepidtravel.com/us/chile/patagonia-torres-del-paine-classic-w-trek-167735
- intrepidtravel.com/en/chile/patagonia-torres-del-paine-classic-w-trek-174755
- gadventures.com/trips/torres-del-paine-w-trek/SCWT/
- gadventures.com/trips/torres-del-paine-full-circuit-trek/SCFT/
- alpineascents.com/treks/patagonia-trek/
- alpineascents.com/treks/patagonia-trek/itinerary/
- Each climb’s own page, linked from its “See dates” button.