Traveler Reviews

• 102kristinaz 11-Jan-2023

  We did the Classic 5 day W Trek. Absolutely amazing experience. Love that it kicked off with staying at the domes, so charming and delicious meals were provided. It was so nice to know that all accomodations and details throughout the hike were taken care of. The prep list was very helpful. Love that it ended with a pizza party!

• Andrea R 02-Jan-2023

  My husband and I just completed the W trek with Ricci and team about a week ago, and had an incredible experience overall. We were picked up from the bus in Puerto Natales and then taken to the beautiful Garden Domes, where we had upgraded to the private ecodome (highly recommend). After some tea and snacks, we went to our group dinner and briefing with Ricci at El Brisket. Food was amazing! Ricci gave some helpful advice about the trek and offered some wisdom to help ensure we'd have the best time. Then we went back to the Garden Domes, and we managed to get a nice soak in the hot tub with the most breathtaking views before we were off on our adventure. The next morning we stored our luggage and had a delicious breakfast before leaving for the park via private transportation. We absolutely loved the guide Andy that trekked with us on the first day, and from there the path was extremely easy to self navigate the rest of the way. We enjoyed our refugio experience overall - there was one miscommunication with Domo Frances, where we were supposed to stay in the dorm but instead had camping, but it turned out to be super fun and Ricci made it right by refunding us some money, since camping was less expensive. The only reason I am not giving a 5 star rating is that communication between Ricci/team and guests could be improved upon. We returned from our trek at about 10pm with the expectation that we were going to a pizza party with our group and some other groups that had completed the trek that day, only to find out that they had overbooked the Garden Domes that evening and most of the group did not have a place to stay. Some people were panicking out about this, which caused a tizzy - this is understandable, especially after a 5 day hike, a long journey back to Puerto Natales, and how late it was. Ricci made it right immediately by booking all of us in the nicest hotel in town, but the whole situation could have been avoided had his team given us a heads up about this a day or two in advance so we'd know what to expect upon arrival. My husband and I gave Ricci this feedback directly and he was very receptive, but I do believe in writing honest reviews so think it's important to share our whole experience. We initially chose Chiletours due to pricing, as they were much less expensive than other tour operators that we researched, and they ended up really surpassing our expectations. Overall, Ricci/team took excellent care of us and I would absolutely recommend Chiletours to anyone that wants to do the W trek and not have to deal with the logistical hassles that come with booking (ie booking refugios individually, transport to and from Puerto Natales, etc.). We travel a ton, and this was one of our favorite trips yet!

• Michelle_f 22-Dec-2022

  First off - everyone else in my group booked from GYG, and while their lunch wasn’t included, they paid LESS THAN HALF of what I did! Viator’s ‘Low Price Guarantee’ is total baloney, so find this on another site and book through that! I am an experienced hiker (albeit a little out of practice) and I definitely underestimated this hike, as did a few others in the group. We had hectic weather that flip flopped between hot and sunny, hot and rainy, cold and sunny, and cold and downpour, back and forth, so we were always soaked in either sweat or rain. We all used every item of clothing we brought. So come prepared with a lot of layers and waterproof jackets/pants! Our guide Francia was amazing! Super positive and cheerful, but made sure we took water breaks and photo breaks whenever we needed. ‘the easy part’ of the hike is a very steep first hour that will get your heart pumping. We had to move quickly to summit before the downpour, so hopefully you won’t have to move as fast. Definitely use walking sticks if you can, and just keep at it! The windy pass - fortunately we didn’t have any wind, but this open landscape is probably very tough and dangerous on a windy day. Some inclines and declines, but not as steep as other parts. The forest - this was a lovely section. It was peaceful and shaded with a few bridge crossings that make for great photo spots. The final steep rocky ascent - this is mostly loose rock, so a little unstable and very slippery when wet. Take your time and use your hands on the way up and down if you need to. When we reached the base, we couldn’t see the towers at all because of the fog, but the lake and the setting was super beautiful regardless. It is a worthwhile hike, but it’s definitely not easy!

• 355dishay 27-Mar-2022

  Thank you to Favian and Mattias for providing an amazing trip to the base of las Torres mountain. They were so helpful and supportive when taking us up the trail. We had such a great recommendation and recommend this trip to everyone! Hotel pickup and the driver made us feel safe as well.

• Shwetaiyer 01-Mar-2022

  We did the 4 day W trek with Chiletour in Dec 2021. Maria greeted us at the lodging and was fantastic in making us feel welcomed and fed. Our guides were amazing, we spent most of our time with Cristian who knew EVERYTHING about the mountains and made us comfortable. He even carried some of my weight to make the trek more enjoyable. Nico was also an excellent guide and made us warm tea to enjoy at the top of the hike. Rodrigo, our driver, also ensured that we had everything we needed before and after our hike. Cannot say enough about this great group who made our experience phenomenal!

• Joelmill 21-Feb-2022

  From the time we booked our trip until we left Chile, we received only the best service from Ricci and Maria and the whole team. We always got fast responses on our emails and Ricci helped us navigate the COVID protocols. Maria made our cabin in Puerto Natales feel like a home away from home. And of course, the W Trek was amazing. Ricci handled everything so we could really enjoy the hike. We knew we were in good hands. If you enjoy hiking, this is a must! Even if you've never backpacked before, this is great, because you don't need to worry about food, water or camping. Go!

• Keventalbert 20-Feb-2022

  Superb experience and well orchestrated by staff. Base operations has a personal friend of owner serving as a concierge for send off and welcome back. All reservations at refugios, campground and meals (to include box lunches) were excellent. Four great aspects of each day: 1) Guide led climb up to Glacier Lake at Base of three towers- three climate changes in 7 hours, to include a little bit of snow; 2) Beautiful trek along pristine lake with high winds (always); 3) French Valley ascent with beautiful overlook- saw glaciers rumble and calve! 4) Trek up and down to see ice fields-spectacular. Boat and bus ride crowded, causing delay; so we suggested adding service. Good news which we didn’t hear in time is that you can now rent sleeping bag and mat. Perseverance with COVID travel into Chile required, but worth it!

• Anand S 01-Mar-2020

  The W trek is of course incredible, an anyone on this page researching whether or not to do it... DO IT! And I'm so glad I did it with Chiletour Patagonia! As a solo traveller Ricci and all the staff were incredibly helpful and looked after me with advice and support. The accommodation and food is VERY good and they sort out all the logistics and everything went so smoothly. I had a personal issue that meant I was being quite flakey with committing to the trip and Ricci went above and beyond to accommodate me. @Ricci - if you're reading this, thank you so much for making the W trek one of the highlights of my whole travelling experience.

• Globetrottingteacher 16-Feb-2020

  If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you’re weighing your options on how to schedule a trip to Torres del Paine. Let me save you valuable time and cut to the chase— book via ChileTour and you’ll start and ends at the Garden Domes & Cabins. Cecilia is fast in responding, detail oriented and very professional. She answered all of my many questions, as I was a solo traveler who likes to know every aspect of my trip. The Garden Domes are unique and quite fun. Everyone dines in a dome, there is a dome with couches and such to hang out in, and if you want, you can book to have a room with a dome. I chose a cabin instead, and was delighted to have it overlooking the sea and mountains. The food at the Garden Domes and with Chiletour is outstanding and plentiful. You’ll enjoy it, and you can’t go hungry. The staff here is welcoming, friendly, and willing to help in any way. Richie, the owner, is the creative genius behind this operation and his latest addition is 4 tiny houses that are right outside the park. After you hike to the base of Torres del Paine the first night, it’s fabulous to come back knowing you’ll have a great meal and a great night in a comfortable bed without having to tent or check into a refugio (neither of those are bad, but it’s really nice to just have a known entity when you’re weary after a long first day in the park). Richie is cool under pressure, accommodating, and speaks 7 languages! Liz and Gonzalo work the reception desk and are delightful as well. They helped me add onto my stay, as I had a kayaking trip after TdP. I liked the Garden Domes so much that I booked them as an extension, forfeiting a non-refundable room elsewhere that I had previously booked. This is saying a lot, as I like to save anywhere I can! For me, it was worth knowing I’d be comfortable, have a peaceful atmosphere and I didn’t even know about the awesome hot tub they have until Richie suggested I try it out. What a great surprise! Now, about ChileTour. You have numerous options. I chose the classic tour. This was right for me because it was my first time trekking, and also because a I wanted to add the ice hike. Some did the 4 day “active” tour, which is fine, but they couldn’t add on the ice hike (which was SPECTACULAR) and I felt they rushed the last day (which in the classic is broken into 2 days). The active might be right for you, if you don’t mind less stops the last day, and you don’t want to ice hike. There was also a small group who did day hikes and stayed in the tiny house. Though they didn’t see as much of the park, they didn’t have to carry a full pack on any of their hikes. Whichever you choose, it’s great to know that you’ll be taken care of, treated like family, known by name when you return for your celebratory dinner and be sure to check out the hot tub! Now save all the review reading, do yourself a favor, book ChileTour with Garden Domes and Cabins, then relax. You’re in excellent hands. Have a great adventure at TdP. It’s breathtakingly beautiful.

• Bk53123 31-Jan-2020

  Did the W-trek active. The hike and accommodations are amazing. Staff that works for the company during the hike are fantastic. Prior to the hike there were many unanswered emails, they booked a bus ticket so late I completely missed the orientation/first night and a month after the hike I have not been refunded for a bus ticket I eventually had to book for myself (despite multiple requests). The most alarming thing was when a driver failed to pick up a solo female traveler. Wish I could recommend this company because once I was on the hike things were good, but I unfortunately have to caution people when booking through them.