If there’s one place you’ve heard about in Patagonia, bets are it’s Torres del Paine National Park.
This protected area in Southern Chilean Patagonia is best known as the location of the W trek or the O Circuit – two of South America’s most splendid multi-day hikes.
However, you can also visit Torres del Paine National Park for day hikes, a great option if you:
a) don’t fancy lugging a backpack around with you
b) want to stay in more luxurious accommodations, or
c) just don’t have the five days required for hiking the W.
As with all the posts about Patagonia on the site, I’ve gone into extensive detail about my 15 favourite trails in Torres del Paine.
Not only this, you can find extremely useful logistical information to help you visit the park via public transport or your own vehicle, as well as tips and tricks to ensure that your visit goes without a hitch and you don’t miss out on any of the park’s spectacular trails and dazzling viewpoints.

The Best Torres del Paine day hikes
The following trails include viewpoints that require little to no hiking, as well as short and medium-length day hikes. Three of the latter (marked as *W TREK*) form the different segments of the W but can be hiked separately as day hikes.
I’ve also included sample day hike itineraries that show how you can plan a couple of days in the national park, as well as how you can stitch together parts of the W into three days of hiking.
The trails are listed from south to north as if you were entering the national park via the Portería Serrano entrance. To get to this entrance, drive north out of Puerto Natales and take the Y-290 to Portería Serrano.
This is the prettiest drive into the national park, so I highly recommend taking this road if you’ve got your own transport.
Torres del Paine hiking trail map
Hikes 1 to 8
Hikes 9 to 15
On the day hikes below, I’ve indicated their location via OpenStreetMap.org, a fantastic resource that can be downloaded to your mobile (and used offline if you download the correct maps in advance!) as Maps.Me. I’ve also found All Trails handy, but you’ll need to pay for offline maps.
I highly recommend downloading this before you arrive at the park. The park rangers will also provide a map when you pay your entrance fee.
I’m not 100% sure if it’s this map (they used to have a different one and I believe this is the updated version), but it has all of the hikes marked clearly on it, so it is a great tool for when you are planning.
South section of Torres del Paine National Park (Portería Serrano entrance)
1. Mirador Pehoé (viewpoint)
- Location: Just before Hotel Lago Grey, on the Y-150 from the Administración (national park headquarters) to Hotel Lago Grey
- Length: None; viewpoint is directly from the road
- Difficulty: Easy
- Facilities: None
- When to do it: On a clear day if you want to see the Los Cuernos mountains at their most impressive.

This viewpoint allows striking vistas of Lago Pehoé and the Los Cuernos mountains, although the views are somewhat less impressive than those from Mirador Cóndor (see below).
2. Mirador Monte Ferrier
- Location: Starts a few kilometers beyond Hotel Lago Grey on the Y-150 from the Administración to Hotel Lago Grey, just next to the Río Pingo Cafeteria. A ranger station (where you must register your visit) is located next door. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
- Length: 4km (2.5 miles), 2.25 hrs return
- Difficulty: Hard
- Facilities: Parking and café facilities are available at the Río Pingo Cafeteria.
- When to do it: Views are impressive but the wind can be fierce – and freezing – here. If it’s really cloudy, you won’t see much.
This trek is challenging because it involves a very steep climb (an ascent of around 700m (2,300 ft.) over just two km) to reach the top.
However, once you get there, you can expect incredible panoramas of Lago Grey with Glaciar Grey beyond. You’ll also see the Los Cuernos mountains rising above Lago Pehoé and Lago Nordenskjöld. Although, as I experienced in September 2022, the views aren’t as impressive if visibility is poor!
3. Mirador Zapata (only with a guide)
- Location: Starts a few kilometers beyond Hotel Lago Grey on the Y-150 from the Administración to Hotel Lago Grey, just next to the Río Pingo Cafeteria. A ranger station (where you must register your visit) is located next door. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
- Length: 10km (6 miles), 5.5 hrs to Campamento Zapata one-way, further 3km (1.8 miles), 1.5 hrs to Mirador Zapata
- Difficulty: Hard
- Facilities: Parking and café facilities available at the Río Pingo Cafeteria.
- When to do it: Views are impressive even if it’s a cloudy day, although the wind can be fierce – and freezing – here.
This steep climb cuts out into the very west of the national park, skirting the Río Pingo before turning to the south. Once you arrive at the mirador, expect sweeping views of Glaciar Pingo perched above Lago Pingo, as well as the glittering bulk of Glaciar Zapata in the south.

Keep an eye out for huemul and other endemic wildlife on this hike!
4. Mirador Lago Grey
- Location: Starts a few kilometers beyond Hotel Lago Grey at the very end of the Y-150 from the Administración to Hotel Lago Grey. You will find the Río Pingo Cafeteria and a ranger station. You need to cross the suspension bridge over the Río Pingo. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
- Length: 5km (3 miles), 1.5-2 hrs
- Difficulty: Easy
- Facilities: Parking and café facilities available at the Río Pingo Cafeteria.
- When to do it: Views are impressive even if it’s a cloudy day, although the wind can be fierce here.

This trail takes you down onto a sandy peninsular overlooking Lago Grey. Glaciar Grey is far in the distance, but you’ll see huge bergs of ice bobbing in the frigid waters and the sweeping mountainous landscapes of the Cordillera Paine rising out of the background.
5. Lazo-Weber Trail
- Location: Starts from the main road 700 m beyond Puente Weber, a bridge 2.7km (1.6 miles) north of the Administración along the Y-150. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
- Length: Varies; the full Lazo-Weber trail is 14km (8.7 miles), 4-5 hrs one-way; to just Mirador del Toro (5km (3 miles), 1.25hrs return). Full adapted loop via Mirador del Toro, Laguna Honda, and Paso La Feria (11km (6.8 miles), 3.5hrs.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Facilities: None
- When to do it: Views are impressive even if it’s a cloudy day, although the wind can be fierce here.
The Lazo-Weber trail grants wide panoramas of the full backdrop of the Los Cuernos and the whole Cordillera Paine/Paine Massif range. However, this hike is a one-way route, so you’ll need to hike back on yourself, which makes for a very long day hike.
Instead, you can adapt the hike and do a loop from Puente Weber, climbing steeply up to Mirador del Toro (2.5km (1.5 miles), 45 mins) for views north across the Cordillera Paine and south towards Lake Toro and the Serrano Valley.
The trail then continues on a mostly flat gradient northeast to Laguna Honda (4.5km (2.8 miles), 2 hrs), before looping back to Paso La Feria (7km (4.4 miles), 3 hrs) to descend back down to Puente Weber (via a short stretch of the road; 4km (2.5 miles), 1 hr).
Central section of Torres del Paine National Park (Portería Serrano or Portería Laguna Amarga/Portería Lago Sarmiento entrances)
6. Mirador Salto Chico
- Location: Starts from the entrance to Hotel Explora, 800 m south of Camping Pehoé on the Y-150 between Administración and the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
- Length: 300 m, 20 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
- Facilities: Parking and restaurant available at Camping Pehoé
- When to do it: Views are impressive even if it’s a cloudy day.
Starting from the access road to the exclusive Explora Patagonia, this short trail isn’t really open to non-guests of the hotel, but if you’re sneaky enough, you can wander around to the back of the hotel for exceptional views of Lago Pehoé and Los Cuernos.

©serg_did – stock.adobe.com
You’ll also find the gushing waters of Salta Chico, a small waterfall that drains from Lago Pehoé into Lago del Toro, located here.
7. Mirador Cóndor
- Location: Starts from Camping Pehoé or from the pull-out 200m further north, on the Y-150 between Administración and the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
- Length: 3km (1.9 miles), 2-2.5 hrs return
- Difficulty: Medium
- Facilities: Pull-out parking area just off the main road and there’s a restaurant at Camping Pehoé
- When to do it: Views are impressive even if it’s a cloudy day, although the wind can be fierce here.
The trail climbs up, slowly at first, and with a steep final gradient to reach a viewpoint that offers one of the national park’s most ubiquitous (and spectacular!) views. Expect sweeping vistas of Lago Pehoé and the serrated, horn-shaped Los Cuernos mountains as they rear out of the Cordillera Paine range.
You might even catch a glimpse of the Southern Patagonia Ice Field in the northwest (Glaciar Grey is one of its tongues), or the gleaming waters of Lago Sarmiento de Gamboa out east.

Keep an eye on the sky above; the trail is named after the condors that circle the mountains here.
You can also turn this into a loop (3.5km (2.2 miles), 2-3 hrs) and start at either Camping Pehoé or Hostería Pehoé. Note that this route involves hiking for 1.2 kilometers down the Y-150 road to return to where you left the car.
8. Mirador Cardan
- Location: Starts from across the road from Camping Pehoé, on the Y-150 between Administración and the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
- Length: 200 m, 10-min return
- Difficulty: Easy
- Facilities: Parking area for Camping Pehoé
- When to do it: Views are impressive even if it’s a cloudy day, although the wind can be fierce here.

This short, flat trail leads to a beach overlooking Lago Pehoé, with sensational views of the Cordillera Paine and the park’s iconic “horns”, Los Cuernos.
9. Mirador Cuernos and Salto Grande
- Location: Trail begins at the very end of the turn-off for the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
- Length: 6.5km (4 miles), 2-2.5 hrs return
- Difficulty: Easy
- Facilities: Car park and cafeteria at the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp.
- When to do it: Views are impressive even if it’s a cloudy day, although the wind can be fierce here.
No other day hike in Torres del Paine gets quite so close to the mythical Los Cuernos, the horn-like mountains that dominate the Cordillera Paine.
This easy trail heads west out to Salto Grande, a gushing thunder of water as it passes between Lago Nordenskjöld through to Lago Pehoé.

Afterward, you continue north across the flat grassy plains to where Los Cuernos seem to rise out of the earth above the brooding, aqua waters of Lago Nordenskjöld. This is one of the park’s ultimate viewpoints.
10. Glaciar Grey – *W TREK*
- Location: Trailhead begins at Paine Grande Refugio and Camping. To get here, you need to take the catamaran across Lago Pehoé from the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. The ferry costs $26,000 CLP ($30 USD) one way and I highly recommend reserving in advance on their website as demand outstrips supply. You can also check ferry timetables on their website. Typically, there are two ferries daily in September, three daily in October, November, March and April, and four daily December through February). If you purchased your tickets online, you’ll need to be at the ferry queuing 15 minutes before the departure time. The ferry takes 30 mins to cross the lake; you need to return the way you came back to Paine Grande to take the last ferry across the lake at 6.40pm. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
- Length: Varies; to the viewpoint just beyond the campsite, it’s 24km (15 miles), 7-8 hrs return. To the second rope bridge, it’s 31km (19 miles), 9.5-10.5 hrs return.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Facilities: Car parking is available at the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. There is also a café located here.
- When to do it: This can be hiked even if the weather and visibility aren’t great, as you should still be able to see the glaciers from the viewpoints.
This trek brings you close to the snout of the six-kilometer-wide Glaciar Grey, with a series of miradors granting ever-closer views. The best is at Quebrada de los Vientos (Windy Gorge), an hour after starting the hike.

Beyond this point, the trail skirts the barren cliffside above the cloudy waters of the lake, before descending through lenga forest, to arrive at Guardería Glaciar Grey and the Grey campsite and refugio.
From the campsite, an additional one kilometer through the forest brings you to two viewpoints lying just a kilometer from the glacier’s snout and from where it’s possible to watch the bus-sized chunks of ice bobbing in the waters – or calving if you’re lucky.
If you’re a fast walker, you can extend this trek by continuing a further 2km (1.2mi) to reach the first of two rope bridges (the second is a further 1.5km, 0.9 miles) that lie practically alongside the glacier and grant even more striking views. Continue a further 2.5km (1.5mi; around a one-hour hike) along the path along the edge of the glacier to reach a series of two rope bridges hanging over ravines.
From here you get the best views of the glacier and, if you’re lucky and it’s a clear day, the Southern Patagonian Ice Field beyond.
Return the way you came; you need to be back at Paine Grande to take the last ferry across the lake at 6.40pm.

If you’re a fast walker, you can extend this trek by continuing a further two kilometers to reach the first of two rope bridges (the second is a further 1.5km, 0.9 miles) that lie practically alongside the glacier and grant even more striking views.
11. Valle Francés – *W TREK*
- Location: Trailhead begins at Paine Grande campsite and refugio. To get here, you need to take the catamaran across Lago Pehoé from the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. The ferry costs $26,000 CLP ($30 USD) one way and I highly recommend reserving in advance on their website as demand outstrips supply. You can also check ferry timetables on their website. Typically, there are two ferries daily in September, three daily in October, November, March and April, and four daily December through February). If you purchased your tickets online, you’ll need to be at the ferry queuing 15 minutes before the departure time. The ferry takes 30 mins to cross the lake; you need to return the way you came back to Paine Grande to take the last ferry across the lake at 6.40pm. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
- Length: 25km (15.5 miles), 8-9 hrs.
- Difficulty: Medium
- Facilities: Car parking is available at the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. There is also a café located here.
- When to do it: This is best hiked in good weather for the best views of the glaciers perched on the mountains above.
This trail takes you into the second of the national park’s most famous valleys, Valle Francés. The trail heads northeast this time, skirting Lago Skottberg and keeping Los Cuernos directly ahead (although you can’t see their unique shape from this angle).
After about one kilometer (15 mins) of walking from Paine Grande, you hit a fork. Take the right-hand fork along the new trail that takes you around the southern shore of Lago Skottberg. It offers pretty views of the lake and Los Cuernos behind and has fewer hikers on it than the old trail (the left-hand fork).
From here, it’s a further eight kilometers (2.5 hrs) to reach the national park ranger-manned Campamento Italiano, where the trail that climbs into the valley begins.

It’s an hour’s steep and rocky climb up to Mirador Francés, where you can absorb the views of Glaciar Francés as it clings to the mountainside in the west.
Return to Campamento Italiano and then go back the way you came, this time taking the old trail (take the right-hand fork just after you cross the Rio Francés). You need to be back at Paine Grande to take the last ferry across the lake at 6.40pm.
A note on combining the Glaciar Grey and Valle Francés hikes:
The price of the catamaran ferry that takes you to the trailhead for both the Glaciar Grey and the Valle Francés hikes has increased significantly in the past year. The ferry now costs $30 USD/$27,000 CLP one-way – which adds up to $60 USD/$54,000 CLP per round trip.
Therefore, if you want to hike both the Glaciar Grey and the Valle Francés hikes, it’s much more affordable to stay overnight at Paine Grande campground and refugio (find out more about making reservations for campgrounds and the refugios in Torres del Paine), rather than returning each night to your accommodation elsewhere in the national park.
The bonus of this is that it grants you more hiking time, which is beneficial if you wish to extend the Valle Francés trek up to Mirador Británico (see below).
12. Mirador Británico
- Location: Trailhead continues from the Valle Francés lookout. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
- Length: Add 7km (4.3 miles), and 3 hrs to the Valle Francés hike above
- Difficulty: Hard
- Facilities: None
- When to do it: This is best hiked in good weather because you won’t be able to see the glaciers above or the amphitheater of mountains at Mirador Británico if it’s too cloudy.
One of the park’s most spectacular (and underrated viewpoints!) is the Mirador Británico (Británico Lookout). A carpet of lush lenga forest leads to a ring of toothy granite peaks, which include the backs of the three-horned Cuernos del Paine. It’s one of the park’s most stunning viewpoints— although only when the sky is clear.

Keep your eyes peeled for huemul (a rare, endemic species of deer) who are visitors to this part of the park.
This is an extension to the Valle Francés day hike. However, to do this, you will need to make a reservation either at Francés (a campground operated by Las Torres, a 30-minute walk east of Campamento Italiano) or at Paine Grande (a campground operated by Vertice Patagonia, a 2.5-hour, 7.6km (4.7 miles) hike back the way you came from Campamento Italiano).
This is because, otherwise, it’s unlikely you will hike fast enough to get back to the catamaran for the final ferry at 6.40pm.
Note that the elevation gain is 783 m (2,568 ft.) from Campamento Italiano to Mirador Británico.
13. Mirador Nordenskjöld (Viewpoint)
- Location: Located 7km (4.3 miles) east of the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp along the Y-150
- Length: None; viewpoint accessed directly from the road
- Elevation gain: N/A
- Difficulty: Easy
- Facilities: Parking in the pull-out on the road.
- When to do it: This can be visited in any weather.

This viewpoint looks out across Lago Nordenskjöld for a different perspective of the Los Cuernos (this time from the east) and the Cordillera Paine range.
East section of Torres del Paine (Portería Laguna Amarga/Portería Lago Sarmiento entrance)
14. Mirador Las Torres – *W TREK*
- Location: Trailhead starts 700 m west of the Centro de Bienvenida/car park. Entrance to the trail lies 600 m before you reach Hotel las Torres at the end of the road from Portería Laguna Amarga to the hotel. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
- Length: 20km (12.5 miles), 7-8 hrs
- Difficulty: Hard
- Facilities: The car park is at the Centro de Bienvenida (Welcome Centre). There’s also a cafeteria located here.
- When to do it: Best hiked on your clearest, best weather day as you want a good view of the towers. If you can start early and get there for sunrise or a little after, the views are incredible as the sun lights up the towers with a dramatic orange hue.
This is the park’s most acclaimed hike, offering dazzling views of its namesake three granite torres (towers), which sit high up in the Cordillera Paine above the milky-blue Laguna Torres.

This is an upwards slog from the beginning, with a four-hour climb (10km, 6 miles) up through the narrow Valle Ascencio as the trail clings to the valley sides before crossing the Río Ascencio where Chileno campground and refugio is located.
Here, the trail disappears into forests of lenga and coigue before emerging out into open rocky moraine, which becomes the size of boulders as you climb the final kilometer or so up to Mirador Las Torres and the ultimate in Patagonian viewpoints. All-in-all, it’s a 900-meter (3,000-ft) elevation gain.
To finish the trek, head back on yourself and enjoy the trail – it’s all downhill after all!
15. Laguna Azul
- Location: Trail starts just beyond the Portería Laguna Azul, in the northeast of the park, on the Y-160 connecting the Portería Laguna Amarga and the Portería Laguna Azul. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
- Length: 20km (12 miles), 4.5-5 hrs return
- Difficulty: Easy
- Facilities: Parking available at Portería Laguna Azul.
- When to do it: This can be visited in any weather, although if it’s too cloudy, you won’t be able to see the towers.
Starting from Laguna Azul, this is a pleasant flat trail that passes through meadows and lenga forests destroyed by forest fires to end at Laguna Cebolla. From here, return the way you came.

At Laguna Azul, you can also see the three granite towers after which the park is named rising out of the Cordillera Paine, thus offering one of the best views of the towers outside of doing the full hike to Mirador Las Torres. Be here for sunset or sunrise, when the towers are lit up.
While walking here, you may also spot guanaco (a delicate relative of the llama), which are prevalent in the eastern plains of the national park.
Two- and three-day self-guided Torres del Paine hiking tours
While I’d recommend at least three or four days in Torres del Paine National Park, if you’re short on time, two days is enough time to complete two of the segments of the W trek or one W trek segment and one day hiking shorter day trails and visiting viewpoints across the park.

In three days, it’s also possible to hike the three most impressive sections of the W Trek (Mirador Las Torres, Glaciar Grey, and Valle Francés).
Two-day itinerary: including two segments of the W Trek (Mirador Las Torres and Glaciar Grey)
Day One: Mirador Las Torres
Leave Puerto Natales at 7am and drive to Torres del Paine National Park, entering at the Portería Laguna Amarga in the east of the national park (113km (70 miles), 1.5 hrs). Show your pre-booked entrance ticket and drive to the Centro de Bienvenida (8km (5 miles), 20 mins) for the trailhead for Mirador Las Torres.
Bring a packed lunch and spend the day hiking up to the Mirador Las Torres and back (20km (12 miles), 7-8 hrs).
Drive to your accommodation in the park (Hostería Pehoé and Camping Pehoé are well-located for getting to the catamaran tomorrow morning).
Day Two: Glaciar Grey
Take a packed lunch and drive to the Pudeto catamaran ferry dock for 8.15am to join the queue for the 8.30am crossing. Be sure to purchase your ticket in advance here. Board the ferry; it’ll take 30 minutes to reach Paine Grande.

From Paine Grande, trek to the viewpoint for Glaciar Grey just beyond the Grey campsite and refugio (24km (15 miles), 7-8 hrs return).
Return to Paine Grande for 6.15pm to board the 6.40pm crossing. Return to your lodgings or drive back to Puerto Natales via the Portería Serrano entrance in the south of the national park (104km (65 miles), two hrs).
Two-day itinerary: including one segment of the W Trek (Mirador Las Torres) and day hikes
Day One: Mirador Las Torres
Leave Puerto Natales at 7am and drive to Torres del Paine National Park, entering at the Portería Laguna Amarga in the east of the national park (113km (70 miles), 1.5 hrs). Show your pre-booked entrance ticket and drive to the Centro de Bienvenida (8km (5 miles), 20 mins) for the trailhead for Mirador Las Torres.

Bring a packed lunch and spend the day hiking up to the Mirador Las Torres and back (20km (12.5 miles), 7-8 hrs).
Drive to your accommodation in the park (Hostería Pehoé and Camping Pehoé are well-located for getting to the catamaran tomorrow morning).
Day Two: Day hikes
Get up early and drive to the Pudeto catamaran ferry dock. Hike the trail to Mirador
Cuernos via Salto Grande (6.5km (4 miles), 2-2.5 hrs return). Have lunch in the café at Pudeto or at Parrilla Pehoé (the restaurant at Camping Pehoé).
From Camping Pehoé, take the steep path up to Mirador Cóndor for sensational views of Los Cuernos and the panorama of the Cordillera Paine with Lago Pehoé and Lago Nordenskjöld beneath (3km (1.9 miles), 2-2.5 hrs return).
Back at the car, don’t miss the short trail to Mirador Cardan (200m, 10-min return), which has splendid views of the mountains reflected in the lake.
Three-day itinerary: including three segments of the W trek (Mirador Las Torres, Glaciar Grey and Valle Francés)
Day One: Mirador Las Torres
Leave Puerto Natales at 7am and drive to Torres del Paine National Park, entering at the Portería Laguna Amarga in the east of the national park (113km (70 miles), 1.5 hrs). Show your pre-booked entrance ticket and drive to the Centro de Bienvenida (8km (5 miles), 20 mins) for the trailhead for Mirador Las Torres.
Bring a packed lunch and spend the day hiking up to the Mirador Las Torres and back (20km (12 miles), 7-8 hrs).
Drive to your accommodation in the park (Hostería Pehoé and Camping Pehoé are well-located for getting to the catamaran tomorrow morning).
Day Two: Glaciar Grey
Drive to the Pudeto catamaran ferry dock for 8.15am to join the queue for the 8.30am crossing. Be sure to purchase your ticket in advance here. Board the ferry; it’ll take 30 minutes to reach Paine Grande.

At Paine Grande, trek to the viewpoint for Glaciar Grey just beyond the Grey campsite and refugio (24km (15 miles), 7-8 hrs return).
Return to Paine Grande and stay here for the night, in either camping or dormitory accommodation.
Food can be arranged in advance for an additional cost in their cafeteria. (Find out more about making reservations for campgrounds and the refugios in Torres del Paine)
Day Three: Valle Francés
Get up early and leave Paine Grande by 9am, taking the trail east that skirts Lago Skottberg. Climb the rocky trail up to Mirador Francés and then return back to Paine Grande via the new trail that goes around the eastern edge of Lago Skottberg (23km (14 miles), 7-8 hrs).

If you’re a very fast and fit hiker, you could potentially hike all the way up to Mirador Británico (extra 7km (4 miles) three hrs round-trip).
Be back to Paine Grande for 6.15pm to take the last ferry of the day across the lake at 6.40pm. Drive back to Puerto Natales via the Portería Serrano entrance in the south of the national park (104km (65 miles), two hrs).
General recommendations for hiking in Torres del Paine National Park
Food and dining
There are a number of restaurants, cafés, and even minimarkets in the park, but food is extortionately priced ($18,000 CLP ($20 USD) upwards for an entree) and generally of pretty poor quality.
You can buy box lunches from most hotels and restaurants, but you’re better off bringing food for lunch from the UNIMARC supermarket in Puerto Natales.

Unless you’re staying in self-catering accommodation or camping with cooking equipment, it’s likely you will need to dine at your hotel restaurant, or you can opt to eat at one of the hotel restaurants open to non-guests. These include:
- Restaurant Pehoé Parrilla (at Camping Pehoé)
- The restaurant in Hostería Pehoé
- Río Pingo Cafeteria (which also has a minimarket)
- The restaurant in Hotel Lago Grey
- The restaurant or bar in Hotel Las Torres
Drinking water is available at all accommodations. If you want to drink water from the rivers or streams in the park, I strongly recommend investing in a Steripen or Grayl Geopress (read why they’re the best travel and backpacking water filters) to sterilize the water and avoid you getting ill.
Money
Most hotels and restaurants in the national park accept card, but it’s best to confirm this when you book.
There are no ATMs in the national park, so you will need to withdraw cash in Puerto Natales.
Entrance ticket
The entrance ticket covers either up to three days in the national park ($31,200 CLP/34 USD adult) or over three days in the park ($44,500 CLP/49 USD adult). This means that, if you stay in one of the accommodations that are on the outside of the park, you can enter for as many consecutive days as your ticket allows.
However, if you stay in an accommodation inside the national park, you can remain within Torres del Paine for as many days as you wish.
You must book your ticket before you enter the national park on this website. You can no longer purchase tickets at the park entrances.
Download your QR code before leaving Puerto Natales as you won’t have internet connection in the park (well, if you use a local Entel sim then you will have it in some areas).
Remember to bring your passport with you to show at the entrance.
When can you do these day hikes in Torres del Paine National Park?
From October through the end of April, most of the hikes listed below can be hiked without a guide. However, Mirador Las Torres is the exception. This trail can be hiked without a guide from September through the end of April
From May through the end of September, it is necessary to have a guide for any hikes in the national park.
This website, which is a directory of local guides, is another option. Guides charge from $100,000 CLP for the day.
Accommodation in Torres del Paine
Because of the distance between the national park and the closest town, Puerto Natales, if you plan on spending a couple of days hiking in Torres del Paine, it makes more sense to find accommodations in or just outside of the park itself.

Lodgings are cheaper in Puerto Natales, but if you add up the cost of traveling into and out of the national park each day (and the time you spend), then it doesn’t wind up being much more affordable staying in Puerto Natales.
However, if you’re still inclined to stay in the town, our guide to the best hotels in Puerto Natales provides our top picks across a variety of budgets.
Alternatively, you have various options in Torres del Paine National Park:
- Hotels – these start from $226,000 CLP ($240 USD) and go up to $2,500 USD per night for a double room in all-inclusive, five-star accommodation. Book through Booking.com
- Guesthouses – these are more affordable, starting from $165,000 CLP ($175 USD) per night for a double room. Book through Booking.com
- Self-catering cabins – even cheaper, these cost from $120,000 CLP ($128 USD) for a four-bed cabin, but there is limited availability. Book through Booking.com
- Refugios – a bed in four-bed dorms in the refuges along the W trek that are owned by Vertice Patagonia and Las Torres start from $61,000 CLP ($65 USD) per person per night. Book through Vertice Patagonia/Las Torres
- Camping – either at Camping Lago Pehoé ($120,000 CLP ($127 USD) two-person dome or $32,000 CLP ($34 USD) campsite for two) or at the campgrounds along the W trek owned by Vertice Patagonia and Las Torres (from $24,000 CLP ($13 USD) campsite for two). Book through Camping Pehoé/Vertice Patagonia/Las Torres.
I’ve written this complete guide to lodgings in Torres del Paine National Park, which is a great place for a more detailed overview of my recommended accommodations for different budgets.
It’s worth pointing out that hotels in the park get booked up well in advance, particularly between December and February which is peak season. Aim to make reservations at least four months in advance for this period.
What equipment do you need for visiting Torres del Paine National Park?
As anyone who’s visited Patagonia will tell you, it’s possible to experience all four seasons in just one day here. Unsurprisingly, the weather can change very fast, so be sure to take extra layers for warmth, a sturdy raincoat, sun cream, sunglasses and a hat.

In the shoulder seasons (October/November and March/April), it can get really chilly at night, so be mindful of this when packing clothing if you’re planning on camping – you probably will want thermals and a three- or four-season sleeping bag.
It’s also recommended to wear sturdy hiking boots or shoes, as some of the hikes are steep and cover areas of rocky moraine. Trekking poles are also very helpful on trails requiring steep climbs, such as the trek up to Mirador Las Torres, Valle Francés and Mirador Británico, and Mirador Ferrier.
A small day pack, such as the 40-litre Osprey, is a good size for day hikes in Patagonia. I’d also suggest lining the bag with a dry bag. This will keep all of your belongings dry if you get caught in a rain storm and is much more reliable than the rain covers that you can use for your pack.
I would also recommend having a day pack with a rain cover as this provides additional protection for electronics and other valuables that you might be carrying.
I’ve written extensively about what to pack for Torres del Paine National Park, with lots of suggestions for rain jackets, clothing, my favorite hiking boots, and other essentials to bring with you.
How to get to Torres del Paine National Park
It’s possible to visit Torres del Paine National Park in one day. However, because it takes around 1.5-2 hours to drive from Puerto Natales (the nearest town) to the park, you can expect a tour of the national park to constitute a very long day.
Visiting Torres del Paine with a tour from Puerto Natales
There are plenty of companies in Puerto Natales that offer different types of one-day tours of Torres del Paine National Park. These either:
- visit various miradors (viewpoints) and a couple of short hikes
- or, involve hiking the final section of the W, the hike up to Mirador Las Torres
For both, you can expect to pay around $55,000 CLP ($60 USD) for the full-day tour, including transportation but not including food or the price of the entrance into the national park..
Visiting Torres del Paine with a rental car
It’s also possible to visit Torres del Paine National Park in one day on your own. This is far easier with a rental vehicle, although it is also possible with public transport.
The problem with the park is that, if you’re not planning on trekking one of the multi-day trails in Torres del Paine National Park, it’s very hard to get around.
As I illustrate below, public transport runs between Puerto Natales, the closest town to the national park, and a couple of destinations in the park.
Because of this, if you don’t hike the W or the Circuit (and therefore hike between where the buses drop off and pick up hikers), or don’t want to visit for just one day and do one part of the W, there is only fairly infrequent public transport to get you around the park.

Bus Sur has opened up new routes through the national park, which means you can move between different stops, however, these buses only leave twice a day in each direction.


Unfortunately, these bus timings still don’t necessarily match up with when you want to be in different parts of the park.
Hitchhiking is another option, but again, there’s no guarantee that there will be people offering to give you a lift (if you choose to hitchhike, read these tips on hitchhiking safely).
Therefore, hiring a rental car in Puerto Natales is your best option. This allows you to visit various trails in one day and, if you are planning on staying overnight in the park, makes it far easier to get between your accommodation and the trailheads.
The roads in the national park are unpaved but in good condition. Therefore, a 4WD is not necessary, although it’s highly recommended to drive slowly to both enjoy the incredible views (!!) and avoid gravel bouncing up and hitting your windscreen.
A note on fuel in the national park: The only issue with driving in Torres del Paine National Park is that the closest gas station is in Puerto Natales. This means that you need to either bring a spare can of gas with you in your vehicle or ensure that you will have enough gas for the duration of your time in the national park. This is easy enough to work out. You can use Google Maps to work out the distance in kilometers from Puerto Natales to the national park and each trailhead.

I’ve also heard that Hotel Las Torres (at the trailhead for the Mirador Las Torres hike) sometimes sells gas to visitors in dire need – however, there is no guarantee they’ll have any to sell and you can expect to pay a lot more than the market value for this!
Visiting Torres del Paine with public transport
To visit Torres del Paine with public transport for the day, you would only be able to do hikes whose trailheads connect with the bus stops in the national park. These bus stops are located at:
- Portería Laguna Amarga – an entrance to the national park located in the east. From here, you can either hike or take a minibus to the trailhead for Mirador Las Torres (#14 on this list).
- Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp – the dock for the catamaran that transports hikers across Lago Pehoé to the Paine Grande campground and refugio. Paine Grande is the trailhead for the hike to Glaciar Grey (#9 on this list) and the hike to Valle Francés/Mirador Británico (#s 10 and 11).
- Camping Pehoé – this is an affordable campground that has access to Mirador Condor (#7).
- Administración – the national park’s main headquarters located in the south of the park and close to the trailhead for the Lazo-Weber Trail (#5 on this list). Buses used to stop here but only a handful still do.
- Lago Hotel Grey – this is a hotel on the shores of Lago Grey and from where you can access the hike up to Mirador Ferrier (#2) and Mirador Zapata (#3)
There are around five companies who take passengers from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine. While you can just turn up at the Terminal Rodoviario (Av. España 1455), the bus station in Puerto Natales, and book onto a bus, demand can outstrip supply, so it’s sensible to book at least a couple of days in advance – even more between December and February – either in person or online.
Tickets generally cost around $31,000 CLP ($33 USD) for a return ticket (which can be used on any of the same company’s buses back from the park).
If you are traveling in a group, consider negotiating a reduced price like we did, which got us a few thousand pesos off per ticket.
Buses from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine National Park
The following timetables indicate public services to the national park operating September 1 through April 30 (unless otherwise stated).
These buses are most helpful if you want to take a day trip to hike to Mirador Las Torres.

If you want to hike any of those from the Pudeto catamaran stop, see the other timetables further below.
A note on getting to the Mirador Las Torres trailhead from Laguna Amarga: Once you arrive at Laguna Amarga, you will need to either hike the 7.6km (4.7 miles), 1.5 hrs of road to reach the trailhead at the Centro de Bienvenida (Welcome Centre) or take the shuttle minibus ($4,000 CLP ($6 USD)) from Laguna Amarga to the Centro de Bienvenida; it works on a first-come, first-served basis. You will also need to do this for the return journey back to Laguna Amarga at the end of the day and according to readers who have taken this service, you can pay with card at the Centro de Bienvenida.
Company Name | Leaves Puerto Natales | Arrives Laguna Amarga (for the W trek from east to west and the O Circuit) | Arrives Pudeto (for the catamaran to Paine Grande and the W trek from west to east) | Arrives Camping Pehoé | Arrives Administración | Arrives Hotel Lago Grey |
Bus Sur | 6.45am | 8.45am | 9.45am | 10am | 10.45am | 11.15am |
7am | 9am | 10am | 10.15am | 11am | 11.30am | |
7.15am | 9am | 10.15am | 10:30am | 11.15am | 11.30am | |
12pm | 2pm | 3pm | 3:30pm | 4pm | 4:30pm | |
(From Nov.)* | 2:30pm | 4:30pm | 5:15pm | 5:30pm | – | – |
Pre-pandemic, the following companies also offered services. However, their websites are no longer active and I can’t find them on any local booking sites. That doesn’t mean they don’t have buses, however; if you can’t get a reservation with Bus Sur then it’s still worth going to the bus terminal in Puerto Natales as some will likely still be in operation and with similar departure times:
- Transport Maria José (tel. 61/2410 951)
- Buses Gómez (tel. 61/2415700)
- JB Buses Patagonia (tel. 61/2410 242)
- Buses Juan Ojeda (tel. 9/8943 7808)
*Service available November through April
Buses from Torres del Paine National Park to Puerto Natales
Company name | Leaves Hotel Lago Grey | Leaves Administración | Leaves Camping Pehoé | Leaves Pudeto (for the catamaran to Paine Grande and the W trek from west to east) | Leaves Laguna Amarga | Arrives Puerto Natales |
Bus Sur | – | – | – | 10.30am | 11am | 1pm |
1.30pm | 2pm | 2.15pm | 2.30pm | 3pm | 5.05pm | |
5.30pm | 6pm | 6.15pm | 7pm | 8.20pm | 9.30pm | |
– | – | – | 7.30pm | 8.15pm | 9.30pm | |
– | – | – | – | 8.20pm | 9.35pm | |
As above, there should be other companies offering buses to and from Puerto Natales into the park; visit the Terminal Rodovario in Puerto Natales to find out if you can’t make a reservation with Bus Sur.
Meridith
Sunday 31st of December 2023
Hi there! Just to update everyone....the tickets for TDP are $55 USD for 4 or more days.
Steph Dyson
Sunday 14th of January 2024
Thanks Meridith
Nick
Monday 13th of November 2023
Hi Steph, thanks for your helpful articles! We will be hiring a car and staying four nights outside the park - three in Rio Serrano area and one outside the Amarga entrance. We are planning to do day hikes and other activities depending on inclination & weather. Do you know if the US$49 entrance ticket allows us to enter the park on four consecutive days from the two entrances? Thanks, Nick
Steph Dyson
Thursday 23rd of November 2023
Hi Nick, yes it does. Steph
Tim
Monday 9th of October 2023
Thanks for the info here! just wondering if you could clarify your comments only with a guide on zapata? is this a rule or recommendation? We are doing 5 days out of Konkashken lodge, wanted weather flexibility and the circuits felt a bit too crowded + commercialized for our backcountry tastes. with prebooked accommodation just outside the park, would you still recommend paine grande accommodation or do catamaran twice?
Steph Dyson
Thursday 23rd of November 2023
Hi Tim, I would still recommend Paine Grande as the catamaran is very expensive. To hike Zapata you must have a guide - that is a rule, not a recommendation. Steph
Sarah
Saturday 22nd of July 2023
Hi Steph, In the Three-day itinerary: including three segments of the W trek - the second night would be spent in Paine Grande as per your itinerary. If we did this itinerary, we would have our hire care. Can you leave that hire car at the Pudeto catamaran ferry port overnight whilst we spend the night in Paine Grande? Thanks, Sarah
Steph Dyson
Wednesday 20th of September 2023
Hi Sarah, yes that should be fine. Steph
Veronica
Sunday 16th of July 2023
Hello,
Thank you for doing such a detailed write-up! I am interested in doing the 3 day segments of the W-trail that you've outlined, with the Mirador Las Torres, Glaciar Grey and Valle Francés. You suggest returning by 6:30 pm for the ferry. However, if we were to stay at Paine Grande refugio after that hike, do you know when the ferry leaves Paine Grande to return to Pehoe? The timetables are not yet released for November 2023, so I am wondering if we would be able to return in the morning, or if we need to wait until the afternoon. Thanks!
Steph Dyson
Wednesday 20th of September 2023
Hi Veronica, yes you can leave in the morning! Steph