Granite towers, glacial lakes and pumas in Chilean Patagonia, with local guides, lodges and glacier boat trips
Torres del Paine National Park, in the far south of Chile, is the most famous landscape in Patagonia: three granite towers rising above glacial lakes in shades of turquoise, the horns of the Cuernos del Paine, glaciers flowing down from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, and steppe where guanacos, rheas and pumas live. Created in 1959 and declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1978, the park covers about 2,270 square kilometres.
Our journeys spend three nights in Puerto Natales, the town at the gateway to the park: a full day in Torres del Paine with a local guide and driver, and a boat trip to the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers. For more time in the mountains, we plan stays at the lodges inside and around the park, guided hikes to the base of the towers and the W Trek.
| Day | What you do | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival in Puerto Natales | Flight to Puerto Natales and private transfer to your hotel | An evening on the waterfront of the Última Esperanza Sound |
| Torres del Paine National Park | A full day in the park with a guide and driver, with a boxed lunch | The Milodon Cave on the way, herds of guanacos, the Salto Grande waterfall below the Cuernos del Paine, Lake Pehoé and Lake Grey with the Grey Glacier in the distance |
| Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers | A full-day boat trip from Puerto Natales along the Señoret Channel and the Última Esperanza Sound | The Balmaceda Glacier, a forest walk to the face of the Serrano Glacier, and lunch at Estancia Perales |
| Onward journey | Transfer to the airport | Flight to Santiago, or on to the rest of your trip |
You do not have to be a trekker to enjoy the park. The road passes many of its best viewpoints, and the walks range from short paths to the eight-hour climb to the base of the towers:
| Experience | Distance and time | Level | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panoramic day tour | A full day by road from Puerto Natales | Easy | Viewpoints and short walks; the way most travellers first see the park |
| Mirador Cuernos and Salto Grande | About 5.5 km return, two hours | Easy | From Pudeto, with the Cuernos del Paine above Lake Nordenskjöld |
| Mirador Cóndor | A short, steep climb, about an hour and a half return | Moderate | A wide view over Lake Pehoé and the Paine massif |
| Grey Glacier boat | About three hours return | Easy | From Hotel Lago Grey to the face of the glacier, among the icebergs |
| Base de las Torres | About 22 km return, around eight hours | Demanding | The famous viewpoint below the three granite towers, with a steep final climb on rocks |
| The W Trek | About 70 km in four to seven days | Demanding | From mid-September to late April; every night must be booked in advance |
| The O Circuit | The full loop around the massif, seven to nine days | Very demanding | Opens each season only after a safety review; we confirm its status when we plan |
The park is reached from Puerto Natales, about two hours away by road. Puerto Natales has a small airport with flights in the main season from Santiago and Puerto Montt; all year, you can also fly to Punta Arenas, about three hours by road from Natales. From El Calafate in Argentina, the drive to Puerto Natales takes five to six hours, crossing the border at Cerro Castillo. Domestic flights are quoted separately, and we can book them for you.
Entrance tickets for the park are sold online only and must be bought before you arrive; we buy them for you with the rest of your trip. On the W and O treks, every campsite and refugio must also be booked in advance.
The lodges inside and beside the park put you close to the trails and the light of dawn and dusk on the towers; most of them work on an all-inclusive basis with guided excursions and ask for a minimum stay of several nights. Puerto Natales is the base for shorter visits:
| Where to stay | Setting | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| explora Patagonia | Inside the park, on Lake Pehoé beside the Salto Chico, facing the Cuernos del Paine | All-inclusive stays with daily guided excursions |
| Hotel Las Torres | Inside the park, on a private reserve at the foot of the Base Torres trail | Hikers; all-inclusive packages |
| Tierra Patagonia | On the shore of Lake Sarmiento, at the edge of the park | Design, a spa and wide views of the massif |
| Awasi Patagonia | Villas on a private reserve outside the park | Privacy, with a local guide and vehicle for each villa |
| EcoCamp Patagonia | Geodesic domes inside the park, near the start of the Base Torres trail | Hikers who want to sleep close to nature |
| The Singular Patagonia | A restored cold-storage plant in Puerto Bories, near Puerto Natales | History, the fjord and day trips by boat and road |
| Hotels in Puerto Natales | In town: Weskar Patagonian Lodge, Hotel Martín Gusinde and Vinnhaus | Shorter stays with day trips to the park and the glaciers |
The main season runs from October to April, when all the trails, boats and lodges are open. The wind is part of the experience, strongest from November to January. Winter is quiet and beautiful, and it is the best season to track pumas:
| Season | Weather | Good for | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring: October to November | Long days, fresh snow on the peaks and changeable weather | Quieter trails and the first full trekking weeks | The wind grows stronger from November |
| Summer: December to February | The warmest months, with nearly 17 hours of daylight | The W Trek, Base Torres and every boat trip | The busiest and windiest time; book lodges and refugios months ahead |
| Autumn: March to April | Calmer days and red and gold beech forests | Photography and hiking with fewer people | Days shorten quickly and services close in late April |
| Winter: May to September | Snow, frost and short days, often with little wind | Puma tracking, quiet viewpoints and snowy landscapes | A certified guide is compulsory on the W and Base Torres; some boats run less often |
For the weather month by month across the region, see our guide to the best time to visit Patagonia.
| Time | Plan | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Three nights | Puerto Natales, a full day in the park and the boat to the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers. This is the plan of our journeys. | A first look at the park in a longer trip |
| Four or five nights | A lodge inside or beside the park, with Base Torres, Mirador Cuernos, the Grey Glacier boat and a day of puma tracking | Travellers who want to walk and see wildlife |
| Six to eight nights | The W Trek, staying in refugios or with lodge transfers, plus a rest day | Keen hikers |
| Add three or four nights | Cross into Argentina for El Calafate, the Perito Moreno Glacier and El Chaltén | Patagonia on both sides of the border |
Guanacos graze in herds on the steppe and are seen on almost every visit, with Darwin’s rheas, Andean condors, foxes and flamingos on the lagoons. The park and the private estancias to the east are also one of the best places in the world to see wild pumas, with specialist trackers; we can add a day of puma tracking to a stay at one of the lodges. The endangered huemul deer lives in the forests, but it is rarely seen.
Torres del Paine is the climax of a journey through Chile. Our Chile Highlights (13 days) combines it with Santiago, the Lake District and the Atacama Desert, and our Argentina & Chile Southern Soul (16 days) arrives from Buenos Aires, Bariloche and the Andean Lakes Crossing. Our Pure Patagonia (14 days) crosses from El Calafate for three all-inclusive days at a hotel inside the park. We can also add the Perito Moreno Glacier across the border. See all our Patagonia tours and Chile tours, and our guides to Patagonia hiking tours, a Patagonia honeymoon and Patagonia for seniors, or plan a tailor-made trip.
Buenos Aires, Ushuaia and the Beagle Channel, the trails of El Chaltén, the Perito Moreno Glacier and three all-inclusive days inside Torres del Paine.
Chile from north to south: Santiago and Valparaíso, the Atacama Desert and El Tatio geysers, the lake district and Chiloé, and Torres del Paine.
Tango in Buenos Aires, the lakes of Bariloche and Puerto Varas, Torres del Paine and the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers, ending with Valparaíso and Chilean wine.
Every Torres del Paine itinerary can be adapted to your dates and pace. Plan a tailor-made trip →
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Everything you need to know before traveling to Torres del Paine.
Three nights give you a full day in the park and a glacier boat trip. Four or five nights at a lodge add the hike to Base Torres, the Grey Glacier and wildlife, and the W Trek takes four to seven days.
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