A Complete Guide to Torres Del Paine Nat'l Park
Table of Contents:
Why Visit Torres Del Paine Nat’l Park?
What to know before visiting?
How many days do I need?
How to get to Torres Del Paine Nat’l Park
W Trek vs O Trek vs Q Trek
Which direction should I hike Torres Del Paine?
Where to stay in Torres Del Paine?
What to know when booking Accommodations
What to do if campsites are fully booked
Self Guided Hike vs Tour Guided Hike
Should I bring my own equipment or rent?
Why Visit Torres Del Paine Nat'l Park
Located on the Chilean side of Patagonia, Torres del Paine (pronounced pie-neh, not “pane”) is one of the most visited parks in Chile. A trip to Patagonia is not complete without a visit to Torres del Paine because of its spectacular landscapes and wildlife. To truly experience and see all there is to see in Torres del Paine, you will want to backpack and camp along the way.
Spectacular landscapes: The natural scenery in Torres del Paine National Park is one of a kind.
Famous landmarks:
- Cordillera del Paine – More commonly referred to as Torres del Paine (Towers of Paine), these three summits are at the center of the park and one of the most famous landmarks in all of Patagonia.
- Los Cuernos – Meaning “the horns”, these granite peaks can be seen at various points throughout the W Trek, but the best viewpoint is during the hike through Valle Frances.
- Valle Frances – This is the middle rung in the W Trek. The viewpoints are spectacular throughout the hike through the valley and ends at Mirador Britanico where you get a great view of Los Cuernos.
- Glacier Grey – Large glacier covering over 100 square miles.
A Hiker’s paradise: If you look up the best backpacking trips in the world, you are bound to find Torres del Paine on the list. The trails and campgrounds in the park are well maintained and accessible.
What to know before visiting?
- The weather here (as with most of Patagonia) can be unpredictable
- Book your campsites well in advance if you plan to do the W or O trek. You are required to show your proof of accommodation in order to stay overnight in the park.
- It is possible to do day hikes rather than the entire W trek
- The W Trek in total is about 50 miles and hiked over the course of 3-5 days.
- Hiking poles are very useful for this trek as you will be hiking with all of your gear for a good majority of the trek.
- The hikes each day by themselves are manageable, but when you combine all of them together and add in all of the camping gear you will be carrying with you, it makes it much more difficult. Be prepared for a difficult few days of hiking and would recommend training a bit in advance if you aren’t typically active or haven’t hiked in a while.
- While most people come here to do multi-day treks, it is possible to do day hikes within the park and still see many of the major sights. This is a good option for those who weren’t able to book a campsite or don’t enjoy roughing it.
- The entrance fee to the park is $35 for a three day pass or $49 for more than three days. If you plan on doing the W or O Treks, you will need the 3+ day pass. You can purchase your tickets in advance online through the CONAF website, at the main bus terminal in Puerto Natales, or the park entrance at Laguna Amarga (cash only).
How many days do I need?
W Trek: If you are planning to hike the W Trek, account for 3-5 days in the park. We would recommend 4 days as this averages out to about ~12.5 miles per day of hiking and allows you time to enjoy the sites. We have met people who have done the trek in 2 days, but that is a very aggressive pace. Keep in mind that you will be carrying all of your camping gear and food with you so it is not an easy hike so make sure you pace yourself correctly.
O Trek: The O Trek will take between 6-8 days. Expect to add 2-3 days to the W Trek to complete the O Trek.
How to get to Torres Del Paine Nat'l Park
The most cost efficient way to get to Torres del Paine National Park is to first fly into Santiago, Chile, then fly to Puerto Natales or Punta Arenas. Of course, you can book a flight directly to Puerto Natales or Punta Arenas from wherever you are departing from, but it will be much more expensive. Punta Arenas is the bigger town with a larger airport so there will be more flight options, rental car availability, and options for purchasing your camping necessities if you aren’t bringing them with you. The downside is it is approximately a 4.25 hour drive from Punta Arenas to Torres del Paine, whereas Puerto Natales is only 1.5 hours away. The best place to fly into will depend on your specific situation. We would recommend looking at the flight times and costs and determine if you will need a rental car or backpacking gear to make the determination of where you want to fly into. If you are starting in Argentine Patagonia, you can take a bus across the border from El Calafate to Puerto Natales. There is no options to fly directly from El Calafate to Puerto Natales/Punta Arenas.
Here are options for getting from Punta Arenas/Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine:
- Rental car: By far the most convenient option. It depends when on when you plan to visit, but a rental car will run you in the ballpark of ~$80 per day. It is very convenient to have a car because then you can dictate when you arrive and depart from the park. After a long few days of backpacking and camping, you will want to get back to as soon as you can.
- Bus: Less convenient and takes a little more time, but also much more affordable than a car rental. To get from Puerto Natales to and from the park, you will need to time your departure times based on the bus times. Buses Gomez operates the bus and a one way bus ticket will cost ~$17. There are two departure times from Puerto Natales (at the time of writing, there is one in the morning at 7 AM and one in the afternoon at 2:15 PM) and two departure times from Torres del Paine (one in the early afternoon and one in the late afternoon – departure times will vary depending on where in the park you are leaving from).
If you fly into Punta Arenas, you will need to first take a bus from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales. There are several bus options which depart at various times throughout the day: Buses Fernandez, Bus Sur, Buses Pacheco, and Transfer Austral. A one-way bus ticket will cost you ~$12 between Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales.
- Ferry: If you are planning to do the W Trek, you will need to take a ferry to start your hike (if hiking from west to east) or to end your hike (if hiking from east to west). The ferry is takes around 30 minutes and costs ~$35. At the time of writing, the ferry departs from Pudeto to Paine Grande at 10:30 AM and from Paine Grande to Pudeto at 5:30 PM.
W Trek vs O Trek vs Q Trek
- W Trek: If you are on a tight timeline and want to see more of Patagonia, we would recommend only doing the W Trek. The W takes less time and will keep your legs more fresh for all the other hiking and activities you will be doing in Patagonia. The W Trek is 48 miles and will take between 3-5 days to complete.
- O Trek: The O Trek includes the W Trek, but includes an additional ~30 miles on the “backside” of the park. The additional 30 miles is fairly manageable and there is not too much elevation change until you reach John Gardner Pass where you will climb to your highest elevation on the entire trek. The O Trek is 80 miles and will take between 6-8 days to complete.
- Q Trek: The Q Trek covers both the W Trek and O Treks and includes an additional day of hiking south of Paine Grande Campground along the western edge of Lake Pehoe. This additional section is fairly flat and not too many people traverse it so you will likely be alone for a majority of the hike. This hike will give you the best panoramic viewpoint of the entire park. The Q Trek is 90 miles and will take 7-9 days to complete.
Which direction should I hike Torres Del Paine?
- W Trek: If you are only hiking the W Trek, we believe the best way to hike Torres del Paine is from west to east. The reasons being:
- You have to take a ferry to get to or from Paine Grande Campground and this ferry only runs a few times per day. We would recommend starting your trek with the ferry ride to Paine Grande Campground and being able to just hop on a bus at the end of the trek at Las Torres Campground which runs much more often. If you go from east to west, you could find yourself sitting around for a while waiting for the next ferry to arrive. After a long few days of hiking, we’re sure you will want to get back as soon as possible.
- Your last day of the W Trek will be the hike up to Mirador de Las Torres which is the highlight of the trek. If the hike is done from east to west, you will start your first day with this hike which makes it less climactic and who doesn’t like to save the best for last? That being said, this hike is the toughest hike on the W Trek so the argument for starting with this hike is to get the hardest hike out of the way on the first day while your legs are still fresh.
- O Trek: If you are hiking the O Trek, you are required to hike it in the counterclockwise direction starting from Las Torres campground so the number of people on the “backside” of the park can be controlled.
Where to stay in Torres Del Paine?
If you are planning to hike the W or O treks, make sure you book your lodging as far in advance as possible. There are 11 different campsites throughout the park. Space is limited and the campgrounds and refugios (Spanish for “refuges”, but they are essentially lodges) tend to book fairly quickly in high season so planning ahead will ensure you have a place to stay on these overnight treks. You will need to provide proof of accommodations in order to stay overnight in the park. Camping is only allowed in allocated campsites.
There are three companies that run all of the campgrounds within the park. These companies are Vertice, Las Torres Patagonia, and CONAF. Depending on which campsite you want to stay at will determine which company’s website you will need to go to. See below for more detail on which company owns which campsites.
W Trek Accommodation:
The following are campsites and refugios along the W Trek in order of when you will pass them going from west to east:
Paine Grande Campground: This is where the ferry departs to get to and from Pudeto. If you are only doing the W Trek, this is where your trek will begin or end. This campsite can be booked through the Vertice. This campground has the following amenities:
- Mini market
- Cafeteria/Restaurant
- Hot showers (from noon to 10 PM)
- Bar
- Common area
- Heated kitchen and dining area
- Bathrooms
- Water refill stations
- Wifi (additional fee)
- Refugio availability
Grey Campground: This campsite is located next to Glacier Grey. This campsite can be booked through the Vertice. This campground has the following amenities:
- Mini market
- Cafeteria/Restaurant
- Hot showers
- Bar
- Common area and terrace
- Kitchen
- Bathrooms
- Water refill stations
- Wifi (additional fee)
- Refugio availability
Italiano Campground: This is a free campsite located at the start of the Valle Frances hike. This campsite can be booked through the CONAF Since it is a free campsite, the amenities here are very bare. There is no running water so any cooking or drinking you will do will need to be collected from the river nearby. This campsite has the following amenities:
- Outhouses
- Outdoor cooking shelter
Frances Campground: This campsite is located at the center of the W Trek near the Valle Frances hike, about a mile from Italiano Campground. This campsite can be booked through the Las Torres Patagonia This campsite has the following amenities:
- Tent platforms
- Mini market
- Cafeteria/Restaurant
- Hot showers
- Bar
- Common area
- Bathrooms
- Water refill stations
- Wifi (additional fee)
Los Cuernos Campground: This campsite is located near the center of the W Trek about four miles from Frances Campground. This campsite can be booked through the Las Torres Patagonia This campsite has the following amenities:
- Tent platforms
- Mini market
- Cafeteria/Restaurant
- Hot showers
- Bar
- Common area
- Heated kitchen and dining area
- Bathrooms
- Water refill stations
- Wifi (additional fee)
- Refugio availability
Chileno Campground: This campsite is located on the hike to Mirador Las Torres. This campsite can be booked through the Las Torres Patagonia This campsite has the following amenities:
- Tent platforms
- Mini market
- Cafeteria/Restaurant
- Hot showers
- Bar
- Common area
- Bathrooms
- Water refill stations
- Wifi (additional fee)
- Refugio availability
Las Torres Central Campground: This campsite is located at the east end of the park. This campsite can be booked through the Las Torres Patagonia If you are doing the O Trek, this is where you will start. If you are doing the W Trek, this is where you will start or end your trek. This campsite has the following amenities:
- Hotel
- Tent platforms
- Mini market
- Cafeteria/Restaurant
- Hot showers
- Bar
- Common area
- Heated kitchen and dining area
- Bathrooms
- Water refill stations
- Wifi (additional fee)
- Refugio availability
O Trek Accommodation:
The following are campsites and refugios along the O Trek in order of when you will pass them (not including the campsites along the W Trek which are listed above):
Seron Campsite: This campsite is located at the northeast end of the park. This campsite can be booked through the Las Torres Patagonia This campsite has the following amenities:
- Tent platforms
- Mini market
- Cafeteria
- Hot showers
- Common area
- Outdoor kitchen
- Bathrooms
- Water refill stations
- Wifi (additional fee)
Dickson Campsite: This campsite is located on the north end of the park. This campsite can be booked through the Vertice This campground has the following amenities:
- Mini market
- Cafeteria/Restaurant
- Hot showers
- Bar
- Common area and terrace
- Kitchen
- Bathrooms
- Water refill stations
- Refugio availability
Los Perros Campsite: This campsite is located right before the ascent up to John Gardner Pass. This campsite can be booked through the Vertice This campground has the following amenities:
- Tent platforms
- Mini market
- Hot showers
- Common area
- Kitchen
- Bathrooms
- Water refill stations
El Paso Campsite: This is a free campsite located about two miles past John Gardner Pass. This campsite can be booked through the CONAF Since it is a free campsite, the amenities here are very bare. This campsite has the following amenities:
- Outhouses (one pit toilet)
- One tap and sink with running water
- Outdoor cooking shelter
Campsites vs Refugios: A good majority of the campsites also have refugios as well. “Refugio” translates to “refuge” in English, but is often translated as “mountain huts”. Think of them as hostels you can stay at along the hike with shared dorms, hot meals, hot showers, etc. After a long day of hiking, it can be nice to sleep on a bed and not on the ground in a tent. Since the area is remote, refugios will be a lot more expensive than renting a campsite to pitch your tent on. If you are more of the “glamping” type or don’t enjoy the thought of having to carry all of your camping gear and food for several days, refugios can be a good option for you. Personally, we think part of the allure of Torres del Paine is the backpacking and camping. We would recommend campsites if you’re up for the challenge!
What to know when booking accommodations
Booking campsites in Torres del Paine is not the most straightforward process. There are three companies that own the campsites along the W and O treks: Vertice, CONAF, and Las Torres Patagonia (formerly Fantastico Sur). Depending on how you are planning your trek and where you plan to stay overnight will determine which website you will need to book through. Word of caution: these websites are not very user friendly. The website designs can be confusing to navigate at times so it may take a little time to understand how to book the campsite you are looking for on each one.
What to do if campsites are fully booked
A common theme with traveling to Patagonia: BE FLEXIBLE. Torres del Paine is a popular place to visit and space at the campsites is limited so don’t be too disgruntled if your first choice in trekking itinerary is unavailable because some of the campsites are fully booked. If you are hiking the W trek, you have more backup options because there are more campsites along the trail as compared to the O trek. See below for backup options:
- Look at alternative campsite options along the trek:
- Paine Grande and Grey Campgrounds: Paine Grande is located at the ferry stop and Grey is located next to Glacier Grey. These campgrounds are ~7 miles apart and can be interchangeable with each other on your itinerary, if necessary. This will require you to have one longer (+7 mile) and one shorter (-7 mile) hiking day or you may need to add an additional day to your trek.
- Italiano, Frances, and Cuernos Campgrounds: These campgrounds are located at the base of the Valle Frances hike and can be interchanged with each other. The distance from Italiano to Frances is ~1 mile and from Frances to Cuernos is ~4 miles.
- Chileno and Las Torres Campgrounds: Las Torres is located near the bus stop into the park and Chileno is located approximately halfway from Las Torres to Mirador las Torres. These campsites are ~3 miles apart and can be interchanged on your itinerary.
- Switch which direction you hike: If the campsites you want to book are fully booked for your planned itinerary, consider reversing the direction of your hike. You might find that there is campsite availability if you reserve your direction because campsites might have availability on different days.
- Change your dates: If you have other plans while you are in Patagonia, try looking into shifting things around to see if there is campsite availability on different days around the same timeframe you will be in Patagonia. Chances are that it will be harder to find availability in the Torres del Paine campgrounds compared to other activities you have planned in Patagonia so the Torres del Paine trek should be prioritized in your itinerary and you can move the other activities around the trek.
- Constantly look at each of the campsite booking websites: Each of the websites has a free cancellation policy up to a certain amount of days before your stay. For Vertice, the free cancellation period is up to 45 days before your stay and for Las Torres Patagonia, this period is 31 days. What some people will do is book up several different dates early to keep their options open and cancel them as this free cancellation deadline approaches to avoid paying for the campsite. There are times when a campsite opening will show up in the middle of the day and only be available for a short period of time before it is booked up.
- Vertice – 45 day cancellation
- Las Torres Patagonia – 31 day cancellation
- CONAF – No cancellation policy because the campsites are free. Still worthwhile to check every now and then in case someone cancels.
- Consider booking a refugio or fully equipped campsite: The cheapest lodging option is just a bare campsite where you bring your own gear. If these are already fully booked, you can pay more money and get an equipped campsite or a room in the refugio. If you were planning to stay in fully equipped campsites or refugios, but there isn’t availability, consider renting a tent and sleeping bags and carrying it with you on the hike. It will be more difficult, but better than not being able to do the trek!
- Book a tour guided hike. Most tours include accommodation, but you will obviously have to pay more for the convenience and having a guide with you.
- Last resort – Do day treks to the park – You can stay outside of the park and come in each day for day hikes. This can be easily done for Glacier Grey and Mirador las Torres as they are on the ends of the W trek. You can also hike Valle Frances as a day trip, but it will be a long day of hiking as this is in the middle of the “W”. It may be a little annoying to have to come in each day and take a bus or ferry to start your hiking. On the bright side, you can just take a day pack with you each day and not have to worry about bringing all your food, camping gear, etc.
Self Guided Hike vs Tour Guided Hike
You can easily do a self-guided trek in Torres del Paine and we would highly recommend this. The trails are all well marked and easy to navigate. Getting to and from the park either with the ferries and buses is also fairly straightforward (just ask the folks working at the park if you have any questions or issues). You can save yourself a lot of money by just doing a self-guided trek because a tour guide is not really necessary at the park. The only arguments we would have for a tour-led trek is if accommodation is all booked up for the dates you are looking to visit (most tours include accommodation) or if you have extra money to spend and don’t want to deal with the hassle of booking all your accommodations.
Should I bring my own backpacking equipment or rent when I arrive?
This answer to this question will be based on your preferences and situation. If you have all of the camping and backpacking gear and equipment already and prefer to bring it with you on the trip, it will save you some money and time having to rent and drop off the equipment. If you don’t have the equipment or don’t want to deal with the hassle of bringing it, the rentals are pretty affordable and charged on a per night basis. There are several rental options:
- Puerto Natales: There are many shops in town that provide rentals for your trek. All of them can help answer any questions you have about the park, what you should bring with you, etc. Most rental shops will have a “camping kit” that you can rent which includes many of the essentials, such as the tent, sleeping bag, hiking poles, camping stove and gas, camping pots and pans, etc. The most popular rental shops in Puerto Natales are:
- Torres del Paine: If you are feeling lazy or run out of time, you can also rent equipment within the park itself. Several of the Vertice and Las Torres Patagonia campsites and refugios offer equipment rentals, but it will come at a steeper price.
Whether you are planning you to bring your equipment or rent it, there are some items that you will need to rent or purchase because they aren’t allowed in your carry on luggage (if you aren’t checking a bag). Some of these items include:
- Propane canisters for camp stoves
- Pocket knife
- Sunscreen
Another thing to note is the water from the streams within the park are drinkable as most of it comes from the glaciers. The caution being that you should avoid drinking the water from the streams close to campsites or refugios as there is increased human presence. The further upstream you are, the safer the water is to drink. Throughout our time in the park, we just drank the glacial water from the streams and it was cold, delicious, and convenient. No need to bring any water filtration systems with you.