In a nutshell
- This guide covers everything you need for Torres del Paine national park — tickets, getting there, the best hikes, viewpoints, and where to stay.
- Park admission costs 32,400 CLP (approximately 30 euros). You can get there by rental car, public bus from Puerto Natales, or on a guided tour.
- The absolute highlight is the hike to Mirador Base las Torres — a 20-kilometer round trip that’s totally doable in a single day.
- Other top must-sees include Mirador Salto Grande, Glaciar Grey, and the multi-day W-Trek and O-Trek routes.
- For an overnight stay inside the park, we especially recommend the Hotel Lago Grey.
Where is Torres del Paine National Park?
Torres del Paine is located on the Chilean side of Patagonia, about 50 kilometers north of the city of Puerto Natales.
Puerto Natales is the perfect base for visiting Torres del Paine national park — plan on at least one overnight stay in the city before heading into the park.
Our three hotel recommendations for Puerto Natales
How to Buy Your Torres del Paine Ticket
You’ll need a ticket to enter the national park. Right now there’s no daily visitor cap, so booking the day before your visit is totally fine.
You can buy your ticket online or at the park entrance — but we strongly recommend buying online to skip the line.
The standard ticket costs 32,400 CLP (approximately 30 euros). Kids ages 12 to 18 pay 16,600 CLP (approximately 16 euros), and children under 12 get in free.
The standard ticket covers three consecutive days in the park. You can sleep inside Torres del Paine or leave and return the next day — both work.
If you’re planning more than three days, the ticket costs 46,200 CLP (43 euros). You can buy your Torres del Paine tickets on the website pasesparques.cl.
In the first step, select Torres del Paine National Park.
In the second step, enter your planned entry and exit dates, plus the number of tickets.
In step 3, fill in your personal details, and in step 4, pay. Your ticket arrives by email — no need to print it out.
How to Get to Torres del Paine National Park
There are three ways to reach Torres del Paine: by rental car, by public bus, or on a guided tour. Here’s everything you need to know about each option.
#1 Torres del Paine by Car
Driving is our top recommendation — it gives you the most flexibility, lets you reach every corner of the park, and parking inside is free.
You drive from Puerto Natales via Cerro Castillo to Laguna Amarga, where the park entrance is and where you’ll show your ticket. From there, you have two routes depending on what you want to do:
- For the hike to Mirador Base del Torres and the O-Trek, turn right and head downhill across a bridge.
- For the W-Trek and viewpoints like Salto Grande, turn left and head uphill.
#2 Torres del Paine by Public Bus
Several buses depart daily from Puerto Natales to Laguna Amarga. They all leave between roughly 7:00 and 7:30 AM from the bus terminal in Puerto Natales. Prices are the same across all operators.
Bus Operators and Tickets
A round trip costs 30,000 CLP (28 euros). We recommend buying both legs together.
You can technically buy the return ticket in cash from the driver, which gives you flexibility on when to head back — but you risk not getting a seat on the bus you want.
The operators are Bus Sur, Bus Gómez, Turismo Zaajh, Buses Fernández, and Buses María José. You can buy tickets from all of them at the terminal in Puerto Natales.
To book in advance online, use Recorrido Bus Sur for Bus Sur, and turismozaahj.cl for Turismo Zaajh.
Bus Stops
All buses go to Laguna Amarga, where you’ll show your ticket. If you’re doing the O-Trek or hiking to Mirador Base las Torres, get off here and join the line for the shuttle to the trailhead.
The shuttle costs about 4,500 CLP (4 euros) in cash. It’s a quick six-kilometer ride — there’s also a walking trail, but honestly, skip it. You’ll be doing plenty of walking later.
For the W-Trek or other viewpoints, stay on the bus. W-Trekkers should get off at Pudeto, which is also where the popular Salto Grande viewpoint is.
Additional stops: Camping Pehoé, Sede CONAF, and Lago Grey (Hotel).
Not all buses stop at every station. Double-check that your ticket goes to the stop you actually need.
#3 Torres del Paine on a Guided Tour
If you’d rather not handle the logistics yourself, guided tours from Puerto Natales are a great option. Transportation is included and you’ll be picked up at your hotel.
Tours we recommend:
Base del Torres Day Hike from Puerto Natales
Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park
Also read our tips for a road trip through Patagonia:
Torres del Paine Map
To help you get your bearings, we’ve marked all the key highlights in Torres del Paine national park on a map.
Day Hike to Mirador Base las Torres
The hike to Mirador Base las Torres is the most popular thing to do in Torres del Paine national park — and honestly, one of the top highlights of Chile full stop.
The round trip is 20 kilometers with about 700 meters of elevation gain. You need to be reasonably fit, but it’s totally manageable — there are no technically difficult sections. The last kilometer is the steepest, but you’ll get through it.
The hike starts at the Torres del Paine Welcome Center, where you can park for free or be dropped off by the shuttle.
At the Welcome Center, you can use the restrooms (toilet paper provided), refill your water bottle, and grab snacks. Then you’re off.
The trail is well marked, and there are always other hikers around, so getting lost is pretty unlikely. After about 5.5 kilometers, you’ll reach the mountain hut Refugio Chileno — a good spot to refill water, eat something, and use the facilities.
Important: You must start the final stretch from Refugio Chileno to the Mirador by 2:00 PM at the latest. This is a park rule designed to make sure you’re back down before dark.
The higher you climb, the more extreme the conditions get. Summer brings fierce wind, winter brings heavy snow. Always check the forecast for the park beforehand so you can pack accordingly.
In our article on the best time to visit Patagonia, we go deeper into the climate in Torres del Paine.
When you finally reach the lagoon at the top, you won’t be able to stop staring. No matter how many photos you’ve seen, nothing prepares you for it in person. It’s most spectacular in sunshine, but seriously impressive in any weather.
On the way back, if you’re on public transit, note that the last bus from Laguna Amarga leaves around 8:00 PM — aim to be back at the Welcome Center by 7:30 PM to catch the shuttle.
This hike is also available as a guided tour, which we especially recommend if you don’t have much hiking experience.
Base del Torres Day Hike from Puerto Natales
More Must-Sees in Torres del Paine National Park
Beyond Mirador Base las Torres, visiting Torres del Paine chile has so much more to offer. That’s why we recommend spending a second day in the park — and conveniently, your ticket is already valid for three days.
You can also stay overnight inside the national park so you don’t have to drive back to Puerto Natales each evening. We’ll cover the hotels in Torres del Paine in just a moment.
Viewpoints in Torres del Paine
Here’s a rundown of the other standout viewpoints in the park. We’ll use Laguna Amarga as the starting point, assuming you’re traveling by car.
From Laguna Amarga, head toward Pudeto and stop at Mirador Lago Nordenskjöld along the way. Then drive to the parking lot at Mirador Salto Grande — it’s about a ten-minute walk to the viewpoint from there. The last entry time for this one is 6:00 PM.
From Salto Grande, you can walk about 40 minutes further to Mirador Cuernos — start by 5:00 PM for this one.
Afterward, head back to your car and drive to a parking lot on the right side of the road, where a bridge leads to a small island. Walk about 100 meters further along the road until you see a small pull-off on the left — that’s the start of the trail to Mirador Condor. The round trip takes about an hour and the panorama is seriously worth it.
If you’re heading back to Puerto Natales, you don’t need to double back — just continue along the road all the way to the city. Just before town, you’ll pass the cave Cueva del Milodón.
We didn’t find it the most jaw-dropping sight, but it’s definitely impressive enough that the short detour is worth it if you’re driving past anyway. Admission is 11,400 CLP (11 euros).
Traveling without a rental car? You can cover similar ground on a guided tour.
Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park
Glaciar Grey
Another top highlight in Torres del Paine is the glacier at Lago Grey. To see it up close, you’ll need a boat. You have two options:
#1 Boat Tour from Hotel Lago Grey
Drive or take the bus to Hotel Lago Grey, where several boat tours to the glacier depart. It’s best to book in advance on the Lago Grey website. A round trip costs 110,000 CLP (about 100 euros).
You can also book guided day tours from Puerto Natales that include transportation to and from the glacier.
#2 Catamaran from Pudeto
If you’re up for some hiking, take the catamaran from Pudeto to the Paine Grande dock. Book tickets at Hip Sur. A one-way ticket costs 30 USD. From the dock, it’s about a 12-kilometer hike to Mirador Glaciar Grey.
Since that’s a lot to pack into one day, plan on spending a night inside the national park. Refugio Grey campground is the ideal base, as it sits right at the Mirador.
Where to Stay in Torres del Paine
Staying overnight inside Torres del Paine is a genuinely special experience. There are only a handful of hotels in the park, and they’re not cheap — but it’s absolutely worth it. Here’s an overview of your accommodation options.
The most popular hotels in Torres del Paine
Unique hotels in Torres del Paine
Budget stays in Torres del Paine
Multi-Day Hikes in Torres del Paine National Park
There are two iconic multi-day hikes in Torres del Paine: the W-Trek and the O-Trek. We’ve marked both routes on the map below.
Important: The trails close during the off-season. We couldn’t find fully reliable info on exact closing dates — it also varies year to year. Generally, they’re closed from May through October, when snow in the park is heavy.
W-Trek in Torres del Paine
The W-Trek is the most popular multi-day hike in Torres del Paine national park. Most hikers complete it in four or five days, covering approximately 80 kilometers.
The route starts at Glaciar Grey, which you reach by catamaran from Pudeto, and ends with the hike to Mirador Base Las Torres. You can also do it in reverse.
Accommodation on the W-Trek is limited to mountain huts or tent camping.
Book well in advance — spots fill up fast. During peak travel season in Chile (January and February), book at least four months ahead.
Booking accommodation is unfortunately a bit complicated. The website Erratic Rock does a fantastic job explaining where to reserve huts and campsites and has a clear map to help you plan where to sleep each night.
You can also book all accommodations in one place through Torres Hike.
If the whole booking process feels overwhelming (totally understandable), a guided hike takes care of all the logistics for you — though guided tours do come at a premium.
Key Tips for the W-Trek
- Food and accommodation on the trail are expensive. Budget around 50 euros for breakfast and dinner at a hut.
- A night in a mountain hut costs at least 120 euros per person. The most affordable approach is to bring your own camping gear and food and book only campsites (usually around 10 euros per night). You’ll need to pack out all your trash, as there’s no waste disposal on the trail.
- It gets very, very cold on the W-Trek, especially at night — be prepared if you’re sleeping in a tent. Snow is common on the route. Your best bet for avoiding it is December through mid-March.
O-Trek in Torres del Paine
The O-Trek is approximately 130 kilometers long — plan for seven to eight days.
The start and end point is the Welcome Center at the beginning of the Mirador Base Las Torres hike. You loop all the way around the three towers of the park, with the final stretch mirroring the W-Trek.
Important: Unlike the W-Trek, the O-Trek can only be hiked in one direction. We’ve marked it on the map above.
Everything else we covered for the W-Trek applies here too — same tips on booking, gear, and costs. Guided tours are available for the O-Trek as well.
Wildlife in Torres del Paine
The landscapes in Torres del Paine are breathtaking — but the wildlife is just as remarkable. Did you know there are actual wild cats living here?
Torres del Paine is home to pumas. Sightings are rare, but we were lucky enough to spot one from the window of our bus. They’re genuinely beautiful, graceful animals.
A popular spot for puma sightings is Route 160/166. You reach it by taking a turn-off just before Laguna Amarga on the way into the park, rather than driving past it. The road runs between Laguna Amarga and Laguna Azul. Pumas have been spotted here repeatedly, so with a bit of luck you might actually see one.
As for whether the pumas are dangerous — there have been no attacks on humans so far, and we’re not on their menu. That said, never get closer than 30 meters, because they are wild predators.
Also read our tips on safety in Chile
Another animal you’ll almost certainly spot is the guanaco, a relative of the llama and alpaca. These incredibly cute animals are, incidentally, the puma’s main food source.
Animals you can see in Torres del Paine:
- Pumas
- Guanacos
- Foxes
- Flamingos
- Huemules (deer)
- Rheas
- Condors
- Woodpeckers
- Caracaras (falcons)
