Torres del Paine National Park is one of the most popular parks in the Patagonia region, and for good reason. It can be found on the Chilean side of the southern region and includes incredible mountains, forests, lakes, and glaciers. There are different ways to explore the top things to do in Torres del Paine based on the amount of time and hiking experience you have.
The purpose of this article is to discuss the options that are available to you when visiting Torres del Paine. While best known for its multi-day treks, there are other adventures available to you, based on your interests and physical abilities.
Continue reading to learn about your different options when visiting the park.
Multi-Day Treks: Things to Do In Torres del Paine
The hikes within this park are designed for multi-day treks. If you have never done one and are interested in trying, this is the place to start because of the great infrastructure for those with little to no camping experience. The W Trek and O Trek are two of the best things to do in Torres del Paine and will offer an incredible multi-day hiking experience.
Some concerns or questions you may have if you are new to multi-day treks:
- Do I have to bring camping gear? The treks are designed around refugios (hostels) and campsites. This means that if you do not want to hike with camping gear, you do not have to! These refugios and campsites can provide you with lodging, bedding, food for all meals, showers, and restrooms.
- How hard are the hikes? You will have to walk around 12 miles (20 kilometers) a day. Consider how much you are on your feet during the day when preparing for a multi-day trek. That being said, the park is at a low elevation, making it ideal for people new to multi-day hiking. You will not need to adjust to elevation or train for a different elevation prior to hiking!
In Torres del Paine National Park, the two typical multi-day treks are the following:
W Trek (3-5 days)
The W Trek is the most popular multi-day hike in the park and one of the most popular things to do in Torres del Paine and all of Patagonia. It follows valleys through the mountains to see viewpoints, glaciers, and lakes. While it can be done in 3 days, to maximize your time and views, it is best to spend 5 days doing the hike. With less than 5 days, you may have to miss one or more of the main viewpoints of the hike. You can read about what to expect and how to do the W Trek in 5 days here.
O Trek (7-9 days)
The O Trek starts by going around the backside of the mountains in the park and continues onto the W trek from the west to east. This longer hike takes you through less traversed parts of the park with fewer people and larger expanses. The highlight of this trek is the steep John Gardner pass that leads to walking along a glacier.
To extend your trip and add more experiences to your adventure, you can book an extra night at the Grey refugio and spend a day kayaking to the glacier or hiking on the glacier itself, one of the more unique things to do in Torres del Paine. This is a challenging trek that could be an all-encompassing experience in the Patagonia region.
The Blueprint Travelers Hiking Staples
Day Trip Options for Hiking (From Puerto Natales)
Without A Car
If you only have one day to visit the national park and you do not have a car, you can do the most iconic of the hikes, the trek to the Mirador Base Las Torres which is one of the most popular things to do in Torres del Paine because of its amazing view. At the end of the hike on a clear day you will be rewarded with views of the beautiful blue lagoon at the base of the three granite towers. The full hike is 12.5 miles and takes 8 hours. You can do this hike on your own or through a tour group.
To do it on your own, there are a few steps that you need to follow. First, you will need to determine the day that you want to do the hike and purchase a national park pass for that day. Then, you will need to book an early bus from Puerto Natales to the national park and a late return bus back to Puerto Natales. The hike will take at least 8 hours to complete, and this does not include breaks or lunch.
When you get to the national park, you will get off at the entrance and take a second bus to the welcome center. Make sure to have Chilean pesos on you because you will need to pay for this bus in cash. The welcome center is the start of your hike. Because this hike is possible for a day trip, there will be many other people on the trail with you. You can follow this trail to get to the view point.
After you reach the summit of the hike, you will return the way you came. Once again, you will take a bus to go from the welcome center to the park entrance. Here, you will be able to catch your bus to return to Puerto Natales.
This is a link to the AllTrails site of the hike. AllTrails is a great application for hikers. It allows you to search for hikes and things to do in Torres del Paine, download trail routes, and track the hikes that you do.
With A Car
If you do have a car, you can drive directly to the welcome center for the iconic hike described above. You will still need a national park pass for the various things to do in Torres del Paine. With this option, you will not be constrained on time and bus schedules for your hike.
There are a few other hikes that you can do if you have a car. You can drive to Pudeto (another parking area within the park), take the catamaran across the lake to Paine Grande, and hike to the Grey Glacier Mirador or the French Mirador. Because of the time constraints of the catamarans, you will not be able to do the full trail. The viewpoints you do get to are still incredibly beautiful and impressive.
If you have a car and do not want to stay in the park to do the W trek, these day hikes are 3 highlight portions of the multi-day treks and are some of the top things to do in Torres del Paine without staying in the refugios or camping.
- Mirador Base of Torres: Park at the Welcome Center and hike to the Mirador Base of Torres, return to the Welcome Center. (8 hours)
- Mirador French: Park at Pudeto, take the catamaran across the lake to Paine Grande, hike to the French Mirador, do not go past the French Mirador, return to Paine Grande, and take the catamaran across the lake to Pudeto. (8 hours)
- Mirador Grey Glacier: Park at Pudeto, take the catamaran across the lake to Paine Grande, hike to the Grey Glacier Mirador, continue walking towards the Grey Refugio if you want, return to Paine Grande, and take the catamaran across the lake to Pudeto. (4-8 hours)
Here is check list of things you might need for visiting Torres del Paine:
The National Park Pass
If you are doing a trek for more than 3 days, make sure to purchase the appropriate pass. As a tourist, you are an “extranjero”.
round trip Bus from Puerto Natales to the Park and back
We recommend booking this in advance to get one of the earliest buses possible (7 am). If you are doing the Base of Tores hike, you will book a ticket from Puerto Natales (Terminal Rodoviario) to Laguna Amarga (park entrance) and get off the bus at the park entrance. From there, you will transfer to a shuttle. If you are Mirador French or Grey Glacier hikes, you will book a ticket from Puerto Natales (Terminal Rodoviario) to Pudeto. You will get off the bus at the park entrance to check in and get back on the bus towards Pudeto, where you will take the catamaran.
Cash for the Shuttle in the Park
If you are doing the Base of Torres hike, you will take the shuttle after checking in at the park entrance to go to the Welcome Center. In 2024 the shuttle cost 4.000 Chilean pesos per person.
Tickets for the Catamaran
If you are starting or ending in Paine Grande, you will need to take the catamaran between Pudeto and Paine Grande. For those starting from the East, this will be at the end of your trek. If you are starting from the West, this will be at the beginning of your trek. The title of this paragraph includes the website with the itinerary and cost of the catamaran. You can also purchase your ticket for the catamaran in advance to line up with your bus reservation.
Downloads of all of your campsite reservations
Your passport
Your PDI document (receipt-like paper that is given when you enter Chile)
Beyond Hiking Day Trip: Visiting a Glacier
Grey Glacier Excursion
Torres del Paine National Park is home to some glaciers, one of which you can visit. Grey Glacier is a large glacier in the national park that flows into Grey Lake. You have the opportunity to kayak near the glacier or even hike on it through BigFoot Patagonia Adventure.
To get to the excursion, drive to Lago Grey Hotel (1 hour and 45 minutes from Puerto Natales). This hotel provides boat tours of the lake and can drop you off at the Grey Refugio on the other side of the lake. This is where the BigFoot Patagonia Adventure excursion begins. You will need another boat from the refugio to Lago Grey Glacier. Here are the websites to book everything you need for this excursion:
Lago Grey Hotel: While you can book the boat online, we would recommend emailing the hotel (navegacion@lagogrey.com) to best coordinate the round trip ticket at the appropriate times. They have experience with the services in the park and can best assist you with booking all transportation.
BigFoot Patagonia Adventure: You can book the excursion you want online. For their Ice Hike Grey experience, you may need to stay overnight at the Grey Refugio because of the start time of the experience. You can reach out to them for transportation recommendations.
Overnight Trip Options (Not Multi-Day Treks)
Using the Refugios
The refugios are not solely available for multi-day trekkers. You can book them as an overnight stop to discover a portion of the park more deeply and without any time constraints. There are two refugios that we would recommend looking into if you are interested in going deeper into these parts of the park with some of the top things to do in Torres del Paine:
Paine Grande Refugio
From this refugio, you can go on two incredible hikes within the park.
- Day 1: Come into the park from Pudeto on the catamaran. Drop off your bags at the Paine Grande refugio, right off the catamaran dock. If you manage to get into the park on the first catamaran, you will have enough time to go to the Mirador Britanico and back to Paine Grande. This is, one the best views in the entire park if you have a clear day. If this hike is too long, you can stop at the Mirador Frances which also is an amazing viewpoint. After your hike, check into the Paine Grande refugio for the evening. (16.5 miles/26.5 kilometers – 9 hours)
- Day 2: Leave your bags at the Paine Grande refugio. Hike to the Grey Glacier Mirador. You can go further along on the trail but the highlight is truly this viewpoint. From here, you will take the catamaran back to Pudeto. The link here is for the entire hike to the Grey Refugio. (7 miles/11 kilometers – 4 hours)
Grey Refugio
From this refugio, you can go on some glacier excursions.
- Day 1: Come into the park from Pudeto on the catamaran. Hike to the Grey Refugio. You can drop off your bags at the refugio and continue on the trail to see some other viewpoints of the glacier from some suspension bridges. (10.9 miles/17.5 kilometers – 6 hours)
- Day 2: Sign up with BigFoot Patagonia Adventure for hiking on the glacier or kayaking in Grey Lake. Return to Paine Grande after your excursion to take the catamaran back to Pudeto. (7 miles/11 kilometers – 4 hours)
Luxury Hotel Options Within the National Park
There are a few luxury hotel accommodations that are located within the park. These hotels can help you plan hikes and other excursions within the park to explore the various things to do in Torres del Paine before returning to top quality lodging.
- Lago Grey Hotel: This all inclusive hotel helps you get to the park from Puerto Natales and provides unique hiking excursions that may need guides to visit. The price for this hotel is high but it does include food, drinks, transportation, and excursions.
- Tierra Patagonia Hotel & Spa: If you want an all-inclusive hotel with a spa experience while looking at incredible views, this is the hotel for you. They can organize excursions through the park, including challenging hikes, beautiful horseback rides, and glacier hikes.
- Patagonia Camp: For a truly unique lodging experience, the Patagonia Camp is glamping at its finest. They have unique private yurts for you to stay in while taking in the beautiful views of Torres del Paine. They have all-inclusive options as well and offer excursions that range in difficulty and type.
- Ecocamp Patagonia: These accommodations are geodesic domes nestled into the mountains. This is a sustainability minded hotel and they think about their cultural and social obligations in this delicate environment. They provide different guided hiking and wildlife programs through the W Trek and other areas of the park. If you want some luxury and guided hiking experiences, this is the hotel for you.
Park Pass: The One Thing You Will Need
For any of the various things to do in Torres del Paine, you will need to purchase a National Park Pass. Some luxury accommodations may include the pass as part of their package. The national park has passes for people spending less than 3 days in the park. This is the website to purchase the pass in advance. If you are spending less than 3 days in the park, make sure to select the park pass for “up to 3 days” or “pase hasta 3 dias”. You will most likely be an “extranjero” or foreign visitor.
