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There are many incredible day hikes in Torres del Paine National Park of different lengths and difficulty levels. From short and easy trails suitable for hikers with children to challenging routes for experienced hikers. Backpacking in Torres del Paine you can enjoy the fantastic Patagonian scenery, impressive landscapes, and diverse wildlife. Here it’s possible to combine comfort and adventure. You can stay in a nice hotel/cabin inside the park and visit the main attractions by doing day hikes.
If you’re planning to stay for a couple of days in Torres del Paine and do several day hikes I’d suggest deciding on the routes you want to walk before booking your accommodation inside the park.
If you don’t have much time for hiking around the park but still want to visit the park you can do a full-day tour from Puerto Natales. You’ll be able to see many park attractions in one day and do a short 1-hour hike. This tour might be a good option if you visit Torres del Paine in the winter.
You can buy your Torres del Paine ticket online. It’s valid for several days. If you stay outside the park you can enter it without paying the fee again.
Can you do day hikes in Torres del Paine?
Yes, there are many day hiking routes with breathtaking scenery in Torres del Paine National Park. So if you don’t have time to do one of the multi-day routes you can choose a couple of day hikes to enjoy the beautiful scenery in this Patagonian National Park.
Unlike multi-day trekking routes, day hikes can be walked during any season without advanced booking. You can decide on the best time to visit Torres del Paine based on your preferences and not on the availability of spots.
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For easier navigation, we decided to divide Torres del Paine into three zones; east, south, and west.
Torres del Paine hiking map
How to book entrance tickets to Torres del Paine?
According to the information on the official CONAF website, hikers have to purchase their entrance tickets online at least 24 hours before their visit.
The entrance fee for non-Chilean visitors is US$35 if you’re staying inside the park for 3 days or less and US$49 if you’re going to stay for more than 3 days, children under 12 years old enter for free.
You can print your confirmation or show it on the screen of your mobile phone at the entrance gate.
Day hikes in the east part of Torres del Paine
This part of the park has both; off-the-beaten-path trails and some of the most popular routes that are parts of the W trek and the O Circuit, two multi-day routes in Torres del Paine. You get a great chance to see some of the highlights and hidden gems of Torres del Paine.
Day hikes in Torres del Paine map
The Fauna Trail (Portería – Portería)
An off-the-beaten trekking route in Torres del Paine where you can see many guanacos, and condors gliding in the skies, and even spot a puma at sunrise or sunset. The trail starts and finishes at different Porterías (entrances). The trail can be walked only in one direction from Portería Lago Sarmiento to Laguna Amarga. Along the route, you can spot some wild animals such as guanacos, huemuls (deer), porcupines, condors, etc.
It’s possible to do this hike as a day tour from Puerto Natales (transport, guide, and lunch included).
Distance – 8 km
Required time – 2-3 hours
Closest hotel/campsite – Hotel Las Torres/Central campsite
Starting point – Portería Lago Sarmiento
Finishing point – Portería Laguna Amarga
Accessibility – by car
Difficulty – easy
Laguna Azul/Cebolla
Trails in this part of the park are quite off the beaten path compared to the trails on the multi-day hiking routes. You’ll see a few people and many guanacos, birds, and if you’re very lucky in the early morning even a puma. The hike is short and easy, a good option for families with children. The scenery on the way is not really special, but the view over the lake with the Towers in the background is stunning.
From Laguna Azul, you can continue walking for another 6 km till you reach Laguna Cebolla’s lookout. It’s an easy walk that can be done with children. The only thing to consider is the distance it’s better to start waking in the morning to have enough time to complete the route. Laguna Cebolla is much smaller than Laguna Azul. The trail is not really marked but it’s clear and easy to follow.
Distance – Laguna Azul – 8 km, return; Laguna Cebolla – 20 km, return
Required time – 2-3 hours to Laguna Azul; 4-5 hours to Laguna Cebolla
Closest hotel – Hotel Las Torres/Central campsite
Starting/finishing point – Porteria Laguna Azul
Accessibility – by car, 45 min. drive from the Laguna Amarga entrance, on the way you can stop at the Paine Waterfall
Difficulty – easy
Mirador Las Torres
Mirador Las Torres is the most famous attraction in Torres del Paine. The hike to the viewpoint is one of the best hikes in Patagonia and one of the most difficult day hikes in the park. The way to the Mirador is one long and steep ascend to Laguna and Las Torres, the last couple of kilometers it gets very steep. After that a descent all the way back to the hotel/campsite. Walking sticks are highly recommended for this route. Take water and snacks with you you’ll spend most part of the day hiking. You can stop at a restaurant/shop at the Chileno campsite for lunch or coffee.
Distance – 19 km, return
Required time – 6-7 hours
Closest hotel – Hotel Las Torres/Central campsite
Starting/finishing point – Hotel Las Torres
Accessibility – by bus/car
Difficulty – challenging
Lago Nordenskjold
It’s a nice day hike with beautiful views over Nordenskjold lake. This trail is a part of multi-day hiking routes so expect to see quite a lot of people. This hike can be done either way from Hotel Las Torres or Refugio Cuernos. It’s possible to complete this route on horses from Hotel Las Torres if you want to experience Torres del Paine in a different way. Take food or snacks with you there are no shops or restaurants along the way.
Distance – depends on where you start and how far you go. From Hotel Las Torres to Refugio Los Cuernos – 11,6 km one way. You don’t have to go all the way to Los Cuernos, you can walk 5 km one way, enjoy the beautiful lake scenery, turn around and walk back to the hotel. In this case, it’ll be about 10km.
Required time – 4-5 hours.
Closest hotel – Hotel Las Torres or Refugio Los Cuernos
Starting point – Hotel Las Torres or Refugio Los Cuernos
Finishing point – Hotel Las Torres or Refugio Los Cuernos
Accessibility – Hotel Las Torres by car/bus; Los Cuernos accessible only on foot
Difficulty – moderate, with several ascents and descents on the way
If you’re planning to explore more of Chilean Patagonia consider doing a day hike to the Mirador Cerro Castillo in Cerro Castillo National Park on the Carretera Austral.
Day hikes in the south part of Torres del Paine
Mirador Francés/Británico
The hike along the turquoise Nordenskjold lake to the viewpoint from where you can appreciate the stunning beauty of the area. To walk all the way to the Británico viewpoint makes sense only in good weather. If it’s overcast and rainy you won’t see much up there. This trail is one of the most difficult day hikes in Torres del Paine. The views from the top are incredible and well worth the effort.
We’d recommend attempting this trek only if you’re in good hiking shape and used to walking a lot. You can always turn around at the Mirador Francés if you run out of time or feel too tired to continue. The views from the Francés viewpoint are just as beautiful.
Many trekkers walk this trail as a part of the W-trek or the O-circuit from the Italiano campsite which is right at the beginning of the climb.
Take water and snacks with there will be no places to buy food. You’ll be able to get water on the way from streams and small rivers.
This route can be done with a tour as a day hiking trip from Puerto Natales.
Distance – Mirador Francés – 7 km, return; Mirador Británico – 11 km, return
Required time – 2 hours Mirador Francés; 4-5 hours Mirador Británico
Closest hotel/campsite – Refugio/campsite Los Cuernos or refugio/campsite Francés
Starting/finishing point – Italiano ranger station
Accessibility – on foot
Difficulty – challenging, a very steep ascent from the Italiano campsite to the viewpoints
Mirador Cóndor
An easy and short walk to the viewpoint from where you can see Laguna Negra and Pehoé lake.
Distance – 4 km
Required time – 1h30min.
Closest hotel – Hotel Explora Salto Chico
Starting/finishing point – Pehoe campsite
Accessibility – by car
Difficulty – easy
Mirador Lago Toro/Laguna Verde
A short and easy day hike to the Mirador Lago Toro in Torres del Paine from where you can enjoy the view over the Laguna Toro, a big turquoise lake surrounded by greenish hills and plains. If you continue walking further from the Mirador Lago Toro for about 2 hours you’ll reach Laguna Verde, the trail finishes at Guardería Laguna Verde but we´d recommend turning around earlier as you still have to walk all the way back.
Distance – Lago Toro – 4 km, return; Laguna Verde 20 km, return
Required time – 1h30min. Lago Toro; 5 hours Laguna Verde
Closest hotel – Hotel Explora Salto Chico
Starting/finishing point – 15 minutes drive from the Administration entrance
Accessibility – by car
Difficulty – easy-moderate
Mirador Cuernos
A beautiful route that starts at beautiful turquoise Pehoé lake and impressive waterfall Salto Grande and after an hour finishes at Nordenskjold lake – one of the most beautiful easy-to-access viewpoints in the park.
Distance – 5 km
Required time – 2 hours
Closest hotel – Hosteria Pehoe
Starting/finishing point – Salto Grande
Accessibility – by car
Difficulty – easy
Day hikes in the west part of Torres del Paine
Mirador Ferrier
A tough hike-climb to the viewpoint with stunning panoramic views over the lake, the glacier, and the valley, and pretty much all the lakes and rivers of this part of Torres del Paine. Good hiking shoes and rain jackets are highly recommended for this route. Don’t forget to take water there is no water on the route. Before you start you must register at the Guardería.
Distance – 3 km, return.
Required time – 3 hours
Closest hotel – Hotel Lago Grey
Starting/finishing point – Guardería Grey
Accessibility – by car
Difficulty – difficult, very steep long ascend to the Mirador – 700m/2300 feet with the subsequent descent back to the road.
Cascada Pingo/Mirador Zapata
Another big waterfall but this time with fewer people compare to Salto Grande. Getting there is quite a walk but well worth the effort as you get a chance to explore the waterfall and enjoy the tranquility of this part of the park. The trail is well-marked and easy to follow. In the beginning, you’ll walk past an abandoned campsite with a stunning view of Cerro Paine Grande from there.
If you continue walking further from Pingo waterfall in 2,5 km you will get to Zapata campsite – an abandoned campsite at the river bank. The walk is relatively flat and easy. From the campsite, it’s another 3 km to Mirador Zapata – a viewpoint from where you can see Pingo lake and the glacier. The part of the trail between the waterfall and the viewpoint is not the most spectacular. It’s worth continuing walking only if you’re planning to go all the way to the Mirador otherwise turn around at the waterfall and go back.
Distance – cascada Pingo – 20 km, return; Mirador Zapata – 30 km return
Required time – 5 hours to Cascada Pingo; 7-8 hours to Mirador Zapata
Closest hotel – Hotel Lago Grey
Starting/finishing point – Guardería Grey
Accessibility – by car
Difficulty – moderate (Cascada Pingo); challenging (Mirador Zapata)
Lago Grey hike
An easy walk that will lead you to Lago Grey and the ferry (catamaran) that goes to Grey glacier and Refugio Grey so you can combine it with the boat trip.
Distance – 5 km
Required time – 2 hours, return.
Closest hotel – Hotel Lago Grey
Starting/finishing point – Guardería Grey
Accessibility – by car
Difficulty – easy
Mirador Lago Skottsberg
Another viewpoint not far from the hotel, first through the burnt forest and then along Skottsberg lake, when walking next to the lake check from time to time reflections of the mountains in the water. This hike can be completed as a part of a longer hike to Mirador Francés.
Distance – 5 km, return
Required time – 1h30min.
Closest hotel – Refugio/campsite Paine Grande
Starting/finishing point – Paine Grande
Accessibility – by boat
Difficulty – easy
Mirador Pehoé
Easy walk from the hotel towards the Administration entrance along Pehoé lake to the second Mirador (the first one is on the other side of the lake, at Hosteria Pehoé). You can walk as far as you wish there is a viewpoint about 3 km away from the hotel.
Distance – 5-6 km, return
Required time – 1h30min.
Closest hotel – Refugio/campsite Paine Grande
Starting/finishing point – Paine Grande
Accessibility – by boat
Difficulty – easy
Mirador Grey
The Mirador Grey viewpoint is located right in the middle between the Refugio Grey and Refugio Paine Grande. From this viewpoint, you’ll be able to see Lago Grey and Grey glacier in the distance. If you walk from Paine Grande you’ll walk past small and beautiful Laguna Los Patos (a nice spot to stop for rest and snack) and a waterfall just before the lake on the right-hand side.
You can do a day hiking tour (transportation included) from Puerto Natales to the viewpoint of Grey Glacier.
Distance – 11 km, return
Required time – 3 hours
Closest hotel – Refugio/campsite Paine Grande
Starting/finishing point – Refugio/campsite Paine Grande
Accessibility – by boat
Difficulty – moderate
You can combine a trip to Torres del Paine with a visit to Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina. It’s possible to get to El Calafate (the nearest to the glacier town) by bus from Puerto Natales.
Suspension bridges (Glacier Grey viewpoints)
Glacier Grey is one of the main highlights of Torres del Paine and is definitely worth visiting. The walk starts at Refugio Grey towards Campamento Paso, up to the hill. This route is part of the O circuit and it gives you a chance to admire the immense Grey Glacier. Walk across the suspension bridge from there you can see the glacier and the lake surrounded by mountains with snow peaks. Here you can turn around and walk back to the Refugio or keep walking till the next suspension bridge.
From the first bridge, you can continue walking towards Paso campsite till you reach the second suspension bridge, after the bridge, there is a viewpoint from where you’ll get a stunning view over Grey glacier. The distance is not long but it’s quite a steep ascend all the way to the bridge and descend on the way back. Take a snack and there is no place to get food along the route.
Distance – Suspention bridge 1 – 5 km, return; suspention bridge 2 – 10 km, return
Required time – 2 hours to the first bridge; 4 hours to the second bridge
Closest hotel – Refugio/campsite Grey
Starting/finishing point – Refugio/campsite Grey
Accessibility – by boat
Difficulty – moderate (the first bridge); challenging (the second bridge)
Grey Glacier is one of the few glaciers in the world that you can reach with a short boat trip. If you don’t have time to walk all the way to the Refugio Grey from Paine Grande you can do a return trip including getting off at the Refugio and spending a couple of hours there. If you want you can stay at the Refugio Grey and take a catamaran back the next day.
The ferry leaves from Hotel Lago Grey. Confirm the ferry timetable here. In the high season (1st October – 30th April) catamarans leave 3-4 times per day. Price for adults – CLP 90 000/US$103 one way, for children – CLP 45 000/US$50 one way. A return tickes for adults is CLP 100 000/US$115, for children – CLP 50 000/US$107.
If you want to sail up close to the massive wall of ice of the Grey Glacier you can join a cruise on the Grey Lake and the Pingo River. The total duration of the cruise is 3 hours.
Required time – 3 hours return boat trip
Closest hotel – Hotel Lago Grey
Starting/finishing point – Rio Pingo
Accessibility – by car
Difficulty – easy; relaxing and enjoyable boat trip
Glacier Grey ice hiking
It’s an unforgettable experience and a real adventure, especially if you have never walked on ice in crampons and with an ice ax. It’s not a budget activity – CLP 125 000/US$200, it includes; boat transfer, guide, ice ax, crampons, and harness. Tours depart three times a day at 8.30am, 10.00am and 14.30pm from October to April.
It’s possible to visit the glacier on a day tour from Puerto Natales (no glacier hiking).
Distance – about 10 km, return (ice hike + walking to the glacier)
Required time – 5 hours in total; 2h30min. ice hiking itself, 2 hours to walk to the glacier and back, 1-hour return boat trip.
Closest hotel – Refugio Grey
Starting/finishing point – Refugio Grey
Accessibility – by boat
Difficulty – moderate
To get the ultimate Patagonia experience you can combine hiking in Torres del Paine with trekking in El Chalten, the adventurous capital of Argentina. El Chalten like Torres del Paine offers a great variety of day hikes and multi-day trekking routes.
Where to stay before hiking in Torres del Paine?
You can choose to stay in Puerto Natales, the closest to Torres del Paine town, to stay just outside the park at one of the few hotels/refugios, or to be based in the park. The last option is the best if you want to spend a couple of days in Torres del Paine and do several day hikes.
Staying inside Torres del Paine
Pros
You save a lot of time driving to the park and back every day, especially if you stay in Puerto Natales.
You have incredible scenery around you for 24 hours.
There are several campsites in Torres del Paine suitable for day hikers (not far from the park entrances) which means your accommodation won’t be expensive if you’re willing to camp.
Cons
If you don’t want to camp, staying in the park (hotels or refugios) is quite a bit more expensive compared to staying outside the park.
As well as eating in the park is quite pricey.
Hotels and campsites inside Torres del Paine
Staying outside the park
If you don’t want to pay a lot and at the same time stay close to the park check out some hotels and hostels just outside Torres del Paine. It’ll save you a lot of driving time that you can rather spend on hiking and will be cheaper than staying inside the park.
Accommodation outside Torres del Paine
To make it easier we decided to divide the park into three areas; east, west, and south. You can decide if you want to base in one part of the park and do day hikes accessible from there or move around more and visit different areas of the park.
Staying in Puerto Natales
Pros
In Puerto Natales, you can find budget and middle-price range accommodation.
There are several shops and restaurants in Puerto Natales. Food is much cheaper in the town than inside the park.
Cons
Puerto Natales is 112 km away, it takes between 2-3 hours to get to Torres del Paine from there and then 2-3 hours back.
You might save on accommodation but spend quite a bit on petrol if you drive a couple of times.
Hotels and hostels in Puerto Natales
How to get to Torres del Paine?
If you’re planning to visit different parts of the park and move around quite a bit the best option is to rent a car in Puerto Natales. If you’re a couple of people sharing a car it might be even cheaper than using a bus/taxi combination. Not many trails in the park are accessible by public buses to get to some of them you’ll need a car or a taxi.
If you’re flying to Punta Arenas, the nearest to Torres del Paine airport, first you have to get to Puerto Natales which is 240 km south. There are several daily buses that connect two towns. The bus journey takes 3 hours.
From Puerto Natales there is a direct bus to Torres del Paine. It stops at three main park entrances; Administration, Pudeto, and Laguna Amarga. The buses leave from the bus terminal in Puerto Natales. You can buy tickets online or at the bus station. During the peak months I’d suggest buying tickets at lelast 1 day in advance.
The journey takes between 2 and 3 hours depending on where in Torres del Paine you get off. The price is CP 12 000/US$14 one way. The ticket to Lago Grey is CP 20 000/US$23 one way.
There might be more buses during the peak months between December and February.
To get to Hotel Las Torres from Laguna Amarga take a shuttle bus. Its departure time is linked to the arrival time of buses from Puerto Natales, the journey takes 10 min. Price US$6 one way.
You can get back from Torres del Paine to Puerto Natales the same way.
To get to Refugio Paine Grande from the Pudeto entrance take a catamaran (ferry). It takes 30 min. to get to Paine Grande. The price is US$30 one way. You can buy tickets and confirm the current timetable on the Hip Sur website.
Entrance fees and transport expenses
Entrance fee – US$49 if you’re going to stay in the park for more than 3 days, US$35 if you’re going to spend 3 or fewer days in the park.
Transport. Bus Puerto Natales – Torres del Paine – US$14 one way, US$23 one way to Hotel Grey. Bus Laguna Amarga – Hotel Las Torres (one way) – US$6, free for the guest of Hotel Las Torres. Catamaran Pudeto – Refugio Paine Grande – US$30 one way.
Renting a car. At the airport in Punta Arenas from US$40 per day, depending on the car, season, and rental period.
Tours in Torres del Paine. A boat trip from Hotel Lago Grey to Grey Glacier is from US$115 pp.; ice hiking on Grey Glacier from US$200 pp.; kayaking to Grey Glacier from US$128 pp. for a 2.5-hour tour. Horse riding tour from US$75 pp. for a 3-hour tour.
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The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.
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