The 15 Best Day Hikes in Torres del Paine [2024 Guide] (2024)

If there’s one place you’ve heard about in Patagonia, bets are it’s Torres del Paine National Park.

This protected area in Southern Chilean Patagonia is best known as the location of the W trek or the O Circuit – two of South America’s most splendid multi-day hikes.

However, you can also visit Torres del Paine National Park for day hikes, a great option if you:

a) you don’t fancy lugging a backpack around with you

b) fancy staying in more luxurious accommodations, or

c) just don’t have the five days required for hiking the W.

As with all the posts about Patagonia on the site, I’ve gone into extensive detail about my 15 favourite trails in Torres del Paine.

Not only this, you can find extremely useful logistical information to help you visit the park via public transport or your own vehicle, as well as tips and tricks to ensure that your visit goes without a hitch and you don’t miss out on any of the park’s spectacular trails and dazzling viewpoints.

FAQs about day hikes in Torres del Paine National Park

Where can you buy your entrance ticket for Torres del Paine and how much does it cost?

The cost of entering the park varies according to how long you plan on staying. For up to three days in the national park, it costs $35 USD for adults and $17 USD for children aged 12 to 17. For over three days in the park, the cost is $49 USD for both adults and children.

You must book your entrance ticket before you enter the park using this website. You need to download the QR code in Puerto Natales while you have internet (there is no signal in the park) and may need to show a copy of your passport to prove you do not live in Chile.

You can no longer purchase tickets at the park entrances.

Can you visit Torres del Paine in a day?

Yes, it’s possible to visit Torres delPaine National Park in one day. However, because it takes around 1.5-2 hours todrive from Puerto Natales (the nearest town) to the park, you can expect a tourof the national park to constitute a very long day.

VisitingTorres del Paine with a tour from Puerto Natales: Thereare plenty of companies in Puerto Natales that offer different types of one-daytours of Torres del Paine National Park. These either:

• visitvarious miradors (viewpoints) and acouple of short hikes
• or, involvehiking the final section of the W, the hike up to Mirador Las Torres

For both, you can expect to pay around$40,000 CLP ($47 USD) for the full-day tour, including transportation but notincluding food or the price of the entrance into the national park (the latterof which costs $25,000 CLP ($30 USD) per person).

VisitingTorres del Paine without a tour: It’s also possibleto visit Torres del Paine National Park in one day on your own. This is fareasier with a rental vehicle, although it is also possible with publictransport.

Should you hire arental car to visit Torres del Paine National park for day hikes?

Yes. The problem with the park is that, ifyou’re not planning on trekking one of the multi-day trails in Torres del PaineNational Park, it’s very hard to get around.

As I illustrate below, public transport runs between Puerto Natales, the closest town to the national park, and a couple of destinations in the park.

Because of this, if you don’t hike the W or the Circuit (and therefore hike between where the buses drop off and pick up hikers), or don’t want to visit for just one day and do one part of the W, there is only fairly infrequent public transport to get you around the park.

Bus Sur have opened up new routes through the national park, which means you can move between different stops, however these buses only leave twice a day in each direction.

Unfortunately, these bus timings still don’t necessarily match up with when you want to be in different parts of the park.

Hitchhiking is another option, but again, there’s no guarantee that there will be people offering to give you a lift (if you choose to hitchhike, read these tips on hitchhiking safely).

Therefore, hiring a rental car in Puerto Natales is your best option. This allows you to visit various trails in one day and, if you are planning on staying overnight in the park, makes it far easier to get between your accommodation and the trailheads.

The roads in the national park are unpaved but in good condition. Therefore, a 4WD is not necessary, although it’s highly recommended to drive slowly to both enjoy the incredible views (!!) and avoid gravel bouncing up and hitting your windscreen.

A note on fuel in the national park: The only issue with driving in Torres del Paine National Park is that the closest gas station is in Puerto Natales. This means that you need to either bring a spare can of gas with you in your vehicle or ensure that you will have enough gas for the duration of your time in the national park. This is easy enough to work out. You can use Google Maps to work out the distance in kilometres from Puerto Natales to the national park and each trailhead.

I’ve also heard that Hotel Las Torres (at the trailhead for the Mirador Las Torres hike) sometimes sells gas to visitors in dire need – however, there is no guarantee they’ll have any to sell and you can expect to pay a lot more than the market value for this!

Can you visit Torres del Paine with public transport?

To visit Torres del Paine with publictransport for the day, you would only be able to do hikes whose trailheadsconnect with the bus stops in the national park. These bus stops are locatedat:

• Portería Laguna Amarga – an entrance to the national park located in the east. From here, you can either hike or take a minibus to the trailhead for trail to Mirador Las Torres (#14 on this list).
• Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp – the dock for the catamaran that transports hikers across Lago Pehoé to the Paine Grande campground and refugio. Paine Grande is the trailhead for the hike to Glaciar Grey (#9 on this list) and the hike to Valle Francés/Mirador Británico (#s 10 and 11).
• Camping Pehoé – this is an affordable campground that has access to Mirador Condor (#7).
• Administración – the national park’s main headquarters located in the south of the park and close to the trailhead for the Lazo-Weber Trail (#5 on this list). Buses used to stop here but only a handful still do.
• Lago Hotel Grey – this is a hotel on the shores of Lago Grey and from where you can access the hike up to Mirador Ferrier (#2) and Mirador Zapata (#3)

Prior to the pandemic, five companies traveled from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine. Right now, the easiest to book public transport is run by Bus Sur as you can book easily online using their website.

Tickets generally cost around $20,000 CLP ($22 USD) for a return ticket (which can be used on any of the same company’s buses back from the park).

You must buy tickets either online or, in the case of the other companies who I believe still do operate, from their offices, which are inside the Terminal Rodoviario (Av. España 1455) in Puerto Natales.

If you are travelling in a group, considernegotiating a reduced price like we did, which got us a few thousand pesos offper ticket.

It’s also advisable to book your bus ticket at least a week in advance when visiting the park in high season (December through February).

Buses from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine NationalPark

The following timetables indicate publicservices to the national park operating September 1 through April 30 (unlessotherwise stated).

These buses are most helpful if you want totake a day trip to hike to Mirador LasTorres.

If you want to hike any of those from thePudeto catamaran stop, see the other timetables further below.

A note on getting to the Mirador Las Torres trailhead from Laguna Amarga: Once you arrive at Laguna Amarga, you will need to either hike the 7.6 km (1.5 hrs) of road to reach the trailhead at the Centro de Bienvenida (Welcome Centre) or take the shuttle minibus ($5,000 CLP ($6 USD)) from Laguna Amarga to theCentro de Bienvenida (contact them through their website above for bookings). You will also need to do this for the return journey back to Laguna Amarga at the end of the day and according to readers who have taken this service, you can pay with card at the Centro de Bienvenida.

Pre-pandemic, the following companies also offered services. However, their websites are no longer active and I can’t find them on any local booking sites. That doesn’t mean they don’t have buses, however; if you can’t get a reservation with Bus Sur then it’s still worth going to the bus terminal in Puerto Natales as some will likely still be in operation and with similar departure times:

• Transport Maria José(tel. 61/2410 951)
• Buses Gómez (tel. 61/2415700)
• JB Buses Patagonia (tel. 61/2410 242)
• Buses Juan Ojeda (tel. 9/8943 7808)

*Service available November through April

Buses from Torres del Paine National Park to Puerto Natales

As above, there should be other companies offering buses to and from Puerto Natales into the park; visit the Terminal Rodovario in Puerto Natales to find out if you can’t make a reservation with Bus Sur.

When can youdo these day hikes in Torres del Paine National Park?

From October through the end of April, mostof the hikes listed below can be hiked without a guide. However, Mirador Las Torres is the exception.This trail can be hiked without a guide from September through the end of April

From May through the end of September, itis necessary to have a guide for any hikes in the national park. To find aguide, I suggest using a Chilean guide called Andy (+56 9 8156 0134 – WhatsApp).I’ve had him highly recommended from a friend of mine who works in tourism inPuerto Natales.

This website, which is a directory of local guides, is another option. Guides charge between $80,000 CLP and $100,000 CLP for the day.

Where should you stay when visiting Torres del PaineNational Park for day hikes?

Because of the distance between thenational park and the closest town, Puerto Natales, if you plan on spending acouple of days hiking in Torres del Paine, it makes more sense to findaccommodations in or just outside of the park itself.

Lodgings are cheaper in Puerto Natales, but if you add up the cost of traveling into and out of the national park each day (and the time you spend), then it doesn’t wind up being much more affordable staying in Puerto Natales.

However, if you’re still inclined to stay in the town, our guide to the best hotels in Puerto Natales provides our top picks across a variety of budgets.

Alternatively, you have various options in Torres del Paine National Park:

• Hotels – these start from $200,000 CLP ($233 USD) and go up to $2,500 USD per night for a double room in all-inclusive, five-star accommodation. Book through Booking.com
• Guesthouses – these are more affordable, starting from $150,000 CLP ($175 USD) per night for a double room. Book through Booking.com
• Self-catering cabins – even cheaper, these cost from $110,000 CLP ($128 USD) for a four-bed cabin, but there is limited availability. Book through Booking.com
• Refugios – a bed in four-bed dorms in the refuges along the W trek that are owned by Vertice Patagonia and Las Torres start from $43,000 CLP ($59 USD) per person per night. Book through Vertice Patagonia/ Las Torres
• Camping – either at Camping Lago Pehoé ($99,000 CLP ($111 USD) two-person dome or $28,000 CLP ($31 USD) campsite for two) or at the campgrounds along the W trek owned by Vertice Patagonia and Las Torres (from $21,000 CLP ($24 USD) campsite for two). Book through Camping Pehoé/Vertice Patagonia/Las Torres.

I’ve written this complete guide to lodgings in Torres del Paine NationalPark, which is a great place for a more detailed overview of myrecommended accommodations for different budgets.

It’s worth pointing out that hotels in the park get booked up well in advance, particularly between December and February which is peak season. Aim to make reservations at least four months in advance for this period.

General recommendations for hiking in Torres del Paine National Park

Food and dining

There are a number of restaurants, cafés and even minimarkets in the park, but food is extortionately priced ($18,000 CLP ($20 USD) upwards for an entree) and generally of pretty poor quality.

You can buy box lunches from most hotelsand restaurants, but you’re better off bringing food for lunch from the UNIMARCsupermarket in Puerto Natales.

Unless you’re staying in self-cateringaccommodation or camping with cooking equipment, it’s likely you will need to dine at your hotel restaurant, or youcan opt to eat at one of the hotel restaurants open to non-guest. Theseinclude:

• ParrillaPehoé (at Camping Pehoé)
• The restaurant in Hostería Pehoé
• Río PingoCafeteria (which also has a minimarket)
• Restaurant Coirón inHotel las Torres
• The restaurant in Hotel Lago Grey
• The restaurant or bar in Hotel Las Torres

Drinking water is available at all accommodations. If you want to drink water from the rivers or streams in the park, I strongly recommend investing in a Steripen or Grayl Geopress (read why they’re the best travel and backpacking water filters) to sterilise the water and avoid you getting ill.

Money

The ticket for the Pudeto catamaran ferry ($27,000 CLP ($30 USD) one-way) can only be purchased using Chilean pesos in cash only. Most hotels and restaurants in the national park accept card, but it’s best to confirm this when you book.

There are no ATMs in the national park, so you will need to withdraw cash inPuerto Natales.

Entrance ticket

The entrance ticket covers either up to three days in the national park ($35 USD adult) or over three days in the park ($49 USD adult). This means that, if you stay in one of the accommodations that are on the outside of the park, you can enter for as many consecutive days as your ticket allows.

However, if you stay in an accommodation inside the national park, you can remain within Torres del Paine for as many days as you wish.

You must book your ticket before you enter the national park on this website. Download your QR code before leaving Puerto Natales as you won’t have internet connection in the park. Remember to bring your passport with you to show at the entrance.

What equipment do you need for visiting Torres del Paine National Park?

As anyone who’s visited Patagonia will tell you, it’s possible to experience all four seasons in just one day here. Unsurprisingly, the weather can change very fast, so be sure to take extra layers for warmth, a sturdy raincoat, sun cream, sunglasses and a hat.

In the shoulder seasons (October/November and March/April), it can get really chilly at night, so be mindful of this when packing clothing if you’re planning on camping – you probably will want thermals and a three- or four-season sleeping bag.

It’s also recommended to wear sturdy hiking boots or shoes, as some of the hikes are steep and cover areas of rocky moraine. Trekking poles are also very helpful on the trails requiring steep climbs, such as the trek up to Mirador Las Torres, Valle Francés and Mirador Británico and Mirador Ferrier.

A small day pack, such as the 40-litre Osprey, are a good size for day hikes in Patagonia. I’d also suggest lining the bag with a dry bag. This will keep all of your belongings dry if you get caught in a rain storm and is much more reliable than the rain covers that you can use for your pack (although, I would also recommend having a day pack with a rain cover as this provides additional protection for electronics and other valuables that you might be carrying).

I’ve written extensively about what to pack for Torres del Paine National Park,with lots of suggestions for rain jackets, clothing, my favourite hiking boots,and other essentials to bring with you.

The Best Torres del Paine day hikes

The following trails includeviewpoints which require little to no hiking, as well as short andmedium-length day hikes. Three of the latter (marked as *W TREK*) form thedifferent segments of the W but can be hiked separately as day hikes.

I’ve also included sample day hikeitineraries that show how you can plan a couple of days in the national park,as well as how you can stitch together parts of the W into three days ofhiking.

The trails are listed from south to north, as if you were entering the national park via the Portería Serrano entrance. To get to this entrance, drive north out of Puerto Natales and take the Y-290 to Portería Serrano. This is the prettiest drive into the national park, so I highly recommend taking this road if you’ve got your own transport.

Torres del Paine hiking trail map

On the day hikes below, I’ve indicated their location via OpenStreetMap.org, a fantastic resource that can be downloaded to your mobile (and used offline if you download the correct maps in advance!) as Maps.Me.

I highly recommend downloading this before you arrive at the park. The park rangers will also provide a map when you pay your entrance fee.

I’m not 100% sure if it’s this map (they used to have a different one and I believe this is the updated version), but it has all of the hikes marked clearly on it, so is a great tool for when you are planning.

South section of Torres del Paine National Park (Portería Serrano entrance)

1. Mirador Pehoé (viewpoint)

• Location: Just before Hotel Lago Grey, on the Y-150 from the Administración (national park headquarters) to Hotel Lago Grey
• Length: None; viewpoint is directly from the road
• Difficulty: Easy
• Facilities: None
• When to do it: On a clear day if you want to see the Los Cuernos mountains at their most impressive.

This viewpoint allows striking vistas ofLago Pehoé and the Los Cuernos mountains, although the views are somewhat lessimpressive than those from Mirador Cóndor (see below).

2. Mirador Monte Ferrier

• Location: Starts a few kilometres beyond Hotel Lago Grey on the Y-150 from the Administración to Hotel Lago Grey, just next to the Río Pingo Cafeteria. A ranger station (where you must register your visit) is located next door. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
• Length: 4 km, 2.25 hrs return
• Difficulty: Hard
• Facilities: Parking and café facilities are available at the Río Pingo Cafeteria.
• When to do it: Views are impressive but the wind can be fierce – and freezing – here. If it’s really cloudy, you won’t see much.

This trek is challenging because it involves a very steep climb (an ascent of around 700 m (2,300 ft.) over just two km) to reach the top.

However, once you get there, you can expect incredible panoramas of Lago Grey with Glaciar Grey beyond. You’ll also see the Los Cuernos mountains rising above Lago Pehoé and Lago Nordenskjöld. Although, as I experienced in September 2022, the views aren’t as impressive if visibility is poor!

3. Mirador Zapata (only with a guide)

• Location: Starts a few kilometres beyond Hotel Lago Grey on the Y-150 from the Administración to Hotel Lago Grey, just next to the Río Pingo Cafeteria. A ranger station (where you must register your visit) is located next door. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
• Length: 10 km, 5.5 hrs to Campamento Zapata one-way, further 3 km, 1.5 hrs to Mirador Zapata
• Difficulty: Hard
• Facilities: Parking and café facilities available at the Río Pingo Cafeteria. You can camp at Campamento Zapata (but will need to bring all camping equipment).
• When to do it: Views are impressive even if it’s a cloudy day, although the wind can be fierce – and freezing – here.

This steep climb cuts out into the verywest of the national park, skirting the Río Pingo before turning to the south.Once you arrive at the mirador, expect sweeping views of Glaciar Pingo perchedabove Lago Pingo, as well as the glittering bulk of Glaciar Zapata in thesouth.

Keep an eye out for huemul and otherendemic wildlife on this hike!

4. Mirador Lago Grey

• Location: Starts a few kilometres beyond Hotel Lago Grey at the very end of the Y-150 from the Administración to Hotel Lago Grey. You will find the Río Pingo Cafeteria and a ranger station. You need to cross the suspension bridge over the Río Pingo. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
• Length: 5 km, 1.5-2 hrs
• Difficulty: Easy
• Facilities: Parking and café facilities available at the Río Pingo Cafeteria.
• When to do it: Views are impressive even if it’s a cloudy day, although the wind can be fierce here.

This trail takes you down onto a sandypeninsular overlooking Lago Grey. Glaciar Grey is far in the distance, butyou’ll see huge bergs of ice bobbing in the frigid waters and the sweepingmountainous landscapes of the Cordillera Paine rising out of the background.

5. Lazo-Weber Trail

• Location: Starts from the main road 700 m beyond Puente Weber, a bridge 2.7 km north of the Administración along the Y-150. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
• Length: Varies; the full Lazo-Weber trail is 14 km, 4-5 hrs one-way; to just Mirador del Toro (5 km, 1.25 mins return). Full adapted loop via Mirador del Toro, Laguna Honda and Paso La Feria (11 km, 3 hrs 34 mins).
• Difficulty: Medium
• Facilities: None
• When to do it: Views are impressive even if it’s a cloudy day, although the wind can be fierce here.

The Lazo-Weber trail grants wide panoramas of the full backdrop of the Los Cuernos and the whole Cordillera Paine/Paine Massif range. However, this hike is a one-way route, so you’ll need to hike back on yourself, which makes for a very long day hike.

Instead, you can adapt the hike and doa loop from Puente Weber, climbing steeply up to Mirador del Toro (2.5 km, 45mins) for views north across the Cordillera Paine and south towards Lake Toroand the Serrano Valley.

The trail then continues on a mostlyflat gradient northeast to Laguna Honda (4.5 km, 2 hrs), before looping back toPaso La Feria (7 km, 3 hrs) to descend back down to Puente Weber (via a shortstretch of the road; 4 km, 1 hr).

Central section of Torres del Paine National Park (Portería Serrano or Portería Laguna Amarga/Portería Lago Sarmiento entrances)

6. Mirador Salto Chico

• Location: Starts from the entrance to Hotel Explora, 800 m south of Camping Pehoé on the Y-150 between Administración and the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
• Length: 300 m, 20 mins
• Difficulty: Easy
• Facilities: Parking and restaurant available at Camping Pehoé
• When to do it: Views are impressive even if it’s a cloudy day.

Starting from the access road to the exclusive Explora Patagonia, this short trail isn’t really open to non-guests of the hotel, but if you’re sneaky enough, you can wander around to the back of the hotel for exceptional views of Lago Pehoé and Los Cuernos.

You’ll also find the gushing waters of Salta Chico, a small waterfall that drains from Lago Pehoé into Lago del Toro, located here.

7. Mirador Cóndor

• Location: Starts from Camping Pehoé or from the pull-out 200m further north, on the Y-150 between Administración and the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
• Length: 3 km, 2-2.5 hrs return
• Difficulty: Medium
• Facilities: Pull-out parking area just off the main road and there’s a restaurant at Camping Pehoé
• When to do it: Views are impressive even if it’s a cloudy day, although the wind can be fierce here.

The trail climbs up, slowly at first,and with a steep final gradient to reach a viewpoint that offers one of thenational park’s most ubiquitous (and spectacular!) views. Expect sweepingvistas of Lago Pehoé and the serrated, horn-shaped Los Cuernos mountains asthey rear out of the Cordillera Paine range.

You might even catch a glimpse of the Southern Patagonia Ice Field in the northwest (Glaciar Grey is one of its tongues), or the gleaming waters of Lago Sarmiento de Gamboa out east.

Keep an eye on the sky above; thetrail is named after the condors that circle the mountains here.

You can also turn this into a loop (3.5 km, 2-3 hrs) and start at either CampingPehoé or Hostería Pehoé. Note that this route involves hiking for 1.2kilometres down the Y-150 road to return to where you left the car.

8. Mirador Cardan

• Location: Starts from across the road from Camping Pehoé, on the Y-150 between Administración and the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
• Length: 200 m, 10-min return
• Difficulty: Easy
• Facilities: Parking area for Camping Pehoé
• When to do it: Views are impressive even if it’s a cloudy day, although the wind can be fierce here.

This short, flat trail leads to a beach overlooking Lago Pehoé, with sensational views of the Cordillera Paine and the park’s iconic “horns”, Los Cuernos.

9. Mirador Cuernos and Salto Grande

• Location: Trail begins at the very end of the turn-off for the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
• Length: 6.5 km, 2-2.5 hrs return
• Difficulty: Easy
• Facilities: Car park and cafeteria at the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp.
• When to do it: Views are impressive even if it’s a cloudy day, although the wind can be fierce here.

No other day hike in Torres del Painegets quite so close to the mythical Los Cuernos, the horn-like mountains thatdominate the Cordillera Paine.

This easy trail heads west out toSalto Grande, a gushing thunder of water as it passes between Lago Nordenskjöldthrough to Lago Pehoé.

Afterwards, you continue north acrossthe flat grassy plains to where Los Cuernos seem to rise out of the earth abovethe brooding, aqua waters of Lago Nordenskjöld. This is one of the park’sultimate viewpoints.

10. Glaciar Grey – *W TREK*

• Location: Trailhead begins at Paine Grande Refugio and Camping. To get here, you need to take the catamaran across Lago Pehoé from the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. The ferry costs $27,000 CLP ($30 USD) one-way and is payable only in cash; you cannot make advance reservations, so get there 30 mins in advance. Ferry timetables are here (note that there is one ferry daily May through September 15, two daily October and April, three daily in November, and four daily December through March). You need to be at the ferry queuing at least 45 minutes before the departure time. The ferry takes 30 mins to cross the lake; you need to return the way you came back to Paine Grande to take the last ferry across the lake at 6.35pm. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
• Length: Varies; to the viewpoint just beyond the campsite, it’s 24 km, 7-8 hrs return. To the second rope bridge, it’s 31 km, 9.5-10.5 hrs return.
• Difficulty: Medium
• Facilities: Car parking is available at the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. There is also a café located here.
• When to do it: This can be hiked even if the weather and visibility aren’t great, as you should still be able to see the glaciers from the viewpoints.

This trek brings you close to the snout of the six-kilometre-wide Glaciar Grey, with a series of miradors granting ever-closer views. The best is at Quebrada de los Vientos (Windy Gorge), an hour after starting the hike.

Beyond this point, the trail skirts thebarren cliffside above the cloudy waters of the lake, before descending throughlenga forest, to arrive at Guardería Glaciar Grey and the Grey campsiteand refugio.

From the campsite, an additional onekilometre through the forest brings you to two viewpoints lying just 1.6kilometres from the glacier’s snout and from where it’s possible to watch thebus-sized chunks of ice bobbing in the waters – or calving if you’re lucky.

Return the way you came; you need to be backat Paine Grande to take the last ferry across the lake at 6.35pm.

If you’re a fast walker, you can extend this trek by continuing a further two kilometres to reach the first of two rope bridges (the second is a further 1.5 km) that lie practically alongside the glacier and grant even more striking views.

11. Valle Francés – *W TREK*

• Location: Trailhead begins at Paine Grande campsite and refugio. To get here, you need to take the catamaran across Lago Pehoé from the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. The ferry costs $27,000 CLP ($30 USD) one-way and is payable only in cash; you cannot make advance reservations, so get there 30 mins in advance. Ferry timetables are here (note that there is one ferry daily May through September 15, two daily October and April, three daily in November, and four daily December through March). You need to be at the ferry queuing at least 45 minutes before the departure time. The ferry takes 30 mins to cross the lake; you need to return the way you came back to Paine Grande to take the last ferry across the lake at 6.35pm. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
• Length: 25 km, 8-9 hrs.
• Difficulty: Medium
• Facilities: Car parking is available at the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp. There is also a café located here.
• When to do it: This is best hiked in good weather for the best views of the glaciers perched on the mountains above.

This trail takes you into the second of the national park’s most famous valleys, Valle Francés. The trail heads northeast this time, skirting Lago Skottberg and keeping Los Cuernos directly ahead (although you can’t see their unique shape from this angle). This trail takes you into the second of the national park’s most famous valleys, Valle Francés.

After about one kilometre (15 mins) of walking from Paine Grande, you hit a fork. Take the right-hand fork along the new trail that takes you around the southern shore of Lago Skottberg. It offers pretty views of the lake and Los Cuernos behind and has fewer hikers on it than the old trail (the left-hand fork).

From here, it’s a further eight kilometres (2.5 hrs) to reach the national park ranger-manned Campamento Italiano, where the trail that climbs into the valley begins.

It’s an hour’s steep and rocky climb up to Mirador Francés, where you can absorb the views of Glaciar Francés as it clings to the mountainside in the west.

Return to Campamento Italiano and then go back the way you came, this time taking the old trail (take the right-hand fork just after you cross the Rio Francés). You need to be back at Paine Grande to take the last ferry across the lake at 6.35pm.

Anote on combining the Glaciar Grey and Valle Francés hikes:

The price of the catamaran ferry that takes you to the trailhead for both the Glaciar Grey and the Valle Francés hikes has increased significantly in the past year. The ferry now costs $30 USD/$27,000 CLP one-way – which adds up to $60 USD/$54,000 CLP per round trip.

Therefore, if you want to hike both the Glaciar Grey and the Valle Francés hikes, it’s much more affordable to stay overnight at Paine Grande campground and refugio (find out more about making reservations for campgrounds and the refugios in Torres del Paine), rather than returning each night to your accommodation elsewhere in the national park.

The bonus of this is that it grants youmore hiking time, which is beneficial if you wish to extend the Valle Francéstrek up to Mirador Británico (see below).

12. Mirador Británico

• Location: Trailhead continues from the Valle Francés lookout. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
• Length: Add 7 km, and 3 hrs to the Valle Francés hike above
• Difficulty: Hard
• Facilities: None
• When to do it: This is best hiked in good weather because you won’t be able to see the glaciers above or the amphitheatre of mountains at Mirador Británico if it’s too cloudy.

One of the park’s most spectacular (andunderrated viewpoints!) is the Mirador Británico (Británico Lookout). A carpetof lush lenga forest leads to a ring of toothy granite peaks, whichinclude the backs of the three-horned Cuernos del Paine. It’s one of the park’smost stunning viewpoints— although only when the sky is clear.

Keep your eyes peeled for huemul (a rare,endemic species of deer) who are visitors to this part of the park.

This is an extension to the Valle Francés day hike. However, to do this, you will need to make a reservation either at Francés (a campground operated by Las Torres, a 30-minute walk east of Campamento Italiano) or at Paine Grande (a campground operated by Vertice Patagonia, a 2.5-hour, 7.6 km hike back the way you came from Campamento Italiano).

This is because, otherwise, it’s unlikelyyou will hike fast enough to get back to the catamaran for the final ferry at6.35pm.

Note that the elevation gain is 783 m (2,568 ft.) from Campamento Italiano to Mirador Británico.

13. Mirador Nordenskjöld (Viewpoint)

• Location: Located 7 km east of the Pudeto catamaran ferry ramp along the Y-150
• Length: None; viewpoint accessed directly from the road
• Elevation gain: N/A
• Difficulty: Easy
• Facilities: Parking in the pull-out on the road.
• When to do it: This can be visited in any weather.

This viewpoint looks out across LagoNordenskjöld for a different perspective of the Los Cuernos (this time from theeast) and the Cordillera Paine range.

East section of Torres del Paine (Portería Laguna Amarga/Portería Lago Sarmiento entrance)

14. Mirador Las Torres – *W TREK*

• Location: Trailhead starts 700 m west of the Centro de Bienvenida/car park. Entrance to the trail lies 600 m before you reach Hotel las Torres at the end of the road from Portería Laguna Amarga to the hotel. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
• Length: 20 km, 7-8 hrs
• Difficulty: Hard
• Facilities: The car park is at the Centro de Bienvenida (Welcome Centre). There’s also a cafeteria located here.
• When to do it: Best hiked on your clearest, best weather day as you want a good view of the towers. If you can start early and get there for sunrise or a little after, the views are incredible as the sun lights up the towers with a dramatic orange hue.

This is the park’s most acclaimed hike,offering dazzling views of its namesake three granite torres (towers), which sit high up in the Cordillera Paine abovethe milky-blue Laguna Torres.

This is an upwards slog from the beginning,with a four-hour climb (10 km) up through the narrow Valle Ascencio as thetrail clings to the valley sides before crossing the Río Ascencio where Chilenocampground and refugio is located.

Here, the trail disappears into forests of lengaand coigue before emerging out into open rocky moraine, which becomesthe size of boulders as you climb the final kilometre or so up to Mirador LasTorres and the ultimate in Patagonian viewpoints. All-in-all, it’s a 900-metre(3,000-ft) elevation gain.

To finish the trek, head back on yourselfand enjoy the trail – it’s all downhill after all!

15. Laguna Azul

• Location: Trail starts just beyond the Portería Laguna Azul, in the northeast of the park, on the Y-160 connecting the Portería Laguna Amarga and the Portería Laguna Azul. View trail on OpenStreetMap.
• Length: 20 km, 4.5-5 hrs return
• Difficulty: Easy
• Facilities: Parking available at Portería Laguna Azul.
• When to do it: This can be visited in any weather, although if it’s too cloudy, you won’t be able to see the towers.

Starting from Laguna Azul, this is apleasant flat trail that passes through meadows and lenga forestsdestroyed by forest fires to end at Laguna Cebolla. From here, return the wayyou came.

At Laguna Azul, you can also see the three granite towers after which the park is named rising out of the Cordillera Paine, thus offering one of the best views of the towers outside of doing the full hike to Mirador Las Torres. Be here for sunset or sunrise, when the towers are lit up.

While walking here, you may also spot guanaco(a delicate relative of the llama), which are prevalent in the eastern plainsof the national park.

Two- and three-day self-guided Torres del Paine hiking tours

While I’d recommend at least three or four days in Torres del Paine National Park, if you’re short on time, two days is enough time to complete two of the segments of the W trek or one W trek segment and one-day hiking shorter day trails and visiting viewpoints across the park.

In three days, it’s also possible to hikethe three most impressive sections of the W Trek (Mirador Las Torres, GlaciarGrey and Valle Francés).

Two-day itinerary: including two segments of the W Trek (Mirador Las Torres and Glaciar Grey)

DayOne: Mirador Las Torres

Leave Puerto Natales at 7am and drive to Torres del Paine National Park, entering at the Portería Laguna Amarga in the east of the national park (113 km, 1.5 hrs). Show your pre-booked entrance ticket and drive to the Centro de Bienvenida (8 km, 20 mins) for the trailhead for Mirador Las Torres.

Bring a packed lunch and spend the dayhiking up to the Mirador Las Torresand back (20 km, 7-8 hrs).

Drive to your accommodation in the park(Hostería Pehoé and Camping Pehoé are well-located for getting to the catamarantomorrow morning).

DayTwo: Glaciar Grey

Take a packed lunch and drive to the Pudeto catamaran ferry dock for 8.15am to join the queue for the 9am crossing. Pay for your ticket (in cash!) and board the ferry; it’ll take 30 minutes to reach Paine Grande.

From Paine Grande, trek to the viewpoint for Glaciar Grey justbeyond the Grey campsite and refugio (24 km, 7-8 hrs return).

Return to Paine Grande for 5.45pm to board the 6.35pm crossing. Return to your lodgings or drive back to Puerto Natales via the Portería Serrano entrance in the south of the national park (104 km, two hrs).

Two-day itinerary: including one segment of the W Trek (Mirador Las Torres) and day hikes

DayOne: Mirador Las Torres

Leave Puerto Natales at 7am and drive to Torres del Paine National Park, entering at the Portería Laguna Amarga in the east of the national park (113 km, 1.5 hrs). Show your pre-booked entrance ticket and drive to the Centro de Bienvenida (8 km, 20 mins) for the trailhead for Mirador Las Torres.

Bring a packed lunch and spend the dayhiking up to the Mirador Las Torres and back (20 km, 7-8 hrs).

Drive to your accommodation in the park(Hostería Pehoé and Camping Pehoé are well-located for getting to the catamarantomorrow morning).

DayTwo: Day hikes

Get up early and drive to the Pudetocatamaran ferry dock. Hike the trail to MiradorCuernos via Salto Grande (6.5 km, 2-2.5 hrs return). Have lunch in the caféat Pudeto or at Parrilla Pehoé (the restaurant at Camping Pehoé).

From Camping Pehoé, take the steeppath up to Mirador Cóndor forsensational views of Los Cuernos and the panorama of the Cordillera Paine withLago Pehoé and Lago Nordenskjöld beneath (3 km, 2-2.5 hrs return).

Back at the car, don’t miss the shorttrail to Mirador Cardan (200m,10-min return), which has splendid views of the mountains reflected in thelake.

Three-day itinerary: including three segments of the W trek (Mirador Las Torres, Glaciar Grey and Valle Francés)

DayOne: Mirador Las Torres

Leave Puerto Natales at 7am and drive to Torres del Paine National Park, entering at the Portería Laguna Amarga in the east of the national park (113 km, 1.5 hrs). Show your pre-booked entrance ticket and drive to the Centro de Bienvenida (8 km, 20 mins) for the trailhead for Mirador Las Torres.

Bring a packed lunch and spend the dayhiking up to the Mirador Las Torresand back (20 km, 7-8 hrs).

Drive to your accommodation in the park(Hostería Pehoé and Camping Pehoé are well-located for getting to the catamarantomorrow morning).

DayTwo: Glaciar Grey

Drive to the Pudeto catamaran ferry dock for 8.15am to join the queue for the 9am crossing. Pay for your ticket (in cash!) and board the ferry; it’ll take 30 minutes to reach Paine Grande.

At Paine Grande, trek to the viewpoint for Glaciar Grey justbeyond the Grey campsite and refugio (24 km, 7-8 hrs return).

Return to Paine Grande and stay here forthe night, in either camping or dormitory accommodation.

Food can be arranged in advance for anadditional cost in their cafeteria. (Find out more about making reservations for campgrounds and the refugios inTorres del Paine)

DayThree: Valle Francés

Get up early and leave Paine Grande by 9am, taking the trail east that skirts Lago Skottberg. Climb the rocky trail up to Mirador Francés and then return back to Paine Grande via the new trail that goes around the eastern edge of Lago Skottberg (23 km, 7-8 hrs).

If you’re a very fast and fit hiker, you could potentially hike all the way up to Mirador Británico (extra 7 km, three hrs round-trip).

Be back to Paine Grande for 6pm to take the last ferry of the day across the lake at 6.35pm. Drive back to Puerto Natales via the Portería Serrano entrance in the south of the national park (104 km, two hrs).