Outings and excursions · Puerto Natales / Torres del Paine

Torres del Paine: how to plan your visit

Photos: Winky / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Tickets, mandatory bookings on the W and O circuits, season and tips to organise your trip to the park from Puerto Natales.

Photo: Winky, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Torres del Paine National Park is one of the world's great trekking destinations, and Puerto Natales is its gateway. To enjoy it without surprises, plan well ahead.

Entrance

Park tickets are sold online through CONAF's official system (Pases Parques) or at authorised points. Hours, fees and conditions change by season: check the official websites before you travel.

W and O circuits: mandatory bookings

If you plan to hike the W or the O circuit, you must have confirmed bookings at every campsite or refuge on your itinerary; rangers check them. Depending on the sector, bookings are handled by different operators and by CONAF, and in high season they sell out months ahead.

When to go

The main season runs from the southern spring to autumn. The O circuit usually closes in winter. Mid-summer brings more daylight, but also more people and more wind.

Tips

Book campsites and refuges before your flights.
The wind can be very strong: bring suitable clothing and follow the rangers' advice.
Never light fires outside designated areas: the park has suffered serious wildfires.

Plan your trip

See alsoHotels and lodging in Puerto Natales / Torres del Paine

Outings in Puerto Natales / Torres del Paine

Visiting Nao Victoria at Punta Arenas An exact replica of Magellan's expedition ship perfectly recreates the time in which Nao Victoria set sail to conquer the world and found the union o… Read more

To the base of Torres del Paine Torres del Paine are a colossal landmark in southern Chile and the most appealing for mountain trekkers. Read more

Grey Glacier Trekking and Climbing A tour including a lake ride, trekking and climbing on the glacier unfolds amid huge ice floes, deep caverns and blueish cracks. Read more

Biking Trails in Paine The landscape surrounding Torres del Paine National Park is the perfect setting for biking in the great outdoors. Read more

Kayaking the Fjords of Natales The sea coast is the perfect setting for kayaking, where silence and deserted landscapes connect us with nature. Read more

Municipal Historical Museum Its rooms give testimony of the origins of the native culture and provide more modern facts that show the initial economy of southern Chile. Read more

Horseback Riding at an Estancia Horseback rides amid pampas and cliffs lead to emblematic spots inside one of the most ancient cattle raising venues in the region. Read more

Sailing to Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers Being face to face with a glacier, that gigantic natural creation with its whimsical shapes and ever changing hues, makes us feel absolutely minute. Read more

Mylodon Cave While visiting the caves and overhangs of Mount Benitez, we can become aware of the thorough research done by scientists to finally assert the existe… Read more

Against the Tide and the Winds Insular Patagonia emerges like a fantastic unexplored land. On a ferryboat, we sailed along the southern channels and fjords and passed off the mute … Read more

Across the Bay Waters When the weather is fine, a voyage off the shores of Puerto Natales contributes a different perspective of this generous tourist destination. Read more

Delicious Dishes at Puerto Natales Aromas and flavors engage themselves in a competition of variety and presentation at the local restaurants. In turn, ornamented venues and tables acc… Read more