The O Circuit is tough, but more unexpectedly arduous is actually booking those campsites in Torres del Paine. Camping in Torres del Paine requires making reservations across three websites (CONAF, Fantastico Sur, and Vertice Patagonia) which aren’t exactly the easiest sites to use. Factor in sporadic availability and a whole lot of outdated information, and you’ll really have to work for it.
Have you found making arrangements for Torres del Paine camping to be a pain in the ass? Below you’ll find everything you need to know camping regulations in Torres del Paine National Park, suggested trekking routes, and information on exactly how to book campsites in Torres del Paine.
What’s changed since 2016?
Back in October 15, 2016, Torres del Paine made it very hard to show up and improvise. So what changed? You can read the full PDF in Spanish here, or I’ve summarized it below:
- It’s now mandatory to have advance reservations for all the campsites along the W Trek and the O Circuit. Printed vouchers are required at designated checkpoints on the trail.
- The O Circuit can only be traveled counterclockwise.
- The Las Carretas – Paine Grande Trail is closed in high season.
- It is now prohibited to camp at Las Carretas camp.
- The Laguna Amarga – Serón trail is closed.
Map + Campsites in Torres del Paine
There are three different agencies (CONAF, Vertice Patagonia, Fantástico Sur) that offer shelters and camping in Torres del Paine National Park. The campsites you need to reserve will depend on your route and budget.
You can either wait and book your campsites in person in Puerto Natales (very limited availability) or book online, alternating between corresponding websites.
- Refugio and Camping Las Torres: Book with fantasticosur **
- Chileno Refugio and Camping: Book with fantasticosur
- NOT AVAILABLE FOR 2019-2020 // Camp Torres: Book with CONAF
- Camp Seron: Book with fantasticosur
- Refugio Dickson: Book with Vertice Patagonia
- Camp Los Perros: Book with Vertice Patagonia
- Camp Paso: Book with CONAF
- Refugio Grey: Book with Vertice Patagonia
- Refugio Paine Grande: Book with Vertice Patagonia
- Camp Italiano: Book with CONAF
- Camping El Frances: Book with fantasticosur
- Refugio Cuernos: Book with fantasticosur
THE 5 BEST TREKKING ROUTES IN TORRES DEL PAINE
How to Book Campsites for Torres del Paine
Updates from September 2019: CONAF campsites for 2019-2020 are now live for booking!
To book your campsites, go to the CONAF Reservation System and create your account. Once you’re logged in, click on the “Inicio” drop-down and select “Comprar”. After you’ve filled in your personal details to pay for your entrance, you’ll be prompted to “Reservar Servicios”. Then click the “Selecionar Servicios” and tick the radio button for the dates that you want each campsite. If you don’t see all your campsites, go back to “Inicio” and select “Ver Disponibilidad” to check the availability of the sites during your trip.
I’ll be honest that this process still seems completely complicated. The site is only available in Spanish, so tick on your Google Translate plugin if you’re not comfortable navigating in Spanish.
Step 1: Choose your Trek
There are three main trekking routes in Torres del Paine: The W Trek, The O Circuit, and the Q Circuit. Each of the routes will take you in on a path the shape of the indicated letter. The W Trek is the shortest at 3-5 days, the O Circuit is meant to be trekked in 6-10, and the Q Circuit can be accomplished in 7-11 days. Most treks will begin at Paine Grande or Las Torres and travel counterclockwise. Here’s a post on trekking routes in Torres del Paine if you want some inspiration!
Step 2: Plan your Route
Once you’ve decided between the routes, you’ll need to pick the campsites you wish to stay in along the way. The sites you choose will be impacted by your budget, preferred trekking times, and campsite availability. Check out our post on which route to take so you can determine which sites to book. This post also includes hiking distances and suggested itineraries for the W Trek, the O Circuit, and the Q Circuit.
Step 3: Check Availability
Before making your bookings, you’ll need to check that almost every campsite on your route is available for your dates. Once you have a start date in mind, make an Excel sheet with the dates you’d stay in each campsite. You’ll need to visit the fantasticosur, Vertice Patagonia, and CONAF websites separately to check availability. If one date is unavailable, consider checking availability for nearby campsites. If you’re running into problems, try the whole itinerary with a different start date. Tip: The best way to see the sunrise at the Torres del Paine is to camp at the free CONAF site – “Torres” – one hour from the viewpoint. This is the most popular campsite in the park, so I’d recommend checking availability for this site first and planning your trip backward. (UPDATE JULY 2017: Campamiento Torres isn’t accepting reservations for 2018-2019. Instead, you can either splurge on a night at Chileno or wake up extra early to see the sunrise from Central)
Step 4: Make your Reservations
It is most economical to start your reservations with the free campsites in Torres del Paine on CONAF (you can cancel if needed). Next, book your campsites along the W Trek as these are the most likely to fill up first. Finally, head over to fantasticosur and Vertice Patagonia to finalize your reservations. To ensure you don’t get stuck with an incomplete itinerary, it is important to make all of your reservations on the same day. Note: If one or two of your preferred campsites are booked, you may consider leaving holes in your itinerary, and trying daily for new spots to open up. Once you arrive in Puerto Natales, you can inquire in person. If you’re traveling in low season, there is constantly new availability.
Step 5: Double Check ’em!
After making reservations across three different websites, you’ll want to double check that you didn’t make any mistakes on dates or campsites. You can easily cancel and rebook on the CONAF site, and you will need to message fantasticosur and Vertice Patagonia directly to make changes to your reservation.
Step 6: Print and Get Ready
Print a paper copy of all your reservations to carry with you on your trek. You’ll need to show proof of reservation to get past some of the checkpoints in the park. Now that you’ve got your dates locked in, you can start planning the trek itself!
… no campsites available?
The reservation process for camping in Torres del Paine was a bit of a disaster for the 2016-2017 season. There were two main checkpoints along the O Circuit: Guardaria Coirón where they required proof of booking for Dickson or Los Perros and Guardaria Los Perros where you must show a reservation for Paso or Gray. Proof of reservation was mandatory, but I met people traveling without them.
UPDATE MARCH 2019: When I did the trek in 2017, it was possible to make reservations along the way by asking the campsites to call ahead. According to park officials, people are now sent back to the Central Sector or Paine Grande, where they must 1) pay a higher rate in a refugio (where available), 2) hire a private transfer to leave the park or 3) get sent back to Guardería Torres and have to redo their same hike the next morning.
It sucks to miss out on this hike, but this place is fragile and beautiful and the restrictions are in place for a reason. In the name of being a responsible traveler, do your best to plan well ahead or find an alternative to Torres del Paine that doesn’t require reservations as far out.
Read More: 15 Wildest Treks in South America
Need a place to stay the night before your trek? Here are some of the best hotels in Puerto Natales.
Refugio Hoshken | The best part of Refugio Hoshken is its inexplicable ability to draw cool people together. The rooms themselves are quite basic, but the vibe is right in the shared kitchen and common areas. The staff is super friendly and they’ll even let you leave your stuff in storage while you undertake your trek! Dorms from $14.
The Singing Lamb | The Singing Lamb is the best-rated hostel in Puerto Natales thanks to their helpful staff and clean rooms. The place is quite simple but spacious common areas and its location just five blocks from the bus station makes this one the go-to for many people trekking in Torres del Paine. Double rooms start from €51.
Hotel Simple Patagonia | While the name might not have you expecting much, the Hotel Simple Patagonia is one of the more luxurious accommodations in Puerto Natales. The property is a full 4km from the bus station, but sleek architecture and floor to ceiling windows (with views of the Ultima Esperanza Sound) easily make up for it. Double rooms from $158.
344 Comments
Paul
June 5, 2017 at 12:40 amCamp Torres isn’t coming up on the CONAF site, but two other campsites are. Does that mean Torres is sold out, or am I looking in the wrong place?
Taylor Record
June 5, 2017 at 3:31 pmHey Paul! Torres is often the first to sell out, but I believe it’s also closed through winter months. Are you looking for dates in November? If I were in your position, I’d consider making a backup reservation at Central Torres with fantasticosur, checking the CONAF site daily, and worst case, simply waiting until you get to Puerto Natales for an in-person booking. Please let me know how it goes!
Troy
September 7, 2017 at 4:03 pmI have received an email acknowledging that I requested campsites through Vertice but after two days have not heard from the “sales” team to confirm we have sites and to make a payment. What is normal to expect in this process to aid in trip planning. I have sent two emails back asking for an update and to get final confirmation. Any advice is appreciated.
Also, I am going in Dec 10th and could use advice of what to do upon arrival from Puerto Natales. Is it wise to start the first leg and get to Seron or is there a good place that might be available to camp that night for an early departure the next morning.
Advice on these two items is greatly appreciated.
Taylor Record
September 10, 2017 at 6:59 amHey Troy! Most people have had the same problem You can either send over your card details via email (which I wouldn’t love to do) or follow up a few times (Spanish can help!) and wait on them to get back in touch. It’s kind of a painful waiting game, but at least you know they’re not replying to anyone and giving up your spaces!
As for your arrival to Puerto Natales: Buses from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine (2 hours) depart daily at 7:00am and 2:30pm. You’ll likely need to wait to arrive unless you get into Puerto Natales early. If you do wind up on the afternoon bus, the trek to Seron is easy but 4-5 hours and you’d be pushing it to finish before dark. I’d recommend grabbing a campsite or hostel in Puerto Natales (there are plenty) and heading off early the next morning. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions!
Chris
September 10, 2017 at 8:52 pmSame situation here! Been waiting for Vertice to get back to us for two weeks now, and that’s holding us from booking for Fantasticosur sites. Not great!
Ryan
September 11, 2017 at 6:42 pmHey Chris,
I was also waiting for Vertice for a couple of weeks then I finally just called them at +56 61 241 5693. They had someone that could speak in English on the phone to me and I had everything confirmed via email within a couple hours of that phone call.
Christian
September 18, 2017 at 5:11 pmHey Ryan!
Thanks for the extra advice. I ended up calling vertice (two hours one day without success then got the line right away next morning ) and they were really nice and my reservations were completed and paid for by the evening.
Fantasticosur went through immediately online so that wasn’t a problem.
We are now all set to do the W 🙂
Thanks again!
Eryn
September 20, 2017 at 10:24 pmI have tried calling so many times too! I didn’t book our Fantastic Sur spots because we were waiting to book it all at once and now there aren’t any left but the really expensive ones! I will call first thing in the morning tomorrow. Fingers crossed!
ALICE
October 1, 2017 at 6:19 pmHi, Thank you for all the info. One question, its written that the Laguna Amarga to Seron trail is closed this season, but you are talking about doing it anyway if I well understand ?
Taylor Record
October 9, 2017 at 12:35 pmHi Alice. I haven’t seen any updates, but I don’t believe it’s possible to hike Laguna Amarga to Seron trail this season.
Alice
October 9, 2017 at 1:41 pmHi, thank you for your answer, so if I want to do the O starting in laguna amarga in the direction of Seron, I have to go through Torres ?
Ashley
November 4, 2017 at 2:36 pmHello! Question about reservations with Vertice… I have had no luck locating the page on their site to reserve campsites. They seem to imply that I must now reserve via email. I have been sending them emails and trying to call them this week with no luck. Any help/suggestions? I have already booked the Fantástico Sur campsites for my friend and I do to the W at the start of December but I still need to book Paines Grandes… then I plan to carry on with the O by myself but, since Vertice owns that side of the park, it has been a painful waiting game.
Lindsey
November 6, 2017 at 8:16 pmHi everyone! I’m hoping you can provide an update on when you ended up hearing back from Vertice (if at all). A friend and I reached out to Vertice today in hopes of staying early-December but we are worried with all of the comments above that we won’t hear back in a timely manner to book the Fantastico Sur lodgings. I’m wondering if anyone has a WhatsApp number for Vertice, or if someone was able to get in touch with the company another way. We are specifically looking to book Refugio Grey and Refugio Paine Grande through Vertice. Thanks in advance!!
Troy
November 30, 2017 at 3:12 amTaylor, thanks for the note. Since my post is took roughly a month to hear back from them for booking the campsites but they did finally get back to me. My trip is next week so I think I am set on the itinerary. I am learning that patience and persistence is the key. I speak no Spanish so that slight barrier does make it a bit challenging but not impossible.
I appreciate your advice and look forward to this incredible adventure. Happy hiking!!
Marissa
July 6, 2017 at 4:33 pmHey not sure if you’ve figured this out yet but it looks like Camp Torres is closed this year. I was just on the CONAF site and it had an update on there.
Taylor Record
July 14, 2017 at 11:29 amThanks for the update, Marissa! I really appreciate it. I’ll make an amendment to the post now!
Stephen
August 20, 2017 at 7:13 pmHi Taylor! Do you know if Torres opens back up in 2018 or is it closed for all of 2017/2018?
Taylor Record
August 21, 2017 at 10:16 amHi Stephen. I just checked the TdP website, and I’m afraid Torres is closed for the whole season. Hard to say exactly why! Your option is either to stay at Chileno (a bit pricey) or the Torres camp owned by Fantastico Sur (requires an early wakeup). Bummer that it’s closed –
I hope it opens back up again next season! > http://www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl/es/sistema-de-reserva-de-campamentos-1
Phil
October 16, 2017 at 4:49 pmHi at all,
we got almost the same problems everybody has. just two questions: is it possible to walk the w-trek the other way round? i managed to book camp central at the first night, then camp frances for the following night. what i need know is my booking confirmation for camp paine grade and camp grey for the last two nights. i ll try to call again later. there is just a strange beep right now. the other question is: if i didnt get camp paine grande and camp grey, we thought about booking a second night at camp frances, just walk up to mirador britanico and get back later. and then for the last night, just walk to camp grey without reservation. do you think its possible to just be very sorry for have no reservation and just pay double or something? thanks for answering!! we are kind of desperate, as we already booked our flights from germany… (Date for the Trek should be 17-21 November)
Taylor Record
October 17, 2017 at 6:29 amHi Phil,
To answer your first question: Yes! It is possible to hike the W-Trek in reverse. As for reservations, I understand all the camps have a one night limit. Unlike the O, there were no checkpoints for campsites along the W portion of the trail (aka they won’t stop you from walking onward). That being said, you typically do need a reservation to stay the night and they’ll give you some sort of tent tag at some of the camps to indicate it. I’d recommend popping into the offices when you get to Puerto Natales and I’d expect you’ll be able to have a reservation before starting the trek. Good luck!
Phil
October 17, 2017 at 9:22 amHi Taylor, thanks for the fast reply! there is no one night limit for the fantasticosur camps – i tried to book the second night in frances and it worked. so we got our first three nights safe… we will just try as you said. get to puerto natales and try to book at the vertice office… this blog really is great by the way. 🙂
Brian Zimmerman
November 20, 2017 at 4:52 amVertice has been horrible replying to me too. I am in the same boat. Is popping into the offices a viable option? I am looking to do the same as the reservation system has been a mess. I can pay on site as I would hate to “sneak in”
Khaleel
September 19, 2017 at 7:09 pmHow long after you reserve spots with Vertice Patagonia are you excpected to get a response it’s been about three weeks
Kate
June 5, 2017 at 11:59 pmIs there a step by step to actually booking? I’ve gone through the Fantastico Sur website and I cannot find where to book. I click on the campsites and nothing happens.
Taylor Record
June 6, 2017 at 4:46 amHey Kate. I checked on FantasticoSur today and it looks like their booking engine is undergoing a revamp. Unfortunately, your only choice for now is to email them at ventas3@fantasticosur.com. Hope this helps!
Claire
June 6, 2017 at 11:49 amHey! I love this post, I’ve been struggling to find decent information and this is the best resource! One thing I wondered, is that you mention equipment rental at sites is not possible for the O trek, yet when I checked out the Suggested Route: Serón > Dickson > Los Perros > Gray > Paine Grande > Frances > Torres, they all mention rental. I’d love to know why you mentioned you couldn’t rent equipment on the O trek as I wouldn’t want to get there and it be an issue if I didn’t take my own.
Thank you so much for all your help with these posts.
Andy Fine
June 8, 2017 at 7:34 pmI haven’t had any luck booking anything with Vertice. No matter what date I choose, it shows the sites as “vendido”. I can’t believe they are all actually sold out. I have emailed them with no response. Any suggestions on what I should do? Thanks.
Taylor Record
June 8, 2017 at 10:41 pmHi Andy! I emailed Vertice and FantasticoSur a couple of weeks back. I never heard back from Vertice, but FantasticoSur said that 2017-2018 availability would come available the end of May. My guess is that Vertice hasn’t made the switch between seasons yet, but that it should be coming soon. When are you planning your trip?
Andy Fine
June 9, 2017 at 1:07 pmI’m planning on being at Torres del Paine starting November 17. Hiking the O route. I also had the same issue as Paul, can’t seem to reserve Camp Torres. The Conaf website only allows you to book sites so far in advance. Once you get past early December it says the dates are too far in advance. So I’m not convinced that the Torres campsite is sold out, because it doesn’t show up on any possible date. Thanks for your blog, I appreciate the information trying to figure this out.
Cara Walker
September 1, 2017 at 9:47 pmHi there! I am not sure what other information I hope to gain because you all have already provided so much, but I am struggling with Vertice reservations. My flights are booked and I hope to complete the O Trek December 24-January 1. FantasticoSur responded promptly and was easy to book. Sadly, I still haven’t received a response from Vertice – even after my initial online booking request and 3 follow up emails. I emailed Erratic Rock also on the off-chance they have insight. Nothing. Any suggestions or tips? Also, as my timeframe is somewhat crunched, are you familiar with a direct transfer from Punta Arenas airport to Erratic Rock? Thank you so much for your blog and insight!
Taylor Record
September 5, 2017 at 11:00 amHi Cara. It sounds like everyone is struggling with Vertice. Someone above mentioned they got a faster reply by emailing in Spanish — perhaps you can give that a try? As for the transportation, you can easily take transport from the airport in Punta Arenas straight to Puerto Natales. As the town is tiny, you’ll get dropped maybe a 15 minute walk from the Erratic Rock office? From Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine, busses depart daily at 7:00am and 2:30pm so you’ll want to plan ahead for this. Good luck!
Vaclav Dekanovsky
October 13, 2017 at 6:25 amHello, I can just add that I struggle with Vertice. I emailed them many times, used their form online (which works just for some camps), I tried to call, but even when I someone picket up the phone (usually 10 or more tries on both numbers) then the call ended in few second with ‘Can you hear me?’ (I’m calling from Europe). I tried their facebook, twitter, yesterday I even send a postcard and I have contacted CONAF in the region if they can help me. So far no luck, but I don’t give up. Fingers crossed to everyone and thanks for news.
Next Stop – South America! | Traveling Honeybird
June 8, 2017 at 10:08 pm[…] If you do need some advice then see our friends at Travel Outlandish and their amazing guide on How To Book Campsites In Torres Del Paine. […]
Haas
June 8, 2017 at 11:32 pmHi there, I just left a comment on another post actually, because I ran into the same problem as Andy F. I looked for campsites on Vertice today for October and Novemeber, and everything came up as sold out. I really want to do the W this fall, and just about fell out of my chair thinking perhaps everything was already booked up this far in advance. I’m supposing that isn’t the case quite yet, but in your experience, how soon should we be booking for those months?
Taylor Record
June 9, 2017 at 3:57 pmHey, Jaz! I just reached out to Vertice again via email. My guess is that Vertice hasn’t updated their availability for the next season yet, as FantasticoSur just released dates at the end of May. I’ll update the information here if I hear back from them. Good luck and thanks for taking the time to comment!
Julia
June 16, 2017 at 2:10 amHi there, has anyone had luck with booking through Vertice or FantasticSur yet? I’m pretty flexible with dates over November/December but having the same issues with everything appearing as sold out for Vertice. Has anyone had any luck booking with FantasticoSur via email, given their online booking system is still not up and running?
Taylor Record
June 16, 2017 at 4:16 pmHey Julia! I just got an update from one of the gear rental shops in town. I’ve added a note to the end of the post if you’d like to check out the most current information. I emailed both FantasticoSur and Vertice this month and got a reply (albeit slow). Good luck!
Jean
June 19, 2017 at 11:33 amThanks for the update. Was wondering what the go was this year!
Taylor Record
June 19, 2017 at 10:42 pmSure thing! It’s certainly not the most straightforward process 😉
Tom
June 21, 2017 at 6:47 pmI’ve received the following information:
We will start taking individual bookings or W or O circuit program reservations for next season during the first weeks of July.
As we’ve kept your email address, we are going to send you all the information then.
Best Regards,
Alejandra Vargas Alvarez
Ejecutiva de Ventas y Reservas
Fantástico Sur
Treks and Lodging
W Trek – Torres del Paine
Patagonia – Chile
T: (56)(61) 2 614 184
ventas3@fantasticosur.com
http://www.fantasticosur.com
Taylor Record
June 22, 2017 at 1:31 pmThanks for sharing the update, Tom! Fingers crossed they keep the commitment to email you. Hope your trip planning goes smoothly!
Hannah
July 3, 2017 at 11:57 pmHi Tom,
Now that is is July, I am trying to book camping spots on the W circuit. I am unable to access the reservation pages for the reasons everyone has stated above. Have you had any luck with the start of July?
Thanks
Mirla Klijn
June 21, 2017 at 8:00 pmSame problem here, both with the website of Vertice and FantasticoSur.. Hoping an email will help!
Claire Lawrence
July 4, 2017 at 8:21 pmJust an update! I’m all booked through Vertice, but haven’t heard anything at all from FantasticoSur yet, has anyone heard anything from them?
Julia
July 5, 2017 at 9:08 amIm still getting an error through vertice online booking system “the requested page could not be found”. Did you book via email? No word from fantastico
Claire Lawrence
July 5, 2017 at 9:34 amYeah I couldn’t get that to work, I just forwarded my previous email to bug them a bit and got a reply the day after. The prices have gone up so I guess they’re changing the site to fit!
Daniel Johnson
July 8, 2017 at 10:28 amWhat dates did you get with Vertice Claire? We have sent them multiple emails over the last couple of months trying to get space in their refugios in mid Nov and we finally got a response this morning saying that they are fully booked on the dates we wanted. If this is the case for November I can’t imagine what Dec/Jan/Feb would be like!
Taylor Record
July 14, 2017 at 11:28 amWow, really, Daniel? I’m surprised to hear November is already sold out. Have you looked into doing the trek in reverse? Another pretty trusty strategy is to check back. There’s enough time between now and November that I’d expect cancellations. Good luck!
Maggie
July 11, 2017 at 6:46 pmHi all, just seeing this thread which is helpful as I’m getting a “sold out” or grayed out dates for Vertice and FantasticoSur, respectively. I spoke to someone over the phone at Vertice today and it sounds like they haven’t yet released dates for late December (when we’ll be there), however, I haven’t been able to contact anyone at FantasticoSur. Is anyone traveling around the same time? If so, have we missed the boat for reservations?
Thanks!
Taylor Record
July 14, 2017 at 11:27 amHi Maggie. I’m certain there are still sites available during that time, but the website isn’t updated. I’ve sent 4-5 emails just to get 1 back, so perhaps contact them a few more times and see what you can get? Good luck!
Maryse
July 17, 2017 at 3:26 pmHi Maggie,
I booked with Vertice for late December last week. I also tried to contact FantasticoSur but they haven’t reply to my email.
Maggie
July 18, 2017 at 1:22 pmHi Maryse,
Thanks for letting me know. Do you mind sharing the email that responded to you? Did you book individual nights or some king of package? They seem keen to sell me expensive tours at the moment but I can’t book individual nights on my own.
Best,
Maggie
Maryse
July 18, 2017 at 4:57 pmHi Maggie,
I booked two individual nights for the camping with rental of a tent and camping gear. I sent them an email with the specific nights and campsites I wanted (dec 20-21th) and what gear I needed. They back on July 12th with a detailed bill and booking conditions. Once I agreed, they sent me the paiment link.
Andy Fine
July 11, 2017 at 9:10 pmUpdate…It looks like Camp Torres is not available next season!!! http://www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl/es/sistema-de-reserva-de-campamentos-1 See the important notice at the bottom.
Christophe
July 12, 2017 at 5:35 pmHi everybody, We also planed to do the W treck in october. I have contacted directly CONAF for explanations regarding the Camp Torres. Here is the answer… Not Good ^^
Dear Christophe,
Along with greeting, we thank you for contacting us to express your inquiry.
In this regard we can inform you the following:
The reservation system for high season (October-April) is already operational (http://www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl/es/system-of-reserve-of-campamentos-1) but reservations can only be made 6 months in advance (more than 180 days in advance, will not allow you to book) so that at this moment it is possible that you reserve for the months of October, November and December, as the days elapse you will be able to access the following months. For the next season the Torres Camp will be closed, only the Paso and Italiano Camps, which are the free CONAF sites, will be enabled.
Services in concessioned and private areas must be reserved directly by users in the respective companies, as depending on your itinerary on the trails, you may have to book more than one camp.
FANTASTICO SUR Contact http://www.fantasticosur.com / ventas1@fantasticosur.com – ventas@fantasticosur.com / telephone 56 61 2614184 (Campsites Seron, Frances, Los Cuernos, Las Torres, Chileno).
VERTICE PATAGONIA Contact http://www.verticepatagonia.com / ventas@verticepatagonia.cl / telephone 56 61 2412742 (Campsites Dickson, Perros, Grey, Paine Grande).
The suggestion is to be attentive to what is reported on the official website of the park http://www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl / Daily Report, in relation to the operation of tourism services, states of roads and trails and requirements for mountain circuits. On the same page you will find the information necessary to plan your trip in a better way: rates, access, what to do, downloadable map with distances and times of travel of trails, etc.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us again. Hoping to cooperate with your concern, greet you.
OIRS Magallanes
Phone 56 61 2238554
Taylor Record
July 14, 2017 at 11:23 amHi Christophe. Thanks for sharing this update! I’m disappointed to hear that Torres is closed – definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me. In this case, you’ll either need to shell out the cash for Chileno, or camp at Central and wake up 3-4 hours early to get to TdP in time for sunrise. Hope your booking goes smoothly, and I’m looking forward to hearing about your trek!
Paul
July 24, 2017 at 4:19 amFantastico Sur is open for reservations. E-mail ventas3@fantasticosur.com & they’ll send you a PDF and word doc to fill out. Pretty janky process. They said they’re backed up with 500 unread emails so might take a bit to hear back.
They don’t provide prices without room and board. I guess you could ask for a separate list of prices but I didn’t want to risk it selling out…
Taylor Record
July 24, 2017 at 5:09 pmThanks for the update, Paul! 500 unread emails makes me feel pretty good about my own inbox.
Claire Lawrence
July 25, 2017 at 2:04 pmAnother update! I got final confirmations with both Fantasticosur and Vertice last week, Fantasticosur tend to get back if you send multiple emails… I got an email last week basically saying that they needed confirmation that anyone who had emailed before still needed to book, so it’s worth another message.
Also, for anyone who doesn’t want to carry equipment, you absolutely can rent camping equipment the whole way around.
Ryan
July 25, 2017 at 9:09 pmHey everybody,
I emailed both vertice and fantastico sur last week to book campsites in January. No word back from fantastico sur yet, but I did receive the following email from Vertice:
Good afternoon,
Dear, I respect your request.
I inform you that the website will be operational in a couple of days, so you can make your reservations online.
Please be attentive
Have a nice day
Best regards
Ventas y Reservas
Sounds like their system will be back up and running soon.
Taylor Record
July 27, 2017 at 1:54 pmFingers crossed that “a couple of days” is a genuine timeline. Let me know how it goes, Ryan!
Mel
July 27, 2017 at 1:18 amHi,
Just wondering if anything is experiencing the same issues at the moment? I’m trying to book camping reservations for the O circuit in February 2018. I am having trouble booking with Fantastico Sur and getting any response from them. It seems they have opened up there reservations on the website, but I can’t seem to work it out. Has anyone had any difficulties booking Camp Chileno as Camp Torres is closed? When I try to book it is not even an option on the reservations page. Also, they seem to only have the option of booking Camping at Seron, and if you want to book at Frances there is no camping option and it says you must book ‘Platformus Premium’ which is 160 US per night for 2 people.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Andy Fine
July 27, 2017 at 2:03 pmMel,
After several emails to Fantastico Sur, they emailed me back a word doc form to fill out for reservations. I filled it out and actually got a reservation confirmation from them. I would try to get that form because their website definitely isn’t fully fixed. For whatever reason ($$$) they force you to buy the Platformus Premium for Frances and El Chileno. Definitely more money than what I was hoping to spend but with Camp Torres closed there isn’t a good alternative…
I also got the same response from Vertice as Ryan did. Hopefully their website becomes available for reservations soon, not sure how much longer I can handle the uncertainty lol. Best of luck everyone.
Mel
July 27, 2017 at 10:26 pmHey Andy,
Thanks for getting back to me. I just got the same emails from both Vertice and Fantastico Sur as you and Ryan did. Very frustrating about the cost but looks that there is no other option!
Just wondering how did you pay for the reservation? Or are you paying later. I can’t see any area on the form to put down credit card details etc.
Thanks again,
Mel
Mel
July 27, 2017 at 10:37 pmMy mistake Andy I was looking at the wrong form!
Liz
August 1, 2017 at 1:52 pmHi Andy, Did you have the get the premium platformas when you booked with them through e-mail? The Premium Platformus for the Chileno site show that they’re already sold out for when I was looking to go in November. I was hoping to just reserve a campsite space.
Andy
August 2, 2017 at 1:23 pmLiz, I did reserve the Premium Platformus for El Chileno when I booked with them over email. Sorry to hear they are already sold out… From what I can tell they don’t allow you to reserve just a campsite.
G
July 29, 2017 at 6:46 pmI’ve been having the same issues, within the last week fantasticosur updated the site but still no just regular campsite reservations. Previously no dates for after november 2017 were selectable and I think only had some refugios options
for vertice pantagonia reservations (e.g. perros, paine grande, not available in their website) they also had just responded to my email they are updating their site too, and their site still displays they are to be updating
“Dear, regarding your request.
I inform you that the website will be operational in a few days, so you can make your reservations online
Have a nice day”
Mel
August 2, 2017 at 1:54 pmLiz it seems they only offer Chileno Platform Premium sites when you receive the booking form from Fantastico Sur, or look on the website, and you cannot just book camping sites. You can only book full board as well and the prices are sky high. Interestingly on the emailed booking form, you can book a campsite at Seron, but on the website it only allows you to pay for the expensive Platform Premium option. The website also only allows you to pay in USD rather than CLP which is an option on the booking form. You’re a lot worse off if you pay in USD it seems. I have not been successful in Fantastico getting back to me about my booking form despite me mailing it to them last week. I’m still having no luck with Vertice either. Bit of a nightmare really!
Ryan
August 2, 2017 at 10:45 pmHey Mel, I just finally heard back from fantastico sur about my order this morning about a week after I submitted it. I sent them a couple of follow up emails to check in on it. Not sure if that helped move things along or not.
Still no luck with Vertice here either despite my follow up emails.
G
August 10, 2017 at 1:21 amI also have had no luck with vertice, but yea the email they sent today fantasticosur says chileno and cuernos are only full board (I confirmed my reservations with fantasticosur)
I wasn’t trying to stay at those sites; their rate pdf they email with their word form for campsite reservations for torre central but they only accept reservations for plataforma premium (or the other options). Be ready to spend some $$$, as even just a campsite at seron is $20 USD
Also if anyone needs to google, Bus Sur goes from the punta arenas airport (PUQ) to puerto natales and you can book that online, some sites seem to suggest the bus fernandez or bus sur aren’t at the airport.
André Baumgarten
September 21, 2017 at 11:31 pmHey, Torres Central has Sitios right now. Whatever goes on with their website, yesterday I couldn’t find Torres Central at all, today it appeared and showed camp sites. Cheers
Zach B
August 10, 2017 at 4:09 pmHi Taylor,
Thanks once again for such an insightful post! According to my own research, it appears that booking on refugio campsite grounds allows you access to their showers, kitchen, and bathrooms. My questions for you are:
1) How on earth did you do laundry while touring? Did you have time to do laundry at all?
2) I am planning to bring a GoPro and Phone for pictures and video… how often were you able to charge your equipment on the O and/or W circuit?
3) Can you rent daily tent equipment from some of the more desolate campsites on the O Trek or do you have to bring your own equipment?
Thank you!!
Zach
Danijel
August 10, 2017 at 7:58 pmHi everyone. We are in the same shoes with my girlfriend, banging my head against crappy websites, emails without responses, random rules and terrible official communication … I am loosing my nerves to the point I want to skip Torres altogether. Is it worth to play the game of a bunch of exploiting local companies and incompetent governance that obviously care more about the money than their guests. This truly saddens me.
We want to do the O circle starting 30th of September. This is what we know so far:
– Serron is closed until 1st Octobre, Fantastico Sur stating that it is then impossible to camp there. Not sure, but I think that people are doing O circuit even in low-season, so they must camp somewhere. Does anyone have any info on this?
– Vertice opens their camps on 15th of September, the website says that reservations should be done online.
– After two emails with reservations within two weeks, still no response from Vertice. Will call them in the next days.
– There are supposedly 2 checkpoints on the O circuit where they check your bookings; there are 3 checkpoints “guarderias” on the O circuit.
– Fantastico Sur only sells Full Board (breakfast, lunch, dinner) on “platforms” in Chileno and Cuernos for 120.000 CLP. This is beyond ridiculous.
– This year CONAF has closed the Torres camp, so for the sunrise view of Torres it is only possible to sleep over in Chileno (with inclusive full-board) or in Central. But this is very far away, making it nearly impossible to see the sunrise — or even sunset at Torres except for those who can spend 120.000 CLP.
It seems to me that all this got so complicated and misinformed also due to local guides offering the same tours we are looking into for a couple of thousands USD, which they wouldn’t get if people would be doing this themselves. Very sad.
This all got me so very angry I am thinking either to skip this broken paradise or just not reserve a single camp anymore, go there and hassle.
Jodi
August 12, 2017 at 4:14 amI booked Fantastico through their website without any issue, and got a confirmation through Vertice. But Vertice said I need to pay withing 48hrs, but didn’t tell me how (of course I emailed them asking, but they’re slow to respond and I don’t want to lose my tent sites). Anyone know how to pay? They mentioned WebPay, but I’m not sure what that is.
Thanks.
Andy
August 16, 2017 at 8:00 pmJodi, I’m having the same issue. I got a reservation confirmation from Vertice but they don’t explain how to pay. And of course they don’t respond to email, even though they expect payment within 48 hours. I just passed 48 hours and don’t know what to do. Did you figure anything out from them? Thanks.
Cara Walker
September 1, 2017 at 9:55 pmHi Jodi! I am curious approximately how long it took Vertice to respond to your inquiry. I heard back from Fantastico right away. I am on week 4 of no response from Vertice. I submitted the only request for reservation and received the confirmation in my email. Yet, I ‘ve heard nothing since, even after multiple follow up emails from me. My flights are booked and I plan to be there December 24-January 1, so the lack of confirmation is making me nervous! Thank you!
Jess
August 15, 2017 at 2:48 pmHi there, thanks for this great guide! I was wondering, is it necessary to book the double platforms when booking for two people (sharing one tent), or can you just book the single platform? These websites are terribly confusing.
Michaela
September 16, 2017 at 2:46 pmHi Jess! I’m trying to figure out if a small tent (with two people) will work with a single platform. Did you ever find the answer to this? Thanks!
Sten
October 5, 2017 at 9:19 pmHi Jess and Michaela, did you figure out the single versus double platform issue?
Taylor Record
December 1, 2017 at 8:18 amHi Sten, Michaela, and Jess. I checked with Erratic Rock and they confirmed that single platform is still for a two person tent. The only bit I’m still confused about is board if you’re staying at one of the camps where meals are included. Did you figure it out yet?
Nathan Putnam
November 25, 2017 at 11:39 pmI have the same question! It is very confusing. Choice 1 = Single platform + fullboard ( FOR ONE PERSON). Choice 2 = Double platform + Fullboard ( FOR TWO PEOPLE). Then you have to choose QTY. I am thinking Choice 1 and then QTY 2 for two people sharing a tent. Can anyone confirm this is correct? Thanks!
Taylor Record
December 1, 2017 at 8:19 amHey Nathan, sorry for the delay! I checked with Erratic Rock and they confirmed that single platform is still for a two person tent. Which campsite are you looking at? I’m still a bit unsure at sites that are supposed to include board.
Nathan Putnam
December 3, 2017 at 3:02 pmHi Taylor,
Thanks for the reply and for all this great info. I quickly bookmarked the site when we started planning. My guess is that Fantastico is not going to care whether it’s single platform with two people or double platform and one tent–considering it costs the same price! Also interesting about Perros to Paine Grande. We face the same challenge because Vertice is impossible to book and clearly Grey is full-up. Current plan is actually to take the Hotel Lago Grey boat from Grey to extract at the end of the trip, rather than keep walking down from Grey.
Elise
August 15, 2017 at 6:08 pmIs it true that the O circuit is not open until November? Vertice told me they did not take bookings until then but I’m not clear on what that means – if it’s actually closed, or if I just don’t need to make a reservation.
Thank you!
Taylor Record
August 20, 2017 at 1:24 pmHi Elise. I’ve done some research and found that it’s only possible to book the O Circuit during the winter months with a certified guide. Are you planning to go on your own or were you expecting to do a tour?
Andy
August 17, 2017 at 3:43 pmWell this nightmare appears to be over for me. Just wanted to pass along the results I had.
Vertice: After completing the online reservation form, they sent me a confirmation email that showed the details of reservation, and instructions indicating you need to pay with webpay within 48 hours. Three days later, I received another email with a link that connected me to webpay where I was able to pay for the sites online. That gave me the final confirmation.
Fantastico Sur: I reserved this through email, but it looks like their website is now working. I got screwed into paying full board for El Chileno, but I want to see the Torres at sunrise and with Camp Torres closed it was really the only option.
CONAF: I still only have the “temporary” reservations from them, they said they will be getting back to us with actual confirmations. I don’t have any expectation of when this will actually happen.
Best of luck everyone, I still can’t believe it took me 4 months of emailing to deal with all this BS. But confident it will be worth it.
Taylor Record
August 21, 2017 at 10:17 amHopefully the worst is over for you, pal! I think you’ll find that once you’re actually in the park, the bureaucracy dies down a bit and you can just enjoy some hiking 🙂 Have a good trip.
Bill
August 21, 2017 at 9:08 amWe are just sorting out camping now and it is great to read everyone’s comments.
I just wanted to check that there is no alternative to staying at Chileno. The price seems so ridiculous!!
Thanks
David
August 22, 2017 at 11:55 amThanks for the great post, Taylor. I’ve found more useful information in this post than I have from emailing and visiting the website for Fantistico Sur and Vertice Patagonia over the past 3 months. Trying to get any useful information from them has been so frustrating, so much so that I’ve been considering abondoning my plans to visit Torres del Paine all together!
I have a couple of follow up questions I hoped you might be able to answer. I’m planning to do the W trek over 4 nights/5 days in mid February but I’m unsure how far in advance I’ll need to book. Do you have any idea how long I should give it? I appreciate this will depend on which campsites I’m looking to stay at. In short, my plan is to be at Vertice Grey on the first night and Paine Grande on the second – it looks like I can book these through Vertice Patagonia at the moment.
I originally wanted to stay at Los Cuernos on the 3rd night. However, after contacting Fantistico Sur, they informed me they only offer full board options ( no cooking facilities) and prices are started from $113. As an alternative, I’m looking at staying at camp Italiano, am I right in thinking they aren’t taking bookings at the moment?
As for the last night, my original plan was to stay at campamento torres, but as i can see through your post and comments, this isn’t available. The only feasible alternative i seem to be able to find is staying at Refugio Torre Norte (fantistico Sur) at the cost of $90 a night. Far from ideal but I want to be able to see the sunrise. Would this work as an alternative?
Any advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated 🙂
Thanks
Taylor Record
September 2, 2017 at 12:18 pmHi David. That’s pretty high praise – I’m really glad you’ve found it useful! Stick it out, and I swear the trek will be worth it. To answer your questions:
* The W Trek doesn’t have the same restrictions in place as the O Circuit. While you’ll need to book well in advance for the refugios, there are hundreds of campsites and I don’t think they’ve limited the daily visitors yet. I’d say go ahead and make your reservations whenever you’re certain on your dates!
* I just took a look, and CONAF will allow you to book for Italiano in February now.
* I’m so disappointed that Torres is closed this season! Torres Central is the most popular backup camping option, and a site will only cost you $16. You’ll be able to see sunrise with a 4 hour head start.
Let me know if you have any other questions, and good luck with your trip.
David H
November 17, 2017 at 10:32 amThanks for the response, Taylor. Again, I’m close to giving up arranging campsites to do the W trek. I’ve emailed both Fantistico Sur and Vertice Grey several times over the past month with no response. I’m now considering just being based in Puerto Natales and doing a couple of day treks in the park. Is this something you have any experience of? From what I’ve read, I know you can do a trek to the towers in about 7-8 hours (roundtrip), but I’m unsure if you’ll be able to take in other treks such as the French Valley. Thanks.
Taylor Record
November 17, 2017 at 11:13 pmHi David. If you decide not to do the full W, have you considered staying for a few nights at Torres Central? The park is a bit far to do repeat day trips, but the hikes are doable in a day! If you take the catamaran to the Paine Grande, and start at 10am, you’ll be to Italiano within 2.5 hours. In another 1 hour, you’ll hit the first mirador, and another hour is the second. I think the last catamaran is around 6pm so you should be able to do that in a day if you’re feeling fit!
Stephen
August 22, 2017 at 1:25 pmHey Taylor! I emailed both Vertice and Fantasticour about reservations for the O trek January ’18 a few days ago. How long does it typically take them to respond regarding reservations? Our group wants to hold off on purchasing a flight to Chile until we’ve nailed down our dates. Your blog has been so helpful! Really appreciate it.
Taylor Record
August 23, 2017 at 8:43 amHi Stephen, so glad you’ve found the post helpful! To be honest, it varies. I’ve written and heard back within a day, and I’ve written to never hear back. I’d recommend following up in 2 days if you haven’t heard back. Let me know how it goes!
Mel
August 24, 2017 at 2:47 amJust an update. I received my confirmation finally from Vertice but it took them almost a week to actually give me the details of how to Web Pay. I did send them a reminder email at about 72 hours so that may help. Fantastico Sur seems to be running smoothly through the website, however I noticed there website only allows you to pay for the Platform Premium option at Seron, where as on their list of rates they have a cheaper camping option at Seron. For this reason we paid via the website for Chileno, and then emailed them for a booking form for Seron and sent it back via email. Was a bit more tedious but I was so frustrated at there money grabbing tactics with Chileno that I stubbornly did it through email.
Still waiting for the official email confirmations for CONAF and not sure how long that it will take but appears we have temporary reservations for Feb.
For those trying to do O circuit in Sept/early Oct, we had initially planned our trip for early October this year but had to postpone as it appeared we were unable to do O circuit as the camps weren’t open without a guide. The W circuit was a possibility at that time but they couldn’t guarantee until around July which was to late for us.
Best of luck everyone, sure it will be worth it!
Stephen
August 25, 2017 at 1:32 amMel – Thanks for the update/letting me know. I’m planning to hike the O trek with a group of friends in January. I ended up going back to the fantasticour site and was able to make reservations at what appeared to be a cheaper Seron option (Camping Seron Sitio Suelo) which came out to roughly $21 a person. The other sites I’m trying to make reservations at Cuernos (or Frances) and Torres but it appears they only have domos or premium platform options. Curious if they’re doing a similar money grabbing technique with these sites….I’ve already made my reservations on the CONAF site and received confirmation back relatively quick.
Mel/Taylor – I still have not heard back from VP which is making me kind of nervous. I’ve sent follow up emails to both Fantasicour and VP, wondering if I should call them directly?
Thank you both for your help!
nick jones
August 26, 2017 at 9:51 amim going in november have tried to book paine grande and the grey site through verticepatagonia. they sent and email confirming it and that i must pay within 48 hours otherwise i lose the booking. but in the email they dont tell you how to pay give you no link to go to and i have trawled their website for days and cannot find out how to pay. its so frustrating!! thinking of giving up now. can’t believe how hard they make it for you too book! can anyone help on how i can pay them so i can reserve my booking??
Taylor Record
August 26, 2017 at 10:56 amHi Nick! I never got so far with Vertice, but Fantastico Sur asked me to send them my Card Number and Expiry Date via email – not ideal! Another option might be to pay via Bank Transfer – did they include any attachments in your email?
kristin s
August 28, 2017 at 7:27 pmHello!
First, thank you for such a helpful blog! This has been one of the BEST sources of information about camping in TDP.
I wanted to pass along some information. It looks like you can book the free campsite through the CONAF website ~6 months in advance. We just booked a campsite for late February and did not have to wait until October to do so.
Also, if anyone has any tips of receiving the payment information from Vertice that would be greatly appreciated. It appears that we all are having a similar issue with only receiving the initial confirmation email.
Thanks!
Taylor Record
September 1, 2017 at 12:41 pmHi Kristin. I’m so glad you found the post useful! I remember the campsites being kind of a nightmare to book. Thanks for the tip about the CONAF sites! As for Vertice, the comments have been pretty active on this post. Perhaps check back in a few days and see if anyone has had luck? If you hear back, feel free to note it here. Appreciate your comment and best of luck!
Jason Barton
August 29, 2017 at 11:01 amHi all,
Currently going through the same struggles that everyone else appears to be going through in regards to Vertice. Received a confirmation e-mail 10 days ago, instructing me to provide them with some general details so that they could then send a link to pay via WebPay…I am yet to receive a link still. Have sent several follow up e-mails to them to try and get some traction but it hasn’t helped. Does anyone know why it takes so long for them to process the bookings?
I am going to try and call them tonight and will keep this post updated with progress. Good luck everyone! Good things take time 🙂
Taylor Record
September 1, 2017 at 12:38 pmHi Jason! Sorry that it’s been such a long wait! If you email them your card details I’m sure you’d get a faster booking, but that’s never ideal. The reservation requirements were just introduced in 2016, so I think that Vertice, CONAF, and Fantastico Sur haven’t scaled up quick enough to accommodate the influx of advance bookings. In general, the “why” may become apparent after you spend a bit of time in Chile —
things will happen when they happen. I think you’re right to follow up, and they’ll get back with you soon enough! Good luck with your booking.
Jason Barton
September 4, 2017 at 9:26 pmHi Taylor!
That makes sense. After having no luck with getting a reply from e-mails written in English, I had a Colombian friend draft up an e-mail in Spanish which I then sent off – I got a reply in the next day or so…not sure if that’s a coincidence but worth a try for other struggling out there who are worried about not being able to fully “confirm” the booking 🙂
Thanks Taylor for this blog, very helpful for this process 🙂
Cara Walker
September 4, 2017 at 9:37 pmAny chance you’d be willing to share that email Jason? Haha
Alison Roberts
September 3, 2017 at 3:18 pmHi Taylor. Great advice. Quick question. We (2) intend to do the W trek in mid October 2017. Do you think it will be ok to book in person when we arrive in Puerto Natales as its so early in the season??
Many thanks
Taylor Record
September 5, 2017 at 10:54 amHi Alison. Is there any reason you’d prefer to wait rather than doing it online? I also went in a shoulder season (late March) and found that most things were still sold out well in advance. The W Trek has a lot more availability than the O Circuit, but in recent years, the demand has far exceeded the availability. If you CAN, I’d say book ahead, but if you need to wait, there’s always a chance that you can grab things locally.
Alison Roberts
September 6, 2017 at 1:27 amThanks Taylor. We are not exactly sure of our dates yet but will heed your advice. Alison
Alison Roberts
September 18, 2017 at 3:53 pmHi again Taylor
More help needed please.
I am trying to book W trek. CONAF web site just keeps coming up Unavailable, any other way to contact them. And I am trying to book a camping spot at Chileno but the price keeps coming up as $194 us, for 2 of us Full board. (Ridiculous) We only want a camp spot as we are carrying all our own gear. Is this possible?
Many thanks again
Alison
Bill
September 18, 2017 at 6:41 pmI contacted Fantastico by email, they are not offering a camping only option only the full board.
We also will be carrying our own gear,
Yes we are getting ripped, not sure what else we can do.
Sam
September 8, 2017 at 4:44 pmCalled vertice after waiting 8 business days. The lady said she can’t help and they have to process via email. She kept saying they have 7 business days so they still have time to respond. I told her it’s been 10 days so we were clear. Anyway, I feel stuck. Can I just pitch a tent anywhere?
Taylor Record
September 10, 2017 at 7:03 amHey Sam. Wouldn’t that be nice? The park is very strict about only camping in designated spots and they’ve begun cracking down on presenting reservations throughout to prove you have bookings. Don’t give up! If you bother them enough, they’ll get back to you eventually!
Sam
September 11, 2017 at 2:11 amEh, we are fully booked with tickets, campsites, etc. – except for Vertice Patagonia. What exactly does cracking down mean and what’s the penalty? At this point we’re going to the park with or without a reservation there…
Stephen
September 8, 2017 at 10:15 pmVery helpful post Taylor.
I am doing the O circuit in January 2018. Same problems as others. Patagonia Sur and CONAF were easy to book online. I switched out Torres for Chileno because of the Torres closure. Vertice Patagonia was harder to book. I made the reservation request online. Received the e-mail saying that their sales department would be in touch soon. Radio silence. I sent e-mails. Crickets. Called a jillion times. No pick up. Phone line would drop. Used the Rebtel app. Called with the app and they picked up on about the 13th try. Not sure if Rebtel made a difference or not but it was free to try so it didn’t hurt. Spoke to a very nice woman. She found my original reservation request. Said someone would be in touch with me later that day to confirm if the dates were available. Someone did e-mail me to confirm. They requested some payment details, which I responded with, and the next day I got the weblink for payment which worked smoothly. No more stress.
Taylor Record
September 10, 2017 at 7:01 amGlad to hear your booking saga finally came to an end, Stephen! It sounds to me like Vertice hasn’t yet scaled up their operation to accommodate the new regulations from 2016 and are struggling to keep up. Good luck on your trek!
Cara Walker
September 11, 2017 at 6:43 pmI’m also going for December/January. I’ve had a very similar experience. Finally spoke with a woman at Vertice last Wednesday and received the same assurance that an email would be forthcoming. Sadly, no email as of yet and I’ve been trying to call again today. The good bit is that the women with whom I’ve spoken at Vertice have been super nice and helpful with my lame Spanish!
Céline
September 14, 2017 at 3:33 pmHi Stephen,
We are now undergoing the same stress you did 🙂 We are heading over to Patagonia the beginning of December. We were able to book the campsites on Patagonia Sur and CONAF but are still waiting on a respons of Vertice Patagonia.
I tried calling several times but nog answer… my Spanish is okay (so I can manage) but I never heard of the Rebtel app. So I just downloaded it. Can you explain me how it works? or which phone number you called?
Joshua
September 11, 2017 at 3:37 pmThanks for the useful blog, I found the information here more useful and up to date than that of any of the internet sites of the park managers. I am in Puerto Natales at the moment (11/09/17), I had been trying to book the w for for six months with no luck, so I gave up and decided to wait until I was here. The situation as of the moment is:
Paine grande (vértice) is open and plenty of availability at the moment (6mil for camping) and there is a boat everyday at around 11am from pudeta (11mil)
Camping grey (vértice) isn’t open until October and they have availability for October (not sure how much)
Italiano (conaf) is open and fully booked for all of September
Frances (fantástico) not open until October (lots of availability)
Cuernos (fantástico) open on the 20th of September with availability
Central (fantástico) open now and plenty of space, but no camping here only full board Refugio 60,000 pesos
And las Torres (conaf) closed for the season.
ThIs process has been a huge pain in the ass, hopefully in the future the three administrators will get their shit together, work together, with sole agencies to offer an easy booking system. But for now we have to work with what we can. Good luck people, I hope others trying to navigate this mess in the low season have better luck than I did!
Taylor Record
September 11, 2017 at 6:38 pmThanks for sharing these updates, Joshua! I’m sure it will be useful to everyone who reads the comments, and I’ll pass the details along to anyone that asks 🙂
Liang
September 14, 2017 at 5:39 pmI had the same experience as everyone else. Both Fantastico Sur and Vertice don’t reply to emails. The process to book online at Fantastico Sur was smooth, but don’t expect replies to emails. Vertice didn’t respond after I submitted booking request online, no response to my email reminders either. So I started calling after one week. On the 3rd call which is one week after the first call, they finally confirmed availability on the phone and sent me the payment link through email. You have to hold them to check availability while you are on the phone. If they say they’ll check and reply later in the day, it most likely won’t happen. But I have to say every lady who picked up my call was very nice. I found calling in the afternoon was easier to get through.
Joscha Martin
September 20, 2017 at 7:49 pmHey,
I tried to make reservations on fantasticosur but its showing me ridiculous prices.. Are 113$ for a night normal? Anyone else getting the same?
Am I doing something wrong? Any tips?
Thanks
Samnang
October 1, 2017 at 5:03 amUnfortunately, their prices are insanely high…Had to book 2 premium nights at $130 even thought I have my own tent! I could’t select the other options since they were sold out! 🙁
André Baumgarten
October 2, 2017 at 9:41 pmNope, sadly these prices are right. God damn cutthroats. Only possible “budget” alternative is camping at Torres Central, skipping Chileno. There you can find camp sites without platform and full board. It is still 4.5 hrs away from the Torres del Paine, but if you are not in the need of seeing the sunrise there or if you are keen to start extra early in the night, then this is the only alternative to stay “low cost”, even that a simple camp site at central costs you 21 USD.
My “low cost” split for the O:
Las torres – 10k CLP (15.5 USD)
Serón – 10k CLP (15.5 USD)
Dickson – 8 USD
Los Perros – 8 USD
Paso – Free
Grey – 8 USD
Paine Grande – 10 USD
Italiano – Free
Total: 65 USD!
Cheers, André
Laura Skead
September 21, 2017 at 6:23 amThanks for the incredibly useful post!! I wanted to know, is it possible to get the 2;30 from TDP to Puerto Natales and then onto El Calafate in the same day?
Taylor Record
September 23, 2017 at 9:25 amHi Laura. I’m so glad you found it helpful! If the schedules haven’t changed, the Puerto Natales to El Calafate bus only leaves at 7:30am and the earliest bus from Torres del Paine to Puerto Natales is at 2pm. We ended up hitchhiking the route, so if you’re not too tired after your trek, that might be an option!
Cara
September 21, 2017 at 7:33 pmI am really at wits end with the booking process. My original Vertice request was submitted on August 14 (for which I received a confirmation email). Since then I have sent 26 follow up emails, 2 of which were in Spanish (no hyperbole), and called the two different numbers 45 times over the course of the past 2 weeks (again, no exaggeration here). Two weeks ago I was able to speak with someone who was very helpful and nice and spoke amazing English. Unfortunately, two weeks ago this woman told me that she would send me an email for the payment by the next day. Two weeks later I have still not received anything. I’m all booked with Fantastico and have all of my flights booked and paid for. I decided to go back online and start the reservation request process over (something I’ve tried to avoid so as to avoid confusion). Now though I only see Paine and Grey as options for locations. Now I am a bit panicked that sites have already booked. Does anyone have any insight? I am usually not a huge planner when traveling but this obviously requires it. Is anyone aware of companies who will accept a fee to book? Any help will be appreciated!
Jen
October 2, 2017 at 7:59 pmHi! Going through the same thing. I have everything booked with Fantastico Sur, flights, etc., but nada with Vertice. However, I finally got a response last week by sending a message through their Facebook profile:
“Hi, Jennifer, We have a very high demand of request that´s why we are taking about 2 weeks to answer. I will give your information to the sales team, in order to send you this week a confirmation of your request. Please don´t send any other mail or request because that is one of the reason why we have a delay, people have sent more than one and we have thousand of them. Thanks for your patience .”
Yep. I’m supposed to do the W Trek November 12 – 17, so just over a month away. I have no idea what to do at this point.
André Baumgarten
October 2, 2017 at 8:51 pmHola Cara,
I share the same destiny as your. I did the booking just 1.5 weeks ago from now and since then wrote a few emails and started calling them last week without success (prob. 50 and more attempts) . I called via my Skype Account, on which I have credit, but either the connection could not be established, or it broke down, or it ringed but no one picked up or the line was busy.
I am already in Chile and today I tried it with an cellphone of a Chilean friend. After another 20 call trials I finally came through and a woman spoke to me. Long story short, I told her I sent a reservation 1.5 weeks ago, spelled my name and then she said she would write back and I ran out of credit, call ended, so calling back wasn’t a success after topping up. But, I couldn’t believe it, a mail appeared with request of a few details and later the payment email arrived.
How does it help you? For Los Perros and Paso there isn’t an online reservation. I send them a mail that I need them as well. But if you get through them on phone, mention you want to do the circular grande, and you want these campsites as well.
Maybe it exists an app for cellphones with which you can call free to landline phones in Chile. Skype isn’t a good alternative, even that it costs just a few cents. Hm, probably you just can keep on trying. :-/
Kate Bennett
October 2, 2017 at 11:00 pmHola Andre – gracias por el mensaje, ha sido super informativo!! entonces hiciste tu reserva original para Grey/Paine Grande sin los para Dickson & Los Perros? (Paso es con CONAF, creo, imagino que se estan mezclando entre si debido al caos de las reservas.. 🙂 ) Como pagaste – diste su informacion financiera por la llamada, o ellos utilizaron la misma informacion que proporcionaste para Grey/Paine Grande electronicamente? Yo tambien sin respuesta a mi correo original y estoy por llamarles por skype (a ver si funciona…)
André Baumgarten
October 7, 2017 at 1:11 amAhh…Hola Kate, sííí…he mesclado los campamentos. Vertice is Dickson y Los Perros, pero es no posible reservar estos en linea. Vertice te va a enviar un email en cual ellos preguntan mas detalles: nombre, apellido, nationalidad, numero de pasaporte. Despues ellos enviarán un otro email con tu confirmación y un link por una pagina se llama WebPay. Aqui es posible por pagar con Paypal o tarjetas diferentes (Visa, etc.) Y luego has pagado, un email automatico se envidado con una confirmación de pagar. Eso. Creó el ultimo email voy a imprimir y ojalá va a functionado 😉
Cara Walker
October 3, 2017 at 2:31 amHola Andre! Thank you for your message! I had very good luck on Friday and received an email from Vertice after I also spoke with someone on The phone on Thursday. The woman said that they have been running almost 2
Weeks behind, even though it’s clearly a bit more than that. 🙂 I rushed to make my payment and now with my confirmation I am confident I will be able to enjoy the amazing Circuit Trek at Christmas! I am very happy to hear that you also have had luck!! Thank you again!
Daisy
October 4, 2017 at 3:38 pmHello Cara! I also tried to call Vertice multiple times but none of them got through… Do you have any tips on when might be a good time to call them? I’m also trying to do travel there during Christmas and it seems like a lot of the camps are booked out already… Many thanks!!
Sierra Kona
November 24, 2017 at 6:16 pmDo you still have the number that you called, per chance?
Choi
September 23, 2017 at 3:38 pmHi, my name is Choi
Thank u for the great informations
Im planning to visit torres del paine on 30th July, and Im wondering how i can book the campsites. Im from south korea and there aren’t so much information through blogs.. And My budget is tight so can you recommend the cheapest way? And I dont care about how long the camping takes. Thank You!!
Taylor Record
September 27, 2017 at 3:55 amHi Choi, from what I’ve read, it is now required that you go with an accredited guide when you hike during the winter months. I’d recommend reaching out to a few of the local agencies in town to get a quote on how much this would cost. There could be a work around, but unfortunately, I’m not sure what it is since this is a new rule!
Samnang
October 1, 2017 at 4:32 amHello Taylor, Thank you for the useful information. I plan to do the Trek W (W-E) between Nov 9th. and 13th. I am still waiting for a confirmation from Vertice on Day 1 and 2 (Gray/Del Paine) , already booked Day 4 with Fantastico at Chileno and still haven’t figure out how to book my day 3 at the free campsite Italiano. I heard that it’s now mandatory. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Samnang
October 1, 2017 at 4:59 amJust thought about it, will most likely book my day 3 at camp cuernos.
Taylor Record
October 9, 2017 at 12:36 pmHi Sam, any luck on this? I’m guessing you’ve checked the CONAF site and found the sites are sold out? You can check back every few days and spaces usually come available.
Julia
October 3, 2017 at 7:33 pmHi Taylor,
I’m about to book for December and wanted to confirm — I need to book a reservation for each at every stop I make, correct? I had additionally assumed that I would be packing my own meals for each and every day, but after emailing with Fantasticosur, I was told there is no option to book a reservation at Los Cuernos (for example) without also reserving meals and fullboard, since open cooking is prohibited. So the cheapest option is to select “Single platform + fullboard” for $226 USD. Does that sound right to you?
Thank you for all the help!
Sia T
October 3, 2017 at 9:05 pmHey Guys,
I have to firstly agree with everyone here on 2 points;
1. This is the most informative source of information I have found, thanks all!
2. Why is this so difficult????? I have seen better organisation in drunken bar crawls across various European cities!
Myself and a friend are looking to do a 3 night excursion along the ‘w’ trek. Granted, we were late in booking, Today we came across the following;
Night 1: No booking, we wanted Camp Torres, but it is closed for 2017/2018 –> second choice was Refugio Chileno run by Fantastico Sur, but they are only providing the Full Board camping option for $97 per head…. ridiculous. So far nothing booked, and I think this alone may force us to abort the whole of Torres del Paine.
Night 2 : Camp Italiano- I managed to book it no problem, but my friend tried straight after and failed with the website claiming the camp is now full for that night….. (as even though we are sharing a tent, the booking clearly states 1 adult), surely it does not matter whether there is 1 or 2 people in the tent…. I have emailed to suggest this fact!
Night 3: Paine Grande – My friend managed to successfully book Paine Grande for 2 people on the Vertices website…. we are yet to confront the whole ‘pay within 48 hours, but receive no email confirming how’ scenario…..
What an absolute mess. Any thoughts or suggestions on how I can sort the problems above would be hugely appreciated!
Regards to all,
Sia
Taylor Record
October 9, 2017 at 11:00 amHi Sia. I’m glad you’ve found it helpful, and sorry about all the difficulties in your booking! 1. Unfortunately, your options are Chileno for an exorbitant price or Torres Central for an early wakeup. You will need to get up 4 hours before sunrise, but it’s worth it! 2. Check back! These sites have fluctuating availability and she will probably have luck if she checks back a few times a week. They do check the reservations per person, and at times, won’t let you proceed through the checkpoints without proof of reservation. That being said, I know people who managed to sneak onto the sites and as long as you have a reservation for the tent, it’s not the biggest issue. 3. Latest news is there is a 2 week delay. They are receiving hundreds of emails (including hundreds of follow up emails) and it’s taking time to sort through them. That being said, you should have a space reserved for you even if you take more than 48 hours to pay. GOod luck!
Sia Tanhai
October 11, 2017 at 9:49 amHey, I have updates!
1. My friend contacted the Fantastico Sur I believe they are who run ‘Torres Central’, not to be confused for ‘Camp Torres’, and managed to get a booking, unfortunately it was $32.5 dollars per person (£25) for just camping without food or anything provided, which was still disappointing, but better than Chileno!
2. I have had no response with regards to Camp Italiano allowing me to have a booking with a tent but claiming to be full when my friend attempted booking. Hopefully they reply my email at some point, although my friend is confident that as we have bookings the night before and after Camp Italiano, and are staying the same tent, they should hopefully allow him passage.
3. The booking we made at Paine Grande with Vertice still stands as far as we are aware despite receiving no payment follow up email……..
Sia
T Cooper
October 10, 2017 at 3:15 pmHey Sia, have you had any further luck?
We are going through the exact same thing now trying to book the O circuit for January – it’s probably the most complicated thing I’ve ever tried to organise!
We have managed to book our first three nights (and have had to shell out for Chileno), but are yet to get through to Vertice. Has anyone had any luck booking Vertice sites for January 2018, or is it all booked up? We are holding off booking international flights whilst we try and sort this out (as we may re arrange the order we do things and do TdP at a later date if we can’t get in), but flight prices are going up by the day.
Honestly if anyone wants to open a business organizing the camping for people for a fee, I think you’d do fantastic business!
Cheers 🙂
T
T Cooper
October 10, 2017 at 3:15 pmBtw gorgeous website Taylor! I love the photography 🙂
Taylor Record
October 10, 2017 at 4:18 pmThat’s the best compliment, T. Thank you! 🙂
Daisy
October 4, 2017 at 3:39 pmHello Cara! I also tried to call Vertice multiple times but none of them got through… Do you have any tips on when might be a good time to call them? I’m also trying to do travel there during Christmas and it seems like a lot of the camps are booked out already… Many thanks!!
Daisy
October 4, 2017 at 6:51 pmDoes anyone know what’s the best way to call Vertice from US? I’ve tried both Skype and Google Hangout for more than 30 times… It’s either busy or failed to connect or no one answer…. Not sure if it’s because I’m using Skype/Hangout or their lines are busy… Any good tips?
Rachel
October 5, 2017 at 3:01 amI’ve heard Torres campground is closed for the 2017-2018 season. If that is the case, what is the best campsite to use as an alternative?
Taylor Record
October 9, 2017 at 10:50 amHi Rachel. Chileno is the only closest to the Torres, but it is quite expensive to stay there and you have to book your site with full board. If you book Torres Central, you’ll need to wake up about 4 hours before sunrise to see sunrise at the Torres. Neither are great options, but it’s totally worthwhile! Good luck with your trek.
Julia Koch
October 9, 2017 at 2:04 pmHi Taylor!
I had a question about the reservations at Los Cuernos and Chileno related to your comment above — I’d prefer to use a tent and bring my own food, but when I spoke with a woman at Fantastico, she said my best option would be a platform + full board, since there is no open-air cooking allowed at those campsites. That seemed odd to me, since it’s about $226 USD and much more expensive than the other campsites. I though maybe I had made the wrong reservation, but after seeing your comment above, maybe not? What do you think? Thank you!
Taylor Record
November 1, 2017 at 11:27 pmHi Julia. Unfortunately, they kind of gouge you at those camps! If things are still the same, you can’t even get away with eating cold, and you’ll still have to book full board. Los Cuernos is a lot cheaper than Chileno, isn’t it? Good luck with the booking!
Sia Tanhai
October 11, 2017 at 9:52 amSo if I understand correctly, the trek from Torres Central to the ‘Towers’ is 4 hours? (and thus 4 hours back?)
Is it possible to get up to Torres for sunrise (is this the location of the towers?) and back down, and then onto Camp Italiano in one day? We will be two fairly fit guys aged 27.??
Thanks
Taylor Record
October 15, 2017 at 10:14 amHi Sia! I didn’t do this stretch of trail myself, but anecdotally, it takes 4 hours hiking uphill from Central to the Towers; the same hike down would probably only take 2 hours. After seeing sunrise, you could definitely make it from Torres to Italiano. It will be a long day, but it’s mostly downhill, so you should be alright. It will be a long one, but totally possible!
Bill Collis
October 5, 2017 at 1:06 pmI did the original booking request online with Vertice on 21 Aug, still no response from them
I have emailed and I am now trying to ring everyday, most days it is just engaged
Occasionally it rings, once a very nice woman answered and she found our booking request and said it would be 3 days, but that was 10 days ago.
All the other times it rings it just gets cut off
Fiona McEwan
October 16, 2017 at 2:53 amHi Bill, Have you heard back from Vertice yet & if so, did they give you any update on their response times/priorities or whether you needed to resubmit your original booking request form on their website?
My booking request made on the 29 August is still answered and I’ve followed up, in Spanish, via three further unanswered emails now.
Cheers
Fiona
Cassie
October 16, 2017 at 2:45 amHi Taylor,
Thanks for posting this – it is very useful! We are planning on going in April 2018.
Do you know when these campgrounds / huts will start to sell out?
Taylor Record
October 17, 2017 at 6:31 amHi Cassie. I believe booking opens 6 months ahead and it’s best to get the reservations as soon as you know your dates. That being said, April is creeping into low season, so you don’t have to worry quite as much as those traveling in high season.
Cassie
October 18, 2017 at 11:38 pmcool thanks Taylor!
Alex
October 16, 2017 at 4:19 amI am doing a Torres Del Paine circuit starting the 25th of December if Vertice Patagonia ever replies to my emails or answers my calls.
Does anyone have any information regarding the availability of Camp Dickson, Camp Perros and Camp Paine in the final days of December? This is getting quite frustrating and I hope that if I don’t manage to get reservations that it is still possible to camp on these sites.
Alison Roberts
October 16, 2017 at 6:13 pmHi Taylor.
I got back off the trek yesterday (16 October) and thanks so much for all the advice.
Maybe I could add some up to date info.
We booked about 3 weeks ago and had no problems with either Vertice or Fantastico. They both replied with in a couple of days and even when we had to change our original dates it was no problem. Perhaps they are getting their act together at last and it is the quiet part of the season. I did however have a major problem with CONAF and could not contact them at all. (This turned out to be very lucky as we had torrential rain and camping at Italiano would not have been pleasant)
As we couldn’t book at Italiano we decided not to carry all our camping gear so we booked a ready set up tent at Paine Grande for the 1st night. Good tent, brand new sleeping bag, cooking area is very good, you are in a warm room with dinning room attached and lots of power points for charging things. You need your own stove.
Day 2, walked to Los Cuernos in torrential rain. Italiano looks like a great spot to camp in good weather but in the rain it was miserable. They even stopped people going further up the Francis valley. We preceded to Los Curnos, where we had again booked a set up tent, only to be told that the tents were not in use and that we would have to sleep in a lovely warm, dry dorm. This made 2 dripping hikers very happy). Staff were great here. If you meet Paco say hi from me please.
The tracks in the Vertice area are very well maintained with bridges over streams and walk ways over boggy bits. But in the Fantastico area you have to wade through streams and rivers (very dangerous with the amount of rain we had) and there is a very swampy area where people lost shoes, so wear boots.
Day 3 weather better but very windy. Almost got blown off the track near Chileno refuge. Once again we were moved from the tents into dorms (I had to ask here so if the weather is bad it’s worth a try. Again there was no extra charge.)
We cooked our selfs at P G but had to do the full board option at the other 2 and we felt that the food was very good. My partner has dietary problems and she was very well looked after. We informed Fantastico Sur before we started and all her meals etc were ready.
Also, there is a talk every day at 3pm at Erratic Rock in Puerto Natales. It’s free and very informative. I recommend going.
Hope you all have a great time. We did despite the bad weather
Alison
Taylor Record
October 17, 2017 at 6:25 amHi Alison. Sorry about your grim weather, but thanks for the updates!
Anne
October 17, 2017 at 1:27 pmHello,
Thanks for all the useful information on this thread.
Can I please get advice on the following schedule for campsites on the W Trek. I have chosen these specific campsites due to availability according to Vertice & Fantastico Sur sites but have yet to receive confirmation:
Jan 6: Camp Grey
Jan 7: Camp Paine Grande
Jan 8: Camp Frances (what is another option in case this is booked out)
Jan 9: Camp Chileno (because we really want to see the Torres at sunrise)
Thanks in advance,
Anne
Taylor Record
November 1, 2017 at 11:24 pmHi Anne! Your itinerary sounds perfect — you won’t even have any miserable days of walking in there! Enjoy your trip!
Roman
December 1, 2017 at 7:10 amHi Anne,
have you got places in Camp Grey and Paine Grande in mentioned dates?
Anne
December 1, 2017 at 10:20 amHi Roman,
Yep, I managed to get reservations at both sites.
If they tell you they’re booked out keep trying in case someone cancels their reservation.
Alex Homer
October 17, 2017 at 10:07 pmHi everyone,
I finally managed to get bookings through Vertice by using some advice I found on tripadvisor:
The agents all have email addresses that follow the following format:
ventas01@verticepatagonia.cl
ventas02@verticepatagonia.cl
etc…
So I emailed ventas01 through ventas06 with blind carbon copy, and two days later ventas05 got back to me… The person I got this from received a response from ventas06 so I think it is worth going through all of them.
I would also say you should be very careful in making sure they book what you ask for, as first she had the wrong campsites, and then she had the wrong month! There was also about a 5 hour gap in the time where she originally contacted me and when she responded again, so don’t get frustrated.
Anne
October 18, 2017 at 10:08 pmThat’s great news!
I filled in the form online and they got back to me the next day saying one of the campsites I wanted was full, but last night I got lucky because someone cancelled their reservation. So happy!
Still no word from Fantastico Sur though after several follow ups.
Phil
October 23, 2017 at 7:20 amWhoop whoop! Thanks for the advice Alex! I wrote to ventas01-ventas10 and ventas10 replied!
JoJo
October 31, 2017 at 4:28 pmWhich form online did you fill? I looked all over. Emailed then a week ago, nothing. Just emails again, but will also use Alex’s tip also
Eric Leithliter
November 2, 2017 at 10:11 pmI’m with you Jojo! Where is this mythical online form?
Sandra
October 25, 2017 at 9:25 amAlex, your advice helped us a lot and we managed to finalize our reservation in few days after ventas05 got back to us. Thanks a lot!
Taylor, this blog post is great, thank you, thank you, thank you. And comments – awesome.
About the whole process – at first (after more than 3 weeks) Vertice answered us that they have no availability for our dates. But when we reached them by phone they told us that they are not taking reservations for November for O circuit because they are not sure if they can provide service because of the weather. They recommend us to contact them at the beginning of November again. But then (like 10 minutes later) other person responded by email that they can make a reservation for our schedule (that is Dickson – 20.11, Los Perros 21.11, Grey 22.11) and they actually did. So I have no idea how it works and if they have any policy for that, but keep in mind that when they say “we have no availability” it might not be “we are sold out”. It is worth trying to reach them again.
Andy
October 31, 2017 at 5:22 amAlex – when were you able to book this for? We are looking to go in January 2018, do you happen to know the availability around this time, we’ve been trying to book for weeks and weeks with no success so far.
Ro
October 20, 2017 at 2:20 pmThank you for this fantastic post! Wish I had found it sooner.
My partner and I had our bookings all set back in Sept. for a late November 21-28 O Trek for the schedule below but then never heard confirmation back from Vertice for weeks. We started getting more panicked and following up with more emails to ventas01…06 and phone calls (we are in Chile now). ventas10@verticepatagonia.cl just got back to us.
Unfortunately, we can get a space for Dickson & Perros but Grey is completely booked and Paso is not available at all in November. We could also get Paine Grande for the day before our Italiano.
Our original schedule:
Nov. 21 Serón (confirmed)
Nov. 22 Dickson (available)
Nov. 23 Perros (available)
Nov. 24 Grey or Paso (unavailable); Paine Grande is avaialble
Nov. 25 Italiano (confirmed)
Nov. 26 Francés (confirmed)
Nov. 27 Chileno (confirmed)
My questions on which I’d appreciate your opinion/advice, since we are approaching our window to cancel existing reservations:
1) Do we cut our losses and just plan to do the W Trek starting with Paine Grande? (We’ll have to hang out in Punta Arenas/Puerto Natales longer since we already have plane tickets set). We can potentially tack on Camping Pehoe beforehand for more camping time.
2) Do we keep our bookings for Serón, Dickson & Perros and keep trying for Paso or Grey for that very specific day, while booking Paine Grande in case Paso/Grey never materialize and we have to do the W? (Assumes we will lose money on a reservation somewhere).
3) If we can’t get Paso/Grey, could we potentially hike as far as Serón and then turn back around? (Or even Dickson or Perros? Assuming we could get camping spaces We then could take a bus/catamaran to pick up the W from the West as we originally planned.
Thanks in advance for any thoughts you can offer.
Jen
October 20, 2017 at 8:39 pmUpdate! I actually managed to get a response and successfully book my campsites with Vertice. I did what Alex suggested above, thanks Alex!, and I got a response in a few hours from ventas05. They had my dates available ( the week of November 12). Wooho!
André Baumgarten
October 21, 2017 at 6:35 pmVERY IMPORTANT UPDATE!!!!!
I got an email from FantasticoSur today in which they told me that the CAMPGROUND SÉRON WILL STAY CLOSED UNTIL 15TH NOVEMBER DUE TO FLOODING OF THE TREKK. This follows up the heavy rains Alison wrote here on the 16th October. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO WALK THE O. Panic but I found a solution for which I only have to change three camps. For everyone with the same problem, here my idea:
Instead of Séron take Frances (both FantasticoSur, if availability, should be fine to change, I will write them after my post here)
Instead of Dickson take Paine Grande (both Vertice, same, I try)
Instead of Los Perros take Grey (both Vertice).
The next day arrive at Camp Paso, which you probably will have booked already, because it will be the same day just you arrive from the other side. And then the way back or the ferry .
Good luck guys and girls. Saludos
Peter w
October 22, 2017 at 3:05 pmI just got a message from fantasticosur saying that the o circuit will be closed until November 15th due to flooding. Now I can’t get new reservations. Sucks as I booked over two months ago. Anyone else got this problem. I was booked for November 7th to start.
André Baumgarten
October 23, 2017 at 11:15 amHey Peter, read my comment directly above yr post. Same problem :-/ Thats the unpredictable nature Paragonias.
Pete W
October 24, 2017 at 3:21 amHey André, I just read your message now. Yeah seems like a few people will be having the same problem. As for your plan to walk backwards, in a clockwise direction, that will only work until you reach refugio grey. Right after refugio grey, there is a guards building that will not let people enter into the ‘o’ circuit section from that direction. So it will not be possible to use the campamento paso unless you enter from a anti-clockwise direction. But it will be possible to hike until refugio grey.
Claire Lawrence
October 24, 2017 at 9:19 amDoes anyone know where I can find information on this? I have bookings on similar dates but have no email telling me things are closed. Does anyone know if the W trek is still open or is everything closed off?
Thanks!!
Andre Baumgarten
October 24, 2017 at 11:19 amHi Claire,
if you walk the W all is fine. It is just the section between Torres Central and Séron. Thats why you hvnt got an email. Enjoy.
Claire Lawrence
October 24, 2017 at 11:21 amNo, I wasn’t meant to be walking the W, I was meant to be doing the ‘O’ and have bookings for Torres Central and Séron. I’m just wondering if that part is closed, will we be refunded for those sites and we can just walk the W instead if there’s no option to do the O part.
André Baumgarten
October 24, 2017 at 9:30 pmFantasticoSur offered a 100% refund or what I will do, I will ask for Camp Frances. What about Vertice, I don’t know, I was in contact with them yesterday in order to swap Dickson and Los Perros for Paine Grande and Grey and I hope that will work. So far nothing got sure.
Don’t suppose that there will be something automatically be refunded or changed. Def. you have to do it and pray, that it works.
Prune
October 23, 2017 at 8:57 pmthe free campsites are really full until February ??? We currently let ourselves be carried by our trip. We had to anticipate reservations for November 26th … too late! Or maybe I’m doing it wrong …
Fiona McEwan
October 27, 2017 at 3:41 amHi Taylor, Do you know if the O Circuit can be hiked in April? The various websites say the track is open until 30 April but I’ve just been emailed by Vertice saying they wont take my bookings at Dickson and Perros around the 18th April as the O Walk closes 30 March (Although Fantastico Sur let me book for 17th April at Serron)- I cant seem to find anything on any websites verifying this close of 30 March and Vertice are not responding. Many thanks.
Cassie
December 18, 2017 at 2:44 amHi Fiona,
I am having the same problem trying to book Dickson.
Did you have any luck?
Hanley
October 31, 2017 at 6:56 pmAny updates? I was supposed to start my circuit hike on Nov 19th. Is this possible? Does anyone know what campsites/routes would be best if trying to do the circuit in 8 days?
Jenna
November 2, 2017 at 1:41 amHi there, just wondering if anyone knows if there is a place to fill up a fuel canister for a MSR Windburner or Jetboil in Puerto Natales or if that has to be done in Punta Arenas? Any help is greatly appreciated!
Taylor Record
November 3, 2017 at 9:03 amHi Jenna. I didn’t do it myself, but Puerto Natales is quite a busy trekking town, so I imagine it’s actually a better place to do it! Erratic Rock collects partially used fuel canisters, so I have to imagine they can fill them as well. If they can’t they’ll surely know where to send you. Enjoy your trip!
Eric Leithliter
November 2, 2017 at 10:21 pmHi Taylor. Thanks for all the info. A huge help. I’m doing the Q next month and rumors is that Grey is booked and Paso is not showing up on the CONAF site. What’s your take on doing Los Perros to Paine Grande in one day? Traveling solo and seasoned backpacker. Thanks!
Taylor Record
November 8, 2017 at 11:48 pmYou’re asking the right person! I was in a similar situation in April — I ended up hiking Dickson to Paso in one day (not recommendable as you finish with the pass) but Los Perros to Paine Grande is definitely doable. I think you should expect to walk around 11 hours, but it’s a nice trail and it starts with the hard part and gets easier. The day before will be challenging, but as long as you’re willing to struggle a bit, you’ll absolutely make it in one piece and before sunset. Good luck with your trek!
Eric
November 14, 2017 at 8:18 pmThank you so much Taylor. Now just to get Vertice to reply…
Taylor Record
November 17, 2017 at 11:08 pmI know it’s frustrating, but it’s worth the wait 😉
Erika
December 13, 2017 at 5:47 pmHi Eric, I wanted to check in around whether you did the Los Perros to Paine Grande hike in one day. I e-mailed Vertice about booking those campsites with nothing in the middle and they stated that it was not permitted to skip so many sites. (Therefore they will not allow me to book Dickson and Perros without Grey or a CONAF site.) Any update on how this went for you in terms of campsite bookings, etc would be mucho appreciated!! (We hope to do the hike end of January.) Thanks so much in advance!
Marilou
December 28, 2017 at 8:25 pmHi Erika,
Got any news ? I’m in the same situation….
Hannah
November 7, 2017 at 5:37 amHi, I am scheduled to do the W Trek Nov 11 – Nov 15. I have been closely watching the weather for the past two weeks. It looks like Nov 11 and Nov 12 are going to be pretty bad for rain (both 80% chance of rain with rainfall nearing a quarter of an inch). My current plan is Refugio Grey (Nov 11); Paine Grande (Nov 12); Italiano (Nov 13) Chileno (Nov 14).
Is it too late to try and switch refugio campsite reservations around to try and avoid the possible down pour of rain? I was thinking I could maybe try to switch my trek to Nov 14 – Nov 18: staying at Chileno (Nov 14); Italiano (Nov 15); Paine Grande (Nov 16); and finally Grey (Nov 17).
Is it possible to make last minute changes like this with campsite reservations? Do the booking agencies have offices in Puerto Natales that I could go to and talk with someone about this situation. Any recommendations will be helpful! Thanks 🙂
Agnes
November 11, 2017 at 10:30 amThanks for a great guide. My question is; is it allowed to do an ‘incomplete W trek’ or do you have to book and pass all campsites/accommodations along the trek?
Taylor Record
November 12, 2017 at 1:30 pmHi Agnes! The W-Trek is quite accessible. It’s actually possible to do each leg of the W in 1-2 days if you choose! Which part are you considering?
alex
November 14, 2017 at 7:08 pmhello,hello
so, if i fly to puerto natales and get into any hotel, how possible is to do all of the reservations and all on site? or it’s all close to impossible?
sounds pretty Epic
thank You
Taylor Record
November 14, 2017 at 7:56 pmHi Alex. For the most part, campsites are booked months in advance. You’d be lucky to fill in 1-2 sites locally! Good luck with your booking.
Jonathan Urey
November 16, 2017 at 10:17 pmhey
I wanted to book my camping spots for glacier grey and paine grande but I couldn’t reach them. I tried to call them several times a day, and did send many emails but without any succes. Now everything is already fully booked for the beginning of December, which means that I can’t do it anymore..
Never saw something organised this bad
Jerome Poon
November 19, 2017 at 7:46 amI am going for a hike O trek in mid December. I cannot contact vertice patagonia via both email and phone. I have already booked the other campsites. Please help me figure out how to book Dickson Camp, Los Perros Camp, Grey Camp, Paine Grande Camp please. Thank you very much
Taylor Record
November 24, 2017 at 3:39 pmHi Jerome. It sounds like Vertice has opened a new online payment system (http://verticepatagonia.cl/reservas). Let me know if this works for you!
Mila
November 19, 2017 at 6:32 pmHola guys. How to book Camp Italiano? CONAF’s site doesn’t work.
Taylor Record
November 20, 2017 at 7:51 amHey Mila! Which dates are you looking at? I’ve heard that the CONAF sites are booked up for a while.
UK
November 20, 2017 at 2:01 amI am in the same situation here. I am getting there on Dec 27 and want to do the W from Dec 28 to Jan 1. All the Fantastico Sur camps for those dates are completely full (I have not seen a vacancy for a long time) and Vertice does not bother to reply. I have already booked my air tickets. Not sure about what to do! Is there anything else to see in that area (just preparing for the worst case scenario)?
Erika
December 10, 2017 at 10:41 pmHi UK,
We are hoping for the O Circuit starting Jan 22, and any information you find in your experience in late December would be ultra-incredible for us! We will also keep you updated if we hear anything else – a friend of a friend was there recently and I’m hoping to get some info from that source. All the best!
Callum Yeomans
November 20, 2017 at 12:33 pmThey’ve just released a new online booking system as promised, I’m still having some issues with it (can’t get a USD option or choose a tent), but it’s a way to get a booking if one is available!
http://verticepatagonia.cl/reservas
You can choose English from the homepage and go back to bookings if your Spanish isn’t too sharp.
Brian
November 21, 2017 at 2:43 pmCallum THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was able to use this to book and pay— I had booked and those reservations seem to be taken (I have not been able to pay for them), but I think I have enough proof to make the case that I tried. Huge thanks for the update!
Ashlee
November 21, 2017 at 5:27 pmHi all!
What is the difference between Camping Chileno Plataforma Premium and Camping Chileno Plataforma?
If we are looking into renting tents at the sites to avoid carrying them, does ‘2 people + FB + camping gear included’ mean that we get the tent with it??
Thanks 🙂
Taylor Record
December 1, 2017 at 8:15 amHi Ashlee. I believe the difference with Platforma Premium is that all the gear is included while the Platforma is simply just the platform and you set your own tent up. It’s quite cheap to rent one in Puerto Natales if you want to save a bit of money and don’t mind hauling it!
Richard Carton
November 27, 2017 at 7:47 amHi Taylor! Thanks for providing so much information! We’re not hoping to to do the W circuit until February of 2019. Making the bookings seems to be a bit of a nightmare. Any idea how much some of the companies (Chile Nativo, Keteka Tours, Hue Que etc). charge to make the bookings for you? Maybe it would be worth paying something to avoid the headaches. Also: I have looked at booking accommodation at Dome Frances. It seems that one can only book meals if they stay in the dome or pay for premium camping that includes equipment rentals. I see no spot on the form to book meals if you just rent a spot on a platform. Is this your understanding? Thanks!
Taylor Record
December 26, 2017 at 8:34 pmHey Richard! It’s my understanding that the booking agencies can charge upwards of $500 to make the reservations for you, and guided treks are from $1,500+. That being said, I imagine local operators have an allocation of spaces and they will be able to get sites you won’t find online. As for your other question, I didn’t personally stay in Frances, unfortunately. I just checked their site and it looks like you do have to have one of the premium accommodations booked to book meals ($30+ each). You might bring some extra food just in case, but I imagine they’d love to have your money if you want to eat there!
Marshall
December 3, 2017 at 9:46 amHi Taylor,
Thanks so much for compiling all this info. You’re a saint and a huge help to rookies like myself. I’m shooting for the O in February. Best I can tell CONAF’s Paso and Italiano are fully booked as well as Grey thru Feb. Is it doable to plan from Perros all the way to Paine Grande in one day?
Thanks!
Marshall
Taylor Record
December 3, 2017 at 2:51 pmHeya Marshall. I’m so glad you’ve found it helpful! Only wish I had a bit more leverage with any of the operators 😉 I’m afraid Perros to Paine Grande wouldn’t be doable in a day as you’ll have to conquer John Garner Pass. I’ve heard of people doing Perros to Grey in a day (maybe 10 hours of hiking?). If I were you, I’d leave a hole in the itinerary and keep checking back on Paso and Grey — February leaves you a fair amount of time to get the site you need. Good luck!
JoJo
December 3, 2017 at 8:50 pmHey Marshall and Taylor, I’m in the same boat as having Grey booked out for our dates in Feb 26th. Your advice is to leave the hole, but what happens if the slot never becomes available?? How can one site be booked out and the others not? We are all doing the same circuit!
I’m very grateful for the online booking now available I just wish I knew about it earlier!!! I’ve been trying to book this for the last month.
Do you have any other advice for us?
JoJo
December 3, 2017 at 8:55 pmFollowing on my comment, the way the system is you can’t leave a gap. So i read this as basically the the O circuit is not available to do late February. This leaves us in a big pickle!!!!! Soooooo frustrating!
Taylor Record
December 11, 2017 at 6:50 amHi JoJo. I guess it’s not possible to leave a gap with the new booking system! I had the benefit of going in April (low season) where the slots were easier to come by, but I had friends with no reservations that were able to take care of everything locally before departing on the trek. Bottom line is that they’re REALLY cracking down, but I think this year is still a big enough mess that you should be able to make it work. Good luck, let me know if you find a way around the new booking system!
JoJo
December 3, 2017 at 9:03 pmI’m actually starting to think it s bug with the Greg campsite. I just tried to book in the middle of July and I still got no avaialble dates for only Grey. I’m calling them tomorrow.
Marshall
December 4, 2017 at 7:53 amThanks for the quick reply Taylor! If no reservations for Paso or Grey become available, do you think the rangers would let me thru the Perros checkpoint with reservation for Paine Grande that night? The park’s map lists the distances as Perros-Paso 8km, Paso-Gray 7km, Grey-Paine 11km, so 25km/16.2 miles in total. While it would be a difficult day with John Garner Pass and any potential weather, it seems like it would be physically doable with an early start so long as the rangers let you press forward. What do you think about planning for Perros to Paine Grande then spend an extra rest day at Paine Grande before continuing on? This way I would at least have reservations for all nights on the circuit. If Grey or Paso freed up last moment, then I could stay there while only have to burn the $10 for the first night at Paine Grande. Thanks again!!!
Marshall
December 4, 2017 at 8:25 amWell…I don’t think my idea is possible. For booking the O with Vertice’s website, there is no option to book individual campsites for the circuit, nor is their a booking option that doesn’t include Grey (say if you wanted to do Paso-Paine Grande for one day). Bottom line seems to be that if Grey is sold out, then your SOL for the circuit. There’s no way to even book Dickson and Perros independent of Grey, unless you can get in their good graces via email or phone.
Taylor Record
December 11, 2017 at 6:54 amHi Marshall. I just had a chance to look at Vertice’s new booking system, and it is certainly making things easier/harder at once. Bottom line is when you’re on the back side of the park, there’s only two ways out (the way you came or the way you’re going). I think rangers are probably annoyed by people traveling without reservation, but they figure you’re going to have to camp SOMEWHERE without a reservation that night, so hopefully they’d learn towards letting you proceed. Please let me know if you do find a workaround with the booking system. Good luck!
Marshall
December 4, 2017 at 1:21 pmFor the O in February…Just got off the phone with Vertice at +56 61 241 2742. Used Skype and the call was busy/failed about 20 times, but eventually went thru. Guy on the other end was very friendly and spoke super clear, slow Spanish. Moral of the story, per Vertice, Refugio and Camping Grey are booked full thru Mid-March. They won’t allow you to book Dickson or Perros without sending them proof of a CONAF reservation for Paso, which doesn’t have availability until early-mid March. Asked about a wait list or being contacted in the event of a cancellation at Grey, but he said there are many people waiting and just recommended checking back to the website or doing the W.
Any other ideas out there?
🙁
Erika
December 10, 2017 at 10:26 pmHi Marshall,
We are hoping for the O in January (cutting it even closer), and are finding ourselves in a very similar boat to yourself. May I ask, did the representative at Vertice suggest that you might be able to do just the W, even with the current full bookings? (Just inquiring regarding the last sentence in your post above.) Thanks so much! We will be sure to let you know if we find any helpful information.
JoJo
December 7, 2017 at 5:13 pmHi Taylor,
I’d recommend updating the links at the top of this page for Vertice. Their old website http://www.verticepatagonia.com does not at all redirect or provide any information on their new online booking system. If people go there they will still get lost in the email booking loop. The new link http://www.verticepatagonia.cl will be much more helpful for future readers.
Thanks again for an amazing job with this blog post. It has been super helpful!
Taylor Record
December 8, 2017 at 11:52 amThanks for that information, JoJo! This new booking site is a HUGE step up from the last one. Thanks for the tip, I just made the update 🙂
Rosanna
December 10, 2017 at 10:34 pmHello! A friend and I are planning on doing the O later in January. We’ve also run into these issues for booking but can’t rearrange our travel dates. Does anyone know what would happen if we started hiking and only had a couple sites booked? Would our reservations be checked before we even start the hike?
Taylor Record
December 11, 2017 at 6:46 amHi Rosanna! As recently as April, they weren’t checking reservations at the start of the hike, but there are two checkpoints: Guardaria Coirón where they require proof of booking for Dickson or Los Perros & Guardaria Los Perros where you must show reservation for Paso or Gray. I had a few pals ask rangers to call ahead and check availability at certain campsites, but only the friendly ones were willing to do it. I’d say if it’s just one or two, it should be workable, but you should do whatever you can to lock down the rest of those sites, even if it’s checking back daily or setting them up in Puerto Natales. Good luck!
Rosanna
December 15, 2017 at 7:20 pmThanks Taylor! We currently have Seron, Grande Paine and Central booked….checking everyday for the ones in between! Fingers crossed 🙂 PS this blog has been SUPER helpful, so thank you!
Daniel
December 14, 2017 at 9:14 pmHi Taylor,
First, thank you so much for all the effort put into this post and the blog in general. It has by far been the source of the most helpful info on the painful process of booking the campsites for torres.
Unfortunately, I’m on the same boat as my fellow travelers above: planning to do the O circuit in late January, flights booked and all but I haven’t been able to book any of the campsites from neither Vertice nor Fantasticosur (as I was waiting for Vertice to answer my e-mails to book with the latter). I just found out about the new website for Vertice and realized Grey is sold out for my dates, which makes it impossible to book the other sites (Dickson, Los Perros etc).
Now I also noticed that all the camping sites for the W circuit are sold out as well and that leaves me in a very tricky situation, as I can’t rearrange my travel dates.
My question is: how realistic is it to get to Puerto Natales and manage to sort out the bookings just a day or two before starting the trek?
Thanks again!
Taylor Record
December 21, 2017 at 9:26 pmHi Daniel. Sounds like things are quite rough this year! I’m sorry you’ve had trouble booking. While booking one or two days before the trek was possible in April, I’m not sure it will be during January. Have you had any luck reaching the operators since you wrote?
Erika
December 15, 2017 at 10:06 pmHi all! This is the best thread, THANK YOU for all the helpful information! Taylor, we are considering (hopefully) trekking from Camp Frances to Camp Central in one day, in order to avoid the high cost of staying at Cuernos. Do you know if this would be doable in one day? The research I’ve done so far has told me yes, but I wanted to check with you!
Cara
December 17, 2017 at 7:58 pmI have reservations for Dec 24-30 for the O Trek. However, in completing my preparation I realize that Vertice never sent a final confirmation voucher like Fantastico did. When I contacted Vertice they replied that I was supposed to print something out when I paid online. I have all of my emails between Vertice and I printed and also a copy of my bank statement where I paid. Long story short, what do I need to be prepared to show the guards as proof of my reservation? THANK YOU!
Cassie
December 18, 2017 at 12:51 amHi all,
I am doing the O circuit in April and it looks like Dickson is already booked out which seems odd!!
Is anyone else going at this time and can help me out?
Graciela
December 24, 2017 at 9:31 amHey Taylor, Just want to express my sincere gratitude for this post. Super helpful! Mil Gracias!
Taylor Record
December 26, 2017 at 8:16 pmThanks for saying so, Gracie! Hope you were able to book all the sites you needed 🙂
Steven
December 27, 2017 at 6:33 pmHi Taylor.
Do you know if full board or “pension complete” means three full meals? Does this mean they give you a packed lunch on the morning you leave camp?
Thanks.
Taylor Record
December 28, 2017 at 7:07 amHey Steven, are you finding this option on Vertice or Fantastico Sur?
Steven
December 29, 2017 at 1:17 pmHi Taylor.
Fantástico Sur says full board. Vertice says pension completa.
Steven
Cara
January 22, 2018 at 11:45 amYes, if it’s full board you get a nice little
To go lunch in the morning. Usually available for pick up during the breakfast offering.
Francesco Zoleo
January 1, 2018 at 12:34 pmHi Taylor,
this is Francesco nice to meet you I come from Naples but I live in UK.
Congratulation for your blog and travel.
I am planning a trip top Torres del Paine in March.
My plan is:
Seron 03/4
Dikson 03/05
Los Perros 03/06
Paso Campo 03/07
Paine Grande 03/08
Campo Italiano 03/09
Torres Ranger Station 03/10
Torres Ranger Station to the Hotel Puerto Natal/Punta Arenas on the 03/11
I am doing the full circuit could be between 7 to 9/10 days. Might add extra days/Refugio, I will see.
Well I wouldn’t say I am on budget….but for what I am reading online….there is a chance to do this tour almost for free, like just touch all the free Refugio…..but you need to walk for long days….I might try this.
Do you know which free Refugio I should choose to make the full circuit or I can follow your itinerary as well.
Also before that, there are just silly money if you want do throw an Agency, thousand of dollars, cheers.
I have few question:
What you think I will have enough time to do all the circuit?
I am also booking the Refugio, I can see from the website Campmento Torres is closed, I think the main attraction of this tour is to see the sunrise at Los Torres…. so the only option is to stay Campamento Chileno, where you pay at least 100 uds…..great!
I have gears, the only things I will rent is tents and sleeping bag, and about food I will buy everything in Puerto Natal,
which in all the Refugio, it is silly money…….
That’s for now.
Any advice or help will be appreciate.
Thanks and Regards,
Francesco.
Karen Hedegaard Lyngsøe
January 10, 2018 at 4:20 pmHi
I am trying to find a map, where I can see the distances. I understand that the Serron camp is closed this season. Is there other camps between the Eco camp and Dickson? If not. How long is trek between the two camps?
Taylor Record
January 22, 2018 at 7:28 amHi Karen! Another blog, Adventure Alan, took a photo of the trail distances and posted it here (http://www.adventurealan.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2017_TdP_Map_back-ed.pdf). Hope this helps!
Cara
January 22, 2018 at 11:44 amI was there a couple weeks ago and staying at Seron. Unless it’s closed in the interim, it should be accessible. As for the times, all of the quoted times on blogs and also the time available on Fantástico Sur’s site were very accurate for an average hiker. Until my knee started hating me, I was approximately an hour faster each day but I made very few stops. Enjoy!
farhanah
January 18, 2018 at 1:10 amHi Taylor,
What is the best way for me to reach Camp Torres from Argentinian side? We are thinking of doing a short 2 day trip to catch the peaks, however I cannot seem to find much info on coming in from the Argentinian side. What will be your recommendation?
Taylor Record
January 21, 2018 at 1:10 pmInteresting question. I’ve never heard of anyone entering the park from the Argentinian side, so I’m pretty sure it’s not possible. There are fixed entry points to the trail and you must hike counter-clockwise, so I’d guess your best bet will be to start from Puerto Natales. Sorry I can’t offer more info here — let me know if you learn anything else?
Alix
January 21, 2018 at 5:56 pmThank you SO MUCH for this — what a great resource!
We’re trying to book the O-trek for March 4-11, approximately. We’re flexible with +/- 2 days or so, but not too much more than that.
We were able to find camping spots on Vertice except for the Grey campground — seems to be booked up (and camas too) for Feb 23-March 12th, which is really our whole trip. Any tips here? It looks like we can’t book campground seperatly — the Vertice site makes us book the whole itinerary 🙁
Any help would be greatly appreciated, THANK YOU!
Taylor Record
January 22, 2018 at 7:23 amHi Alix. Vertice just introduced the new booking system this year, so I’m not exactly sure what the workarounds are if one of the sites is unavailable. Have you tried corresponding directly with Vertice by phone or email? I know they’re quite tough to get ahold of, but I imagine that would be the best way to try. Good luck and sorry I don’t have any better tips for this!
Donna Simek
January 23, 2018 at 3:17 pmHello Taylor, Thank you for a great blog post to decipher the puzzle. We missed the boat for this past season so are really trying to plan ahead this year. We have a family of 6 and want to hike the W at the end of December ’18. Do you know when the reservations open for Vertice and Fantasticour or even CONAF?
Taylor Record
February 2, 2018 at 2:02 pmHi Donna! Planning a year out seems to be the only way to go these days! If I remember correctly, CONAF reservations opened up in October last year, and the private companies only started showing availability on their websites at the end of winter. Perhaps the best route is to wait for the chaos of the 2017-2018 season to die down, and give them a call during summer? Hope you guys are able to make it next year!
Barbara Zamudio
January 27, 2018 at 7:21 pmHello, Thanks for such a helpful article. We are planning to do the O Trek November 17, 2018. We tried to go online to book, but Fantistico Sur did not even look like it existed right now, and Venice appeared that you can only book 6 months out. Do you know how far out you can begin booking?
Taylor Record
February 2, 2018 at 2:07 pmHi Barbara. From the sounds of it, booking was a nightmare this year! I understand CONAF sites usually open up in October, and Fantastico Sur and Vertice aim to have availability 6 months ahead of time. They got pretty backlogged, but maybe you can get ahold of them by phone near the end of the season to ask? Best of luck!
Captain Fake-Name
January 31, 2018 at 10:54 pmHi Taylor, as others have said thanks so much for posting and continuing to update!
I’m in a bit of a situation with CONAF. My friend booked camp sites awhile ago, including with Paso and Italiano, but made the reservation for one person (one tent). When we arrived today in Puerto Natales, we were able to get Vertice and Fantastico to add me to the reservations as an extra person in the same tent. However, CONAF refused to do so for Paso (on Feb 9) or Italiano (on Feb 12), which surprised us a bit since we have heard that CONAF is actually more relaxed since the sites are free…
We’re thinking that since we already have a tent site booked and are only adding an additional person to the same tent, we may be okay once we get on the trail, but we’re worried that it is possible we get turned away at a check point.. Thoughts on this?? Any idea what time the check point between Seron and Dickson starts and whether we may be able to get up early and beat it? Other ideas?
Anyone happen to have a booking at Paso on Feb 9 or Italiano on Feb 12 that you’re not going to use?
Thanks so much!!
Torre was (Del) a Pain(e) – Une Lente Déambulation
February 4, 2018 at 10:44 am[…] Patagonia. Like many, I had been fed on wonderful images of the park, and the promise that it was a complicated, but worthy matter. Well, it was such a pain that we went for only one day trip to the mirador over […]
Maggie Schneider
March 19, 2018 at 1:03 amHi Taylor! Extremely helpful post with great information! I am trying to book campsites for early January 2019 (starting on Jan 2 or 3) but Vertice is already listing as sold out. CONAF’s site says the dates are too far out – could this be the same thing with Vertice? It looks a lot of people have run into booking issues with Vertice and mentioned that campsites are only available 6 months out, but I didn’t see any message of that.
Taylor Record
March 19, 2018 at 7:10 amHi Maggie. Last year, I don’t think they opened bookings for the next season until August, so it’s a very good chance Vertice isn’t sold out and just not listing it yet!
Lexi
April 6, 2018 at 1:50 amHi Taylor,
First of thanks so much for compiling this. It is super super helpful. I am aiming to do the Q trek starting December 19, 2018. I have been looking online at Vertice and fantasticosur to book and it’s saying all sold out. Is this possible or is this just because the sites aren’t online yet? I read the comments above and it looks like that’s the case, I just want to triple check. I am doing a study abroad program in Villarica August- December, and really do not want to miss my opportunity to backpack Patagonia (because it might be my only one). I would really appreciate any information as to the best way to book these sites to be sure I will get a spot and if you know when the best time to start booking / forcibly emailing them to respond is? Thanks for your help! Also, do you know if Camp Torres will still be closed then? Thank you!
Taylor Record
August 23, 2018 at 2:49 pmHi Lexi. I’m just noticing this comment slipped through the cracks! Sorry about that. Did you get everything sorted for your trip? I’ve heard everything is bookable by now with exception of CONAF. Shoot me an email if you have any other questions and I promise to reply quicker next time!
Nayara Xavier Jones
May 12, 2018 at 1:10 amHi Taylor,
I’ve been waiting to get camping reservations for more than 3 weeks! Nothing so far! So, help me please if you can. I’ll de driving a rental car and decide to stay in Puerto Morales in a hotel for 3 nights in November 8 to 11, 2018. Where can I park the car and hike to Torres del Paine base mountain (mirador) and return to the car in one day? How far in miles it’ll be? I wont have the time to the O or W, but at least I can see the Torres! And what else would you recommend to hike doing the same, to drive to the closest point and returning the same day. I will be doing all by myself, so I decided to return to the hotel every night and just hiking during the day! Thanks a lot! Nayara Jones
Taylor
May 14, 2018 at 5:34 pmHi Nayara. Sorry to hear they haven’t gotten back to you yet. Did you do them via email or using the online booking system? I’m not familiar with Puerto Morales – most people will come to the park from Puerto Natales, and as not all the entrances are open, you might have to do the same. It’s about 1.5 hours between Puerto Natales and TdP. The hike to the Torres can definitely be done in a day – I’m guessing 8 hours round trip?
Holger
May 24, 2018 at 12:15 pmHi Taylor,
great side and extrem helpful informations! We would like to visit TdP by mid of December 2018.
Just managed it to book all campsides exept the Conaf parksides. The webside is a total desaster and it looks like that the reservation system broke down. There is no chance to do any reservation. Do you have any idea how we can book the missing campsides?
Btw – we will do the Q-round and start at entrance at Los Torres. Is it possible to leave the car there for the 8 days? Best
Taylor
May 25, 2018 at 3:47 pmHi Holger. You got lucky to get all your campsites besides CONAF! Just checked the booking system, and it looks like it is entirely down. Perhaps you can try again in a few days?
As for parking, it is best to take a bus from Puerto Natales (07:30 or 14:30) as parking can be tough during high season. If you’d prefer to drive, I know you can park in the Hotel Las Torres parking lot, but I’m not sure about the others. Hope this helps a bit and let me know if you have other questions!
Malin
June 1, 2018 at 2:18 pmHi Thanks for a great post really helpful 🙂
Unfortunatly (if I understand the spanish correct) the Torres campsite will be closed next summer season too (18/19). Would it be a good plan to do Camp Italiano and then Camp Chileno and get up super early for the sunrise at the towers? and the Conaf website does not work yet. I’ll keep on trying every day from now.
Taylor
June 1, 2018 at 6:05 pmHi Malin, so glad you found it helpful! I took a look, but didn’t see an official update. If Torres is still closed, your best choice is to stay the night in Chileno. It’s about 4 hours to the Torres, but it’s doable to get there for sunrise if you’re early! As for the CONAF site, I know it’s frustrating! Keep at it, and know that they’ll open it soon. Good luck with planning and let me know if you have any questions.
Sheila
June 19, 2018 at 3:50 amHi Malin,
Have you been able to book with CONAF or Vertice yet? CONAF doesn’t seem to be taking reservations as of now. Have you been able to book with CONAF? Also, Any date we enter with Vertice for camp grey isn’t available. Have you been able to book Vertice? If so, did you use their website?
Malin
June 1, 2018 at 6:31 pmThanks
I’ve decided to book Torres central, since it is much cheaper (camping only).
This is what I found on the website:
A continuación usted podrá reservar alojamiento sólo para los campamentos de CONAF: PASO (abierto entre Noviembre – Abril) e ITALIANO (abierto entre Octubre – Abril). El campamento TORRES se encontrará cerrado durante la temporada 2018 – 2019. Estos son gratuitos y, por lo tanto, los servicios son básicos (espacio de carpa, baño y cobertizo para cocinar). Si necesita reservar más de un campamento, debe repetir este procedimiento.
Paul
June 6, 2018 at 12:40 pmHi Taylor,
We are planning on doing the W in March 2019 (I know long time from now ;). But what I was wondering if we have refugio’s I think we can manage with smaller packs than our big travel backpacks that we have with us since we are traveling for a couple of weeks trough Chile. Is there any possibility of storing our bigger packs somewhere and do the hike with our smaller ones and pick our bigger ones up when we leave again?
BR Paul
Taylor
June 6, 2018 at 2:02 pmHi Paul. Definitely! Most hotels/hostels in Puerto Natales offer luggage storage while people are off doing the W Trek. I left my laptop, jeans, and boots behind for the trek because I knew I sure as hell wouldn’t need them out there. Hope you’re looking forward to the trip and please let me know if you have any questions!
Paul
June 6, 2018 at 3:42 pmThank you for the fast reply. We are definitely looking forward to the trip. The hike will be one of the highlights of the trip. If I have more questions I know now where to ask them 🙂
Thanks again
Henry
June 6, 2018 at 8:03 pmTaylor,
You were saying the booking can be kind of complicated. When I try to book with CONAF it says the website isn’t available. Is it too far out to make reservations via CONAF for October of this year?
Henry
Taylor
June 7, 2018 at 7:45 amHi Henry, I gave it a try and heard similar feedback from other people booking the trek right now. I assume the CONAF bookings are closed for the winter and will open up again around July? Will update the post if I hear anything before then, but please let me know if you get through?
Maggie
June 11, 2018 at 6:14 pmHi Taylor,
Thanks to your blog I was successful in booking 3 out of my 4 nights! I just booked with Fantasticosur and had a couple questions. It wouldn’t let me book a campsite (just the ground for our tent) – I had to choose a platform, which is fine. I selected a single platform based on comments I read here that a single platform can sleep 2. We don’t need food provided so I only booked a platform (it was like $20.) Should we be okay but just booking that single platform? My next question is about using my own tent. Can you set up your own tent on the platform… curious about the stakes that normally go in the ground? I had heard people saying a tent was provided but I did not opt to rent one.
Thanks! Maggie
Taylor
June 13, 2018 at 1:36 pmAlright! The single platform is enough to sleep two, so no issues there. I didn’t personally stay on any platforms, but I’d imagine they have eye screws, nails, or other tie downs. Just to be on the safe side, I’d bring something to tie your tent down or to one of these things. Tent rental is an additional cost, so if you’ve just booked the platform, you can go ahead and use your own. Good luck and let me know if any other questions pop up!
Cara
June 13, 2018 at 3:21 pmOh the night of the platforms… I stayed on a platform at Cuernos. I splurged on an awesome dinner in the dining hall and returned to my Big agnes in a crumpled mess, ripped to shreds. I had set her up using the screws, nails, and tie downs provided, but I still wasn’t able to set up my tent in a way that withstood the Patagonian winds. My advice is to be prepared, do some research ahead of time and make sure that sucker can withstand because being up on the platform you’re way more susceptible to the winds. Luckily an amazing person stepped in and loaned me a tent for the remainder of my hike. The way the pros set up the rented tenants is insanely impressive. If I go back, I’m going to suck it up and rent the pre-setup tents. 🙂
Doug Pearson
June 13, 2018 at 8:47 pmTaylor, thanks so much for your website–it was very helpful when organizing our trek of the O in March 2018. We encountered some difficult conditions on the trail…first big snow of the season on Pass day and much of the trail was under 6 or more inches of water, so I wanted to warn your readers: DON’T BELIEVE ALL YOU READ ABOUT DOING THIS TREK IN TRAIL RUNNING SHOES!! We had nice full shank goretex backpacking boots and thanked god every day. There were a lot of young and suffering people going “ultra-light” on the O (120km in sopping wet feet). You can maybe pull this off on the W, but it will not work on the O or Q. Please benefit from my 40 years of mountaineering and backpacking experience! Also, beware of Vertice. We got accused of “fraud” at Paine Grande by the camp host playing amateur detective (I’m an actual fraud investigator for a living). Anyway, Refugio Grey “tipped him off” because they couldn’t find our reservation and, the print-outs from Vertice’s website came out mixed English-Spanish, like Los Dogs (instead of Los Perros), etc…of course, the only explanation was we were frauds…rather than Vertice has a crappy website. Management eventually figured out their error and we got free wine, but the anxious and hostile host was itching to call the police on us. I strongly advised him to please call the police… Anyway, once you get to Paine, it’s a crush of humanity most of the entire W with tour groups and day hikers. I feel like the photos and coverage of Torres do not often reflect the reality on the trail, but still a good adventure–just not one we wouldn’t do twice. In the realm of places we’ve travelled and trekked, I’d give Torres a 6 out of 10.
joe
July 11, 2018 at 8:33 pmA few quick questions. First off – your website it awesome! Helped me get all my resos complete. CONAF sucks, but that doesn’t matter b/c their sites really are moot, esp since the Torres CONAF site is closed. So just go w/ Vertice & Fantastico.
That said, …I’m pondering a few gear questions. Am I insane to entertain a bivy? Is cortisone necessary? Are propane cans easy to procure like we have here? What level bag do you suggest from mid-Oct to mid-Dec? Are the plugins issue a big problem for our American cords? And last, a bit beyond but perhaps you know – am I able to get a bus from Bolivia’s salt flats to cross the border into Chile to get to the Atacama WITHOUT a return flight? I want to just find my own way from Bolivia into Chile, and meander as far south beyond Torres as possible. Thus, a return flight is best purchased when I’m ready to return b/c I have no way of knowing how the weather will be as I’m traveling, perhaps as far south as Port Williams and beyond if possible.
Taylor
July 12, 2018 at 6:31 amHey Joe. I’m glad you found it helpful! I know the CONAF site is kind of a nightmare, but good to hear the other bits are confirmed.
Regarding your other questions: A bivy could be nice! The park has notoriously unpredictable weather, and you’ll never regret staying dry. Cortisone probably depends on you. Propane cans are cheap and readily available in Puerto Natales, and you’ll even be able to pick up some partially used ones from campsites within the park. I went in April, but I was recommended a -5° sleeping bag just in case. As for the border crossing, I’m sure I didn’t have a departure flight when I crossed the border, and I don’t remember any problems.
Can you clarify your question about plugins? Talk soon!
Heinrich
July 23, 2018 at 12:51 pmI went to Fantasticosur via your link, but there I have to choose first from Sector Central, Sector Cuernos, Chilenos etc. What the hell are these?
Taylor
August 5, 2018 at 8:41 pmHey Heinrich. Those are the names of the campsite sectors. Central is Torre Central, their camp closest to the Torres. Cuernos, Chileno, etc. are the names of their other refugios and campsites. Let me know if you have any other questions as you’re making your reservations and I’ll be happy to help!
Pascal
August 9, 2018 at 1:54 pmHi Taylor, thanks for all the helpful infos! We are wondering about the following things
For staying in Refugio central -> early bird hike to the torres mirador:
– Is the path easy to follow so we dont get lost in total darkness at night?
For staying in Refugio chileno:
– How much time do we save in comparison to ref. central?
Further questions:
– Is there a place to park the car for some days at the park entrance?
– Is there a way to get to the catamaran leaving at pudeto from the park entrance?
Thanks a lot for the help
Taylor
August 16, 2018 at 4:01 pmHey Pascal. Sure thing! To answer your questions: the path between Refugio Central to the Mirador is easy to follow with orange dots along the way, but you’ll definitely need a headlamp to navigate. If I remember correctly, the hike from Chileno to the Mirador should be about 2 hours (compared to 4 hours). I didn’t drive to the park, but it’s my understanding that you’re better off parking in Puerto Natales and taking the bus to the park. Here’s more info on transport on the official website (http://www.parquetorresdelpaine.cl/en/como-llegar). And finally, I’m afraid I don’t know much about the catamaran, but I came by this (http://www.torres-del-paine.org/catamaran.html). Good luck with your planning and let me know if anything else comes up!
Alina
August 22, 2018 at 10:54 amHello Taylor! Fabulous blog! Thank you for all the helpful information.
Anyone know any updates on CONAF campsite bookings? The website says ‘Still not available for a very long time.
Any suggestions? Anyone to contact for more info? It’s so frustrating. We booked everything but 2 campsites with CONAF.
Any tips would be much appreciated.
Taylor Record
August 22, 2018 at 3:45 pmHey Alina. I’m sorry to hear CONAF still isn’t accepting bookings 🙁 I just took a look on the park website and it says “THE NEW BOOKING SYSTEM FOR 2018-2019 STILL NOT AVAILABLE. THE STARTING DATES WILL BE ANNOUNCED OPPORTUNELY THROUGH OUR WEBSITE AND OTHER SOCIAL NETWORKS.” I guess at least this means no one is booking! If I were you, I’d subscribe to their Facebook page with notifications so you can be the first to act when the news is available. Best of luck!
Alina
August 23, 2018 at 1:02 pmHello Taylor. Ugh yeah, I’ve been checking eveyday 🙁
Sadly for this matter, I don’t have Facebook. Any other way I could track progress or someone to contact?
If they still haven’t opened booking online … does that mean no one was able to book campsites all this time? How does that work out??
Thanks Taylor.
Stephan
August 26, 2018 at 10:28 pmHello Taylor, this blog is fantastic, thanks 🙂
I am a bit confused about the platforms. When booking a single platform at Francés, it costs $ 31, double $ 40. Serón, however, charges $ 20 per person which means $ 40 for 2. From what I read, 1 single platform should be alright for 2. Is this also valid this year, especially because the per person price is obviously $20?
When booking with Vertice, is there a chance to start the booking with los Perros instead of Dickson? I would like to go from Serón to Los Perros in 1 day without a stop at Dickson. And how can it be possible that there are still spots open for Dickson but not for Perros and Seron when you can only book the 3 of them together. Why would I stay at Dickson when there is no chance to stay in Perros or Gray as the next stop? Even if I would, there is no way to make a booking only for Dickson.
Thanks for any answers,
Stephan
Stephan
August 27, 2018 at 10:13 amHello Taylor, this is a very helpful blog! Thank you!
I would like to make a reservation with Vertice for Perros and Grey. During the reservation process, it is only possible to select Dickson, Perros and Grey together. Is there a way to leave Dickson out? Another strange thing is that there are spots available for Dickson but not for Perros and Grey and there is no option to make a reservation only for Dickson. Did anybody have the same problems?
Thanks in advance, Stephan
Taylor
September 13, 2018 at 12:09 pmHey Stephan, apologies for the delay! It’s my understanding that in the new online booking system, you have to book it in sequence. They’re trying to make it difficult for people to skip nights of accommodation by making the whole circuit mandatory. If you’re looking for something more custom, you’re best off emailing them directly to set this up. As for Dickson, anyone else have the answer? Let me know if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to help!
Jana
September 17, 2018 at 8:03 amWe have the same problem. Would like to skip Grey on the O as we have a reservation for Paso and Grey seems to be the only Camp not available. Did you solve the problem ?
Taylor
September 18, 2018 at 8:28 amHey Jana. Have you tried emailing them? It’s my understanding that you have to book everything in sequence at the moment. They haven’t quite gotten this reservation system down yet! Stephan, did you have a different experience?
Jana
September 18, 2018 at 1:38 pmYes, we tried. No reply so far, so we will try to call during the next days..
Santo Dileo
September 6, 2018 at 5:30 amHello there! So admittedly, I’m new to backpacking and I’m a little confused. I want to hike all over Patagonia and specifically Torres Del Paine by myself, using all of my own equipment, with my own tent and my own food and everything.
Do I still have to book campsites? Or do I only have to do that if I want to stay in the refugios?
I thought the only expense I’d have to pay for is the entrance into the park, after that, I would be on my own. But now I’m confused, do I have to pay/register just to set my tent up on a camping ground?
Cheers,
Santo
Taylor
September 6, 2018 at 1:06 pmHey Santo. I was pretty new to backpacking for this trek too, and it’s a good place to start. The park prohibits wild camping, so you will need to book campsites for every night you’re staying in the park. While some camps rent gear, you’re just paying for the space. At most sites and will still need your own tent and food. It’s not a cheap camping trip (over $100 if you don’t get the free sites). Hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions!
Santo
September 16, 2018 at 5:34 amTaylor, thank you so much for your help!!
I’m trying to go in March 2019, and trying to avoid the crowds so will probably stay away from the free campsites.
How much, on average, should I expect to pay per night for each different campsight?
Also this seems really difficult to time out all reservations before you show up to the park. What happens if I book 10 nights worth of spots for the full circuit, but when I get there my pace is different than I expected. How flexible are they? Surely not everyone gets all the reservations timed perfectly for the whole visit?
Taylor
September 18, 2018 at 8:26 amHey Santo. Glad you found it helpful! The trek has taken off in popularity so I’m afraid most campsites will be fully booked, free or not. The cheaper ones were around $10 per night, and I believe Chileno is the most expensive at $101 for just the platform (and since cooking is not allowed, you’ll probably pay for meals as well).
As for your reservations, they aren’t super flexible. You’re expected to keep pace with your bookings unless you’re injured, and if you fall behind, you’re kind of at the whims of campsite managers and park rangers. Especially at some of the more popular camps, it’s possible that they’d ask you to turn around. Good luck with your trek and let me know if any other questions pop up.
Holger
September 10, 2018 at 5:25 amHi Taylor,
unbelievable but the new booking System from Conaf is available now (or it was now the site is not working anymore) However, we have registered us there, choose the 2 Camping sides with a date and paid the entrance fee. 9h later we got a confirmation about the entrance fee but not for the campsides. Do you have any contact details from Conaf we can write to? We have bookes every single campside now exept the 2 from Conaf and I will go crazy if they will not let uns into the park to do the O-Track without the 2 campsides… all the best, Holger
Taylor
September 13, 2018 at 12:03 pmWow! Never thought we’d see the day. My guess is that they received the booking but were overloaded with confirmation emails. I received my confirmations from reserva.torresdelpaine@conaf.cl, perhaps you can give that a try? Let me know what you find out!
Jason Masud
September 16, 2018 at 3:59 pmThanks for your great articles. Make your Reservations is an important point. I have made this type of mistake and faced a huge problem. So do not forget to make sure your reservations.
federico
September 26, 2018 at 2:39 pmhello, firstly thank you for taking your time to recompile all these useful information, secondly I was trying to buy the tickets in conaf system it redirects me to webpay and when I enter my credit card and click send I get the credit card rejected, I tried with a visa and a american express credit cards. I sent them an email but got no reply, can you advise me what can i do in these case?, did it happen to you in when you book your tickets?. thanks in advance, regards.
Taylor Record
October 3, 2018 at 8:31 amHey Federico. I was only doing a test booking so I didn’t get so far as putting in card details! I guess you’ve already called your bank, but do they give an option for PayPal?
federico
October 6, 2018 at 1:07 pmhi taylor, I had to authorize the transaction but it never worked though they told me everything was fine. I will keep trying. they said paypal was an option but whenever you want to buy the tickets it redirects to webpay system.
Dror Shayovitz
September 28, 2018 at 9:30 amHi Taylor
Thanks for the excellent guide to booking campsites in the Torres del Paine – its the clearest explanation I’ve seen yet!
I’ve been trying to book entrance to the park and a campsite on the CONAF website, but when I click on the “Pagar” button I get a time-out, it looks like the payment system is down.
Has anyone else had this problem in the last few days?
Taylor Record
October 3, 2018 at 8:32 amHey Dror. I’m happy it was helpful for you! The process was nightmarish a year ago, and it seems it’s only gotten more so. I’ve heard a few people comment that they’re having payment issues. Have you made any progress since you wrote this comment that you can share with anyone else having the same problem?
Crystal
September 28, 2018 at 5:29 pmHi Taylor,
Thank you very much for all this great information! I was trying to book the W-trek, but unfortunately I figured out that it is not possible to book a place at Chileno in January. Do you know if there is any way to still do the hike?
Or in case not, do you have any recommendations for other nice multiple day hikes in Patagonia?
Taylor Record
October 3, 2018 at 8:30 amHey Crystal. Chileno books out pretty quickly! Did you already check if there’s space available at Torres Central? It’s a longer hike to the Torres, but it’s worth it if it means you get to go in the first place! There are tons of great alternative hikes in Patagonia. You’ll find a few detailed here. If you can’t get into Torres del Paine, maybe take a look at the hikes in Fitz Roy on the Argentinian side? Good luck with your trip planning, and glad you found the info useful!
Johanna Lassl
September 30, 2018 at 8:25 pmHey! First of all, thank you SO MUCH for this, I was really confused about how to book the campsites and your post has really helped me figure it out! I have booked at Vertice and Fantasticosur. From the first, I instantly got a confirmation mail after paying. Fantasticosur hasnt sent me anything yet. Did you (or anyone else) experience the same? I am just a bit stressed out about it because I have booked everything else at this point and it would be a desaster if I had to find out that my booking didnt work out. Thank you already (again)! Johanna
Taylor Record
October 3, 2018 at 8:35 amHey Johanna. You’re welcome! I’m glad it’s been so useful. Did you get a confirmation number or anything when you booked through Fantasticosur? I haven’t had the exact experience, but I can say that automated emails/booking/confirmation isn’t very well streamlined. If your payment went through, you’re safe to assume it worked and I’d expect confirmation to arrive later. Please let me know if this is not the case and maybe your experience will be helpful for someone else experiencing the same issue. Good luck with your hike!
Rachel
October 3, 2018 at 2:54 pmHello, do you know of a phone number for contacting Conaf? I keep getting blocked at the payment stage and have tried all manner of cards, phoned the bank etc and it seems to be a problem at the Conaf end. I know others have mentioned this issue so i wanted to see if anyone found a solution.
Abhichart Krissanaprasit
October 30, 2018 at 2:46 amHi Taylor,
Thank you so much for the booking guideline. It is very helpful.
I am going to trek in March. I have already booked most of the campsites except Italiano due to payment problem.
Unfortunately, I can’t make a payment on CONAF website. Do you have any suggestion?
Could I pay the entrance fee when I arrive at the park?
Best
Taylor
October 30, 2018 at 6:09 amHey Abhichart. You won’t be able to pay upon arrival. Have you tried multiple cards or PayPal as a payment method? I’ve heard a lot of people are having the same trouble but no clear solution just yet!
Abhichart Krissanaprasit
October 30, 2018 at 2:47 pmHi Taylor,
Thank you for your fast response.
I have tried with multiple cards (VISA and Mastercards) as well as paypal. None of them works with CONAF.
If you know a solution please let me know. Hope the website will be up soon
My plan is to do W-trek and start at Paine Grande. I will take the bus from Punta Natalas to Pudeto and take the ferry to start the trek.
Could I buy the entrance fee at the park? I have vouchers from fantasticosur and Vertice Patagonia.
Where can I get the entrance ticket? Laguna Amarga or Pudeto?
Looking forward to hearing back from you
Abhichart
Donna
October 30, 2018 at 2:39 pmTent Sites on the W.
Hello Taylor, Your blog has been so helpful. Now that we are booked for campsites, (Family of 6), we are in the planning part. We will be there between Christmas and New Years and doing the W. We have 3 backpacking tents. I hear the wind can be high. Are the tent sites in a slightly protected space? Is it possible to tie down the tent stakes? Are the sites a first come first serve basis? Any info you could provide would be helpful on tent sites and weather.
Taylor
November 26, 2018 at 7:32 pmHey Donna. Some of the campsites along the W are sheltered, but I remember Paine Grande in particular, is not. Campsites are first come, first serve. And the wind in TdP is really serious! But if you stake your tent and have low-profile camping gear, you guys should be alright. If you’re worried about it, I recommend bringing along extra stakes to really get it secured. Hope you guys enjoy the family trip! Sounds awesome.
Karina
October 31, 2018 at 3:55 amHi Taylor,
My husband and I want to move only by car. We plan to sleep in the car or in a tent (may be near the hotel Lago Grey or Villa Serano or Salto Chiko) . Is it necessary to book an overnight stay if we are not going to go to the W-track or O-track?
Taylor
November 10, 2018 at 5:39 pmHey Karina. Gonna take a stab at your question, but not sure I understand fully. Are you planning to stay overnight, but you’d like to avoid booking one of the campsites? Since camping is so regulated, I doubt that car camping is allowed. You could look into reserving a spot at Torres Central or one of the sites on the bottom points of the W as they’re closest to the park entrance. Feel free to clarify and I’ll give a better answer!
Maggie Schneider
November 8, 2018 at 4:05 pmHi Taylor, I have an interesting situation and was wondering if you had any insight. I booked all my campsites for January but unfortunately misunderstood the Fantastico website. I was booking for myself and my soon-to-be husband and selected a single platform (no food or anything) but selected quantity at 1. I realize now that quantity was referring to number of people not number of platforms. So I have a platform but need to pay for the additional person. I emailed them but it seems replies are slow. Do you think it will be an issue to add him? Could we get away with just showing up if we are unable to get an answer and pay there?
Taylor
November 10, 2018 at 5:34 pmHey Maggie! The website is super confusing, I’m sure you’re not the only one in that situation! Since the single platform is indicative of the number of tents and not the number of people, I don’t think it should be an issue. I’d recommend printing out your reservation twice so you can show it at the checkpoints if necessary. As for food, some of the sites don’t allow cooking, so you might want to see if you can add board (or bring no-cook meals) for those nights. Hope this helps at least a bit, and good luck with your trip!
Priyanka
November 28, 2018 at 9:04 amHey, came across your guide while writing an extensive guide for Chile myself. Thank you so much for this detailed guide.
Taylor
November 29, 2018 at 3:32 pmGlad it was helpful, Priyanka! Are you planning a trip to Torres del Paine?
Priyanka
November 30, 2018 at 7:40 amJust sent you an email, too. Not right now, but of course in the future, when I visit Chile again.
Lsi-Kw5
January 15, 2019 at 9:13 amI love what you guys are usually up too. Such clever work and coverage!
Keep up the very good works guys I’ve you guys to our blogroll.
Barbara
January 26, 2019 at 5:45 amDear author! Thank you for your post, I checked lots of sites and blogs before planning our trip to Patagonia but didn’t find full info in Russian net. Thanks to you blog I’ve known about reservation of camps and it helped us to make in beforehand and avoid make stupid situations. We made full W treck with the child and felt in love with Patagonia and Sout America. Gonna visit other countries and I’ll use your advices.
Taylor
January 26, 2019 at 8:04 amThanks so much for leaving a comment, Barbara! I’m so glad to hear that the information was helpful and got you through your family’s trip to Patagonia. It’s such a special place, isn’t it?
Jessica
January 30, 2019 at 2:03 amHi Taylor,
Thanks so much for the information! Clears up so much. I’m getting a jump on planning for next year and plan to do the W-Trek January 2020. Do you know about how far in advance the websites open up booking for next season?
Thanks!
Jessica
Taylor
February 2, 2019 at 3:33 amHey Jessica. Glad you found it helpful! These systems are less than exact, but if I remember correctly, CONAF reservations opened up in October last year, and the private companies only started showing availability on their websites at the end of winter. Hope this helps a bit!
Does anyone who has done the W circuit in Torres del Paine have any tips for booking campsites? – Zolas Blog
February 24, 2019 at 6:23 am[…] I'm trying to figure out if myself and 4 friends can still camp there in early-mid April (of 2019). I know spots fill up crazy early, but I'm honestly having trouble figuring out what's available… I'm following the tips on this blog. […]
Melina
March 1, 2019 at 4:41 pmBuenos días. Soy Guardaparque en Torres del Paine y felicito por el nivel de información y respuestas que aquí se brindan entiendo que totalmente desinteresadamente. Estoy de acuerdo en que los sistemas de reservas funcionan espantosos y es super complicado para los visitantes planificar sus viajes. Pero sinceramente esta temporada muchos visitantes han tenido graves problemas por seguir el tipo de consejos que aquí en una parte se brindan en caso de no conseguir reservas:
“El último recurso es llegar a su campamento a oscuras y disculparse por ello. Es posible que los guardabosques pongan los ojos en blanco, pero generalmente no lo enviarán a usted para que se convierta en una tarifa de puma después del atardecer.”
Pero sinceramente si, se envia a la gente de regreso al menos hasta Sector Central o Paine Grande, ocurriendo que:
– En estos casos si es que queda lugar, son las tarifas mas altas (Refugios) o al no haber mas lugar en ellos deberán pagar un transfer privado para retirarse del parque (ya que no hay buses disponibles entrada la noche).
– A demás si se los hace regresar desde Guardería Torres, habrán caminado 16 km al vicio. Por lo cual al otro día deberán repetir el sendero para finalmente llegar a las torres por el día.
-Esto implica malestar en los visitantes, mal rato para los trabajadores que realizan cierre se sendero y al fin y al cabo una experiencia poco agradable para todos.
Como bien aclaraste al principio las reservas tienen una razón de ser y es fundamentalmente la poca disponibilidad de los baños y cámaras sépticas, y la capacidad de turistas con su respectivo impacto que pueden soportar los sensibles ecosistemas de Torres del Paine.
Gracias
Taylor
March 3, 2019 at 12:07 pmHola Melina. Muchas gracias por su mesaje. Cuando escribía ese articulo, no tenía un idea cuantos lectores vamos a tener. Estoy de acuerdo que este punto no es tan correcto en este momento, y he cambiado a reflectar los reglas en 2019. En la interesa a mejorando este articulo, puedo enviarte un email para discutir los puntos mas importante en este momento? Gracias por su tiempo y hablamos pronto.
Edward Setterington
April 13, 2019 at 5:32 pmLoved the article and found it really informative thanks!
I am trying to book onto the O Circuit for this October (only slightly panicking that I left it too late!) but having issues across all the accommodation sites.
I have registered on the CONAF website but every time I enter the dates and try and book a message pops up saying
“You can not buy tickets to Torres del Paine National Park. This protected area is inactive.”
Do you know what this actually means? Has the booking season not started or is it fully booked?
Appreciate any help on this! Thanks in advance and keep it up!
Edd
Taylor
April 18, 2019 at 10:21 amHey Edward. Glad you found it helpful! Everything kind of hits pause during the winter. The backcountry is closed during winter for trekkers without a guide (May 1 – November 1-ish) and the booking sites are out-of-date and not open for booking again until late summer (CONAF as late as October). The good news is that sites are definitely not sold out yet! But are you looking to go during the winter? If so, you’re best reaching out to one of the guide agencies in town. Ask them when the park is open for regular season. If it’s still closed for trekkers without a guide, then you might consider booking through them. Best of luck!
Olive
April 20, 2019 at 2:50 amHi Taylor,
Thank you so much for this! It’s been really helpful. I just wanted to ask you a question. I’ve been looking at my availability for the month of November 2019 (2nd week of November) in Vertice and Fantastico Sur and I have been getting “Not Available”. Similarly when I tried looking at later dates, I still get “Not Available”. I’m not sure if this means that it’s been booked for all 2019 and 2020 or if I’m just booking too early ahead of time.
If you could help me out on this, I would really appreciate it.
Regards,
Olive
Taylor
April 28, 2019 at 2:37 amGlad it was helpful! Since November is the start of the season, it’s not possible to book until the winter is over. This was as late as September – October last year. I’d recommend checking back every week from August since they don’t formally announce when the booking opens and this will give you the best chance to get first dibs on reservations. Hope this helps!
Heather Foster
May 8, 2019 at 9:59 pmCan anyone share their experience booking through CONAF? Trying to reserve Paso and Italiano.
Paul
July 13, 2019 at 5:18 pmHi Taylor,
thanks for the helpful article.
We’re planning a roundtrip through Chile and Argentina in late september this year and just realized, that most of the camps are still closed at that time.
Do you know, if the date they open varies? Especially the Conaf-website doesn’t have sufficient information on that. And do you have an update to the Camp Torres, is it still closed for the 2019/20 season?
Regards, Paul
Taylor Record
August 3, 2019 at 2:38 pmHey Paul, sorry for the delay! The backcountry is closed off in winter unless you’re traveling with a tour. If you have your heart set on going, you can reach out to local operators to see if space is available! And as far as I know, Torres is still closed for 2019. Will update the post as soon as I hear otherwise.
Robb Linnemanstons
August 19, 2019 at 8:48 pmHi Taylor,
We are headed to Torres del Paine in late February 2020 to do the O circuit. I have been able to make all of my campsite reservations with Vertice Patagonia and Fantastico Sur, but we have a hole in the middle of our itinerary – I have not been able to book the one night I need in Camp Paso, and have no idea what to do at this point. An email to the CONAF folks resulted in a form email response. Any advice or direction is appreciated.
Robb
Taylor Record
August 20, 2019 at 8:45 pmHey Robb. Is the issue that the dates are sold out or is it a booking issue on the CONAF site? You’re unlikely to get an email response from CONAF in my experience. If dates are sold out, I’d recommend adjusting your route to include a night in Greys or Los Perros. Last option is that there are in-person CONAF offices in Puerto Natales. I understand it’s harder than ever to book sites this way, but you could get lucky. Hope this helps a bit?
Marvin
September 9, 2019 at 5:57 pmTrying to book the Italiano campsite from 7-8 January 2020, however it does not work yet. Any advice when the booking system will open? Already booked all other stops around this one. Many thanks in advance. Great and very informative blog!
Taylor Record
September 18, 2019 at 11:25 pmHi Marvin. As far as I know, the sites are open for 2020 already! Are you able to see availability or are you having problems at the login?
Marvin
September 19, 2019 at 1:55 pmUnfortunately not – still not enabled, any indication when they open the booking system? Thanks a lot
Pyara Ingersoll
September 27, 2019 at 12:28 amWanting to book Refugios in advance for Dec 2020. when would reservation open up for that? Right now it won’t reserve past Spring 2020
Thanks
Taylor Record
September 27, 2019 at 7:26 pmHey Pyara. None of the agencies that offer camping have an official go-live date, but the last few years, CONAF has opened late September and the others between July and August. I’d recommend following CONAF, Fantastico Sur, Vertice, and a few rental/tour agencies around town on your preferred social media channel. That’s the quickest way I’ve found to stay updated when booking does open up for the season!
Jon
October 19, 2019 at 6:34 pmCan someone tell me if the CONAF site is working at all at the moment? I have made an account but it doesn’t work in Chrome or Firefox so have to use Internet Explorer.
On clicking “Inicio > Comprar” you just get stuck on a screen saying “Seleccione un área protegida” but there aren’t any options to choose?
Can anyone who has used this site in the past confirm whether it’s working at all or not?
Taylor Record
October 21, 2019 at 12:24 amHey Jon. Just took a look for you, and the website does appear to be malfunctioning. I’ve tried “Ver Disponibilidad” > “Ir a comprar” but when it puts me through to that page, it’s just a carousel of images and a message that I should select a protected area. Good news is that you’re not wrong! But I know it’s frustrating when the website has these malfunctions. I’d expect they’re receiving lots of emails about it (you can send one too) so check back in a day or two to see if the system has been updated. Good luck!
magarac shumski
October 28, 2019 at 10:49 pmTaylor good morning,
thanks for the wonderful post ! Could you advice me on the following please:
(a) I would like to hike the O-circle during the last week of November 2020. What do you think, when is the earliest I could book the accommodations in refugios and hotels ?
(b) Would it be possible to hike the O without carrying tent ? This summer I did Tour Du Mont Blanc, (solo) hiking from a refuge to refuge (and occasional hotel in-between), so I was hoping the O could have the similar option ?
(c) I studied “Torres Del Paine” ( Ciceron ), and came up with the following itinerary:
(1) Posada Rio Serrano
(2) Refugio Paine Grande
(3) Refugio Los Cuernos
(4) Hotel Las Torres
? (5) Campamento Seron
(6) Refugio Dickson
? (7) Campamento Los Perros
? ( ) SKIP Campamento Paso
(8) Refugio Grey
(9) Refugio Paine Grande
Now, the book describes:
Campamento Seron
Campamento Los Perros
as “Partially serviced campsites”. Questions:
(c1) Does this mean that I could rent a tent at those two places ?
(c2) From Refugio Dickson to Campamento Paso is ~ 6 hrs hike. From Campamento Paso to Refugio Grey is another ~ 4hrs. So, from (7) to (8) would be ~10 or ~11 hrs hiking. Does this seem too much in a day ? BTW, I did cover 10-12 hrs a day in the Alps, and that included elevation gain of 1000+ meters, and it was not a big issue (even with 10kgs backpack).
( BTW, I will probably stay extra nights in Hotel Las Torres so to explore the Vale Ascencio )
Thanks for all comments & feedback !
Best,
magarac shumski
bellymamamidwifery
November 1, 2019 at 2:13 pmAlso complicating things is the closure of Campamento Torres, leaving Campamento Chileno (Area de acampar Chileno) the only game in town to camp at before hiking up to the Torres del Paine This makes planning itineraries for the W far more difficult.