You can see it by horseback, day trip, or even by airplane if you’re feeling really lazy. But anyone who has taken one of the trekking routes to Torres del Paine is in on a secret. A heavy pack, too many days of instant oatmeal, and cold nights of camping are the very things that make sunrise at Torres del Paine worth it.
Navigating the trail is the easy part – there is really just one path to follow through Torres del Paine. But it’s choosing between the Torres del Paine trekking routes that can be seriously tiresome. The maps show vaguely defined distances and seemingly impossible trekking times. The internet is full of outdated information and booking your campsites for Torres del Paine can be kind of a disaster. You’ll need to pack the right stuff for the insane weather. But eventually, there comes a point where you just have to go for it.
Planning your trip to Torres del Paine? Below, you’ll find a map of the park, the most popular trekking routes for the W-Trek, the O Circuit, and the Q with suggested campsites to stay in along the way.
Map of Torres del Paine & Campsites
The W-Trek
The Classic W-Trek | 5 Days
With just 5 days to spare, you can experience the highlights of Torres del Paine National Park (Glacier Gray, Valle Francés, and Torres del Paine). The W-Trek is easy enough, and the campsites are strategically placed so you can do most of your hikes with nothing besides a daypack. The campsites and refugios are quite comfortable, and you’ll have access to indoor areas, electricity, and hot showers at most of them.
Best for: Hikers with limited time or trekking experience
Suggested Route: Gray > Paine Grande > Italiano or Frances > Chileno or Central
The Reverse W-Trek | 5 Days
The Reverse W-Trek has many of the same features as the Classic W, but rather than starting with the ferry to Paine Grande, you’ll camp your first day beneath the Torres del Paine.
Best for: Hikers that want to trek the W, but can’t book campsites for their preferred dates or who might need to stop early due to injury.
Suggested Route: Chileno or Central > Frances or Italiano > Paine Grande > Gray
Pros of the W-Trek:
- Notoriety: This trek is the bucket list trek in Torres del Paine and you’ll get to see all the highlights
- Accessibility: The W-Trek can be accomplished by hikers of most skill levels
- Ease of Travel: Unlike the backcountry trip, you can buy or rent everything you’ll need along the way.
Cons of the W-Trek:
- Crowded: The W-Trek is extremely easy to get to, and you’ll rarely find yourself alone on the trails.
- Expensive: While there area few free sites along the W-Trek, the campsites and refugios are generally quite expensive, and some will require that you pay full board.
- Advanced Reservation Required: The most popular campsites and refugios can fill up months in advance during high season. Be sure to check out our full post on how to book campsites in Torres del Paine.
The O Circuit
The Classic O Circuit | 8 Days
The O Circuit is the trekking route in Torres del Paine that offers a glimpse into the less-traveled backcountry. You’ll get to experience all the park’s highlights, but you’ll also have a bit of solitude as you pass grassy meadows, lakes, and less accessible glaciers and mountains. The O Circuit is best with 8 days, but if you’re short on time and a very fit hiker, it can be done in as little as 6 days.
The campsites on the backside are privately owned and much simpler than those on the W-Trek. While there are various routes available based on where you camp, the O can only be hiked in one direction and the path is clearly defined. You’ll need to bring everything you need with you and prepare for limited facilities. Perhaps the best part of the O Circuit is finishing up and feeling like you EARNED IT.
Best for: Hikers with some experience (capable of hiking 6-11 hour days) and plenty of time.
Suggested Routes: Serón > Dickson > Los Perros > Paso > Paine Grande > Italiano > Chileno or Central
Suggested Routes: Serón > Dickson > Los Perros > Gray > Paine Grande > Frances > Chileno or Central
Suggested Routes: Paine Grande > Frances > Torres Serón > Dickson > Los Perros > Gray
Read more: An Outlandish Guide to the O Circuit
The Short O Circuit | 7 Days
The Short O Circuit can be completed in 7 days. Rather than taking it slow, you’ll want to get an early start most days and prepare for a couple of 30km+ hikes.
Best for: Fit hikers that are short on time or unable to book all campsites.
Suggested Routes: Serón > Dickson > Los Perros > Gray > Italiano > Chileno or Central
Suggested Routes:Serón > Dickson > Los Perros > Gray > Frances > Chileno or Central
The Q
The Q | 9 Days
The longest route in the park is the Q – a trek that starts with a hike alongside Lago Pehoé before joining with the O Circuit. To begin the Q, you’ll take the bus to the third stop in Torres del Paine.
Best for: Hikers with extra time that want to maximize their time in the park.
Suggested Routes: Paine Grande > Italiano > Torres > Serón > Dickson > Los Perros > Paso > Gray
Pros of the O Circuit or Q Circuit:
- Uncrowded: Uncrowded is relative, but you’ll see much fewer people on the first few days of the O Circuit than you’ll see on the W Trek
- Cheap: As you’re packing your own food and camping gear, most nights of camping only cost you $8-$12.
- Best of Everything: As the O Circuit is an extension of the W Trek, you’ll get the benefit of doing both the backcountry and the more popular W-Trek.
Cons of the O Circuit or Q Circuit:
- Difficulty: The O Circuit requires some long days which feel a lot harder when you’re carrying all of your own gear.
- Limited Points of Interest: As the highlights can be seen on the W-Trek, some of the scenery on the O or Q Circuit is beautiful but not particularly noteworthy.
- Advanced Reservation Required: The most popular campsites and refugios can fill up months in advance during high season.
Where to Stay in Puerto Natales
Need a place to stay before your trek? Here are some of the best hotels in Puerto Natales where you can rest before you go.
Refugio Hoshken | Refugio Hoshken inexplicably brings cool people together. It’s a basic spot but the vibe is right, 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 quite simple but spacious common areas and its location just five blocks from the bus station makes it the go-to hostel in Puerto Natales. Double rooms start from €51.
Hotel Simple Patagonia | The Hotel Simple Patagonia is anything but simple. The architecture is sleek and you’ll enjoy stellar views of the Ultima Esperanza Sound. It’s located 4km from the bus station, but it’s well worth the trip. Double rooms from $158.
40 Comments
Mandy
July 19, 2017 at 11:55 pmHey, this is a super handy blog post. Thanks heaps for the effort of making the info clear (much clearer than the web). Im heading down there on friday to hike it in winter but so many conflicting reports about needing a guide for winter ad I am totally unable to book on conarf during july/aug. Is there a conarf office in puerto natales that I can go in and ask about camping? It’s doing my head in. Also, do you know if I could just hire a local guide from somewhere? I am pretty against dishing out pockets of cash for a tour when I have the experience and gear ready to go! Thanks in advance!
Taylor Record
July 24, 2017 at 5:04 pmHi Mandy. I found the info on TdP to be very confusing too, so I’m so glad that you found this helpful! The park should be stunning during winter, and I’ll look forward to your pictures!
I apologize for all the vague answers, but here’s what I can offer:
I found this post from a trusted rental shop in town (https://www.facebook.com/rentalnatalespage/photos/a.1867121833516479.1073741828.1861380074090655/1950970325131629/) indicating that a certified guide is required for winter treks as of May 1st. That being said, not all treks are as expensive as the packages you find online. Perhaps you can check with some of the agencies in town to see if you can share the cost of a guide with another small group? I can’t remember whether there was a CONAF office in Puerto Natales, but I do know people who made all their reservations in person – there is certainly a way to do it. To get some additional clarity before you arrive, I’d recommend reaching out to Erratic Rock – a gear rental shop in town – as they’ve been super quick and helpful with my questions about 2017. Good luck on the trek!
Rianne
September 1, 2017 at 8:53 pmHi there!
Thanks for all the very good information. I have one question; How did you charge your Gopro / camera etc? Did you carry a power bank or did you charge at the camps.
Kind regards,
Ted and Rianne (going for the 0 circuit in nov/dec)
Taylor Record
September 2, 2017 at 12:27 pmHi Ted & Rianne! To be honest, I used my camera somewhat sparingly. The easiest solution is to bring along extra batteries or a charging bank. There are outlets available in some of the refugios on the front side of the park (the W Circuit) but there’s often a long line to use them. Good luck on your trek!
Nynke
November 19, 2017 at 4:22 pmHi Taylor. Reading that Torres is closed for the 2017/2018 season, which suggested route would you say would be the most “logical” one when it comes to the (reversed) W Trek? Planning to go in February. Thanks a lot! Nynke
Taylor Record
November 20, 2017 at 7:50 amHi Nynke! If you do the reverse W, it will be a challenge to see the Torres at sunrise since most of the campsites only allow a one night stay. Your options would be to hike to Torres day 1 and stay at Chileno or Central for the night. If you’re determined to see Torres at sunrise, it might also be possible to spend the night in Chileno, get an early start, then hike onto Los Cuernos or Frances in the afternoon? Would be a long day, but mostly downhill so you’d survive it! Let me know if you have any questions 🙂
Nynke
November 20, 2017 at 8:11 pmHey Taylor. Thanks for your reply! Then I guess it would be easier in this case to do the “normal” W. And instead of staying at Torres Camping, probably staying at(overpriced) Chileno would be the only option to see the sunrise at Torres.
Amrik Rana
December 13, 2017 at 4:54 pmHi Taylor,
First off thank you so much for your guides to making this trip, so much of whats available online is a mess!
Just wanted to ask, most people seem to be opting for the reverse-W and starting at Torres, which I know is closed for the season 🙁 I was wondering if I wanted to do the W starting at Grey is it more difficult to get to grey from the entrance of the park and camp there for the night?
Taylor Record
December 21, 2017 at 9:36 pmHi Amrik. So glad it was helpful for you! If you want to start at Gray, you can take the morning ferry to the other side. Not difficult at all!
Amrik
December 23, 2017 at 11:00 amAwesome, was a bit worried as I’d already booked my campsites before asking but now can’t wait to get out there!
Thanks again 🙂
Taylor Record
December 23, 2017 at 2:58 pmHope you enjoy it!
Guillermo
January 3, 2018 at 10:09 amHi guys, excellent article!
Unfortunately we only have 4 days in the park and we wanted to do a morning of kayaking, so we don’t really have the time to do the full W. Which parts of it would you recommend most?
Thanks a lot!
Taylor Record
January 22, 2018 at 7:33 amHi Guillermo. The highlight of TdP for me was definitely coming over the Pass and looking out on Glacier Grey! Also the French Valley is gorgeous. As the trail really only allows you to hike counterclockwise (the one exception being Area de Acampar Grey towards the glacier), anything along the W will be accessible within 4 days, and those are the real stars of the park anyway. Hope you enjoy!
Colin Smith
January 5, 2018 at 7:40 pmHi Taylor, this is a great resource- thank you!
One question- do you know if it is possible to do only the backside of the park? Basically to do the top part of the circuit and not the W.. We only have 5 days but many of the campgrounds on the W have already filled up.
Thanks!
Colin
Taylor Record
January 22, 2018 at 7:30 amHi Colin. So glad you found it helpful! To answer your question, I would say yes, though I’m not sure how you would go about booking it! Both corners of the W Trek are accessible by bus/catamaran, so there would be no problem finishing early. Perhaps you’d have to work with the companies over the phone to set this up? Good luck and let me know how it plays out!
Ashlee Woolfson
January 7, 2018 at 1:04 amHi Taylor!
I am trying to find info on booking the bus from Puerto Natales into the park, and booking the catamaran, since I’m going in high season (February). Do you know how to do this? Or is it not something to do ahead of time?
Taylor Record
January 21, 2018 at 7:47 pmHi Ashlee, I’m almost sure you can just book it all locally! The busses leave 2x a day and the catamaran has quite a lot of space as well. If you’re unsure, you can call almost any hotel in Puerto Natales and they can probably snag a bus ticket on your behalf. Hope that helps a bit and enjoy your trip!
Sydney
January 16, 2018 at 6:10 pmHi Taylor,
I was planning to do the ” O Circuit” March 26th to April 2nd. However, I am having a hard time making reservations through Vertice Patagonia. There website isn’t allowing me to put in the dates to see if their is availability. I emailed them directly and was responded with an automatic email not relating to the problem I am having. I was wondering if you or anyone else has this issue and if their was another way for me speak with someone who could help me!
Thanks 🙂
Taylor Record
January 22, 2018 at 7:26 amHi Sydney. Sounds like a lot of people are having trouble with Vertice’s new booking system! Have you also read through the comments here (https://traveloutlandish.com/blog/book-campsites-camping-torres-del-paine/)? I’ve heard the best way to get through to them is to email the agents using the following format: ventas01@verticepatagonia.cl, ventas02@verticepatagonia.cl, … Hope this helps a bit?
Roshni Patel
March 6, 2018 at 5:20 amHi Taylor! Excellent article. We only have 3-4 days for Torres. Seems like W is the best route for us. Do you think of end of March or early April would be a good time?
Taylor Record
March 12, 2018 at 6:40 amHi Roshni. In that case, yes! The W-Trek is your best route since the O-Circuit it only one way and you couldn’t turn around. I went at that exact time, and had a fine experience! That’s just when the weather is starting to get a bit colder, but I had plenty of sunshine and mild winds on my hike. Hope you enjoy it!
Suzannah
March 14, 2018 at 6:34 amHi Taylor, what a great website you’ve put together, thank you! We are family of 4 looking to hike the O circuit in Jan 2019. We would want to take the longer trip, can you please suggest a camp site itinerary … or did I miss it on your site? Many thanks!
Taylor Record
March 14, 2018 at 10:02 pmHi Suzannah. What a cool trip for your family! You can find the campsites listed under “suggested routes” and I also have a longer blog post about how to book them (https://traveloutlandish.com/blog/book-campsites-camping-torres-del-paine/). Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions that pop up!
ANASTASIA
August 10, 2018 at 11:47 pmHi Taylor,
I think you are the only one who described all the treks like a normal person. I mean it: all the info that I’ve found before your site is really confusing!
How do you think is it possible to do the W trek at the end of September (25th-1st of October). I know that the season officially starts in October but I din’t know that when I booked my tickets to Chile. Will the campsites and refugios be open?
Thank you so much once again for a great site.
Taylor
August 16, 2018 at 3:53 pmAnastasia, that is the best compliment EVER. I found the same when I was trying to plan my trip and I’m glad you found it helpful. I just took a look on the Fantastico Sur site, and it’s possible to book accommodation in September. If you’re able to book everything between the sites, I guess you should also be able to trek during that time! Good luck with your trip.
Tom
August 27, 2018 at 3:10 pmHi Taylor,
Thanks for publishing this – I’ve read loads of articles and this one is great. I am doing the W trek (West to East) but am a little unsure about how to get back to Puerto Natales on the fifth day after visiting the towers. Are you able to help at all? Thanks in advance.
Tom
Taylor
August 28, 2018 at 10:01 amHey Tom. Thanks for saying so! I’m assuming you’ll visit the Torres for sunrise and spend a couple of hours there. It’s then a couple hours hike to the parking lot of the Hotel Las Torres, and shuttles that will take you from there to where the buses leave. When I was there in 2017, buses left the park 2x daily at 2:00pm and 7:00pm, but you can ask in Puerto Natales and they’ll be able to inform you about the current schedule. Best of luck and let me know if you have any other questions!
Tom
August 28, 2018 at 12:36 pmThanks very much Taylor!
Maxime
September 3, 2018 at 10:20 pmHey Taylor!
We are beginning our 4 day walk in a few days. I was just wondering at about what time the earliest bus from Puerto Natales would get us to the busstop at Pehoé lake, as we plan on walking from that point to refugio grey. It might be a risky move in winter so we don’t want to start to late. Thanks for all the help I could get on your site!
Taylor
September 13, 2018 at 12:07 pmHi Maxime, I’m afraid my response never sent! I’m guessing you’re well on your way by now, but if anyone else has questions in the future, you can find information on bus times in this post.
Ella
September 30, 2018 at 10:52 pmThis is by far the best blog written about the W-trek and Torres del Paine in general! You helped me so much!
Due to gear and bookings I had to book the following campings: Grey-paine grande-los cuernos-chileno. Does this mean I go up the first day from paine grande to Grey. Go back down the following day to paine Grande and then just have a langer hike to los cuernos the next day?
Thank you in advance!
Taylor Record
October 3, 2018 at 8:40 amHey Ella. That’s high praise! Thanks for saying it, and I’m so happy you found it useful. I just reviewed your route and this should definitely be doable since Valle Frances can be done on a day trip. From my memory, here’s what your hike should look like: Day 1, hike past Gray to the glacier, and backtrack to your campsite. Day 2, hike to Paine Grande, drop off your bags hike up into the French Valley, and hike back out to Paine Grande, Day 3: Hike onward to Los Cuernos, optional day hike, Day 4: Hike to Chileno, Day 5: Wake up early for sunrise at Los Torres. Let me know if you have any other questions, and enjoy your trip!
Prita
November 10, 2018 at 2:59 pmHi Taylor,
Thanks so much for such a helpful article; a friend recommended your articles to me, and they’re super comprehensive and much less daunting than most other information online!
We’re looking to do a two day trek (one night camping in between – ideally somewhere where we can get food as well) at TdP next week.
We were hoping to cover the Mirador Las Torres, and wanted to check if you reckon it’s possible/ a good idea to split this over two days? We’re not all expert hikers, so are a bit hesitant about doing it all in one day. Where would you recommend camping in this case? (Depending on whether we can get a reservation of course!).
On the third day, we’re looking to do something a bit more chilled – are there any easy routes you’d recommend going along to Glacier Grey or Lago Grey, or any other “must-see” spots that you’d advise?
Thanks very much in advance!
Taylor
November 13, 2018 at 2:12 pmHey Prita. Such nice feedback! Thank you. Most routes on the W can be done in a day, but it’s definitely possible to make a two-day hike. I’d even recommend it!
An easy 3-day itinerary would be Day 1: Arrive and hike to Chileno; Day 2: Wake up early to see the Torres and hike (mostly downhill) to Italiano; Day 3: Hike into Valle Frances (leaving your bags at camp), hike down for your stuff, and leave from Paine Grande. You’d have to check the ferry schedule to ensure this works, but it should do! You could also stay the night at Paine Grande.
If you’re really wanting to take it easy, you just have to make sure you have a site booked at Chileno or Central. You could easily split the hike to the Torres into two days and enjoy your time at camp. Glacier Grey really is impressive, so would recommend going if you can with your extra day!
Hope this helps a bit? Let me know if you’re looking for any more advice!
Prita
December 6, 2018 at 1:55 pmHey Taylor, hope you’re well! Just to say thank you for your extremely helpful advice! In the end, all the accommodation inside the park was booked up (not surprising) so we actually ended up camping at Camp Pehoe, just outside the West entrance – since we had rented a car, this actually ended up being a really good shout, as it meant we only had to hike with our day bags. We ended up doing the Mirador Ferrier on the first day (since we missed the catamaran) – which was steep but an amazing view of Glacier Grey, the torres and the cerros; the Valle Frances and back on the second day, and we started hiking to the Torres on the third day but the weather was really cloudy so we didn’t end up going to the top. Had an incredible few days though – more hiking per day than we’d planned initially, but so worth it!
Rajeev Batra
December 24, 2018 at 8:15 pmHi Taylor, thanks for the detailed article. Camp reservations in TDP are truly confusing but this page clarifies a lot.
I also wanted to ask you, I’m planning to do the W and then tentatively stretch to O if I have energy left. As per your article, I’d like to go for Paine Grande > Frances > Torres (El Chileno) > Serón > Dickson > Los Perros > Gray
But I’m not sure if these are also the refugios should I make reservations in for this trip? e.g. between Paine Grande and Francis it’s only 4 hours and same between Dickson and Los Perros. I’m not a pro hiker but I think I should be able to do more than 4 hours a day, does that mean that I still need to make all these bookings or I can consider skipping a refugio and continuing.
Taylor
December 27, 2018 at 8:28 pmHey Rajeev. They are super confusing, totally feel you! The reason for Paine Grande > Frances is because there’s a 2-3 hour side-hike into Valle Frances that is super worthwhile. I recommend dropping your stuff at the campsite, and making a day hike of it! The reason for Dickson > Los Perros is that Paso (the next campsites) is on the other side of the pass. It’s the toughest part of the hike, and worth taking slowly so you’ll get views of the glacier. While it is possible (I unfortunately had to do it!) it’s a more enjoyable experience if you take your time. Let me know if you need any other input!
Rajeev Batra
January 11, 2019 at 11:30 amHi Taylor, after a few hours of planning I’ve found availabilities in TDP for the O trek. I wanted to run them past you to make sure I’m not doing any blunders. Each step is a 1 day gap.
Puerto Natales > Torre Central > El Chileno > Camp Seron > Dickson > Los Perros > Camp Grey > Paine Grande > Frances > Puerto Natales
I don’t know if I can do Valle Frances because there is no availability at Los Cuernos so I need to skip that.
I would gladly pay an English speaking person for help on this, but I don’t even know who to ask. So if there’s any way I can support you, for the help you are providing, please let me know. Thanks!
Jennifer Smith
November 11, 2019 at 5:54 pmHey Taylor, I’ve booked my W trek in reverse, but struggling to find ferry and bus times to get back from Paine Grande to Puerto Natales. Do you have any suggestions?
thank you!
-Jennifer
Taylor Record
November 11, 2019 at 6:20 pmHey Jennifer. Can help you with that! As for ferries, I’m pretty certain HipSur departs from Paine Grande around 11:35. More info here. Busses are run by Buses Juan Ojeda, Buses Gomez, or JB Patagonia. Looks like returns from Pudeto to Puerto Natales are 13:30 and 19:00 (ish), though you might want to call to confirm.
Just updated this post on the O Circuit last week if you have any other questions that come up!