Tens of thousands of people visit Torres del Paine National Park each year and many of them are attracted by the chance to hike through some of the most epic scenery in Chile. There are trails for all types of hikers in Torres del Paine (both inside and outside the park) and we did as many hikes as possible. Rely on our guide to hiking in Torres del Paine for details about these 13 trail options including superstars like the W Circuit and Base de Torres.

Hiking in Torres del Paine

We clocked about 100 miles (161 km) on 13 different trails during three visits to the Torres del Paine region. While a guide is not necessary on many of the trails in this post, we have noted when and where guides are required or recommended. Some trails inside the park have entrance cut-off times after which hikers can’t set off (as noted). Whatever trails you choose, remember that this is serious hiking in a remote location with changeable weather and often challenging terrain.

Note that while Torres del Paine National Park remains open year-round, many trails close during South American winter months. Also note that Torres del Paine National Park is very large (it covers nearly 100 square miles) and roads are often in poor condition, so travel times to and from trailheads can be long.

Here’s more about hiking in Torres del Paine. Download the official Torres del Paine National Park map to see roads and trails within the park along with trail distances and estimated hiking times of the trails on the O and W Circuits.

The O Circuit and W Circuit hikes in Torres del Paine National Park

The central part of Torres del Paine National Park is dominated by its most iconic routes. The more popular W Circuit is a 4-5 day, 51 mile (82 km) route that got its name because its components (the Base de Torres Trail to the French Valley Trail to the Grey Glacier Trail or vice versa) roughly form the shape of a W on the map. The O Circuit is a 7-8 day, 87 mile (140 km) which includes the W Circuit plus a backcountry route that ultimately forms a full circle around the Paine Massif.

Although no permit is required for either of these multi-day hikes, prior planning is a must since hikers are required to have a campground reservation for each night of their trek (no walk-ups). Space is limited in the campgrounds on these circuits and reservations book up fast and can be very hard to get during the high season. Reserve early.

The O Circuit traditionally begins at the Hotel Las Torres near the trailhead for the Base de Torres Trail because that’s the only place where hikers can access the Circuits by road. Depending on reservation availability, the O Circuit can also begin at Refugio Grey or Refugio Paine Grande which are both accessed by public boats (the Grey Glacier tourist boat, pictured above, and the public ferry across Lago Pehoe), both of which should be reserved.

The W Circuit can be done in either direction, beginning at Hotel Las Torres and ending at Refugio Grey, or vice versa. Either way, the W Circuit requires you to begin or end the trek with a pricey (nearly US$100) one-way trip on the Grey Glacier tourist boat that connects the beach landing just below Refugio Grey to the rest of the park. This boat often requires advanced reservations.

The W Circuit Trails

We didn’t do the W Circuit as a multi-day hike. Instead, we completed much of “The W” (as most people call it) by making day hikes out of its main components which are: the Grey Glacier Trail (which forms the western/left arm of the W), The French Valley Trail (which forms the middle arm of the W), and the Base de Torres Trail (which forms the eastern/right arm of the W).

To access the Grey Glacier Trail or the French Valley Trail as a day hike, it’s necessary to take a ferry both in and out so your time on the trail will be constrained by the limited ferry schedule.

The Base de Torres Trail

The most iconic day hike inside Torres del Paine National Park is also one leg of the W Circuit and part of the O Circuit. Located in the central area of the park, the long and steep in-and-back Base de Torres Trail (aka Base of the Towers Trail or Mirador Torres del Paine Trail) starts and ends near Hotel Las Torres. This trail delivers satisfying challenges that culminate with breathtaking views of glaciers, a green glacial lake, and the soaring peaks of the park’s namesake granite towers (called torres in Spanish) that seem close enough to touch. But you’re gonna have to earn it.

The Base de Torres Trail starts off relatively gently on a sand and gravel surface that climbs moderately. After about 1.5 hours of hiking, we reached Chileno Camp which is one of the nine campgrounds on the W Circuit and O Circuit routes. From there, we spent another two hours on the trail which soon became seriously steep. The final mile or so is the real challenge as the trail enters a boulder field littered with rocks left behind by the receding glacier. This section requires careful footwork and you’ll be glad you brought your poles (hint, hint).

Once you’re through the rocky section you arrive at the end of the line. Pick a spot in overlooking the glacial lake at the foot of the towers formation and enjoy the view. You’ve earned it. This is the perfect place to refuel before the descent back down the same trail you just ascended.

We did the Base de Torres Trail, which covers 11.7 miles (18.8 km) round trip with an elevation gain of  3,876 feet (1,181 meters), in 7 hours including a break at the top. Of course, your time will depend on your pace. Some hikers take 12 hours or more. The average time for the Base de Torres Trail is about 8.5 hours.

Pro trail tips: This trail is so popular that park officials have had to recognize that trail traffic is both dangerous and unpleasant. We have heard that park officials are exploring ways to manage trail use in high season such as capping the number of hikers at just a few thousand per day. One thing you can do to beat the crowds is get on the trail as early as possible. We did the Base de Torres Trail while staying at the Awasi Patagonia lodge where all guests get a private guide. We were able to coordinate with our guide so that we could arrive at the trailhead at 6 am–at least two hours earlier than the start time for most other hikers. This ensured that we didn’t encounter hordes of hikers until we were back down at Chileno Camp well on our way out. All hikers must reach Chileno Camp before 3:45 pm or you won’t be allowed to go any further. In icy or snowy conditions, park rangers may require that hikers carry and use crampons and trekking poles for the final push to the end of the trail. And concessionaires rent horses to carry people and goods to and from Chileno Camp, so you may have to share lower parts of this trail with pack animals. This trail is a popular classic, but don’t underestimate it. Wear layers and sunscreen, bring lots of water and snacks, start early, and remember that good boots are required and poles are highly recommended.

The French Valley Trail

To reach the French Valley Trail, we took the public ferry across Lago Pehoe and began hiking from Refugio Paine Grande. The trail begins fairly gently with an undulating topography. There are some steep sections (especially beyond Italian Camp), and parts of this trail are very rocky (boots and poles are good ideas). There can also be muddy spots and part of this trail is a creekbed.

This day hike up the French Valley can be continued all the way to the British Lookout before turning back covering 16 miles (26 kms) round trip. Sadly, we did this hike as part of a group and some of the other hikers weren’t that interested in pushing it and our guide would not let us hike ahead. Ultimately, our guide became concerned about making it back down the trail in time to catch the last ferry across Lago Pehoe, so she made us all turn back just over a mile before reaching the British Lookout. This meant that we hiked about 13.2 miles (21 km) in and back over about seven hours on the trail at a pace that was far slower than what we would have done had we not been hiking with a group.

You can expect this trail to be quite busy with both day hikers and through hikers tackling the O Circuit and the W Circuit.

Pro trail tip: To do the French Valley Trail as a day hike, remember that you will have to follow the limited schedule of the public ferry across Lago Pehoe which only runs a few times a day. You’ll also need to reserve your passage on the ferry. If you are not a fast hiker, you likely will not have time to walk all the way to the British Lookout and get back down the trail in time to catch the last ferry of the day.

The Grey Glacier Trail

We also did the Grey Glacier Trail from Refugio Paine Grande to Grey Glacier Lookout past the second hanging bridge beyond Refugio Grey then back to the beach below Refugio Grey where the Grey Glacier tourist boat lands. If you go all the way to this viewpoint past the bridges, it’s a 12.3 mile (21 km) route climbing more than 1,900 feet (580 meters) through dramatic glacier-carved rock and stunning views of the Grey Glacier and the surrounding mountains. If you only hike between Refugio Paine and Refugio Grey, the route covers 6.8 miles (11 km).

After taking the public ferry across Lago Pehoe, the Grey Glacier Trail begins at Refugio Paine Grande with a steady but mild climb until you get close to Lago Grey. From that point, it’s generally a mild decent until you reach Refugio Grey. The section between Refugio Grey and the Grey Glacier Lookout past the second suspension bridge requires a moderate climb. Hikers with the time and the stamina for this add-on are rewarded with dramatic views looking down on Grey Glacier.

Day hikers and those doing The W are not permitted to continue past the viewpoint. That section of trail is only open to O Circut hikers. Day hikers backtrack from the viewpoint to Refugio Grey. From there, the only way out is a one-way trip on the pricey (nearly $100) Grey Glacier tourist boat which departs from the beach landing below Refugio Grey and takes passengers across Lago Grey to Grey Beach near the Hotel Lago Grey in the western sector of the park. After getting off the boat, passengers walk across Grey Beach and back to the parking lot (1.2 miles/1.9 km).

Theoretically, the Grey Glacier Trail could be done in reverse, starting from Hotel Lago Grey and ending at the Lago Pehoe ferry. However, in that direction hikers don’t have the luxury of ending the hike with the trail extension to the Grey Glacier Lookout as this reverse routing makes it harder to judge your timing and ability to reach the Lago Pehoe ferry dock in time to catch the last ferry across Lago Pehoe.

Pro trail tip: Logistically, the Grey Glacier Trail is one of the more complex hikes in the park because you need to time boat crossings on both ends and because the starting point and ending point are 40 miles (64 km) away from each other. For those reasons, this hike is best done with a tour group or guide and vehicle since hikers must be dropped off in one area of the park and picked up in another. The very best option is to do this hike as a guest of the Explora Torres del Paine lodge. Not only does this hotel have inspiring and well-trained guides, it’s located right on Lago Pehoe and they operate their own private boat across the lake. This means Explora guests can cross as early as they want to beat the crowds and ensure they have plenty of time to reach the end of the Grey Glacier Trail in time to catch the last Grey Glacier tourist boat on that end before the van trip back to the lodge.

Other challenging hiking in Torres del Paine

Hikers hoping to push themselves on the trail will find many ways to do that above and beyond The W Circuit and the O Circuit. We did more than our fair share of hard hiking in and around Torres del Paine National Park and it was worth every steep and sweaty mile.

The Cerro Obelisco Trail

The 5,324-foot (1,623-meter) peak of Cerro Obelisco is not on most hikers’ radars since it’s located just outside park boundaries. This means that even though the 11.7 mile (18.8 km) in-and-back Cerro Obelisco Trail (Obelisco Peak Trail) offers comparable physical challenge and natural beauty as the park’s famous (and packed) Base de Torres Trail, you can have Cerro Obelisco to yourself (see access note below). But it doesn’t come easy.

For the first four hours, we huffed up 6 miles (9.6 km) without the aid of a recognizable trail, gaining nearly 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) through Patagonian pampa, past eroded stone formations, and over billions of broken pieces of sharp shale. Along the way, we saw a large set of very fresh puma prints, six condors, two crested caracaras, a huge black-fronted buzzard eagle, a skunk, lots of guanacos…and not another human.

On the way to the summit, we got a unique view of the towers formation (which gives Torres del Paine National Park its name) from slightly above, which gave us the unique vantage point of looking down on the Paine Massif. We descended in a nearly straight steep line. Allow at least 6 hours to complete this challenging trail and be prepared for long steep sections.

Pro trail tip: The Cerro Obelisko trail is on the Estancia Cerro Guido sheep ranch and, as of this writing, only guests of Hotel Cerro Guido and guests of the nearby Tierra Patagonia Lodge & Spa were allowed onto the trail and only with a guide.

The Cerro Castillo Trail

We enjoyed our Cerro Obeliso challenge so much that we jumped at the chance to hike the Cerro Castillo Trail. Located outside park boundaries, this hike is shorter than the Cerro Obelisco hike—our in-and-back route was just 7.8 miles (12.5 km) round trip to an elevation of 3,459 feet (1,054 meters, just shy of the 1,190-meter true peak further along the ridge). But, (if you can believe it), the Cerro Castillo Trail is even steeper than the Cerro Obelisco Trail.

We gained 3,466 feet (1,056 meters) during the nearly vertical 3.5 mile (5.6 km) trailless scramble up the Cerro Castillo Trail. Our reward was lunch on a flat roomy plateau as dozens of Andean condors streamed close overhead as if on some invisible big bird highway.

Descending down the severe incline on this trailless hillside was even harder than huffing up it. As we picked our way gingerly over scree, through clumps of grass, and around impenetrable low bushes it seemed amazing that we had ascended in the first place. Allow at least 4 hours round trip plus however long you plan to stop for lunch and (if you’re lucky) condor watching.

Get a sense of the steepness–and a look at some of those condors–in our video from the Cerro Castillo Trail, below.

Pro trail tip: If ever there was a trail that required hiking poles, this is it. Cerro Castillo is on private Estancia Property, but jumping the fence doesn’t seem to be an issue.

Moderate hiking in Torres del Paine

You can’t spend all of your trail time pushing it to the max. Luckily, visitors will also find a wide range of moderate trails in Torres del Paine, each offering an enjoyable amount of exertion out in nature.

The Aonikenk Trail

The Aonikenk Trail (sometimes called Hunter’s Trail) in the eastern area of Torres del Paine National Park is a moderate trail that combines natural beauty, culture, and a real chance of seeing a puma. This 4.4-mile (7 km) one-way trail can only be hiked in one direction from the Lago Sarmiento park entrance and the Laguna Amarga park entrance. Along the way, the trail gains about 740 feet (225 meters).

The Aonikenk Trail also takes hikers past a cave that members of the Aonikenk Indigenous culture decorated with paintings that date back 4,000 years.

Recently, pumas have been frequently spotted on the Aonikenk Trail at very close range. Following a near disaster (a puma gave chase to a running child on this trail a few years ago), Torres del Paine National Park officials have initiated a rule requiring all hikers to be accompanied by a guide on this trail. Allow about 1.5 hours to complete this one-way trail…unless you get lucky and spend time hanging out with pumas, as we did.

Pro trail tip: This one-way trail starts at the Lago Sarmiento park entrance and ends at the Laguna Armarga park entrance and, as noted above, this trail must be done with a guide who should have a vehicle and a driver to handle drop off and pick up.

The Toro Lake Mirador Trail

The Toro Lake Mirador Trail, in the central area of the park, is an 8.5-mile (13 km) arc trail up a rolling plateau and back down the other side steeply. Highlights of this trail, which climbs about 1,800 feet (550 meters), include a series of small lakes, views of the Cuernos formation, and a viewpoint that looks down on scenic and colorful Toro Lake.

Pro trail tip: This trail can be done as a full loop by walking about a quarter mile on the road between the ending point and starting point.

The Ferrier Viewpoint Trail

The Ferrier Viewpoint Trail starts in the western area of Torres del Paine National Park close to Hotel Lago Grey. We planned to hike this trail, named for the man who donated this chunk of land to the national park, as our second hike of the day (after the nearby Pingo Waterfall Trail, see below). However, our plans were thwarted because this in-and-back trail has a strict entry cut-off time. We were unaware of this restriction and because of our late arrival to the trailhead, park rangers would not let us head up.

We’re told that portions of the 4.2 mile (6.7 km) Ferrier Viewpoint Trail, which climbs nearly 2,000 feet (610 meters), are quite steep before hikers reach a lookout point with spectacular 360-degree views of lakes and parts of the Southern Patagonian Icefield.  Allow at least three hours round trip at a strong pace (2 hours up, 1 hour back down).

Pro trail tip: Get an early start to ensure you arrive at the trailhead before the trail cut-off time which varies by season.

The Pingo Waterfall Trail

This undulating trail departs from a trailhead close to Hotel Lago Grey in the western sector of Torres del Paine National Park. We spotted some very fresh puma poop not far from the trailhead, then began walking through unusually lush, forested terrain to cover the 5.6 miles (9 km) round trip route to Pingo Waterfall and back out again gaining less than 500 feet (152 meters) along the way.

Allow about two hours round trip to reach Pingo Waterfall and walk back out at a moderate pace.

Pro trail tip: The Pingo Waterfall Trail continues for many more miles beyond Pingo Waterfall to reach the highest waterfall in the park and the Zapata Mirador along a trail that climbs steeply at the end to reach the falls. This full route is usually done in two days.

Easy hiking in Torres del Paine

The challenging and multi-day hikes in the Torres del Paine region get most of the spotlight. However, there are some relatively easy hikes in Torres del Paine National Park. Here are some short and friendly trails that are more suitable for visitors looking for a stroll and for visitors hiking with children.

The Condor Viewpoint Trail

We climbed up the Condor Viewpoint Trail in the central area of Torres del Paine National Park in high wind and pouring rain. This 1.7-mile (2.5 km) one-way trail gains about 700 feet (200 meters) to reach a viewpoint with amazing views of the Cuernos formation on the Paine Massif and across Lago Pehoe…if the weather cooperates. And, yes, condors can be seen from here. Allow a couple of hours for the full walk, unless you’re in a hurry to get out of the rain, as we were–we did it in half that time.

Pro trail tip: The Condor Viewpoint Trail is usually done as a one-way trail up to the viewpoint, then down the other side of the hill. If you’re in your own vehicle you may want to climb up to the viewpoint and then backtrack back down and out to your vehicle.

The Cuernos Viewpoint Trail

This lovely undulating trail begins from a gravel parking lot. Within just a few minutes, you reach a viewpoint over the dramatic Salto Grande waterfall which cascades through a narrow point where Lake Nordenskjöld drops into Lake Pehoe.

From there, this 4-mile (6.4 km) in-and-back trail continues through windswept landscapes and along the shoreline of Lake Nordenskjöld. Birds are often seen on this trail and we saw a fox as well. The Cuernos Viewpoint at the end of this trail offers excellent views of the Cuernos spires (cuernos means horns in Spanish). This trail is short, relatively flat, and well-maintained with an easily accessible trailhead which makes this an excellent choice for visitors looking for an easy yet scenic stroll. Allow about 2 hours round trip at a moderate pace.

Pro trail tip: Park officials may close this trail in high wind conditions.

The Laguna Azul Trail

In the eastern sector of Torres del Paine National Park, visitors get the chance to stroll around scenic lakes including the flat walk along the northern shoreline of Laguna Azul (Blue Lake). It’s possible to continue to Laguna Cebolla before retracing the trail back out to the parking area at Laguna Azul for a 6.1 mile (9.8 km) round trip stroll.

Pro trail tip: Visitors who like rocks and stones will enjoy “beach coming” for some true beauties along the shore of Lago Azul.

The Grey Beach & Grey Glacier Lookout Trail

This short, and almost entirely flat stroll begins near Hotel Lago Grey in the western sector of Torres del Paine National Park. First, hikers cross a rocky beach for 1.2 miles (1.9 km) to reach a small rocky outcrop. A 1 mile (1.6 km) loop trail takes hikers around the outcrop with a viewpoint along the way which gives excellent views of Grey Glacier in the distance.

Hikers return back across the rocky beach for a total distance of 3.4 miles (5.5 km).

Pro trail tip: If you don’t have the time or the budget for the Grey Glacier boat trip, this quick hike delivers a good view of Grey Glacier.

Our map, below, shows the location of trails and hotels in and around Torres del Paine National Park that were covered in this post.

Top gear for hiking in Torres del Paine

We recommend good hiking boots (that you’ve already broken in) on all trails (yes, even the moderate and easy ones). We also highly recommend hiking poles. Trail conditions can be wet and/or muddy so boot gaitors are a good idea too. Ample day packs with a built-in water bladder (we’ve been hiking with our women’s Sirius 36 and men’s Stratos 36 Osprey backpacks since 2018 and we still love them) are also a good idea to ensure you’re carrying the sunscreen, layers, and snacks required along with easy-access water to keep you hydrated. And speaking of layers, always bring gear for hot, cold, windy, and wet conditions since the weather is fickle in Torres del Paine.

 

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