How active is Torres del Paine Active?

It's rated low to medium. The most demanding day is the Base Torres hike, about 22 km (14 mi) with roughly 1,400 m of elevation gain, so good physical condition is needed. The other days are moderate.

Is there a minimum age?

Yes. The minimum age is 14, set by the puma tracking excursion.

Puma tracking takes you to the eastern side of the park with a guide from sunrise, but wildlife sightings can't be guaranteed. You may also see guanacos, Andean condors, foxes and ñandús.

In a 3-star hotel in Puerto Natales for all six nights, breakfast included.

What is the Grey Glacier boat trip like?

After a 30–45 minute walk across Playa Grey, you board the Grey III catamaran for about 2 hours 45 minutes on Lago Grey, sailing toward the glacier face among icebergs. A pisco sour or juice is served on board.

Do I need my own trekking poles and crampons?

No. Trekking poles and crampons are included. Bring your own broken-in hiking boots.

Hotel accommodation with breakfast, 5 days of excursions, meals during the Cuernos+Cóndor, Base Torres and navigation excursions, national park entrance fees, trekking poles and crampons, transportation and certified guides.

What is not included?

Travel insurance, gratuities and meals not mentioned.

Year-round, with November to March recommended. A fixed small-group departure is planned for September; ask us for exact dates.

How is it different from Torres del Paine Classic?

Active is 7 days and adds the Base Torres hike, a full day in the Cuernos sector and puma tracking. Classic is 5 days, low difficulty, with a flexible full day, horseback riding and Grey Glacier.

Is travel insurance included?

No. Travel insurance is required and is not included. We recommend World Nomads for travel insurance and Global Rescue for evacuation and medical support in remote terrain. Both are optional partners, never part of the trip price.

Paine Grande seen from the Salto Grande trail, Torres del Paine

Torres del Paine · Year-round

Torres del Paine Active

Multi-Activity Program · Year-Round

At a glance

Seven active days from a Puerto Natales hotel: Base Torres, the Cuernos sector, horseback riding, puma tracking and a boat to Grey Glacier.

7 daysDuration

Duration: 7 days / 6 nights
Difficulty: Low–Medium (Base Torres day is demanding)
Group: 1–6
Minimum age: 14 (for puma tracking)
Season: Year-round (best November–March)

Start: Puerto Natales (pickup at PUQ or PNT airport, arranged at booking)
End: Puerto Natales (drop-off at PNT or PUQ airport, arranged at booking)
Accommodation: A 3-star hotel in Puerto Natales, breakfast included (6 nights)
Excursions: 5 guided days
Guiding: Guided

Overview

Torres del Paine Active is a 7-day program for travelers who want to see the park on foot, on horseback and on the water, and come back to a hotel bed every night. You stay six nights in a 3-star hotel in Puerto Natales with breakfast included and head out on five days of guided excursions with certified guides, in a small group of 1 to 6 guests.

The days build in variety. You hike to Base Torres, about 22 km with roughly 1,400 m of elevation gain to the lake at the foot of the granite towers. You spend an active full day in the Cuernos sector, about 7.5 km, including Mirador Cóndor above Lago Pehoé. You ride for three hours on an estancia near Puerto Natales, go out at dawn with a guide to track pumas in the east of the park, and finish with a catamaran navigation toward the face of Grey Glacier. Transportation, park entrance fees, trekking poles and crampons, and meals on the Base Torres, Cuernos and navigation days are included.

The program is rated low to medium. The Base Torres day is the one that asks the most of you, so good physical condition is needed; the rest of the week is moderate. Puma tracking has a minimum age of 14. The trip runs year-round with November to March recommended, and a fixed small-group departure is planned for September. If you'd rather keep everything gentle, Torres del Paine Classic covers the park in 5 days at low difficulty.

Highlights

The Base Torres hike to the lake beneath the towers
An active full day in the Cuernos sector, with Mirador Cóndor over Lago Pehoé
A 3-hour ride on a Patagonian estancia
Puma tracking at dawn in the east of the park
A catamaran navigation toward the face of Grey Glacier
Small groups of up to 6, from one hotel all week

Is this trip for you?

Level: Low–Medium

Group: 1–6

Travelers in good physical condition for one long hike who want variety: trail, horseback, wildlife and glaciers, with a hotel bed every night. It works for small private groups and families with children aged 14 and up. If you want a multi-day trek between refugios, see W Trek Guided or O Circuit Guided.

Itinerary

Day 1Arrival in Puerto Natales
Day 2Base Torres hike22 km / 14 mi
Day 3Active full day: Cuernos sector and Mirador Cóndor7.5 km / 5 mi
Day 4Horseback ride on an estancia
Day 5Puma tracking
Day 6Grey Glacier navigation
Day 7Departure

Day 1
Arrival in Puerto Natales
We pick you up on arrival at Punta Arenas airport (PUQ, flights all year) or Puerto Natales airport (PNT, seasonal flights), whichever matches your flights; it's arranged at booking. From Punta Arenas the road to Puerto Natales takes about 3 hours. You check in at your 3-star hotel in Puerto Natales, breakfast included, which is your base for all six nights. The rest of the day is free.
Overnight · 3-star hotel, Puerto Natales
Day 2
Base Torres hike
An early pickup at your hotel (on our Base Torres day this is usually around 06:00) and roughly 1 hour 45 minutes to the park. With your guide you climb the Ascencio valley, cross Paso de los Vientos to Refugio Chileno and go on through lenga forest to the moraine, about 45 minutes of steep, rocky climbing to the lake at the foot of the towers, where you stop for lunch. Then back down the same trail. About 22 km (14 mi) and roughly 1,400 m of gain, usually 8–10 hours of hiking; back at the hotel around 18:00. Poles and crampons are provided.
Overnight · 3-star hotel, Puerto Natales · Meals · Breakfast; meals during the excursion
Day 3
Active full day: Cuernos sector and Mirador Cóndor
A full day in the park with about 7.5 km (4.7 mi) of walking, split between the Cuernos sector, facing the Cuernos del Paine, and Mirador Cóndor. The Cóndor trail is a 2.4 km round trip, about an hour, to a viewpoint over Lago Pehoé and its small lagoons, with the Southern Patagonian Ice Field and the Sierra Baguales on the horizon and, with luck, a condor overhead. It's a lighter day after Base Torres, with time to look around. Return to your hotel in Puerto Natales at the end of the day.
Overnight · 3-star hotel, Puerto Natales · Meals · Breakfast; meals during the excursion
Day 4
Horseback ride on an estancia
A change of pace after two days on foot: a 3-hour ride in a small group on an estancia about 30 km from Puerto Natales, with a little over two hours in the saddle. Pickup and return are at your hotel, and the rest of the afternoon is free in town. Let us know each rider's level in advance so the ride suits the whole group. Wear the same layers you hike in, since the wind and weather on horseback are the same as on the trail, and keep sunglasses and sunscreen handy. Meals on this day are not included. Experienced riders can ask for a longer 6-hour ride instead.
Overnight · 3-star hotel, Puerto Natales · Meals · Breakfast
Day 5
Puma tracking
An early start: pickup at your hotel in Puerto Natales between 04:00 and 06:00, depending on the season and the time of sunrise, for the roughly 1.5-hour drive to the eastern side of the park, around Laguna Amarga. You track at sunrise with a wildlife guide, take a break in mid-morning, go out for a second session and are back at your hotel in the afternoon. Expect short walks over uneven ground; depending on where the pumas are, some days cross private land next to the park, off the trail. Besides pumas you may see guanacos, Andean condors, foxes and ñandús; wildlife sightings can't be guaranteed. Minimum age 14.
Overnight · 3-star hotel, Puerto Natales · Meals · Breakfast
Day 6
Grey Glacier navigation
Transfer from Puerto Natales to the Lago Grey sector of the park. You walk 30–45 minutes across Playa Grey to the pier and board the Grey III catamaran for a navigation of about 2 hours 45 minutes on Lago Grey: blue ice at the glacier face, floating icebergs, Paine Grande above the lake, native forest and layered rock along the shore. One pisco sour (or juice) per person is served on board. Then back to Puerto Natales for your last night. Boat schedule confirmed when you book.
Overnight · 3-star hotel, Puerto Natales · Meals · Breakfast; meals during the excursion
Day 7
Departure
Breakfast at the hotel, check out, and meet your private transfer. The trip ends with drop-off at Puerto Natales airport (PNT) or Punta Arenas airport (PUQ), as you choose at booking to match your flight. PNT has seasonal flights from Santiago and Puerto Montt; PUQ has flights all year but is about 3 hours by road from Puerto Natales, so if you fly out of Punta Arenas, book a flight that leaves you time for the drive. We set the pickup time from your hotel once we have your flight details.
Meals · Breakfast

Also bookable as a day experience: Day Hike to Base of the Towers, Puma Tracking in Patagonia and Patagonia Horseback Riding.

Where you'll stay

A 3-star hotel in Puerto Natales, breakfast included.

Traveling on a private or tailor-made version? We book the hotel category you prefer. Plan a tailor-made version

Dates

Small-group departure in September 2027. Exact date confirmed on request.

Minimum 3 guests to run this departure. If the minimum is not reached, we let you know at least 95 days before the start, and you choose a full refund or another trip of equal value.

Private departures on request, year-round (best November–March).

All fixed departures

Included

Hotel accommodation (breakfast included)
5 days of excursions
Meals during the Cuernos+Cóndor, Base Torres and navigation excursions
National park entrance fees
Trekking equipment (poles and crampons)
Transportation
Certified guides

Not included

Travel insurance
Gratuities
Meals not mentioned

Good to know

Minimum age is 14, because of the puma tracking day.
From April 27 to August 30, park winter rules apply: a guide is required on the Base Torres trail and on the W (guides are included here), CONAF can extend that period when snow and ice remain, and hiking at night is not allowed.
Park passes are sold online only, not at the gate. Your entrance fees are included and we send you the pass; carry it with your passport.
Weather changes fast, with sun, rain and strong gusts on the same day in any month. Pack layers for every day, boat included.
Meals are included on the Base Torres, Cuernos and Grey days. On the horseback and puma days, and for dinners in town, meals are on you.
Travel insurance is required and is not included.

Before you go

Getting there

Fly to Punta Arenas (PUQ), which has flights all year, or to Puerto Natales (PNT), which has seasonal flights from Santiago and Puerto Montt. From Punta Arenas it's about 3 hours by road to Puerto Natales, and the park is 2–4 hours from Puerto Natales depending on the entrance. Transportation is included in this trip.

Flights: PUQ year-round · PNT seasonal
Punta Arenas → Puerto Natales: ~3 h by road
Puerto Natales → park: 2–4 h
Park entrances: Laguna Amarga · Pudeto (catamaran across Lago Pehoé, 30–40 min)

Park pass and bookings

Park passes are sold online only, not at the gate, and every night in the park has to be booked before you arrive. Entrance fees and all your nights are included in this trip and booked by us. We'll send you the pass: carry it on your phone or printed, together with your passport.

Park rules we follow

Fires are not allowed anywhere in the park. Cooking only in the designated areas of each campsite or refugio.
Stay on marked trails and pack out everything you bring in (Leave No Trace).
Winter rules, April 27 to August 30: a guide is required on the Base Torres trail and on the W, and hiking at night is not allowed. CONAF can extend that period when snow and ice remain on the trail.

Weather and daylight

Patagonian weather changes fast, and wind is the constant: expect sun, rain and strong gusts on the same day, in any month. Plan layers rather than a single warm jacket.

Hours of daylight · 51° S (Torres del Paine)

Sunrise to sunset on the 15th of each month. Computed for 51° S. Gold: our group departure.

What to pack

Layers: waterproof jacket and waterproof pants, a warm mid layer (fleece or down), quick-dry base layers, warm hat and gloves
Feet: broken-in hiking boots, wool socks
On the trail: daypack with rain cover, headlamp, reusable water bottle (poles and crampons are provided)
Sun: sunglasses, sunscreen, sun hat
Documents: passport, park pass (we send it to you), travel insurance details

Insurance

Compare with

Torres del Paine Classic
5 days from a hotel, low difficulty: a flexible full day, horseback riding and Grey Glacier.
5 days / 4 nights · Low

More in Patagonia: the Patagonia travel guide, with when to go, the places and every trip in the region.

SOURCES · Vertic field notes · torresdelpaine.com · Daylight computed with the NOAA solar equations for 51° S (Torres del Paine), 15th of each month · Park passes and rules: CONAF / pasesparques.cl · Campsites and refugios: the park's concessionaires

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Torres del Paine Active

At a glance

Overview

Highlights

Is this trip for you?

Itinerary

Arrival in Puerto Natales

Base Torres hike

Active full day: Cuernos sector and Mirador Cóndor

Horseback ride on an estancia

Puma tracking

Grey Glacier navigation

Departure