Torres del Paine
Since 1 May 2026, the park changed how it charges for entry. Here is what is worth knowing before you book.
Photo: Thomas Fuhrmann · CC BY-SA 4.0What you will see
The three towers that give the park its name are granite spires the ice carved over millions of years and which, with luck and an early start, glow orange for a few minutes at dawn. But the Paine is more than that: there are the Cuernos, with their dark band of schist over pale rock, the Grey glacier coming down off the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, and lakes of a turquoise that looks retouched and is not.
On the grassland around the circuits guanacos graze in large groups, and the puma is once again a regular presence, if an elusive one. What nobody forgets is the wind: in spring and summer it blows hard for days on end and overrules any plan. You walk into it and you sleep with it hammering the tent.
How the tickets work
CONAF replaced the previous structure, which distinguished stays of less or more than three days, with two options: a daily ticket and a ticket for 2 or more days, valid for up to 10 continuous days. The prices by category are at pasesparques.cl, the official channel. Tickets are bought online only and in advance.
Winter and guides
In winter conditions and on high-difficulty routes, hiring a licensed guide is compulsory, for example on the W circuit and the trail to Base Torres. The winter season can start early if the weather demands it, so check your travel date with CONAF.
Base Torres
The trail to the base of the towers has no daily quota for now, though CONAF is considering regulating access in future. It takes some 8 to 9 hours there and back, with a final stretch of loose moraine, and the reward depends on the weather: with low cloud, the towers never appear.
Verified on 9 Oct 2026