Guide · Base Torres

The Base Torres hike, step by step

This is the walk to the granite towers that give the park its name. Here is the trail in its official sections, the hours the park sets, how tough it really is, and the guided days that take you there from Puerto Natales.

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Editorial team, torresdelpainehikingtours.comUpdated October 16, 2026Reading time about 6 minutes26 sources

On this topic: the tour Puerto Natales: Base of the Towers Day Hike 4.8 (878 reviews) 15 hours from$99per person Check availabilityCancel for free up to 24 hrs ahead

Quick answer

01Distance: 22 km out and back from Hotel Las Torres.¹
02Time: On average 4 hours up and 4 hours back.¹
03Cut-off: Enter the trail by 09:00, head back by 15:00.²
04Hardest part: The last 1.4 km are rated demanding.³
05Guided day: From $99, rated 4.84 from 878 reviews.

What the Base Torres hike is

The Base Torres hike climbs from the valley of the Ascencio river to a glacial lake at the foot of the towers, the granite spires that appear on almost every poster of Patagonia. It is the eastern arm of the W, and you can walk it as part of a multi-day trek or as a single, long day. The park's planning page lists Base Torres among the highlights of the W route.⁴

Las Torres Patagonia rates the route as moderately high difficulty: approximately twenty kilometers round trip, about eight hours there and back without long stops.⁵ Measured from Hotel Las Torres Patagonia, the hike is 22 km out and back, on average 4 hours up and 4 hours back.¹ The highest point of the route sits at 850 metres above sea level.⁶

Those numbers explain why the Base Torres hike has a reputation. The distance is long but manageable; what makes it hard is the steady climb, the exposure to wind in the valley and the rough final stretch over loose rock. On a clear day the payoff is enormous. On a cloudy one the towers may hide completely, which is part of the gamble every hiker accepts.

The trail

Base Torres in three stages

Before 09:00

Start at Hotel Las Torres

The last entry time on the Base Torres trail.²
First stretch

To Refugio Chileno

5 km, about 2 hours, with an exposed windy shoulder.⁷
Middle stretch

Through the forest

3 km and about 90 minutes to the Torres ranger post.⁸
Final climb

Up the moraine

1.4 km, about an hour, rated demanding.³
By 15:00

Turn around

The time to head back down from the trail.²

The trail in its three sections

CONAF splits the route into three official sections. From Hotel Las Torres to Refugio Chileno it is 5 km and about 2 hours.⁷ This part climbs out of the valley and crosses an exposed shoulder where the wind can be fierce, then drops to the refugio beside the river. Chileno is a good place for a break and a refill before the forest.

From Refugio Chileno to the Torres ranger post is 3 km and about 90 minutes.⁸ The path runs through southern beech forest, gently at first and then more steeply, with streams to cross on stones or small bridges. It is the most sheltered part of the hike and a good place to judge whether you have the energy for the finale.

The last section from the Torres ranger post to the Base Torres viewpoint is 1.4 km, takes about an hour and is rated demanding.³ It climbs a glacial moraine of boulders and scree, where you use your hands now and then and where poles help on the way down. This is where most hikers slow to a crawl, and where turning back is no shame if the weather turns.

Stage by stage

Length of each stage

One way, as CONAF lists the three sections of the trail.⁷ ⁸ ³

Guided days

Base Torres day tours compared

Tour	From	Hours	Rating
Base of the Towers Day Hike	$99	15	4.84 (878)
Base Torres Small Group	$109	14	4.85 (196)
Base of the Towers Experience	$95	14	4.76 (204)
Private full-day hike	$650	12	new

From-prices, durations and ratings from the GetYourGuide listings; prices are not exact quotes.

Your options

Three ways to reach the towers

Popular

Base of the Towers Day Hike

Most reviewed

Duration: 15 hours
Rating: 4.84
Pickup: included

See this hike

Small group

Base Torres Small Group

Smaller group

Duration: 14 hours
Rating: 4.85
Reviews: 196

See this hike

Private

Private full-day hike

Your own guide

Duration: 12 hours
Group: private
Languages: 3

See this hike

Guided or alone

How to do the Base Torres hike

Your base and your transport decide most of it.

I stay in Puerto Natales without a car I stay near the park I want a small group We are a group of friends I am not sure I can manage it

Guided day

Buses need about two hours to reach Laguna Amarga, which leaves little time before the cut-off.⁹

On your own

Day visits need no overnight reservation, only a park ticket.¹⁰

Small-group day

Rated 4.85 from 196 reviews.

Private hike

From $650 for your own guide.

A viewpoint day instead

Base Torres is rated moderately high difficulty.⁵

The route to Base Torres has a moderately high difficulty level, and the journey is approximately twenty kilometers round trip, so it can take about eight hours there and back without long stops.

Las Torres PatagoniaSource 5

Entry and exit times on the trail

The park controls the Base Torres trail with fixed hours. Hikers may enter until 09:00 and must head back by 15:00.² The park sets trail closing times so that night does not catch walkers before they reach the next camp, and only the ranger in each sector can authorize walking outside them.¹¹

In practice that means an early start. If you are staying in Puerto Natales, the scheduled buses take about two hours to reach Laguna Amarga, their first stop inside the park.⁹ From there you still need to get to the trailhead at Hotel Las Torres, which is why most people who do the hike as a day trip from town book a guided day with private transport.

The park's general opening hours are 8:00 to 19:00.¹² Combine that with the Base Torres cut-offs and the drive, and you have a day with very little slack. Guided tours are built around these times; if you go on your own, write them down and set an alarm for the turn-around point.

Map

From Puerto Natales to the trails of Torres del Paine

Where the hikes start and what lies along them: the park entrances, the viewpoint trails of this tour, and the route of the W.

Map from Puerto Natales north to the Sarmiento and Laguna Amarga entrances of Torres del Paine — Puerto Natales to the park

Map of the W route from Hotel Las Torres past Los Cuernos to Paine Grande and Grey, with Mirador Cuernos and Mirador Cóndor — The W and the viewpoints

Map of the trail from Hotel Las Torres via Refugio Chileno to the Base Torres viewpoint — The Base Torres trail

Map of Chile from Santiago south to Punta Arenas and the Puerto Natales airfield — From Santiago to Patagonia

1
Puerto Natales
The town tours start from; by Ruta 9 it is 112 km to the Sarmiento entrance and 129 km to Laguna Amarga.¹³
In Google Maps ↗
2
Portería Sarmiento
The Lago Sarmiento entrance, where this tour begins its first walk on the Aonikenk Trail.
In Google Maps ↗
3
Laguna Amarga
The first stop of the scheduled buses from Puerto Natales, about two hours away.⁹
In Google Maps ↗
4
Salto Grande
The waterfall in the Pudeto area, a stop on this tour before the walk to Mirador Cuernos.
In Google Maps ↗
5
Hotel Las Torres
Start of the Base Torres hike: 22 km out and back from here.¹
In Google Maps ↗
6
Refugio Chileno
The first section from Hotel Las Torres is 5 km and takes about 2 hours.⁷
In Google Maps ↗
7
Mirador Base Torres
The final 1.4 km from the Torres ranger post take about 1 hour and are rated demanding.³
In Google Maps ↗
8
Refugio Los Cuernos
A stop on the W, 11.6 km from Hotel Las Torres.¹⁴
In Google Maps ↗
9
Mirador Cuernos
The viewpoint this tour walks to from Salto Grande, about 2 hours there and back.
In Google Maps ↗
10
Paine Grande
On the W; Campamento Italiano is 7.5 km away.¹⁵
In Google Maps ↗
11
Refugio Grey
From the Grey ranger post to Paine Grande is 11 km.¹⁶
In Google Maps ↗
12
Mirador Cóndor
The tour's afternoon climb, a round trip of about 2 hours up to about 350 m.
In Google Maps ↗
13
Santiago airport (SCL)
Flights to the Puerto Natales airfield take 3 hours 17 minutes, about 2,000 km.¹⁷
In Google Maps ↗
14
Punta Arenas airport (PUQ)
About 3 hours 27 minutes from Santiago; a bus then covers about 250 km to Puerto Natales.¹⁸ ¹⁹
In Google Maps ↗
15
Natales airfield (PNT)
Teniente Julio Gallardo airfield; a taxi into town takes about 11 minutes.²⁰
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Pack and plan

Base Torres checklist

Before the day

Park ticket bought online, at least 24 hours ahead
Plan to reach the trail before the entry cut-off
Transport to Hotel Las Torres

In your pack

Food and water for the whole day
A warm layer for the viewpoint
Rain and wind shell
Trekking poles for the moraine

On the way

Turn around at the trail's exit time
Stay on the marked trail

Group price

Price a Base Torres day

Pick a tour and set your group size.

Day hikeMost reviewedfrom $99 Small groupFewer peoplefrom $109 Trekking experienceLowest from-pricefrom $95 Private hikeOwn guidefrom $650

People 2

Total from$198

per head from $99

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Figures use each trek's GetYourGuide starting price per hiker, converted at the day's ECB rate; your booking confirmation carries the true amount.

Video

PATAGONIA | TORRES DEL PAINE | Mirador Base Las Torres Hike | Start to Finish

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How hard is it, honestly

Fit walkers who hike regularly find the Base Torres hike a long but satisfying day. If you rarely walk more than a few hours, expect it to be one of the hardest days of your trip. The sustained climb, the wind on the exposed shoulder and the boulder field at the end add up, and the descent is often harder on the knees than the ascent.

The moraine is the part to respect. CONAF notes that the final section crosses a glacial moraine where leg joints can be injured.²¹ Move carefully and use poles. The park also warns that almost all fatal accidents in the park happen off the authorized trails, so stay on the marked route even when a shortcut looks tempting.²²

Weather changes the difficulty more than anything else. In winter the park's trails can be covered in ice and 20, 30 cm or more of snow.²³ Parts of the W, which includes this trail, may be hiked only with a guide in the winter period.²⁴ In summer, the main enemy is wind; carry a windproof layer and gloves even on a sunny morning.

Guided Base Torres days from Puerto Natales

A guided Base Torres day solves the logistics in one go: pickup in Puerto Natales, transport to the trailhead, a guide who knows the cut-off times and a ride home when your legs are done. The specialist day hike on this page starts from $99, lasts 15 hours and is rated 4.84 from 878 reviews. Its review breakdown gives the guide 4.9, transportation 4.8 and value for money 4.7.

Several other listings run the same hike. A small-group trekking day starts from $109 and is rated 4.85 from 196 reviews. Another Base of the Towers trekking experience starts from $95 and is rated 4.76 from 204 reviews. A private full-day hike with a guide for your own group starts from $650.

The differences come down to group size, timing and price rather than the trail itself. All of them follow the same path and the same park rules. If you want the most reviewed option, start with the day hike on this page; if a smaller group matters more, compare the small-group listing; and if you travel as a family or a group of friends, the private day can make sense once the cost is shared.

Hiking Base Torres on your own

Base Torres is the one big hike in the park you can do independently without an overnight reservation. The rule that requires bookings in refugios and campsites does not apply to day visitors on trails such as Base Torres.¹⁰ You still need a park ticket, which must be bought online at least 24 hours before you enter.²⁵

Self-guided hikers usually stay inside or close to the park so they can reach the trailhead early. If you base yourself in Puerto Natales without a car, the bus timetable and the cut-off at the trail make the day very tight, and a guided day is the safer bet. With a car, remember that there are no fuel stations in the park or its surroundings.²⁶

Whichever way you go, pack for every kind of weather. Bring water, food for the whole day, a warm layer for the viewpoint, where you will cool down fast, and a rain shell. Leave early, keep an eye on the clock, and enjoy the lake at the top for as long as the turn-around time allows. The lagoon below the towers is glacial meltwater and bitterly cold, and the boulders around it hold the wind's chill long after the sun comes out. Find a sheltered rock, eat something, put on your warm layer before you start to shiver, and only then take the photos. The walk down is long, and the forest below Chileno is a lovely place to slow down again once the hard part is behind you.

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