Guide · Getting there

How to get to Torres del Paine from Santiago

Santiago is where most international trips to Chile begin, and the park lies at the far southern end of the country. Here are the two air routes south, how long each leg takes, and how to plan around the Puerto Natales airfield works in early 2027.

Check availabilityfrom $100 · free cancellation possible

Editorial team, torresdelpainehikingtours.comUpdated October 16, 2026Reading time about 6 minutes18 sources

On this topic: the tour Torres del Paine: Full-day hike to three viewpoints 4.9 (199 reviews) 13 hoursHotel pickup in Puerto NatalesHiking poles included from$100per person Check availabilityCancel for free up to 24 hrs ahead

Quick answer

01Fastest: Fly to Puerto Natales: 3 hours 17 minutes.¹
02Alternative: Fly to Punta Arenas in about 3 hours 27 minutes.²
03Then: Bus from Punta Arenas to Puerto Natales, a little over three hours.³
04Into the park: About two hours by bus from Puerto Natales to Laguna Amarga.⁴
05Heads-up: Natales airfield has scheduled closures in early 2027.⁵

Two ways south

There is no road trip that makes sense from Santiago to Torres del Paine on a normal holiday. The park sits near the southern tip of the continent, and the practical answer to how to get to Torres del Paine from Santiago is to fly, then finish the journey by road. The question is which airport you fly to: the small airfield at Puerto Natales, close to the park, or the larger airport at Punta Arenas further south.

Flying to Puerto Natales is the quickest route when flights are available. From the Santiago airport at Pudahuel you can fly to the Teniente Julio Gallardo airfield in Puerto Natales, a trip of 3 hours 17 minutes covering about 2,000 km.¹ That figure also answers how far Torres del Paine is from Santiago in practice: a couple of thousand kilometres of flying, plus the last stretch by road.

Flying to Punta Arenas adds a bus ride but gives you more choice of flights and dates. The flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas airport takes about 3 hours 27 minutes, or about 4 hours 45 minutes with a stop in Puerto Montt.² From the same airport a bus can take you north to Puerto Natales.

The journey

Santiago to the park via Natales

Day 1

Fly south

Santiago to the Puerto Natales airfield, 3 hours 17 minutes.¹
Day 1

Into town

A taxi of about 11 minutes to the bus terminal.⁶
Day 1 evening

Prepare

Buy food, check the bus times and your park ticket.
Day 2 morning

To the park

About two hours by bus to Laguna Amarga.⁴
Day 2

Hike

A day on the trails, back in town in the evening.

Via the Puerto Natales airfield

When the timing works, the Natales route saves you most of a day. You land a short drive from the town, and after landing a taxi takes about 11 minutes to reach the town's bus terminal, where the buses to Torres del Paine leave.⁶ Many travellers land in the afternoon, spend the night in town and head into the park the next morning.

From Puerto Natales the park is close. Chile Travel puts the town 80 km from the park entrance.⁷ By Ruta 9 it is 112 km to the Sarmiento entrance or 129 km to Laguna Amarga.⁸ The scheduled buses take about two hours to reach Laguna Amarga, their first stop inside the park.⁴

This route is the one to pick if you are short on time or want to start hiking as early as possible. Book flights early in the main season, and keep a spare night in your plan in case a flight is delayed by wind, because the next day's hike or bus may not wait for you.

Distances

The legs of the journey

Approximate distances from Chile Travel.¹ ³ ⁸

Compare

The two routes from Santiago

Route	Flight	Then	Good for
Via Puerto Natales	3 h 17 min	Taxi to the bus terminal	Short trips
Via Punta Arenas, direct	About 3 h 27 min	Bus north, 3 h or more	More flight choice
Via Punta Arenas with a stop	About 4 h 45 min	Bus north, 3 h or more	Cheaper or later flights

Flight and bus times as Chile Travel gives them; check current schedules when you book.¹ ² ³

Pick a gateway

Where to land

Fastest

Puerto Natales

Closest to the park

Flight: 3 h 17 min
To town: taxi, about 11 min
Catch: fewer flights

Plan the trip

Most flights

Punta Arenas

The regional airport

Flight: about 3 h 27 min
To Natales: bus, 250 km
Catch: a longer day

Plan the trip

Plan ahead

Early 2027

Airfield works

Natales: mainly weekends
Window: January to March
Fallback: Punta Arenas

Plan the trip

Your route

Which way to fly

Start with your dates and how much time you have.

I have very few days I travel January to March 2027 on weekdays I want the most flight options I do not want to drive or take buses I plan a multi-day trek

Fly to Puerto Natales

The flight takes 3 hours 17 minutes and lands near the park.¹

Fly to Punta Arenas

Natales airfield takes flights mainly at weekends in that window.⁵

Fly to Punta Arenas

Then a bus of a little over three hours to Puerto Natales.³

Tour with pickup

This site's tour collects you at your accommodation in Puerto Natales.

Either, plus bookings

Refugio or campsite reservations are mandatory on the W and the O.⁹

It is a journey of 3 hours and 17 minutes, in which you will travel nearly 2,000 kilometres.

Chile Travel (Sernatur)translated, original in Spanish · Source 1

The airfield closures in early 2027

If you plan a trip for the start of next southern summer, read this carefully. Chile Travel reports that the Puerto Natales airfield will have scheduled closures between 1 January and 31 March 2027 for works.⁵ During that quarter the runway will take commercial flights mainly at weekends, between Friday and Sunday or between Saturday and Sunday.⁵

In practice this means fewer flights into Natales in the peak of the southern summer. If your dates fall on weekdays in that window, the Punta Arenas route becomes the safer default: more flights, a bus north that runs every day, and less risk of a cancelled connection ruining your hiking plans.

Check the airline schedule before you book anything else, then build the rest of the trip around the flight you can actually get. Weekend arrivals into Natales will be in high demand during that window, so if you find a seat on a Friday or Saturday that suits you, take it early. A flexible plan helps here: arrive by one route and leave by the other, flying into Punta Arenas on a weekday and out of Natales at a weekend, or the reverse. It is a temporary problem, but one that can catch out travellers who booked a hike or a refugio night first and only looked at flights afterwards.

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.⁸
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.⁴
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.¹⁰
In Google Maps ↗
6
Refugio Chileno
The first section from Hotel Las Torres is 5 km and takes about 2 hours.¹¹
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.¹²
In Google Maps ↗
8
Refugio Los Cuernos
A stop on the W, 11.6 km from Hotel Las Torres.¹³
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.¹⁴
In Google Maps ↗
11
Refugio Grey
From the Grey ranger post to Paine Grande is 11 km.¹⁵
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.¹
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.² ³
In Google Maps ↗
15
Natales airfield (PNT)
Teniente Julio Gallardo airfield; a taxi into town takes about 11 minutes.⁶
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Before you fly

Booking checklist

Book first

Flights, checked against the airfield schedule
Park ticket online, at least a day ahead
A night in Puerto Natales

Then

Bus or tour into the park
Refugios or campsites if you trek

Leave room for

A spare day for wind delays
Warm layers in your carry-on

Once you arrive

Price a day in the park

Pick a day tour from Puerto Natales and set your group.

Viewpoint hikesGuided walksfrom $100 Base TorresFull hikefrom $99 Classic park tourRoad viewpointsfrom $75

People 2

Total from$200

per head from $100

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 GUIDE to TORRES DEL PAINE National Park, Chile (2024/25)

Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play.

Via Punta Arenas

Punta Arenas is the main airport of the region, and it is the reliable fallback whenever flights to Natales are scarce or full. After landing, a bus can collect you at the airport and take you to Puerto Natales, a trip of a little over three hours on Ruta 9, about 250 km.³ The road runs through open steppe and is an easy, scenic ride.

Allow most of a day for this version of the journey. Between the flight from Santiago, the wait for the bus and the drive north, it is sensible to spend your first night in Puerto Natales and not attempt the park the same day. That also gives you time to buy food and pick up any gear you need before the trails.

The bonus of this route is choice. You can fly in and out of Punta Arenas on different days, add a night in the city on the way back, or combine the park with other trips in the far south. If your schedule is flexible, it is often the easier route to book.

From Puerto Natales into the park

Both routes end in Puerto Natales, and from there you have three options: the scheduled bus, a rental car or a tour with pickup. In high season, from September to April, buses leave the terminal daily at 7:00 and 12:00.¹⁶ Between May and August the frequency is different, and you should check schedules with each company.¹⁷

A guided day takes care of the last leg for you. This site's hiking tour collects guests at their accommodation in Puerto Natales between 06:30 and 07:00 and brings them back around 19:00 in the evening. It starts from $100 and is rated 4.91 from 199 reviews.

Whatever you choose, buy your park ticket online before you go. Tickets must be bought at least 24 hours before you enter.¹⁸ If you plan to trek the W or the O, you will also need reservations at the refugios or campsites inside the park, or you cannot enter the mountain area.⁹

How many days to allow

A realistic plan from Santiago gives the journey its own day each way. Fly south, sleep in Puerto Natales, hike the next day, and do the reverse on the way back. Squeezing the flight and a full day of hiking into the same day is possible only with an early flight to Natales and a lot of luck with connections.

For a first visit, two full days in the park are a good minimum: one for the viewpoint trails and Salto Grande, one for the climb to Base Torres or a boat to Grey Glacier. Multi-day treks need more, and they come with their own booking rules, which is why many visitors start with day trips and come back for the W another year.

Leave a buffer at the end too. Patagonian wind can delay flights, and a missed connection in Punta Arenas or Natales is much easier to absorb if your international flight leaves Santiago a day later. A relaxed schedule turns a long journey into part of the adventure instead of a source of stress. Keep printed copies of your bookings, too, since signal in the far south can be patchy, and a confirmation you cannot open at a bus counter is no confirmation at all.

Book your day