Chosen by local trip planners in Puerto Natales

9 Best Hikes in Patagonia, From Torres del Paine to El Chaltén

Updated September 2026 · 7 min read

Patagonia is vast, and the best hike depends on how many days you have, how far you want to walk and what you want to see. We plan treks from Puerto Natales and have walked every route on this list.

The selection ranges from shorter viewpoints in Torres del Paine to the eight-day O Circuit and the classic trails of El Chaltén.

If you have one day: Base Torres, about 20 to 22 km and usually 7 to 9 hours to the three granite towers above their lake. If you have five: the W Trek, approximately 71 km through the three valleys of Torres del Paine. If you have eight: the O Circuit, approximately 122 km around the whole massif. On the Argentine side, Laguna de los Tres below Fitz Roy is the great day hike of El Chaltén. Distances and times are estimates and vary with the route, the pace and the conditions.

These routes are not competing with each other. A one-hour viewpoint and an eight-day circuit answer different questions, and the W Trek already contains three of the day hikes below. So start here, with what you actually want:

• Best iconic day hike: Base Torres.
• Best multi-day trek: the W Trek.
• Best long circuit: the O Circuit.
• Best hike in Argentine Patagonia: Laguna de los Tres.
• Best glacier trail: the Grey Glacier trail.
• Best shorter walk: Salto Grande and Mirador Cuernos.

Route	Location	Approximate distance	Estimated time	What to expect
Base Torres	Torres del Paine	About 20 to 22 km	Usually 7 to 9 hours	Long sustained climb with a steep final section over boulders
French Valley to Mirador Francés	Torres del Paine	Approximately 14 to 18 km, depending on whether you start from Francés or Los Cuernos	7 to 9 hours	Valley walk below the hanging glacier. Continuing towards Mirador Británico adds more distance and time
Grey Glacier trail	Torres del Paine	About 11 km	4 to 5 hours	Rolling trail above Lake Grey, with views across the lake and towards the glacier
Laguna de los Tres	El Chaltén, Argentina	About 20 km	About 8 hours	Steady climb with a steep final hour to the lake below Fitz Roy
Laguna Torre	El Chaltén, Argentina	About 18 km	About 6 hours	Less climbing and a gentler profile than Laguna de los Tres, to the lake below Cerro Torre
Cerro Dorotea	Puerto Natales	About 8 km return	About 4 hours return	Lenga forest and panoramic views. Private land: confirm access conditions and fees
Salto Grande and Mirador Cuernos	Torres del Paine	About 6 km return	Approximately 1.5 to 2 hours	Low elevation gain, with an exposed trail that can be windy

Route	Location	Approximate distance	Estimated time	What to expect
The W Trek	Torres del Paine	Approximately 71 km	5 hiking days	The three valleys of the park, with a night in each sector
The O Circuit	Torres del Paine	Approximately 122 km	8 days	The full loop around the massif, including John Gardner Pass

The hike that made the park famous. From the Central sector you climb the Ascencio valley, cross the forest and finish on a moraine of boulders that ends at the lake under the three towers. The last hour is the steep one. It is a full day, and it is the first day of our Guided W Trek and Self-Guided W Trek; as a single day it is in the Torres del Paine Classic Tour.

From the Francés or Los Cuernos camps you walk up the valley between Paine Grande and the Cuernos to Mirador Francés, with the hanging glacier cracking in front of you, then continue to Paine Grande. Our programs go to Mirador Francés, the viewpoint that gives the valley its name. The distance is approximately 14 to 18 km depending on whether you start from Francés or Los Cuernos, and continuing towards Mirador Británico adds more distance and time.

From Paine Grande along Lake Grey to the Grey sector, with the icebergs below and the glacier growing as you walk. It is usually one of the shorter hiking days of the W, with views across Lake Grey and towards the glacier. On some programs the day ends with the boat to Grey Glacier, which sails past the ice front when the schedule allows.

The W joins hikes 1, 2 and 3 in five days with a night in each sector. The O adds the north side of the massif and the John Gardner Pass, 122 km in eight days, for those who have done multi-day treks before. We compare them honestly in W Trek vs O Circuit.

Across the border, the village of El Chaltén has the two great day hikes of Argentine Patagonia. Laguna de los Tres climbs to the lake under Fitz Roy, with a steep final hour that rewards you with the most photographed skyline in Patagonia. Laguna Torre has less climbing and a gentler profile than Laguna de los Tres. The route leads to the lake below Cerro Torre and usually takes about six hours. Both are in our Southern Patagonia Grand Journey, which links Torres del Paine, the Perito Moreno Glacier and El Chaltén in fifteen days.

Cerro Dorotea rises above Puerto Natales on private land. The walk usually takes about four hours return and climbs through lenga forest to panoramic views over the city, the Última Esperanza Fjord, the Patagonian steppe and, on a clear day, the Paine massif. Access conditions and entrance fees should be confirmed before visiting. It works well as a first walk near Puerto Natales or as a shorter outing before departure.

The route begins near Salto Grande and continues towards a viewpoint over Lake Nordenskjöld and the Cuernos del Paine. It has relatively little climbing, but the trail is exposed to Patagonia’s wind. About 6 km return, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours. It is on every day trip we run, including the Patagonia Relax Experience.

• Want one iconic mountain day: Base Torres.
• Want the complete classic route: the W Trek.
• Want the full circuit around the massif: the O Circuit.
• Want to combine Chile and Argentina: the Southern Patagonia Grand Journey.
• Want shorter walks and scenic viewpoints: Salto Grande, Mirador Cuernos and Lake Grey.
• Want a major day hike in Argentina: Laguna de los Tres.
• Want less climbing in El Chaltén: Laguna Torre.