No camping reservations for Torres Del Paine? No worries. In November 2018 I was you. I planned to start my trip in South America in Patagonia, by hiking the Torres del Paine O circuit. Blogs of a few years old had casually mentioned to book camping reservations a few months ahead for Torres Del Paine. I thought I was being organised. February? I was going to get all the spots I wanted for the O circuit.
I logged on and soon began to panic. Nothing was available. No camping reservations for the O circuit, or the W trek.
I tried different dates, different campsites, even a different month…to no avail. I was horrified, and then discovered the dark realm of people in the same position. It did not look hopeful. Most advice basically suggested to sack off any chance of doing one of the multi-day hikes and settle for another option instead.
I was stubborn.
So, I booked a cheap flight to Punta Arenas anyway, and planned to figure something out nearer the time. And I did. I appreciate why reservations are needed for Torres del Paine, but actually it worked out much better for me to wait, as the O circuit closed two days before I arrived due to flooding. Many people sadly lost their reservations and had to change to the W trek or stick to day hikes anyway.
So here are some tips for those in the same horror struck position (or just calmly wondering what to do), if you do not have camping reservations for Torres Del Paine national park, but still want to go.
options if you do not have camping reservations for the o circuit or w trek:
1. are some spots available? book.
2. Wait for tour companies to release spots.
3. No spots free? email, and if possible turn up to the offices.
4. Adapt your route
5. hike part of the route
6. hire a car
7. self-guided tour
8. Stick to day trips
9. book a guided tour
1. are some spots available? book.
Yes it is slightly worrying to book some spots and not know if you will get all of them. However you can still follow tips 2,3,4,5 to help with any remaining spots needed.
I was asked a few times during the W circuit if I had a reservation, as there were camping spaces available in some of the paid sites. I also met people who showed up at campsites and paid on the spot, but I cannot vouch for this method as I did not do it and there is a risk you will be turned away from busy campsites dependable on the ranger. However, I do vouch for booking any spots that are available, as you can then use some of the following tips to secure any remaining campsites you need.
Remember there are three different companies who run different campsites, so research your route and what campsites you can choose between. For example on the W trek there are a few different campsites that you can stay in, so it is worth checking all websites- Vertice, Fantastico Sur and CONFAF. *
*It is also worth changing currency on the websites (to Chilean pesos), as people have reported this has led to success and different availability showing. It will mean your website will change to Spanish, so have an online translator ready if you need.
UNSURE HOW TO BOOK CAMPSITES? TORRES DEL PAINE FAQ COMING SOON!
2. wait for tour companies to release spots
Tour companies reserve spots for group trips and self-guided tours. But they do not always fill them, so magically spots can appear weeks to days before your desired start date.
This is how I managed to get reservations. Some people I spoke to managed to get spots a month before by looking every week. If you have even briefly looked at how to book reservations for Torres Del Paine you will know it is complicated. There are three sites to book on: CONAF (free), Fantastico Sur, and Vertice Patagonia. I did not have time to do this or the brain power, but again, it is worth knowing cancellations are always popping up.
Instead, two weeks before I knew I would be in Puerto Natales, I began to check different dates. And before I knew it three spots came up for the W trek which aligned to one of the four day W itinerary options. Yes it was not the O circuit, and I had to hang around in Puerto Natales for a few days beforehand, but it meant I knew I could go. Yay!
3. no spots free? email, and if possible turn up to the offices.
This option is also good if you are pretty set on a certain trail like the O circuit or you cannot get all or any camping reservations online, even a couple of weeks before. If email fails, a better option is to turn up in person. Yes it is slightly risky but when I arrived in February 2019 I met a couple of groups who managed to get reservations this way. Just go the offices of each campsite, based in Puerto Natales, and ask. It is best to go in a few days before you plan to hike if possible.
4. adapt your route
There are many ways to adapt the W trek route and a few ways to adapt the O circuit. This is a good option if you want to still do one of the multi-day hikes, but have set dates you want to hike on. This way you can maintain some flexibility when checking camping reservations.
The o circuit adaption options:
You have to hike the O circuit in one direction (east).
- Start point: Either start at the Welcome Centre/ Hotel Las Torres, Paine Grande or Refugio Grey.
- Do it in less days: Follow the advice below for the W section of the hike. As with the W, for the circuit you can shorten how many days if you are fit enough and willing to walk further distances. There are itineraries for anything from five(!) to eleven or more days.
THE W TREK ROUTE ADAPTIONS:
The W trek is more flexible as you can hike it either east to west or west to east.
- Start point: either start at Refugio Grey, Paine Grande or Torres Central for the five day route. This will then determine the order of the other campsites.
- Do it in four days: It is possible to hike the W trek in four days, by either starting at Paine Grande or Torres. This just means on the first or final day you hike as far as you can, aiming for Refugio Grey (and further to the bridges if you have time!) with a day pack, returning the same way. This is what I did on my last day. I hike pretty fast without my main pack and it took me about five hours round trip to get to the first rope bridge and back. People report it taking anytime from 2-4 hours one way to get to the refugio.
- Do it in three days: If you are an experienced hiker, and have a light pack this is possible but prepare for some long days. For example: Paine Grande- Grey – camp at Italiano or Grande> Torres Central or Chileno > hike up to the Torres mirador before taking the bus back to Puerto Natales. Or vice versa.
5. hike part of the route
I have heard of people who have managed to get camping reservations by showing up to Central and Grande. You could try this then risk trying to get campsites in-between by showing up or by skipping the middle section of the W and doing two trips in, one to Grande then up to Grey, and one to Central then up to the Mirador base de las Torres. There are many ways to see the Torres and this way you still get to experience a night or two in the park. Many people I met were just spending one night in the park, not ideal but they still had a great time then did a day trip to the other side of the park.
6. hire a car
If you are in a group this could be more cost-effective, and give you more freedom, than a tour. This way you can combine a couple of campsites if you manage to book them or get them on the spot, but not have to go all the way back to Puerto Natales and pay for transport back in. For example, you could stay a night at Central to see the Torres, then head to the other side and get the catamaran to Grande and stay one or two nights.
In two you should be able to go up to Grey and walk into the French Valley, making it up to one of the mirador before returning.
There are also campsites, hostels and hotels just outside of the park that you can research.
7. Self-guided tour
An option I looked into, what was the next best budget option as a solo traveller, was to book a self-guided tour of Torres Del Paine through an agency. This basically means you get the gear and itinerary but do it yourself, so you are paying the agency to book the campsites and provide the gear for you.
Again, it is cheaper if you can make it to the tour agencies in person. Two girls I met managed to get a self-guided tour with meals and gear (of questionable quality) included for around $550. The companies I emailed in advance were Chile Nativo (2019: quoting from $1.235) and Fantastic Sur (2019: from $710 for the ‘W’ express).
8. Stick to day trips
It is relatively easy to do day trips into Torres Del Paine and you can usually book a tour through your hostel. There are various trip options including the main sites and less-frequented trails. Whilst you do not get to do a multi-day trek this way, you are still able to see the park. Tours include a few viewpoints and Grey, or take a trip to hike up to the Towers. The latter is a long day due to the hike taking around 7-8 hours . Note tours usually do not include the cost of park entry (21,000 Chilean pesos- $32 for foreigners, what drops significantly to 11,000 – $17 between May- September).
Alternatively, you can DIY trip it to the Towers by buying a one day roundtrip ticket. Pick the earliest bus departure and one of the later evening time options (around 6.30pm-7pm) to allow you time to complete the hike and to not feel rushed.
In terms of other DIY hikes, there are also other options, such as the Mirador de Cuernos trail. Your accommodation should be able to give some information on the best day hikes around Torres Del Paine if you have the time to explore the area further.
9. Book a tour
Sometimes it is worth taking the plunge. If you have the money and do not fancy a self-guided tour, an option would be to go with a tour group. Prices vary, and usually showing up to agencies allows you the freedom to negotiate the price. Chile Nativo quotes from $1,895 online but it is worth shopping around.
I do not think it is necessary to do a tour, as the trail is well-marked and easy to follow. However if you want the guarantee of going to Torres Del Paine and do not want to go through the steps above (plus have the budget!) then this is a good option. As always there are pros and cons to organised tours.
Have you had an experience of doing Torres Del Paine without reservations? What was your solution? Comment below!
I hope this post is helpful for you if you do not have camping reservations for Torres Del Paine and want a solution. Patagonia is a beautiful region and there are many other parks to explore on the Chilean and Argentinian side if you have the time (stay tuned for future posts!)
Good luck!
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