Torres del Paine campsites 2022/23 – a detailed guide

Torres del Paine National Park is an incredible place for trekking; breathtaking scenery, untouched nature, and diverse wildlife. Here you will find some of the best hikes in Patagonia. Planning a backpacking trip to Torres del Paine can be overwhelming especially the part of booking campsites along the route. Several questions usually arise during the planning; How do you find the right campsites? How do you book campsites? What are the facilities? In this post, we give detailed information on the campsites in Torres del Paine. Using this guide you can plan your hike and choose the campsites.

In the 2022/23 hiking season the O circuit is open from 1st November.

The W trek can be walked from 8th September when the first campsite (Central) on the route starts operating. Other campsites open later in the season; Chileno and Frances on 10th September. The Grey and Paine Grande campsites are open from 1st October. Cuernos from 1st November.

How to buy entrance tickets to Torres del Paine?

According to the official website, hikers have to book entrance tickets to Torres del Paine online at least 24 hours before the planned visit.

Admission fee varies depending on how many days you’re going to spend in the park. The entrance fee for up to 3 days inside Torres del Paine is US$35 per person; the entrance fee for more than 3 days in the park is US$49. If you’re planning to do one of the multi-day routes the O Circuit or the W trek you’ll be spending in the park more than 3 days.

You can print your tickets or show them on the screen of your mobile device.

How many campsites are in Torres del Paine?

There are 11 campsites inside Torres del Paine National Park. They’re run by 3 different companies: CONAF (El Paso and Italiano campsites), the government organization, and two private companies: Vertice Patagonia (Dickson, Los Perros, Grey, and Paine Grande campsites), and Las Torres Patagonia/Fantastico Sur (Central, Serón, Francés, Los Cuernos, and Chileno campsites).

CONAF campsites are free of charge, they have quite basic facilities, camping in your own tent is the only option there. Currently, for the 2022/23 season, the two free campsites aren’t open and it’s unclear when they’re planning to open. If you want to plan your route and book campsites now don’t bargain on the free campsites and rather book the paid ones.

Private campsites (Vertice Patagonia and Las Torres Patagonia) have good facilities and offer fully equipped tents for rent as well as camping spots. Some campsites have indoor accommodation options. There is usually a restaurant where you can preorder meals and a shop.

Can you camp anywhere in Torres del Paine?

Not, hikers are allowed to camp only at designated campsites that you have to book in advance. Wild camping is not allowed in the park. If you get caught doing it you’ll pay a fine.

How to book the campsites?

To book paid campsites is very easy; you do it online through the Vertice Patagonia and Las Torres Patagonia (Fantastico Sur) websites. To complete a reservation you have to make a payment. Booking with both companies is open for the 2022/23 hiking season.

There is a new website Booking Patagonia that you can use to book all the campsites. It’s easier because you use only one website to book and plan your trip. We have never used it so I can’t speak from my own experience but it’s recommended on the official CONAF website for cooking campsites in Torres del Paine. They book bus tickets from Puerto Natales to Torres del Paine as well.

Important! For the O Circuit, it’s impossible to book a separate campsite with Vertice Patagonia. Bookings can be made only for 3 or 4 campsites together. You can either book Dickson, Los Perros, and Grey, or Dickson, Los Perros, Grey, and Paine Grande. Even if the El Paso free campsite (between Los Perros and Grey) is open, you’ll still have to book Dickson, Los Perros, and Grey. In my opinion, it’s easier to book paid campsites for the entire O Circuit.  The Vertice Patagonia campsites (Grey and Paine Grande) for the W trek, can be booked separately.

Las Torres Patagonia (Fantastic Sur) campsites for the O Circuit and the W trek can be booked separately. 

Free campsites can be booked online, but there is often some sort of a problem with the CONAF website. If you try to book and it doesn’t work out, try again later. As of July 2022, there is no information on when the free campsites will be open.

How long in advance to book the campsites in Torres del Paine?

It’s better to plan your route and book campsites a couple of months in advance, even more, if you’re going to hike in Torres del Paine in the peak season, December, January, and February. As of July 2022, the paid campsites (Vertice Patagonia and Las Torres Patagonia) are open for booking. Overall camping and meal prices at Las Torres Patagonia campsites are higher than the prices at Vertice Patagonia campsites.

If you’re looking for another great place for hiking and camping consider visiting El Chalten about 400 km north of Torres del Paine. It’s called the hiking capital of Argentina. There are several hiking trails in El Chalten with stunning scenery.

Torres del Paine campsites map

CONAF campsites

There are 2 free campsites inside Torres del Paine. To camp at the free campsites, you need your own camping and cooking gear. As of July 2022, there is no possibility to book the free campsites online or any information about when they’ll be open.

1A. El Paso (the O Circuit), currently closed

The campsite is located in the western part of the park, the first campsite after John Garner Pass. The campsite is quite small and has very basic facilities.

• The nearest attractions – Glacier Grey, John Garner Pass
• Price – free
• Check-in time – 1pm
• Check-out time – 9am
• Getting here – walking from Dickson or Los Perros campsites

2A. Italiano (the O Circuit, the W trek), currently closed

It’s one of the many campsites in the southern part of the park. It’s quite big and situated in a foresty area.

• The nearest attractions – Mirador Francés, Mirador Británico, Nordenskjord Lake
• Price – free
• Check-in time – 1pm
• Check-out time – 9am
• Getting here – walking from Paine Grande, Francés, Los Cuernos, or Central campsites

Camping facilities

There used to be one more campsite (Torres) but it was closed a couple of years ago. It was the closest campsite to the famous Mirador Las Torres. Staying there was the only way to see the sunrise at the Mirador. You had to start walking at least 1-1,5 hours before the sunset to make it in time. Nowadays the nearest campsite is Chileno which is about a 2,5h walk from the Mirador Las Torres.

Vertice Patagonia campsites

There are 4 paid campsites in Torres del Paine that are run by Vertice Patagonia. As of July 2022, all Vertice Patagonia campsites can be booked online.

1B. Dickson (the O Circuit), open from 1st November

It’s the far away campsite in the northwest part of the O Circuit. It’s a nice open, grassy, and spacious campsite.

• The nearest attraction – Dickson Lake
• Price – US$10 per person (camping with your own tent)
• Check-in time – 12pm
• Check-out time – 9.30am
• Getting here – only walking from Serón campsite

2B. Los Perros (the O Circuit), open from 1st November

 It’s another campsite in the northwest part of Torres del Paine on the circuit, next on the route after the Dickson. It’s more of a forest campsite with not much grass though better protected from the wind.

• The nearest attractions – Los Perros Laka and Glacier, John Garner Pass
• Price – US$10 per person (camping with your own tent)
• Check-in time – 1pm
• Check-out time – 9.30am 
• Getting here – only walking from Dickson campsite

3B. Grey (the O, the W trek), open from 1st October

It’s a spacious open camping area between Grey lake and the mountains. It’s the closest to the Grey Glacier campsite.

• The nearest attractions – Grey Glacier and Lake
• Price – US$10 per person (camping with your own tent).
• Check-in time – 1pm
• Check-out time – 9.30am
• Getting here – catamaran from Hotel Grey (45min. can book in advance), walking from Los Perros, El Paso, or Paine Grande campsites

If you want to see another impressive glacier or even do a glacier hike you can combine your Torres del Paine trip with a visit to Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentinian Patagonia, 250 km north.

4B. Paine Grande (the O, the W trek), open from 1st October

The campsite is located in the southern part of the park this campsite, in my opinion, has the best scenery. Paine Grande campsites is an open spacious grassy area. It’s a great place to stay if you want to do day hikes in Torres del Paine. There are several routes that start from the Paine Grande campsite.

• The nearest attractions – Grey Lake, Pehoé Lake, and Skottsberg Lake
• Price – US$12 per person (camping with your own tent)
• Check-in time – 1pm
• Check-out time – 9.30am
• Getting here – catamaran from Pudeto (25 min., no advance booking), walking from the El Grey and Italiano campsites, walking from the Administración park entrance.

Camping facilities

*even if there is wi-fi the Internet might be very slow don’t expect too much.

Gear rental

It’s possible to rent full camping gear (tent, mat, and a sleeping bag) at all four campsites. It works out more expensive than having your own gear or renting it in Puerto Natales but a big advantage of renting camping gear at the campsites is that you don’t have to carry it with you every day. You reduce your backpack wight by 5 kg on average.

Rental prices

• a tent – US$32 max 2 people, per night
• a mat – US$9 per person, per night
• a sleeping bag – US$29 pp. per night

Meal options

It’s possible to order ready-made meals (breakfast, lunch/box lunch, and dinner) at Dickson, Grey, and Paine Grande campsites. There is no restaurant at the Perros campsite. The three campsites have a coffee shop where you can buy sandwiches, pastries, snacks, tea, coffee, beer, etc.

Meal prices

• Full board (breakfast, lunch/box lunch, dinner) – US$61
• Breakfast – US$19
• Lunch/box lunch – US$19
• Dinner – US$32

If you’re looking for more hiking and camping adventures in the wild make sure to explore the famous Carretera Austral, a road in southern Chile that takes you to lesser-known corners of Patagonia.

Las Torres Patagonia (Fantástico Sur) campsites

This company runs 5 campsites inside Torres del Paine. The campsites are situated in the eastern part of Torres del Paine. These campsites are more expensive than the Vertice Patagonia ones especially if you’re a solo hiker. They have a single occupancy supplement of US$12 per site. Some campsites have wooden decks for pitching a tent. If you arrive late you don’t have to struggle to look for a good spot. It’s possible to book campsites separately for both the W trek and the O circuit. As of July 2022, all Las Torres Patagonia’s campsites are open and can be booked online.

1C. Central (the O Circuit, the W trek), open from 8th September

It’s the closest to the Laguna Amarga entrance campsite. It’s a nice grassy spacious camping area with beautiful views over the mountains.

• The nearest attractions – Nordenskjold Lake, Laguna Amarga
• Price. Camping with your own gear – US$25 per person, double occupancy; US$37 per person for single occupancy. Fully equipped campsite (a 2-men tent, a mat, and a sleeping bag, liner) – US$70 per person, double occupancy, +US$12 single occupancy.
• Check-in time – 1pm
• Check-out time – 9.30am
• Getting here – by bus from Laguna Amarga, walking from Laguna Amarga, walking from Chileno, Italiano, Francés or Los Cuernos campsites.

2C. Serón (the O Circuit), open from 1st November

It’s the first overnight stop on the O Circuit. The campsite is situated in the eastern part of the park. The camping area is quite spacious and grassy. This part is less busy you have a better chance to spot wildlife, especially in the morning. We saw a puma not far from the campsite early in the morning just before the sunset.

• The nearest attractions – Río Paine, Pehoé Lake
• Price. Camping with your own gear – US$25 per person, double occupancy; US$37 per person for single occupancy. Fully equipped campsite (a 2-men tent, a mat, and a sleeping bag, liner) – US$70 per person, double occupancy, +US$12 per person for single occupancy.
• Check-in time – 1pm
• Check-out time – 9.30am
• Getting here – walking from Central campsite.

3C. Francés (the O, the W trek), open from 10th September

This campsite is situated in the southern part of the park close to the Italiano and Los Cuernos campsites. The wooden decks for camping sit on the slope of the hill surrounded by trees.

• The nearest attractions – Mirador Francés, Mirador Británico, Nordenskjord Lake
• Price. Camping with your own gear – US$25 per person for double occupancy; US$37 per person for single occupancy. Fully equipped campsite (2-men tent, mat, sleeping bag, liner) – US$70 per person, double occupancy, +US$12 per person for single occupancy.
• Check-in time – 1pm
• Check-out time – 9.30am
• Getting here – walking from Paine Grande, Italiano, Central campsites

4C. Cuernos (the O, the W trek), open from 1st November

One more campsite in the southern part of Torres del Paine, just 3 km away from Francés. The camping spots are wooden platforms in the forest.

• The nearest attraction – Nordenskjord Lake
• Price. Camping with your own gear – US$25 per person for double occupancy; US$37 per person for single occupancy. Fully equipped campsite (a 2-men tent, a mat, and a sleeping bag, liner) – US$709 per person, double occupancy, +US$12 per person for single occupancy.
• Check-in time – 1pm
• Check-out time – 9.30am
• Getting here – walking from Paine Grande, Italiano, Francés, or Central campsites

5C. Chileno (the O, the W trek), open from 10th September

It’s the closest to the Mirador Las Torres campsite, about 4,5 km. It takes 2,5-3 hours to walk to the Mirador. For this reason, the campsite is very popular and often fully booked. I’d recommend making a reservation at Chileno a couple of months in advance. The spots for camping are in the forest next to the river. Important! Due to the high risk of forest fires, it’s not allowed to use a camping stove at the Chileno campsite. You can buy meals at the campsite, bring food that doesn’t require cooking, or precook your meals in advance.

• The nearest attraction – Mirador Las Torres
• Price. Camping with your own gear – US$25 per person for double occupancy; US$37 per person for single occupancy. Fully equipped campsite (a 2-men tent, a mat, and a sleeping bag, liner) – US$70 per person for double occupancy, +US$12 per person for single occupancy.
• Check-in time – 1pm
• Check-out time – 9.30am
• Getting here – walking from Central, Italiano, Francés, or Los Cuernos campsites.

Camping facilities

• *the number of power sockets is limited you might have to wait.
• **even if there is wi-fi the Internet might be very slow don’t expect too much. The price is CLP 4000/US$5 per hour.

Gear rental

It’s possible to rent camping gear at the campsites if you don’t want to carry a tent and a sleeping bag with you.

Rental prices

• A tent (max 2 people) – US$43 per night
• A sleeping bag – US$24 per person per night
• A sleeping mat – US$10 per person per night

Meal options

You can get ready-made meals (breakfast, lunch/box lunch, and dinner) at all the campsites managed by Las Torres Patagonia.

Meal prices

• Full-board (breakfast, lunch, dinner) – US$88 pp.
• Half-board (breakfast, dinner) – US$62 pp.
• Breakfast – US$24
• Box lunch – US$29
• Lunch – US$44
• Dinner – US$44

The O Circuit itinerary and campsites

The O Circuit is one of the best long-distance treks in Patagonia it’s definitely worth doing. As of November 2021, two free campsites can’t be booked and there is no information if they will be open in the coming hiking season. My suggestion is not to count on the free campsites and rather book paid campsites along the route. The following itinerary includes only paid campsites. You can always adjust it if the CONAF campsites open later in the season.

When booking the campsites it’s important to remember that the O Circuit can be walked only counterclockwise; from Central to Serón to Dickson etc. 

It’s possible to do the O Circut as a part of an all-inclusive tour with G-Adventures.

Distances between the campsites on the O circuit in Torres del Paine

• Day 1. Puerto Natales – Central campsite, Torres del Paine (bus). Central campsite – Serón campsite (Las Torres Patagonia), 13 km.
• Day 2. Serón campsite – Dickson campsite (Vertice Patagonia), 18 km
• Day 3. Dickson campsite – Los Perros campsite (Vertice Patagonia), 12 km
• Day 4. Los Perros campsite – Grey campsite (Vertice Patagonia), 15 km
• Day 5. Grey campsite – Francés campsite (Las Torres Patagonia), 20,5 km
• Day 6. Francés campsite – Chileno campsite (Las Torres Patagonia), 20 km
• Day 7. Chileno campsite – Mirador Las Torres – Central campsite, 14 km. Central campsite – Puerto Natales (2 buses).

You can find more details on the route in our post – The O Circuit in Torres del Paine.

The W trek itinerary and campsites

There is one free campsite on the W trek – Italiano. As of July 2022, it is not open. For this reason, the following itinerary includes only paid campsites. You can always change it and stay at Italiano instead of Francés if the free campsite becomes available for booking.

The W trek can be walked either way; clockwise starting from Central or counterclockwise starting from Paine Grande/Grey. There are more itinerary variations for this route.

You can do the W trek as an organized hike with a local company or join a small group tour with G-Adventures.

Distances between the campsites on the W trek

• Day 1. Puerto Natales – Paine Grande campsite, Torres del Paine (bus + ferry). Paine Grande – Grey campsite – Paine Grande (Vertice Patagonia), 22 km
• Day 2. Paine Grande – Francés campsite – Mirador Francés – Mirador Británico – Francés campsite (Las Torres Patagonia), 22 km
• Day 3. Francés campsite – Chileno campsite (Las Torres Patagonia), 20 km
• Day 4. Chileno campsite – Mirador Las Torres – Central campsite, 14 km. Central campsite – Puerto Natales (2 buses).

For more details on the route go to The W trek in Torres del Paine.

How to book refugios in Torres del Paine?

If there are no available campsites for your dates or you are not a big fan of camping you can stay indoors. It’s possible to stay indoors in refugios every night on the W trek and partly on the O circuit.   

Vertica Patagonia and Las Torres Patagonia have indoor accommodation options. It can be a bed in a dormitory, a hotel room, or a private wooden cabin.

Vertice Patagonia refugios

Vertice Patagonia offers indoor accommodation options at 3 campsites: Dickson, Grey, and Paine Grande. The Perros campsite doesn’t have indoor accommodation options. You can book refugios online.

Dickson campsite (O circuit)

• Check-in – from 1 pm
• Check-out – before 9.30 am

A dorm bed without bedding is US$40 per person. You can use your own sleeping bag or rent bedding and a blanket for US$52 per person per night. The rooms are basic: single beds with mattresses and pillows. The Refugio has shared bathrooms with hot showers, a restaurant, a small shop, and a designated area where you’re allowed to cook using your own camping stove.

Refugio Grey (O circuit, W trek)

• Check-in – from 1 pm
• Check-out – before 9.30 am

A dorm bed without bedding is US$40 per person. A bed with bedding is US$92 per person. Even if you’re going to stay indoors I’d suggest having a sleeping bag or a silk liner. It’ll save you a lot of money on bedding. Rooms don’t have heating, but common areas are heated. The Refugio has shared bathrooms (separate for men and women), a lounge area, a restaurant/bar, a shop, and a designated area for cooking with your own camping stove.

Refugio Paine Grande (O circuit, W trek)

Paine Grande is a big complex with a couple of coffee shops, restaurants, shops, etc. A dorm bed without bedding is US$52 per person. A bed with bedding is US$92 per person. The facilities are similar to the refugios above.

Las Torres Patagonia

Las Torres Patagonia has a variety of accommodation options from luxury hotels to mountain hostels. All these accommodations can be booked online.

Mountain hostels are available at the Central (from 8the September), Francés (from 10th September), Cuernos (from 1st November), and Chileno (from 10th September) campsites. There is no indoor accommodation option at the Serron campsite. A dorm bed with bedding is US$125 per person per night. Rooms have bunk beds with mattresses, sheets, pillows, and bed covers. The hostels have shared bathrooms with hot showers, a restaurant, a lounge area, and a designated area outside for cooking using your own gear.

Mountain cabins at the Cuernos campsite are open from 1st November. The wooden cabins for 2-3 people have fully-made beds, towels, and shared bathrooms with hot showers. The price is US$200 per person per night for double occupancy, single occupancy supplement is US$175 per night.

Hotel Las Torres at the Central campsite is open from 8th September. It’s a luxury spa hotel with private ensuite rooms that feature a jacuzzi, king-size bed, wi-fi, bar, etc. Prices vary depending on the type of cabin, the number of people, and the season and start from US$500.

Places to stay in Puerto Natales

Puerto Natales is a gateway to Torres del Paine National Park. There are many accommodation options for different budgets from camping and hostels to luxurious hotels. From our experience, after camping for more than a week in Torres del Paine it was very nice to stay indoors.

Travel insurance for Torres del Paine

Hiking and camping in Torres del Paine is a great adventure in the wild. When planning outdoor activities such as this one don’t forget about travel insurance. If you don’t know what company to choose we can recommend our partner World Nomads. They specialize in covering adventure activities in different parts of the world including Patagonia. Their insurance policy is very flexible. It can cover the entire trip or just a part of it or a particular hike. You can purchase it online at any time of your trip. Get an instant quote right now!

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The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.