Where to Stay in Torres del Paine: Best Lodging & Accommodation

We have visited Torres del Paine twice and stayed in everything from refugios to cosy lodges to all-inclusive luxury. Here’s our honest opinion of where to stay in Torres del Paine.

Torres del Paine is one of the great national parks in the world. But staying here isn’t cheap, and choosing where to stay is a careful balance between location and cost.

Base yourself inside the park, and you’re steps from sunrise at the Towers or the best lake views in Patagonia, but you’ll pay for the privilege. Stay in Puerto Natales, and you’ll save serious money, but add well over an hour’s drive each way to your days.

We’ve visited twice and stayed in different types of accommodation from budget camping by Lago Pehoé to the all-inclusive luxury of Explora.

Below is our honest breakdown of where to stay, what each area actually offers, and which specific hotels, lodges and refugios are worth booking.

If you have any questions, please ask us in the comments section at the end of the post.

Layout of Torres del Paine National Park

Torres del Paine National Park spans over 900 square miles, but the area you visit is tucked into the south-eastern corner, making it much more manageable than it sounds.

There are 5 different areas you might consider staying when visiting the park:

• Inside the National Park (Towers Section)
• Inside the National Park (Pehoé Section)
• Rio Serrano (Southern Entrance)
• Cerro Castillo (Eastern Entrance)
• Puerto Natales

Inside the National Park

Inside the Park accommodation can roughly be split into two different areas.

The eastern part is the Towers Section of the park. This is where you will find the trailhead for the hike to the Base of the Towers; it is also the best area for spotting wildlife. Pumas and guanacos are more likely to be found here, especially near dawn and dusk.

The closest access is the Eastern Entrance Laguna Amarga Gate.

The southern part is the Pehoé Section of the park. This is where you will find the most famous views of the Paine Massif rising behind blue-green lakes. It is also where boats leave for sightseeing trips to Grey Glacier and for day hikes from Paine Grande.

The closest access is the Southern Entrance Rio Serrano Gate.

Driving between the sections does not take that long – about 1 hour to 90 minutes, depending on where you are heading. So it is perfectly possible to see everything from one base. However, accommodation prices in the park can be high.

Outside the National Park

There are three different options for staying outside the park.

Cerro Castillo is a small town. It is a 40-minute drive from the Eastern Entrance of the park. There is not much going on here. A small shop, snack bar, and restaurant. It does not have much atmosphere, but it is a lot cheaper to stay here than the nearby Eastern Section of the park.

Rio Serrano is a small settlement of hotels. It is only a 5-minute drive from the park’s Southern Entrance and 20-minutes to the best viewpoints in the park. There is no local community here, so don’t expect to find shops. However, you have a choice of hotel dining rooms in the evening, the views are wonderful, and you get (a little) more bang for your buck than the nearby Pehoé Section.

Puerto Natales – This is the closest real settlement, with supermarkets, a fuel station, ATMs, and plenty of restaurants and bars. In the evening, there is a genuine buzz to the place. Accommodation is much cheaper than any of the above, but it is a 90-minute drive from both gates, resulting in long days. It’s also tough to be in the park for sunrise or sunset.

To help get your bearings, we have created a map of the park and the accommodation in different sections

Do You Need to Hire a Car

There are four common ways to see the park.

• Hike the W-Trek or the O-Trek, carry your own stuff and stay in refugios or campsites.
• Stay in and all-inclusive with full guided day trips and pick-up from Puerto Natales
• Stay in Puerto Natales and take organised day tours
• Travel independently and explore on your own

You do not need a car for the first three, but if you plan to stay near or in the park and travel independently, we highly recommend you hire a car. The public transport in the park is very poor, and getting between the sights is either nearly impossible or takes forever.

If you do hire a car, there is no fuel inside the park, and the nearest gas station is in Puerto Natales (a 90-minute drive). If you are visiting for 2 days/3 nights, it should not be a problem. But if you are driving around for 4 or 5 days, you may need to make a trip to Puerto Natales and back to fuel up.

You can find more details about these options in our “How to visit Torres del Paine” guide.

Deciding Where to Stay

If you are planning to hike the W-Trek or O-Trek then you can either book the refugios yourself or go through an organised tour.

If you are planning to stay at an all-inclusive resort, they will take care of all the driving and getting around, so just choose the lodging that suits you best. We give you the pros and cons of each below.

If you are travelling independently, then we recommend the following:

• For easy access to the best viewpoints, stay In the Park (Pehoé Section) or in Rio Serrano.
• For the Base of the Towers hike and best wildlife, stay in the Park (Towers Section) or in Cerro Castillo.

If you want to explore the entire park and don’t mind moving hotels, split your time between both areas. If you don’t want to move hotels, we would lean towards the Pehoé and Rio Serrano areas.

We have highlighted our favourite hotels and lodges in the breakdown below.

When to Visit Torres del Paine

There’s no single best time to visit Torres del Paine. It really depends on whether you’re chasing reliable weather, empty trails, or a specific look to the landscape.

December to February is peak season. Temperatures average around 11°C (52°F), with long days for exploring. It’s ideal for those who want the warmest and most reliable conditions for hiking. The downside is that costs are high, and accommodation gets booked up 6 to 12 months in advance.

Late October & November are springtime, with wildflowers and active wildlife. Lots of glacial particles are still suspended in the lakes, making them a gorgeous blue-green. Accommodation is cheaper and many of the all-inclusive places offer cheaper room only deals. The downside is that you are taking a risk with the weather, and snow may still be on many of the higher trails.

The first time we visited Patagonia we came in mid-November, had pretty decent weather with clear trails and the lake colours were amazing.

Late March & April are autumn in Patagonia. Golden foliage spreads across the grasslands, accommodation prices are lower, and the fierce winds drop significantly. It’s a beautiful time for photographers with colourful landscapes, a better chance of reflections in the lakes, and good sunrises and sunsets at decent times of day. However, the later you go, the greater the risk of snow falling on the higher ground and trails becoming inaccessible.

The last time we visited Patagonia, we came in late March, found cheaper accommodation which we could book about 6 months in advance and had some great photo opportunities in calm conditions.

May to September is best avoided. Winter is extremely cold here; a lot of places shut down, and those that don’t, require you to have a guide on most excursions.

Types of Accommodation & Prices

Let’s not beat about the bush. Accommodation in Torres del Paine is very expensive. But there is at least lots of choice of type of accommodation from campsites and refugios, through hostels and budget hotels, to premium lodges and all-inclusive luxury.

Prices are higher during the Christmas holidays from mid-December to early January, but drop off in the shoulder seasons. Before booking, be careful to check whether the price is for room only, bed & breakfast, full board or all-inclusive. It can make a big difference.

Below is a rough rundown of the prices you might expect to pay. Prices obviously move a lot, so it’s only an indication and better used as a relative pricing guide.

The prices are per room per night (assuming 2 sharing).

Accommodation	Symbol	Price
1. Camping & Hostels	$	up to $100
2. Refugios & Budget Hotels	$$	$100–$300
3. Mid-Range Hotels	$$$	$300–$500
4. Premium Lodges	$$$$	$500–$1000
5. Luxury All-Inclusive	$$$$$	$1000+

Breakdown of Accommodation and Lodging

Inside the National Park (Towers Section)

Las Torres ($ to $$$$$) – Accommodation ranges from tent pitches ($), fully equipped camping ($$), dorm beds ($$), mountain cabins ($$$$), glamping domes. The cost changes dramatically depending on what you choose and which add-ons (meals, sleeping bag, sheets included) you select.

Its top-end offering is Hotel Las Torres ($$$$$), which has grown from a rustic estancia lodge into a proper hotel (85 rooms) offering a mix of room (with breakfast and dinner) or all-inclusive packages (covering meals, transfers and guided excursions).

It feels more like “a nice hotel that happens to be in Patagonia” than an immersive wilderness experience, but it’s a comfortable place to be near the Towers hike.

EcoCamp Patagonia ($$$$$) – Geodesic dome “glamping” just off the W Trek’s eastern trailhead, sold as multi-day all-inclusive packages (typically 4–8 days) covering meals, transfers and guided excursions.

What makes it special is its stripped-back immersive wilderness experience, while still having heating in the rooms. What you give up is some comfort. Some domes have no electricity or shared bathrooms.

The fairly limited number of domes means it books up months in advance. Prices can change dramatically depending on peak season and the standard of dome you want.

Inside the National Park (Pehoé Section)

Camping Lago Pehoé ($) – Camping right by the lake, this is the most budget option on this list; no meals included, so you’re self-catering or carrying your own food.

The pitches have a roofed wooden shelter and table, plus access to hot showers and toilets. You can rent a tent if you don’t want to take one with you. Its superb location means this is a great option if you want to hire a car and explore yourself, but spend very little on accommodation. Be sure to pick up food in Puerto Natales on the way.

You can also rent domes, although this will push you up a price bracket.

Refugio Paine Grande ($ to $$$) – The W-trek’s most central refugio, it can only be reached by hiking in or taking the Pehoé Catamaran (you cannot drive there). The refugio accommodation ranges from pitches for tents to shared dorms.

At the very basic level (bring your own tent / no food) it is very cheap ($) but prices quickly rise as you add stuff. Dorms (4 to 6 beds in a room) are much more expensive. If you want to rent sleeping bags or sheets for dorm beds, the price rises again. You can also get breakfast, packed lunches and dinner.

If you opt for everything, the price ends up in the ($$$) bracket. Having said that, it’s in an amazing location between two of the best sections of the W-Trek.

On our last trip, we parked at Pudeto Pier, got the catamaran, and stayed here one night to hike to Mirador Británico and Glacier Grey, without doing the whole W-Trek.

Hosteria Pehoé ($$$) – Simple, traditional-style hotel on its own island in Lake Pehoé, with one of the best views in Torres del Paine National Park. However, it is pretty pricey for the level of accommodation, so on our last visit we decided to pay a little more and get a little more somewhere else.

Hotel Lago Grey ($$$$) – Comfortable hotel on the shore of Lago Grey with direct access to Glacier Grey boat tours. Accommodation is in wooden lodges, and the communal areas are stylish and inviting. An excellent non-all-inclusive option for independent travellers who want a proper hotel bed without committing to a multi-night package.

We stayed here for a night on our last trip and loved it. We spotted a grey fox and a woodpecker in the grounds, and the views from the restaurant window were wonderful.

Explora Torres del Paine ($$$$$) – The original luxury all-inclusive lodge on Lake Pehoé, with a minimum stay of 3 nights (rising to 6 nights over the Christmas/New Year period); rates cover all meals, drinks, transfers and unlimited guided excursions).

We stayed here on our first trip back in 2009. It is a very special place, in a very special location, for a very special occasion. It is the most luxurious of the three all-inclusive hotels in the park and has ‘hands down’ the best views.

If you want the best of the best, this is it.

Rio Serrano (Southern Entrance)

Camping Rio Serrano ($ to $$) – From budget bring-your-own-tent camping to glamping near the park’s southern entrance and the village of Río Serrano.

Each site has a three-sided structure that fits a picnic table under a sturdy roof. Shared bathroom and showers. No meals included, self-catering.

Cabañas Lago Tyndall ($$) – Rustic self-contained cabin/bungalow-style accommodation in the Río Serrano area, a good option for those wanting a kitchen and more independence than a standard hotel room. Wonderful views of the Paine Massif.

Konkashken Lodge ($$$) – Simple lodge with cosy, comfortable cabins with excellent views and an atmospheric bar and fire pit for the cold evenings. At the lower end of this pricing tier, it’s a good balance between comfort and cost and very close to the park entrance.

Pampa Lodge Patagonia ($$$$) – At the lower end of the ($$$$) bracket, this quiet lodge has about 20 rooms, all of which have fantastic views through massive windows to the Torres del Paine Massif. Set right on the banks of the river, rooms can be booked with breakfast only, so you don’t have to fork out for the all-inclusive package

Rio Serrano Hotel & Spa ($$$$) – The area’s largest hotel (108 rooms) on the banks of the Serrano River, with Classic, Standard and Superior room tiers, an indoor pool and spa. A mixture of room-only rates, full board ($$$$), and all-inclusive ($$$$$).

The communal areas are excellent, the food at the bar top notch and the views from the windows to the Paine Massif are striking.

We stayed here for a couple of days on our last visit and really enjoyed it. Free late-afternoon snacks, free talks, and choices of daily tours are on offer.

Patagonia Camp ($$$$$) – Yurt-style luxury glamping near Río Serrano, sold as all-inclusive packages (meals, activities and transfers bundled in), similar in concept to EcoCamp but with a more upscale finish. 3-night minimum.

Cerro Castillo (Eastern Entrance)

Hostería Pionero ($$) – Historic English-style mansion-turned-lodge in Cerro Castillo, offering standard, premium, and family rooms with an on-site restaurant; room-only (bed and breakfast). Reviews are mixed on upkeep despite the building’s character.

Estancia dos Elianas ($$) – Working farm stay, near Laguna Amarga, with family-style rooms and an on-site restaurant serving dinner and lunch; room-only rather than all-inclusive, and breakfast is typically included.

Hotel Estancia El Ovejero Patagónico ($$) – Estancia-themed hotel in Cerro Castillo, right by the Chile–Argentina border crossing and about 50 minutes from the park; rooms only, no all-inclusive option, and it stays open year-round when many others close for winter.

Tierra Patagonia ($$$$$) – All-inclusive lodge and spa on the shore of Lake Sarmiento with a minimalist, architect-designed feel; rates bundle meals, drinks, transfers and guided excursions, positioning it alongside Explora as one of the park’s top-tier luxury options. 3-night minimum.

Puerto Natales

Wild Hostel ($) – Simple, centrally located hostel in Puerto Natales town, offering dorms and private rooms with shared or private bathrooms; breakfast included, no all-inclusive packages — a straightforward budget base for stocking up before heading into the park.

Hotel Vendaval ($$) – Good budget hotel in the centre of Puerto Natales. The cheapest hotel in this post and an excellent option if you are saving money but want your own room and don’t mind the long drive into the park.

Borries Boutique Guest House ($$) – At the upper end of the ($$) range, this small boutique guesthouse in Puerto Natales is well reviewed for breakfast and as a couples’ pick. On the edge of town it manages to have that wilderness feel while still being close to facilities,

Hotel Simple Patagonia ($$$) – Another well-regarded Puerto Natales town hotel; room-only, popular with travellers staying near the airport and bus terminal before or after their park days.

Book in Advance

How Far to Book Ahead

Lodging and refugios in the park book out months in advance. For peak season start planning about a year before you plan to travel.

In the shoulder seasons, you might get away with 6 to 9 months (which we did, although we had to move hotels a couple of times).

For a last-minute booking, your best bet is Puerto Natales, which has plenty of accommodation options.

Torres del Paine National Park Tickets

In order to enter the park, you must have a valid entrance ticket. This can only be bought online in advance. As long as you have a ticket, you can enter and exit the park at any time of day. If the gates are manned, which they are during most daylight hours, stop to show your ticket at the gate upon entering.

Passes are usually still available to buy on the day or 1-day in advance.

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