The full loop: your complete guide to the Torres del Paine O Circuit
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Most people who visit Torres del Paine do the W. They book the famous refugios, walk to the base of the towers, hike alongside Lago Grey, and fly home with photographs that look exactly like everyone else's. The W Trek is genuinely spectacular, but it is also a managed experience, with bunks assigned months in advance, a steady stream of hikers on the trail, and a back side of the park that none of them ever see.
The Torres del Paine O Circuit is different. The O Circuit is the complete 126-kilometer loop around the entire Cordillera del Paine, the W Trek plus the remote backside that the W leaves out. On the back side, CONAF (Chile's national forest service) caps entries at 70 hikers per day. On most days, you will see far fewer than that. The terrain is wilder, the campsites are more basic, and the views, of the glaciers, the hanging valleys, the jagged back ridges of the Cuernos, are ones that the W trek crowd never gets.
If you have 8 to 10 days, the fitness for a challenging multi-day alpine hike, and the willingness to carry your own kit through Patagonia's famously unpredictable weather, the O Circuit is one of the finest long-distance treks in the world.
This is your complete guide to planning it.
What is the O circuit and how is it different from the W?
The W Trek covers the three main viewpoint corridors of Torres del Paine National Park: the Torres lookout, the Valle del Francés, and the Lago Grey glacier face. It takes four to five days and is designed for ease of access, most hikers stay in refugios (mountain huts with dormitory beds, hot showers, and restaurant meals) and carry only a day pack.
The O Circuit includes all of this, but extends around the north and back of the massif, adding four additional stages that the W misses entirely. These stages cross the John Gardner Pass at 1,241m (the highest point on either circuit), descend to Campamento Paso, traverse the remote north side through Dickson and Los Perros, and complete the loop by rejoining the W at the Paine Grande refugio.
The key differences:
Access restrictions. CONAF limits the back-side segment to 70 hikers per day total. Combined with the booking system, which requires pre-confirmed campsites for every night, this creates a hard cap on crowds that doesn't exist elsewhere in the park.
Camping only on the back side. Refugios end at Paine Grande. For the back-side stages, you camp, either with your own tent at free camping zones or at the basic CONAF-operated sites with limited facilities. There are no hot showers on the back side.
Higher difficulty. The John Gardner Pass crossing involves significant elevation gain and is genuinely dangerous in high winds. CONAF closes the pass entirely when conditions are severe. You need proper gear, physical preparation, and the mental flexibility to wait out a closure if necessary.
Longer days. Stage distances on the back side are typically 18–25km. You will be walking for 7–10 hours on several days.
The payoff. The views from John Gardner Pass, looking down the full length of the Grey Glacier into the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, are among the most extraordinary in South America. Many experienced trekkers consider this moment the finest single viewpoint of any trek on the continent.
The O circuit: stage-by-stage breakdown
The O Circuit can be walked clockwise or counter-clockwise. Most guides and experienced trekkers recommend counter-clockwise (starting with the W portion and crossing John Gardner Pass on days 5–6), because the pass is technically more manageable when approached from the Dickson side, and the final W stages make for a strong emotional finish at the Torres.
Stage 1: Las Torres to Campamento Serón (~21km, 6–8 hrs) Starting at the Las Torres trailhead (accessible by bus from Puerto Natales or the park entrance), the first day heads north along the Río Paine valley. Terrain is relatively flat with some rolling sections. Serón is a comfortable campsite with basic services. This is the longest flat day of the circuit, a good way to settle into the rhythm before harder days ahead.
Stage 2: Serón to Dickson (~18km, 6–7 hrs) The route climbs gently above the Paine lake system and descends to Campamento Dickson, a stunning isolated camp at the edge of Lago Dickson with views toward the northern glaciers. This is where the back-side atmosphere begins to take hold, fewer people, wilder terrain, and a sense of genuine remoteness.
Stage 3: Dickson to Los Perros (~19km, 7–9 hrs) The hardest single day on the back side. The trail climbs through dense lenga beech forest before the vegetation thins and the exposure begins. The final approach to Campamento Los Perros crosses wet, rocky terrain in an exposed glacial valley. Los Perros is a raw, beautiful camp with nothing beyond basic facilities, and regular strong winds.
Stage 4: Los Perros to Campamento Paso (John Gardner Pass) (~10km, 4–6 hrs) The short distance conceals the difficulty. The trail climbs steeply through boulder fields to the John Gardner Pass at 1,241m. This is the most weather-dependent stage on the circuit, CONAF closes the pass in wind speeds above approximately 80km/h, which is not uncommon. If the pass is open, the descent offers the famous view over the Grey Glacier and the ice field. The descent from the pass to Campamento Paso (or continuing to Refugio Grey) is steep and can be slippery.
Stage 5: Campamento Paso to Refugio Grey (~10km, 3–4 hrs) The descent continues alongside the Grey Glacier, one of the largest temperate glaciers in the world, flowing directly into Lago Grey. At Refugio Grey, the circuit rejoins the W Trek. Hot meals and cold beer are available for the first time since leaving Dickson.
Stages 6–8: The W Segment (Grey → Francés → Torres) The final three stages of the O Circuit complete the classic W Trek in reverse, finishing at the Las Torres lookout on the final morning. Most trekkers time their arrival at the lookout for dawn, when the granite spires turn amber-gold in the first light.
Permits, booking, and how the CONAF reservation system works
The Torres del Paine permit and reservation system is one of the most complex in Latin America. Getting it wrong means missing your start date, and losing both the permit and the money.
The park entrance fee. As of 2026, the entry fee is approximately CLP 21,000 (around $25 USD) per person for non-Chilean adults during high season (October–April). This is paid separately from campsite fees.
Campsite and refugio reservations. All campsites and refugios within the park must be pre-booked. There is no walk-up availability. The main booking platforms are:
- CONAF's reservation system (conaf.cl) — for free campsites on the back side (Serón, Dickson, Los Perros, Paso). These are lower-cost but fill quickly.
- Vertice Patagonia (verticepatagonia.com) — operates the refugios and some campsites, including Paine Grande and the Grey Glacier refugio.
- Fantastico Sur (fantasticosur.com) — operates the Torres and Chileno refugios and campsites on the W section.
Book at least 6–9 months in advance for high season (December–February). Back-side CONAF sites often release in batches and sell out within hours of opening. If you miss the booking window for specific nights, you may need to restructure your itinerary around available alternatives.
The 70 hikers/day cap on the back side applies to the section from Dickson northward, not to the W segment. This is enforced through the reservation system: once 70 bookings exist for the Serón–Dickson–Los Perros–Paso segment on a given date, no additional reservations are accepted.
When to go: the Patagonian window and what to expect month by month
Patagonia is not kind to those who arrive at the wrong time. The optimal window for the O Circuit is narrow.
December–February (high season): The best weather window, with the longest days and the highest probability of manageable conditions at John Gardner Pass. Also the most crowded and the most expensive. Book 6–9 months in advance.
October–November (shoulder season): The park reopens after the winter closure in mid-October. Weather is more variable, snow may still be present on the pass, and some facilities run reduced services. But crowds are smaller and bookings easier to secure. October–early November is popular with experienced trekkers willing to trade predictability for solitude.
March–April (late season): Autumn brings stunning colour to the lenga beech forests, one of the most beautiful times to walk the circuit aesthetically. Days are shorter, nights colder, and late March/early April still sees reasonable weather. By late April, the park begins to wind down.
May–September (winter): The park is open but the back-side facilities are closed or minimally staffed, the Gardner Pass is frequently impassable, and conditions are genuinely dangerous without winter mountaineering experience. Not recommended for the O Circuit.
What Gear You Actually Need for the O Circuit
The O Circuit in Patagonia demands gear that performs in genuine mountain conditions, not trekking-comfortable gear.
Tent. Your tent will be hit by 80–100km/h gusts on the back side. A three-season tent is a liability. A four-season or reinforced free-standing tent with a low wind profile is essential. Double-check every peg before you sleep each night.
Sleeping bag. Rated to at least -5°C / 23°F for the back-side camps. Temperatures at Dickson and Los Perros can drop sharply, particularly with wind chill.
Waterproof gear. A Patagonian waterproof jacket is not the same as an everyday rain jacket. Your jacket needs a proper hood, fully taped seams, and the ability to seal completely against horizontal rain. Cheap waterproofs fail here.
Hiking poles. Non-negotiable for the Gardner Pass descent, which is steep and can be wet or icy. Use both.
Gaiters. Useful on the muddy back-side trails, particularly after rain.
Nutrition and fuel. The back-side camps do not sell food. Carry all meals from Serón or Dickson onward. A lightweight stove with wind protection is essential, standard canister stoves struggle at 50+ km/h winds.
Water. Drinking directly from Patagonian streams is generally safe; a filter or purification tablets add a margin of safety and are recommended.
Navigation. Download offline maps on Gaia GPS or Maps.me before entering the park. Cell service is non-existent on the back side. A compass as backup is sensible.
Getting there: Puerto Natales and the park gateway
The gateway city for Torres del Paine is Puerto Natales, approximately 113km from the park entrance on Route 9. It is a small, functional city with accommodation for every budget, gear rental and purchase options, multiple bus companies running to the park, and a restaurant scene built around the throughflow of trekkers.
Getting to Puerto Natales:
- From Punta Arenas: 3-hour bus, or a short flight (operated by LATAM and Sky Airline).
- From El Calafate, Argentina: 4–5 hour bus journey with border crossing.
- Direct flights to Punta Arenas from Santiago, and from El Calafate or Ushuaia in Argentina.
Getting to the park from Puerto Natales: Multiple bus companies (Bus Sur, Transfer & Bus Gómez, Turismo Zaahj) run daily morning departures during high season to the park entrance and Las Torres/Laguna Amarga trailheads. The journey takes approximately 2–2.5 hours. Book in advance during December–February.
Gear rental in Puerto Natales: Several operators offer high-quality tent and sleeping bag rental for trekkers who don't want to carry the full kit from home. Rental is cheaper than airline overweight fees and the gear quality at established rental shops is genuinely expedition-grade.
Choosing a guided vs. independent O circuit
The O Circuit can be completed independently, and most people do. The navigation is well-marked, the terrain requires no technical skills, and independent trekkers are well-served by the reservation system and trail infrastructure.
However, a guided O Circuit offers meaningful advantages:
- Permit logistics handled. Securing back-side CONAF campsites requires fast action when booking windows open. Established operators have this down to a system.
- Porterage options. Some operators include baggage transfer between camps, allowing you to walk with a lighter day pack on longer stages.
- Guide expertise. The Gardner Pass call, whether conditions are acceptable to cross or whether to wait a day, is consequential. An experienced Patagonian guide makes this judgment call more safely than a first-time visitor.
- Emergency infrastructure. On the remote back side, having a guide with satellite communication, first aid training, and evacuation knowledge is not trivial.
Outer lists certified guiding operators in Puerto Natales who specialize in O Circuit logistics for international trekkers, from fully supported expeditions to permit-only assistance for independent hikers.
The O circuit vs. the Dientes de Navarino: which is the greater patagonian trek?
These are the two defining multi-day treks of Chilean Patagonia, and they attract different trekkers.
The O Circuit offers a high-quality infrastructure framework, known campsites, clear trail markings, and a safety net of refugios at either end. It is hard but not technically demanding. Its setting within one of the world's most photographed national parks means the landscapes are iconic.
The Dientes de Navarino (covered in the Outer blog's Navarino Island guide) is the world's southernmost trek, rawer, more technical, without marked infrastructure, and requiring genuine backcountry navigation skills. It is not the choice for first-time long-distance hikers.
For most adventurous trekkers who want Patagonia at its finest with a manageable challenge, the O Circuit is the answer. For experienced backcountry hikers who want complete solitude and are willing to navigate without a trail, Navarino calls.
Both are bucket-list treks. Neither is ordinary.
Final advice: three things that separate good O circuit trips from great ones
Build in a weather day. Every experienced Patagonian trekker has a story of waiting out a Gardner Pass closure for 24–48 hours. Budget for this in your schedule, either by building a flexible night at Los Perros or by not booking your flight home the day after your planned finish.
Start very early on Gardner Pass day. Conditions at the pass are most stable in the early morning. Leave Los Perros by 6am if possible. Winds increase significantly through the afternoon.
Walk the W in reverse. Most O Circuit trekkers complete the W segment counter-clockwise (Grey → Francés → Torres), meaning they arrive at the towers lookout at the end of the trek. Timing this arrival for dawn on your final morning, when the towers turn shades of orange and pink in the first light, is one of the finest moments available anywhere in South American adventure travel.
Book your O Circuit early. Camp spots on the back side sell out months in advance, and once they're gone, they're gone.
Planning a guided Torres del Paine O Circuit? Browse verified Patagonian trekking operators on Outer, local specialists who handle the permit maze so you can focus on the mountains.