AnnaEvery hiking enthusiast has their own dream trail. After I first travelled in South America in 2018, I was dying to discover the nature of the Far South. Torres del Paine National Park, and particularly the O circuit, Patagonia’s most amazing multi-day hike, made it to the very top of my list. That dream came true in 2022 – along with unforgettable memories and many lessons learned. In this post, I share all the practical information you’ll need to ease up the pain of the preparation and make your hike the best possible: length, sites, tips, and my detailed itinerary of the O circuit.
Note: Prices are valid as of March 2022, when I completed the hike.
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Trek difficulty | How long is the O circuit? | O circuit itinerary day by day | Highlights | Best time to go | Reservations | Tips: weight and cost
What is the O circuit?
The O circuit is a 7 or 8–day circular hiking route in Torres del Paine National Park. It’s located near the town of Puerto Natales, Chilean Patagonia, at the very southern tip of South America.
Torres del Paine is one of the most visited national parks in the Andes; and the O circuit is the longest multi-day hiking trail within the park (the shorter one being the ‘W trek’). It reaches famous Patagonian landscapes like Glacier Grey and the Base of the Towers (“Las Torres“).
The route takes its commercial name from the O shape it draws on the map; it’s called Circuito Macizo Paine in Spanish. The first 5 days make for a truly backcountry experience, with fewer hikers and more rustic camps; while the second part joins the route of the W trek and thus becomes busier.
The whole trek runs through an incredible variety of scenery near and far: snow-capped mountains, turquoise lakes, glaciers, waterfalls, subpolar forest, steppe, shrubland and bare rocks – leaving hikers with an unforgettable experience.
O circuit difficulty: Good level of fitness necessary
What makes this Torres del Paine hike difficult is its length, and what it means for our backs and legs. So the overall weight of your backpack is crucial. However, the good news is that it’s possible to keep the weight down (see tips section).
Apart from that, everything else is a positive:
- there’s no high altitude involved (the highest point is at 1200 m / 3937 feet), so no acclimatization is needed.
- the trail is well marked, easy to follow without a guide or a serious map (although I recommend you download maps.me and take a photo of the map at the trailhead)
- the hike in itself is not technical, save for a couple of river crossings. So no special skills or equipment is needed (I advise using hiking poles though).
If you prefer the company of an organised group and a guide, this is the best O circuit tour on Viator.
How long is the O circuit?
Overall, the O circuit is 136 km (85 mi) long and takes 7 or 8 days altogether, depending on your pace. (More about that in the next section.)
It can only be hiked anti-clockwise and each day ends at a campsite where both camping (own or rented tents) and ‘refugio‘ (dorm-style shelter) are available. Campsites must be booked beforehand and wild camping is forbidden throughout the park.
How long it takes to hike the O circuit
Most people do the full circuit in 8 or 7 days. The difference lies in whether you tackle days 4 and 5 as two short days (as they’re commonly done) or as one long hiking day. The bare minimum is 6 days to complete the trail, if you also skip the first campsite (Serón), making the 1st day longer.
As for me, I did the full circuit in 8 days and I’m happy for it, because:
- Day 3 is already quite long and challenging, so having a shorter day right after is great;
- I loved the landscape so much, I would have regretted spending less time marvelling at the scenery
Start dreaming: Discover other stunning, but shorter, multi-day hikes in Patagonia
O circuit itinerary
The below itinerary is the one I did on my O circuit hike in March 2022. Most of the other hikers I started the hike with chose the same route. As indicated, some campsites were closed for maintenance at the time.
It’s also possible, although less common, to hike the first day from Las Torres trailhead to Dickson, thus skipping Serón and “saving” one day. The other possibility to shorten the hike is to join days 5 and 6, arriving from Grey campsite directly to Frances / Los Cuernos camp, thus skipping Paine Grande.
From day 5 onwards, the O circuit joins the W trek route, running between Grey camp and Las Torres.
Keep planning: How to get to Torres del Paine from Puerto Natales
O circuit map
Day 1: Arrival to Torres del Paine National Park and hike to the first campsite, Serón
- Puerto Natales – Laguna Amarga entrance to the national park (bus: 2 hrs, cost 6 000 CLP = 6.60 USD)
- Laguna Amarga – Las Torres trailhead (shuttle bus: 20 mins, cost 3 000 CLP = 3.30 USD; or hike: 8 km / 5 mi, 2.5 hrs, free)
- Las Torres trailhead – Serón campsite (hike: 14 km / 9 mi, 4 hrs)
Day 2: Serón campsite – Dickson campsite (hike: 18 km / 11 mi, 3 hrs)
Day 3: Dickson campsite – Los Perros campsite (hike: 11 km / 7 mi, 4.5 hrs)
Day 4: Los Perros campsite – Grey campsite (hike: 14 km / 9 mi, 10 hrs)
- Between Los Perros and Grey there’s Paso campsite. It was closed at the time of my hike, making this the longest and most difficult day on the O circuit.
Day 5: Grey campsite – Paine Grande campsite (hike: 11 km / 7 mi, 3.5 hrs)
- The distance is rather short and the difficulty is lower on this day. So if you want to complete the hike in 7 days, you can skip Paine Grande and do a long and strenuous hike from Grey to Frances / Los Cuernos.
Day 6: Paine Grande campsite – Frances / Los Cuernos campsite (hike: 9 km–13 km / 5.6 mi–8 mi, 3 hrs–4.5 hrs + detour 10.5 km / 6.5 mi, 4.5 hrs)
- On this day you can (and should) take a detour to climb up to Mirador Frances, and further to Mirador Británico lookouts, before ascending back to your campsite. That means an additional 10.5 km / 6.5 mi, 4.5 hrs hike. Drop your backpack at camp Italiano and pick it up after the detour.
- You can choose between Frances and Los Cuernos campsites for the night, they are 5 km / 3 mi, 1.5 hrs away from each other. The third campsite in the area, Italiano, was closed for construction at the time of my hike.
Day 7: Frances / Los Cuernos campsite – Central (Las Torres) / Chileno campsite (hike: 12 km–16 km / 7.5–10 mi, 4.5 hrs–7.5 hrs)
- You can either stay in Central (also called Las Torres) campsite, or in Chileno. They are almost the same distance from Frances / Los Cuernos camps. Chileno is a more popular choice for those who want to hike to Base of Towers to catch the sunrise, as the hike is shorter.
Day 8: final hike up to the most famous viewpoint, the Base of the Towers, then exit Torres del Paine and travel back to Puerto Natales
- Central (Las Torres)/Chileno – Base of the Towers (hike: 10 km–4 km / 6 mi–2.5 mi, 4.5 hrs–2.5 hrs)
- Hike back from Base of the Towers to Las Torres trailhead (hike: 10 km / 6 mi, 3 hrs)
- Las Torres trailhead – Laguna Amarga park entrance (shuttle bus: 20 mins, cost 3000 CLP = 3.30 USD; or hike: 8 km / 5 mi, 2.5 hrs, free)
- Laguna Amarga – Puerto Natales (bus: 2 hrs, cost 6000 CLP = 6.60 USD)
Torres del Paine is one of our favourite National Parks in South America!
Highlights of the O circuit
Torres del Paine in Patagonia is one of the most beautiful corners of the Earth, and the O circuit hike offers truly memorable sights each day. The list below is my personal highlights:
Valle de Los Perros lookout
The first idyllic, typical Patagonian landscape, the Valley of Los Perros is surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Seen on day 2.
Glacier Los Perros
A small but breath-taking glacier above an ice-cold glacial lake. Seen on day 3.
Paso John Garner
The highest peak on the O circuit, at 1200 m (3937 feet). It’s very challenging to hike up and down the John Garner pass; but there’s a beautiful view over the Grey glacier from a point that only the O-circuit hikers can enjoy. Seen on day 4.
Who was that John Garner btw? Read his story on Vertice Patagonia blog
Grey glacier and Lago Grey
The biggest and most spectacular glacier in Torres del Paine National Park, part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. It’s simply majestic to hike along the glacier to the point where it melts into Lake Grey, with icebergs floating in the lake. After the Base of the Towers, this is the second most visited site in the park. Seen on day 5.
Mirador Frances
The Frances lookout is the first sight on the Day 6 detour, a beautiful glacier emerging after a steep climb from the shore of Lake Pehoe. Seen on day 6.
Mirador Británico
The end point of the detour, the Británico lookout offers a 360-degree view on the French valley, Lake Pehoe and Los Cuernos. Seen on day 6.
Lago Nordenskjöld
A long, turquoise lake with a difficult name, in front of a snow-capped mountain background. Seen on day 7.
Base of the Towers (or Base of Las Torres) lookout
The iconic 3-fingers shape granite rocks, the most visited viewpoint in Torres del Paine. Seen on day 8.
Best time to hike the O circuit, Patagonia
The trail opens at the beginning of November and closes at the end of March.
In my opinion, the best time to hike the O circuit is in the shoulder season: November–December or in March. There are less people on the trail so you can enjoy the solitude of nature without passing fellow hikers every 5 minutes. Also, winds are less fierce and temperatures are between 0°C and 16°C (32°F–60°F).
In the summer peak season (January–February) the park gets really busy, especially the W trek route. It can be annoying for those of us looking for a real connection with nature, and shorter queues for shower. In the summer, there’s a stronger wind, but less chance of rain. Temperatures are between 7°C and 20°C (45°F and 68°F).
Between April and November, the O circuit is inaccessible and the campsites are closed. However, Torres del Paine itself is open all year round, so it’s possible to hike other trails. For example, the W trek has a longer opening period: between September and April.
In winter (May-August), Torres del Paine can be visited with a guide. There’s hardly anyone on the trails and the snowy landscape truly gives a fascinating aura. You’ll see the mountains, the glaciers and the fjords in their best shape.
Torres del Paine O circuit: reservations
For the O circuit, you’ll need to pre-book the following:
- Entrance ticket to Torres del Paine National Park: book directly on the official national park’s CONAF website
- Each campsite/refugio where you’ll stay: you can do it either on the Torres Hike platform, which gives you a recommended route depending on how many days you want to stay on the trail, books all the campsites for you, charging an admin fee; or you can book directly on the Vertice and Las Torres websites, which split up all the campsites between them.
Basically, if you want to keep it easy and straightforward, choose the platform. If you want to save money and don’t mind doing comparison and planning yourself, book at the campsites.
Tips for the O circuit
The 2 challenging factors on the O circuit are the weight of the backpack, and the price of the hike. The good news is that both these challenges can be mitigated in order to sweeten your O circuit hike!
Here are tips that I learnt during my hike and really wish I had known before.
The weight issue
Since it’s an 8-day trek, it’s normal to carry a substantial weight. My 65-liter backpack was a common size among those who chose to camp in their own tent and carry their food.
Of all items, food is what weighs the most; so of course, as we ate the food, our backpacks got lighter. But an aching back is fairly common. Among the two of us, we shared the weight of the tent; but solo hikers usually either rent tents or pay for full-board meals.
The campsites offer ready tents with sleeping bag and sleeping mat; and also full-board catering which includes 3 meals per day at the camp. Some campsites have a small shop where typical camping food (like cheese, tins) can be bought.
Of course, if you choose the accommodation and meals package, your overall cost for the hike will be higher. You’ll want to find your own balance.
How to reduce the weight of your backpack to the minimum:
- Stay in refugios or ready tents;
- Rent sleeping bag and mat;
- Sign up for full-board meals, which includes breakfast, warm meal and packed lunch every day;
- Be minimalistic with clothing: the only things you really need are a lightweight insulated jacket, 1 long sleeve, 2 short sleeves, 1 pair of quick-dry trousers, rain jacket, 3 pairs of socks/underwear;
- Leave everything you don’t need on the trail at your accommodation in Puerto Natales
Further tips: How to pack like a minimalist
The cost issue
The O circuit is expensive, given the high park entrance fee and the price per night. We paid 173 USD per person including park entrance and camping with own tent + own food (although the food we brought into the park is not included in this cost). Las Torres campsites are especially expensive.
Although other multi-day hikes in Patagonia cost much less, the O circuit shows the most variety of landscapes; so it’s worth the price in my opinion.
As it’s usually the case, the cheaper you want to travel, the more gear you’ll carry yourself, so the heavier your backpack is going to be. But some of the below cost-saving tips are luckily not connected to backpack weight.
How to reduce your costs to the minimum:
- Go self-guided, instead of booking a tour
- Stay in a tent instead of choosing a refugio
- Bring your own tent
- Bring your own sleeping bag and mat
- Bring enough food for the whole hike
- Hang your food bag on a tree for the night in every camp so mice don’t eat your precious food
- Book directly with the campsites instead of using the Torres hike platform, so you’ll save on the admin fee
- Walk the trail between Largo Amargo to Las Torres trailhead instead of taking the shuttle bus
- Book your park entrance in USD so you’ll save on the taxes
- Consider completing the hike in 7 days; although this park is so beautiful that in my opinion it’s worth the price of 1 more night.
Tips to enjoy Torres del Paine even more
As you saw on the map above, Torres del Paine National Park is much bigger than the O circuit, and there will still be places and views to discover. So why not consider spending more time in the park?
Here’s some inspiration to spend more time in Torres del Paine:
- Stay longer in the park: stay more than 1 night at a campsite or pamper yourself in the cabañas. Cabañas Lago Tyndall is inside the park, 50 km from the Laguna Amarga entrance.
- Go on a tour of the area and see more highlights, such as Milodon caves, Serrano and Balmaceda glaciers. Book your boat tour to Serrano and Balmaceda glaciers on Viator. Check out this tour on Viator to see the Milodon cave and other sights of Torres del Paine.
- Stay at a fancy hotel with views on Torres del Paine. Hotel Las Torres Patagonia is inside the park, near the start of the Base of the Towers hike. Río Serrano Hotel + Spa has a beautiful view on the Paine Massif (that you actually hike along on the O circuit).
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Ready to tackle the mighty O Circuit in Patagonia?
Feel free to ask any question in the comments section below!
