A hiker overlooking Torres del Paine at sunrise

The northern arc and the southern valleys

Torres del Paine O Circuit

Trace Serón, Dickson and Los Perros before John Gardner Pass and Grey, then follow the southern trails through Paine Grande and the French Valley toward Base Torres.

Classic example: 8 walking days, 7 park nights
Critical stage: Los Perros–John Gardner–Grey
Checked 4 October: O closed through 31 October 2026

Choose the northern journey

Prepare for the pass after several walking days

The O adds remote northern nights and a demanding pass crossing to the W's southern landscape. Dickson and Los Perros have no simple road pickup; the pass descent requires energy after the climb.

01
Read the actual stages
The classic sequence continues from Grey through Paine Grande, Francés or Cuernos, and Central. Shorter products may change that southern traverse.
02
Separate sales from opening
Pases Parques gives closure through 31 October 2026 and makes reopening subject to assessment. November program sales do not confirm trail permission.
03
Book the whole seven-night chain
Vértice's four northern and western sectors alone do not provide every night in the classic route. Confirm the Las Torres stays too.

Mountains and open water in Torres del Paine National Park.

Torres del Paine National Park; park-level landscape.

Days three and four

Arrive at Los Perros ready for the crossing

Build consecutive-day recovery for the northern O with your actual pack; a strong single summit day is a different test.

Cross eastern pampas to Serón, then Dickson and Los Perros valley/forest; the latter two have no easy road pickup. Vértice's one-way stages, checked 5 October 2026, exclude road arrivals: welcome area–Serón 15 km, 4–5 hours; Serón–Dickson 19 km, 6–7 hours; Dickson–Los Perros 12 km, 5–6 hours; Los Perros–John Gardner–Grey 18 km, 10–12 hours; Grey–Paine Grande 11 km, 4–4.5 hours.

John Gardner includes the long descent, onward trail and Grey/Paso suspension bridges, flagged for vertigo. Snow, ice, wind and poor visibility change the effort. Track feet, fatigue, warmth and eating; alert staff early. A missed Los Perros stay does not justify combining its approach and pass.

Mountain terrain in Torres del Paine National Park

Route and providers

Plan the published northern direction

The classic route uses eight walking days and seven park nights, each in its booked sector.

Days 1–4: enter at Laguna Amarga and transfer to the Las Torres welcome area, then walk to Serón; day 2 reaches Dickson, day 3 Los Perros, and day 4 crosses John Gardner and descends through Paso to Grey. Day 5: Paine Grande. Day 6: Italiano, the permitted French Valley excursion and return to the junction, then Francés or Cuernos. Day 7: Lago Nordenskjöld traverse to Central. Day 8: Base Torres return, eastern access and confirmed Natales transport.

The French Valley distance varies with the permitted upper viewpoint and booked onward sector. The final Central–Base Torres–Central return is 21 km, 8–10 hours, before transfers; accumulated fatigue may require the permitted exit.

The seven-day O Express starts with Base Torres and Central, then Serón, Dickson, Los Perros, Grey and Paine Grande. Its final French Valley excursion returns to Paine Grande for the Pehoé exit. It omits the classic's Francés/Cuernos–Central continuation, not the hardest pass day.

Sunset clouds above snow-covered peaks in Torres del Paine

Pass decisions

Let staff direct a hold or retreat

Follow staff's departure, hold or retreat instructions. A hotel buffer in Natales cannot reserve extra northern-route capacity or authorize a closed trail.

Checked 4 October 2026: Pases Parques and CONAF give an initial O closure through 31 October, with reopening subject to weather and safety assessment. Vértice's 1 November 2026–31 March 2027 sales window is not opening permission.

The April 2026 services report labels Serón–Dickson–Los Perros–pass–Grey links one-way; the 2017–2018 overnight regulation prohibits reverse Coirón–Paso movement. Neither establishes October access: confirm reopening direction and entry conditions. Chile Travel's certified-guide wording appears mandatory while Vértice sells guided and independent formats; park authorities must resolve the allowed format for your dates.

The 2026 park recommendations require ranger-station registration and departure registration at Perros and Paso. Trail cutoffs protect arrival before dark. Ask about current equipment and conditions, stay on authorized trails and use heat only where permitted. Staff must direct a pass hold or retreat, with the organizer handling subsequent reservations; never improvise a bypass. Pass, Británico and Base Torres access remains conditional.

Before payment

Match the full circuit to the full holiday

The example places eight walking days and seven park stays within eleven regional days and ten nights.

Season

Confirm the reopening conditions

Confirm authorized sectors, direction and guide requirements, plus delayed-opening alternatives and cancellation terms. Test consecutive days with your actual equipment, feet and recovery; resolve group medical and dietary needs before payment. Use the packing guide, checking layers, waterproofing and any required poles or traction. Keep route and confirmations offline, agree an outside contact and delayed-reconnection plan, and do not depend on an unverified shop or mobile signal to replace essentials. Compare this northern commitment with the W Trek, W or O and the wider park stay. Separate day hikes avoid the northern overnight chain but need their own transport and access checks.

Nights

List seven exact stays

The municipal guide assigns Serón, Central, Francés, Cuernos and alternative Chileno to Las Torres; Dickson, Los Perros, Grey and Paine Grande to Vértice. O Essentials covers only Vértice's four sectors. Attach all seven classic stays even if an agency coordinates them. Serón and Los Perros are camping nights: confirm pitch, tent, mat/sleep system, other equipment, dinner, breakfast and packed lunch. The Las Torres help centre distinguishes equipped camping from a pitch; confirm Vértice's equivalents. Add admission unless expressly included, road/local transfers and the person coordinating delays across owners. Trace the map and vouchers: Francés and Cuernos change the onward distance; Italiano is a junction, a guardería a ranger location, and Campamento Paso is not an eighth guest night.

Exit

Keep time after the trail

For eleven regional days and ten nights, arrive in Puerto Natales on day 1 for briefing, supplies and a night; regional days 2–9 follow walking days 1–8 above, ending back in Natales. Keep day 10 for recovery or a disrupted exit, sleep in Natales and depart on day 11: seven park plus three Natales nights. That margin does not solve a mid-circuit closure. From Punta Arenas, arrange the road connection before the first Natales night; compare the gateways. Keep an international continuation outside final-trail-day return assumptions.

Checked 4 October 2026: the O is closed through 31 October and reopening depends on assessment. Future programs remain conditional on park authorization.

Route and operating boundary

Check the closure and the actual product

Closure and direction information was checked on 4 October 2026. Vértice's named stage distances and walking times were checked on 5 October. They describe the published classic program; current park instructions determine permitted movement and departure.

Last editorial review: 2026-10-05

Pases Parques — O closure notice

CONAF — park and trail information

Vértice — eight-day classic O

Vértice — seven-day O Express

Park authority — 2026 recommendations

Municipality — sector owners