Best Time to Visit Torres del Paine
When to take a Torres del Paine day tour: daylight, wind, crowds and winter hiking rules season by season, and which months suit which tour.
For a day tour, the best time to visit Torres del Paine is between October and April, when the park is open from 7:00 to 21:00 and the days are long enough to fit everything in without rushing. Within that window, November and March are the sweet spot for most people. December to February are warmest and brightest but also the windiest and busiest. The day tours run all year, so winter is possible too, but it changes the hikes far more than the viewpoint circuits.
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The seasons at a glance
| Season | Months | Daylight | What it means for a day tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Sep–Nov | About 12 → 16 hours | Fewer people, cold nights, changeable weather. Strong choice from late October. |
| Summer | Dec–Feb | Up to about 17 hours | Warmest and longest days, strongest wind, busiest viewpoints. |
| Autumn | Mar–Apr | About 13 → 11 hours | Lenga forests turn red and gold, calmer wind, thinner crowds. |
| Winter | May–Aug | About 9 hours | Short days, snow on the peaks, guide required for the Base Torres trail. |
The park is open year-round. Opening hours are 7:00–21:00 from October to April and 8:00–18:30 from May to September.
Summer: December to February
Summer gives you the most daylight, up to about 17 hours around the December solstice, and the warmest days, with highs typically in the low to high teens Celsius. That makes it the easiest season for the long hikes, such as the Base of the Towers day hike, which keeps you out until after 21:00.
The trade-off is wind. Patagonia’s westerlies peak in summer and gusts can be strong enough to make walking on exposed viewpoints hard work. Every popular viewpoint is also at its busiest. Book early in this season, as the most popular day tours fill up.
Shoulder seasons: October–November and March–April
These are the months most experienced visitors recommend. Daylight is still generous, at about 14 hours in October and 16 in November, and the viewpoints are quieter. In spring, snow often still caps the peaks, which photographs beautifully. In autumn, from March, the lenga beech forests turn red and gold, and the wind usually eases.
Expect variety. A shoulder-season day can bring sun, rain, sleet and calm in a few hours, so layers matter more than ever. The Miradores trekking day is a good fit for these months: about six hours of walking across three hikes, with plenty of daylight left over. Our breakdown →
Note for 2026: CONAF lists the Macizo Paine (O) circuit as closed until 31 October. That affects multi-day trekkers, not day tours.
Winter: May to September
Yes, Torres del Paine is open in winter, and the viewpoint tours keep running. With about nine hours of daylight in May, a full day tour fits the light well. Snow on the massif and frozen lagoons make for a very different, much emptier park.
Hiking changes more. In the 2026 winter season an accredited guide was mandatory on the Base Torres and W trails through 15 September, with controlled windows for going up and coming down. A guided trek such as the Base Torres small group trek, which supplies crampons when there is snow, meets that rule. Expect some routes and services to close after snow.
Which month for which tour
Classic viewpoint day tour: any month works. November and March give you the best balance of light, crowds and wind. The Puerto Natales full day tour runs all year.
Base Torres hike: December to March for the most daylight and the least snow. In winter, go only with a guided group.
Grey Glacier boat: sailings depend on wind on Lago Grey and can be cancelled for safety in any season. If that happens, you are refunded. The calmer shoulder months are a good bet.
Puma watching: pumas live in the park year-round. The private puma-watching expedition runs with wildlife specialists, but no operator guarantees a sighting.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best month to visit Torres del Paine?
For most day-trippers, November or March: long days, thinner crowds and calmer wind than midsummer. December to February are warmest but windiest and busiest.
Is Torres del Paine open in winter?
Yes, all year. Winter hours are 8:00–18:30. Viewpoint tours run, but in 2026 an accredited guide was required on the Base Torres trail through mid-September.
Is Torres del Paine open in October?
Yes. October opens the summer timetable (7:00–21:00) with about 14 hours of daylight, though snow can still linger on higher trails.
When is it windiest in Torres del Paine?
Summer, from December to February, typically brings the strongest wind. Gusts at exposed viewpoints can be very strong at any time of year.
Ready to book? See the most-reviewed full day tour →
Related reading:
See Torres del Paine in a Single Day
Hotel pickup in Puerto Natales, the three towers from Laguna Amarga, Lake Pehoé, the Grey Lake beach and the Milodon Cave. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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