Best Time to Visit Torres del Paine: Seasons and Closures

The best time to visit Torres del Paine depends less on the weather forecast than on which trails are open.

As of October 2026, the park's official season runs from October to April with gates open 07:00 to 21:00, while May to September is a winter season with shorter hours, several trail sections closed and guide rules on parts of the W trek.

The full O circuit is closed until at least October 31, 2026. This note sets out both seasons, the closures, the ticket rules and how to choose a month.

Figures come from CONAF's park page and the official Pases Parques ticket site, checked October 21, 2026.

Summer runs October to April with 14 hours of opening

The official ticket page lists two seasons. The summer season (temporada estival) runs from October to April, every day, with opening from 07:00 to 21:00 and last entry at 21:00, checked October 21, 2026.

This is the season almost every guided W trek and O circuit package is sold for.

Our Patagonia destination checklist notes that the longest days fall in December and January, and that wind is strongest in summer, so the busiest months are not the calmest ones.

October and April are the shoulder months inside the official summer season. They share the long opening hours, but this year October also falls under the O circuit closure described below, so a full circuit is not possible until November at the earliest.

Winter runs May to September with shorter hours and closed trails

The winter season (temporada invernal) runs from May to September, every day, from 08:00 to 18:30, with last entry at 18:30. The ticket page adds that hours or days can change with weather or safety conditions.

CONAF's park page lists the winter trail picture. The Dickson, Los Perros, Paso and Grey to Dickson sections are marked closed for winter walking. The Grey to Paine Grande section carries a warning of snow, mudslides and avalanches from May to September.

Several W trek sections can only be walked with a guide in winter, under the park's winter visitation protocol. The ticket site links to the list of accredited specialised guides and to the winter regulation for tourist activities, and asks visitors to follow it strictly.

For a package buyer, the consequence is simple: a self-guided W trek is a summer product. A winter W trek should come with a named, accredited guide, and the operator should be able to say which sections are walked.

The O circuit is closed until at least October 31, 2026

CONAF states that the Paine Massif circuit, known as the O, has been closed from May onward, initially until October 31, 2026. The ticket site adds that reopening depends on an assessment of weather and safety conditions at the time.

Anyone booking an O circuit for early November should ask the operator what happens if the reopening slips: a refund, a switch to the W, or a date change. Our note on guaranteed departures explains how to read an operator's terms on this point.

For safety, the ticket site also keeps both the recommendation and the requirement to use microcrampons and trekking poles. Our packing guide covers what operators leave off their kit lists.

Tickets are dated, sold online and not refundable

Entry tickets are sold through the official Pases Parques site, which CONAF's page names as the official source alongside its own. The ticket page states that the purchase allows no cancellation and no refund, so check the date before paying.

Categories on the official page include daily adult tickets (ages 18 to 59), child tickets (0 to 12), senior tickets (60 to 99) and tickets for people with disabilities. National and foreign visitors must be selected in separate steps, then paid together in one basket.

The foreign-visitor price was not displayed in the version of the page read for this note on October 21, 2026, so no price is quoted here; check pasesparques.cl before travelling.

The non-refundable ticket is a different promise from a tour's cancellation terms, as our note on free cancellation explains.

How to choose a month

• Full O circuit: November to April, subject to the 2026 reopening assessment.
• Self-guided W trek: within the October to April summer season.
• Fewer people and lower prices: October or April, accepting cooler weather and the O closure in October.
• Winter landscapes: May to September, with an accredited guide, shorter hours and several sections closed.
• Longest days: December and January, the peak months for refugio demand.

Whatever the month, check the trek's daily distances against your own pace, as set out in our note on tour physical ratings.

Weather planning still matters in summer

CONAF's page notes that plateau vegetation is exposed to the full force of the wind and asks walkers on the Dickson sector to check the forecast constantly. In winter it recommends studded tyres on park roads because of frost and ice.

Weather cancellations of catamarans and transfers are a normal part of a Patagonia trip, and the cost of a missed connection falls on whoever the terms say. Read our notes on travel insurance for package tours and when a tour goes wrong before booking.

The park is large, at 227,298 hectares per CONAF, and camping is prohibited outside authorised, signposted sites. Itineraries that look short on a map can involve long days between refugios, and long-haul travellers should plan around the time difference, as our jet lag guide suggests.

Frequently asked

What months is Torres del Paine open?

All year. The official ticket site lists a summer season from October to April, open 07:00 to 21:00, and a winter season from May to September, open 08:00 to 18:30, checked October 21, 2026. Hours can change with weather.

Can I hike the W trek in winter?

Partly. CONAF says several W sections can only be walked with a guide during winter, under the winter visitation protocol, and other sections such as Dickson and Los Perros are closed. Book with an accredited guide.

When does the O circuit reopen?

CONAF lists the O circuit as closed until October 31, 2026, with reopening subject to an assessment of weather and safety conditions. Check the official ticket site before booking early-season dates.

Can I get a refund on a Torres del Paine ticket?

No. The official Pases Parques page states that the entry ticket allows no cancellation and no refund. Buy it once dates are fixed, and keep the confirmation.

Bottom line

Go between November and April for the full choice of trails, October or April for quieter shoulder weeks, and May to September only with an accredited guide. Confirm the O circuit has reopened before booking it, and buy the non-refundable entry ticket last.

Sources checked

• Pases Parques, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine ticket page, pasesparques.cl, checked October 21, 2026 (season dates and hours, O circuit closure, microcrampons and poles, ticket categories, no-refund policy).
• CONAF, Parque Nacional Torres del Paine page, conaf.cl, checked October 21, 2026 (area, O circuit closure from May, winter trail closures and guide rule, weather notes, camping rule).
• Not readable on October 21, 2026: the foreign-visitor entry price, which the ticket page did not display in the version read. Check the official site before travelling.

Sources

• Pases Parques Torres del Paine – checked 2026-10-21
• CONAF Parque Nacional Torres del Paine – checked 2026-10-21