Home > Puerto Natales > Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park from Puerto Natales
USD $199.00
Full-Day Tour of Torres del Paine National Park from Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales, Chile
Blue glaciers, mirrored lakes and 'horned' peaks — journey into the surreal beauty of Torres del Paine National Park on this full-day coach tour from Puerto Natales. On the way, stop at Milodon Cave and imagine the giant sloths that lived here, and visit Devil’s Chair. Inside the park, admire Sarmiento Lake, visit a waterfall near Nordenskjöld Lake and enjoy lunch on an islet before trekking to the floes of Grey Glacier. Passing Amarga Lagoon, end this enchanting tour of Chilean Patagonia with views of the three Paine towers.
After hotel pickup in Puerto Natales, travel with your guide north to the mountain of Cerro Benitez and arrive at Milodon Cave Natural Monument.
Walk inside a cave and encounter a life-size replica of a prehistoric giant sloth called the mylodon, which looks like a large bear standing on its hind legs. During a guided tour, learn about the 1896 discovery of this extinct creature, believed to be twice the height of an average human and to have inhabited the area more than 10,000 years ago. Then visit several stalactite-studded caves and a massive rock formation called Devil’s Chair (Silla del Diablo).
Back in the vehicle, continue north and enjoy a break of coffee and snacks (own expense) at a villa in Castle Hill (Cerro Castillo), before entering Torres del Paine National Park, whose name means 'Towers of the Blue Sky.' Spanning more than 447,000 acres (181,000 hectares), this nature wonderland located in southern Chilean Patagonia was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1978.
Drive along the banks of Sarmiento Lake, created by a glacier and situated on the Patagonian steppe, and stretch your legs at a vista point to fully appreciate the lake’s deep blue center fringed in white formed by calcium deposits. From here, your guide points out snow-drizzled mountains of the Cordillera del Paine that cut through the middle of the park.
Continue westward to Nordenskjöld Lake, where you’ll walk for 20 minutes and come upon the roaring Salto Grande Waterfall, the outfall of the river-fed lake. From this viewpoint, scan the panoramas for herds of guanaco, which may strike you as a mix of llama and camel.
Then travel to the center of the park toward rustic Hosteria Pehoé, located on an islet in Lake Pehoé. Cross a footbridge to reach the hotel and dig into lunch in its inviting restaurant (see sample menu in Itinerary below). Afterward, stroll about in wonder at spectacular views of turquoise waters and what are referred to as the 'horned' peaks of the Cordillera del Paine.
Following this leisurely break, head to the north end of Grey Lake. After an easy 30-minute hike, behold the glacier mass that feeds into the lake, nearly 4 miles (6 km) wide and towering 90 feet (30 meters) high. From a distance, the ice floes resemble an immense spread of frothy ocean waves frozen in time, their various hues of blue combining at certain points into a grey sheen, lending the lake its name.
During your return to Puerto Natales, travel along Amarga Lagoon and capture views of the famous Paine Towers. Admire the three towers of granite with jagged peaks that spike skyward, the perfect image to finish a day of memorable sights.
Note: Entrance fees to Milodon Cave Natural Monument and Torres del Paine National Park are your own expense.
Absolutely the most beautiful mountains we have ever seen. The tour company was excellent and they got us safely to some fantastic observation points throughout the park. The full day experience was something we will never forget. Another bucket list experience.
Review by: Craig S, January 2017
Excellent tour. Well worth the money.
Review by: J NEDELEC N, February 2016
An amazing day. Highlight of our month in Chile. But we were surprised that it appeared to be run by another company who seemed to be charging considerably less than we paid. It was great to have the opportunity of booking while still in England but we probably paid far too much._br/_ The guide was excellent, so knowledgeable when it came to the geology of the area._br/_ Lunch wasn't merely good but a feast!
Review by: Thomas W, January 2016
This was a great tour! Our guide Sergio was excellent and had a great knowledge of the local area, flora, and fauna. We had a great time and I'd highly recommend. The company was also kind enough to call my hotel the night before to make sure I knew the proper pick-up time.
Review by: Chaoying Z, December 2015
The tour is over-priced. We comfirmed our tour twice with them. The company still made our reservation date wrong. I cannot believe how they made this. _br/_ Many thanks to the local company. They organized a new tour for us, even though there is nothing wrong with them. They were very friendly and kind. The tour and the guide are great.
Review by: dandav, December 2015
This is very expensive for what it is.... We basically spent the whole day on a minibus._br/_ The first stop was a visit to the MILIDON cave, which was quite impressive. Entrance fee was not included, so that was extra. Next we drove to Glacier Grey, which I was really looking forward to. What they don't tell you is that you need to walk approx. 1.5miles only to get a view of Grey, which is about ten miles away, across a lake. There was a boat tour, but that was not part of our tour and therefore couldn't get any closer to the glacier. After this disappointing stop, we carried on and stopped somewhere for lunch, which was included in the tour, and basically takes up an hour of the day. From there, we drove to the highlight, Torres del Paine..... By the time we arrived, it was pouring with rain and hence, we couldn't see anything. In hindsight, I could have rented a car for the day and done the trip myself. There were two of us and so instead of approx. 260 including entrance fees, this would have cost me approx. 100 going for a rental car option.. The entrance fee for Torres del Paine National Park cost 18 and was also not included... I don't normally like to talk badly about these tours, but this one was definitely not worth it .....
Review by: viator, December 2015
A well packed day with plenty to see, particularly if you are fortunate, as we were, to have good weather.
Review by: Roberto H, November 2015
The tour was totally overpriced. You can get an equivalent tour by booking at a local tour company in the city, saving you 66 of the money. So I cannot recommend to book it. Apart from that the tour was ok, though everything was in a hurry.
Review by: bjdlow, November 2015
The tour is organised nicely with an excellent English speaking tour guide who knows his stuff well and explained brilliantly. I like everything about this tour except that we may have paid too much, about double from the same tour, same guide offers locally.
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