The Most Magical Place on Earth (on a budget): Patagonia (My tips + tricks)

Last year, I randomly decided Chile would be my new home. Out of all places to study abroad, I knew the least about Santiago but felt a deep pull to go there, especially when I found out that the backpacking spot of my dreams was there. Chile, land of the most extreme and beautiful landscapes, holds in its southern pocket part the region of Patagonia, including the idyllic landscape of Torres del Paine. 

When I arrived in Santiago, summer was ending, and my timeline to go to Torres del Paine was getting slimmer and slimmer. People warned me that April would have possibly terrible weather, but I took a chance and booked my flight. With little to no backpacking experience and no reservations booked, my friend and I took a leap and got on a red eye flight to Puerto Varas. 

Before I get into my unique experience in the famous national park, I’ll lay out our itinerary. While we were students this time, we had VERY limited time and $$$

So in summary, we did not see it all, we barely touched the park, but in that short time, we were able to see some of the most incredible views of my life. We didn’t even see the famous Towers, but somehow this trip managed to be the most magical trip of my life, and we spent much less than the average Torres del Paine attendee, because to be blunt, it is not cheap!

The first night when we arrived in Puerto Natales, our hostel completely saved us, as we had no experience, no gear, no plan. Lots of hostel goers who had just completed the trek explained what we could and couldn’t do in a two day time frame. Most people either complete the W (a three stop hiking excursion that takes anywhere from 3-6 days depending on pace), or the full O that goes around the entire park and takes much longer. 

Their recommendation was to let go of our dream to see the famous towers, and do another route to maximize other viewpoints. We definitely hadn’t trained and were not in prime backpacking shape, but with the help of the amazing hostel owner, and the backpackers staying, we created a plan. The Friday before, we went around town gathering and renting camping gear, we made a reservation at Paine Grande campsite, we bought food to bring, and got our bus tickets.

Early the next morning, we rode into the ethereal entrance of Torres del Paine, and set out on our first hike to the Grey Glacier. Due to the timing, and because we didn’t have a camp spot at Grey Glacier, we only went to the half point of hike, and even only going half way offered incredible views.

That night, we huddled in the glam Paine Grande refugio, snuck past the guest only section, and camped ourself near the fire. While we planned to eventually return to our tent, the fireplace became nicer and nicer, and with a 5,000 CLP glass of wine we were very comfortable with the company of the fire’s warmth and the other campers. So we slept there. Yep the whole night, we slept in the lobby of essentially a hotel. While they did turn off the fire and the heat, compared to the whipping winds we heard outside, it was quite cozy inside, and god bless them, they never kicked us out.

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Around 6 am, while our friend at breakfast warned us about mice, we realized we had left all our food in the tent. Hearing horror stories of mice chewing through camping gear, we reluctantly returned to our rented gear to find the most breath taking sunrise of our life. Luckily, there were not mice in sight and we started the long journey to the French Valley.

The hike was breathtaking and eerie, and difficult and rewarding. The fall foliage accompanied our exhausted legs, as we climbed to the half way point of French Valley. Because we had to return to make the boat back and climb all the way back to Paine Grande. After an exhausting, but beautiful day, we took the bus back to Puerto Natales where we each finished a personal pizza within a matter of minutes.

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So all in all, this trip was amazing, despite that it was only a fragment of what others do. In our short time, we saved lots of money, by only staying in the park one night, and packing our own food. With perfect weather, and incredible  changing leaves, I wouldn’t have changed anything.

Here’s my Backpacking tips:

1. Make reservations. If you’re trying to do the full trip, you absolutely need reservations at the campsites. If you’re doing the W, you usually will have 3-4 camp spots you will need to reserve, and the systems are pretty outdated and confusing online. 
2. Expect weather. The Patagonia region is notorious for four seasons in one day, so pack accordingly. We absolutely lucked out and it was sunny both days with mild wind, but I’ve had friends who were digging through snow. A sleeping mat for your sleeping bag, good hiking socks, and various layers are so necessary for ultimate comfort and safety.
3. Consider your timing. While we lucked out with the weather, having some time to plan the trip when you arrive, and for you to rest is crucial in case you have any issues. While the reservations are advanced, and there’s a good chance there might be bad weather one of the days, have a day or two to prepare prior to your trek is crucial.
4. Add up the expenses. While we spent under $300 for our trip total, there are lots of little fees that add up including the flight, the bus from Puerto Varas, the bus into the park, the entrance fee to the park, the food, the reservations fees, the rental gear and the boat if you use it.  It’s not an affordable at all, so realize these expenses ahead to avoid shock.

Here’s my saving money tips:

1. Book with low cost airlines (but realize strikes and delays need to be considered when booking). Sky. JetSmart.
2. Buy roundtrip bus and boat tickets. Because we decided to only do half the park we saved $5000 CLP by buying a round trip ticket.
3. Use your Chilean ID. If you’re a student and have an ID, your ticket entrance price is much lower!
4. Pack your own food and gear. Once you get to Puerto Natales, everything is extremely pricey so make sure to get your gear in Santiago before you come.

Torres del Paine is all about realigning your expectations, as nature has its own plan. Even though I always envisioned I would see the towers, the views I did see were incredible, and I got to do along side one of my closest friends.

Here’s the hostel where the owner saved our lives in many ways (helped us get a flight when ours was cancelled, and drove us all around the town to get supplies for our hike)