Best Grey Glacier Tours

At the far end of Lago Grey, on the west side of Torres del Paine, a wall of blue ice meets milky grey water and drops bergs that drift for days. You can sail up to it on a red catamaran, see it from the beach on a day in the park or, if you sleep at the refuge, strap on crampons and walk on it. From every Grey Glacier tour on GetYourGuide and Viator we handpicked six: the three-hour sailing on its own, the same boat with a minibus from Puerto Natales, a sailing plus the park's viewpoints, the cheapest day with the beach walk, the ice hike and the long day from Punta Arenas. What each one costs, how much time you really get at the ice, and what the listings leave in the small print.

  • Main season: October to AprilLong days and the most departures; the boat also sails in winter, when the ice hike does not run
  • Book well ahead in summerGrey sailings are booked about two months in advance on average, the ice hike closer to three

In a hurry? Our top pick for Grey Glacier is the three-hour sailing with Turismo Lago Grey: ~$130, run by the company that owns the boat, rated 4.6 by 391+ travelers on GetYourGuide. Book it here.

Book on GetYourGuide Book on Viator Compare all 6

Grey Glacier at a glance

  • Three hours on the lake, one at the iceAbout an hour up Lago Grey, an hour along the glacier's fronts and the run back. Longer tours add the drive and the park around it
  • The boat leaves from Hotel Lago GreyDeep inside the park, about two hours from Puerto Natales by road, then a walk of up to 45 minutes along the beach to the pier
  • Only one tour puts you on the iceThe ice hike starts at Refugio Grey and needs a night there. Every boat stays a safe distance off the face
  • The wind has the last wordThe captain confirms each sailing at check-in. If the lake is too rough the trip is called off and refunded

At the end of Lago Grey, photographed

The catamaran under the ice at dusk
A berg adrift on Lago Grey
Framing the face from the stern
Ice below the granite spires
Red hull, white wall
The front under a heavy sky
Windswept on the top deck
A guanaco on the road in
Salto Grande on the park day
The photo everyone takes

If you only have a minute

Which Grey Glacier tour should you book?

If a friend asked us how to see Grey Glacier, this is what we would tell them over a calafate sour in Puerto Natales.

The best Grey Glacier tour for most visitors is Turismo Lago Grey's three-hour sailing, from ~$130. It is the company that owns and sails the Grey III catamaran, so you buy the seat straight from the source and pay the least for it. You get about an hour along the glacier's fronts, a pisco sour poured over glacier ice and a crew who know the lake. It holds 4.6 out of 5 from close to 400 reviews on GetYourGuide. The same sailing sells for about $180 on Viator through a reseller.

The catch is the ride there, because the pier is two hours inside the park. Without a car, Torres del Paine Adventure adds a minibus from Puerto Natales for ~$300, and Nothofagus Patagonia folds the same sailing into a small-group day with the park's viewpoints for ~$300. On a budget, the park day with the Lago Grey beach walk costs ~$68 and gets you to the stranded icebergs on foot. To stand on the ice itself, the ice hike from Refugio Grey is the only option, and from Punta Arenas Go Patagonia does everything in one very long day.

No one can promise you a calving, and the wind can cancel any sailing. Check what a Grey Glacier tour really costs and how to get to the pier from Puerto Natales, see how long each tour spends at the ice, month by month, then read what the Grey listings play down before you pay.

Our pick

The Grey Glacier tour we would book: the three-hour sailing

Not a door-to-door day out. It is the boat itself, bought from the people who sail it, at the lowest price anyone charges for a seat on it.

The red Grey III catamaran with passengers on deck beside a blue iceberg and the snowy peaks above Lago Grey Our pick

3-Hour Scenic Boat Tour to Grey Glacier, Turismo Lago Grey

4.6 / 5 from 391+ reviews on GetYourGuide · on Viator through a reseller

You check in at Hotel Lago Grey, at the southern end of the lake, an hour before the sailing. From the car park it is a walk of about 45 minutes across the grey shingle beach to the pier, unless you catch the shuttle that one recent guest used to shorten it. The Grey III is a red catamaran with a main cabin for 98 passengers and an open deck where most people spend the trip, hood up, cameras out.

The first hour takes you up the lake past floating ice, some of it the size of a house and lit blue from inside. Then the boat turns along the glacier, which ends in a wall more than 25 meters (82 feet) high, split into several fronts by dark rock. Guides talk in English and Spanish, and somewhere along the face a pisco sour arrives with chips of glacier ice in it. The run back to the beach takes the rest of the three hours.

Price
from ~$130 per person on GetYourGuide, about $180 on Viator
Duration
3 hours, plus the walk to the pier
At the ice
About 1 hour along the fronts
Rating
4.6 / 5 (GetYourGuide)
Meeting point
Hotel Lago Grey, check-in 1 hour before
Languages
English and Spanish
Transport
None, you get to the hotel yourself
Cancellation
Free up to 24 hours, refund if the weather stops the boat
GetYourGuide Viator

Live availability and prices on GetYourGuide

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How the sailing runs, step by step

The time on your booking is the check-in time, not the moment the boat leaves. The order below follows the listing and what recent passengers describe:

On shore

  • Check-in at Hotel Lago Grey, one hour before the sailing
  • The walk along Grey Beach to the pier, about 45 minutes

On Lago Grey

  • About an hour up the lake between drifting icebergs
  • An hour along the glacier's fronts, with the guides on the deck
  • A pisco sour served with glacier ice
  • The run back down the lake to the beach
  • The walk back to the car park or the hotel

What the price covers

The ticket buys the boat, the guides and one drink. The road, the park and your lunch are separate.

Included
  • About three hours on the Grey III
  • Guides in English and Spanish
  • A pisco sour with glacier ice
  • A full refund if the weather cancels the sailing
Not included
  • Transport from Puerto Natales
  • The national park ticket
  • Food and other drinks
  • Access for wheelchairs

Between us, before you go

One glacier lover to another. The value-for-money score is the lowest part of its rating, 4.2, and the reason is usually the road, not the boat. Several guests turned up too early because they took the listed time for the departure, and one warned that the start is two hours from town, so anyone with a flight that day should leave plenty of margin. The walk to the pier is flat but loose and exposed to the wind off the ice.

Bring a windproof layer, gloves and your passport, which the listing asks for. Our packing guide for Grey Glacier covers the wind, the glare and the shoes.

Why it beats the other sailings

Every sailing on this page uses the same catamaran on the same lake. What changes is what you pay around it. Bought here, the boat costs the least and you keep your own timing, which is why it suits anyone with a hire car, a bed inside the park or a day already planned around the hotel. The Grey Glacier boat trip, step by step covers the cabin, the deck and the photos.

Who we would not send on it

Travelers without a car, who will be happier on the same sailing with a minibus from Puerto Natales than juggling buses and shuttles. Anyone with a single day for the whole park, who should look at the sailing plus the viewpoints. And people who want to touch the ice, who need the ice hike and a night at the refuge.

Book it if

You have a car or a bed in the park and want the glacier itself, not a whole day built around it. You pay the operator's own price, sit on the same boat as everyone else and keep the rest of the day for a trail, a viewpoint or the drive back in daylight. All you bring is warm layers, your passport and the park ticket.

Skip it if

Ready for the ice wall?

GetYourGuide sells the seat straight from Turismo Lago Grey for ~$130, with free cancellation up to 24 hours and reserve now, pay later. Viator sells the same sailing through a reseller for about $180, also with free cancellation. Same boat, so we would take the lower price.

GetYourGuide Viator

The trip itself

How a Grey Glacier tour works

Every listing on this page comes down to two questions. Will you get yourself to Hotel Lago Grey or be picked up in town? And which month, with the park anywhere from a long windy summer day to a short, still winter one?

Style · make your own way in

Meet the boat at the lake

Turismo Lago Grey, the ice hike from Refugio Grey

3–5 hyour own car, the park bus or a night inside the park

You drive in or arrive from the trail, check in, walk to the pier or the base camp and go. The cheapest way to the ice and the most flexible, as long as you can cover the two hours from Puerto Natales.

Style · picked up in town

A long day with a minibus

Torres del Paine Adventure, Nothofagus Patagonia, the park day, Go Patagonia

8–18 hhotel pickup, a guide in the van, the glacier in the middle

An early pickup in Puerto Natales or Punta Arenas, hours of road, the sailing or the beach walk, and the drive home. You pay for the transport and the guide, and give up the choice of time.

Grey Glacier weather and crowds, month by month

  • How busy the park gets
  1. Jan59°F high15 °C

    Peak summer, long days, strong wind

  2. Feb59°F high15 °C

    Still busy, boats fill weeks ahead

  3. Mar55°F high13 °C

    Calmer air, fewer people on deck

  4. Apr50°F high10 °C

    Autumn colors, last ice hikes

  5. May43°F high6 °C

    Short days, the boat still sails

  6. Jun39°F high4 °C

    Midwinter, snow on the road

  7. Jul37°F high3 °C

    The coldest month, still air

  8. Aug41°F high5 °C

    Quiet park, check the road

  9. Sep46°F high8 °C

    Spring returns, ice hikes restart

  10. Oct52°F high11 °C

    Windy weeks, more departures

  11. Nov55°F high13 °C

    Long light before the crowds

  12. Dec57°F high14 °C

    Nearly endless evenings, holiday rush

Temperatures are rough daytime highs in Puerto Natales; on the deck of a boat with the wind coming off the ice field it feels several degrees colder in any month. The bars show roughly how busy the park gets. Highlighted months are the ones we would pick for daylight, calmer water and free seats. The year in detail.

How long you spend at the glacier

  • Make your own way in
  • Picked up in town
  • May run longer

Times come from the listings. The ice hike's dashed end is the zodiac ride and the walk over the moraine before and after the ice, and one listing gives its sailing as three hours. The van tours wrap these hours in five to fifteen more of driving, pickups and viewpoints.

  1. Decide on the car firstWith one, the pier is two hours from Puerto Natales. Without one, a transfer tour does the driving. Getting there from Puerto Natales.
  2. Buy the park ticket earlyNo tour on this page includes it, and the listings tell you to buy it before the day. Park tickets and rules.
  3. Read the cancellation termsMost Grey tours cancel for free up to 24 hours before, but several Viator resellers sell non-refundable seats.
  4. Dress for the ice fieldWindproof shell, hat, gloves, sunglasses and shoes with grip for the beach. What to wear.

The best time to see Grey Glacier walks through the windy summer, the quiet shoulder months and the winter sailings, and explains when the ice hike runs.

How to choose

How to pick the right Grey Glacier tour

The boat in the photos is almost always the same one. What differs is how you reach it, what else the day holds and whether you can cancel.

Car or pickup

Our pick and the ice hike expect you at the lake; four tours collect you in town. A hire car makes the cheapest sailing easy. Transfer or drive?

Boat or boots

The sailing gets you closest without effort, the beach walk costs least, and only the ice hike puts you on the glacier. Grey on foot.

Where you sleep

Puerto Natales is the base for most tours. A night at Refugio Grey opens the ice hike and the kayak, and from Punta Arenas it becomes an 18-hour day. From Punta Arenas.

How much park

The sailing alone takes half a day with the drive. Nothofagus Patagonia and the park day add the waterfalls and the Cuernos. One day in the park.

Weather

The wind cancels sailings in any month, more often in spring and summer. Keep a spare day if you can. When to go.

Price

From ~$68 for the park day to ~$365 for the ice hike, per person. The park ticket comes on top of all of them. Every price in one table.

Everything else to do around Puerto Natales

The 6 tours

Six Grey Glacier tours, side by side

We read every Grey Glacier listing for Puerto Natales, Torres del Paine and Punta Arenas on both booking sites and kept the six we would book ourselves. Price, rating, operator and the catch for each, with a button for each site that sells it.

The Grey III catamaran with a red hull cruising past a wall of blue glacier ice Our pick

3-Hour Scenic Boat Tour to Grey Glacier, Turismo Lago Grey

The boat everyone wants, bought from the people who sail it.

The Grey III catamaran from Hotel Lago Grey, an hour up the lake among drifting bergs, an hour along the glacier's fronts and a pisco sour with glacier ice. Guides speak English and Spanish, and the cabin waits when the deck gets too cold.

  • Duration3 hours, about 1 hour at the ice
  • OperatorTurismo Lago Grey
  • RatingGetYourGuide 4.6 (391+) · Viator via a reseller
  • WhereHotel Lago Grey, inside the park
  • StrengthsThe lowest price for the sailing, your own timing
  • Ideal forDrivers and anyone sleeping inside the park

Good to know: No transport, and the pier is two hours from Puerto Natales. The listed time is the check-in. Park ticket extra, not for wheelchair users. About $180 on Viator. The boat trip step by step.

~$130per person
GetYourGuide Viator
Passengers on the deck of a red catamaran in front of a long white and blue glacier face Sailing with transport

Grey Glacier Navigation with Transport, Torres del Paine Adventure

No car, no stress, someone else watches the road.

A minibus from your hotel in Puerto Natales to Hotel Lago Grey, a 35-minute walk along the beach, then the full sailing along the face with a pisco or calafate sour. The boat calls at Refugio Grey for hikers on the way back before you walk to the van.

  • DurationAbout 8 hours door to door
  • OperatorTorres del Paine Adventure
  • RatingGetYourGuide 4.5 (40+)
  • PickupHotels in Puerto Natales
  • StrengthsThe sailing without the driving, a guide on board
  • Ideal forTravelers based in town without a car

Good to know: You pay about $170 more than the boat alone, for the road. Transport scores 4.1, one guest's guide spoke little English, and the park ticket is extra. Often shown reduced to about $285. From Puerto Natales.

~$300per person
GetYourGuide
The crevassed blue front of Grey Glacier meeting the lake below a dark rock wall and low cloud Best single day

Grey Glacier Boat Trip and Full-Day Torres del Paine, Nothofagus Patagonia

One day, five seats, the glacier and the whole massif.

A 6 am pickup, the 10 am sailing to the glacier, then an afternoon of viewpoints across the park: Lago Pehoé, the Salto Grande waterfall, the Cuernos above Lago Nordenskjöld and the towers from Laguna Amarga. Back in Puerto Natales around 6 pm.

  • DurationAbout 12 hours, 2 h 45 on the boat
  • OperatorNothofagus Patagonia
  • RatingGetYourGuide 4.7 (21+)
  • PickupPuerto Natales, 6–6:30 am
  • StrengthsFive guests at most, guides who stop for photos
  • Ideal forOne day in the park and no wish to choose

Good to know: A long day with only 21 reviews behind its score. Food and the park ticket are not included, and reviewers say to pack lunch, as bathrooms are few on the road. One day in the park.

~$300per person
GetYourGuide
A hiker photographing three guanacos on golden grass below the granite Cuernos del Paine Lowest price

Full Day Torres del Paine and Milodon Cave, Torres del Paine Adventure

The whole park on a budget, with icebergs at your feet.

A small-group day from Puerto Natales: the viewpoints over Sarmiento, Nordenskjöld and Pehoé, the Salto Grande waterfall, an hour's walk out to the Lago Grey beach where stranded icebergs line the shore, the Cuernos viewpoint and the Milodon Cave on the way home.

  • DurationAbout 11 hours, 1 hour at the Grey beach
  • OperatorTorres del Paine Adventure
  • RatingGetYourGuide 4.8 (378+) · Viator 5.0 (15+)
  • PickupHotels in Puerto Natales
  • StrengthsThe best-reviewed day here, the park at a third of the price
  • Ideal forBudgets, first days, people who cannot trek

Good to know: No boat, so the glacier stays far across the lake. Park and cave tickets, food and tips are extra. About $87 on GetYourGuide, often reduced, and less on Viator. Grey on foot.

~$68per person
GetYourGuide Viator
A line of hikers in orange helmets and crampons walking across the ridged surface of the glacier On the ice

Ice Hike on Grey Glacier, Howlanders

For hikers who want the ice under their boots, not across the water.

From the base camp near Refugio Grey, a zodiac crosses to a beach by the glacier, an hour on foot over the moraine, then two and a half hours on the ice in crampons with an ice axe, past crevasses, meltwater streams and ice caves. A hot drink waits back at camp.

  • DurationAbout 5 hours, 2.5 hours on the ice
  • OperatorHowlanders, from Bigfoot Patagonia's base camp
  • RatingViator 5.0 (3+)
  • WhereGrey base camp, near Refugio Grey
  • StrengthsThe only way onto the glacier, groups of 12 at most
  • Ideal forFit hikers on the W Trek or the O Circuit

Good to know: No transport from town. You must sleep at Refugio or Camping Grey before or after, and the age limit is 14 to 65. September to April only, three reviews so far. Ice hike and kayak.

~$365per person
Viator
Two blue icebergs floating on milky Lago Grey with the snowy Paine massif behind The long day

Torres del Paine and Grey Glacier Full Day from Punta Arenas, Go Patagonia

For the traveler who cannot move hotels but will not miss the ice.

A pickup in Punta Arenas before dawn, the long drive north, the catamaran on Lago Grey with a drink on board, then the viewpoints at Pehoé, Nordenskjöld and Sarmiento and the towers from Laguna Amarga, with the Milodon Cave if the weather allows.

  • Duration16–18 hours, about 3 hours on the lake
  • OperatorGo Patagonia
  • RatingGetYourGuide 4.8 (11+) · Viator 5.0 (1)
  • PickupPunta Arenas, around 5:30 am
  • StrengthsGrey and the park without changing base, guides reviewers praise
  • Ideal forA single day from Punta Arenas

Good to know: The road north eats about six hours of the day, there and back. Meals, park and cave tickets are extra, and the score rests on a dozen reviews. From Punta Arenas.

~$296per person
GetYourGuide Viator

A small heads-up. These are GetYourGuide and Viator affiliate links, so when you book through one we earn a little commission and you pay exactly the same. It keeps this guide going and never touches our ranking or the catches we point out.

Before you go

Eight things about Grey Glacier tours that no listing puts in big letters

None of these sits at the top of a booking page, and each one decides whether you come home with blue ice on your camera or a long drive and a cancelled sailing.

What you should know

  1. The cheapest fare does not get you to the boat. Our pick is a ticket from a pier two hours inside the park. Without a car or a bed nearby, add a transfer tour or plan the park bus. How to get there.
  2. The listed time is when you check in. Arrive at Hotel Lago Grey for that time, not an hour before it, then allow up to 45 minutes for the beach walk to the pier.
  3. The wind decides, not the timetable. The captain confirms the sailing at check-in. If the lake is too rough it is cancelled and refunded, so keep a spare day in your plans.
  4. The park ticket is extra on every tour. The listings quote between about $30 and $49 a person and ask you to buy it in advance. Tickets and rules.
  5. Some Viator sellers do not refund. Several Grey listings there are non-refundable whatever happens. Check the cancellation line before you pay.
  6. No boat lands you on the ice. The catamaran keeps a safe distance from the face. Only the ice hike, which starts at Refugio Grey, walks on the glacier. Ice hike and kayak.
  7. Calving is luck. The face cracks and booms, and bergs fill the lake, but a collapse while you watch is chance. Nobody can sell it to you.
  8. Summer on deck still means gloves. At around 59 °F (15 °C) in town, the wind off the ice field makes the deck feel far colder. What to wear.

Everything in one table

Six Grey Glacier tours, catch included

The six tours side by side, with the strength and the catch of each one in the same row.

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →

Tour Ideal for Price At the glacier Getting there Operator and rating Strength and catch Book
Three-hour sailing (our pick) Drivers, beds in the park ~$130 About 1 h at the face, 3 h on the lake On your own to Hotel Lago Grey Turismo Lago Grey
GetYourGuide 4.6 (391+)
Viator via a reseller		 The operator's own price. No transport, park ticket extra.
GetYourGuideViator
Sailing with transport No car, based in town ~$300 The full sailing, 8 h in all Puerto Natales hotel pickup Torres del Paine Adventure
GetYourGuide 4.5 (40+)		 Door to door with a guide. About $170 more for the road.
GetYourGuide
Sailing and park day One day for everything ~$300 2 h 45 sailing, 12 h in all Puerto Natales pickup, 6 am Nothofagus Patagonia
GetYourGuide 4.7 (21+)		 Five guests, the whole park. Few reviews, a long day.
GetYourGuide
Park day with the beach Budgets, no trekking ~$68 1 h on the Grey beach, 11 h in all Puerto Natales pickup Torres del Paine Adventure
GetYourGuide 4.8 (378+)
Viator 5.0 (15+)		 The best-reviewed and cheapest. No boat, the ice stays distant.
GetYourGuideViator
Ice hike Fit trekkers at Refugio Grey ~$365 2.5 h on the ice, 5 h in all A night at Refugio or Camping Grey Howlanders
Viator 5.0 (3+)		 Crampons on the glacier. Ages 14–65, no transport.
Viator
Full day from Punta Arenas No time to move base ~$296 About 3 h on the lake, 16–18 h in all Punta Arenas pickup, 5:30 am Go Patagonia
GetYourGuide 4.8 (11+)
Viator 5.0 (1)		 Grey and the park in one go. Six hours of road.
GetYourGuideViator

About the numbers. Prices are per-person "from" rates in US dollars (the lower one when a tour is on both sites), and ratings are what each site showed when we compared. Dates, group size and offers move them a little, so peek at both. The booking page has the final word.

Who went

Reviews from travelers who stood in the wind

Eighteen verified reviews from the GetYourGuide and Viator listings, shortened by us and translated where the traveler wrote in another language. Some sailed under clear skies, some saw the ice through cloud and spray.

★★★★★3-hour Grey III sailing

A wonderful trip, and the pisco sour was delicious. The only thing I would fix is the timing information. If you book the noon sailing, check-in is at noon, not an hour earlier. From the hotel it is about 3 km on foot to the boat, or you can take the shuttle about a kilometer to the Pingo area and walk the short rest. We boarded at 12:45, left at one and were back on the beach at 3:35, with time to stroll back.

YYasmin · GermanyClear day at the ice
★★★★★3-hour Grey III sailing

A must. The time on the booking is the check-in time, so do not turn up an hour early like we nearly did.

YYanik · AustraliaClear day at the ice
★★★★★3-hour Grey III sailing

Gets you right up to the glacier. Just know the start point is two hours from town and you arrange the transport yourself, so allow two hours each way if you have a flight that day.

BBen · AustraliaWind and low cloud
★★★★★3-hour Grey III sailing

Very entertaining. The guides told us a lot about the glacier and ran little activities on board that made us enjoy it even more. I would recommend it to anyone visiting the park.

AAngélica · PeruClear day at the ice
★★★★☆Sailing with transport

Pricey for what it is, a minibus to the drop-off and a ticket for the cruise, but few operators offered it from Puerto Natales and the cruise is spectacular, so no regrets. The boat felt safe and well run, the crew were lovely and you get right up close to the ice. The walk from the car park is mostly sand and shingle and took me about a quarter of an hour. Wear strong shoes and bring waterproofs and warm layers.

BBecky · United KingdomWind and low cloud
★★★★☆Sailing with transport

A very good boat ride for the money. Our so-called bilingual guide spoke very little English, so after a few comments we relied on a kind passenger to translate. Otherwise a fine day.

JJohn · United StatesClear day at the ice
★★★★★Sailing with transport

An excellent trip to the glacier. The driver and the team on the boat were positive and helpful.

HHelen · AustraliaClear day at the ice
★★★★★Sailing and park day

We were the only two on the tour, so it felt private. Our guide Javier messaged us the day before, pointed out what we passed and stopped whenever we wanted photos. The boat on Lago Grey comes first. Bring snacks and a packed lunch, because the second half of the sailing leaves plenty of time to eat with a view. There are no bathrooms between pickup and the park entrance, then at the hotel and again at the walk down to the boat.

JJennifer · United StatesClear day at the ice
★★★★★Sailing and park day

Two families with four children, and nobody was bored. Great route, lots of photo stops, a guide full of fun and knowledge and a driver who got us safely through it all. We would book it again.

AAnna · GermanyClear day at the ice
★★★★★Sailing and park day

The boat through the icebergs and then up close to the glacier, nature at work. Afterwards Javier took us to his favorite spots in the park, a waterfall and lookouts, every one spectacular.

CCarole · AustraliaClear day at the ice
★★★★★Sailing and park day

Practically tailor-made. Not a shared van but a 4WD just for us, and a guide who stopped for whatever we wanted to see or photograph.

CCésar · SpainWind and low cloud
★★★★★Park day with the Grey beach

A great way to see Torres del Paine if you cannot do any real trekking. We stopped at lots of lookouts, saw wildlife and did some short walks. Our guide Matías explained the history, geology and culture in a way that was easy to follow, and our driver Víctor kept us on time and the ride smooth. If you only have a short time in Puerto Natales, this is the day to book.

LLaurent · United KingdomClear day at the ice
★★★★★Park day with the Grey beach

Lake Grey with its icebergs was incredible, and so were the two waterfalls on the way. The Milodon Cave was a nice extra, but it cannot compare with the lake.

JJean · FranceClear day at the ice
★★★★★Park day with the Grey beach

A full day through a magnificent park. The scenery was mind-blowing, and so was the wind. Hard to do on your own, so let them drive.

JJanine D. · via ViatorWind and low cloud
★★★★★Ice hike on Grey

I took the 8:30 start after breakfast at seven in the Grey hostel, and the meeting point is about ten minutes away on foot. A motorboat took us to the glacier, where we got crampons and ice axes, and two guides led the group. We did not go very far onto the ice, but they showed us a river on the glacier where we could drink. We were back around noon, with time for lunch and the walk on to Paine Grande.

SSvetlana D. · via ViatorClear day at the ice
★★★★★From Punta Arenas

Even with poor weather the tour was incredible. The boat was new and the crew cheerful and kind, and the lake came in endless shades of blue. Our guide Roberto drove carefully all the way from Punta Arenas and shared everything he knows about the plants and animals. An above-average professional, and a day I recommend.

MMaria Beatriz · BrazilWind and low cloud
★★★★★From Punta Arenas

An extraordinary tour, close to the glacier and the icebergs, then the park and its animals. Our guide Jona really loves what he does. My only complaint is the start: the dates on the website did not match their departures and it took several calls to sort out. Worth all the hours on the road.

VVastiane · GermanyClear day at the ice
★★★★★From Punta Arenas

Incredible. We were lucky with a clear day and could enjoy all of it.

GA traveler · MexicoClear day at the ice

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Hood up, camera out

Book the Grey III for your day at the ice

If you have a car or a night inside the park and want one glacier day you will still be describing at dinner, we would book Turismo Lago Grey's sailing. An hour among drifting bergs, an hour along a blue wall that creaks and booms, a pisco sour over glacier ice and the rest of the day still yours.

Close to 400 travelers rate it 4.6 out of 5, and you can hold a seat now, pay nearer the day and cancel until 24 hours before. Pack a windproof layer and your passport.

~$130

per person · 3 hours · from Hotel Lago Grey

GetYourGuide Viator
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
  • ✓ Reserve now, pay later
  • ✓ Refund if the weather cancels the sailing
  • ✓ A pisco sour with glacier ice

Good to know

Why Grey Glacier looks the way it does, and what you are looking at

Five minutes of reading, and the blue walls, the milky lake and the captain's sudden turns will make a lot more sense.

Grey Glacier is one of the outlets of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the great sheet of ice that runs along the Andes between Chile and Argentina. It slides down out of the mountains and ends in Lago Grey, on the western side of the Paine massif, where its front breaks off in blocks that float south for days. What you sail to is the very edge of that ice field, and every berg on the lake started up there.

01Why the ice is blue

Glacier ice is old snow squeezed so hard that most of the air is pressed out of it. Dense ice like that soaks up the red end of the light and sends back the blue, which is why the cracks and the undersides of bergs glow while fresh snow on top stays white. The deeper the crevasse, the bluer it looks. What you see from the boat.

02A lake the color of milk

Lago Grey is not clear. The glacier grinds the rock beneath it into a powder so fine it stays suspended in the water, the glacial flour that turns the lakes of Torres del Paine grey, jade or turquoise depending on the light. The other lakes of the park, Pehoé and Nordenskjöld among them, carry the same kind of powder in brighter shades. The lakes on a park day.

03A park built around granite

Torres del Paine National Park was created in 1959 and became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1978. Its three granite towers give the park its name, the dark-capped Cuernos stand beside them, and Paine Grande, about 3,050 meters (10,000 feet) high, looms over the boat on the way up the lake. CONAF, Chile's forest service, runs the park and sells the entrance tickets. Park tickets and rules.

The moment most passengers remember is not the first sight of the wall. It is the crack like a rifle shot from somewhere inside it, and the whole deck turning at once to look.

04A glacier in retreat

Like most glaciers of the ice field, Grey has been pulling back for decades. Its front is divided into several fronts by dark rock, and passengers on a clear day can see all of them from the deck. The bergs on the lake are what the retreat leaves behind, slowly melting on their way south.

05Who lives around the lake

Guanacos, the wild cousins of the llama, graze the grassland on the drive in, and Andean condors ride the wind above the ridges. The forests on the slopes are lenga, a southern beech that turns red in autumn, and the thorny calafate bush gives its berries to the sour on board.

06Manners at the ice

Stay behind the rails on deck, keep drones in the bag, which the operator does not allow, and leave the bergs on the beach where they are. In the park, keep to the trails, take your rubbish home and never feed the wildlife. What to bring has more on a day out in the wind.

1959Torres del Paine National Park created

25 m +Height of the ice wall above the lake

98Seats in the Grey III's main cabin

3,050 mPaine Grande, above the lake

Would you rather walk to the ice than sail to it? Our guide Grey Glacier on foot weighs the beach, the viewpoint and the W Trek.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions about Grey Glacier tours

Fourteen questions we hear again and again, with the full answer.

How much does a Grey Glacier tour cost?

The six tours on this page run from ~$68 per person for the park day with the beach walk to ~$365 for the ice hike. The three-hour sailing costs ~$130 on its own and ~$300 with transport from Puerto Natales. The park ticket comes on top of every one. Every price and extra is in our cost guide.

Which Grey Glacier tour is the best?

For most visitors with a car, Turismo Lago Grey's three-hour sailing: it is the operator of the Grey III, it charges the least for the boat and it holds 4.6 from close to 400 reviews. Without a car, the same sailing with Torres del Paine Adventure's minibus, or Nothofagus Patagonia's small-group day with the park's viewpoints.

Can you walk on Grey Glacier?

Yes, but only on the ice hike that starts at the base camp near Refugio Grey, with crampons and an ice axe, for ages 14 to 65 and from September to April. There is no transport from town, so you sleep at Refugio or Camping Grey before or after. The boats never land on the ice. Ice hike and kayak.

How long is the Grey Glacier boat trip?

About three hours on the lake: an hour to reach the glacier, an hour along its fronts and the trip back. Add the check-in an hour before and a beach walk of up to 45 minutes each way. Tours with transport from Puerto Natales last about eight hours.

How do I get to Grey Glacier from Puerto Natales?

The boat leaves from Hotel Lago Grey, about two hours from Puerto Natales by road, part of it gravel. Drive yourself and buy the park ticket in advance, or book a tour that picks you up at your hotel. Transfer or drive?

Is the park ticket included in Grey Glacier tours?

No, not on any of the six. The listings quote between about $30 and $49 per person and say to buy it before the day. Keep it on your phone for the gate. Park tickets and rules.

What happens if the weather cancels the sailing?

The captain decides at check-in. On Turismo Lago Grey's sailing you get a full refund if the weather or a mechanical problem stops the boat, but the operator does not cover your other costs. Keep a spare day if the glacier is the reason for your trip.

When is the best time to see Grey Glacier?

The main season runs from October to April. November and March to April bring long light and fewer people, while December to February are the warmest and busiest months, with the strongest wind. The boat also sails in winter, but the ice hike does not. Month by month.

Will I see the glacier calve?

Maybe, but nobody can promise it. The face cracks and booms often, and the lake is full of bergs that broke off earlier, yet watching a collapse yourself is luck. Most passengers remember the sound more than anything they saw fall.

What should I wear on the Grey Glacier boat?

Layers under a windproof and waterproof shell, a warm hat, gloves and sunglasses, even in summer. Wear shoes with grip for the shingle beach, and bring your passport, water and a snack. What to bring.

Can I see Grey Glacier without taking a boat?

Yes. The beach near Hotel Lago Grey looks up the lake to the glacier and is often lined with stranded icebergs, and the W Trek leads to viewpoints above the ice near Refugio Grey. A park day from Puerto Natales such as Torres del Paine Adventure's includes the beach walk. Grey on foot.

Can I visit Grey Glacier from Punta Arenas in a day?

Yes, with Go Patagonia, but it takes 16 to 18 hours with a pickup around 5:30 am, because Punta Arenas is about three hours from Puerto Natales before the park starts. If you can, spend a night in Puerto Natales instead. From Punta Arenas.

Can I cancel a Grey Glacier tour for free?

All six cancel for free up to 24 hours before the start, and most let you reserve now and pay later. Several other Grey listings on Viator are non-refundable whatever happens, so read the cancellation line before you pay.

Is the Grey Glacier boat suitable for children or wheelchair users?

Children are fine on the boat if they can manage the beach walk and the cold. The walk of sand and shingle to the pier rules out wheelchairs, and the listing says it is not for people with reduced mobility. The ice hike takes no one under 14.

Read before you travel

Guides to Grey Glacier and Torres del Paine

Ten questions that keep coming up, each with the long answer instead of the short one.