Ice Hike Grey Glacier in Torres del Paine: Walk on glacial ice

Strap on crampons and cross a frozen landscape of crevasses and blue ice

The Grey Glacier Ice Hike is a five-hour activity in Torres del Paine National Park where you walk directly on glacial ice with a certified guide, helmet, crampons and ice axe. A zodiac boat carries you to a remote beach, then you hike an hour across rocky moraine before spending two-and-a-half hours trekking the glacier's surface through crevasses, ice caves and frozen lagoons. The activity runs at 8:30 AM or 2:30 PM and requires an overnight stay at Grey Camping or Refugio Grey before or after, depending on your departure time.

The experience

Five hours sounds long until you understand what fills it: a 20-minute zodiac ride to the glacier's edge, an hour's hike across the moraine to reach the ice, then two-and-a-half hours actually walking on the glacier itself. The guide briefs you on safety and crampons technique before you step onto the surface, and from there the trek moves through crevasses, ice rivers, lagoons and tunnels carved into the frozen landscape. This is not a viewing platform. You are walking on the thing itself, not watching it from a distance.

The group stays under twelve people, and a certified guide leads in English or Spanish. You carry a backpack, wear a helmet and harness, and use an ice axe alongside the crampons. The operator provides all of it. When the trek ends, you board the zodiac for the return to Grey Base Camp, where hot drinks and snacks wait. The physical demand is real: the operator rates this high difficulty and requires a high level of fitness. Children under 14 and travelers over 65 are not permitted.

Timing matters because of where you sleep. The 8:30 AM departure requires you to overnight at Grey Camping or Refugio Grey the night before. The 2:30 PM departure means you stay at the same place the night after. Either way, you need to arrange that accommodation separately and arrange your own transport to Camping Grey from Puerto Natales or elsewhere in the park. The park entrance fee is separate too.

What’s included

• Certified guide in English or Spanish.
• helmet, backpack, ice axe, harness and crampons.
• zodiac boat ride to and from the glacier.
• snacks and hot drinks at the end.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30 and 14:30

Book up to16h before

AgesAdult (14 to 65 years) · Under 14: can't be booked

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Physically demandingNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Howlanders

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English or Spanish, so you follow the commentary in your language. This hike demands high fitness and technical footing on ice. It suits travelers comfortable with sustained physical effort and confident on uneven, slippery terrain.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How much of the five hours is actually spent walking on the glacier itself?

Two-and-a-half hours on the ice. The other time covers the zodiac ride, the moraine hike to reach the glacier, the safety briefing, and the return journey.

What equipment does the operator provide?

Helmet, backpack, ice axe, harness and crampons are all included. The guide provides the safety briefing and leads you through the terrain.

Do I need to arrange my own accommodation before or after the hike?

Yes. If you book the 8:30 AM departure, you must overnight at Grey Camping or Refugio Grey the night before. If you book 2:30 PM, you stay there the night after. You arrange and pay for the accommodation separately.

What makes Grey Glacier different from other glaciers in the region?

Grey Glacier is one of Torres del Paine's most iconic glaciers and one of the few where you walk directly on the ice surface itself rather than viewing it from a distance. The trek crosses crevasses, ice caves and frozen lagoons within the glacier.

What is the fitness level required?

The operator rates this high difficulty and requires a high level of physical fitness. The trek includes an hour of moraine hiking plus two-and-a-half hours on glacial ice with crampons. Children under 14 and travelers over 65 are not permitted.