Why We Like This Lodge

  • Explora pioneered luxury experiences in Torres del Paine back in 1993, and its iconic building has been refurbished to a modern, almost nautical design
  • It offers more unique facilities than other lodges: a private catamaran takes you directly to the French Valley trailhead and towards Grey Glacier; it has its own stables and specially-bred horses, and hot tubs line the shore of Lake Pehoé
  • It’s the only luxury hotel located in the heart of the park, so everything is on your doorstep and there are spectacular views of the Paine Massif, particularly striking at sunrise and sunset
  • The excursions are many and varied, and the guides specially trained
  • It’s the only luxury hotel to open all year, and makes for a very cosy winter bolthole
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What our customers think of Explora Torres del Paine

Explora Torres del Paine trips scored 4.5/5 from 146 reviews

The room was very comfortable and the view was extraordinary. They had a wide variety of excursions for different zones of the park and different levels of activity. Consuelo did a wonderful job setting up our original activity plan, and their system of daily meetings to review it worked great. The guides were so wonderful on the excursions, with their friendliness, knowledge, and ability Read the full review

Travelled: January 2024

Ronald Regier - Canada

Nothing less than wonderful and amazing, The room and view - unparalleled excellent Food and drinks awesome. The guides were just wonderful smart people. Read the full review

Travelled: January 2024

Keith Heerdt - USA

Location, location and location. Plus the service at the Explora hotel and quality of the guides were 10/10. Read the full review

Travelled: September 2023

Sebastien Rene - Canada

Repetitive AWE with the surreal breathtakingly beautiful views from Explora. Read the full review

Travelled: January 2023

Lori Zukerman - USA

Torres del Paine had the most beautiful setting and view from the dining room and individual rooms that was breathtaking and I will never forget it. Read the full review

Travelled: January 2023

Lori Zukerman - USA

Amazing hotel and location. Great guides and food. Can't say enough about this place! Read the full review

Travelled: December 2022

Katia Fischer - USA

Arriving in Torres del Paine and being greeted with the most amazing views of the mountains and water. It was truly breathtaking. Read the full review

Travelled: December 2022

Ashley Pye - USA

This exceeded expectations and we would do other Explora adventures as a result. Read the full review

Travelled: December 2022

Kathryn Lowell - USA

Explora was an amazing hotel, Amazing views, Amazing hikes, Amazing guides, Amazing food and service. Did I mention this was amazing? ha. Read the full review

Travelled: December 2022

Brad Anderson - USA

Explora is wonderful - exceeded our expectations in every way. Guides were excellent. The whole experience at Explora was first-class. Read the full review

Travelled: December 2022

John Will - USA

Wonderful place to stay! Read the full review

Travelled: December 2022

Vickie Chen - USA

The staff and service provided from Everyone at Explora Patagonia Salto Chico were beyond 5 star - everyone had such kind candor, and were willing and ready to help make your own experience exceptional. Read the full review

Travelled: December 2022

Jaime Toigo - USA

Beyond expectations! Staff, guides and food were a ten out of ten. Read the full review

Travelled: October 2022

Jacquie Ison - Canada

We loved staying at Explora. The hikes we did from there were really great and more remote (way less crowded) than the hikes we did from El Chalten. Staff was amazing. Food was good Read the full review

Travelled: October 2022

Mary Hawkins - USA

Magical sunrise casting a fire red/orange/pink glow against the towers. Read the full review

Travelled: October 2022

Malcolm Bierman - USA

1st class guides at both locations. All treks were amazing. I think highlighting the variety of terrain available in both parks, but particularly in Los Glaciares, would be worthwhile to mention to future travellers. Read the full review

Travelled: October 2022

Malcolm Bierman - USA

1st class all around. Enjoyed the coziness of the rooms at Torres location and the location was incredible. Highlight of the trip might have been views of sunrise from the dining room. Great spa facility (including a chance to swim in a glacier lake!). Location and access with boat and hikes right out the door was fabulous. Great staff all around. Read the full review

Travelled: October 2022

Malcolm Bierman - USA

The guides from Explora were incredible. Read the full review

Travelled: October 2022

Malia Tanaka - USA

Resort was terrific, excursion options were good and guides were great. Read the full review

Travelled: July 2022

Linda Rouyer - USA

Resort staff were so pleasant, very helpful and friendly! Plenty of nice areas just to hang out, all with great views. Read the full review

Travelled: July 2022

Linda Rouyer - USA

Every hike we took we thought it was the best one. Then the next day would come and another breathtaking hike came our way. The vistas, flora, fauna, animals were wonderful to discover. Read the full review

Travelled: July 2022

Lynn Clancy - USA

We loved the Explora Hotel. The entire staff were gracious, helpful and eager to keep each guest happy. The food was amazing. Read the full review

Travelled: July 2022

Lynn Clancy - USA

The hotel is stupendous. Service is exquisite and everyone was totally approachable and nice. Very accommodating. Read the full review

Travelled: May 2022

Agustin Gonzalez - USA

AMAZING!!!! Room, views, service, staff, guides, food, wine, special touches. It was perfect. Read the full review

Travelled: April 2022

Dena Prasher - USA

The Explora was an amazing experience. Each guide was knowledgeable and very friendly. The excursions exceeded expectations. All of the staff we met were really good at what they did. They made you feel very welcome and relaxed. The room was perfect for us and kept very clean. Read the full review

Travelled: January 2022

Lori Dickens - USA

The Explora hotel has many positives and very few negatives. The positives include the magical location, scenery and endless hiking opportunities. The staff is wonderful, and the amenities are practically top notch. The only negative would be that the food choices started getting a bit tiring after 4 days, but was still very good. It is also quite expensive, but I would say worth it. Read the full review

Travelled: December 2021

Charles Birnbach - USA

The location itself is unrivaled. The majestic massif looms and seems a bit different with every subtle change in lighting. The constant weather changes added to the mystery of the massive geological formation. The rest of the locale was equally beautiful with numerous glaciers and their ensuing lagoons, lakes and rivers. The colors were indescribable. Read the full review

Travelled: December 2021

Charles Birnbach - USA

An amazing place. Beautiful rooms, spacious common areas, just totally immersed in the scenery. They are careful to keep their environmental footprint light. The daily outings are very well executed. The guides became friends - they know the area’s history, ecology, and geology. Read the full review

Travelled: January 2020

Lars Houmann - United States Of America

The highlights of Explora were the excursions and the guides. There was a great camaraderie amongst the guides and the main focus at Explora seemed to be the excursions. They organized a great program for us to gradually increase altitude so that we made it to the summit of Toco on our last day there. Read the full review

Travelled: January 2020

Karen Proudman - Australia

The view from our room is the cover advertisement for a National Geographic cruise to the area! Explora was a stretch for us financially, but I'm so glad we got to experience Torres del Paine this way. The staff, food, and lodge are wonderful. Read the full review

Travelled: March 2019

Kenneth Parham - United States Of America

Staying at Explora at Torres del Paine was hands down amazing. It is like staying at the Four Seasons but with a better scene since it is in the middle of nature. The guides and excursions were phenomenal, made changes to accommodate children, service was exceptional and food was delicious ..... The best experience we had throughout our 19 days in Patagonia. Read the full review

Travelled: June 2018

Cynthia Blanco - United States Of America

Amazing. The treks were phenomenal and Explora was an unbeliavable hotel. The excursions were great, food was very good, and the views from the rooms were phenomenal. Read the full review

Travelled: March 2018

Zach Rozen - United States Of America

The highlight of the entire trip was Torres del Paine. The Explora hotel is beautiful and the hiking on the W was the best we experienced. The spa, the guides, the surroundings were all unbelievable.

Travelled: October 2017

Richard & Susan - Canada

Explora hotel was excellent, the best location and the staff were wonderful. My husband loved the horse riding and excellent stables. We felt so safe and looked after.

Travelled: September 2017

Esther - Australia

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Explora Patagonia was wonderful! We had a drop dead gorgeous view from our room, the staff was great and the excursions (and guides) were fantastic. The food was also great. The scenery was amazing! We were so impressed with the level of customisation and levels of ability of the hikes.

Travelled: February 2017

Ellen - USA

Review:

Excursions

The hotel offers a staggering choice of over 50 guided hikes and horse rides. Groups are small (1-8 people, 8 is normal in high season) and are led by experienced guides from the hotel's own School of Guides. All abilities are catered for, with four levels of difficulty and half- or full-day activities. All excursions are included in the all-inclusive programme.

Horse Riding

Explora Torres del Paine is perfect for riders of all abilities. The hotel has its own stables, located close to the hotel, with horses which are specially bred for the Patagonian weather and geography. It also owns a huge ranch – the Estancia 2 de Enero – so the hotel can offer a truly authentic Patagonian experience in the company of gauchos. There are 16 horse riding excursions on offer, covering a wide range of the park, through pampas (grasslands) and rivers, with experiences to suit all riders, from beginners to the most advanced.

Horse riding, Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile

Horse riding, Torres del Paine

Hiking

Hikes of all lengths and levels are available across the whole park: from half-day walks with lunch at the hotel, to full-day walks with lunch in the park. Some of the hikes offered by Explora cover sections of the famous W trek – to the base of the Towers, the Grey Glacier and the Valle del Francés.

Explora excursions
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Swoop says

If horse riding is your passion, Explora Torres del Paine is the hotel for you. Its range of rides are hard to beat, and no other hotel has their own stables or breeding programme.

About Explora Torres del Paine

History

The Explora Torres del Paine was the first luxury hotel to open in Patagonia, in 1993, pioneering the fully-inclusive excursions experience. Despite being nearly 25 years old, it feels just as modern on the inside as a new hotel, and has the added benefit of over two decade’s worth of experience.

Explora lodge

Spa

The spa is located 100 metres away from the main building, connected by a sloped wood path. It is equipped with a heated, covered pool, a sauna, and four open-air jacuzzis with views to the Paine River. There is also a massage room where you can enjoy an essential oil massage.

Explora Pool area

Horses

Explora Torres del Paine is the only hotel in the area with its own horses, bred and trained especially by the hotel for their guests’ horse expeditions. Their 26 horses of different breeds and crosses have been raised in the Ibáñez family estate in the central valley of Chile. Care of the horses is the responsibility of Gaela Hourcq, a veterinarian horse specialist, and her team. Gaela has over 15 years of professional equine experience, having worked in prestigious stables worldwide. She has been with Explora for five years, supervising the breeding, raising, breaking, feeding and care of the horses. 53 km from the hotel, is the Estancia 2 de Enero, a 6,000-hectare ranch property of Explora, which is particularly suitable for more advanced riders.

Explora stables

Location

Explora Torres del Paine is the only luxury hotel located within the Torres del Paine National Park. The hotel sits on the shores of the turquoise Lake Pehoé, alongside its own waterfall, Salto Chico.

The location offers convenience, endless excursion opportunities, and dramatic views of the Torres del Paine Massif.

Explora building

Food and Drink

The hotel is conscious that its guests may have physically strenuous activities during their stay, so they endeavour to provide food that is substantial enough to sustain them but that feels light and healthy. They use quality ingredients, and focus on bringing out the best of each product and offering pure flavours. They offer superb Chilean wine as standard with all meals, but there is also a menu of Premium wines for guests that want other alternatives.

Explora Dining Room

Connect to Explora Patagonia National Park

You can connect trips between Explora Torres del Paine and Explora Patagonia National Park. It’s just 1hr 30mins on the lodge-to-lodge flight which operates every Monday. Passengers can take a soft suitcase up to 20kg. The price per person for this one-way flight starts at USD $1,700 and is dependent on a minimum of two passengers staying four nights in each lodge.

It is also possible to fly from Puerto Natales to Balmaceda every Monday. From Balmaceda Airport you can then take a 45min flight to Cochrane every Monday, Thursday and Friday and then a 25min transfer to Explora Patagonia National Park. Passengers can take a soft suitcase up to 20kg, plus 5kg of hand baggage. The price per person (one-way) starts at USD $900 and is dependent on a minimum of two passengers staying four nights in Explora.

Alternatively, you can take a 6hr transfer from Balmaceda Airport along the Carretera Austral to Explora Patagonia National Park. This operates every day and has no additional cost for those on all-inclusive programs.

Explora Torres del Paine
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Iain says

The Explora’s location is truly spectacular, I felt like I could reach out and touch the massif. I loved the nooks and crannies of the lounge area, with lots of places to enjoy a fire, a glass of wine and, of course, the view.

Iain Rylance Patagonia Sales Manager

Rooms and Pricing

2023/24 season. Prices per person, based on two people sharing a double room for four nights:

  • Quiet Season (May to Sep) - from USD $2,584
  • Mid-season (Oct & Apr) - from USD $4,370

2024/25 season. Prices per person, on the same basis as above:

  • Quiet Season (May 1st to Sep 30th) - from USD $2,850
  • Mid-season (Oct & Apr) - from USD $4,826
  • High Season (Nov 1st to Dec 20th & Jan 2nd to Mar 31st) - from USD $5,840
  • Holiday Season (21st Dec to 1st Jan) - from USD $10,020 (six nights)

These rates include airport transfers, all excursions, use of the spa (additional cost for massages), breakfast, lunch and dinner, and an open bar (additional cost for premium wines). 

The minimum stay is four nights during January and February, six nights during Holiday Season and three nights for the rest of the season. Please note the hotel is closed from 21 June to July 1.

All 49 rooms of Explora Torres del Paine are designed to take full advantage of the silence, privacy and spaciousness of the surrounding landscape, ensuring deep rest after a long day of hiking or riding.

Rooms are deliberately not equipped with televisions or Wi-Fi, to enable guests to disconnect from their everyday routine (these services are available in the hotel’s common areas).

Explora boasts 49 rooms with awe inspiring views, silence and privacy. They have hydromassage baths, and beds designed for a deep sleep to recover from your day's exploring.

  • Salto Chico Room 7 rooms measuring 28m² (300 feet²). View of the Salto Chico waterfall.
  • Cordillera Paine Room 36 rooms measuring 28m² (300 feet²). View of Macizo del Paine.
  • Exploradores Suite 6 suites measuring 42m² (450 feet²). View of Macizo del Paine.
Explora Salto-Chico-room

Stay at Explora Torres del Paine with these trips

W Trek from a Luxury Lodge

Don't just trek the W-Trek, do it from comfort and in style. Stay at one of the best all-inclusive lodges in Patagonia, whilst each day completing a leg of the W Trek: Glacier Grey, the French Valley and the epic…

  • 5 Days
  • $5,840
Explore Torres del Paine from a Luxury Lodge

Base yourself in Torres del Paine's most talked about luxury lodge and explore the rugged outdoors both on foot and horse-back. Trek to the stunning Pehoe viewpoint and ride across the golden Serrano prairie. Everything will be taken care of,…

  • 5 Days
  • $5,840
Explore Torres del Paine in Winter from a Luxury Lodge

Experience the stunning beauty of winter in Torres del Paine National Park from an all-inclusive luxury lodge. This flexible trip, with a choice of daily excursions, offers relaxed to challenging trekking and horse-riding. At the end of each day you…

  • 5 Days
  • $2,850

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Tailor-made Holidays

Patagonia is a vast and varied region, with a wealth of things to see and do, a range of places to stay and a limited transport network.

Why not let us do the hard work for you? Our team of experts will work with you to design an adventure to your exact requirements, from hiking and horse-riding trips to wine-tasting tours and undiscovered lodges.

We’ll work around your budget and arrange flights, transfers and buses, to create your perfect trip.

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Next we'll discuss the options, shortlist the best trips for you and present you our impartial recommendations.

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