The Grey sailing itself
The 3-hour boat to Grey Glacier
★ 4.5 · 366 ratings
- Fromfrom $120
- Length3 hrs
- CancellationIncluded
Book your date
Pick the day. Check the cost.
Choose a day and the number of guests. The total recalculates as you go, and the following page shows the live price and open slots.
- Free cancelling up to 24 hrs before
- Pay later when you book
- Gets booked 6 days ahead
What to expect
Inside the price, your packing list, extras
Included4
- 3 hours on Lago Grey to the glacier face
- A live guide in English and Spanish
- A pisco sour on board
- A seat on a boat with a cabin and an outside deck
Bring3
- Windproof and waterproof layers for the deck
- Sunglasses, hat and gloves
- Shoes for the walk on Grey Beach
Not part of it2
- Transport from Puerto Natales
- The national park entrance pass
3hours
on the lake from Hotel Lago Grey
366reviews
from guests on GetYourGuide
30m
the height of the ice walls, says Chile Travel
98seats
in the cabin of the Grey III catamaran
Other options
Four ways to reach the ice from Puerto Natales
Van from Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales: Grey Glacier Navigation w/ Transport
★ 4.3 · 34 ratings
- Fromfrom $276
- Length8 hrs
- CancellationIncluded
Small group of up to 10
Torres del Paine: Grey Glacier Boat Trip + Full Day in Torres del Paine
★ 4.6 · 16 ratings
- Fromfrom $290
- Length12 hrs
- CancellationIncluded
Fjord glaciers from town
Half-Day Boat Trip to Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers
★ 4.7 · 191 ratings
- Fromfrom $120
- Length6 hrs
- CancellationIncluded
A quick table legend
The boat sold here beside three other glacier days near Natales, with live ratings and prices.
These are per-person from-prices, current on GetYourGuide.
Testimonials
Guest testimonials
4.5
★★★★★366 real-guest reviews
The walk along the beach to the boat was lovely, and the crew were keen and well informed. They sang to my wife on her birthday, which was the high point of our whole trip.
ErwinFebruary 2026, as a couple
Our guide told us so much about what we were looking at. The stroll out to the boat was bracing, and the weather was kind to us that day.
DeboraMarch 2026, as a couple
A gorgeous outing that took us close to the different faces of the glacier, with clear explanations and a happy atmosphere on deck.
JoergMarch 2026, as a couple
Remember that the start is a long drive from town, so sort out your own ride there and give yourself plenty of time if you are flying the same day.
BenMay 2026, traveling solo
We loved it. Make sure you know whether check-in means the hotel or the dock, because we turned up an hour before we needed to.
JennyFebruary 2026, as a couple
The crew were great fun and full of useful information. If you are near the park, do not miss this one; it was money well spent.
YimonMarch 2026, as a couple
the trip in brief
Hours on a grey lake, face to face with ice
This Grey Glacier cruise is a sailing of 3 hours on Lago Grey, inside Torres del Paine National Park, guided in both English and Spanish. It begins and ends at Hotel Lago Grey, where you report for check-in 1 hour before the boat leaves. A pisco sour is poured for you on board.
The rhythm of the outing is simple. A walk of 45 minutes across the beach, 2.75 hours afloat, then the same walk back to the hotel. Somewhere in the middle of that sailing the lake narrows, the floating ice thickens and the glacier stops being a line on the horizon and turns into a cliff of blue and white above the deck.
Seats start from $120, nothing is charged until you decide to pay, and a change of plan is free if made 24 hours or more before the sailing. The listing covers the boat alone, so the ride from Puerto Natales and the park pass are arranged separately; our guides explain both.
Reserve it, cancellation is freeAcross Lago Grey
Browse tours from Lago Grey
Guest-approved tours around Lago Grey, current prices on GetYourGuide, cancellation is free.
Around Puerto Natales
Puerto Natales: Balmaceda & Serrano Glaciers Navigation
★ 4.4 (33)6 hrsCancel without a fee
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3 Days in Patagonia. Torres del Paine, Perito Moreno, and Balmaceda Glacier
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Puerto Natales: Torres del Paine Full Day Tour
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Puerto Natales: Horseback Riding with Horse Connection
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Puma Watching in Torres del Paine | Private Wildlife Expedition
★ 4.8 (21)10.5 hrsCancel without a fee
from$650
Show me this tourKayaking
Patagonia: Kayak Tour in Puerto Natales with Picnic
★ 4.8 (9)4 hrsCancel without a fee
from$210
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Puerto Natales: Full Day Torres del Paine + Milodon Cave
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from$114
Show me this tourPremium
Torres del Paine: W Trek Express
★ 4.7 (114)5 daysCancel without a fee
from$1,190
Show me this tourWider choice in Lago Grey
What is bookable in Lago Grey, live on GetYourGuide
View Lago Grey listingsImage gallery
Blue walls, drifting ice and a grey lake
Photos from sailings to Grey Glacier
why grey
An arm of the great southern ice reaching a lake
Grey Glacier in Torres del Paine is not a lonely glacier. It is one of several that pour out of the Southern Ice Field into Torres del Paine, alongside Dickson, Zapata, Tindall and Geike, according to CONAF. Chile Travel describes it travelling 28 km from that ice field before it meets the lake that carries its name and breaks into drifting blue floes.
That ice field is enormous. Chile Travel calls it the third largest mass of ice on Earth after Antarctica and Greenland, and gives Grey alone a surface of 270 km2. Standing at the rail beneath its front, you are looking at the very edge of a frozen world that stretches far beyond the mountains you can see.
The glacier has also changed within living memory. A section of it broke away in 2017, Chile Travel notes, yet the walls that remain still hold visitors spellbound. The lake itself is part of a park that UNESCO declared a Biosphere Reserve back in 1978, long before the boats began to carry visitors to the ice.
Reserve it, cancellation is freetickets and the park
The park pass, the booking and the paperwork
Every visitor needs a pass for Torres del Paine, and the boat ticket does not replace it. Foreign visitors aged 18 or more pay CLP 32,400 a day, teenagers from 13 to 17 CLP 16,600 and under-13s nothing, while a multi-day pass, valid 2 days or more, costs CLP 48,500.
The pass is sold only online through Pases Parques, with no ticket desks at the entrances, and the purchase has to be done no later than 24 hours before your visit. During November 2026 the platform paused its sales of 2027 passes while fees are updated, with sales reopening from December 2026.
On the boat side, the seat can be reserved without payment, with cancellation free until 24 hours before. Keep both confirmations offline on your phone: Chile Travel warns that the park gates have no mobile data to look anything up.
Reserve it, cancellation is free
Your sailing
Choose your day on Lago Grey.
Hold a seat on the boat to the glacier and cancel free until 24 hours before.
the season
When the boat sails and when to book it
The operator publishes its fares for the 2026 to 2027 season, from October 1, 2026 until April 30, 2027, the long southern summer when daylight is generous and the park is at its busiest. On the busiest summer days it adds an extra sailing to the timetable.
Hotel Lago Grey itself stays open all year and argues that winter ranks among the finest seasons to come, with less wind, more colour and fewer people around. Winter travel is a different trip, though, with shorter days and colder decks, and bus timetables change between May and August.
Book well ahead for the summer months. Chile Travel advises reserving the park entrance, the navigation and your accommodation early, because demand in high season is very strong. Our guide to the best time of year compares the months in more detail.
Reserve it, cancellation is freeOverall score
What 366 travelers think
4.5
Excellent★★★★★
- 5-star ratings100%
- 4-star ratings0%
- 3-star ratings0%
- 2-star ratings0%
- 1-star ratings0%
Bars are drawn from the 10 latest reviews we have on file; the booking platform sorts the top ones first. Over all 366 reviews the average stands at 4.5.
Look up open dates and spots
from $120 · cancellation costs nothing
Confirmation straight away · GetYourGuide
what guests praise
What recent passengers remember about the sailing
People who have just stepped off the boat talk first about the crew. In recent reviews they come across as cheerful, informative and genuinely keen to share the place, explaining the landscape as the boat moves and keeping the mood on board light even when the wind picks up.
The ice itself earns the second wave of praise. One reviewer describes close encounters with three parts of the glacier, and another says the boat held different angles so that everyone could see the ice and take pictures. The same guest called the view of Torres del Paine breathtaking.
There are useful warnings too. One guest wished the listing were clearer that check-in happens at the hotel an hour before departure, and another reminded readers that the boat starts a long way from Puerto Natales, so you must arrange your own transport and allow plenty of road time if you have a flight to catch.
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FAQ
Need to know?Read on.
How long is the Grey Glacier cruise?
3 hours.
The listing gives 3 hours, 2.75 of them on the water, plus the walk across the beach each way.
Where does the boat leave from?
Hotel Lago Grey, in the park.
You check in at the hotel and walk across Grey Beach to the boarding point.
Is transport from Puerto Natales included?
No, it is arranged separately.
The listing covers the sailing; the Lago Grey sector is about 100 km from Natales.
Do I need a national park ticket?
Yes, bought online in advance.
The park charges its own entry, which the boat ticket does not include; buy it online beforehand.
Which languages does the guide speak?
English and Spanish.
A live guide leads the sailing in English and Spanish.
Is a drink included?
Yes, a pisco sour.
A pisco sour is included on board, with soft drinks or juice as alternatives.
How close does the boat get to the ice?
Close to the front wall.
The boat reaches the wall after about 1 hour and approaches each glacier front.
Can children come on the boat?
Yes, with an adult.
Children under 5 sail free and a child fare applies from 5 to 12.
Is the walk to the boat difficult?
It crosses a beach.
The operator says the walk is not suited to limited mobility, and it changes with the weather.
Will the boat sail if it is windy?
The sailing may be cancelled.
The operator can stop a trip for safety; bookings stay free to cancel until 24 hours before.
wind and weather
When the wind decides the day
In Torres del Paine the weather has the final say. Chile Travel warns of weather that is windy and extremely unpredictable, and the operator may call off a sailing whenever conditions turn unsafe. That is not a formality: in November 2026 CONAF closed the Playa Grey trail and others from 10 November 2026 after an early warning for wind gusts, rain and possible thunderstorms.
A cancelled sailing costs time more than money. Your booking can be dropped for free until 24 hours ahead, but the operator does not cover knock-on costs such as a bus ticket or a night in the park. Build a spare day into your plans and the wind becomes an inconvenience rather than a loss.
A grey sky does not spoil the trip. The ice keeps its colour under cloud, a blue that comes from compressed ice absorbing the red part of the light. What really matters is the wind on the lake, so read the forecast on the eve of the sailing and again at dawn.
Reserve it, cancellation is free28km
A river of ice
Grey flows this far from the ice field to its lake.
It is one of several glaciers that leave the Southern Ice Field inside Torres del Paine, and Chile Travel puts the height of its front walls at 30 m.
photographing the ice
Taking pictures of a moving wall of ice
The outside deck is where the pictures are. The boat seats its passengers in a cabin but has open deck space too, and when it nears the glacier that is where you want to be, with a hand free and a strap around your wrist.
Look for scale. A wall that Chile Travel puts at up to 30 m tall looks small in a frame with nothing beside it, so include an iceberg, the bow of the boat or a passenger in a red jacket. Shoot the textures as well: cracks, layers, dirt bands and the deep blue at the base of the seracs.
Keep the camera ready for sound. With some luck you see and hear ice break from the face and fall into the lake, and the splash comes seconds after the crack. Leave the drone in your bag: CONAF bans them in the park, with exceptions only for approved science and professional film crews.
Reserve it, cancellation is freeThe sailing in brief
A beach walk.A grey lake.Walls of blue ice.
This sailing spends 3 hours on Lago Grey, led by an English and Spanish speaking guide. You check in at Hotel Lago Grey, cross the beach on foot and board a catamaran that reaches the glacier front after about 1 hour of sailing. Seats start from $120, with free cancellation for up to 24 hours ahead of the boat.
Reserve now and pay later on GetYourGuide
what to wear
Dressing for an hour beside a glacier
Think of the deck as a winter day, whatever the calendar says. The park administration reminds visitors that Patagonian weather turns quickly and asks them to carry layers for rain, wind and snow. Wind off the ice makes a mild morning in Puerto Natales feel much colder by the time you reach the glacier.
Hotel Lago Grey's own kit list for guests covers waterproofs, hiking shoes, headwear and gloves, plus sun protection for eyes and skin. Each has a job on the boat. The hat and gloves keep you outside longer, the sunglasses cut the glare from the ice, and proper shoes make the beach walk easy.
Pack the small things too. A spare camera battery, a scarf or buff for the wind, a snack and a bottle of water all help on a long day. Cash is worth carrying as well, since Chile Travel points out that there are no cash machines anywhere in the park.
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getting there
Reaching Hotel Lago Grey from Puerto Natales
Hotel Lago Grey lies in the western part of the park, roughly 100 km and 2 hours by car from Puerto Natales, according to Chile Travel. With a rental car you have the freedom to stop at viewpoints and pick any sailing; remember that CONAF says no fuel is sold in or around the park.
No car? The public bus is the low-cost answer. Bus-Sur runs from Puerto Natales to the park in the September to April season and times its service to meet the midday sailing in both directions. After dropping you at the hotel for check-in, Bus-Sur says, it carries you about 2 km further, close to the start of the beach walk.
Tours take the planning off your hands. Packages that add a van from Natales run to 8 hours, from $276, and a version for small groups adds a guided drive around the park. Our page on getting to the boat sets out each route with its timings.
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- Free cancelling up to 24 hrs before
- Pay later when you book
- starting at $120 each
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beyond the boat
The lake shore, the trails and the active options
The boat is not the only way to enjoy this corner of the park. The black beach that leads to the pier is a sight of its own, with stranded floes and the glacier far up the lake, and some park day tours include a stop there.
For hikers, the W route passes the Grey sector, and CONAF times the walk from the Grey ranger station to Paine Grande at 3 hours 30 minutes for its 11 km. The Grey III also carries walkers across the lake to the refuge on its morning and midday trips, which turns a long trail into a short crossing.
For the adventurous, an ice hike spends at least 2.5 hours on the glacier and a kayak trip paddles towards its east face, both for ages 14 and over. Both start from the operator's base near the Grey refuge, and the ice walk, by Chile Travel's reckoning, means sleeping at least one night inside the park, so read our comparison before choosing between boat, ice and kayak.
Reserve it, cancellation is freewho it suits
Who will love the Grey Glacier tour, and who should not book
The Grey Glacier tour suits almost anyone who can walk across a beach. Families find it easy, since children under 5 travel free and a lower child fare applies up to 12. Photographers, first-time visitors to Patagonia and anyone who will not strap on crampons get the closest view of the ice available without special skills.
It suits less well those who struggle on loose ground. The operator rules out the beach walk for people with limited mobility and asks parents to carry infants in a backpack, since prams cannot cross the gravel. Travellers with only one rushed day in the park may also get more from a full park tour.
Above all, it rewards people with flexible plans. Give yourself room for a windy day, buy the park pass in good time and dress warmly, and the sailing to the ice becomes one of the strongest memories of a southern journey.
Reserve it, cancellation is free