Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Argentina: Buenos Aires, Mendoza Wine Country and the Andes
8 days from Buenos Aires to Mendoza: four nights in Buenos Aires with a tango evening, San Telmo and an estancia day, then three nights in Mendoza with two bodega days and the road to Aconcagua.
8 days · Buenos Aires to Mendoza · up to 12 guests
Vineyards in Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo, below the snow-covered Andes Photo: Juan Pelizzatti, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bodega_chakana_nieve_y_camino.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Buenos Aires to Mendoza
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 6 h on day 6
- Activity level
Easy
Mostly easy city walking of 3 to 5 km a day on pavements and some cobbles in San Telmo. Bodega visits are short walks through vineyards and cellars with stairs. The mountain day reaches about 2,950 m at the Aconcagua park entrance, where the lagoon walk is a few kilometres there and back on a gravel trail (we confirm the exact length with the park); take it slowly because of the altitude, or stay at the viewpoint by the car park. Any part can be sat out.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,205 (estimated price)
- Season
- September to May
Highlights
Why this trip
- A tango evening in Buenos Aires: a beginners' class, then dinner and a show
- San Telmo on foot: Calle Defensa, Plaza Dorrego and the iron-and-glass San Telmo Market
- A day on an estancia near San Antonio de Areco, with an asado lunch and a short ride
- Malbec in Luján de Cuyo, with a long bodega lunch on the day we land in Mendoza
- The road up the Mendoza river to Puente del Inca and the view of Aconcagua from Horcones
- High-altitude vineyards in the Uco Valley, with the Andes behind the vines
- Recoleta Cemetery at the morning opening, before the tour groups
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 6 h, on day 6.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,205 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 6 h, on day 6.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Buenos Aires
Ezeiza International Airport to your hotel in Buenos Aires
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Buenos Aires
- Drive about 45 min
Fly into Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), about 35 km south-west of the centre, where a driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the drive into the city, usually 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. The day is yours to settle in.
Morning
Overnight flights from North America land in the morning, so if your room is not ready, leave your bags and walk the leafy streets around the hotel, or sit in a corner café with a cortado and a medialuna and watch the city go by.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the week: the plan in each city, the flight to Mendoza, how paying works in Argentina and how the bodega tastings run. Then we walk to a neighbourhood parrilla for a welcome dinner of grilled beef, provoleta and salads with a glass of Malbec. Porteños eat late, but tonight we sit down early so you can sleep off the flight.
Included
- Pick-up at Ezeiza International Airport (EZE)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner at a parrilla
Free time: Free until the early evening briefing
Plaza de Mayo, San Telmo and a tango evening
Plaza de Mayo along Avenida de Mayo, then south on foot into San Telmo
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Buenos Aires
- Drive about 30 min
We start at Plaza de Mayo, the square at the centre of Argentine history: the pink Casa Rosada, the Cabildo where the 1810 revolution began, and the Metropolitan Cathedral, which holds the tomb of General San Martín. From there we walk south down Calle Defensa into San Telmo, the oldest neighbourhood, with its cobbles, colonial houses and antique shops. Your guide shows you the fileteado, the curling painted lettering on old signs and shopfronts, and we stop at Plaza Dorrego and the San Telmo Market, an iron-and-glass hall from 1897 full of fruit stalls, antiques and coffee counters. On Sundays the street fair fills Defensa from end to end.
Afternoon
Lunch is in San Telmo.
Evening
The afternoon is free to rest before a late night. In the evening we go to a tango house: a short beginners' class for anyone who wants to try, then dinner and a show by professional dancers and an orchestra. The show usually starts after dinner, so expect to be back near midnight.
Included
- Plaza de Mayo, the Casa Rosada (outside), the Cabildo and the Metropolitan Cathedral with your guide
- San Telmo on foot: Calle Defensa, Plaza Dorrego and the San Telmo Market
- Lunch in San Telmo
- Tango evening: a short beginners' class, dinner and a show
Easier option: Skip the San Telmo market stop and rest at the hotel after lunch, or watch the tango class and arrive just for dinner and the show.
Free time: Afternoon free before the tango evening
Activity: About 3 km on foot in the morning, partly on cobbles.
An estancia day in the Pampas
Buenos Aires to San Antonio de Areco and an estancia, then back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Buenos Aires
- Drive about 3.5 h
Evening
After a late night we leave at 9 am and drive about an hour and three quarters north-west across the flat green Pampas to San Antonio de Areco, a small town that has kept the gaucho tradition alive in its silversmiths, saddlers and old general stores. We walk the quiet centre and the bridge over the Areco river, and visit the Museo Gauchesco Ricardo Güiraldes when it is open. Then we drive out to a working estancia, a cattle ranch with a long colonial-style house and a shaded garden. Lunch is the main event: a long asado of beef, sausages and grilled vegetables cooked over wood, with empanadas, salads and local wine at a shared table. Afterwards the gauchos show their horsemanship, often the sortija, where riders at a gallop try to spear a small ring, and you can take a short ride or a horse-drawn carriage around the fields. We are back in Buenos Aires by early evening, with the night free.
Included
- San Antonio de Areco on foot with your guide
- Museo Gauchesco Ricardo Güiraldes, when open
- Day at a working estancia with an asado lunch and wine
- Gaucho horsemanship display
- A short horse ride or a carriage ride
Easier option: Take the carriage ride in place of the horse, or stay in the estancia garden after lunch.
More active option: A longer ride across the fields with an estancia gaucho, about an hour, for riders with some experience.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: Riding is at walking pace for beginners; helmets are provided. Wear long trousers and closed shoes.
Recoleta at opening, then a free afternoon
Recoleta Cemetery and Recoleta on foot, then free time in the city
- Breakfast
- Stay in Buenos Aires
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
We walk into Recoleta Cemetery at its morning opening, before the tour coaches arrive. It is a city of marble and bronze mausoleums laid out in streets and squares, where presidents, poets and generals lie, and where Eva Perón rests in the Duarte family vault; your guide tells the stories behind the most striking tombs. From the cemetery we walk through Recoleta, past the Basílica del Pilar and the grand French-style apartment buildings, to El Ateneo Grand Splendid, a 1919 theatre turned bookshop where you can read in the old boxes and have coffee on the stage. The rest of the day is yours: walk the rose garden and lakes of the Bosques de Palermo, visit the MALBA or the Fine Arts Museum, see La Boca, or shop in Palermo Soho.
Evening
Your guide suggests restaurants for dinner on your own. If you would rather spend the day in another country, the optional day trip takes the fast ferry across the Río de la Plata to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay instead.
Included
- Recoleta Cemetery with your guide
- Recoleta on foot and El Ateneo Grand Splendid
Optional experiences
- Day trip to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, by fast ferry (about 1 h 15 each way) with a walk through the old town, in place of the morning walk; price shown at booking
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 km on foot in the morning, on flat pavements. Bring your passport if you take the Colonia day trip.
Fly to Mendoza, Malbec in Luján de Cuyo
Buenos Aires Aeroparque to Mendoza by air, then Luján de Cuyo and Mendoza
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Mendoza
- Drive about 1.5 h
We leave the hotel at about 8:30 for Aeroparque, the city airport by the river, and fly about an hour and fifty minutes west across the Pampas to Mendoza. On a clear day the Andes appear as a white wall ahead on the approach. From the airport we drive about 40 minutes south to Luján de Cuyo, the district where Argentine Malbec made its name, with vineyards in Agrelo, Perdriel and Vistalba fed by snowmelt in old irrigation channels.
Evening
At the first bodega a winemaker or the bodega's guide walks us through the vines and the cellar, explaining why the dry air, big swings between day and night temperatures and stony soils suit Malbec, then we taste through the range. Lunch is a long one at the bodega, several small courses each paired with a wine, the way Mendoza does it. In the late afternoon we check into the hotel in Mendoza and your guide walks the group round Plaza Independencia and the tree-lined streets, with the evening free.
Included
- Flight from Buenos Aires Aeroparque (AEP) to Mendoza (MDZ)
- Bodega visit in Luján de Cuyo with a vineyard and cellar tour and tasting
- Wine-paired lunch at the bodega
- Orientation walk around Plaza Independencia in Mendoza
Easier option: Skip the vineyard walk and join the group in the cellar for the tasting and lunch.
Free time: Evening free in Mendoza
Activity: Domestic flights have tighter checked-bag limits than international ones; we tell you the allowance when we confirm your dates.
The road to Aconcagua
Mendoza up the Mendoza river valley to Uspallata, Puente del Inca and the Aconcagua park, then back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Mendoza
- Drive about 6 h
Evening
Today is the long road day, about six hours at the wheel in all, and over our usual four-hour cap because there is only one road into these mountains, Ruta Nacional 7, and no hotel near the top worth a third night away from Mendoza. We break it into stops. We leave at about 8:30 and follow the Mendoza river past the turquoise Potrerillos reservoir, then climb through red and ochre canyons to Uspallata, a green valley of poplars where we stop for coffee. Higher up, at about 2,720 m, is Puente del Inca, a natural stone bridge over the river stained orange and yellow by mineral springs, with the ruins of an old spa hotel beneath it. A few minutes on is the entrance to Aconcagua Provincial Park at Horcones. On the gravel trail to the Horcones lagoon you see the south face of Aconcagua, at about 6,960 m the highest mountain outside Asia, filling the head of the valley. We eat lunch on the way down and are back in Mendoza by early evening.
Included
- Potrerillos reservoir viewpoint
- Coffee stop in Uspallata
- Puente del Inca
- Aconcagua Provincial Park at Horcones, entry included, and the lagoon trail with your guide
- Lunch in the mountains
Easier option: Stay at the viewpoint by the Horcones car park, which has the same view of Aconcagua, or take a free day in Mendoza instead of the drive.
More active option: The full lagoon trail and the viewpoint above the Horcones valley, a few kilometres in all, walked slowly because of the altitude; we confirm the exact trail length with the park.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: This is the only day over our four-hour driving cap, by design, because the mountains are reached on one road; the stops break it into short stretches. Horcones is at about 2,950 m. Walk slowly, drink water and bring a warm windproof layer; the wind can be cold even in summer. If the road is closed by snow or rockfall, we swap in a Cacheuta and Potrerillos day closer to the city.
Uco Valley vineyards and a farewell dinner
Mendoza south to the Uco Valley, then back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Mendoza
- Drive about 3 h
We drive about an hour and a half south to the Uco Valley, the newer wine country where vineyards climb to about 1,000 to 1,500 m on the slopes below the Andes, around Tupungato, Tunuyán and San Carlos. The light is clear and the peaks stand right behind the vines, so it is the best wine landscape of the trip. At the first bodega we walk the high vineyard and the winery, often a striking modern building of concrete and stone, and taste wines made from Malbec, Cabernet Franc and white grapes that ripen slowly in the cool nights.
Afternoon
The second bodega is for lunch: a long, unhurried meal looking out over the vines to the mountains, with a pairing for each course. In harvest season, roughly February to April, you see the picking and the first fermentations. We drive back to Mendoza in the late afternoon.
Evening
In the evening the group meets for a farewell dinner in the city.
Included
- Two bodegas in the Uco Valley with vineyard and winery tours and tastings
- Wine-paired lunch at the second bodega
- Farewell dinner in Mendoza
Easier option: Skip the vineyard walk and join the group for the tasting.
More active option: If the two bodegas chosen for your departure are close enough, cycle the quiet vineyard roads between them with a support vehicle; we confirm the route and distance when we confirm the bodegas.
Free time: Late afternoon free before the farewell dinner
Activity: You can pour out or skip any wine; spittoons are at every tasting.
Depart from Mendoza
Your hotel to Mendoza airport (MDZ)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
The last morning is yours. Mendoza wakes up early and quietly, so it is a good time to walk to Parque General San Martín, a large park with a lake, rose garden and plane trees laid out at the edge of the city, or to climb Cerro de la Gloria for the view back over the vineyards to the mountains. You might buy a few bottles from a wine shop near Plaza Independencia; ask your guide how to pack them for the flight. There are no group activities today, so you leave whenever your flight requires. We drive you to Mendoza's El Plumerillo airport (MDZ), about 20 minutes from the centre, at a time your guide agrees with you the day before.
Evening
Most guests fly back to Buenos Aires for an evening international flight home from Ezeiza, or connect through Santiago de Chile. If you would like to stay longer in Mendoza or add Iguazu Falls, ask us when you book and we arrange the extra nights.
Included
- Drop-off at Mendoza airport (MDZ)
Free time: Free until your airport transfer
Activity: Book a flight from Mendoza leaving after about 11 am. If you connect to an international flight at Ezeiza, allow at least four hours between flights, as the domestic flight may land at Aeroparque across the city.
- Buenos Aires4 nights
- Mendoza3 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Mendoza is dry and sunny most of the year, hot from December to February and cool at night in spring and autumn. Harvest runs from about February to April, when the vineyards are busy and the Vendimia festival fills the city. Ruta Nacional 7 above Uspallata can close in snow in winter, so the trip does not run from June to August. Buenos Aires is hot and humid in January and February. Watch for condors over the Mendoza river valley and guanacos near the road.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Wine lovers who want two full days in Mendoza's vineyards, not a single tasting stop
- Food-led travellers: long bodega lunches, an estancia asado and Buenos Aires parrillas
- First-timers in Argentina who want the flight, the money questions and the logistics handled
- Solo travellers who want company at the table and a fair single price
- Travellers who prefer two hotels for the whole week to packing every morning
Not for you if you want
- Non-drinkers who would find two vineyard days long, although every tasting can be skipped
- Travellers looking for Patagonia, glaciers or hiking; the walking here is light
- Anyone who wants Chile in the same trip; this route stays in Argentina
- Step-free access: cobbles in San Telmo, cellar stairs at the bodegas and gravel at Horcones
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Buenos Aires4 nights
- Mendoza3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 4 in Buenos Aires and 3 in Mendoza
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms and air-conditioning; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Ezeiza International Airport (EZE) and drop-off at Mendoza airport (MDZ)
- Flight from Buenos Aires Aeroparque to Mendoza, with a checked bag
- A private air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group in Buenos Aires and in Mendoza, including the estancia, mountain and Uco Valley days
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 8, including on the flight
- Bodega guides or winemakers at each winery and licensed local guides where a site requires them
Activities
- Buenos Aires: Plaza de Mayo, the Cathedral and the Cabildo, San Telmo on foot with the San Telmo Market, Recoleta Cemetery with your guide, El Ateneo Grand Splendid
- Tango evening with a beginners' class, dinner and a show
- San Antonio de Areco and a day at a working estancia with a gaucho display and a short ride or carriage ride
- Mendoza: three bodega visits with tours and tastings, one in Luján de Cuyo and two in the Uco Valley
- The mountain day: Potrerillos, Uspallata, Puente del Inca and Aconcagua Provincial Park entry at Horcones
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 5 lunches, including an asado at the estancia and two wine-paired bodega lunches
- 3 dinners: welcome dinner, tango dinner show and farewell dinner
Not included
- International flights to Buenos Aires and home from Mendoza
- Any visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed (3 lunches and 4 dinners)
- Drinks outside the included tastings and paired meals
- Tips for your guide and driver
- Optional activities: the Colonia del Sacramento ferry day trip
- Personal expenses, including wine you buy to take home
- Excess baggage on the domestic flight
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,205 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, 7 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 3 dinners including the tango dinner show, the flight from Buenos Aires to Mendoza, airport transfers, a private vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, the estancia day, three bodega visits with tastings, guided walks in San Telmo and Recoleta, and the Aconcagua park entry.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough to fit round one table at a bodega lunch, walk San Telmo as one group and be welcomed at smaller family wineries that cannot take a coach, where comparable trips run with up to 16.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from Buenos Aires to Mendoza, including on the flight. At each bodega a winemaker or the winery's own guide leads the tour and tasting, and licensed local guides join where a site requires them. We name your guide when we confirm your dates.
How fit do I need to be?
Average fitness is enough. Most days are 3 to 5 km of easy walking, with cobbles in San Telmo and stairs in some cellars. The mountain day reaches about 2,950 m, where you walk slowly; you can stay at the car-park viewpoint or take a free day in Mendoza instead.
I am travelling solo. What will I pay?
Your own room costs from CAD 1,205 more, shown up front before you book, and you join the group on exactly the same terms as everyone else, at the same tables and tastings. If you would rather share a room, ask when you book; whether a share can be arranged is confirmed at booking, and otherwise the single supplement applies.
When is the best time to go?
September to May. March is harvest month in Mendoza, with the Vendimia festival in late February or early March, so book those dates early. Spring (October and November) and autumn (April and May) are mild in both cities. We do not run June to August, when snow can close the mountain road.
Can I see the grape harvest?
Yes, if you travel between about February and April. Picking and the first fermentations are under way in Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, and some bodegas let you see the grapes arrive. Exact timing varies with the season and the grape, and harvest-time bodegas are busy, so March departures fill first.
Do I have to drink wine on the bodega days?
No. Every tasting can be skipped or poured out, there are spittoons at each winery, and water and soft drinks come with every lunch. The vineyards, cellars and the Andes views are worth the day on their own, and the lunches are good with or without a glass.
Do I need a visa for Argentina?
Canadian, US and Australian citizens do not need a visa for a short tourist stay in Argentina, or for Uruguay if you take the optional Colonia day trip. Your passport should be valid for the whole trip. We confirm current entry rules when you book.
How does booking work?
Choose a departure date and request to book. No payment is taken at that point. We confirm your place, the price and the hotels within 24 hours, and only then ask for a deposit. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, from CAD 7,075 for the small group.
Can I travel privately or on my own dates?
Yes. The private version runs for your party only on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle, from CAD 12,735 per person. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, send us an inquiry from the dates section and we quote the same hotels, flight and bodega visits.
Can I add Iguazu Falls or Rio?
Yes. Our Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls and Rio de Janeiro trip starts in Buenos Aires, so you can join it before this one, or we arrange extra nights and a flight from Mendoza or Buenos Aires to Iguazu. Ask when you book and we quote the combination.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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