Explore Argentina & Uruguay: Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Mendoza & Patagonia - 15 Days

Highlights

• Taste authentic "asado" barbecue in Palermo
• Walk across Punta Del Este's wavy Lionel Viera bridge
• Relax on a scenic drive along Nahuel Huapi National Park's lakes
• Sip malbec wine while watching a tango show in San Telmo

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Buenos Aires & Asado Dinner 

Welcome to Buenos Aires, Argentina's vibrant capital city. Your private guide will welcome you at Ezeiza International Airport, take you to your hotel, and give you a brief introduction to the city along the way. Settle into your hotel or go out exploring in one of the city's many barrios (neighborhoods), and then get ready to make your way to hip Palermo for dinner.

Asado is Argentina's version of barbecue, and at El Fogón in Palermo, you can enjoy tastes of the parilla (grill). Take a seat at the bar around an open kitchen and watch chefs in action amid flames as they explain their cooking techniques that go beyond what you'll find at a steakhouse.

Day 2: Buenos Aires Barrios & Ferry to Montevideo

Known as the "Paris of South America" for its Beaux Arts and Art Nouveau architecture, this city of 15 million offers a lot to discover, and your guide today will adapt a private city tour to your interests in different barrios. Start in Plaza de Mayo, home to the national government palace. Get your camera ready for La Boca's colorful zinc houses, in Palermo's gardens, enjoy the scenery, and in Recoletta's cemetery, discover the tomb of Eva Perón or "Evita," the activist, actress, and former Argentine first lady.

The Rio de la Plata separates Uruguay and Argentina, and after discovering Buenos Aires in the afternoon, it's time to visit Uruguay. One way to travel between the two countries is by an approximately three-hour ferry ride across the Rio de la Plata. A driver will transfer you from your hotel to the Buenos Aires port to catch a ferry to Uruguay's capital, Montevideo. 

Day 3: Montevideo Walking Tour

Get ready to discover this 1.3 million-person waterfront city by meeting your guide at Plaza Independencia. You'll learn about the capital's political history and significant buildings, including Palacio Salvo, the President's office, and the mausoleum of national hero José Artigas. Then stroll along the Sarandi pedestrian area and Matriz Square to see the Cathedral of Montevideo and its Cabildo (former government house).

After a morning of walking, stop for lunch at Port Market, a hall where you can try more asado-grilled meats. You'll then move on to see La Ciudad Nueva (New City), which was developed beginning in 1829. The New City, unlike older neighborhoods, has wide tree-lined streets, and your guide will point out modern sites such as the Estadio Centenario sports center, Monumento a la Carreta, and the residential areas Carrasco and Punta Gorda. Continue the tour on your own in the evening as your guide recommends the best spots for dinner and nightlife. 

Day 4: Punta del Este Day Trip

Punta del Este is a resort town popular with the jet set, and today you'll soak up its sun and sand. Your driver will pick you up at your hotel and head to the "United Nations Rambla" and the Ruta Interbalnearia highway to Solis. From Solis, you'll get out of the car and follow a waterfront promenade to Piriapolis and San Antonio Hill for seaside views. The next stop will be Punta del Este and La Barra beach for a scenic walk across Lionel Viera Bridge. Head back to the peninsula through the Brava beach coast with a chance to admire its contemporary art installations and a stop for lunch by the sea.

On the way back to Montevideo, you can choose to visit Casapueblo, a museum and former residence of artist Carlos Paez Vilaró, and a spot for magnificent views of Punta Ballena and Portezuelo at the sunset. You'll make your way back to Montevideo after a full day of exploring.

Day 5: Colonia del Sacramento Heritage Tour

Colonia del Sacramento (also called Calonia) is recognized as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage of Humanity site for its preserved historical center that shows its Portuguese, Spanish, and post-colonial influence.

On a day trip from Montevideo to Colonia, you'll feel as if you are stepping back in time as you walk through Colonia's Old Town while your guide explains the significance of the area. See Rambla Costanera, the Real de San Carlos and its old Bull Square, and San Benito Church, spending the day exploring and seeing views of the surrounding landscape. In the evening, you'll return to Montevideo to prepare for a morning flight to Mendoza in Argentina.

Day 6: Fly to Mendoza

Say goodbye to Uruguay as you fly west to explore some of Argentina's most famous wine country in Mendoza. A driver will meet you at your hotel and take you to the airport in Montevideo for your flight, and another driver will be waiting for you in Mendoza for a transfer to your hotel. After settling in, you can explore the city's tree-lined streets and central Plaza Independencia or head to a local bodega (wine cellar) to taste its world-class malbec wines.

Day 7: Uco Valley Wine Country Tasting Tour

Uco Valley's high-altitude wines are known worldwide, and its mountain setting provides a relaxed environment to visit the area's best-known wineries, about one hour outside of Mendoza. On today's tour, you'll stop at several wineries as you learn about the different grapes that thrive in this climate.

Sip bottled, tank, and barrel wines at Corazon del Sol's 17 acres (6.7 ha) of vineyards planted at the base of the Andes at 3,000 feet (914 m). Andeluna opened in 2003 in Tupungato Valley at the foot of Tupungato Volcano, where you can take a cooking class while learning about its malbecs, cabernet francs, and cuatro cepas. Enzo Bianchi's family-run winery is known for its malbecs, petit verdots, and cabernet sauvignons. Ask your guide about the best places in Mendoza to continue your wine tasting paired with dinner. 

Day 8: Aconcagua Landscapes & Inca Bridge

Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Americas and Southern Hemisphere with an elevation of 22,837 feet (6,961 m), and you'll have spectacular views of it on your road trip today as you make your way to Aconcagua Provincial Park. Your adventure begins as your driver heads southwest on Provincial Route 86 and past Cacheuta and the tunnel that connects it to Potrerillos, opening up to views in Cordón del Plata and at Potrerillos Dam. There will be another stop in Uspallata for more views and to admire its Inca petroglyphs.

Day 9: Fly to Bariloche

Patagonia awaits as you pack up your bags today for a flight to San Carlos de Bariloche, also known as Bariloche. Located in the Río Negro province of Argentina at the northern edge of Patagonia, Bariloche is a central point to explore the area around the Nahuel Huapi glacial lake against a stunning backdrop of the Andes. You'll have the option to fly directly to Bariloche, or connect in Buenos Aires or Córdoba, then arrive at your Bariloche hotel.

Day 10: Victoria Island Ferry & Trek

There are many ways to explore Nahuel Huapi National Park in the Patagonian Andes foothills, and today you'll travel by ferry and on foot. You'll have a morning pick-up at your hotel and then travel to the port where your adventure will begin, heading for Victoria Island, which will take approximately one hour.

From the port, you'll hike along forested trails until you reach Piedras Blancas Bay and its beach, where you can stop for a swim and take pictures. The next stop on the hike will be for lunch at  Puerto Radal, a port and former part of the island's zoo station. On your way back to the Victoria Island port, you'll be in the center of the island to see its forest nursery and displays about the area's first settlers. Your guide will lead you back to the starting port to travel to your hotel in Bariloche.  

Day 11: Discover Nahuel Huapi Lake

Nahuel Huapi lake in Nahuel Huapi National Park has a surface of 200 square miles (530 sq km), and its seven branches have several islands, making it a popular spot for kayaking, swimming, and bird-watching. You'll set off from your hotel to the port and travel about one hour by boat to start your tour of the lake.

Spend a leisurely day on the lake with the option to visit beaches, waterfalls, and viewpoints, finding a relaxing spot for a picnic lunch. In the afternoon, you'll head back to the port and then to your hotel for a free evening to relax in Bariloche with its Swiss-Alpine mountain setting. 

Day 12: Seven Lakes & Seven Flavors Drive

Argentina's National Route 40 takes a scenic turn on the stretch between San Martin de los Andes and Villa la Angostura, known as Seven Lakes Road. Departing from your Bariloche hotel, you'll travel on the winding lake and mountain road, taking in views of Nahuel Huapi along with Espejo, Correntoso, Villarino, Falkner, Machonico, and Lacar Lakes.

After marveling at the landscape around you, stop for a picnic lunch with a menu of some of Patagonia's local dishes, including seven different courses of local cheese and smoked game, chocolates, Araucaria pinions (seeds), draft beer and wine, seasonal vegetable soup, fruit and flower nectars, mate, tea, and cookies. With time to digest and relax, you'll return to Bariloche for a free evening.

Day 13: Fly to Buenos Aires

Soak up your last relaxing morning in Patagonia and get ready for your flight to Buenos Aires. From the airport, a driver will take you to your Buenos Aires hotel, where the rest of the day is free for you to explore your favorite parts of the city or discover somewhere new. 

Palermo, the city's largest neighborhood, is one place to spend more time, with its many cocktail bars, restaurants, museums, and boutiques. Visit Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires for its vast collection of Latin American art, or Museo Evita, to learn more about the life of Evita Perón. Join a busy crowd at a restaurant like Don Julio to try more of Argentina's famed meats, and don't be surprised if you're back at your hotel later than planned. 

Day 14: Estancia & San Telmo Dinner Show

You may be surprised to find a  250-acre (101 ha) working estancia (cattle ranch) one hour and a half outside of Buenos Aires. This is the Humid Pampas, a combination of hilly and flatlands known for its grasslands, meadows, and isolated forests (locally referred to as Montes). Settle in for a day on the ranch, tasting empanadas with a local drink, then work up an appetite for lunch on a guided walk or horseback ride. After an asado meal, ask questions about ranch life while sampling Pampean tea and pastries.

Back in Buenos Aires and San Telmo, a driver will take you to a restored conventillo (tenement) and the La Ventana dinner theater for an Argentine meal paired with live performances. Singers, musicians, and dancers will fill the evening with tango, folkloric Altiplano music, and boleadoras (a performance that is typically on horseback). At the end of the show, relax at your hotel, or go on to your next activity to see more of Buenos Aires nightlife. 

Day 15: Adios Buenos Aires

Enjoy one last morning in Buenos Aires, and then say your goodbyes to Argentina. A private driver will transfer you to the airport in time for your international flight. Safe travels!

More Great Argentina Itineraries

Looking for more inspiration for your trip to Argentina? Check out these other Argentina itineraries, explore different ways to spend 15 days in Argentina, and discover the best time to visit Argentina.