The Best Things to Do in Mendoza

Mendoza is one of the most popular places to visit in Argentina and for a good reason!

Mendoza is located in the heart of wine country in the western part of Argentina and offers mild weather year-round, world-class wine, and beautiful mountain landscapes for trekking and hiking.

Mendoza is is located on Ruta Nacional 7 (or simply Ruta 7) connecting Buenos Aires with the capital of Chile, Santiago de Chile.

This makes Mendoza an ideal destination for a weekend break from Buenos Aires or a stopover if you are heading north to Bolivia, south to Patagonia, or straight across the Andes Mountains to Chile.

While Mendoza is mostly famous for the possibility of wine tastings in picturesque vineyards, Mendoza has so much more to offer!

From hot springs and mud baths over beautiful city plazas and viewpoints to outdoor activities with the tallest mountain in the South Hemisphere as your backdrop, Mendoza truly has something for every taste!

I have visited the Mendoza province twice while living in Buenos Aires; one time traveling alone and another time traveling with my husband to San Rafael for a family wedding.

Mendoza City feels a bit like a mini Buenos Aires with a more relaxed atmosphere which is perfect as an escape for the busyness of Buenos Aires.

Let’s explore the best things to do in Mendoza!

A Mendoza Travel Guide: What to Do in Mendoza?

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The 25 Best Things to Do in Mendoza

There are many interesting things to do in Mendoza and it can be hard to fit them all into a simple blog post! But I’ll give it a try anyway!

There are properly many more activities in Mendoza than I have covered here, so if you feel like I’m missing something, please share your Mendoza insights in the comments below!

The city center of Mendoza can easily be explored in around one to two days, but there are so many more great things to do as a day trip outside Mendoza.

Here are some of the best things to do in Mendoza!

Taste Argentine Wine at a Local Winery

Argentina is famous for its delicious wines, and one of the absolute best things to do in Mendoza is to taste Argentine wine at a local winery!

Many of the wineries in Mendoza offer guided visits with wine tastings of their production, and most of them are open all year round.

The visiting hours of the wineries in Mendoza vary a lot with some having limited visiting hours.

Some wineries in Mendoza only offer a couple of guided tours with wine tasting with the first tours starting at 10 am and the last tour starting around 3 pm or 3:30 pm. While smaller boutique wineries only offer one daily visit.

There are so many wineries in Mendoza, that it is impossible to visit them all. So, you have to choose a couple of wineries (depending on how many days you plan to stay in Mendoza, of course!).

In Mendoza, there are more than 1.200 wineries, spread out around three main wine regions:

• Maipú Valley – The wine region with the wineries closest to Mendoza City is called Maipú. You can easily reach Maipú with public transportation from the city center of Mendoza. Take the red tram to Gutiérrez, and you are in the center of Maipú. From the train station, you can visit some of the wineries in Maipú with a guided wine tour or by renting a bike. Maipú is a great option if you are visiting Mendoza on a budget, and has a bit of a backpacker vibe.

• Luján de Cuyo – Mendoza is famous for its Malbec wine, and Luján de Cuyo is famous for the best Malbec in Argentina! Lujan de Cuyo is located around 11 miles (18 kilometers) from Mendoza City and is easily accessed by car. Sign up for a guided tour or rent a car (drive responsibility!) if you want to visit Lujan de Cuyo.

• Uco Valley – Valle de Uco is the last of the three wine areas in Mendoza, located about 90 minutes by car south of Mendoza City. Uco Valley is located right at the foot of the Andes Mountains, offering vineyards stretching across high-altitude terrain. Uco Valley is known for producing high-quality Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Chardonnay wines. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to visit Uco Valley on my trips.

You can organize your own visit to the wineries in Mendoza or book a guided tour.

If you are planning your visit on your own, it is important to check the wineries’ opening hours and whether you need a reservation or not for the winery tour.

Do a Winery Bike Tour

Instead of doing a guided winery tour by car, another fun thing to do in Mendoza is to rent a bike and visit Mendoza’s wineries by bike!

The winery bike tours allow you to explore Mendoza’s vineyards, taste world-class Argentina wine, and cycle along tree-lined roads at your own pace.

Most bike tours take place in Maipú or Luján de Cuyo, where Mendoza’s closest wineries are located, making it easy to reach by bike.

Honestly, I reject not renting a bike when visiting the Maipú Valley, because the wineries were a bit further away than what I had calculated and I ended up doing a lot of walking.

There is a bike rental in Maipu, where you can reserve the bikes online at Civitatis. At the bike rental, they will even guide you on how to find the nearby wineries.

Book your Maipu bike rental

Visit Argentina’s National Wine Museum

Of course, Argentina’s National Wine Museum has to be in Mendoza!

The National Wine Museum, also known as Museo Nacional del Vino y la Vendimia in Spanish is located in Mendoza’s Maipú Valley, a short walk from the train station in Maipú.

A visit to the Wine Museum is a great thing to do in Mendoza before you start exploring the surrounding vineyards as it gives a good introduction to wine production in Argentina

The Wine Museum is housed in an impressive building which is a historical winery. The museum takes you through Argentina’s winemaking history, including exhibits on traditional production methods, old vineyard tools, and the evolution of the industry.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9 am to 6 pm.

Location: Ozamis 914, Maipú, Mendoza

Eat Lunch at a Local Winery

A very popular thing to do in Mendoza is to have lunch at a local winery! Many local wineries in Mendoza have added a restaurant to their facilities, and many of the restaurants are really good!

Many of the guided wine tours in Mendoza include an option to have lunch at a winery, which is of course the easiest option.

But actually you don’t have to come with a guided tour to be able to have lunch at the winery!

You can get signed up for lunch at many of the wineries that offer lunch menus by just calling them beforehand.

The first time I visited Mendoza, I did a lunch with wine pairing at Clos de Chacras boutique winery in Chacras de Coria (a part of Lujan de Cuyo) as part of the guided tour. The lunch menu was absolutely outstanding and their wine pairings are just as good!

When I visited San Rafael with my husband, we just signed up for lunch at Algodon Wine Estate when we arrived.

Algodon Wine Estate is also a boutique winery with amazing wine – and food! Honestly, I cannot recommend enough having lunch at Algodon Wine Estate!

Personally, I’m dying to go back to Mendoza to try the lunch menu at Casa Vigil!

Casa Vigil together with with Catena Winery produce one of my absolute favorite wines, El Enemigo. And Casa Vigil is also part of the 2025 Michelin Guide.

My husband, who is from San Juan (another wine region in Argentina), introduced me to the El Enemigo wines. We even served El Enemigo at our wedding in Buenos Aires – directly brought from Mendoza!

Book a wine-tasting tour with lunch

Stroll the Streets of Mendoza City

A thing that I always like to do when visiting a new city is to just stroll around the streets with my camera in my hand and take in the new city.

Visiting Mendoza was no exception to that activity!

Mendoza Centro offers some beautiful parks, tree-lined streets, charming cafes, and wine bars. And to learn more about Mendoza and the city’s history, why not sign up for a free walking tour?

Take the time to wander through the streets of Mendoza or sit down to enjoy a glass of wine while watching the city life.

In Mendoza, they take their midday siesta break seriously! You will find most restaurants and bars in the tourist areas might be open at midday. But don’t expect shops to be open in the early afternoons.

As you stroll through the streets of Mendoza, make sure you don’t fall into one of the deep canals!

A local told me that the canals beside the streets in Mendoza are the heritage of an old watering system dating back to the time of the Incas. I don’t know if that’s true but at least they can be quite dangerous if you are unaware!

Book your free walking tour in Mendoza here:

Admire the Condor Gates at San Martin Park

The Condor Gates is an important landmark in Mendoza and one of those places you can’t miss when visiting Mendoza!

The Condor Gates features one main iron gate and two smaller iron gates with beautiful decorations. On top of the main gate, is an Andean Condor with its wings spread out as if it was about to fly away. Below the condor is Mendoza’s coat of arms.

The Andean Condor is one of the most iconic birds of South America and a symbol of the Andes, where the impressive bird represents freedom and strength.

In Mendoza, you can be lucky to spot an Andean Condor soaring over the Andes Mountains.

The Condor Gates, also known as Portones del Parque General San Martín meaning “the gates of the San Martin Park”, are the entrance to the popular San Martin Park.

The beautiful Condor Gates was acquired in Paris (France) by Emilio Civit, an Argentine politician and Governor of Mendoza from 1898 to 1901.

In 1907, Emilio Civit got the Condor Gates placed at the entrance to San Martin Park.

Today the Condor Gates are located by the intersection of Avenida Boulogne Sur Mer and Avenida Emilio Civit, a main avenue named in honor of Emilio Civit.

Location: Avenida Emilio Civit with Avenida Boulogne Sur Mer, Mendoza

Relax at the Rose Garden in the San Martin Park

San Martin Park is Mendoza’s oldest park, and inside the park, you will find a big lake, a rose garden, and several statues.

The San Martin Park, also known as Parque General San Martín or simply Parque San Martín in Spanish, is a little bit like Mendoza’s answer to Central Park – just smaller and not as central!

The park is located on the outskirts of Mendoza City leading up to the Cerro de la Gloria viewpoint.

In the afternoons and on weekends, locals gather to enjoy the sun, go for a walk, or play with their kids in the park.

Location: Avenida Boulogne Sur Mer, Mendoza

Climb to the Top of the Hill of Glory

One of the best things to do in Mendoza is to climb to the top of the Hill of Glory viewpoint, also known as Cerro de la Gloria in Spanish.

The Hill of Glory viewpoint offers panoramic views over Mendoza and Andes Mountains.

At the top of the Hill of Glory, there is a monument for the fallen soldiers from Argentina’s Independence War against the Spanish Empire. In Spanish, the monument is called Monumento al Ejército de los Andes, meaning ” Monument to the Army of the Andes.”

The Army of the Andes is a common name for the independence fighters who fought against the Spaniards.

The Hill of Glory is located a bit outside the city center of Mendoza. Honestly, the viewpoint isn’t that high and you don’t get a good view over Mendoza City. But the view over the Andes Mountains is quite nice.

Location: Cerro de la Gloria, Mendoza

Visit Mendoza’s Independence Square

Mendoza’s Independence Square, called Plaza Independencia in Spanish, is placed in the heart of Mendoza Centro.

The square is the central meeting point in Mendoza, and during the day you can find local vendors with their stalls and locals meeting up with friends and family at the square.

Around Plaza Independencia, you will find four smaller squares known as Plaza San Martin, Plaza Chile, Plaza Italia, and Plaza España.

The current Plaza Independencia in Mendoza was created in 1863 after an earthquake in 1861 destroyed the city of Mendoza.

Plaza Independencia in Mendoza is most famous for featuring Mendoza’s coat of arms in colorful neon lighting together with the Dancing Fountain.

At night, the Dancing Fountain, also known as Fuente de Aguas Danzante, in the middle of the square features a light show, and Mendoza’s coat of arms lights up in bright neon colors.

You can experience the Dancing Fountain’s light show on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 9 pm, 9:30 pm, and 10 pm. The light show takes around 10 minutes. Unfortunately, I didn’t visit on a weekend, so I didn’t get to see the Dancing Fountain.

Location: Plaza Independencia, Gral. Espejo 300, Mendoza

Enjoy the Beautiful Spanish Square

The Spanish Square in the heart of Mendoza City was one of my favorite things to do in Mendoza (after visiting the wineries, of course!).

The Spanish Square, also called Plaza España, is decorated with Spanish-inspired azulejos (colorful tiles) on the benches and fountains around the square.

Visiting the Spanish Square in Mendoza almost felt like stepping into a little piece of Southern Spain in the middle of Argentina!

Location: Plaza España, San Lorenzo 127, Mendoza

Eat Out at Arístides Street

Arístides Street is the most popular nightlife street in Mendoza packed with bars and restaurants.

Avenida Arístides Villanueva as the street is called in Spanish, is located a short walk from Plaza Independencia and Plaza Italia in the heart of Mendoza City.

Like most Argentines, Mendocinos (people from Mendoza) tend to eat dinner late. So, if you head to Arístides Street after 10 pm, you are likely to find the restaurants and bars packed with people.

If you want to embrace the Argentine habit of eating out late, I recommend that you reserve a table at one of the restaurants on Arístides Street beforehand.

However, if you head to Arístides Street around 8 pm when the kitchens normally open, you should be able to get a table without a reservation.

Location: Avenida Arístides Villanueva, Mendoza

Go for Lunch at Anna Bistró

Anna Bistro was my absolute favorite place to go for lunch in Mendoza!

The food was yummy with fresh ingredients and a beautiful presentation.

The beautiful restaurant is located in an old house with a lovely setting of an outdoor patio covered with plants and flowers!

Anna Bistro is located centrally in Mendoza, a stone’s throw from the tram station in Mendoza.

Every day for lunch, they offer an “Almuerzo Ejecutivo” which includes a starter, a main course, and dessert!

The price of the lunch menu had a good price-quality ratio, but with Argentina’s ongoing inflation rates, there’s no point in me putting the price here. Instead, you can check the menu and the most updated pricing on Anna Bistro’s website.

I cannot recommend giving Anna Bistro a try for lunch or for dinner to taste Mendoza’s innovative food scene.

Reservations can be made via WhatsApp or phone. Check Anna Bistro’s website for the details

Opening hours:

• Monday – Sunday: 8 am to 1 am

Location: Avenida Juan B. Justo 161, Mendoza

Visit the Potrerillos Dam

The Potrerillos Dam is a water reservoir created by damning the Mendoza River of regulating the flow of water, controlling floods, and generating hydroelectric power.

The Postrerillos Dam, also known as Embalse Potrerillos in Spanish, is located around 37 miles (60 km) southwest of Mendoza City.

On the day trip to the Andes Mountains, I did when I visited Mendoza, we made a quick stop by the Posterillos Dam.

The view over the Posterillos Dams’ turquoise waters surrounded by the Andes Mountains was amazing.

The area is also known as a great place for trekking, windsurfing, and kayaking – and during the summer months, you should also be able to swim in the lake. The local tour operator Potrerillos Explorer offers different tours and outdoor activities in the area

Location: Potrerillos Dam, Mendoza

Explore the Andes Mountains

Admire Puente del Inca

Puente del Inca is one of the most unique things to do in Mendoza, and I can’t recommend enough making time for a visit here!

Puente del Inca is best translated as “the Inca’s Bridge”, and is a unique stone formation resembling a naturally created bridge.

The water flowing through this part of the mountain has over time created this particular formation resembling a bridge.

The stone formations making up Puente del Inca are enriched with minerals, giving the formation a unique yellow color.

The name of this unique place in the Andes Mountains outside Mendoza comes from an old legend from the Inca Empire in Peru.

The legend tells that an Inca princess fell ill, and none of her healers could find a cure. A servant suggested she was suffering from lovesickness. The servant advised the Inca emperor to send the princess to a special healing spring in the southern mountains to rest for three days and nights.

The Inca emperor organized an entourage led by a loyal guard and brought the princess to the site today known as Puente del Inca. After her stay in the spring, the princess miraculously recovered.

As the Incas prepared to return, a massive flood blocked the Inca entourage’s path. But, according to legend, the Inca princess’s loyal guards formed a bridge with their bodies and turned to stone, allowing the princess and her escort to cross safely.

The bodies of be-stoned loyal guards should therefore be what we can see today as the bridge-like stone formation in the Andes Mountains – according to the old legend, of course!

To make the setting of Puente del Inca, even more strange you will see some abandoned buildings located on the mineral-enriched stones next to the bridge formation.

The abandoned buildings are the remains of the luxurious hotel, known as Hotel Termal de Puente del Inca.

The hotel opened its doors in 1925, and featured rooms with thermal water inside the bathrooms. The hotel was a popular resort for the high society in Buenos Aires during the 1930s and 1940s. They would take the train from Buenos Aires directly to Puente del Inca to bathe in the mineral waters.

In 1965, a snow slide destroyed most of the hotel. Only a small part of the hotel wasn’t destroyed, and that’s what we can experience as the strange abandoned buildings by the Puente del Inca sight.

If you are interested, you can see some old photos of the Hotel Termal de Puente del Inca over the years.

Puente del Inca is located in the middle of nowhere in the Andes Mountains and can be reached by renting a car or by signing up for a guided tour of the Andes Mountains.

Location: Puente del Inca, Ruta 7, Mendoza

Do a High Mountain Day Trip

A popular thing to do in Mendoza is to join a High Mountain day trip to visit the most popular places in the Aconcagua Provincial Park.

The Aconcagua Provincial Park is part of the Andes Mountains, and a guided High Mountain day trip is a perfect option if you are traveling alone to Mendoza.

The first time I visited Mendoza I did a guided High Mountain day trip and it was definitely worth it because I was traveling alone.

For me, it felt a lot safer to do a small group tour of the mountains than renting a car on my own to tour the mountains.

The tour covered pick up of my accommodation, and with a small group of other Mendoza visitors, the minibus drove us from Mendoza up to the Andes Mountains.

The tour stopped at Potrerrillos Dam, Uspallata, Puente del Inca, an old ski resort and lastly, Las Cuevas, the last stop before Ruta 7 goes into Chile. In Las Cuevas, we stopped for lunch before heading back to Mendoza City.

It was really nice to travel in a small group, and while I was the only solo traveler, the people on the tour were super friendly.

I also enjoyed the fact that the guide would share information and local legends about Mendoza during the tour.

Did you, for example, know that there is a local tradition in Mendoza of leaving bottles of water along provincial highways in the Andes Mountains?

This is because of a local legend of a woman who went to the mountains searching for her husband and got lost. When locals found her, she had survived the many hours in the mountains by drinking the water from the bottles people had left behind (or so the legend goes!). For this reason, locals continue to leave bottles filled with water, in case, somebody gets lost.

If you’re traveling in a group or a couple it might as well make sense to rent a car and explore the Andes Mountains and the Aconcagua Provincial Park at your own speed.

Book a High Mountains Tour

Hike Mount Aconcagua

Mount Aconcagua is an iconic landmark in the Andes region and one of the most iconic places to experience in Mendoza – either from a distance or by climbing it!

The Aconcagua Mountain is the tallest mountain in the Western Hemispheres, standing at an impressive height of 22,837 feet (6,960.8 meters).

Mount Aconcagua is located inside the Aconcagua Provincial Park (Parque Provincial de la Aconcagua), close to the border between Chile and Argentina.

For the adventurous and experienced climbers out there, climbing Mount Aconcagua is a true challenge.

However, even if you aren’t up for the challenge of conquering the summit of Mount Aconcagua, there are also tour companies offering guided hikes in the Aconcagua Provincial Park for you to get a more in-depth experience of the stunning surroundings.

As part of the High Mountain Day Tour I did in Mendoza, we stopped at the viewpoint to admire Mount Aconcagua’s breathtaking presence from a distance.

If you are up for the challenge of climbing Mount Aconcagua’s summit, you should keep in mind that you need a permit to do so and there is a park fee to pay. Read more here about visiting Aconcagua Provincial Park.

Book a full-day experience of the Aconcagua Natural Park

Visit Mendoza’s Abandoned Mountain Towns

Along the Ruta 7 in the Andes Mountains, you will see many abandoned mountain towns and villages.

Many small ghost villages – pueblos or villas in Spanish – were founded with the development of the Transandine Railway at the beginning of the 19th century.

The Transandine Railway was inaugurated in 1910 and ran from Mendoza through the Andes to the Chilean port town Valparaiso.

The local aspiration was that the Transandine Railway would bring economic development to the area, and work as a competition to the Panama Channel in South America.

However, the Transandine Railway’s big success never came!

And in 1984, a snow slide destroyed a lot of the Transandine Railway’s tracks.

Most of the train tracks were never rebuilt. As time passed, people abandoned the mountain towns along the tracks and moved to other places in search of a new way to make a living.

For a long time, it wasn’t favorable for the locals to live in the Andes Mountains because most of the highway only had one lane.

To manage the traffic through the Andes Mountains and avoid unfortunate encounters in the middle of the mountains, there was a schedule for when vehicles could cross between Mendoza and Chile. This made the small mountain villages even less attractive places to live.

Today, the Andes highway, Ruta 7, going between Mendoza and Chile has two lanes and no schedule. However, the villages were left as ghost towns.

It might seem like a weird thing to recommend visiting abandoned mountain towns as one of the things to do in Mendoza! But personally, I found it very interesting to visit some of these towns – especially, when you know the story behind why they are left like ghost towns!

Stop By the Last Point in Argentina

A popular place to visit in Mendoza is Las Cuevas, a small mountain village in the Andes Mountains. Las Cuevas is the last inhabited place in Argentina before the Chilean border.

Las Cuevas is located at an altitude of 3,151 meters (10,338 feet), and used to be an important stop on the now-destroyed Transandine Railway, which once connected Argentina and Chile. You can still spot remnants of the railway station and tracks, a reminder of the village’s past as a key transit hub.

In Las Cuevas, you can also experience an example of the Casuchas del Rey, translated as “The King’s Shelters”.

The Casuchas del Rey is a series of stone huts built during the early 19th century along the route connecting Mendoza and Santiago de Chile. The shelters were built to provide refuge for travelers and couriers crossing the mountains.

From Las Cuevas, a winding road leads to the Christ the Redeemer of the Andes Monument, a historic statue from 1904 located at 3,832 meters (12,572 feet). The monument symbolizes peace and friendship between Argentina and Chile. 

Las Cuevas is a popular last stop for travelers touring the Andes Mountains, with its stunning mountain scenery and the iconic stone gateway – but remember to pack a pair of gloves if you plan on visiting Las Cuevas as temperatures drop a lot!

Shortly after Las Cuevas, you will find the entrance to the Las Cuevas–Los Libertadores Tunnel, which connects Argentina’s Ruta 7 with Chile’s Ruta 60. The tunnel is also known as the Paso Internacional Los Libertadores or the Cristo Redentor Tunnel of the Andes.

Location: Las Cuevas, Mendoza

Relax in the Cacheuta Hot Springs

The Chacheuta Hot Springs is a popular thing to do in Mendoza for a relaxing day in the middle of the Andes Mountains.

The Chacheuta Hot Springs are natural pools and thermal baths located 24 miles (40 kilometers) from Mendoza in the area called Chacheuta.

You can visit the Chacheuta Hot Springs by entering the water park, Parque de Agua – Termas de Cacheuta, or by reserving at the Hotel and Spa Termas de Cacheuta.

The thermal baths are especially popular in the summer months (January through March – the Southern Hemisphere’s seasons are opposite from the seasons in the Northern Hemisphere!) to cold down from the baking sun in the Andes.

Read more about the thermal baths of Cacheuta.

Opening hours:

• All year round, Monday – Sunday: 10 am – 6 pm.

Location: Chacheuta Hot Springs, Mendoza

Get off the beaten path with a Day Trip to San Rafael

You know that I always love a good off-the-beaten-path experience when traveling! So, if you’re like me do consider doing a day trip to San Rafael!

San Rafael is a small town located around 124 miles (200 kilometers) from Mendoza and often overlooked by people visiting Mendoza.

San Rafael is like Mendoza’s little brother, offering charming vineyards and scenic mountain landscapes.

Compared to Mendoza, you have to travel to the outside wine regions of Maipú, Lujan de Cuyo, or the Uco Valley to visit the local wineries! In San Rafael, you have wineries located within the city center.

A popular guided day trip to San Rafael from Mendoza is to visit Valle Grande Dam and Atuel Canyon. However, there a many more things to do in San Rafael!

You can easily rent a car in Mendoza and visit San Rafael for the day (drive responsibility if you visit the wineries in San Rafael!).

Book a guided tour from Mendoza to San Rafael

Explore the Natural Reserve Villavicencio

The Natural Reserve Villavicencio is a great thing to do in Mendoza if you are looking for more outdoor activities to add to your Mendoza itinerary!

Villavicencio Natural Reserve is a protected area located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains around 31 miles (50 km) from the city of Mendoza.

The Villavicencio reserve offers both mineral springs and many hiking trails through Mendoza’s stunning landscapes.

Some of the hiking trails in the Villavicencio reserve also with panoramic views over the area’s mountains and valleys.

If the name “Villavicencio” rings a bell, then it is proper because you have seen it on a water bottle in supermarkets in Argentina.

Villavicencio is the name of one of the most popular mineral water brands in Argentina, whose mineral water springs in the Villavicencio Natural Reserve.

You can choose to explore the Natural Reserve on your own or visit Villavicencio with a guided tour.

Location: Villavicencio Natural Reserve

Try River Rafting on the Mendoza River

A popular thing to do in Mendoza if you are looking for outdoor activities and adventure is to try white-water rafting on the Mendoza River.

Different tour operators offer both full-day rafting excursions and half-day trips.

White-water rafting isn’t my thing, so I didn’t try this when visiting Mendoza. But I can imagine that the Mendoza River must provide a beautiful setting surrounded by the Andean landscapes.

Horseback Riding in the Andes Mountains

Horseback riding has become one of the most popular things to do in Mendoza to experience the scenic landscapes of the Andes Mountains from a different angle.

In Argentina, there is a strong culture around the Argentine cowboy or horseman, called a gaucho.

The gauchos’ traditions are deeply rooted in Argentina’s culture around asado (BBQ) and mate (the strong infusion drink). In Mendoza, you can try a Gaucho Experience riding through the Andes mountains.

Just imagine riding through scenic trails with scenic views in the best gaucho style!

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to try the Gaucho Experience, but Lindsey from Have Clothes Will Travel has shared her amazing Gaucho Experience in Mendoza here.

Skiing in Las Leñas

If you are visiting Mendoza during the Argentine winter months (June to September), and would like to add a bit of skiing to your Mendoza trip, consider visiting Las Leñas.

Las Leñas is one of Argentina’s top ski resorts and is a perfect thing to do in Mendoza during the Argentine winter.

July and August are considered the best winter months to visit Las Leñas with the best possibility of great snow. During the Argentine winter holidays, Las Leñas gets especially busy with locals coming to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and cozy mountain lodges.

During the warmer months (December to March), Las Leñas transforms into an outdoor adventure destination with activities like trekking, mountain biking, and horseback riding.

Learn about Olive Oil at a Local Olive Grove

While Mendoza is most famous for its wine production, the Mendoza province is also one of the biggest producers of olive oil in Argentina.

One of the great things to do in Mendoza is to learn more about how olive oil is produced by visiting a local olive grove. During the guided tour, you will learn about the pressing process, and sample high-quality extra virgin olive oil.

Some winery tours will also include a visit to an olive grove.

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Final Thoughts: Is Mendoza, Argentina, Worth Visiting?

Yes! Mendoza is definitely worth visiting!

Mendoza is one of my favorite destinations in Argentina because it has so many different things to offer!

You can go hiking in the Andes Mountains, visit a local winery, relax at a thermal spa or you can just stroll around Mendoza’s city center.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and found inspiration for the best things to do in Mendoza for you!