3 Days in Bariloche Itinerary: Centro Cívico, Circuito Chico, Cerro Catedral & Lakes

Three full days in San Carlos de Bariloche give you time to combine the classic shoreline loop of Circuito Chico and Cerro Campanario with a deep glacial navigation across Lago Nahuel Huapi and a full mountain day on the granite ridges of Cerro Catedral (or along the Route of the Seven Lakes).

Day 1: Centro Cívico, Calle Mitre Chocolates, Cerro Campanario & Circuito Chico

• 09:00, Centro Cívico, Museo de la Patagonia & Cathedral: Begin at the 1940 green-tuff stone Centro Cívico, touring the Museo de la Patagonia before walking six blocks along the lakeshore to Alejandro Bustillo's neo-Gothic Catedral Nuestra Señora del Nahuel Huapi (1946) and sampling artisan chocolates along Calle Mitre.
• 11:30, Chairlift Up Cerro Campanario (Km 17.5): Head west along Avenida Exequiel Bustillo to Km 17.5 and ride the seven-minute chairlift to the 1,050-metre summit of Cerro Campanario for a 360-degree panorama over Lago Nahuel Huapi, Lago Moreno, Isla Victoria, and the Llao Llao Peninsula.
• 14:00, Llao Llao Forest Walk, Punto Panorámico & Lakeside Craft Beer: Continue around the 60-kilometre Circuito Chico past the 1938 timber Capilla San Eduardo and Hotel Llao Llao, hike the flat forest trail through Parque Municipal Llao Llao to Puente Romano and Villa Tacul, and finish with a sunset IPA overlooking Lago Moreno at Km 24.7.

Day 2: Lake Cruise from Puerto Pañuelo (Isla Victoria & Arrayanes or Puerto Blest)

• 10:00, Depart Puerto Pañuelo Pier (Km 25) Across Lago Nahuel Huapi: Board one of the two classic National Park catamarans at Puerto Pañuelo. Choose either the navigation to Isla Victoria & Parque Nacional Los Arrayanes (walking the raised boardwalk through the world's purest forest of cinnamon-barked arrayán trees on the Quetrihué Peninsula) or the voyage up fjord-like Brazo Blest into the Valdivian rainforest of Puerto Blest, Cascada de los Cántaros, and emerald Lago Frías.
• 19:30, Patagonian Lamb or Trout Dinner in Town: Return to Bariloche for an evening feast of cordero patagónico al asador or smoked rainbow trout, followed by chocolate-dipped Franui raspberries on Calle Mitre.

Day 3 Option A: Cerro Catedral Lifts or Hiking to Refugio Frey (1,700m)

Spend your third day at Cerro Catedral (19 km from downtown), either riding the Amancay Gondola and Diente de Caballo chairlift to the 2,000-metre ridge (or skiing in winter) or hiking the classic four-hour forest and alpine trail up to Refugio Emilio Frey beside glacial Laguna Toncek.

Day 3 Option B: Route of the Seven Lakes or Cerro Tronador & Ventisquero Negro

If you prefer a full-day scenic road trip, drive north along the paved Route of the Seven Lakes (Ruta 40) via Villa La Angostura to San Martín de los Andes, or head south-west to the black glacier of Cerro Tronador (3,491m).