3 Days in Mendoza Itinerary: Plazas, Luján de Cuyo Bodegas, Uco Valley & High Andes

Three full days in Mendoza allow you to experience the shaded nineteenth-century oasis grid of the city, compare the terroirs of Argentina's two most celebrated wine valleys (Luján de Cuyo/Maipú and the high-altitude Valle de Uco), and venture deep into the Principal Cordillera of the Andes to stand beneath Cerro Aconcagua.

Day 1: The Five Plazas, Parque General San Martín & Afternoon Bodegas in Maipú or Chacras de Coria

• 09:00, Paseo Sarmiento, the Five Plazas & Área Fundacional: Begin with espresso and warm tortitas mendocinas along pedestrian Paseo Sarmiento, then walk through Plaza Independencia to admire the 1949 Andalusian majolica tilework of Plaza España and the subterranean colonial cisterns at the Museo del Área Fundacional.
• 11:00, Parque General San Martín & Cerro de la Gloria: Pass through the 1908 Scottish cast-iron Portones del Parque into Parque General San Martín, strolling past the Regatas lake and rose garden before ascending Cerro de la Gloria to view Juan Manuel Ferrari's monumental bronze tribute to San Martín's Army of the Andes.
• 13:30, Vineyard Lunch & Olive Oil Tasting in Luján de Cuyo or Maipú: Head twenty minutes south to Chacras de Coria or Maipú for a leisurely winery lunch and cellar tour, followed by an extra-virgin Arauco olive oil tasting and evening drinks along Avenida Arístides Villanueva.

Day 2: Full-Day High-Altitude Wine Route in the Valle de Uco (or Agrelo & Perdriel)

• 09:30, Morning Tasting in Tupungato or Gualtallary (1,200m to 1,500m): Depart with a dedicated driver 85 kilometres south-west into the Valle de Uco, where alluvial river stones coated in calcium carbonate produce floral, mineral-driven Malbecs, Cabernet Francs, and Chardonnays right at the foot of the Cordón del Plata.
• 13:00, Architectural Winery Tour & Open-Fire Pairing Lunch in Paraje Altamira or Vista Flores: Visit a second bodega before sitting down to a multi-course vineyard lunch paired with single-vineyard wines looking out over snow-capped Volcán Tupungato (6,570m).

Day 3 Option A: High Andes Excursion to Potrerillos, Puente del Inca & Aconcagua

Drive west up Ruta Nacional 7 along the Río Mendoza gorge past the turquoise waters of Embalse Potrerillos and the travertine arch of Puente del Inca (2,720m) to walk the Laguna de los Horcones trail inside Parque Provincial Aconcagua beneath the 6,960.8-metre South Face.

Day 3 Option B: Termas de Cacheuta Hot Springs & Río Mendoza Rafting

If you prefer relaxation closer to town, spend your third day soaking in the canyon-side geothermal stone pools of Termas de Cacheuta and enjoying a wood-fired criollo buffet overlooking the river.