Mendoza, Argentina

State guide with cities, regions, and key information.

ArgentinaAmericas
Introduction
Mendoza is Argentina's wine country — a sunny, high-desert province at the foot of the Andes that produces the great majority of the country's wine, above all its world-famous Malbec, against a backdrop of snow-capped peaks. For travellers it pairs the pleasures of vineyard touring — tastings and long lunches at bodegas with the Andes on the horizon — with serious mountain adventure, including the highest peak in the Americas, white-water rafting, skiing and the dramatic high road over the Andes to Chile.

Discover Mendoza

Wine is Mendoza's calling card, and touring its bodegas (wineries) is the heart of a visit. The province grows the lion's share of Argentina's wine, and its signature is Malbec — a grape that found its perfect home in the high-altitude, sun-drenched, snowmelt-irrigated vineyards beneath the Andes. Three areas reward the wine traveller: Maipú, close to the city, where you can even tour by bicycle between traditional wineries and olive-oil farms; Luján de Cuyo, the historic 'cradle of Malbec' with its grand estates; and, an hour or two south and higher up, the Uco Valley, the glamorous modern frontier where striking, architect-designed wineries and vineyard lodges sit beneath a spectacular wall of peaks. A day (or several) of tastings, cellar tours and the long, leisurely vineyard lunches — Malbec with grass-fed beef and Andes views — is one of South America's great pleasures, arranged by organised tour, private driver or self-drive. The autumn harvest brings the colourful Fiesta de la Vendimia, the country's biggest wine festival.

Travel Types

Wine & Bodegas

Malbec tastings and vineyard lunches in Maipú, Luján de Cuyo and the spectacular Uco Valley.

The High Andes

Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas, the road to the Cristo Redentor pass and Puente del Inca.

Adventure & Skiing

White-water rafting on the Mendoza and Atuel rivers and skiing at Las Leñas and Los Penitentes.

The Sunny City

Leafy, walkable Mendoza city with its plazas, San Martín Park and wine-bar culture.

Frequently asked questions

Several ways. Around Maipú, close to the city, you can rent a bike and pedal between wineries and olive farms. For Luján de Cuyo and the higher Uco Valley, most visitors take an organised winery tour or hire a private driver for the day, since tastings and distances make self-driving tricky (and you'll want to enjoy the wine). Many bodegas require reservations for tours and the celebrated vineyard lunches, so book ahead, especially in the Uco Valley.

Mendoza is sunny and rewarding year-round, but autumn (March to April) is special — the grape harvest, golden vineyards and the big Vendimia wine festival. Spring (October–November) brings blossom and mild weather, and summer is warm and dry, ideal for vineyards and rivers (if hot at midday). Winter (June to September) is the ski season in the Andes resorts. For the classic wine-and-mountains trip, spring and autumn are ideal.

Yes. Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas at 6,961 m, lies on the province's western border, and its provincial park is reached on the high road toward Chile. Serious, well-prepared mountaineers attempt the summit on multi-week expeditions with permits and operators; far more visitors do shorter treks and day hikes to viewpoints, or simply drive the spectacular Route 7 past Puente del Inca and the Aconcagua lookouts. Day tours from Mendoza city take in the high mountain scenery.