The best excursions in Bariloche

If you are planning a trip to the province of Rio Negro and do not yet know what to visit, this ranking of the best excursions in Bariloche will surely help you! We are talking about one of the most touristic cities in Patagonia Argentina, and is that nothing is missing, making it the perfect place for a holiday at any time of the year.

•         CHICO CIRCUIT EXCURSION

The Circuito Chico tour is one of the most traditional and unmissable in Bariloche. It consists of a tour of about 60 km that starts in the center of the city and takes us into the most spectacular natural settings, giving us dreamy photographic postcards.

With a duration of between 3:30 hrs to 4 hrs, the adventure begins bordering the southern bank of Lake Nahuel Huapi, along Av. Bustillo, at whose km 40 are the peninsula of San Pedro and Puerto Bueno. After enjoying the place for a while, the walk continues to the Villa Llao Llaor, where besides its viewpoint, you will delight in many other attractions.

It is a magical place with wooded and charming architecture. You can get to know the Municipal Park, the Chapel San Eduardo and the imposing Hotel Llao Llao from which you can know all the details by clicking on the link, you will surely want to stay there! In addition to guaranteeing you a great stay, it is located near Puerto Pañuelo, from where lake trips such as Victoria Island with Arrayanes Forest depart.

At Km 30 you take the road to Villa Tacul, continuing to Lake Escondido, there you visit the house of the municipal park ranger. Then, just 3 km later, it deviates to the bridge of the Angostura stream to reach Bahía López, an area famous for the rocky walls that have formed the López and Capilla hills.

Another viewpoint awaits us at Km 40 to delight us with a great view of the Llao Llao peninsula and Lake Moreno, whose edge runs to the bridge that connects to the east and west sides of it. Right there, there is a detour leading to the Swiss Colony, famous for the delicious tea, its chakras and campsites.

Now, we are 17 km back to the city. But, before returning to Bariloche, we go up to the Campanario hill, which has a fascinating viewpoint and a confectionery, perfect for a splendid and brief view to share to finish the activity. Plan Circuito Chico and discover why it is one of the best excursions in Bariloche.

•         CERRO CATEDRAL TOUR

Although Cerro Catedral can be visited on its own, the tour is great because it offers you everything well fixed in sufficient time to enjoy this place. It’s 4 hours of snowy adventure at South America’s largest Ski Center. 

Not only will you enjoy the best landscapes of the Andes Mountains from the top of the hill, but you’ll be able to do amazing activities on the snow. This place has extensive infrastructure for winter sports with tracks of all levels. This means that it is suitable for beginners and experts, children and large.

There are more than 40 means of elevation where you will find locals, tourists and even professional skiers. The quality of its snow is spectacular and also offers everything you need: from shops to rent or the purchase of winter clothing, to restaurants and hospitality. Check out our article skiing with kids in Patagonia Argentina and discover how this place can also be visited in summer.

•         VICTORIA ISLAND WITH ARRAYANES FOREST

A lake experience that you cannot miss if you visit San Carlos de Bariloche. Further to the majestic landscapes that will delight you along the navigation of Lake Nahuel Huapi, the Isla Victoria excursion offers you an unprecedented natural spectacle.

Indeed, the tour includes a visit to the Quetrihué Peninsula, Arrayanes Forest scenario. We are talking about a shrub that attracts attention for its saffron color (intense cinnamon), with white flowers.

This adventure begins in Puerto Pañuelo, 25 km from the city, on the Llao Llao Peninsula, including stops in places with options for hiking on trails full of magic. The walk also includes a visit to a volcanic sandy beach.

It should be noted that the whole experience is lived under the accompaniment of a guide and is 100% recommended for a family holiday, since it has everything you need for a day of walking with children: nature, history, charm, fun, security and even confectionery. Check out all the details in our article on Victoria Island with Forest of Arrayanes and confirm why it’s on this top of the best excursions in Bariloche.

•         PATH OF THE 7 LAKES

This is a legendary route. The Path of the 7 Lakes unites two spectacular cities in the region, crossing fascinating natural scenery: from valleys and mountains, to rivers and lakes, including the Mapuche community.

The adventure that includes transport and a guide is carried out north and west through the Limay River and bordering Lake Nahuel Huapi until you reach Villa La Angostura. It is in that city where the tour of 7 splendid lakes begins. These lakes are: Correntoso, Ruca Malén, El Portezuelo, Villarino, Falkner, Hermoso and Meliquina.

But the experience doesn’t end there. After visiting the lakes, you get to St. Martin of the Andes, a city that is located on the shores of Lake Lacar and is presented as the end point of this tour. It is there that you return to the starting point, this time by way of “La Rinconada” that allows travelers to enjoy a totally different landscape. Now, you walk through the Enchanted Valley!

Please note that the activity does not include navigation, the route is done on the margin of the lakes in a van type vehicle. As always, we suggest wearing comfortable shoes, light clothing, a coat as it is windy and, above all, sunscreen. If you wish, you can also include a hat.

•         PUERTO BLEST WITH LOS CANTAROS WATERFALL

It consists of a lake tour through the most important arm of Lake Nahuel Huapi: Blest. It is an hour of navigation, departing from Puerto Pañuelo and heading to natural places of incredible beauty and, if that were not enough, a significant historical burden.

It includes the visit to the Sentry Islet where the remains of whoever was the father of the National Parks of Argentina rest, the Perito Francisco Pascasio Moreno. Then the adventure continues towards the Cascade of the Canarers, with the incredible opportunity to enter the Valdiviana jungle.

That’s not all! In the lake where the waterfall is born, there is an allerce whose date exceeds 1,500 years. Impossible to be there and not take a picture for the memory. The road continues to Puerto Blest, the perfect place to close this adventure. The bay is splendid and, from the place, you can get to know Lake Frias, whose waters come from one of the Glaciers of Cerro Tronador. You can imagine the experience! Not for nothing is one of the best excursions in Bariloche.

•         CERRO TRONADOR EXCURSION

And speaking of Cerro Tronador (which marks the boundary between Argentina and Chile), we cannot overlook the excursion to this wonderful destination in Bariloche. It is a full day in the southern area of the Andes Mountains, where this natural monument is located.

It’s a real spectacle! Cerro Tronador is composed of seven glaciers, separating two important major national parks: Argentina’s Nahuel Huapi and Chile’s Vicente Pérez Rosales.

Its name, Trunk, is due to the sound produced by ice landslides, a natural phenomenon typical of glaciers and, though thunderous, fascinating. As if that were not enough, it is the highest hill of San Carlos de Bariloche, with 3554 meters above sea level.

The visit to the place can be made at any time of the year, being clear that the experience is a full day. It is 225 km from the city center to the hill, but the route is not direct. In contrast, stops are made in viewpoints overlooking the Hills Bonete and Cresta de Gallo. Also, you will have the possibility to visit one of the beaches of Lake Mascardi, characterized by its dark sand; or walk a path of native forests that is a crossroads after Villa Mascardi.

Among many other wonders, you reach the Mando River. With a nascent at the top of Cerro Tronador, it gives us a rainbow! The colors of the water change on every stretch of the route! In the meantime, from the Bridge Los Rápidos, you can see many trout swimming.

The experience cannot end without a promotion. After reaching the highest point, the Black Blizzard (dark glacier), you follow to Pampa Linda and then to the base of the hill, where there is a super confectionery. They are between 9 and 10 hours of adventure and it is worth noting that the routes have entry and return times.

•         CERRO OTTO EXCURSION

Cerro Otto is ideal for adventure lovers and has many options for enjoyment from recreational sport. Its many trails allow it! If you’re wondering, what do we mean? We tell you that you can go mountain biking and hiking through short routes or climb to the top by cable car and even by vehicle via a special path from the base of the hill.

If winter is concerned, the summit invites you to enjoy the best activities on the snow. There are slopes for Nordic skiing and Andean skiing. The tour lasts between 3 and 4 hours, depending on the activities you include in the visit. If you travel from the city, it is 10 km round trip. In case you decide to stay at Hotel Llao Llao or that area, then it is 40 km in total.

In addition to the practice of winter sports, at the top you will find a revolving confectionery, unique in the country! It is a kind of viewpoint where you can taste delicacies of the region. Indeed, the structure that rotates within a radius of 360 degrees is totally glazed, allowing you to observe the spectacular landscapes that surround Cerro Otto: from the city of Bariloche, to Lake Nahuel Huapi, the Leones and Villegas hills, Lake Gutierrez, the Cathedral hill, Lake Moreno and the Andes mountains.

Also, there is an art gallery with a permanent exhibition of replicas of the works: the David, the Piety and the Moses, three of Michelangelo Buonarroti’s most important. Without a doubt, an unparalleled snowy adventure at 1405 meters above sea level.

These are just the best excursions in Bariloche. This destination has much more attractions to see and activities to do, including a gastronomic offer that your palate cannot overlook. So contact our travel assistance specialists  , they will help you assemble your travel itinerary with everything you want, including air ticket and accommodation.