Argentina » Mendoza

Andes horseback journey: 3-day ride with gauchos

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.06 (17 reviews)

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/13

Duration3d

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · PT +1

PickupAt your hotel

Three days riding with gauchos in Argentina’s wild Andes

Spend three days riding through Argentina’s Andes with local gauchos, spotting condors and guanacos along remote trails. Share mate breaks and fire-cooked meals under star-filled skies before sleeping out in real mountain silence — an experience you’ll carry home long after your boots are clean again.

Step-by-step itinerary

The immensity and serenity of the Andes
Enjoy remote location with stunning views
Campfire dinner with home-cooked meal and wine
Stargazing in the clear night sky

The Experience

I didn’t expect to feel so small out there — not in a bad way, just… kind of awed. The first morning, after our pickup from Mendoza, we met the horses and the gauchos. I tried to remember my horse’s name (I think it was “Moro”?) but honestly I was too distracted by the cold air and how the mountains seemed to swallow up every sound. Our guide, Martín, handed me a mate gourd and grinned when I coughed on my first sip — apparently you’re supposed to sip slowly, not gulp. Lesson learned.

The ride itself was nothing like those touristy loops you sometimes get. We crossed open valleys where condors circled overhead (Martín pointed them out — he could spot them before anyone else), and sometimes we’d stop just to listen. There’s this silence in the Andes that almost buzzes in your ears. At one point, a herd of guanacos darted off in the distance — I’d only ever seen them in photos before. Lunch was bread still warm from the fire, cheese that tasted faintly smoky, and something Martín called “asado de tira”. I’m still not sure what cut of meat it was but it was salty and perfect after hours in the saddle.

Nights were colder than I expected — even with layers — but sitting around the campfire made up for it. The sky looked fake with so many stars; someone tried to count satellites but gave up after three. The wine flowed pretty freely (maybe too freely for one guy who kept telling the same story about his dog back home). There’s something about eating food cooked over wood while your boots are drying by the flames that makes everything taste better. I fell asleep listening to someone softly humming an old folk song — or maybe I dreamt that part.

By day three my legs were sore but I didn’t really want it to end yet. The gauchos joked about city folks walking funny after riding (“mañana vas a caminar como pingüino,” Martín laughed). When we finally said goodbye, he handed me a little stone he’d found on the trail as a keepsake. It’s still on my desk now — kind of silly maybe, but it brings back that feeling of being somewhere wild and far away from everything familiar.

What’s included

Your journey includes private transportation from Mendoza, all meals (breakfasts, lunches, dinners), snacks along the trail, nights camping under Andean skies with fireside dinners prepared by your guides, plus guidance from local gauchos throughout your three-day ride.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Rancho El Rosario Horse Riding Holidays