Mendoza to Aconcagua: Small Group Day Trip with BBQ Lunch

Summary

Andean peaks, turquoise lakes and smoky asado from Mendoza

You’ll travel from Mendoza into the high Andes with a small group and local guide, stopping for coffee in Uspallata before entering Aconcagua Park for a one-hour hike beneath towering peaks. See Puente del Inca’s surreal colors and end your day sharing smoky Argentine barbecue with free-flowing wine before heading home full and happy.

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t really expect the air to taste different out here — but it did. Somewhere past Potrerillos Lake, after our guide Lucía passed around that first thermos of coffee (she called it “café de viaje,” which I guess is road-trip coffee), the scent of dust and eucalyptus crept in through the minibus windows. We’d left Mendoza early, just eight of us, and by the time we reached Uspallata for a quick stop, my shoes were already dusted white from kicking around outside. The mountains kept getting bigger — Cordón del Plata just loomed up like it was waiting for us.

Lucía had this way of pointing things out without making it sound rehearsed. She told us about the old Trans-Andean railway as we wound through those switchbacks — I tried to imagine trains chugging along here but mostly just saw goats and a guy waving at us from his bicycle. The drive felt long but not in a bad way; there was always something new outside the window. At Los Penitentes ski resort, some kids threw snowballs at each other even though it was almost summer. I laughed when someone asked if we’d see condors (we didn’t, unless you count that one cloud shaped like a bird).

Aconcagua Park itself felt quieter than I expected. We hiked for about an hour — nothing too hard, just enough to get your lungs working and your hands cold if you forgot gloves (I did). The pond at Horcones was this weird blue-green color; Lucía said it’s glacial meltwater, and yeah, you could believe it. There was this moment where everyone stopped talking at once to stare up at Aconcagua itself — tallest mountain outside the Himalayas, apparently — and I swear you could hear nothing but wind. That’s stuck with me more than any photo.

On the way back we stopped at Puente del Inca, which looks kind of unreal in person — orange mineral stains everywhere, steam rising off the river below. Then finally lunch in Uspallata: proper Argentine asado with goat (which I’d never tried before), smoky and salty and messy in all the right ways. The wine kept coming; someone joked they’d have to roll us back onto the bus. By then everyone was chatting like old friends or maybe just tipsy travelers who’d seen something big together. The ride back to Mendoza felt shorter somehow. I still think about that silence under Aconcagua’s peak.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Aconcagua Park tour with lunch

• Pickup from Mendoza hotel at 8:30am
• Pass through Lujan de Cuyo vineyards
• Drive through Cacheuta valley and tunnel
• Visit Potrerillos Lake at 9:30am
• Coffee stop in Uspallata at 11am
• Pass Los Penitentes ski resort
• Enter Aconcagua National Park
• Hike 1-hour circuit and visit Horcones pond
• View tallest mountain outside Himalayas
• Stop at Puente del Inca at 1:30pm
• Lunch of Argentine asado in Uspallata at 2:30pm
• Return to Mendoza, drop-off at 5:30pm

Top questions

How long is the day trip from Mendoza to Aconcagua?

The tour lasts about 8 hours, starting around 8:30am and returning by 5:30pm.

Is hotel pickup included on this Aconcagua day trip?

Yes, hotel or hostel pickup and drop-off in Mendoza are included.

Do we actually enter Aconcagua Park on this tour?

Yes, unlike many tours, this one includes entry into Aconcagua Park with a one-hour hike inside.

What’s included for lunch on this tour?

You’ll have an Argentine asado (barbecue) lunch in Uspallata with kid goat and local wines.

How much walking is involved during the tour?

There’s about an hour of moderate hiking in Aconcagua Park plus some walking at Puente del Inca.

Are vegetarian options available for lunch?

Yes, vegetarian options are available if requested when booking.

How many people are on each tour group?

The group size is capped at nine travelers for a more personal experience.

Do I need my passport for this tour?

You should bring your passport since part of the route follows an international road toward Chile.

Is wine included during lunch?

Yes, local wines are served during your barbecue lunch in Uspallata.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Mendoza, transport by air-conditioned minibus through Andean valleys with stops at Potrerillos Lake and Uspallata for morning coffee, guided entry into Aconcagua Park with a one-hour hike near Horcones pond, a visit to Puente del Inca bridge, plus an afternoon Argentine barbecue lunch featuring kid goat and unlimited local wine before returning home in the evening.