Booking choice: The Maipú afternoon with three wineries and an olive-oil factory, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Book this Compare the options below
Mendoza is the capital of a province that makes more than eight in ten bottles of Argentine wine, and the wineries begin close to the city. That makes a single day workable: you do not need a car or a long drive to reach your first tasting.
This guide gives a sample day, the day tours that fit, and the practical questions that come with it: how far Mendoza is from Buenos Aires and Santiago, and how it compares with Bariloche.
The quick answer
For one day in Mendoza, spend the morning in the city, then take the Maipú afternoon tour: pickup from 2:00 pm, three wineries and an olive-oil factory, back around 8:00 pm, in time for a late dinner. If you would rather make the winery lunch the centre of the day, take a lunch tour that runs from morning to late afternoon. Short on time, the half-day tour or the three-hour Chandon visit fits too.
How to spend a day in Mendoza?
Morning in the city, an afternoon wine tour, a late dinner. Or give the whole day to a winery lunch.
The afternoon plan is the easiest. The Maipú afternoon tour starts at 2:00 pm, with pickups from central hotels taking about 45 minutes, and returns around 8:00 pm, though traffic can shift that by about an hour. That leaves the morning free and the evening open for dinner.
The lunch plan suits food lovers. A lunch tour picks you up in the morning and builds the day around a multi-course meal with paired wines.
| Part of the day | Afternoon tour plan | Long lunch plan |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | The city at your own pace | Pickup and a first winery tasting |
| Midday | A light lunch in town | A multi-course paired lunch, about three hours |
| Afternoon | Three Maipú wineries and an olive-oil factory | Lunch continues, then the drive back |
| Evening | Back around 8:00 pm, late dinner | Drop-off around 5 to 6 pm, light dinner |
What are some good day tours from Mendoza?
An afternoon tasting run in Maipú, a lunch day in Luján de Cuyo or the Uco Valley, a private Uco day, a bike day or a short sparkling-wine visit.
- Maipú afternoon tour: three wineries and olive oil, 6 hours.
- Half-day tour: two wineries and olive oil, 5 hours.
- Small-group lunch tour: a tasting and a long paired lunch, 6 to 7 hours.
- Private Uco day: two tastings and lunch at a third winery, 8 hours.
- Wine and bike tour: two rides and one tasting, 7 hours.
- Chandon visit: four sparkling wines, 3 hours.
The full comparison is in which Mendoza wine tour is best.
A guided tasting and a three-hour paired lunch at a second winery, back by late afternoon.
Book thisCan I fit a full winery lunch into one day?
Yes. The small-group lunch tour runs 6 to 7 hours, with a morning pickup and a drop-off around 5 to 6 pm.
The small-group lunch tour lists a first winery with a guided tour and tasting, about an hour and a half, then a multi-course lunch with pairings at a second winery that takes about three hours. Groups are limited to 8, and the area is Luján de Cuyo or the Uco Valley depending on availability. Water, tastings and lunch are included.
The full-day tour is longer, 8 to 9 hours, with two wineries and a 3-course lunch, and asks you to bring a passport or ID and comfortable shoes.
What if I only have half a day?
Take the half-day tour, about five hours, or the Chandon visit, about three hours.
The half-day tour picks you up at your hotel and visits two wineries chosen daily in Luján de Cuyo or Maipú, plus an olive-oil factory with tastings. Lunch is not included. Bring a passport or ID, per the listing.
The Chandon visit is the shortest: a guided visit of Bodega Chandon in Luján de Cuyo, a tasting of four sparkling wines with culinary pairings, and an optional lunch, per the listing.
Three hours at Chandon in Luján de Cuyo: gardens, cellar and four sparkling wines with pairings.
Book thisHow far is Mendoza from Buenos Aires?
About 965 km, a little over 600 miles. A flight takes about 2 hours.
International travellers usually arrive in Buenos Aires at Ezeiza (EZE), and domestic flights to Mendoza also leave from Aeroparque (AEP). Flying is the practical way to reach Mendoza for a short stay.
With a morning flight, the afternoon tour is within reach on the day you land, as long as you allow time to reach your hotel before the 2:00 pm pickup. For longer stays, see how many days to spend in Mendoza.
How do I get from Santiago to Mendoza?
Fly in about 55 minutes, or cross the Andes by road in about 5.5 hours, with frequent border delays.
Santiago de Chile and Mendoza are only about 180 km apart, but the Andes sit between them. Direct flights take about 55 minutes. The road crossing takes about 5.5 hours and the border can add delays, so leave slack in your plans if you go by road.
Arriving from Chile, a full day in the high Uco Valley makes a fine first wine day. The private Uco day starts with an 8:30 am hotel pickup.
A private Uco Valley day from 8:30 am: two tastings and a long paired lunch with the Andes in view.
Book thisWhich is better to visit, Bariloche or Mendoza?
They are different trips. Mendoza is wine, desert and the Andes; Bariloche is Patagonia, with lakes and forests far to the south.
Mendoza sits in the Cuyo region of western Argentina, not in Patagonia. Choose it for vineyards, winery lunches and mountain views across a dry landscape. Choose Bariloche for a Patagonian lake and forest trip.
For the wine side, Mendoza wine regions explains Maipú, Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, and Malbec and the wines of Mendoza explains what you will taste.
What should I know before my day?
Book ahead, bring ID where the listing asks, drink water between tastings and leave the driving to the tour.
Each tour on this site offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before, per the listings. On the Maipú tour, date changes within the same month are possible with 12 hours' notice. The half-day and full-day listings ask you to bring a passport or ID.
The price is shown at checkout and changes with the season; what changes it is length, lunch and group size. Pace the tastings, use the spit bucket when you like, and never drive after a tasting. To compare the homepage options, see the comparison.
Morning free, afternoon in Maipú: three wineries and olive oil, back around 8:00 pm for dinner.
Book thisFrequently asked questions
Is one day enough for Mendoza wine?
For one tour, yes. Two or three days let you see two wine areas.
What time does the afternoon tour return?
Around 8:00 pm, per the listing, though traffic can change that by about an hour.
How long is the flight from Buenos Aires?
About 2 hours, from Ezeiza (EZE) or Aeroparque (AEP).
Is Mendoza in Patagonia?
No. It is in the Cuyo region of western Argentina; Bariloche is in Patagonia.
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Choose your wine tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Booked on GetYourGuide.
Maipú Afternoon: 3 Wineries & an Olive Oil Factory
- Three wineries in Maipú with three wines at each: young against aged, white, red and rosé
- An olive-oil factory to finish, with bread, olive oil and olive paste to taste
- Pickup from central hotels around 2 pm in an air-conditioned or heated vehicle; back around 8 pm
Half-Day Wine Tour with Tastings
Two wineries chosen on the day in Luján de Cuyo or Maipú, plus an olive-oil factory, in five hours with hotel pickup
Chandon: The Sparkling Side of Mendoza
Not every Mendoza bottle is a Malbec. This short visit goes to Bodega Chandon in Luján de Cuyo for a guided walk through the gardens, the winemaking area, the tanks and the cellar, then a tasting of four sparkling wines with small culinary pairings, with an optional lunch per the listing.
