Do you have a week to explore this Patagonian beauty? We recommend this 7-day Bariloche itinerary to get to know the city and its surroundings in full
Bariloche is one of the treasures of Argentine Patagonia and is a perfect destination to visit in both summer and winter.
Its famous Cerro Catedral ski resort, turquoise water lakes, imposing mountains and proximity to other places of interest such as Villa La Angostura, El Bolsón and San Martín de los Andes, make a visit worth at least five days.
If you want to get to know in depth all the attractions of Bariloche and its surroundings, we recommend, based on our experience visiting the place, to stay at least 7 days.
This will allow you to go on excursions around the Nahuel Huapi lake, touring scenic routes, Villa La Angostura and San Martin de los Andes, and to see other beauties such as the Tronador hill and the Mascardi, Gutierrez and Guillelmo lakes.
Here is a recommended itinerary of Bariloche in 7 days, based on our tour of this part of Argentine Patagonia.
🔎 Check out our guide to travel to Bariloche: how to get there, best time of year and tips.
Table of Contents
Recommended itinerary for Bariloche in 7 days
- Day 1: Cerro Catedral and Circuito Chico, a scenic route passing Cerro Otto, the Llao Llao hotel and Colonia Suiza.
- Day 2: Enjoy a day of activities at Cerro Lopez.
- Day 3: Take the scenic route of the Seven Lakes circuit to San Martin de los Andes.
- Day 4: Contemplate the beauty of the lakes around Bariloche and drive to El Bolsón.
- Day 5: Visit the imposing Tronador mountain.
- Day 6: Sail along one of the branches of the Nahuel Huapi lake to Puerto Blest.
- Day 7: Excursion to the Arrayanes forest and Victoria Island and finish the tour in the centre of Bariloche.
Day 1: Cerro Catedral and Circuito Chico Scenic Route
The tour of Bariloche starts at one of the symbols of the city, Mount Catedral. In winter, it is the ideal place for snow sports and one of the most important ski slopes in South America. Even if you don’t go skiing, we still recommend you go up there, as the views of Lake Nahuel Huapi and the mountains are worth the effort.
If you visit Cerro Catedral in summer, there are several trekking routes to do. One of the most emblematic is the climb up to the Frey refuge, where you can even spend the night in the middle of the mountain.
📷 Book here the trekking through the Catedral mountain to the Frey refuge, a mountain adventure.
We recommend you to visit Cerro Catedral in the morning, and in the afternoon, to do the Circuito Chico route.
This scenic route can take you about four hours to cover. Although it is only about 60 kilometres long, the route runs along the shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi and then skirts Lake Moreno and crosses the bridge that divides this lake from Perito Moreno, inviting you to make several stops along the way.
Among the stops are the Campanario Hill with its chairlift and views, the emblematic luxury hotel Llao Llao Llao where you can walk inside and have a snack with a view, the artisan village of Colonia Suiza, and the viewpoints next to the Punto Panorámico restaurant and Cervecería Patagonia, both perfect places to relax, have a beer and a bite to eat.
There are also some trekking routes through the forest in Circuito Chico. The one we recommend the most is the one that goes from Lago Escondido to Bahía Los Troncos, an easy trail that can be done with children.
📷 You can drive your own car, rent a car in Bariloche or hire an excursion to the Circuito Chico.
For lunch in Bariloche on the first day we recommend Manush, on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi. Ideal for tasting craft beer accompanied by hamburgers, empanadas and other snacks.
Day 2: Enjoy a day of activities at Cerro Lopez
The second day of the Bariloche in 7 days itinerary is time for adventure. The ideal place to do this in Bariloche is Cerro Lopez, near Colonia Suiza.
Cerro Lopez is noted for its breathtaking views of the Moreno and Nahuel Huapi lakes with the mountains in the background.
One of the best activities to do in this place is trekking to the refuge, a medium-difficulty trail that has its first stop at Piedra Negra and ends at the López refuge. It takes about four hours in total between ascent and descent through a quite steep trail.
There are also other outdoor activities such as climbing, zip-lining and mountain biking.
In case of trekking up to the López refuge, we recommend you to take plenty of water, appropriate footwear and some warm clothes, since the weather is windy. It takes about four hours in total, but the best thing to do is to take it easy and go up to the refuge, have lunch there, rest, contemplate the views and then start the descent.
📷 Enjoy the adventure at Cerro López.
After a day of hiking in the mountains, for dinner in Bariloche on the second day we recommend El Boliche de Alberto. Ideal to eat pasta and recharge your batteries.
Day 3: Do the scenic route of the Seven Lakes circuit to San Martin de los Andes
A section of Route 40, more precisely the one that runs between Villa La Angostura and San Martin de los Andes, borders seven Patagonian lakes: Lácar, Machónico, Falkner, Villarino, Escondido, Correntoso and Espejo. It is a panoramic road with viewpoints, stopping at each of the lakes.
If you are travelling from Bariloche, you can make a first stop in the centre of Villa La Angostura, and then start the route at the beach of Lake Correntoso, located next to the river of the same name.
From here, Route 40 winds between the lakes until you reach San Martín de los Andes. On the way, you will find beaches, lakeside picnic areas and landscapes that will leave you open-mouthed, especially the turquoise colour of the water.
📷 The ideal way to travel the Seven Lakes Route is by car, rental car or a full-day excursion.
In San Martin de los Andes, take your time to walk around the beautiful city centre, walk along the shore of Lake Lacar and go up to the Bandurrias or Arrayanes viewpoint. We loved San Martin de los Andes so much that we spent several days there.
📝 Travel tip: If you have time, an alternative is to do the so-called Circuito Grande, which includes a visit to Villa Traful, although you must bear in mind that the road leading to this locality is gravel.
Back in Bariloche, on the third day we recommend eating at Alto El Fuego, whose grill is one of the best in Bariloche. Be sure to try their Patagonian lamb.
Day 4: Contemplate the beauty of the lakes around Bariloche and drive to El Bolsón
Not only the route of the 7 lakes has some beautiful mirrors of crystalline water. South of Bariloche, there are three lakes that catch the eye of any visitor.
Fifteen kilometres south of Bariloche, the first lake you come across is Gutiérrez, surrounded by the Otto, Ventana and Catedral mountains, a perfect place to take in the views, relax on the shore or do water sports such as kayaking.
Besides visiting Lake Gutierrez, there is an interesting trail to do nearby, which is the Duendes waterfall.
Further south, two other large lakes are the Guillelmo and Mascardi, both on the edge of Route 40. Besides the lakes, the charming village of Villa Mascardi is a good place to stop, have lunch and then continue on to El Bolsón.
El Bolsón is the last destination to visit during the day. This small village of artisans is characterized by its fair in the main square and its surrounding nature.
The viewpoint of the Azul River, the views from Cerro Amigo and Cerro Piltriquitrón, and the Mallín Ahogado waterfall are three of the natural attractions in the surroundings of El Bolsón.
If you have time, only fifteen kilometres away from El Bolsón, Lake Puelo is another destination worth visiting. Protected as a national park, it has an extensive pebble beach to relax on, and in summer you can even sail on the lake.
📷 You can reach El Bolsón by your own car on the fully paved Route 40, by rental car from Bariloche, or with a guided excursion from Bariloche to El Bolsón.
On the fourth day in Bariloche, after the return trip from El Bolsón, we recommend dinner at La Fonda del Tío, try their huge milanesas!
Day 5: Visiting the imposing Tronador Hill
One of the best excursions to do in Bariloche in 7 days is to visit Mount Tronador, the mountain of eternal snow. Not only is the mountain imposing because of the continuous thundering of the ice tables that break off from the glaciers towards the lake, but also because there are waterfalls, a stop to eat something in the middle of nature and the famous Black Snowdrift (ventisquero Negro).
The place is ideal to spend the whole day, although part of the access road is gravel and traffic is restricted according to the schedule (see more information in our article on how to visit Tronador).
As we mentioned, the Ventisquero Negro is the great wonder of the Tronador. This hanging glacier has a blackish hue due to the mixture of the melting of the Manso glacier with the sediment of the ground, which makes the ice acquire that dark colour so distinctive of the place.
📷 You can reach Mount Tronador by car on a gravel road, always driving carefully, or by hiring an excursion with transport and guide from Bariloche.
On the way back to Bariloche, we recommend eating at La Casita, a traditional restaurant in Bariloche to try their exquisite cheese fondue.
Day 6: Sailing along one of the branches of the Nahuel Huapi lake to Puerto Blest
On the sixth day in Bariloche it is time to embark and sail across the Nahuel Huapi Lake towards the Chilean border, more precisely to Puerto Blest.
On the way to Puerto Blest, you will find small masses of ice floating on the lake as a result of the melting of the nearby glaciers.
Once you arrive at Puerto Blest, it is time to contemplate the turquoise hue of the water and start a low-difficulty hike through the Valdivian forest until you reach the Cantaros waterfall.
You can even continue on to Lake Frias, a more difficult trek and take a boat ride on this greenish lake.
You can increase the challenge by crossing into Chile to take a boat trip on the Todos los Santos lake and visit the Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes near Puerto Varas.
📷 To get to Puerto Blest it is necessary to hire an excursion from Bariloche.
On the sixth day in Bariloche we recommend you to eat at El Galpón de Salo, a “bodegón” where you can eat everything: grilled meats, fish and pasta. Their portions are very abundant.
Day 7: Excursion to the Arrayanes forest and Victoria Island and finish the tour in the centre of Bariloche
The last day in Bariloche in 7 days is the time to contemplate the Nahuel Huapi Lake in all its immensity. The best way to do this is to take the boat excursion that visits Victoria Island and the Arrayanes forest.
Victoria Island is located in the heart of Nahuel Huapi Lake, where the Patagonian forest predominates. It is possible to take a short hiking route and find cave paintings of ancient settlers.
The second stop on the Nahuel Huapi Lake navigation is at the Arrayanes Park in Villa La Angostura. You will walk along a wooden footbridge with a guide through this forest area, surrounded by cypresses and cohiues, where you will find these trees with cinnamon-coloured trunks.
In this itinerary of Bariloche in 7 days, we could not miss a tour through the centre of Bariloche to finish the tour. You can start with the Civic Centre, the most emblematic square of the city surrounded by beautiful buildings covered with wood.
The walk continues along the pedestrian street Mitre, with a great presence of shops, restaurants, and above all, shops of handmade chocolates very famous in Patagonia, such as Rapa Nui, Abuelo Goye and Mamuschka.
The last stop is at the Cathedral Nuestra Señora del Nahuel Huapi, on the shore of the lake.
For the last day in Bariloche we recommend eating at Maleza, overlooking the lake. It has a self-service system, where you choose what to eat and pay for it at the cashier.
Where to stay in Bariloche
For these 7 days in Bariloche, the best thing to do is to base yourself in the city and move around by car or by excursions to the surrounding areas.
See our articles with recommendations for hotels in the city centre or cabins on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi.
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