8 Estancia Day Trips in Mendoza to Build a Day Around

1.Make an Argentine Asado BBQ w/ Local Host & Wine Tasting

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 80 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $89Our pick

Join Fede in central Mendoza for a four-hour home dinner built around Argentine asado. You will make empanadas, help prepare the coals, taste wine, eat morcilla, chorizo, pork matambre, and beef, then finish with Fernet and Coca-Cola. The small group meets at 8 p.m. and may move indoors in bad weather.

“What a fabulous evening! Fede was a wonderful host and the food and wine were excellent. The 4+ hours that we spent with Fede went by rather quickly. Highly recommended.”

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2.Horseback riding and barbecue in a private ranch – La Carrera, Mendoza

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 75 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $200

Spend about seven hours at El Pico Palma ranch in La Carrera, riding well-trained Creole horses with Gilda, Lucía, or Ángel through private mountain country at 2,000 meters. After the 2.5-hour ride, settle in for empanadas, high-altitude wine, an Argentine asado, and regional desserts, with time to walk or relax.

“Really great experience! First of all nice personal contact right away together with a quick confirmation of the trip. The Ranch is beautiful, the surrounding is so spacious, I found it breath taking. The horses are super well behaved and well taken care off! The ride itself is beautiful and we enjoyed every bit of it. The food afterwards was excellent. You just feel that they have a heart of liking good products. We geld so relaxed. And next to that we even got really nice tips for the rest of our stay. Thank you so mutch!”

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3.The Real Gaucho Day Trip from Mendoza – Don Daniel Ranch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $290

Spend about eight hours with a gaucho family near Mendoza. Learn to drink mate, eat homemade sopaipillas, ride for roughly three and a half hours through the Andes, and enjoy an asado or cold lunch at 2700 meters. Guides such as Matias, Martin, Noemi, and Timothee have led this small-group outing.

“A most enjoyable day, horses were great, guides were pleasant. Lunch and wine was a bonus and the fire warmed us all.”

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4.Make An Argentine Asado With A Local & Taste Malbec

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $89

Join Fede in central Mendoza for a four-hour, small-group asado at his home. Help make empanadas, build the fire, grill morcilla, chorizo, pork and beef, then taste Malbec, dessert and Fernet with a city and mountain view. The group is limited to five, with veggie options available by request.

“What a guy! Makes you feel like you have known him years. Was only my partner and himself and never felt rushed or like we put him out. Showed us how to cook and explained why he done different things whilst we just spoke like old friends. Food was unbelievable (and the dulce de leche dessert!)”

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5.Full Day Gaucho Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 9 hours

Leave Mendoza at 8:30 AM with an English- or Spanish-speaking guide, passing Cacheuta and Potrerillos on the way to a gaucho ranch. Enjoy tortitas and mate, then ride for three hours toward the Andes, possibly reaching 3,000 meters. Finish with an open-fire asado, wine, salads, homemade bread, and dessert before returning around 6:30 PM.

“We booked a full day gaucho tour and it was the best decision ever. From pickup to drop off everything worked perfectly. The experience itself was just amazing and I recommend everyone not to miss out on this. You will be welcomed by the Gaucho and the guides on the farm and enjoy breakfast while the horses are being prepared. After that we rode the horses through amazing landscape if the andes to about an elevation of 3000 meters where we had an amazing barbecue. Then we started to make our way down again. Absolutely loved it and would do it again in a heartbeat.”

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6.Private Experience: Horseback Riding and BBQ in the Mountain – Estancia La Carrera

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 8 hours · from $180

Gilda and her team take you from Mendoza to Estancia El Pico in La Carrera Valley, where you ride calm Criollo horses with a local gaucho and bilingual guide. After views of Cerro del Plata and Tupungato Volcano, enjoy empanadas, an asado criollo, selected wines, homemade desserts, and a perfumed wine tasting.

“We had the most wonderful day with Gilda. We rode horses through the beautiful countryside near her home. We had delicious wine and food at her home afterwards while enjoying the beautiful view from her garden. She is such a good host!”

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7.Sunset Horseback Ride and Asado in the Andes

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · 6 hours · from $159

Leave central Mendoza at 4:30 p.m. in winter or 5:30 p.m. in summer for a guided horseback ride with Andean views. Santiago has led this outing, and the horses are well cared for and gentle. Afterward, sit down to asado with salad, roasted vegetables, bread, seasonal fruit, and wine or juice.

“This sunset horseback ride was great! Santiago did an amazing job explaining everything & guided us throughout the adventure! His horses all well taken care of & very beautiful! The ranch was incredible & very well maintained! Our family had a lovely experience & would recommend this activity to anyone!”

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8.Olive Oil Factory + Wineries + Full Asado Lunch (Full Day)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 4 reviews · 7 hours · from $212

Start with olive oil tasting at Centenario, then visit CarinaE for wine and winemaking insight before a full asado lunch with wine at Antigal Winery. Pickup from covered areas of Mendoza, transport, tastings, insurance, and a Spanish, English, or Portuguese-speaking guide are included. Guides may include Rocio, Fran, or Boris.

“With Olive Oil I liked that the woman who gave the tour was informative and enthusiastic. The wine tasting was great and much improved my knowledge of wine and ponchos! The lunch was fabulous, good cooking in a wonderful location.”

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