Best Things to Do in Bariloche, Argentine Lake District

San Carlos de Bariloche, or simply just Bariloche, is one of the most popular places to visit in Argentina. Located within the Argentine Lake District in northern Patagonia, Bariloche is surrounded by so much natural beauty, from snow-capped mountains to incredibly blue lakes. In fact, since 2012, it’s been the Argentine Capital of Adventure Tourism. If you’re currently planning your Patagonia itinerary, you should seriously consider adding Bariloche to it.

There’s so much to do around Bariloche that we couldn’t fit everything in during our stay. However, we still managed to do a variety of activities, from scenic drives to easier and more challenging hikes. So, in this post, we’ll give you a list of things you can do in Bariloche, as well as other useful information, from how to get there and where to stay, to the best time to visit and how to get around.

If you’d like to see what we got up to in the Argentine Lake District, then make sure to watch our Bariloche video, which we shared on our YouTube channel Kitti and Jon. For more videos from the country, check out our Argentina playlist.

About San Carlos de Bariloche

San Carlos de Bariloche is located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains within the Nahuel Huapi National Park in the Argentine Lake District. It is the largest city in the Rio Negro Province of northern Patagonia. Due to the city’s location along Ruta 40, which runs the entire length of western Argentina, and its proximity to the border with Chile, it has expanded over the years and has become a popular tourist hotspot.

Bariloche comes from the Mapudungun word “Vuriloche” which means “people from behind the mountain”. The lands around Nahuel Huapi Lake were inhabited by indigenous people way before the Spanish arrived in the 16th century. Later, immigrants from Germany, Switzerland and Austria also settled here. The city’s “Alpine town” transformation is therefore quite unique in Argentina, compared to the Spanish colonial style you’d see in other cities. Apart from the stone and wood buildings, immigrants also brought their chocolate-making skills. Their traditional recipes soon turned Bariloche into a hot-spot for chocolate lovers. In fact, since 2015, Bariloche has officially been the Argentine Capital of Chocolate.

Best Things to Do in Bariloche, Argentine Lake District

1. Summit Cerro Campanario

Hands down, one of the best views around Bariloche is from the top of Cerro Campanario, located just outside the city.

This small summit offers panoramic views of the entire area. You’ll be able to see the Nahuel Huapi and Perito Moreno lakes, El Trebol lagoon, the Llao Llao peninsula, Victoria Island, and many mountain peaks such as Cerros Otto, Lopez, Goye and Catedral.

To reach the viewpoint, you can either take the chairlift up, or do a short but steep hike if you want to save some money like we did. Its also fairly close to Circuito Chico, one of the areas most scenic roads, so you can easily combine the two activities. Many organised tours from Bariloche would also stop here.

2. Scenic Drive Around Circuito Chico

If you enjoy scenic drives with a variety of activities and attractions then driving the Circuito Chico should be on your Bariloche itinerary. 

Circuito Chico (or Ruta 77) is a roughly 25 km circular scenic road. The official start of the road is located only about 20 km (30-minutes’ drive) west of Bariloche. The route is filled with hiking trails, incredibly scenic viewpoints and other attractions, such as the Cerveza Patagonia brewery, so it’s no wonder that Circuito Chico is one of the most popular things to do in Bariloche.

Best Stops Along Circuito Chico:

• Arrayanes Forest Trail (a 3 km long path that follows the shores of Lago Moreno.)
• Cerro Llao Llao (a fantastic out-and-back hike with panoramic views from the top. For more information, read our Cerro Llao Llao hiking guide.)
• Hotel Llao Llao (make reservations for tea or lunch, a treat in their spa, or consider booking a night at the 5-star hotel.)
• Muelle Lago Escondido.
• Playa Los Troncos (a sandy beach, the perfect place to relax and have your packed lunch.)
• Cerveza Patagonia Brewery.
• Punto Panorámico (the most scenic viewpoint along the route.)

The best way to enjoy Circuito Chico is by renting a car in Bariloche. In case you don’t want to drive, we suggest taking this organised tour which also stops at Cerro Campanario.

3. Visit Colonia Suiza

The small village of Colonia Suiza is another great place to visit during your stay in Bariloche. Since it’s located just off Circuito Chico, you can visit it on the same day.

Meaning “Swiss Colony” in English, the village was founded at the end of the 19th century by Swiss people who emigrated to Chile and Argentina around this time. Families who arrived from the Valais canton of Switzerland found this area to be very similar to their home. They built typical Swiss-style chalets and brought their traditions with them. People from Germany also settled here, which is why this area has a blend of Swiss and German traditional architecture and cuisine, such as beer and chocolate.

They have plenty of foody places and artisan markets to browse through but it can get quite busy.

4. Hike Mirador Lago Gutierrez

A nice, short hiking option from Bariloche is up to Mirador Lago Gutierrez. The trail starts from the Lago Gutierrez campsite, a 30-minute drive from the city. At the first fork in the path, you can take a slight detour to the Cascada de los Duendes waterfall before carrying on up to the Lago Gutierrez viewpoint. This path eventually joins up with the Refugio Frey trail, which we’ll talk about next.

If you don’t want to hike, you can just enjoy a stroll along the shores of the lake or do some water activities such as kayaking.

5. Day Hike to Refugio Frey

One of the most popular day hikes around Bariloche is to Refugio Emilio Frey. Mostly referred to as Refugio Frey, it is known as one of the most picturesque mountain huts in the area. The refuge sits on the shore of Laguna Tonchek at 1,700 m above sea level near Cerro Catedral, a popular ski area. It opened in 1957 and, even though it’s been expanded since then, it retains its original construction elements.

We put together a detailed Refugio Frey hiking guide listing all the different hiking routes, with a specific focus on the one starting at the base of Cerro Catedral. In that, we’ve also explained how to get to the trailhead, how to prepare for the hike, what to bring with you and what to expect from the trail itself. You can totally do the hike independently, however there’s also the option to join a guided group hike.

6. Scenic Drive Along Ruta de los 7 Lagos (Seven Lakes Route)

Another scenic drive we absolutely loved around Bariloche was the Ruta de los 7 Lagos, or the Seven Lakes Route. It is essentially a 110-km stretch of Argentina’s Ruta 40 (National Route 40), which runs the entire length of western Argentina. The official Seven Lakes Route starts and finishes between the towns of Villa la Angostura and San Martin de los Andes. It got its name because of the seven beautiful turquoise and teal coloured lakes that you can stop at along the way.

Highlights of Ruta de los 7 Lagos:

• Villa la Angostura (this picturesque town has many scenic spots and activities.)
• Lago Correntoso Viewpoint
• Puerto Arauco & Inalco Viewpoints
• Lago Espejo Viewpoints
• Lago Escondido & Lago Villarino Viewpoints
• Lago Falkner Viewpoint & Cascada Vuliñanco
• Lago Machónico Viewpoint
• Mirador Pil Pil & Mirador Lacar
• San Martin de los Andes (the town is a great gateway to Lanin National Park.)

7. Day Trip to Arrayanes National Park and Isla Victoria

Los Arrayanes National Park covers the entire Quetrihué Peninsula, which extends into Nahuel Huapi Lake. It was created in 1971 to protect its forest of arrayan trees. Arrayan trees (also known as Luma apiculata, or Chilean myrtle) are native to this part of Chile and Argentina. They usually grow between 8 and 15 metres tall but can live for over 600 years. You can instantly recognise them by their cinnamon-coloured bark.

There are two places you can visit the Arrayanes Forest from:

• Puerto Pañuelo. The port opposite the Llao Llao Hotel, where you can take a boat excursion to Bosque de los Arrayanes & Isla Victoria from. You can also take a boat trip to Puerto Blest from here.
• Villa La Angostura. This town is located along the Route of the Seven Lakes, so it is much closer to the park entrance.

8. Wander Around Downtown Bariloche

Bariloche itself also has a lot to offer, so we suggest allocating at least half a day to wandering around its downtown area. Below we’ve listed the highlights of the city centre.

Mitre Street

To the east of the Civic Centre is the start of Mitre Street, which was the first paved street in Bariloche. Although it’s not fully pedestrianised, there are wide walkways on both aspects of the street. Mitre is lined with numerous cafes, restaurants and, most importantly, chocolate stores, so a stroll down the street is a must during any visit to Bariloche.

A few of the chocolate shops worth visiting are Mamuschka, Rapa Nui and Chocolates Del Turista. For an even better chocolate experience (including some tastings), we suggest booking this chocolate walking tour.

Our Lady of Nahuel Huapi Cathedral (Nuestra Señora del Nahuel Huapi)

Taking a stroll along Nahuel Huapi Lake led us to the impressive Our Lady of Nahuel Huapi Cathedral. It was built in 1946 by architect Alejandro Bustillo in a neo-gothic style. The interior is just as impressive, so don’t forget to have a peek inside if it’s open.

9. Take the Cable Car Up to Cerro Otto

A similar experience to Cerro Campanario, Cerro Otto is located just outside Bariloche. The peak is named after Otto Goedecke, a German pioneer, who arrived to Bariloche in 1892.

The quickest way to reach the summit is by taking the cable car. You’ll be at 1,405 m above sea level in about 12-minutes and will be able to enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding area. There’s also a rotating restaurant at the top from where you can take in the whole 360-degree view from one spot.

There are dedicated tourist buses departing from the centre of Bariloche that you can book in combination with your entry ticket. Get a Cerro Otto transport and entry combo here.

Of course, you can also visit with your own transport, or take the public bus to the Teleferico Station. If you want, you can always walk further along Acceso Cerro Otto Road to visit Refugio Berghof. 

10. Drive Up Cerro Tronador

Another day trip from Bariloche is to Cerro Tronador. This peak is located along the border between Argentina and Chile. At 3,554 metres above sea level, Tronador is the highest peak in Nahuel Huapi National Park.

There’s actually a road all the way to the base of Cerro Tronador, although it’s a gravel road that sometimes operates as a one-way road only. You can either drive your own vehicle, or book a shuttle or organised tour if you don’t feel confident driving on gravel roads. The shuttle would only take you to Pampa Linda, from where you’d need to hike to Ventisquero Negro and further to Mirador a la Garganta del Diablo at the base of Cerro Tronador.

Although we didn’t have time to drive up and hike around Tronador, we got to see the peak during our visit to Volcan Osorno in the Chilean Lake District.

How to Get to San Carlos de Bariloche

Bariloche is a popular destination in Argentina, so the city can be reached from many domestic and international destinations.

Flying to San Carlos de Bariloche

A popular domestic flight route is between Buenos Aires and Bariloche. The main airlines offering flights are Aerolinas Argentinas and Flybondi. Flights usually depart from Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP), the domestic airport located in the Palermo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, or from Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), which is the capital’s main international airport. Flight time is around 2.5 hours. Read our article if you need guidance on how to get around Buenos Aires.

Other more seasonal flights you can take to Bariloche depart from Mendoza, Cordoba, Rosario and El Calafate.

During certain months of the year you can also fly to Bariloche from Santiago, Chile, Montevideo, Uruguay and Sao Paolo, Brazil.

Long-Haul Bus to San Carlos de Bariloche

Taking a long-haul bus to Bariloche is also an option if you have a little more time to spare on travel. For example, we arrived from Puerto Madryn, an incredible wildlife paradise, and then took the bus from Bariloche to El Chalten. Popular bus companies offering services to Bariloche are Via TAC, Via Bariloche and Andesmar. We used many of these companies whilst travelling across Argentina by bus.

The main downside of taking the bus is the journey duration, which can be over 24 hours. This is actually an average long-haul bus travel time in Argentina, due to the size of the country. In terms of cost, if you want the most comfortable seats, you’ll need to spend a little bit more. In the end, a flight ticket is going to cost roughly the same as a bus ticket, but you’ll get to your destination much faster.

An international route that’s probably worth doing on a bus is to/from Bariloche to Puerto Montt or Puerto Varas in Chile.

Best Time to Visit Bariloche

Bariloche is a year-round destination thanks to its nearby ski resort, so there’s no right or wrong time to visit this part of Argentina. Having said that, most tourists coming from further afield would probably be in Bariloche between September and May. This is essentially late spring, summer and autumn in Argentina. Needless to say that the summer months (December to March) are quite popular with both Argentine and foreign tourists. Our taxi driver said that they get a huge influx of visitors from Brazil and residents often call the city BRAZILoche.

During this time the weather conditions are usually pretty good, although expect more windy days. End of spring and autumn can also be nice, especially with the fall foliage. Those months would also be less crowded. Whilst skiing and other winter activities attract people to Bariloche during the cold months, the weather can be more unpredictable and many places can also be shut for the season.

No matter what time of the year you intend to visit in, make sure to check the weather forecast before you head out of the city. You can check for any alerts (bad weather, high winds, fire, etc.) on the Nahuel Huapi National Park’s website.

How Long Do You Need in Bariloche

Whilst Bariloche itself can be done in a day, if you really want to experience the Argentine Lake District, allocate a minimum of three full days. There’s just so much to do around Bariloche that you won’t have any trouble filling up an entire week or even a month!

However, three days would give you the chance to wander around the city and go on a few day trips. One day you could rent a car and drive around Circuito Chico, another day could be allocated to driving Ruta de los 7 Lagos and your third one to doing a day hike to Refugio Frey or in the Arrayanes National Park.

We personally wouldn’t take a trip all the way to Bariloche if we had less than three days to spare.

How to Get Around Bariloche

Rental Car

The majority of attractions are outside of Bariloche. Whilst you can visit many places with public buses, or even through short taxi rides, we personally enjoyed having a hire car for a few days. This allowed us to drive along Circuito Chico and the Seven Lakes Route at our own pace, setting off as early as we wanted to and lingering around spots tours would only stop briefly at. If you want to save some money, we suggest hiring a car for 2 days and visiting closer locations with taxis or buses.

Taxi and Uber

Taxis are a great way to get to destinations located in the vicinity of Bariloche independently, without the need to hire a car. The places that may be worth visiting with a taxi are Cerro Otto, Cerro Campanario, the hiking trail to Cerro Llao Llao or the boat launching spot to the Arrayanes Forest at Puerto Pañuelo along Circuito Chico. We also got a taxi back from Villa Cerro Catedral after hiking the Refugio Frey trail. Plus, we also used taxis to get to and from the main bus terminal with our belongings. Check the numbers for official taxis in Bariloche here.

It’s worth noting that although people use Uber in Argentina, it’s not technically legal.

Public Bus

Many of the places we listed above can also be accessed by public bus. If you’re on a tighter budget, or just want to experience public transport in Argentina, then it’s a viable option. The easiest places to reach by bus are Villa Cerro Catedral, Cerro Campanario, Cerro Llao Llao and Colonia Suiza. To use the local buses you’ll need a travel card called SUBE. You can buy one at many of the kiosks in Bariloche. Make sure to load it with plenty of credit to cover your rides. Check out bus routes and their frequencies on the Mi Bus website.

In addition, if you don’t want to drive the Seven Lakes Route, you can also take a bus to Villa la Angostura and San Martin de los Andes. We suggest booking these buses with Busbud.

Organised Tour

The most stress-free way to see what Bariloche has to offer is with an organised tour. The options are endless, with many half-day and full day tours available. Many of them offer multiple activities from our list in one tour, so it’s a great way to see as much as possible in a short time. Plus, it’s a nice way to meet fellow travellers, especially if you’re a solo adventurer.

Final Thoughts on the Best Things to Do in Bariloche

The Argentine Lake District blew us away with its beauty and we’re so grateful that we could add a visit to Bariloche to our itinerary. There is so much to do in this area that we could’ve easily stayed for a month and not got bored. If you also enjoy outdoor activities and scenic drives, Bariloche should 100% be on your Patagonia itinerary too.

Have you been to Bariloche before? If not, let us know in the comments below if you would consider a visit after reading our post? If you found this blog post useful and want to show your support, you can buy us a coffee here.