Mendoza: Wine and Bike Tour of Wineries at the Foot of the Andes

About This Experience

Mendoza's classic cheap day out is to rent a bike in Maipú and pedal between cellars on a flat road with traffic on it. This tour is the considered version of that idea, and it fixes the two things wrong with the original: the riding is in the good places only, and someone else drives.

You are collected privately from your hotel and transferred half an hour to Luján de Cuyo, the historic heart of Argentine Malbec. There you ride for about an hour through the vineyards before stopping at a local winery for a guided visit and tasting.

The second half is the part that separates this from every other wine tour in the catalogue. Rather than adding a third cellar, the van climbs into the Andes to the Potrerillos reservoir, where you ride for another half hour beside meltwater the colour of turquoise, under peaks that run past 6,000 metres. It is the only tour here that puts you in the mountains as well as the vines.

Groups are small and the bikes are Treks, supplied with helmets, gloves and gel seat covers. Lunch is not included — there are restaurants at Potrerillos, or you can bring a picnic.

Highlights

• Two rides in one day: through the Luján de Cuyo vineyards and beside the Potrerillos reservoir
• Guided winery visit and tasting in the historic heart of Argentine Malbec
• Andes peaks above 6,000 metres over the second ride
• Trek bicycles with helmets, gloves and gel seat covers supplied
• Private transfers between sections — you ride the good parts, not the highway

What's Included

• ✓ Private, air-conditioned vehicle for all transfers
• ✓ Trilingual guide (Spanish, English and Portuguese)
• ✓ Trek bicycles
• ✓ Helmets, gel seat covers and gloves
• ✓ Admission, guided visit and wine tasting at a Luján de Cuyo winery
• ✓ Still mineral water

Not Included

• Lunch — restaurants at Potrerillos, or bring a picnic
• Bottles bought at the cellar door
• Gratuities

What to Bring

• Sunglasses and sunscreen — the light at altitude is severe
• Weather-appropriate outdoor clothing; Potrerillos is much cooler than the city
• A change of clothes
• A camera or charged phone
• A credit card for lunch and the cellar shop

Good to Know & Caveats

• Only about 90 minutes of the seven-hour day is spent riding, in two easy sections. The rest is transfers, the winery visit and lunch.
• Potrerillos sits well above the city in the Andes and is noticeably colder and windier — bring a layer even in summer.
• Lunch is not included and there is no set stop; you eat at a Potrerillos restaurant or picnic.
• Groups are small and the pace is adjusted to them.
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time.

Meeting Point

Private pickup from your hotel in Mendoza city — no shared collection loop. The vehicle carries the bikes, so you ride only where the route is worth riding and are driven the rest.