2 days in Mendoza

Day by day

1. Day 1: Plaza Independencia and Plaza España and the satellite plazas

   Plaza Independencia, Plaza España and the satellite plazas, Área Fundacional and San Francisco ruins and Mercado Central, then Avenida Arístides Villanueva in the evening.

   1. Breakfast

      Breakfast: Mate and medialunas

   2. Morning

      Plaza Independencia

      Beneath it is the Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno, and on weekends a crafts fair sets up along its paths. It is the hub of the grid and the start of the pedestrian Paseo Sarmiento.

   3. Late morning

      Plaza España and the satellite plazas

      Plaza España is the most striking, covered in Andalusian-style painted tiles with a mural of the country's history; Plaza Italia, Plaza Chile and Plaza San Martín complete the set.

   4. Lunch

      Lunch: Asado

      Parrillas in the Quinta Sección and the centre, and Sunday asados at many winery restaurants.

   5. Afternoon

      Área Fundacional and San Francisco ruins

      A museum on Plaza Pedro del Castillo shows excavated foundations, the old council building and exhibits on the disaster, while the ruins of the Jesuit-built San Francisco church stand across the square.

   6. Café break

      Café break: Malbec

   7. Late afternoon

      Mercado Central

      It is the easiest place to buy picnic supplies or try local olives and dried fruit.

   8. Evening

      Avenida Arístides Villanueva

      Start with dinner at a parrilla around 9:30pm, then move to the bars as the street fills later.

2. Day 2: Luján de Cuyo wineries and Museo Casa de Fader

   Luján de Cuyo wineries and Museo Casa de Fader, then Avenida Arístides Villanueva in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Luján de Cuyo wineries

      Many offer guided tours, tasting flights and long multi-course lunches paired with wine against an Andes backdrop.

   2. Late morning

      Museo Casa de Fader

      The rooms show his work and other Argentine art, and the garden has sculptures and old trees.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Empanadas mendocinas

      Bakeries and empanada shops across the city and the counters of the Mercado Central.

   4. Evening

      Avenida Arístides Villanueva

      Several blocks of bars, craft-beer pubs and parrillas in the Quinta Sección, crowded from about midnight at weekends.

Before you go

• Luján de Cuyo wineries: Tours and lunches at most Luján wineries require reservations, often several days ahead in March and April.

If it rains

• Swap in Museo de Ciencias Naturales Juan Cornelio Moyano (Quinta Sección and Arístides Villanueva): Pair it with a walk around the park lake; it is a good choice for a hot afternoon or a rare rainy day.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 13–16 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10 hours in June to 14.3 hours in December, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. The centre, the satellite plazas and the Quinta Sección are all walkable, with shady tree-lined pavements; watch for the deep acequia channels at street edges.

More or fewer days

• One day in Mendoza
• 3 days in Mendoza
• 5 days in Mendoza

Questions travellers ask