One day 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

      Come on a weekend evening, when the craft stalls are out and families gather around the lit fountains. Allow 45 minutes.

   3. Late morning

      Plaza España and the satellite plazas

      Walk a loop of all four satellite plazas from Plaza Independencia; it takes under an hour and shows the city's grid plan. Allow 1 hour.

   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

      Take a short taxi from the centre and combine the museum with the ruins on the plaza opposite in one visit. Allow 1–1.5 hours.

   6. Café break

      Café break: Malbec

   7. Late afternoon

      Mercado Central

      Eat lunch at one of the counters with locals, then buy olives and dried fruit for a winery picnic. Allow 45 minutes.

   8. Evening

      Avenida Arístides Villanueva

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

If it rains

• Swap in Museo Casa de Fader (Luján de Cuyo wine country): Combine it with a Luján winery visit or lunch in Chacras de Coria, both a few minutes away.
• 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 6–7 hours of visiting over one day, 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

• 2 days in Mendoza
• 3 days in Mendoza
• 5 days in Mendoza

Questions travellers ask