Looking for some fun and active Bariloche day tours? We’ve got you covered with this list of excursions including hiking, horse trekking, kayaking, fly fishing and more!
There are no shortage of things to do in San Carlos de Bariloche, however, I think this is a destination that really shines when you leave the city behind and venture out into nature.
Bariloche is surrounded by crystalline lakes, towering mountains, and lush forests – it is a nature lover’s paradise! – and the best way to experience its raw, rugged beauty is by enjoying outdoor adventures.
Some of my favourite memories from Bariloche include horse trekking along the Andes foothills, tackling hiking trails in autumn with the mountainside painted all shades of red and orange, and gazing off at the snow-capped mountains while being the only kayaker on a lake.
There are all sorts of Bariloche day tours to enjoy; you can also raft the white waters of the Manso River, mountain bike to the hamlet of Colonia Suiza, or try to catch some rainbow trout on a fly fishing excursion!
Plus, the nice thing about Bariloche is that it’s a destination that can be revisited time and time again as there are always different activities to enjoy with the changing seasons.
So with this in mind, we’re sharing a few different Bariloche day trips you may want to consider ranging from light adventures to thrill-seeking activities.
My Top 3 Picks: Bariloche Day Tours
Best Bariloche Day Tours
1. Horse Trekking and BBQ Lunch
⭐️ RATING: 4.5/5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 6 hours | ✅ Book it!
One of our favourite types of tours to book when we travel in Argentina are horse trekking excursions. This is something we’ve done all over the country from the Sierras down to Patagonia and the experiences have ranged from one-day treks to overnight adventures.
During our most recent visit to Bariloche, we booked a horseback riding excursion and it proved to be a great way to explore the foothills of the Andes.
This particular tour kicks off at one of the oldest working ranches in the area and it includes a two-hour horse trek riding past lakes and forests before reaching the Patagonian steppe.
Over the course of the ride, you’ll be led by gauchos and the horses are very tame, so it’s an experience you can enjoy even as a beginner rider.
Afterwards, you return to the ranch for a 3-course meal featuring a traditional Argentine BBQ with free-flowing wine. This is a quintessential Argentine experience that you need to experience at least once during your visit!
“This was such an incredible excursion. If you’re contemplating booking this, just do it! The guides and hosts were all so incredible. The place itself was absolutely magical. The horses were all so sweet and calm. It was an amazing way to see the mountains and the landscape, paired with some delicious breakfast and authentic asado.” -Madeline
2. Hike in the Andes Mountains
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 7 hours | ✅ Book it!
Bariloche is a lakeside city surrounded by mountains and that means plenty of hiking opportunities. Even after three trips to the city, I have yet to repeat a single hike because there are so many to choose from!
I think one of the best Bariloche day tours you can go on is this customizable full-day hiking trip in the Andes Mountains. What I like about this particular excursion is that it can be tailored to your interests and level of fitness.
This is also a private tour so it’s just you and your party plus your local guide, which gives you even more flexibility.
This hiking tour includes snacks, beverages and a boxed lunch. Trekking poles and gaiters are provided if needed.
I’ve done a lot of independent hiking in Bariloche, but one of my favourite experiences was a guided hike up to Laguna Verde via Refugio Neumeyer. It’s not a trek I would have chosen on my own, so I’m glad I joined a tour.
I did this hike in autumn together with my husband and the colours were simply spectacular! But you can enjoy Bariloche any time of year.
You can view some of the best Bariloche hikes on All Trails to get an idea of what’s available. You can always request a particular hike if there’s one you’re keen to do.
Once you’re back in town from your hike, you can always treat yourself to a cold beer at one of Bariloche’s many craft breweries.
“Juan Carlo was an AMAZING guide – very knowledgeable about everything we saw, and eager to answer all our questions, not just about what we were seeing but about Patagonia and Argentine culture and politics. And mate!” -Harvey
The Seven Lakes Route is one of the more popular day tours you can do from Bariloche.
Known locally as La Ruta de los Siete Lagos, this 107-kilometre drive stretches between the towns of San Martín de los Andes and Villa La Angostura, with many tours departing from Bariloche.
The route crosses two national parks, Lanín National Park and Nahuel Huapi National Park, and offers beautiful scenery.
Along the way, you journey past snow-capped mountains, thick forests and, of course, the seven lakes that give this route its name.
This is a bus tour that stops at various scenic points along the way; you’ll visit all the lakes, plus a waterfall, and have free time to explore the town of San Martin de los Andes.
If you want to do this trip at your own pace and you feel confident driving in Argentina, you can rent a car and do this day tour independently.
“What an amazing trip with views that will take your breath away. It was a long day but the bus was comfortable and the guide and driver were very kind and accommodating.” -Melissa
4. Kayak Lago Moreno
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 4 hours | ✅ Book it!
We’ve gotten to do some kayaking during our trips to Bariloche and it’s always a fun way to take in the sights and enjoy some time out in nature.
When it comes to kayaking in Bariloche, Lago Moreno is a popular spot. This is a glacial lake that’s divided into two sections: Moreno East and Moreno West. What sets it apart is that its waters are much warmer than other lakes in the area and much calmer than neighbouring Lake Nahuel Huapi.
The nice thing about this tour is that you also get to drive part of Bariloche’s Circuito Chico, a route that winds past mountains, lakes and scenic lookout points.
The tour kicks off from Arroyo Angostura and over the course of the day, you get to see sights like Cerro Lopez, Cerro Bella Vista, and Cerro Llao Llao which is home to the iconic Llao Llao Hotel.
You can book this Bariloche day tour as a morning or afternoon excursion.
“Excellent experience and the highlight of our Bariloche trip overall! The kayaking route is gorgeous, with seemingly new views around every corner, and no other tourists in sight. The guides are outstanding and great conversationalists… we could have spent all day with Andy! Finally, lots of bonus features on this one. The route to and from the journey also takes you around the Circuito Chico sightseeing route, so you get to enjoy that tour as well. In addition, we had local snacks and a yerba mate experience while resting at the halfway point of our kayak trip. Basically a bunch of the Bariloche highlights all rolled into one!” -Scott
5. Raft the Manso River
⭐️ RATING: 4.5/5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 10 hours | ✅ Book it!
If you’re looking for some thrills during your visit to Bariloche, you can always go white water rafting!
On this particular adventure tour, you travel down Route 40 and then begin heading west towards the border with Chile.
You then reach a ranch on the shores of the Manso River for some coffee and a safety chat about what to expect over the course of the rafting journey.
Sections of the Manso River have names like Scream and Turn Left, the Slide, Deep Throat, Ecstasy, and Scrambled Egg so that’s a little foreshadowing of what you’ll encounter.
This rafting tour is a seasonal activity that runs from November to April. The physical requirement for this activity is moderate to high.
“We got picked up in Bariloche and had a rather long drive to a camp near the raft launch. When we arrived, they served us coffee, tea, and some breads while we waited for everyone to congregate. Then we got suited up and piled back into the vans to get to the launch point. At the river, we were divided up by language and put into rafts. Then we got a good rundown of how to paddle and sit in the boat. The ride was super fun and beautiful! There were even a few opportunities to jump off the raft and swim in some calmer parts of the river! Once the boating was done, we changed back into our clothes and drove back to the camp for lunch. I would recommend bringing a towel to help dry off before changing. You had to pay extra for lunch, but it was reasonably priced and pretty good. There was also the option to buy photos of your trip for an additional fee. After lunch we got back in the vans for the drive back to Bariloche.” -Nicole
6. Go Fly Fishing
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 10 hours | ✅ Book it!
If you’ve ever wanted to try fly fishing, Patagonia would be the place to do so!
When it comes to Bariloche day tours, this activity is a big ticket item but it’s also a private tour and a customizable experience. You can even book multi-day fly fishing tours that combine riverside glamping and days spent on drift boats.
On this particular day excursion, you’ll sail the waters of Nahuel Huapi Lake on a private charter boat. You’ll spend the day on the water, where depending on your experience level, you’ll either learn the basics of fly fishing or perfect your skills fishing for wild rainbow trout and brown trout.
Aside from spending the day fishing, you’ll also enjoy a riverside lunch featuring Argentinean steak and Malbec wine – a match made in heaven!
The nice thing about this fly fishing tour is that all the gear is provided, so you don’t have to bring all your gear if you don’t want to.
You’ll be provided with Orvis waders and boots, Orvis lines and reels, BVK temple fork rods, a dry bag, local flies and whatever else is needed.
This is also one of the highest rated tours in Bariloche with rave reviews, so you know you’re in good hands.
We’ve had the opportunity to go fly fishing at some Patagonian estancias (Estancia Tecka is one of our favourites!) and even though we had zero experience we managed to have a really fun time! By our second day, we were already catching multiple rainbow trout.
“Don’t tell anyone about Trout Bariloche’s base camp fishing trip! My three friends and I floated on Rio Manso and waded in Rio Foyel and never saw another angler. In fact, the ONLY other person we saw was one of the Trout Bariloche guides in a raft doing some scouting on the Manso. Even when we floated the popular Rio Limay, we only saw two other drift boats. Meanwhile we caught lots of rainbows (I caught my personal best rainbow) and some browns while enjoying stunning scenery, some of the most beautiful river water we’ve ever seen, great food, and comfortable platform tents. The guides were not only helpful, they were excellent coaches, and tour guides. I do not hesitate to recommend Trout Bariloche and I would look forward to going back again. Thank you to Emanuel, Juanito, Lukas, Mendo, Tomas, and “Juan Cinco”. -Tom
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7. Mountain Bike to Colonia Suiza
⭐️ RATING: 5/5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 3-4 hours | ✅ Book it!
Another option for an active Bariloche day tour is to go mountain biking!
This particular tour kicks off in Lago Gutierrez and from there, you ride 18 kilometres to the hamlet of Colonia Suiza. You get to cycle part of Bariloche’s famous Circuito Chico.
This is a nice way to soak in the natural scenery as the route weaves through the forest, across rivers, past lakes and waterfalls with plenty of stops at scenic viewpoints along the way.
This is considered an easy bike tour with an elevation gain of 100 meters. It takes about 3-4 hours to complete depending on the group’s pace. You will travel along trails and roads with very little or no traffic.
“We took a bike ride from Gutiérrez to Colonia Suiza. Very fun! Great guides!! The bicycles are like new, 10.” -A Tripadvisor Reviewer
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8. Tour the Circuito Chico
⭐️ RATING: 4.5/5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 3 hours | ✅ Book it!
Circuito Chico is perhaps the most popular half-day tour from Bariloche!
Located just west of the city, Circuito Chico is a picturesque 27-kilometre loop that winds past mountains, rivers and lakes with multiple panoramic lookouts along the way.
This is a trip that be done by joining a guided tour, or independently by renting a car, hiring some bikes or hopping on the local bus.
During this Circuito Chico tour, you’ll make a stop at Cerro Campanario. This is a mountain that offers panoramic views of Bariloche and the surrounding lakes and mountain peaks.
Riding the chairlift to the top is an additional cost not included in the tour, however, it’s worth going up as this is one of the main stops along the route. Also, the viewpoint from Cerro Campanario was voted by National Geographic as one of the top 10 panoramic views in the world.
The tour then continues towards the Llao Llao Peninsula where you can see the Llao Llao Hotel up on the hill and Parroquia San Eduardo, a hilltop chapel made of timber and stone that dates back to 1938.
Could you spend longer than 3 hours exploring Bariloche’s Circuito Chico? Absolutely.
If you do this trip independently, you can take your time stopping at restaurants and breweries along the way and even tackle some of the side trails. However, if you’re pressed for time and want to see Circuito Chico in half a day, this tour does exactly that.
“Classic tour of Barilloche. The highlight is a chairlift to the peak of one of the mountains surrounding the Argentina-Chilean lake district. The views are among the most spectacular anywhere in the world. A dozen lakes stretch out around the peak. They are deep blue, green, battleship grey depending on the distance and the cloud cover. Other lookout points follow. Overall, a short but excellent tour. The guides are very professional, very helpful, and very keen to explain the nature and history of what you are seeing. Highly recommended.” -Thomas
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9. Visit Cerro Tronador and Black Glacier
⭐️ RATING: 4.5/5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 9 hours | ✅ Book it!
Another Bariloche tour that offers epic landscapes is the day trip to Cerro Tronador and the Black Glacier.
Cerro Tronador is the highest mountain in the area standing 3,478 meters above sea level and it also forms part of the natural boundary between Argentina and Chile. Its name translates to Thunder Mountain due to the loud thundering roar it produces when chunks of ice and snow break off.
Meanwhile, the Black Glacier, locally known as Ventisquero Negro, is one of fourteen glaciers found on Cerro Tronador. The glacier gets its name due to the sediments which give it a dark colour, setting it apart from other glaciers in Patagonia – like Perito Moreno in El Calafate – which are white and light blue.
This full-day excursion will take you down rugged roads and past forests, lakes, valleys and rivers, so it’s a great way to soak in the natural beauty of northern Patagonia.
“This tour was incredible. The scenery speaks for itself, but even more I recommend this tour because the tour guide Martin was awesome. He gave loads of background information about the area, spoke fluent Spanish and English and translate every detail even though I was the only English speaking person. I highly recommend this tour.” -Lena
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10. Explore the Arrayanes Forest and Victoria Island
⭐️ RATING: 4/5 Stars | ⏳ TOUR LENGTH: 6-7 hours | ✅ Book it!
Visiting the Arrayanes Forest and Victoria Island is another one of those classic day trips from Bariloche.
This boat tour departs from Puerto Pañuelo and you then begin sailing towards the Quetrihue Peninsula to visit the famous Arrayanes Forest. This forest is home to the arrayán tree and what’s unique about the tree is that it always feels cool to the touch; this is because its bark is so thin that you can feel the sap flowing inside!
The trees in the Arrayanes Forest are around 300 years old, though you can also find a few specimens over 650 years old. There’s an 800-metre boardwalk that winds its way through the forest and it takes about 30 minutes to complete.
After visiting the forest, you’ll board the catamaran once more and sail towards Puerto Anchorena on Victoria Island or Isla Victoria. Once you reach the island, you’ll have the opportunity to go on a guided hike or explore on your own.
We decided to hang out at the local beach with turquoise waters, Playa del Toro, and then we embarked on our own hike. If you do decide to explore solo, just make sure you’re back at the dock on time for the journey back.
You can organize this trip independently (which is what we did) by making your own way to Puerto Pañuelo (we took the local bus) and then booking your catamaran ticket at the port. You can read all about our day trip to Victoria Island and the Arrayanes Forest here.
Tip: you can also visit the Arrayanes Forest from Villa La Angostura. We did this as another day trip where we hopped on a boat tour to reach the forest and then hiked back to town via the peninsula.
“A nice experience. Plenty of time taking in the stunning views on the lakes, an enjoyable hike and some pleasant driving. No hesitation is recommending this to other.” -Ainsley
Choosing between these Bariloche day tours
As you can see, there is no shortage of options when it comes to choosing some Bariloche tours to enjoy during your visit.
If you’re looking for some light adventure you can go hiking, horse trekking or kayaking.
For something a bit more adventurous you may want to go white water rafting or mountain biking.
You can even join guided bus tours to explore Circuito Chico, the Route of the Seven Lakes, or Cerro Tronador and the Black Glacier.
Whatever your travel style, there’s something out there for you. Hopefully, this list has helped you narrow down the options.
Read More:
- Bariloche 2-Day Travel Itinerary
- 5 Awesome Bariloche Walking Tours
- How to Get to Bariloche
- Tren Patagonico: Bariloche to Viedma by Train
- 10 Glamping Spots Across Patagonia
GROUP TOURS – If you’d rather join a group tour to travel in Argentina, check out Gadventures.
CAR RENTAL – To explore Argentina beyond the cities, the best way to do so is by renting a car. Discover Cars offers rentals across the country.
BUS TICKETS – Bus travel is a great way to see Argentina. BusBud offers numerous routes.
TRAVEL INSURANCE – Don’t leave on your trip without booking travel insurance. You can get a quote on SafetyWing.
HOTELS – Booking.com offers accommodations to suit all budgets and travel styles.
TOURS – For a variety of tours and activities, have a look at Viator.