Aconcagua Day Trip from Mendoza: Which High Andes Tour, and How Long Is the Drive?
4 min read
For most visitors the High Andes tour to Puente del Inca and the Aconcagua viewpoint is the one to book: it is the most reviewed Aconcagua day trip on GetYourGuide for Mendoza, lasts 11 hours, costs €52.59 per person and is rated 4.4/5 from 820 reviews. It is a long day in a vehicle. Know that before you pay, because every tour on this list is mostly driving with short stops.
How far it is, and what you actually do
Visit Argentina puts Aconcagua Provincial Park on Route 7, 185 km from Mendoza city, towards Chile, and gives the summit as 6,962 metres. Visit Argentina gives Puente del Inca an altitude of 2,730 metres above sea level. Day tours do not climb it. They drive up the valley, stop at viewpoints and walk short distances.
The High Andes tour with Aconcagua is the shortest of the three. Its itinerary runs from the Potrerillos Dam through Uspallata, with a 15-minute guided stop at Puente del Inca and another 15 minutes at Aconcagua Provincial Park, then 75 minutes of free time at Las Cuevas. The drives up to Puente del Inca and back are listed at 1 to 2 hours per leg; between Puente del Inca, the park and Las Cuevas they take 5 to 20 minutes. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays the page says the outward route takes the dirt roads through Villavicencio. The page says that from November to April it is possible to enter the park and hike to the Horcones Lagoon, and it gives the group size as up to 23 people. It also says that if a road blockade or other circumstances stop the tour, you can reschedule for the next day or take a full refund.
The full-day tour through the Andes costs €53.48 and lasts 12 hours. It adds Cacheuta, Los Penitentes and a photo stop at the park, and an optional Christ the Redeemer stop that the page limits to 3 January to 21 March, subject to road authorisation and weather. In winter the page says a road report is issued each morning from 9 am and stops that cannot be reached are replaced. It is listed as not suitable for people with back problems, heart problems or prone to seasickness.
The High Mountain, Aconcagua and Puente del Inca excursion costs €59.72 and also takes 12 hours. Its itinerary marks a breakfast stop in Uspallata and lunch in Las Cuevas as extra fee, with the page listing breakfast at about $3 and lunch at about $19. Its list of people for whom it is not suitable is longer: mobility impairments, heart problems, vertigo, respiratory issues, altitude sickness and high blood pressure, among others. Read that list if anyone in your group has a health condition, and ask your doctor before booking.
Park tickets and the weather
The province says that tickets for its natural areas are not sold at the park and must be reserved and paid online before you travel. The booking pages mix what is included with what is not, so ask the operator whether the park entrance and the Horcones Lagoon walk are in your price and who arranges the ticket. Dress warmly even in summer, and bring your passport or ID card, as the pages list.
| Tour | Length | Stops named | Group size |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Andes tour with Aconcagua | 11 hours | Potrerillos, Uspallata, Puente del Inca, park, Las Cuevas | Up to 23 |
| Full-day tour through the Andes | 12 hours | Cacheuta, Potrerillos, Uspallata, Penitentes, Puente del Inca, park, Las Cuevas | – |
| High Mountain excursion | 12 hours | Potrerillos, Uspallata, Puente del Inca, Aconcagua viewpoint, Las Cuevas | – |
Our recommendation
Book the 11-hour High Andes tour if you want the Andes view with the shortest day. Choose a 12-hour tour if you want the extra stops. If you only want the wine and not the mountains, see the wine tours from Mendoza; for a day on foot rather than in a vehicle, look at the Aconcagua and high mountain tours and the trekking tours.
