Maipú by Bike: Self-Guided Winery Route or Guided Winebike Tour?
4 min read
If you are a confident cyclist and want to set your own pace, the self-guided bike circuit through Maipú costs €12.48 per person, but tastings and meals are paid separately; if you would rather have a guide and everything arranged, book a guided tour instead. The price on that listing is the cost of the bike and route, not of a day of wine.
Why Maipú
Argentina’s tourism board describes Maipú as one of the province’s most traditional wine regions, about 15 km east of Mendoza city, with vineyards between 650 and 850 metres. That is lower and closer than the Uco Valley, and both self-guided routes below start there.
The two self-guided options
The self-guided Maipú wine route by bike is run by Maipu Bikes and takes up to 20 people. You get a 26-inch mountain bike for the day, a route map and mechanical support, and a briefing before you leave. The circuit is 12 to 16 km and links seven wineries plus an olive oil stop. Winery visits, tastings and meals are paid separately, and some places need advance reservations that you arrange yourself. If you are back before closing time there is a free Malbec happy hour. The route starts and ends at Maipu Bikes in Coquimbito, Maipú; getting there from your hotel is not included, and the last departure is at 2:30 pm.
Read the page’s warning before you book: this is not a traffic-free ride through vineyards. Most of the route follows a bike lane beside a main road with cars, buses and trucks, some stretches are shared with vehicles, and there are open irrigation ditches. The page lists people who cannot ride a bike, people with mobility impairments, children under 18 and people under 150 cm as not suited.
The bikes and wine with lunch option from the same operator costs €71.31 and takes 8 hours. Here the tastings and a four-course lunch with wines at Mevi are included, and Maipu Bikes books them for you. The route is also self-guided, about 12 to 16 km and mostly flat, and bikes must be back by 6:00 pm. It also starts at Maipu Bikes without hotel transfer, takes groups of up to 60, and lists pregnant women, people who cannot ride a bike, children under 18 and people under 150 cm as not suited. Reviews so far: 3.
The guided options
The guided winebike tasting tour costs €89.14, lasts 4.5 hours and starts at 10 am at Carinae winery in Cruz de Piedra. You ride a multi-bike, tour and taste at two wineries, visit an olive oil factory and can add a three-course lunch at Finca el Pino. Check that the lunch option is the one you booked; one traveller review on the page says there was confusion about it. The page lists children under 5, people with mobility impairments and wheelchair users as not suited. Hotel pickup appears in the page’s list of inclusions and exclusions without a clear separation, so confirm how you get to Carinae.
The small-group ride to the Andes foothills costs €127.46 and is limited to 4 people. It lasts 7 hours, with a private transfer to Luján de Cuyo for a one-hour ride and a winery tasting, then a transfer to Potrerillos Dam for a 30-minute ride. Lunch is not included, and the page lists children under 14, pregnant women and people with back or heart problems, people over 70 and people over 100 kg as not suited, among others.
| Option | Style | Length | Group | Tastings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-guided Maipú route | Own pace | 6 hours | Up to 20 | Paid separately |
| Bikes and wine with lunch | Own pace | 8 hours | Up to 60 | Included, with lunch |
| Guided winebike tour | Guide, multi-bike | 4.5 hours | – | Two wineries and an olive oil factory |
| Small-group ride | Guide | 7 hours | Up to 4 | One winery |
Our recommendation
For most visitors who ride a bike regularly, the bikes and wine with lunch option is the easiest to judge, because the tastings and lunch are arranged and it is the same operator with a similar 12 to 16 km route; its low review count is a reason for caution, and like the bike-only route it is not for anyone under 18 or under 150 cm. Pick the guided winebike tour if you do not want to ride in traffic on your own. For a day without a bike, compare the wine tours from Mendoza or browse all wine bike tours.
