Mendoza may be best known for Malbec, but there’s much more to the city than its surrounding vineyards. Wine tasting was an important part of our stay, but it was only one of the reasons we wanted to explore the area.
This guide covers what we did in Mendoza, from winery visits and local food to the city itself, with a few additional options if you have more time.
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Take a Mendoza wine tour
Producing around 70% of Argentina’s wine, Mendoza is the country’s most important wine-producing region, so wine tasting is understandably one of the main reasons people visit. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a fortune to experience it.
The main wine areas are spread beyond the city, including Maipú, Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, each offering a slightly different type of experience, from smaller family-run and organic producers to historic estates and more premium wineries.
We booked this half-day wine tour for around £25 each, which included transport from Mendoza, visits to three wineries with around three tastings at each, plus a stop at a local olive oil producer. Our tour concentrated on Maipú, where the wineries gave us a good mix of styles, including a modern producer, a smaller organic winery and a more traditional boutique operation. The tour gave us an easy way to visit several producers in one afternoon without having to organise transport or individual tastings ourselves.
For a more premium and personal experience, we also visited Bodega Lagarde in Luján de Cuyo after it was recommended to us locally. Lagarde has been part of Mendoza’s wine history since 1897 and still works with century-old vineyards, while its food offering is another reason to visit: Zonda Cocina de Paisaje currently holds a Michelin Star, and Fogón Cocina de Viñedo is also recognised by the Michelin Guide.
Catena Zapata is another notable option to consider. It was named the World’s Best Vineyard in 2023 and entered the organisation’s Hall of Fame the following year, but unfortunately it was fully booked during our stay, so I’d reserve well ahead if it’s high on your list.
If you want more detail on the wineries, the wines we tried and Mendoza’s different wine areas, I’ve covered those separately in my Best Wine Regions to Visit guide.
Because we still had more travelling ahead, we were pleased to find that several of the producers we visited could also be ordered from UK retailers, saving us from carrying extra bottles with us. These included Familia Cecchin wines through Buon Vino, Vista Sierra Malbec through Talking Wines, Bodega Lagarde VINVM, Soho Wine, Mumbles Fine Wines, Partners in Wine and Vine & Bine, Majestic carries a small selection of Catena wines.
Explore Mendoza City
Founded in 1561, Mendoza has a fascinating history shaped by its position at the foot of the Andes and the devastating 1861 earthquake, which destroyed much of the original city.
Start around Plaza Independencia, then wander through the smaller surrounding plazas including Plaza España, Plaza Italia, Plaza Chile and Plaza San Martín. From there, head towards the Área Fundacional, where Mendoza was originally established, including Plaza Pedro del Castillo and the remains of the old city.
Mendoza is easy to explore on foot, but the city also extends into Parque General San Martín, one of its largest green spaces. The park includes landscaped gardens, the Rosedal and General Espejo Lake, while further uphill Cerro de la Gloria is home to the Monument to the Army of the Andes, commemorating General José de San Martín and the crossing of the Andes.
Mercado Central also fits easily into a day exploring the centre, with stalls selling local produce, meat and cheeses alongside places to stop for something to eat.
If you want more context around the city’s history rather than simply walking between the sights, there are also guided city and walking tours covering the main landmarks.
Try Mendoza’s local food
Mendoza’s reputation for food now extends well beyond the traditional steak-and-Malbec combination. The current 2026 Michelin selection includes nine one-star restaurants in Mendoza, with names including Azafrán, Brindillas, Casa Vigil, Zonda Cocina de Paisaje, Angélica Cocina Maestra and Riccitelli Bistró, while Fogón Cocina de Viñedo is also Michelin-selected.
You don’t need a Michelin budget to eat well, though. One of the places we tried in the city was Fuente y Fonda, opposite Plaza Italia. It’s built around generous, home-style Argentine food designed for sharing and describes itself as a tribute to the sort of food cooked by mothers and grandmothers.
For something specifically Mendocino, look out for empanadas mendocinas, typically filled with seasoned beef, onion and egg. Another regional dish is tomaticán, a traditional combination of tomatoes, onion, egg and other simple ingredients that has strong associations with the Cuyo region.
At the other end of the scale, we booked the four-course tasting lunch at Fogón Cocina de Viñedo at Bodega Lagarde. The classic wine pairing was already included, while one of us upgraded to Lagarde’s higher wine range so we could try more of the portfolio between us. Our final bill worked out at around £78 each including the premium pairing upgrade.
Fernet con Coca is ubiquitous across Argentina rather than specifically Mendocino. If you want something much more local, look out for Talca, an Argentine soft drink produced in Mendoza in flavours including cola, grapefruit and apple.
Try an authentic Argentine asado
Asado is more than simply ordering a steak in Argentina. It’s a social event built around cooking different cuts of meat slowly over fire and sharing the meal over several hours.
We ate at El Asadito, a casual parrilla in Mendoza that was convenient for us and served a good range of grilled meats without the formality or price tag of some of the city’s more elaborate restaurants.
If you want something more immersive than visiting a parrilla, this Argentine asado experience with a local lets you help prepare the meal, learn about the different cuts and grilling traditions, and enjoy it with Malbec.
Don’t skip the alfajores
Alfajores are one of Argentina’s most recognisable sweet treats, usually made from two soft biscuits filled with dulce de leche and often covered in chocolate. Dulce de leche is made by slowly cooking milk and sugar, and is one of Argentina’s most characteristic flavours and appears everywhere from alfajores and cakes to ice cream and other desserts.
Havanna is one of the country’s best known alfajor brands, and my favourite is its Playa Bristol. Mendoza also has its own alfajor producer, Entre Dos, with several shops around Luján de Cuyo where you can pick up locally made alfajores, dulce de leche and chocolates. Some locations also have cafés and tastings. La Dulce Lechería is in Mendoza city specialising in different varieties of dulce de leche and offers tastings.
A box of alfajores and a jar of dulce de leche make especially easy food souvenirs, if you want some of Argentina’s most distinctive flavours rather than another bottle of wine.
Shop for local and artisanal products
For something to take home that isn’t a bottle of wine, Plaza Independencia hosts the Plaza de las Artes artisan market, with stalls selling handmade pieces and locally produced goods. Look out for handmade jewellery, ceramics, leather goods, textiles and locally produced food products, as well as wine-related souvenirs.
Day Trip to the Andes Mountains
Mendoza’s location at the foot of the Andes makes it one of the easiest bases in Argentina for a full-day mountain trip. Typical High Andes routes combine Potrerillos, Uspallata, Puente del Inca and Aconcagua Provincial Park, giving you very different scenery from the vineyards around the city. Current organised tours from Mendoza generally take around a full day, so this is not something I would try to squeeze into the same day as wine tasting.
We didn’t take an Andes tour from Mendoza because we had already explored the mountains on a day trip from Santiago in Chile, but it should be considered if Mendoza is your main opportunity to experience the Andes.
For even more dramatic landscapes, we later travelled south to Argentine Patagonia; my El Calafate itinerary and Perito Moreno Glacier guide covers how we planned that part of the trip.
Relax at the Cacheuta hot springs
If you have extra time, Termas de Cacheuta sits around 40 km from Mendoza in the foothills of the Andes. The thermal complex is built alongside the Mendoza River, with naturally heated pools surrounded by mountain scenery.
We didn’t have time to visit Cacheuta during our stay, but it was one of the places we considered as a break from wine tasting and exploring the city. The spa includes indoor and outdoor thermal pools, hydrotherapy areas, mud treatments and other wellness facilities.
If you want to make a full day of it without organising transport yourself, this Cacheuta hot springs day trip from Mendoza includes return transfers, access to the thermal spa and lunch.
How many days do you need in Mendoza?
I’d allow at least three days in Mendoza: one for the city, one for wineries and one for either the Andes or another day of food and wine. If you also want to visit Cacheuta or spend more time in the Uco Valley, four or five days gives you much more flexibility.
Mendoza gave us much more variety than we expected. The wineries were obviously a big part of the trip, but some of our favourite moments came from the food, wandering around the city and simply having the Andes constantly in the background.
If you’re planning a longer trip through Argentina, my Buenos Aires, Mendoza and Patagonia itinerary shows how we combined the three. I’ve also written separate guides to the best things to do in Buenos Aires and El Calafate and the Perito Moreno Glacier if either is next on your route.
