Our 10 day Argentina itinerary brings together Buenos Aires’ creative energy, Mendoza’s high-altitude wine country, and Salta’s surreal desert landscapes.
You’ll experience a mix of food, design, world-class wine, local hot spots, and one of the most scenic road trips in South America.
Every recommendation is something we’ve personally done, loved, and would go back for.
10 Days in Argentina
Days 1-3: Explore Buenos Aires’ food, design, tango and fun nightlife scene. Days 4-6: Discover Mendoza’s high-altitude wine trail, from architecturally striking wineries to long vineyard lunches with Andes views. Days 7-10: Road trip through Salta’s surreal desert scenery to remote wineries and mountain towns - one of Argentina’s most under-the-radar regions. |
10 Day Argentina Itinerary
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we have used or that we believe will add value to our readers. Thank you for supporting us!Days 1-3: Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires has a creative spark that’s hard to resist - incredible food, indie boutiques, historic neighbourhoods, and nights that stretch well past midnight.
From shopping contemporary leather pieces in Palermo to tango in San Telmo and asado at one of the world’s top restaurants, this city delivers experience after experience.
Where to stay in Buenos Aires
Our stay at Home Hotel
We recommend staying in Palermo, a creative and lively neighbourhood filled with buzzing restaurants, bars, and boutique shops.
Home Hotel is our top pick - a design-forward stay with a tranquil garden and pool that feels like a hidden oasis in the middle of the city.The service is warm and personal, and we loved it so much we stayed here again on our second trip.
🛏️ Browse more stays in PalermoWhat to do in Buenos Aires
Grand architecture, afternoon tea, tango and leather shopping in Buenos Aires
See our comprehensive 3 Day Buenos Aires itinerary, which includes where to eat and drink, and the best things to do in the city.
Itinerary Highlights:
- 👞 Shop Argentine design and artisan-made leather pieces in Palermo.
- 🏛️ Wander Recoleta’s Parisian-like streets, see its iconic bookstore, and enjoy afternoon tea in a landmark of old-world glamour.
- 💃 Explore San Telmo, the city's oldest neighbourhood and heart of tango.
- 👠 See the world-class Rojo Tango show in a glamorous, red-lit cabaret.
- 🎵 Experience Buenos Aires' creative nightlife and listen to music at local hangouts.
- 🥩 Eat asado at Argentina's most famous steakhouse and dine at local hotspots.
- 🍹 Drink late-night cocktails at one of the world's best bars.
Read the full 3 Day Buenos Aires Itinerary here.
Also, don't miss our list of 23 Unique Things to Do in Buenos Aires.
Days 4-6: Mendoza
Mendoza is one of the world’s most unique wine regions - a high-altitude desert framed by the Andes, where Malbec thrives in bright sunlight, cool nights, and mineral-rich soils.
It stands out for its striking architectural wineries, cozy boutique hotels, unhurried vineyard lunches, and the quiet beauty of the Uco Valley.
It’s the idyllic place to slow down, drink well, and experience Argentina’s wine culture at its best.
Getting from Buenos Aires to Mendoza
The quickest way to reach Mendoza from Buenos Aires is by air.
Direct flights are frequent, and the journey is short - about 2 hours. Take an early flight so you have the rest of the day to explore the beautiful wine region.
✈️ Compare flights from Buenos Aires to Mendoza.How to get around Mendoza
Getting around Mendoza is easiest with a private driver, especially if you’re planning multiple tastings.
We used Mendoza Gostosa twice for full and half-day outings and had a great experience. We paid $170-$250 USD for an 8-hour day for two people, depending on the winery distances, and they even helped us arrange our tastings.For one way trips, like airport transfers, Paola (via WhatsApp +54 9 2616 79-2057) was reliable and more affordable. She was recommended by our hotel.
Where to stay in Mendoza
We recommend basing yourself in the Uco Valley, home to Mendoza’s highest-altitude vineyards and some of its most striking modern wineries.
It’s quieter than other parts of Mendoza, with wide-open landscapes and Andes views.
We stayed at Casa de Huéspedes La Azul, a family-run vineyard hotel we’ve returned to in both winter and summer.The owners are incredibly warm, the home-style dinners are a real treat, the outdoor pool is perfect for unwinding, and the sunrise colours over the Andes are unbelievable.
Book a second-floor room or one of the new eco bungalows for the best views.
🛏️ Browse more stays in the Uco ValleyWhat to do in Mendoza
Impressive wineries and scenic lunches in Mendoza
See our comprehensive 3 Day Mendoza itinerary, which includes the top things to do in the wine region.
Itinerary Highlights:
- 🍷 Taste Argentina’s top-rated Malbecs at Viña Cobos
- 🏔️ Relax at your vineyard hotel in the Uco Valley with Andes views and home-style dinners.
- 🏛️ Tour the Uco Valley’s architecturally striking wineries, Zuccardi Valle de Uco and Alfa Crux.
- 🍇 Enjoy a long, relaxed lunch at Bodega La Azul with vineyard views.
- 🍾 Sip bubbles at Moët Chandon’s first estate outside France.
- 🔺 Visit the iconic pyramid-shaped Catena Zapata winery and enjoy a Michelin-starred wine lunch.
Read the full 3 Day Mendoza Itinerary here.
Days 7-10: Salta Region
Tucked beside Chile’s Atacama Desert, Salta is one of Argentina’s best kept secrets - a region of quiet mountain roads, remote vineyards climbing to 3,100 metres, and scenery that feels almost otherworldly.
It's one of the best road trips we’ve ever done, with extraordinary landscapes, centuries-old haciendas, the world's highest-altitude wineries, and a remarkable James Turrell museum hidden in the desert.
Day 7: Fly to Salta and stay at a countryside hacienda
Our stay at House of Jasmines
Fly from Mendoza to Salta (1.75 hours) and pick up your rental car at the airport. You don’t need a 4x4, but an AWD makes the gravel stretches more comfortable.
🚗 Compare car rental rates in Salta.Spend your first night just outside the city at a peaceful countryside hacienda and settle in before tomorrow’s big mountain drive.
Where to stay
House of Jasmines - a beautifully restored 19th-century estancia and Relais & Châteaux property with mountain views, a pool, and plenty of cozy corners to curl up with a book or a glass of wine. The staff can even arrange a gourmet picnic. Finca Valentina - a charming, whitewashed country house with rustic-chic decor, open mountain views, and a quiet pool terrace. It’s a lovely alternative if House of Jasmines is booked or outside your budget.Day 8: Drive through the mountains to Cachi & Colome
Today is your biggest drive - about 5 hours - but it’s one of the most scenic days of the entire trip.
Leave around 8:30am so you have time for photo stops and roadside snacks along the way.
Scenic stops you don’t want to miss
Mirador S F Escoipe - A lush green valley framed by red cliffs. There is usually a small stand selling fresh tortillas and empanadas (bring cash!).
Cuesta del Obispo - A jaw-dropping mountain pass sitting over 3,300 metres, with sweeping views over the Valle de Escoipe.
Recta del Tin Tin - An 18-km arrow-straight road running through Los Cardones National Park, surrounded by giant cardón cacti that are hundreds of years old.
Stop for lunch in Cachi
Break up the drive in Cachi, a beautiful adobe town sitting beneath the Nevado de Cachi mountains.
Wander the plaza, browse local textiles, and grab empanadas at Mi Favorita Cachi - the quinoa one is the standout.
Stay the night at Bodega Colomé
Our stay at Bodega Colome
Staying at the winery includes a wine tasting and exclusive access to the James Turrell Museum, which features eight immersive light installations.
James Turrell is a renowned contemporary artist, and his works are some of the most talked-about in the art world right now.
The highlight is the Skyspace - a circular room where you lie back and watch the ceiling aperture shift colours with the sunset.
Staying overnight means you get to visit the museum at sunset and step outside afterward to a desert sky filled with stars. We saw one of the brightest shooting stars of our lives here.
Day 9: Drive through Quebrada de las Flechas & explore Cafayate
After breakfast, begin the incredible desert drive from Colome to Cafayate.
This was our favourite stretch of the whole trip, with its surreal rock formations and gravel roads that twist through the desert.
From Colome to Cafayate takes about 3.25 hours without stops, but you’ll want extra time for photos.
Leave early, around 9am, so you have time for wine tastings in Cafayate.
Check into your hotel in Cafayate
Patios de Cafayate hotel at El Esteco Winery
The property is part of Bodega El Esteco, one of the region’s oldest wineries (founded in 1892), which means you can easily pop next door for a tasting and enjoy dinner at the hotel restaurant - one of the best in town.
Enjoy a scenic lunch at Piattelli Vineyards
For lunch, make a reservation at Piattelli Vineyards. The wine estate has a large restaurant terrace overlooking the vineyards and mountains. The barbecue pork ribs with a glass of Malbec were a standout.
They take lunch reservations by email: reservas@piattelli.com.ar
Taste award-winning Malbecs at Yacochuya
After lunch, make your way to Bodega Yacochuya, perched in the hills above Cafayate. It was our favourite wine tasting experience we had in Salta.
Tastings are done via Coravin, so you can try some of the region’s top high-altitude Malbecs without committing to full pours.
Book your tour by email: turismo@yacochuya.com.ar
Book a tasting and dinner at Bodega El Esteco
Round out your day with a tasting at Bodega El Esteco and dinner back at Patios de Cafayate.
If you know a bit of Spanish, their Night Under the Stars experience is a lot of fun. It's a guided tasting that ends around a bonfire with bites.
See more fun things to do in Cafayete.
Day 10: Horseback through the canyons and journey back to Salta
Spend your final morning exploring the region’s canyon landscapes on horseback.
Santa Elena Ranch, a family-run spot just 30 minutes from town, is perfect for beginners, with gentle trails that wind through red canyons and open desert.
After the ride, you’ll enjoy either a farm-style breakfast or a goat-cheese-and-wine tasting under the trees.
You can book directly with Alejandro via WhatsApp at +54 9 3876 83 7056. The 1.5–2 horse riding circuit cost us $54 USD per person.
As you begin the drive north toward Salta Airport, the road cuts through the striking red canyons of the Quebrada de las Conchas - one of the most scenic stretches in northern Argentina.
From Santa Elena ranch, it is just under 3 hours to Salta Airport. The road is paved the whole way.
Make a quick stop at The Amphitheatre, a natural acoustic chamber carved by towering rock walls.
Plan for an evening flight so you can enjoy the day without rushing.
Enjoy your 10 days in Argentina!
Get started on booking your trip to Argentina
- 🛏️ Book your accommodation: in Buenos Aires and the Mendoza, and Salta
- 🤠 Book your tour: browse highly-rated tours in Buenos Aires and Mendoza.
- 🚕 Hire your private driver: in Mendoza
- 🚗 Book your car rental: in Salta
- 🛫 Book your flight: use Skyscanner to compare flights across different airlines (we recommend booking direct with the airline however).
Don't forget about travel insurance
👩⚕️ For affordable travel insurance: go with SafetyWing - it's budget-friendly and you can even buy it while abroad, but note the max medical coverage is $250,000 USD. 🏥 For comprehensive travel insurance: go with World Nomads - it's more expensive, but the max emergency medical coverage is $5-10 million, depending on the plan.Save and pin this 10 Day Argentina itinerary for later:
