What to do in Bariloche

A Complete Bariloche Travel Guide

I’ve been to Bariloche four times now, one trip lasting an entire month (pretending I’m a local).

Suffice it to say, I’ve fallen hard for Bariloche and understand why it’s one of Argentina’s most popular destinations.

I first visited when I was a baby expat, having just arrived in Argentina 13 years ago and boy, this city has grown quite a bit since then.

A few years ago, I came back on a ski trip, you can read all about skiing in Bariloche here.

But the most recent visits sealed the deal. I love it here and I’m confident this post will give you all you need to know to discover Bariloche.

And stick around to the end of the post for practical advice on when to visit, where to stay, and how to get around.

Read More about Bariloche:

- Where to stay in Bariloche

- Villa La Angostura Guide: Explore this small mountain town just one hour from Bariloche

- Drive the 7 Lakes Route

- Drive the Circuito Grande

- Explore Bariloche in Winter

The Best Things to do in Bariloche, Argentina

Bariloche is a major city filled with attractions both in the city center as well as hikes and scenic drives in the surrounding area.

Here’s an easy-to-understand breakdown of the best Bariloche attractions to plan your stay, the best things to eat and drink, and major day trips.

Parque Nacional de los Arrayanes

Go on a Lake tour: Arrayanes/Isla Victoria or Puerto Blest

Bariloche is in the lake district and is nestled against the massive Lago Nahuel Huapi.

So, going on a boat tour of the lake is a given!

There are two major options to choose from.

Everything departs from Puerto Pañuelo in front of the Hotel Llao Llao on the Circuito Chico.

- Isla Victoria and Parque Nacional de los Arrayanes: This is easily the most popular tour. Isla Victoria is the largest island you’ll see when you look at the lake and is basically a massive botanical garden with a variety of pines and trees that have grown wildly well in the volcanic soil. Then you’ll sail to the Arrayan Forest and see that national park filled with red velvety trees.

- Puerto Blest: This excursion goes down one of the most beautiful branches of the lake and includes a short hike to beautiful waterfalls.

Go on a Private Boat Tour

Having been there, done that with the large boat to Isla Victoria and the Arrayan Forest on my first trip, I wanted something a bit more personalized this time around.

I booked a private day out on the lake with Lake Tours and it was the best thing we did!

You can choose 4, 6, or 8-hour excursions and it will be fully customized to what you want to do.

We spent the day on Isla Victoria (such a great experience having the island to ourselves instead of with a massive group) and beach hopping.

They also offer fishing excursions in season (November-May) or you can do a mix of fishing, beaches, hiking, whatever you want.

The price is a package deal for up to 5 people. The boat can take up to 8 so for each additional person after 5 there’s a small surcharge.

For another additional price, they’ll provide a delicious picnic lunch or you can bring your own (which we did) and store it in their cooler.

Check out their website to book.

Epic Day Hikes & Refugios

Hiking is one of the best activities in Bariloche that I haven’t been able to do enough of.

I did one epic hike to Refugio Lopez this past winter, for most hikes in winter it’s best to hire a guide. We needed our guide for navigating the trail and snowshoes.

I have every intention of planning a hiking-specific trip because there are so many iconic and off-the-beaten-path trails to see here.

For a complete list and guide to the trails here, reference Trekking Bariloche.

You can filter trails by name, difficulty, or length to choose your hikes.

Refugio Frey is easily the most popular hike in Bariloche, and it’s easy to see why.

If you want to avoid the crowds on the trail, though, I recommend waking up very early and going at sunrise.

For short hikes, there are beautiful low effort/high reward hikes in the Llao Llao area and along the Circuito Chico (for example, I love the Mirador Brazo Tristeza trail).

And speaking of refugios, the refugios are a great experience you’ll find on a number of trails here that you won’t find anywhere else.

These mountain shelters have complete restaurants and beds if you want to stay the night before hiking even further up or going back to the city.

On Bariloche Trekking filter by name and find the hikes that say Refugio (or Hut if you have the site set to English) in the name.

In the description, you’ll see if you need to reserve the bed ahead of time or not, what months of the year it’s open, and every possible detail you could need from how to reach the trailhead to elevation gains.

Explore the Circuito Chico

The Circuito Chico is a short loop at the end of Av. Bustillos.

It’s a short scenic drive and most of the top Bariloche attractions are located here.

For more, read my detailed guide to the Circuito Chico.

You can do it as a drive, bike it, or take a guided tour.

As the name suggests, it’s a short drive, so you can spend as little as a couple of hours driving it and stopping at viewpoints.

You could also easily spend an entire day or more if you want to stop at teahouses, restaurants, and hikes.

If you’re driving, drive SLOW. The speed limit is a crawling 40 km/h and that is because there are so many bikers and hitchhikers here and pedestrians crossing from one side to the other for viewpoints.

Take it slow.

And speaking of crowds, if you have a car and want to experience it in peace then go at sunrise.

I went at 8 am for a short hike and had popular viewpoints completely to myself. It was idyllic.

Circuito Chico Highlights

- Cerro Campanario: More on that next on the list.

- Hotel Llao Llao: The most famous and beautiful luxury hotel in Bariloche, you can reserve tea time here or a spa package if you’re not staying overnight.

- Capilla San Eduardo: A small wooden chapel with the best view of Hotel Llao Llao and the port, find the free parking lot uphill behind the chapel.

- See Dinosaurs at Parque Nahuelito: Here with kids? For a fee, you can walk through a park of life-size dinosaur statues, because WHY NOT.

- Lunch at Gilbert: This brewery has the BEST lunch in the best atmosphere. It feels like a mountain cabin/ski lodge frozen in time. Get the jabali al cazador (tender wild boar) or goulash for a traditional dish. Go right at noon to avoid crowds.

- Cerveza Patagonia: The largest brewery here has one of the best views, schedule a tasting or grab a beer and take in the vistas for a lazy afternoon.

- Punto Panoramico: This viewpoint has the infamous view you’ll see in nearly every Bariloche stock photo, don’t miss this one. There’s also a café of the same name just before the viewpoint if you want to enjoy the view with cake.

- Countless bridges and viewpoints/miradors: I can’t/won’t list them all. You don’t need it! You’ll see one breathtaking view after another as you drive, so take your time to enjoy them all.

Take the Chairlift at Cerro Campanario

Cerro Campanario on the Circuito Chico has one of the best 360 panoramic views in Bariloche.

You can hike to the top or take the chairlift.

Take the chairlift.

The walk isn’t worth it, being a nearly straight uphill slog.

Save your hiking for the more beautiful trails where you’ll actually enjoy the ascent.

The chairlift costs 2,000 pesos (as of November 2022), a little less than $10 USD, minors from 5-12 cost half of that and under 5 are free. It opens at 9 am and the final ascent is at 5:30 pm.

There’s a café at the top offering decent hot chocolate for a cold day but I recommend either bringing your own mate to enjoy at the top or saving your snacking for another tea house in the area.

German Footprint Tour Downtown

Downtown Bariloche, if we’re being completely honest (and I am), is not that beautiful.

But there is a lot of history there.

After exploring on your own, dive deeper with a history-focused tour.

It’s no secret that this region was a haven to Germans and Nazis after World War II.

I recently went on the German Footprint Tour.

The tour was very well done, delicately teaching about the Nazi presence here but going even deeper than that to the earlier waves of German immigration here and the city’s founding.

We spent an hour and a half walking downtown and ideally, it starts at 4 pm. This allows you nearly a full day to enjoy Bariloche before the tour.

Other Recommendations for Things to Do in Bariloche:

- Visit Cerro Catedral: It is the largest ski center in South America and offers activities both in winter and summer.

- Explore the Bosque de Arrayanes: A magical place with unique orange-barked trees.

- Enjoy the local cuisine: Try Patagonian lamb, trout, and artisanal chocolates.

- Visit the Museo de la Patagonia: Located in the Civic Center, it offers a comprehensive view of the region's history and culture.

- Take a trip to Colonia Suiza: A picturesque village with Swiss influences, famous for its curanto, a traditional meal cooked in a hole in the ground.