Main Attractions

*Rent a bike and go wine tasting as you tour the vineyards of the surrounding countryside.

*Go tandem paragliding and get a bird?s eye view of the beautiful vineyards and countryside.

* Spend the morning horseback riding, then relax in the afternoon as you kick back with at an asado and enjoy some of Mendoza?s famous wines.

* Visit Parque San Martin to enjoy the zoo, see a show at the amphitheatre during the Wine Festival, sit by the lake, or dine at one of several restaurants at the biggest park in the city.

* Hit up the city in March for the big weekends of the National Wine Festival, Vendimia, which has activities running January through April. Celebrate the harvest, see the crowning of the Wine Queen, and of course, taste a lot of delicious wine.

When to go

The summers in Mendoza (January and February are dry and hot, and the winters are relatively mild, with temperatures between 38 and 53 degrees. Winters are wetter than summer but Mendoza is classified as a semi-desert so even July doesn?t see much rainfall. The hot time of year to go is during the harvest, when the Vendimia festival, which takes place in early March but is celebrated with events all the way from January to April.

How to get there

Most tourists heading to Mendoza pass through Buenos Aires or Santiago, Chile, both of which have several transportation options to reach Mendoza. Buses are the way to travel cheap, but take awhile. You might want to consider overnight buses, especially from Buenos Aires. Several bus companies make the 13 hour trip from Buenos Aires to Mendoza (1,037 km) or the 6.5 hour trip from Santiago (380 km). A faster but more expensive route is to fly. Flights take less than one hour from Santiago and less than two hours from Buenos Aires.

Visa information

Travelers from most countries including the US, UK, Australia, EU citizens, New Zealand, Canada, and Israel do not require a visa to enter Argentina. A 90 day tourist visa will be issued at the airport with a passport. Tourist visas can be renewed for those wishing to stay in Argentina with a quick trip to Chile from Mendoza or Uruguay from Buenos Aires. No tourist visa is required of visitors from Israel for stays up to 90 days.

Tipping

At restaurants it is normal to tip 10%. Taxi drivers do not receive tips but the fare may be rounded up to the nearest peso. Porters can receive a tip of a couple of pesos.