Circuito Chico: A View from the Top

Easily the most popular tour from the town of Bariloche is the half day Circuito Chico tour. This takes you to the Cerro Campanario which provides stunning views of the Lake Nahuel Huapi. To get to the viewpoint, you have to take a ski lift.

From there, the tour will bring you to another viewpoint providing a closer but still panoramic view of the lake and the famous Hotel Llao Llao on the lake.

Along the mountain side route you will see a lot of Swiss style vacation houses and resorts.

Bariloche Bewitches!

It is easy to understand why Bariloche is a favorite vacation place, be it summer or winter. Landscape of seemingly endless mountains, trees, and lakes is awesome!

In winter the mountains becomes a top spot for skiers and snowboarders. And in summer the climate remains cool, ideal for mountain climbing and the lakes are fertile for fishing and water sports.

The town of Bariloche prides itself with its tasteful urban style with alpine architecture as its main theme. It is known also for its chocolates which are definitely one of the world's best!

Bustling Mendoza

Mendoza is a bustling city but retains a small town vibe. It is a blend of the old and the new, with a running tram car, cobblestone streets, sidewalk cafes and beautiful parks. It is also famous for its wine. I stayed here for only a night as a rest stop to leisurely enjoy the comforts of a quaint city.

Rocks of Cafayate

Cafayate is famous for its wine and the Quebrada de Cafayate, a series of rock formations and canyons that rivals those in Jordan, and Arizona in the United States. The scenery is awesome and you can actually do some climbing to reach the upper area of the Garganta del Diablo(Devil's Throat) and the Anfiteatro (Amphitheater).

A day tour from Salta cost around US45 and provides enough opportunity to explore the rock formations and the tranquil town of Cafayate.

San Antonio De Los Cobres: A Ride to the Clouds

One of the highlights of a trip to Northern Argentina is the Tren A Las Nuebles(Train to the Clouds), train ride that will take you up to 4220 m above sea level . This whole day trip is expensive( around US$300) and is not always available specially during heavy rains. A bus tour that follows the Tren A Las Nuebles route is more affordable (US$70)and provides for several stops along the scenic route of rugged mountain landscapes.

The whole day tour includes foto stops at the Tastil ruins which the locals say is scaled down version of Peru's Machu Picchu, at an enormous train bridge, and at the dusty little mining town of San Antonio De Los Cobres.