Argentina's Lake District: Bariloche & the Seven Lakes
San Carlos de Bariloche's chocolate shops and Nahuel Huapi lake views, then a self-drive along the Ruta de los Siete Lagos through Villa La Angostura to San Martín de los Andes - Argentina's Alpine-flavored Lake District, a world away from the deep-south trekking circuit and the western wine valleys.
8–13 days · Point-to-point
When to go
- WeatherAutumn color season (mid-Mar - Apr) — The Lake District's imported European trees (poplars, oaks) turn gold and red along the Seven Lakes Route - a genuine highlight, but nights get cold and some lodges start closing for the shoulder season late in April.
- NoteArgentine summer holidays + Semana Santa (late Dec - Feb, and Easter week) — Domestic tourism peaks hard in Bariloche and San Martín de los Andes - lake-view lodging and rental cars both sell out weeks ahead.
- WeatherWinter road conditions (Jun - Sep) — This is Bariloche's ski season (Cerro Catedral), not this route's - some Seven Lagos viewpoints are socked in with snow/ice and the drive loses its point; this itinerary is built for the warmer months.
Argentina's Lake District gets mentioned constantly as a footnote - argentina-complete rules it out to keep the north focused, argentine-heartland treats it as an optional add-on flight from Mendoza, and patagonia-circuit only notes it as a possible "onward flight connection" for travelers heading further south. It deserves its own trip: Bariloche's chocolate-and-lake setting, a night in quieter Villa La Angostura, and San Martín de los Andes at the foot of Lanín's volcano, linked by the Ruta de los Siete Lagos - one of the best short scenic drives in South America. Ten days covers it at an easy pace, mostly on foot and behind the wheel of a rental car rather than on a multi-day trek.
This route's vibe
What you get across the whole trip, blended from each stop's strengths.
Stop by stop
The route
Adjust trip length, budget, and travel style — the stops, transport, and cost update to match.
- 1
Buenos Aires
2 nightsArrival hub and a short cosmopolitan bookend before the Lake District - just enough time for a parrilla dinner and a walk through Palermo or San Telmo before the flight south.
View Buenos Aires guide→Getting there· ~1345 kmFlightRecommended~2h nonstop from Buenos Aires' downtown Aeroparque (AEP) to Bariloche (BRC) - several daily departures, the only practical way to cover this distance.
Book: Aerolíneas Argentinas / JetSMART / Flybondi — flights leave from Aeroparque (AEP), not the international airport Ezeiza (EZE) - allow transfer time if you've just landed internationally
BusAn overnight coche-cama coach runs but takes 20+ hours - only worth it for committed overland budget travellers with time to spare.
Book buses - 2
San Carlos de Bariloche
3 nightsThe Lake District's Alpine-styled hub on Nahuel Huapi's shore - chocolate shops line the Centro Cívico, and the Circuito Chico loop road and Cerro Campanario chairlift both deliver postcard lake-and-forest views without a long hike.
Eat: A fondue or raclette dinner (this is Argentina's most Alpine-feeling town), and chocolate from Rapa Nui or Mamuschka rather than the mass-market shops right on the main strip.
Skip / overrated: The all-day Circuito Chico minibus tour hits the same viewpoints a self-drive rental covers in half the time and lets you actually stop at them - rent a car for this leg instead of booking the bus tour.
View San Carlos de Bariloche guide→Getting there· ~50 kmCarRecommendedA rental car covers this in about 1-1.5h on RN231 along Nahuel Huapi's shoreline, with pullouts for photos the whole way - the flexible way to start the drive.
Book: local rental agencies in Bariloche — book ahead in Dec-Feb and Easter week; cars sell out and walk-up rates spike
- 3
Villa La Angostura
1 nightA small, quieter lakeside town about halfway along the Seven Lakes Route, right where the road starts the scenic run north - a good overnight break rather than pushing straight through to San Martín in one day. The Los Arrayanes cinnamon-bark myrtle forest is a short boat ride or bike ride away.
Full guide coming soon for this stop.
Getting there· ~72 kmCarRecommendedThe Ruta de los Siete Lagos itself - fully paved now, but budget 2.5-3h for the ~110km with stops at Lago Correntoso, Lago Espejo and the other viewpoints; this drive is the point of the trip, not just a transfer.
Book: local rental agencies in Bariloche or Villa La Angostura — drop the car in San Martín de los Andes rather than backtracking to Bariloche if flying out of Chapelco - confirm one-way drop fees before booking
BusA few daily buses run the full Seven Lagos route, but on a fixed schedule with limited photo stops - a guided day-tour van (same road, narrated) is the common alternative if you don't want to self-drive.
Book buses - 4
San Martín de los Andes
3 nightsA smaller, less commercial lake town than Bariloche on Lago Lácar, and the gateway to Lanín National Park's volcano and monkey-puzzle forests - a slower final few days with its own regional airport (Chapelco) for the flight home.
Eat: Trout (trucha) and venison (ciervo) show up on menus all over town - Patagonian game and lake fish instead of the beef-heavy diet further north, plus a strong craft beer scene.
View San Martín de los Andes guide→
Lodging + daily spend only — excludes flights & intercity transport. Partial: some stops lack cost data.
What to skip
Don't try to bolt this onto argentina-complete's Iguazú/Salta itinerary or argentine-heartland's Mendoza wine trip in one go - every connection backtracks through Buenos Aires and the Lake District deserves unrushed time on its own. El Bolsón is worth a detour (see the Extended variant) but skip it on a tight trip; it competes with the Seven Lakes drive for your limited days and loses.
Practical tips
Rent a car in Bariloche rather than booking the standard Circuito Chico or Seven Lagos minibus tours - both roads are easy, well-signed and let you set your own pace at the viewpoints. San Martín de los Andes' Chapelco airport has far fewer daily flights than Bariloche's - check the return leg before committing to the open-jaw routing.
Best for
Common questions
Is this the same trip as the Patagonia trekking circuit (Torres del Paine, El Calafate)?
No - they're about 1,500km apart and a completely different style of trip. This route is short walks and scenic drives around forested lakes; the Patagonia circuit is multi-day trekking around glaciers and granite peaks further south. Don't try to combine them without a dedicated extra week.
Can I do the Ruta de los Siete Lagos without renting a car?
Yes - regional buses and guided day-tour vans both run the route, though on a fixed schedule with fewer photo stops. A self-drive rental is the more flexible and genuinely popular way to do it.
Should I fly back out of Bariloche or San Martín de los Andes?
San Martín's Chapelco airport (open-jaw routing) saves the backtrack down the Seven Lakes route, but it has far fewer daily flights than Bariloche - check availability on your travel dates before booking a one-way rental car drop.