Mendoza to Chile: Multi-Day Trip Options
The historic Transandino railway to Santiago stopped running passengers decades ago, and no train has replaced it, so every multi-day route out of Mendoza that crosses into Chile or heads deeper into the province now runs by road. That’s not a limitation so much as the reason these trips still feel like a journey rather than a transfer.
The Ruta 7 crossing to Santiago
Andesmar and CATA Internacional run daily coaches on the 7 to 9 hour haul from Terminal de Ómnibus de Mendoza through Potrerillos, Uspallata and Puente del Inca, into the Cristo Redentor tunnel at 3,200 meters, and down the Chilean side’s switchback highway. Pack a passport or DNI and expect a Chilean SAG inspection at the border (no fresh fruit, honey, or seeds), and build in slack for winter closures on Paso Los Libertadores, which shuts the route for days during bad storms. Compare Andesmar’s Santiago schedule directly before booking a fixed onward connection in Chile.
San Rafael and the Atuel Canyon as an overnight
Doing this as a rushed 14-hour day tour wastes most of the trip on the road; 2 to 3 nights based in San Rafael or Valle Grande instead gives you real time on the 50km canyon along Ruta Provincial 173, a catamaran ride on Embalse Valle Grande, rafting on the Atuel River, and a stop at southern bodegas like Suter or Bianchi. Book the Diamante and Atuel river canyon trip if you want the guided version, and check San Rafael’s tourism office for current road conditions on Ruta 173 before you go.
Aconcagua: the permit has to happen first
The 3-day Trekking Corto to Confluencia and the 7-day Trekking Largo to Plaza de Mulas are the province’s other headline multi-day trip, and the one rule that trips people up is where the permit comes from. Only the single-day Confluencia entry ticket is a genuine online purchase. The 3-day, 7-day, and 18-to-21-day summit permits all require an in-person visit to the Aconcagua park visitor center inside Mendoza’s Subsecretaría de Turismo building, Av. San Martín 1143, before you head up Ruta 7, and there’s no way around that step once you’re already at the park gate. A mountain guide isn’t legally required to summit, solo permits exist at a higher price, but the mandatory medical checks at Confluencia and Mulas, the required evacuation insurance, and the permit itself don’t loosen either way, and Aconcagua’s 6,961 meters still carries the fatality record that makes those requirements exist. The official Aconcagua provincial portal has current permit categories and pricing.
Sleeping in the Uco Valley rather than driving through it
A 2 to 4 night stay at a Uco Valley property like Cavas Wine Lodge turns rushed single tastings into unhurried multi-course lunches at Zuccardi Piedra Infinita, Salentein or SuperUco. Every one of those reservations needs to be made weeks or months out; Catena Zapata alone books 2 to 3 months ahead and turns away anyone without one, and that pattern holds across the valley’s best-known names, so build the lodging around confirmed tasting slots, not the other way around.
Malargüe and La Payunia’s volcanic field
400km south of Mendoza city (5 to 6 hours one way), Reserva Provincial La Payunia holds over 800 black basalt volcanic cones, best combined over 3 to 4 days with the Caverna de las Brujas stalactite caves and the Valle Hermoso thermal valley. Treat the distance honestly: this is its own trip, not a side excursion tacked onto San Rafael.
Verdict: the Chile crossing and the Aconcagua treks are the two multi-day routes worth building a whole trip around; everything else on this list rewards being paired with one of them rather than run alone.
One concrete tip: whichever multi-day route you’re building toward, confirm bodega and Aconcagua permit logistics before you book transport, since a driver or coach booked around a reservation that later falls through is the more expensive mistake to unwind. For the single-day version of the Ruta 7 corridor, see the day trips guide .