From Mendoza: Andes Horseback Ride & Gaucho Day｜Argentina

Discover a different side of Mendoza with a full Gaucho Day at Rancho Don Daniel, a family-run mountain ranch in the Andes. This is not just another horseback ride, but a day built around horses, local traditions, mountain landscapes, and food cooked over fire.

Your bilingual guide will pick you up from your accommodation in Mendoza and travel with you into the mountains to meet Daniel’s family and the local horsemen who will share the day with you.

Start with homemade tortas fritas and a hot coffee or mate while the horses are prepared. Each horse is selected according to the rider’s size and experience before heading into the mountains.

Ride for around 3 hours in total, usually divided into two relaxed sections. Follow quiet mountain trails, cross crystal-clear creeks, and ride through open Andean landscapes, far from Mendoza’s busiest tourist areas.

You don’t need to be an experienced rider. The pace is relaxed, although this is real mountain terrain, with gentle climbs and some narrower sections along the way.

During the ride, stop at a special place in the mountains where the fire is lit and lunch is prepared following local tradition. Sit down together for a traditional Argentine asado cooked over open flames, accompanied by a mountain-style picada, homemade bread, Mendoza wine, and dessert.

There is no staged gaucho show or fixed script. The idea is much simpler: spend a day in the mountains with people who live closely connected to horses and the land, sharing their food, surroundings, and way of life.

After lunch, get back on the horses and continue the ride before returning to the ranch. From there, your guide will drive you back to Mendoza.

A full day of horses, Andes landscapes, fire-cooked food, local wine, and genuine mountain hospitality.