Luxury Argentina's Mendoza Walk & Bike (Towering Andes & Wine Country Escapes) 7D6N, Fully Guided

TWO BIKING OPTIONS:
Level 2, Approx 39 km (24 miles), Elevation gain: 183 m (600 ft)
Level 3, Approx 55 km (34 miles), Elevation gain: 244 m (800 ft)

On the first day of the trip, meet your tour leaders at 10 a.m. in the lobby of the Park Hyatt Mendoza located at Sarmiento 551 in Mendoza. Please, ensure you arrive dressed in comfortable clothes for our morning shuttle and lunch. You should also bring your luggage and a daypack containing your cycling clothes, rain gear, and anything else you may want for the day's bike ride. Please, have your passport readily accessible for the check-in process following the day's activities.

We convene at the lovely cosmopolitan city of Mendoza to begin our journey into the heart of Argentina's rural wine country. First, we take a morning shuttle to the Valle de Uco (Uco Valley), whose alluvial soil and 250 sunny days per annum make the perfect recipe for world-renowned Malbec and Semillon grapes. We arrive at the small farming town of Tupungato and savour our first meal together, an innovative fusion affair demonstrating the care that makes its way onto the table in this part of the world.

Afterward, your tour leaders fit your bike and enlighten you briefly on biking techniques and safety, and we're off to bike the peaceful roads of the Uco Valley. The valley's broad floor makes it easy to feel like the sky goes on forever, almost as infinitely as the vineyards, separated by lovely stands of poplars and cypresses. As we head west, the landscape turn to wild rangeland and the contoured hills of the Andean cordillera (foothills) appears larger on the horizon. Behind them, you might catch sight of 305-metre (19,747-foot) Piquenes, whose distant snowy top marks the border with Chile!

Our destination is The Vines Resort & Spa, our elegant home for the next two nights, and you get to choose how you get there—a more direct route or a longer loop. The resort is a rustic-chic “Leading Hotels of the World” property, whose buildings of exposed wood and stone encircling a central patio are a destination in and of itself. There's time to freshen up before we meet for a toast to the week ahead (with Uco Valley wines, of course). Then, we have an incredible first dinner of Argentinian specialties cooked over an open fire.

THREE BIKING OPTIONS:
Level 2, Approx 40 km (25 miles), Elevation gain: 244 m (800 ft)
Level 4, Approx 55 km (34 miles), Elevation gain: 762 m (2,500 ft)
Level 5, Approx 76 km (47 miles), Elevation gain: 853 m (2,800 ft)

Today's route delivers us to the rocky foothills flanking The Vines, and takes us into a local nature preserve called the Mamzamo Historico, meaning "Historic Apple Tree." The preserve is named after a tree where, according to local legend, General José de San Martín rested in the shade upon returning home to Argentina after liberating Peru from the Spanish. A delightful little frontier pueblo has sprouted around the spot, and its plaza contains an apple tree allegedly grown from a shoot of the one where San Martin sat.

Stroll around the plaza and perhaps imagine how the general must have felt seeing this peaceful spot and realising he was finally home. If you chose the morning-long option, which adds extra climbing on the serene foothill paths, you might be tempted to take a siesta in the shade yourself!

From the pueblo, we cycle back into the vineyards, where a picnic lunch awaits us. Afterward, pedal or join a shuttle back to The Vines, where you have the afternoon to yourself; you can enjoy some pool time or perhaps a spa treatment (spa at own expense).

We reconvene in the evening when The Vines hosts us for a tasting of some of the house's wines. Then, we shuttle to a nearby village for a sumptuous farm-to-table dinner.

Level 3, Approx 8 km (5 miles), Elevation gain: 427 m (1,400 ft)

Savour a hearty breakfast before we begin our trek into the Andes mountains. A morning shuttle drops us off at a small refugio or ranch, the starting point of our exhilarating hike into Quebrada del Condor. The name of this long expansive ravine is apt because endangered Andean condors make their home here. Keep your eyes on the skies, and you may spot one swooping overhead with the massive 1-metre (4-foot) wingspan that brought these birds to fame.

Even if you don't see the birds, there's plenty of beauty on the ground as we walk across wide-open rangeland typical of the altiplano, the alpine plateau region where Mendoza province rests. Grassy mountain sides reveal their changing contours on our way up the Quebrada, eventually witnessing the snowcapped cliffs above at today's highest elevation—nearly 3,000 metres (10,000) feet above sea level.

An alternative to this hike is a horseback-riding expedition into the Quebrada. (Note that this activity is at an additional cost.) Regardless of how you explore this wild country, we will meet back at the Refugio for a classic barbecue lunch of Argentinian asado.

We board an afternoon shuttle to our next accommodation, Posada del Blanco. It is a boutique hotel situated in the suburbs and mountains, providing stunning views of the Andes. Tonight, we gather before dinner for an introduction and tasting of yerba maté. This smoky caffeinated tea served in a dried gourd, is considered the national obsession by many Argentinians. Afterward, we sit for dinner—a rustic-gourmet meal showcasing pollo al disco, a dish of chicken and vegetables stewed in white wine over an open fire. Buen provecho (bon appetit)!

TWO HIKING OPTIONS:
Level 3, Approx 6 km (4 miles),  Elevation gain: 396 m (1,300 ft)
Level 4, Approx 10 km (6 miles),  Elevation gain: 610 m (2,000 ft)

Prepare yourself for another awe-inspiring climb today as we shuttle to the boundary of nearby Cordón del Plata Provincial Park to tour the Cordón del Plata (Silver Range), a subsection of the Andean Front Range, or Cordillera Frontal. Our exploration of the park begins with a steady climb up grassy steppes frequented by herds of guanacos, a wild cousin to Llamas and alpacas. Above the treeline, we soak in stunning views of the rocky massif of 5,435 metres (17,831 feet) Cerro Vallecitos.

Head back at Veguitas viewpoint or keep going for a few extra kilometres into this scant alpine terrain. It may appear desolate, but the high-altitude wetlands are some of the Andes' most fragile and precious ecosystems. Back at Posada, you have time to unwind by the pool or downtime on your room's private balcony overlooking the willows.

In the evening, we take a quick shuttle to a favourite local restaurant for dinner. Alfresco tables give us front-row seats as alpenglo colours the Cordón de Plata—the perfect show to accompany another delectable dinner.

TWO BIKING OPTIONS:
Level 3, Approx 58 km (36 miles), Elevation gain: 335 m (1,100 ft)
Level 4, Approx 80 km (50 miles), Elevation gain: 488 m (1,600 ft)

Today, we're back on our bikes, and you can choose to pedal from hotel to hotel as we descend back into the heart of Mendoza wine country. We start the day wheeling alongside the foothills of the Cordillera Frontal. Navigating Potrerillos, we take the southern road above winding Potrerillos Lake, whose gorgeous blue waters starkly contrast this otherwise arid country. Then we separate from the main highway and delve between the cliffs into Cacheuta Canyon. Rock brick-coloured peaks loom on either side as we pedal along this scenic stretch of road which crosses several bridges over the rushing Rio Mendoza.

We make a stop at a winery downstream to enjoy a gourmet lunch. Here, we can tour the grounds and, if the season is right, help with the grape harvest! Then, you can either shuttle or ride to our final hotel, the magnificent Cavas Wine Lodge. This Relais & Châteaux retreat combines European-style architecture, curving adobe surfaces, and quirky interiors to create a unique vision of Andean elegance.

You have tonight to relax and settle into the property. Visit your private rooftop terrace to watch the sunset over the sea of vines and the distant mountains. Then at your leisure, enjoy a luxurious dinner of traditional Argentine cuisine prepared with fresh organic ingredients at the hotel.

We spend a leisurely morning in the sumptuous surroundings of our hotel before heading out to experience the Mendoza River from the water! Our rafting adventure takes us in story inflatable rafts through rapids rated up to Class III—perfect for beginners to the sport, providing some adrenaline, laughs, and splashy relief from the hot sun. We also float down serene sections of the river and appreciate a relaxing new perspective on the scenery we biked through yesterday. Notice how the stark desert landscape of lush and hardy brush is divided into two by the river, where plants bloom along the water's edge. Travelling by raft is travelling along our own highway-shared oasis.

We return with lots of spare time to relish the hotel's amenities. There is even the option of a yoga class to help you reflect and stretch your muscles after our week of activities; this afternoon, Canvas will offer one exclusively for our group.

We later convene for an evening stroll through Cavas' on-site vineyards. When we return, we celebrate our last night together in true Argentinian fashion—by dancing! After working up our appetite during a beginner's tango lesson, we toast the end of our phenomenal week in Argentina and sit down for a delicious farewell dinner.

Level 2, Approx 40 km (25 miles), Elevation gain: 183 m (600 ft)

Wake up to the refreshing rays of the morning sun, perfectly lighting up your room the right way. How you want to spend this last morning of the trip is totally up to you. Get pedalling around the vineyards, setting your sights on the quaint town of Luján de Cuyo before looping back to the hotel. Or you could have a slow morning—-sleep in, take a dip in the pool and enjoy a long breakfast and listen to the birds' chatter as the countryside awakens around you.

We exchange goodbyes at the hotel before we draw the curtains on your trip with a shuttle to Mendoza, arriving at Mendoza's El Plumerillo International Airport around noon.

NOTE: This itinerary is provided as an example only – prevailing conditions and local arrangements may cause variation.