Plan on about 10 h 1 min of driving for the 521-mile (838 km) trip from Comodoro Rivadavia to San Carlos de Bariloche, before any stops.
Full advisory: Argentina. Advisory issued: Argentina July 10, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Argentina: “Gas stations are often far apart and not always easily identified from the main roadway.”
| Distance by road | 521 mi (838 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 10 h 1 min |
| Main roads, in order | RN26 → RN40 |
| Provinces on the route | Chubut, Río Negro |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Comodoro Rivadavia–San Carlos de Bariloche drive in a few lines
RN40 (381 mi) and RN26 (131 mi) carry about 98% of the 521 miles. It runs through 2 provinces: Chubut, Río Negro. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Comodoro Rivadavia to San Carlos de Bariloche
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–4 | 4 | Chubut |
| connecting roads | 4–6 | 2 | Chubut |
| RN26 | 6–137 | 131 | Chubut |
| RN40 | 137–518 | 381 | Chubut, Río Negro |
| local roads | 518–521 | 3 | Río Negro |
- Mile 444 of this route: Chubut → Río Negro (province line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Comodoro Rivadavia and San Carlos de Bariloche
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Desiderio Torres Regional Museum (mile 92), Parque Serrano (mile 446), Reserva El Guadal (mile 454), Lago Guillelmo (mile 498)
- Nature and outdoors: Lago Puelo National Park (mile 439), Parque Serrano (mile 446), Reserva El Guadal (mile 454), Área natural protegida Río Azul - Lago Escondido (mile 467), Área natural protegida Cipresal de las Guaitecas (mile 470), Lago Guillelmo (mile 498)
- Museums and history: Rada Tilly Regional Museum (mile 6), Desiderio Torres Regional Museum (mile 92), Museo Leleque (mile 396)
Rada Tilly Regional Museum
In the center of Rada Tilly in Chubut, Argentina, the Rada Tilly Regional Museum (Museo Regional Rada Tilly) is a cultural space in the town.
Desiderio Torres Regional Museum
Run by the Municipality of Sarmiento, this regional museum honors Desiderio Torres, a respected Indigenous resident of the area.
Museo Leleque
Near kilometer 1440 of Ruta Nacional 40 in Leleque, Chubut, this history museum opened in 1998 in the steppe at the foot of the Andes, about 100 m from the tracks of La Trochita.
Lago Puelo National Park
Covering 276.74 square kilometers in northwestern Chubut, Lago Puelo National Park is an Argentine national park in Patagonia.
Parque Serrano
Parque Serrano is a municipal protected natural area in El Bolsón, in Argentine Patagonia, covered by the Andean Patagonian forest ecoregion.
Reserva El Guadal
Near Mallín Ahogado and El Bolsón, Reserva El Guadal is a protected forest reserve created to preserve native woodland and support research on sustainable resource management.
Área natural protegida Río Azul - Lago Escondido
Near El Bolsón, in the Bariloche department of Patagonia, the Río Azul - Lago Escondido protected natural area covers Andean Patagonian forest.
Área natural protegida Cipresal de las Guaitecas
About 30 km north of El Bolsón, east of Route 40, the Cipresal de las Guaitecas protected area lies within Patagonia's Andean forest ecoregion in the Bariloche department.
Lago Guillelmo
Inside Nahuel Huapi National Park in Río Negro's Bariloche department, Lago Guillelmo is a glacial lake ringed by Andean Patagonian forest that drains into Lake Mascardi.
Once you reach San Carlos de Bariloche
Nahuel Huapi Lake
Between Río Negro and Neuquén provinces in northern Patagonia, Nahuel Huapi Lake is an Andean lake with many branches, peninsulas and islands.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Nahuel Huapi
Close to Nahuel Huapi Lake, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Nahuel Huapi is the main Catholic cathedral of San Carlos de Bariloche, set amid gardens on a large plot.
Francisco Moreno Museum of Patagonia
Set in the Civic Center of Bariloche, the Francisco P. Moreno Museum of Patagonia covers natural history and cultural anthropology.
More drives to San Carlos de Bariloche
- Temuco to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
- Puerto Montt to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
- Concepción, Chile to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
- Chillán to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
From Comodoro Rivadavia to other places in Argentina
- Comodoro Rivadavia to Río Gallegos
- Comodoro Rivadavia to San Antonio Oeste
- Comodoro Rivadavia to Viedma
- Comodoro Rivadavia to Balneario El Cóndor
- Comodoro Rivadavia to El Bolsón
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Comodoro Rivadavia to San Carlos de Bariloche?
About 10 h 1 min of driving without stops, over 521 miles.
What is the driving distance from Comodoro Rivadavia to San Carlos de Bariloche?
About 521 miles (838 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Comodoro Rivadavia to San Carlos de Bariloche drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Argentina Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Comodoro Rivadavia to San Carlos de Bariloche use?
In order: RN26 and RN40. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Comodoro Rivadavia to San Carlos de Bariloche?
Closest to the road: Desiderio Torres Regional Museum (museum, mile 92, 0.4 mi from the route); Parque Serrano (park, mile 446, 0.8 mi from the route); Lago Guillelmo (lake, mile 498, 0.4 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.