San Carlos de Bariloche to El Bolsón Road Trip: Route & Stops

By admin, 13 October, 2026

Plan on about 1 h 31 min of driving for the 75-mile (120 km) trip from San Carlos de Bariloche to El Bolsón, before any stops.

U.S. State Department travel advisory: Argentina — Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions

Full advisory: Argentina. Advisory issued: Argentina July 10, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.

On the roads, the State Department says:

Argentina: “Drivers should prepare in advance when taking long road trips and make sure to have adequate insurance coverage.”

Route from San Carlos de Bariloche to El Bolsón with the 4 stops listed below (blue dots).

Distance by road	75 mi (120 km)
Time at the wheel, no stops	1 h 31 min
Main roads, in order	RN40
Provinces on the route	Río Negro
Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg)	about 3.0 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic
Stops listed below	4

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How the San Carlos de Bariloche to El Bolsón drive plays out

RN40 (72 mi) carries about 96% of the 75 miles. Of the 4 stops listed below, 1 are within a mile of the road.

Which roads connect San Carlos de Bariloche and El Bolsón

Road	Route miles (from–to)	Length, mi	Province
local roads	0–2	2	Río Negro
RN40	2–74	72	Río Negro
local roads	74–75	1	Río Negro

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Where to stop on the way to El Bolsón

Right off the route (under 1 mile): Lago Guillelmo (mile 23)
Nature and outdoors: Lago Guillelmo (mile 23), Área natural protegida Cipresal de las Guaitecas (mile 52), Área natural protegida Río Azul - Lago Escondido (mile 54), Reserva El Guadal (mile 68)

Lago Guillelmo

Mile 23 · Lake · 0.4 mi from the route

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.

Área natural protegida Cipresal de las Guaitecas

Mile 52 · Park · 1 mi from the route

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.

Área natural protegida Río Azul - Lago Escondido

Mile 54 · Park · 2 mi from the route · side trip; actual detour depends on access roads

Near El Bolsón, in the Bariloche department of Patagonia, the Río Azul - Lago Escondido protected natural area covers Andean Patagonian forest.

Reserva El Guadal

Mile 68 · Park · 1 mi from the route

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.

In El Bolsón itself

Parque Serrano

Park · in El Bolsón

Parque Serrano is a municipal protected natural area in El Bolsón, in Argentine Patagonia, covered by the Andean Patagonian forest ecoregion.

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More drives to El Bolsón

From San Carlos de Bariloche to other places in Argentina

Frequently asked questions

How long is the drive from San Carlos de Bariloche to El Bolsón?

About 1 h 31 min of driving without stops, over 75 miles.

How far is El Bolsón from San Carlos de Bariloche by car?

About 75 miles (120 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.

Is it safe to drive from San Carlos de Bariloche to El Bolsón?

The U.S. State Department rates Argentina Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions. Read the full advisory before you go.

What are good stops between San Carlos de Bariloche and El Bolsón?

Closest to the road: Lago Guillelmo (lake, mile 23, 0.4 mi from the route); Área natural protegida Cipresal de las Guaitecas (park, mile 52, 1 mi from the route); Reserva El Guadal (park, mile 68, 1 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.