San Carlos de Bariloche to Trelew is about 537 road miles (864 km): roughly 10 h 11 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
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.”
| Total distance | 537 mi (864 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 10 h 11 min |
| Main roads, in order | RN40 → RN25 |
| Provinces on the route | Río Negro, Chubut |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
How the San Carlos de Bariloche to Trelew drive plays out
RN25 (314 mi) and RN40 (220 mi) carry about 99% of the 537 miles. It runs through 2 provinces: Río Negro, Chubut. Of the 8 stops listed below, 3 are within a mile of the road.
San Carlos de Bariloche to Trelew: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Province |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Río Negro |
| RN40 | 2–222 | 220 | Río Negro, Chubut |
| RN25 | 222–536 | 314 | Chubut |
| local roads | 536–537 | 1 | Chubut |
- Mile 78 of this route: Río Negro → Chubut (province line)
Places worth a stop between San Carlos de Bariloche and Trelew
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Lago Guillelmo (mile 23), Parque Serrano (mile 75), Gaiman Regional Historical Museum (mile 527)
- 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), Parque Serrano (mile 75), Lago Puelo National Park (mile 82)
- Museums and history: Museo Leleque (mile 124), Gaiman Regional Historical Museum (mile 527)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Parque Serrano
Parque Serrano is a municipal protected natural area in El Bolsón, in Argentine Patagonia, covered by the Andean Patagonian forest ecoregion.
Lago Puelo National Park
Covering 276.74 square kilometers in northwestern Chubut, Lago Puelo National Park is an Argentine national park in Patagonia.
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.
Gaiman Regional Historical Museum
Housed in Gaiman's former train station, the Gaiman Regional Historical Museum is run by the municipality with support from the Welsh association Asociación Galesa de Educación y Cultura Camwy.
When you get to Trelew
Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio
Fossils of Patagonia's ancient animals and plants fill the Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio in Trelew, a research and exhibition center tracing how the region changed over geological time.
Municipal Museum of Visual Arts
Trelew's Municipal Museum of Visual Arts is a fine arts museum in the city center, run by the local culture office, with exhibitions that change every month.
Pueblo de Luis Regional Museum
Seven exhibition rooms at the Pueblo de Luis Regional Museum in central Trelew cover the history of the lower Chubut valley, including Tehuelche and Mapuche peoples and Welsh settlement.
From San Carlos de Bariloche to other places in Argentina
- San Carlos de Bariloche to El Bolsón
- San Carlos de Bariloche to Los Ángeles, Chile
- San Carlos de Bariloche to Coyhaique, Chile
- San Carlos de Bariloche to Chaitén, Chile
- San Carlos de Bariloche to Monte Verde, Chile
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from San Carlos de Bariloche to Trelew?
About 10 h 11 min of driving without stops, over 537 miles.
What is the driving distance from San Carlos de Bariloche to Trelew?
About 537 miles (864 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 Trelew?
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 San Carlos de Bariloche to Trelew use?
In order: RN40 and RN25. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between San Carlos de Bariloche and Trelew?
Closest to the road: Lago Guillelmo (lake, mile 23, 0.4 mi from the route); Parque Serrano (park, mile 75, 0.7 mi from the route); Gaiman Regional Historical Museum (museum, mile 527, 0.6 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.