The Seven Lakes road is a 96-kilometre paved section of Ruta 40 between Villa La Angostura and San Martín de los Andes. Seven days let you use both towns as bases, stop at marked viewpoints and keep one day movable for rain or winter conditions.
This Argentina Seven Lakes road trip starts and ends in Bariloche. Read the Argentina rental and toll guide before booking the car.
Use two lake bases and one city night
Spend one night in Bariloche, three in Villa La Angostura and three in San Martín de los Andes. The route then becomes a series of short drives instead of a daily hotel transfer.
Choose lodging with confirmed off-street parking. The car can remain parked during town walks, and luggage stays out of viewpoint car parks.
Run the route northbound
Northbound travel places the longest lake day between the two bases. The same plan works in reverse if flight times or rental availability favour San Martín.
The official tourism page describes the corridor as fully paved. Check Vialidad Nacional before departure because snow, ice, repairs or an incident can still restrict a paved road.
Keep one day movable
Move the main Seven Lakes drive to the clearest day. Use a wet or windy day for a town walk, museum or short lakeside stop near the current base.
Seven days from Bariloche to San Martín
Day 1: collect in Bariloche
Collect the car in daylight and document fuel, glass, tyres and bodywork. Drive to booked parking rather than circling the centre with luggage visible.
Buy water and basic food. Save the route-status page and the address of the next fuel station offline.
Day 2: Bariloche to Villa La Angostura
Follow Ruta 40 north along Nahuel Huapi. Use signed pull-offs and pass slower vehicles only where road markings and sight distance allow.
Reach Villa La Angostura before the evening. Stay three nights and ask the lodging which entrance avoids the busiest central streets.
Day 3: a local lake day
Leave the car at one recognised trailhead or staffed attraction. Do not assemble a long chain of map pins; local access roads and parking capacity differ.
Return to the same room. A low-mileage day creates room for a delayed arrival or poor weather later.
Day 4: drive the Seven Lakes corridor
Leave after checking the national-route report and local forecast. Official material identifies a sequence of lakes and marked viewpoints along the 96-kilometre drive.
Stop selectively. Lago Espejo, Correntoso, Escondido, Villarino, Falkner, Machónico and Lácar can turn a short road into a full day once walks, parking and lunch are included.
Arrive in San Martín de los Andes with daylight and stay three nights.
Day 5: San Martín without a transfer
Walk the town and lakefront. Use the car for one nearby signed access only if the road and parking arrangement are clear.
Refuel today. It removes a queue or closed-station problem from the return day.
Day 6: Lanín-side option or weather buffer
Choose a local drive inside the part of Lanín National Park that has open roads and authorised visitor access. Ask park staff about surface and current restrictions.
Keep the car parked if the main corridor needs another weather day. The itinerary works because no reservation depends on covering a distant loop.
Day 7: return toward Bariloche
Drive south on Ruta 40 and use different marked viewpoints if conditions allow. Skip the final stop once the remaining time threatens the rental return.
Allow fuel and inspection time. A one-way San Martín return can remove backtracking, but compare the fee and flight reliability before choosing it.
Add a second Bariloche night
An eighth night near the return airport protects an early flight from a closure or slow winter stage. It also keeps the final rental inspection in daylight.
Use viewpoints without blocking the road
Argentina’s national parks installed signed interpretation at multiple Seven Lakes viewpoints. Enter only where the approach is visible and the car fits fully inside the parking area.
Do not stop on the carriageway or soft shoulder for a photograph. Walk within marked areas and carry out food waste.
Leave wildlife and weather alone
Slow down where forest meets the road. Dawn and dusk increase the chance of animals near the carriageway, while low sun reduces contrast.
Winter road crews may require chains or close a section. Carrying equipment does not authorise travel past a closure.
Set the last-viewpoint time
Choose a time after which you drive straight to the next base. The rule prevents the same “one more stop” decision from repeating until dusk.
Pack for short delays, not an expedition
Keep water, a warm layer, rain protection, charging cable and paper lodging details inside the cabin. Snow chains belong in the car only when the rental company permits their use and you know how to fit them.
The road trip packing guide gives a compact checklist. Leave passports and electronics at the lodging during local stops when possible.
Sources and review date
The sequence was reviewed on August 17, 2026 using Argentina’s official Seven Lakes driving guide, the national parks notice on signed Seven Lakes viewpoints and Vialidad Nacional’s route-status service. Winter decisions were checked against the government’s 2026 road-maintenance notice. Recheck park access, snow operations, weather and rental return arrangements before travel.