This is the day for people who have one full day in Bariloche and want the lake, the forest and the mountains in it. It joins the classic loop west of town to two summits: Cerro Otto by cable car and Cerro Catedral, the ski mountain. This guide helps you decide what season you are really booking, how the two mountains differ, and how to keep the day from turning into a list of car parks.
The season decides what Catedral is
Cerro Catedral changes completely through the year, so check what you are getting before you pick a date.
In winter it is a ski resort. The base sits at about 1,030 metres and the lifts reach around 2,000. The season can open with only the beginners' area running, and other areas follow as conditions allow. If you are coming in July or August, expect it to be busy. Your driver drops you at the base and waits, and the operator's official app shows which lifts and runs are open that day.
In summer the mountain runs as a sightseeing and walking area. In summer the Amancay cable car and the Diente de Caballo chairlift have taken visitors up towards 2,000 metres, with trekking from the top station towards the summit and a view across to Cerro Tronador. Summer operations and hours change from year to year, so check the official site before you go.
Outside the ski season and the summer season, check whether the lifts are running before you count on them. If they are not, the rest of the day still works: you see the base and Lago Gutiérrez below it, and spend more time elsewhere.
Cerro Otto or Campanario
The day goes up Cerro Otto, and you can swap it for Cerro Campanario if you prefer. Tell your driver in the morning.
Otto is closer to town. The cable car starts at about kilometre 5 of Avenida de los Pioneros, from the lower station a few kilometres from the Centro Cívico, and climbs to a summit at around 1,400 metres in closed gondolas for up to four people. The ride takes about twelve minutes. At the top is a glass-walled café that turns slowly, so the view of the lake and the town moves past while you sit. In winter, when there is enough snow, there are sledging runs and snowshoe walks up there.
If you have already been up Campanario, Otto gives you something new. If this is your only day, either works; choose Otto if you want to sit somewhere warm at the top.
Both lifts depend on the weather, and their hours change with the season, so confirm them on the day.
How the day runs
Pick-up is at 07:00 from your hotel or apartment in the centre or along Avenida Bustillo. The morning is the lake side: the Centro Cívico, then the Circuito Chico past the Llao Llao Hotel, the chapel of San Eduardo and the Punto Panorámico, and Colonia Suiza. Late morning is Cerro Otto. Lunch is in town, at your own expense. The afternoon is Cerro Catedral and Lago Gutiérrez, and you are back at your hotel at about 15:00.
The order is not fixed. If the cloud is low in the morning, the driver does the lakes first and keeps the cable cars for later, when the tops may have cleared. Because the car is yours, you can also cut a stop short or stay longer where you like it.
Doing it on your own
It is possible to string this together without a car, but it takes planning. City bus line 20 goes to Llao Llao and lines 10 and 51 to Colonia Suiza. Line 55 runs to Catedral and line 41 to the Lago Gutiérrez area. Fares are paid with a SUBE card. The Otto cable car has at times run free buses from the centre to its lower station; check before you rely on one.
The catch is joining it up in one day. Each place is on a different line, so you would spend much of the day changing buses in the centre. If you only have one day, a car is the simpler way to fit it all in.
What to bring
- Warm layers you can add and remove. You go from lake level to the tops of two mountains in a day, and it is colder up there.
- A windproof, waterproof jacket. West winds off the Pacific dominate here, and the weather can turn quickly.
- Sunglasses and sun cream, especially with snow on the ground.
- In winter, boots with grip for the snow at the base of Catedral and the top of Otto.
- A card or local cash for the lifts, lunch and coffee.
Who it suits
It suits a first visit with only one free day, and families who like a mix of short stops and lifts. It is a long day of getting in and out of the car, but the walking is light unless you choose to hike at the top.
Skiers should book differently. We can drop you at Catedral in the morning and collect you in the afternoon instead; message us for a price.
If you only have half a day, our Circuito Chico and Campanario tour covers the lake side in four hours. With a second day, add the Seven Lakes Road. Groups of more than 16 travel in two vehicles on one booking.
Questions people ask
Do we go inside the Llao Llao Hotel?
The stop is for the view of the hotel on its hill. It is the second building on the site; the first burned down in 1939, a year after it opened, and the hotel reopened in 1940.
Is it worth it in the rain?
Yes, with lower expectations for the views from the tops. The driver keeps the lifts until the cloud lifts, and the lakes are still there in the rain.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up for a full refund. See our cancellation page.
Booking the day
For how this day compares with the longer roads north and south, see our guide to day trips from Bariloche. To choose your group size and book, go to Bariloche in a day: Circuito Chico, Cerro Otto and Cerro Catedral.
