Francisca
Marketing · Vivencias Travel
Sixty kilometres of road hugging Lake Nahuel Huapi, taking in Cerro Campanario, the Llao Llao and Bahía López. How long it really takes, what is included, and the chairlift detail almost nobody warns you about.
Circuito Chico is the drive everyone does in Bariloche, for a simple reason: in 60 kilometres it gathers almost everything that makes the town what it is. The road leaves the centre along Avenida Bustillo, sticks to the shore of Lake Nahuel Huapi and opens one view after another all the way to the Llao Llao peninsula.
Where the bus stops
The classic stops are Cerro Campanario, the Llao Llao hotel with the San Eduardo chapel beside it, Puerto Pañuelo, the Punto Panorámico lookout and Bahía López. Along the way you also pass Lago Escondido, Villa Tacul and the outline of Cerro López. None of the stops is long: the drive works by accumulation, one view after another.
Cerro Campanario and the ticket catch
Campanario sits at kilometre 17.5 of Bustillo, and a chairlift takes you to 1,050 metres. At the top there are five viewpoints and a glass-walled café. National Geographic once listed this view among the ten best in the world, and that is not brochure talk: from up there you see Nahuel Huapi, Lake Moreno, the Llao Llao peninsula and the whole town in one sweep.
The detail that catches people out mid-trip: the chairlift ticket is almost never included in the tour price. You pay on the spot, at the ticket office. Bring Argentine pesos in cash, because the card queue tends to be slower, and on busy days that means losing minutes the group does not have.
How long it really takes
Stopping only at the lookouts, the circuit takes around four hours, which is what the regular half-day tours are built around. Add the Campanario chairlift, a short forest walk and a stop in Colonia Suiza and the whole day disappears without effort.
In summer the days are long and the drive is more relaxed: you can leave at two in the afternoon and still catch good light at the Punto Panorámico. In winter the daylight window is tighter and the morning departure gives you more.
What to bring
A windproof jacket, even in January. Campanario is 1,050 metres up and the temperature difference between the base and the summit surprises anyone who went up in a t-shirt. Sunglasses, because the glare off the lake is strong, and those pesos for the chairlift.
If you are putting the whole trip together, see also what to do in Bariloche in summer and the town's main attractions.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Circuito Chico take?
Stopping only at the lookouts, around four hours, which is the format of the regular half-day tours. Adding the Cerro Campanario chairlift, a forest walk and a stop in Colonia Suiza turns it into a full day.
Is the Cerro Campanario chairlift ticket included?
In most tours, no. The price covers transport and guide, and the ride up is paid on the spot at the ticket office. Bring pesos in cash: on busy days the card queue is slower.
Is Circuito Chico worth doing in summer?
Yes, and that is when it works best. The days are long, there is no ice on the road, and you can pick the morning or afternoon departure without racing the dark. Still bring a windproof layer: it is breezy at the top of Campanario.
Can you do Circuito Chico on your own?
You can, with a rental car or by taking local bus line 20 to Bahía López. What the tour adds is pacing: the guide knows the order to stop in so the light works at each lookout, and manages the time at each stop, which is exactly where independent visitors tend to lose the day.
