In this post, I’ll share some information about walking tours as well as my recent experience going on a free walking tour in Mendoza, Argentina.

For the most part, I haven’t been on a free walking tour that has disappointed me, and the Mendoza walking tour was no different! 

Before diving into the post, though, I want to note that I am not in any way affiliated with the company I selected for the Mendoza walking tour. All props given to Vivi MZA, especially Marcelo, our tour guide, is simply recognition for a job well done!

Free walking tour? What’s the catch?

Just like tours offered in countless cities across the globe, my Mendoza walking tour was completely free (technically).

In recent years there’s been a huge surge in companies offering free walking tours. From big cities like Paris and New York to smaller ones like Mendoza and Faro, travelers can often very easily find a company or group of locals who facilitate these tours.

Though the quality of walking tours can range and is largely dependent on the particular tour guide, free walking tours are often informative, engaging, and definitely worth the price 😉.

Most of the time, at least in my experience, the tour guides have a special connection to the city and are really enthusiastic about sharing this with the people they take on tours.

Was the Mendoza walking tour really free?

The Mendoza tour, like in many other cities, was not really free.

The business models of free walking tours are pretty simple: you either pay what you think it’s worth or simply give a tip to your tour guide. The guide that facilitated the Mendoza tour followed the former model. (Although their website says they operate on tips).

Both ways of doing it are sensible, but I think paying what you believe the tour to be worth is much more effective from a business perspective. Because the Mendoza tour was so good, I felt inclined to pay more since I was thinking about how much it would be worth if it wasn’t free.

Putting the business aspect aside, electing to do a free walking tour will almost always be more cost-effective than a paid tour. It will also be just as good, and potentially better than paid tours.

If you haven’t gone on a walking tour before, please do yourself a favor: look up one in your city, and sign up!

Signing Up for the Tour

Again, this was no different in Mendoza than it is in other cities. A quick Google search: “free walking tour in ______”, and you’re on your way.

When I searched for Mendoza, one of the first sites to come up was Vivi MZA. After a quick skim through the reviews, I booked the “New City” tour for the next day at 11:00am.

Simple as that.

Before jumping into what I learned on the tour in Mendoza, you’ll notice that Vivi MZA has a few different options. Some tours costs money and others are free. I recommend starting with the free tour and then asking your tour guide which of the additional ones might be most aligned with your interests. Keep in mind the most expensive of the paid tours offered by Vivi MZA will set you back about $9 USD.

Key Insights from the Mendoza Walking Tour

I learned so many things on this tour! 

It was so impressive how much knowledge our tour guide had about the city. He shared countless facts and insights about Mendoza’s politics, culture, and history.

It was especially interesting to hear Marcelo’s perspective of Mendoza’s role within the country of Argentina. He has lived in Mendoza all of his life and spoke extensively about how the little city has significantly impacted Argentine culture. I surely would not have learned these countless nuances without going on the tour with Marcelo.

The Planning of the City of Mendoza

Mendoza’s urban planning fascinates me.

It’s easy to forget this, but technically Mendoza is in the middle of a desert. In fact, the average annual rainfall is only roughly 220 mm. For perspective, Buenos Aires receives over 1,100 mm of annual rainfall. 

This poses the question: how is it possible that there are approximately 50,000 trees throughout the city of Mendoza? The answer: acéquias.

Acéquias are artificial canals that date back to pre-colonial times. Though they are now much more sophisticated, acéquias create the necessary irrigation system for the trees to continue surviving. If not for these elaborate systems, Mendoza would likely not have its nickname, “The Forest City”

The rationale behind the “ditches” was one of the first things I learned on the tour. Boy, was this satisfying!

In the days before the tour, I kept wondering what the heck these huge gaps between the streets and sidewalks were.

I know you’re thinking it: apparently, there have been no recorded fatalities attributed to the acéquias. I found this kind of difficult to believe, but I’ll take Marcelo’s word for it.

One more thing about Mendoza’s city planning…

You’ll find that most streets and sidewalks are SUPER wide and many buildings are no taller than 3 stories. 

This is because the city gets many earthquakes. By making the sidewalks very wide, people can safely move away from potentially collapsing buildings by standing in the middle of the street. 

It’s difficult to get lost in Mendoza

Will you get lost in Mendoza? Not very likely…

The street signs in Mendoza are designated in a way that tells you how many blocks you are away from the city’s main intersection, Avenida San Martin and Avenida Colon. This means that anywhere you are in the main city, the street sign will include the name of the street and a number and direction pointing you to this intersection.

Another thing that makes it easy to orient yourself in Mendoza is that the Andes mountains are always west. Wherever you go in the city, if you’re looking directly at the mountains, you’re heading west.

For my directionally-challenged friends, there’s more good news.

Mendoza is situated around one main plaza (Plaza Independencia) and four surrounding smaller plazas. Plaza Independencia is known as the heart of the city and serves as a great meeting point for folks getting together. 

Because of the precisely symmetrical position of the surrounding plazas, you also have a good sense of how far you are from the city center.

More things I would have not known if I had not gone on the free walking tour in Mendoza… 

Closing Thoughts about the Mendoza Walking Tour

Probably not hard to tell by now: I highly recommend not only visiting but also going on a walking tour in Mendoza.

The city is incredibly unique!

When you go on a tour, especially with Marcelo at Vivi MZA, you’ll learn more random facts and details that truly make the city what it is. 

I walked away with so many points that I could bring up in future conversations with residents of Mendoza and people who have previously visited the city. I have only begun to scratch the surface in this post!

‘Till Next Time, Travel Friends!