My family is planning a trip to Mendoza the during Semana Santa. Anyone have any recommendations for things to do? Take a wine tour, hire a driver, or do it ourselves? Any must do day trips? Any advice is welcome!

We went for Easter a couple of years ago and had a great time. We booked a nice central apartment, which we found online (I don't have details, I didn't book it).

For activities, we decided that before we went we wanted to do a wine tour and see Aconcagua.
Our first day we walked around central Mendoza and compared prices between the many independent tourist offices there. In a couple of hours we had booked a minibus tour up to puente del Inca (must see) and Aconcagua AND received all the info we needed to make our own wine tour:

Taking a bus from the centre until one of the main vineyard avenues. Hiring a bike right there where we got off and armed with a map, leisurely cycling to several vinyards and an artesenal spirit and chocolate house. Lunch by the Vines, liberal lashings if wine and such. All very cheap. Just the rolling ride back to the hire shop is a challenge after an afternoon's consumation.

Aconcagua was mighty, and puente del Inca very special (inc. Standard Andean woolly garment stalls) although if you don't like long car rides with limited leg space this may be uncomfortable for you. The tour we took went all the way to the Chilean border where we climbed out at around 3000m to find an awe inspiring view of Aconcagua.

We went out to a salsa club Saturday night and met a local guy who invited all 4 of us to his parents house the following day, Easter Sunday, to join them for an easter parilla. Very fortunate and lucky we were.

Other things we didn't get to do but I have heard are good are the caves outside the city with have natural hot bathing pools in them and some of the lake and river fishing there.

The Hyatt on the main square in Mendoza has a very nice restaurant open to the public where you can enjoy a great Meal by their pool and swim too.
The best Italian restaurant I have ever eaten in is in Mendoza too. Calle Peru I think but ask. Someone will know.

There's a special street littered with bars and restaurants. This is the weekend 'strip' where everyone descends to enjoy the progression of the night. Both Family and young orientated (don't recall the name, calle something artesenales?)

enjoy!

If you're driving a car you can go to Uspallata via Villavicencio, it is a very nice -gravel - road, the views (including a view of the Aconcagua) are beautiful. The road has more curves than all the roads together in the province of Buenos Aires, you'll have to drive slowly. Which is good, as you surely will see guanacos and probably cóndores too.
From Uspallata you may then go all the way up to Puente del Inca and beyond, as described above.
The Uco Valley is beautiful and there are great wines. It can be visited in a day long tour from Mendoza.
If you have time San Rafael in the south is a nice city. Other than some great wineries (notably Alfredo Roca) you can visit el cañón del Atuel a mini great canyon.
Have a ...hic...trip!

I've been to Mendoza for small holidays a few times - and both of the posts above are great and include the highlights. I loved the cycling tour of the vineyards. But another time I took a 1/2 day bus trip to some vineyards, artesenal chocolate makers, olive groves with amazing fresh olive oil and sundried tomatoes. Just a quick 30 minute walk around the city and you will find many agencies offering full and half day wine tours, and other tours - all very reasonable.

Also - a short walk from the city centre (about 20 minutes) you can visit Parque General San Martin. A huge beautiful park with a little river, a zoo and you can walk up Cerro de la Gloria to the monument to San Martin and get a spectacular view of Mendoza with the Andes so close.

This restaurant is fantastic:

http://www.1884restaurante.com.ar/

do you recommend going in may? my cousin is coming from the u.s. and we wanted to take a long weekend trip there in may. also, are wine tours available on the weekends?

Saturdays most bodegas are open, at least by appointment for the tours. Most are closed Sundays, but some are open then.

May is great weather, and many bodegas have olive harvesting going then, which can be interesting.

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It is called Aristides Villanueva, or just "Aristedes" by us locals. It is the extension of Colon beyond Belgrano, between the centre of town and the park.

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can anyone recommend me a company to go through? we would like to do a bike tour, if possible. we are staying in the city of mendoza, and need information about how to get to the bodegas, and what they include such as lunch, tours, etc. can anyone help me out or direct me to a website/company name!? thanks!

Here's a link to a post on a nice driving circuit into the big Andes.

http://livinginpatagonia.com/?p=4468

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