Gaucho Day Trip From Buenos Aires: Santa Susana Ranch

Very slow start, a lot of hanging about. Food very good . Singing and dancing good. Horse ride on cart around a field. Not allowed to ride horses. Goucho show not very exciting. At least at Blackpool you can ride a donky. On Easter Sunday. Over priced. Tony uk

A ranch with no cattle and just horses is a horse farm. Lunch was good, but definitely not worth the money. Go do something else for the money, and skip seeing a fake ranch.

Excellent day trip, wonderful family ranch with fantastic lunch, tango and gaucho riding show. The owner greets you and performs in the gaucho riding. Overall a great tour.

Total change of scenery coming out of busy BA and we were greeted by very friendly ranch owner and his family. A lot of good food coming nonstop from start to finish and empanada they served is the best in Argentina - very moist and tasty. Rustic experience at a typical Argentine ranch (estancia), dedicated to agriculture and the breeding of cattle and horses. After a tour of the grounds and interesting family history, barbecue lunch is served in huge dining hall. They must have much better business when hundreds of people visited in a day when there is cruise ships at BA port. Barbecue is also very good, followed by a folklore show with live music and dancing. Owner himself and family also showed their horse riding and cowboy skills at the end. Tip: don't be discouraged by very high dollar prize shown here (it must be something wrong with conversion (official rate is more than 50% than street rate). We just visited this summer and it was $99 with our tour bus. May be wait until you arrive to Buenos Aires, then exchange your dollars and let your hotel book for you.

Fabulous day out, lovely barbecue and wine, fantastic tango show. Great experience for a day trip from Buenos Aires. Cart ride was brilliant as well as all the entertainment!

The trip was fun and our guide was informative and friendly. The small group experience made it easier to hear the information and to share experiences with fellow travelers. It was well organized and the food was great.

A little too much unstructured time, good food and plenty to drink. Pick up was fine but drop off wasn’t (we were next to last on pick up and last on drop off!). Estancia was beautiful!

Our guide was very informative and helpful. Nice to be out of city and spend a day in the country. Lunch meal was absolutely wonderful.

I especially enjoyed the gaucho show. It was amazing to see the gauchos leading a horseback ride, serving the meal and demonstrating their skills with their horses. They worked really hard and were super hospitable.

Well I don’t know where to start. Everything was fantastic. The driver who picked us up was lovely. The arrival at the ranch was spectacular. Greeted with red or white wine, fruit juice, and of course a empanadas. Explained we had an hour and half to explore the ranch. Ride horses, take a ride on the horse and cart, visit the chapel and little museum. I am 60. Haven’t been on a horse since I was 8 years old. The guys made it so easy for me to do so. Helping you up and Alabama around everyone to make sure everyone was safe. I loved it so much I didn’t want to get off. We then were took into the banquet hall. An amazing place and fed and watered as much of eat as you wanted. It just kept coming!! Followed then by entertainment. Which was excellent too. Just when we thought that was everything, we were then guided out to the field where all the cowboys put on a lovely show for us all. We got into the car from home, with big smiles!! What a fantastic day we had. Totally recommended.

A pleasant day spent at Santa Susanna Gaucho Ranch. Brilliant display of horsemanship. The lunch was excellent and the quality/quantity superb. Lunchtime entertainment was an added bonus with the argentine tango being performed a. o. All in all a good outing.

What a great day we had! Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. Fun supervised ride on horses (with carriage ride alternative), visit to interesting ranch house museum, superb food, as much beer and wine as we could drink, great tango and folk dance display, and finally an impressive display of gaucho horse riding. Friendly, efficient staff. A really memorable experience!

The place was very nice and cosy (even if it was big and with 300 guests). The gauche show as well as the gaucho show was good. The horseback riding on the other hand was lousy. We expected to be allowed to ride the horses, not to go on a ride at horses with their head in the arse of the horse in front.

Not a working ranch but a great day out and a lot of history in what was once a vast real gaucho ranch. Great food, song and dance routines after lunch and gaucho show made for a nice day. The riding skills demonstration was awesome and I managed to get one of the rings at the end of the show. You know what they will mean if you go!

(We visited on a weekday and not on a holiday so it was not very busy). We had a fantastic time at the estancia. You are welcomed (as promised) with all-you-can-eat empanadas and wine/juice/beer. We were able to ride horses and take a carriage ride and leisurely peruse the historic home and chapel before lunch. I was worried we’d have too much time given we were with kids but it was just right. Lunch is also unlimited (including beverages) and is made right there on the open fire grill. It was all very tasty and fresh. We all enjoyed it. The show during dessert was enjoyable and even kept a tweens attention. The gaúcho horsemanship show displayed their skills, but was a bit repetitive / short. I was expecting a bit more, but still found it worthwhile. Plus they really can’t do everything, it was an appropriately paced day as it was! We gave it a 4, not a 5, as it was expensive, given the current exchange rate here in Argentina. Also, our guide was very nice and spoke excellent English, but could have added even more history during bus rides or at the site for our Taste. All in all this is a great day trip from Buenos Aires.

It was great too be collected at the hotel with a pleasant tour guide. She did speak rather fast moving backwards and forwards from Spanish to English and at times we struggled to fully understand what was being said, but that may be our hearing! The food at the ranch was excellent, the hospitality great, and the endless offers of drinks (all included) wonderful. The horses looked a bit bored, but I guess doing the same thing everyday except Mondays can be a challenge! The riders flying along to spear a ring were outstanding. A great day away from Buenos Aires.

We took this tour as an optional from our tour company. We arrived at the ranch in plenty of time to do everything but spent too much time waiting to ride the horses. The gauchos help you on and off of the horses and pair you with a horse that might seem right for you. You take a nice slow ride, just the right amount of time. We missed out on the wagon ride and also the museum because of the long wait. Lunch was in a large buiding with long tables. We did not see them cooking the meat. Several types of different salads came to the table and were passed around family style. The buffet was all one could eat and was tasty. Afterwards we watched an Argentian folklore show. From there we moved outside to to a covered bench area to watch the gauchos ride their horses. Very entertaining. A nice day immersed in something truly Argentinian. There is a small gift shop that looked quite nice.

My friend and I, both novices where horses are concerned, had the best experience ever at this ranch 1 week ago. Starting with the piping hot empanadas, followed by the carriage ride and riding the ponies ( first time for both us) , then having lunch and enjoying the dances and finally the ‘rodeo’ put up by the gauchos, we had a fantastic experience. The food was good, the service was excellent. We even danced to evergreens like Guantanamera. Our highlight was riding with a handsome gaucho around the paddock at the end of the show. I wanted to ride off into the sunset with him, but there was a queue waiting 😬 The weather was cool, the sun was shining and not a mosquito in sight. All in all, a fantastic day.

Took this a part of a package tour, and are glad we did. It is obviously a commercialized deal, but they do show you some elements of older times on the ranch, and give you some idea of what country living was like. The ranch is roughly an hour north of BA, commercial development is approaching quickly. The old ranchhouse is open as a museum before noon, and shows some nice examples of ranch life not all that long ago. The food was good, the tenderloin was the best beef I have had in Argentina, flavorful yet tender, which is typically a problem. After lunch, they put on a nice music show, including tango and other more folk styles of Argentinian dancing. About what you would expect. After the dancing, we went out to watch the horsemanship demonstration, which was half watching three herds or horses keeping themselves separated, and half three gauchos picking up rings with a stick at full gallop. Not as much as you might expect at a wild west celebrations, but a change from city life. All in all a nice day, and a nice change after days of high density urban life.

This trip was a great way to experience gaucho life in Argentina! The trip from BsAs took maybe an hour or so. We had the opportunity to ride a horse or ride on a horse-drawn wagon. We watched a gaucho grilling tons of meat over the fire, which was neat. Lunch was great, and there was a gaucho dance show afterwards. Neat museum to see how the gauchos would have lived in the 1960s. Gift shop on site only takes cash. Gift shop seemed overpriced.

We had a great time. The overview on the bus and the museum were a great lesson in gaucho history. The food was good, not outstanding, but lots of different meats, so there was no way anyone should go home hungry. The folk dancing and singing were fun to watch. Gaucho skills and games demonstration were the highlight. The horseback ride wasn't worth the wait in line, but if it's on your bucket list, by all means, do it.

A waste of time (9:30 to 4:30). We have been to ranch/cowboy outings in Lima and Budapest and had expectations of seeing some genuine gaucho horsemanship, including the use of the trademark “bola.” Instead, we had about 15 minutes of horsemanship consisting of riders trying to pierce a small hanging ring at full gallop. That was impressive and worthwhile, but it only lasted 15 minutes, with no narration or effort to make it part of a gaucho story. If no improvements are made to this outing, I would recommend you skip it. In fairness, the food at lunch particularly the freshly barbecued beef and the beer and wine were quite good. But we had signed up for a gaucho experience. That part of the day was very brief and disappointing.

My wife and I really enjoyed our day here at the Santa Susana Gaucho Ranch. From the minute we got there, they took care of us. They brought us warm empanadas. The weather looked like rain but it held off so we could see the horse herding demonstration and the ring racing. I also went horseback riding for the first time in many years, that was a lot of fun. The place itself was very nice, I went through the house and took pictures. The meal was great, it was some of the best beef I have ever had. The tango dancing was also very good. The only negative was "passing the hat" and asking people to put in more money after we had all paid over $200 a person for the tour. That was totally unnecessary. But all in all it was a very good experience and one I would tell others to be sure and do.

What a lovely day! My husband and I were part of a small group comprising of about 10 altogether. We arrived at the ranch before most of the other tours which gave us the opportunity of enjoying the free time. We began with a carriage ride, which though not very long, was just enough to enjoy. Then we visited the old house which was very interesting. We had chance to look through the curio shop and then spent some quiet time on a bench under a tree, just admiring the scenery and the others having their horse rides. Lunch was great. Lots of salads and the meats were all grilled on the fire. There was a selection of chorizo sausage, blood sausage, Bife de chorizo (Sirloin), chicken and ending off with the best, the fillet. Delicious. There was desert and coffee after. On the table was red wine (very good) and we were brought bottled water, beer, cold drinks. Lots to drink and you could ask for more at any time...you were also able to ask for more meat during the main course.....if you have the space for it. Then began the fun....singing, dancing, music, traditional items. At the end there was a Gaucho skills show with the cowboys and the horses. All in all a very relaxed and enjoyable day. Definitely worth while.

After hours of waiting around on a well kept lawn we were taken for the meal. The meal consists on lots of tasteless meats. Then some cheesy singing. After all this for about 15 minutes some riders do some riding and repeatedly do the same trick. It's a lot to pay for what is definately not a gaucho experience.

A really enjoyable day which was very well organised from the moment that Sarah, our tour guide, (who speaks 5 languages), picked us up at our hotel. The Gaucho staff were fantastic, and so very friendly and amusing. The shows after a enormous lunch with wine or beer, were brilliant including the sensational Tango dancing. The horsemanship display was amazing. Definitely recommend this day for anyone visiting Buenos Aires. Also great value for money.

After looking at the various gaucho experiences available and reading lots of positive reviews, we decided to go with this one. We have two teenage children and we were hoping for an adventurous day out. It was not. It is basically lunch and a show with a quick horseback ride beforehand. We spent an hour before leaving Buenos Aires going to various hotels to pick up what was a very large group of people, around 40. Then it took another 90 minutes to reach the ranch. We stopped off at a zoo on the way to leave part of the group and later also picked them up. We arrived at Santa Suasana at noon, and it is a beautiful place. We were greeted with wine and empanadas that were delicious. There were several other large groups there and we had to wait for about an hour before it was our turn to do the horse ride, which was about 15 minutes of walking. After that, it was time for lunch and the show. We had no time to explore the grounds, see the museum or visit the gift shop. We enjoyed the lunch and show but afterwards, we had to rush straight back to the bus. I ran past the gift shop as my son wanted to buy a souvenir but had to be quick as I did not want to keep the group waiting. We left at 4, probably because we had to pick up the group at the zoo on the way back. We were dropped off several blocks from our hotel as there were too many people for everyone to be dropped at their individual hotels. I was determined to make the most of the day and did enjoy it, but the experience was not as described. We thought we were going in a minivan with a reasonably sized group, and that there would be ample opportunity to explore the ranch. My son was really looking forward to the exhibition of the weapon skills which did not happen and our daughter to trying the traditional Argentinian drink mate which also did not take place. We spent as long on the bus as we spent on the ranch, and the whole stay there felt rushed. Unfortunately, the overall feeling in the family was one of disappointment.

Be sure to bring mosquito repellent! Nice day in the country. Superb dancers, lots of good meat, fun to watch the Gaucho's in action.

While some positive experience on this excursion, the horseback ride was unsafe with only one Gaucho or Cowboy saddling up and watching 30 beginner riders. The tack - saddle and bridles - were in poor condition and the beginner riders were not provided even basic horse riding instructions or what to expect during the ride. Very unsafe conditions and unexplainable since there were other Gauchos on the property. The meal was good with a variety of meats and salads but the estancia tango show was disappointing. However, the ending horsemanship demonstration was quite good.

The horsemanship of the gauchos is very impressive and their hospitality is second to none. The meal is worth the trip out alone with more meat than you can eat, all cooked beautifully. Great to see a different side to Argentina.

This for me was the highlight of my trip to Buenos Arires. After a while on the coach, which collected me from my hotel, we stopped off for a comfort break a coffee and a leisurely wander around a souvenir shop. After another longish drive we arrived at Santa Susana Ranch to be shown around the house and where the toilet facilities could be found, then to where they were going to cook all the meats we were going to eat... a bit like a huge indoor barbque with an oven. A word of warning, don't be the last one in to this 'room' as you'll be standing right next to the oven... seriously hot when they open the door to show you the coals, I'm sure this was when I got the majority of my tan ! Then on to our horses, I was first to be chosen because I put my hand up to say I'd never sat on a horse in my life. The gaucho said "big man, big horse" and it was (a long way down) but a very gentle kindly disposed beast and walked along the trail for half an hour before bringing us back for lunch. That ride really made it for me a complete novice able to say I've ridden the Pampas with gauchos in Argentina, well, stretching the truth a little but poetic license. Second warning, do not eat befor this trip, be hungry when you arrive because before you get on your horse you'll have empenadas (small mince filled deep fried pasties) have a couple as they are devine washed down with Malbec red wine (or white or soft drink). When the meal is served the wine flows and the meat and salad keeps coming. I had four different types of meat pork,chicken, beef and some offal plus several different cuts of steak, all washed down, in my case, with a couple of bottles of Malbec then desert and coffee all followed by singing, dancing and a show of horsemanship. The hosts were fantastic as was the tour guide, Nico he really knew his stuff and was great fun. Poured ourselves back on to the coach and slept all the way back to Buenos Aires. Do not miss this day out for any reason, but remember, be hungry when you arrive, be very hungry !!! Roger Bowman. Cornwall. UK.

We spent 8 days and did a 4 excellent tours, but if you can do only one, this is it! The ranch has a museum of older (mid to late 1900s) household items from the ranch, horseback riding (ok, your common horse train, but still nice), great grilled steak and chicken lunch with music, singing and a tango show. Our guides Sofi and Cami from Expediciones were great. Cami's linguistic skills switching between, English, Spanish, Portugese and German spontaneously and without pause was a show in itself!

Booked this tour the day before. Cost 100 USD . I was picked up on time from my hotel by coach to join about 25 others . It was an hour drive to the ranch . It starts with a couple of hours to your self to go to the ranch museum and also go horse riding with the gauchos or if you like you can go on a horse and cart . This is great fun. Then it’s time for lunch . Wow this was great Steak , Chicken,sausage and salad bread and wine flowing . The fillet mignon was fantastic. The entertainment then starts this is a tango show and singing . This was great everyone joined in singing and dancing making a great atmosphere. After lunch there is then a gaucho show thats great to watch. This is such a fun day trip thank you Tangol for a great day out in Argentina.

We had an absolute blast on our day trip to Santa Susana Ranch. We were greeted with fresh empanadas and beverages and began straight off with a tour of the ranch. We were then able to go horseback riding, ride in a horse drawn carriage and chat with the infamous gaucho Cirilo who was so hilarious and sweet. After treating ourselves to some leather goods in the gift shop lunch was served. The meal was delicious (all you can eat/drink!) and there was also a fantastic tango show which was an added bonus! After lunch the gauchos put on a show highlighting their amazing talents as horsemen. I was even gifted a metal "ring" (and gave a very handsome gaucho the traditional kiss in return!). Overall we were very pleased and had a great day. They picked us up and dropped us off at our hotel without any hiccups. A must-do in Argentina!

Enjoyed the gaucho excursion. Not too far from Buenos Aires, and it was good to get a feel for life in the country even through an experience clearly tailored to the tourist industry. The horses were in good shape and seemed well cared for, which is always a concern with respect to a tourist operation dependent upon animals. The gauchos were fun and really nice--willing to answer my many questions about the horses and their training/uses. Food was good as well, and the ranch was very happy to make adjustment for my vegetarian menu (my companions loved the meat, too). I would recommend the tour--it's a nice, different day out of the big city.

This was located about 45 minutes from Buenos Aires. You get to tour the grounds and the museum on your own. If you want, you can ride a horse by yourself, or go for a cart ride. Around 1 pm we all moved into the covered area where tables were set up according to your tour group. The lunch included unlimited beer, wine or soda, along with salad, sausage, blood sausage, tender steaks, chicken, lamb and dessert of flan or dolce de leche. After the meal, they put on a tango show and various local songs and dances, including a super bolo performance. We ended the day by watching them demonstrate various horse tricks. The area was very dusty and could have been a problem if the wind was blowing towards us.

We had so much fun on this day. Horseback riding and riding in a carriage. Getting to view the old ranch house. Sitting down to a wonderful meal with excellent grilled meats and very good wine. And then a tango show along with singing and dancing. Everyone was on their feet having a wonderful time. All this finished up with the gauchos putting on a show with their amazing horses. These guys are the real deal. More cowboy than many cowboys I've met in America. A great day.

We were so looking forward to this trip but on being told to wait at the Tangol Office in San Telmo (downtown) to arriving at the ranch some 70 Km away, there were 3 hours and 20 mins waiting and travelling involved which meant only 4 1/2 hours at the ranch and NOT a full day, so not a relaxing day which we had envisaged. Pick up 8.45 and arrival 12.05 as we had to pick up lots of people along the way and transfer to a different coach, stop at a zoo to drop off other people which of course due to traffic set us back. We knew that on arrival at 12.05 we had 1 hr and 15 mins to: sample the welcome drinks and empanadas ( a rush down the throat job), visit the loo (which we needed after 3 plus hours on the coach), go on the horse ride (including all the waiting time) and visit the museum which we skimmed around, so .... we had no time at all to relax, take pics or walk around the grounds as we were queuing for the horse ride and rushing around rather than enjoy ... which we had anticipated and was truly a bitter disappointment (being a dream of mine to do this for over 20 years). Because of the above I asked the guide to please drop us off earlier and she said she would HOWEVER, we were last to be dropped off by the driver alone and had to walk 20 mins to where we were staying (fortunately I speak Spanish so was able to ask for directions) - could have been a problem had we not spoken Spanish. On a positive front - which is why this trip gets the 3 star rating rather than lower, was the excellent guide Amy and her knowledge and fun approach and the food and show which was entertaining and real fun.! This part was excellent and there is plenty of food and good wine, but if you are being picked up centrally (down town) please be aware that the time on the coach will impact on your day which ends up being half a day and a real rush. I did email Tangol directly (twice) to explain the fact they didn't fulfil their expectation but although they apologised for traffic that was that. They should have been more forthcoming on the travelling time, as after all, some people will not want to be on a coach for over 5 hours to spend less than that at the venue.

<p>Nice tour. Good entertainment and great food and service. Would rate 5 stars but the horseback ride was a little cheesy. Just a walk around in a big circle. Good for first time riders and there were a lot of those but if you are expecting more of a ride you will be disappointed. But all-in-all it was a good experience.</p>

<p>We had a lot of fun at the ranch, although I thought the horse ride was okay, but just slightly disappointing. This was obviously a popular trip, and it was crowded, so the wait to get on the horse was long. I understand they are trying to maximize the visit, but it would probably be better to stagger the arrival times so that the wait to ride wasn't so long. I think we waited about 30 - 40 minutes for a 10 minute ride. The other thing is the pick up from the hotel was later than we were told on our voucher, so perhaps it would be better to coordinate that a little better. We were told 930 AM, the pick up escort was told 950 AM and the actual pick up was closer to 1000 AM or a little after. We were sitting in our hotel lobby for 30 minutes waiting for the pick up, and that time could have been better spent. I'd still go on the tour, but I would be prepared for delays.</p>

We were in Buenos Aires just for a short time and chose the Santa Susana Ranch to experience gauchos, an Argentine BBQ, and musical performances. We thought it was a lot of fun! Starting with great empanadas and Malbec, we toured the ranch and learned its interesting history. There was a choice of horseback riding or taking a carriage ride, and we chose the carriage for a leisurely spin around the premises. Afterwards, we joined several groups of tourists also enjoying the ranch for an extended BBQ and more Malbec. Entertainment included tango dancers, folk singers, and a gaucho performance. Our final activity was watching the gauchos wrangle horses and compete in a race. Overall, it was a fun experience and would recommend it.

<p>The ranch was lovely and the Gouchos were great. Fantastic skills display at the end and the entertainment of the dancers and folk singers was excellent. Very interesting to look around the ranch house as it was left. The food and wine was plentiful, but a few sauces would have been nice as you get a bit 'meat overload' when it's plain, or a few potatoes they did have salad. And the empanadas on arrival were the best I've ever tasted. The ride around the paddock on a horse was sedate, so brilliant for anyone to have a go even if you've never sat on a horse before. I personally would have liked to do a little more as a novice rider back home, but I can understand it keeps it safer that they just walk around.</p>

<p>It is a nice trip to see the culture outside the city. But there is substantial downtime during the tour that could be filled with more activities/stories. Recommended for meat lovers!</p>

<p>Was a great day start to finish. Our guide, Eileen, and our driver were excellent. Very enjoyable. They accommodated a vegetarian on the trip - even in the meat loving experience of the gauchos.</p>

If you are an Australian who has ever been to a cattle farm....don't bother. We were expecting a full on experience and typical Gaucho food and entertainment. What we got was a mix of good and not so good. On arrival we were greeted with wine (who can resist an Argentinian Malbec) and empanada then we walked around a small interesting museum (got to love old photos). A good start. Then we could have a horse and cart ride or a horse ride...around a very dusty paddock! Nothing of interest here. The "traditional lunch" lunch consisted of blood sausage (ok, you have to try it), salad and slabs of very ordinary, overcooked beef. What happened to the wonderful BBQ lamb and traditional Gaucho vegetables we hear about? The floorshow was performed by a very average singer accompanied by guitar and an example of tango (better options in the city). The highlight was a performance from a Gaucho using some of the tools of trade to entertain. Then out to the paddock to see the gauchos and dogs heard horses (I think that is what they were doing) - sheep dog trials are much more fun. Then they "competed" by charging on horseback at small suspended rings with a stick. Skillful but after a few minutes we had seen it! I have heard of much better Gaucho experiences so my advice is to look around before booking this one.

No worries. Arrive hungry. Leave full! The Santa Susana Ranch knows how to feed and entertain their guests. From the moment you step off your coach, delicious empanadas and your choice of wine or orange juice are offered to you! And if you want seconds or thirds, all you have to do is visit the Gaucho "bar." The empanada was probably the best one I have every had in my life. Cooked to perfection! While the rest of the food is cooking on the grill (and you can oversee the master cooks if you really want), you are encouraged to visit the museum (yes, on the property is a fantastic collection of Argentine history)… take a ride around the ranch via horseback … or let the Gauchos do the driving via their two-horse carriages. Lots of fun! After the activities have ended, you hear the dinner bell and everyone heads into the chow hall. Course after course of salads, meats, and drinks await you. IF YOU LEAVE HUNGRY THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG. For me, the best part was the outstanding dessert! Once the meal is nearly complete, the entertainment begins. From tango dancers to folks singers, the ladies and gents who perform really know how to please. And if that isn't enough, the Gaucho's invite everyone outside to watch them wrangle horses and compete in the "ring" race. Now that was an impressive display of skill! The bottom line: It's a fun day of stepping back in time when life was simpler and relaxing was a priority. I highly recommend this event. The price is worth the admission!

<p>Great day. Plenty of food ,wine and beer. Great entertainment. Horse riding experience fun. Special thanks to Sophia and Alan, our tour guide and driver. Highly recommend this tour.</p>

<p>Great Day at Santa Susana Ranch. Our guide Sofia was very friendly knew her stuff, Performing Gauchos and food were both excellent.</p>

<p>It was a bit of a tourist mill with many many groups here at the same time, but it was a nice, slow paced day on the ranch with a lot of food and time outdoors.</p>