×

Uruguay🇺🇾 | festivalsFiesta Nacional de la VendimiaTannat tastings, Canelones cellars, grape treading, harvest queen | things to do and best time to go

Explore Festival de la Cerveza ArtesanalExplore Festival Internacional de Colonia

Backpacking in Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia
👌 Worth visitingfestival ranked #8
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 19, 2026

Decades ago the Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia was largely a harvest gathering for wine families and neighbors, with grape treading and a queen crowned for the occasion. Today it is a bigger public weekend of tastings, music and cellar visits in Uruguay’s wine country, in the Canelones department just north of Montevideo, around Las Piedras and Progreso. Expect Tannat in plastic cups, folk and cumbia acts, food stalls and a mostly local, family crowd. The pace is slow and unglamorous. Costs catch people out: pay for tastings in small tickets rather than buying one large round, and carry cash for stalls. Delays come from buses thinning in the evening, so check the last departure before you commit to a late set. The mistake is driving after tasting, so book a transfer or stay overnight. Unlike the larger harvest events of Argentina’s Mendoza, this one is small, local and easy to cover.

Discover everything you want to know in the 📖 Uruguay Travel Guide.


example page 0 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
example page 1 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
example page 2 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
example page 3 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
example page 4 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
example page 5 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
example page 6 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
example page 7 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
Loading the map 🌍
CLICK TO FILTER
cities
towns
villages
landmarks
national parks
hikes
beaches
attractions
festivals
SHOW COUNTRY’S BESTSHOW ALL

✨ Why go?
Ranked #8 festival in UruguayReasons people choose to celebrate the here

Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia gives you a rare chance to meet Uruguay’s Tannat country on its own terms, among families who have farmed the same vines for generations. Backpackers plan around it because the social energy is easy: tables are shared, winemakers pour their own bottles, and a conversation over a glass usually turns into an invitation to a cellar. Compared with the famous harvest festivals across the river, it is calm and cheap, with no ticketing scrums. It also fits neatly into a longer route, slotting between Montevideo and the coast with little detour. Come hungry for asado, chivito and homemade cheeses, and you will get a real taste of how rural Uruguayans celebrate. It rewards curiosity more than a packed itinerary.

💡 HighlightsEssential experiences to have while celebrating the Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia

  1. Grape harvest tastings: The core of the fiesta is pouring Tannat straight from the producers, often the family who grew it. Ask for a Tannat next to a lighter Merlot to taste the range.
  2. Visits to family bodegas: Many Canelones cellars open their doors for tours, barrel rooms and vineyard walks. The scale is small, so the person guiding you is usually the owner.
  3. Queen of the Vendimia coronation: A long-running tradition that crowns a local representative, with parades and costumes that show how rural towns still pull together.
  4. Traditional grape treading: Demonstrations of pisado de uva let you watch, and sometimes join, the old way of crushing grapes by foot. Wear shorts you do not mind staining.
  5. Live folk and candombe stages: Evening sets bring guitar-driven folk, murga and candombe drums, with
… read more 👉
  1. Grape harvest tastings: The core of the fiesta is pouring Tannat straight from the producers, often the family who grew it. Ask for a Tannat next to a lighter Merlot to taste the range.
  2. Visits to family bodegas: Many Canelones cellars open their doors for tours, barrel rooms and vineyard walks. The scale is small, so the person guiding you is usually the owner.
  3. Queen of the Vendimia coronation: A long-running tradition that crowns a local representative, with parades and costumes that show how rural towns still pull together.
  4. Traditional grape treading: Demonstrations of pisado de uva let you watch, and sometimes join, the old way of crushing grapes by foot. Wear shorts you do not mind staining.
  5. Live folk and candombe stages: Evening sets bring guitar-driven folk, murga and candombe drums, with dancing among locals rather than a distant crowd.
Allow a full weekend to see all of it comfortably, though a single long day covers the main tastings and one evening show.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

Things to do near Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia

Montevideo Electric Bicycle Tour

Montevideo Electric Bicycle Tour

5.0(213) 3h 15m
From €63
per personViator
Tailor-made Montevideo: Private City Tour with a Local

Tailor-made Montevideo: Private City Tour with a Local

5.0(204)
From €150
per personViator
Private Transportation from Carrasco Airport to Port in Montevideo

Private Transportation from Carrasco Airport to Port in Montevideo

5.0(106) 30m
From €46
per personViator
Private Tour in Montevideo with a local – Customize with Add-Ons

Private Tour in Montevideo with a local – Customize with Add-Ons

5.0(76)
From €136
per personViator
TRANSFER FROM OR TO THE AIRPORT (4 to 12 paxs)

TRANSFER FROM OR TO THE AIRPORT (4 to 12 paxs)

5.0(64)
From €82
per personViator
Wine Lovers - Indulge in a Fun Tasting with Light Lunch!

Wine Lovers - Indulge in a Fun Tasting with Light Lunch!

5.0(44) 5h
From €181
per personViator
Montevideo: Walking Tour with Photographer and Audioguide

Montevideo: Walking Tour with Photographer and Audioguide

5.0(38) 1h 45m
From €34
per personViator
Same cruise sharing tour in Montevideo with TANGO TOUR

Same cruise sharing tour in Montevideo with TANGO TOUR

5.0(28)
From €73
per personViator
Private transfer Montevideo Airport to Hotel

Private transfer Montevideo Airport to Hotel

5.0(25) 30m
From €23
per personViator
Discover Colonia del Sacramento–Private City Tour UNESCO

Discover Colonia del Sacramento–Private City Tour UNESCO

5.0(23)
From €531
per personViator

Ratings based on Tripadvisor reviews. When you book through this link, you support our work at no extra cost to you.

🌤️ When to go?When is the celebration of Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia?

Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia is held in Canelones department, with the main events in Las Piedras and wine-country towns near Montevideo, over several days in March, timed to the grape harvest, so exact dates shift each year.
  • Best day: Saturday, when tastings, parades and the crowning events draw the biggest crowds. Weekdays are calmer and easier for talking with winemakers.
  • Weather: Expect warm late-summer days of about 22 to 28°C (72 to 82°F), cool evenings near 15°C (59°F) and the occasional downpour. Bring sunscreen, a hat and a light rain layer.
  • Booking: Reserve beds four to six weeks ahead, since rooms near Montevideo fill and rates climb roughly 20 to 40 percent on festival weekends.
  • Crowds: Arrive before noon and leave before the evening rush back to the capital on Ruta 5.
Check the municipal … read more 👉
Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia is held in Canelones department, with the main events in Las Piedras and wine-country towns near Montevideo, over several days in March, timed to the grape harvest, so exact dates shift each year.
  • Best day: Saturday, when tastings, parades and the crowning events draw the biggest crowds. Weekdays are calmer and easier for talking with winemakers.
  • Weather: Expect warm late-summer days of about 22 to 28°C (72 to 82°F), cool evenings near 15°C (59°F) and the occasional downpour. Bring sunscreen, a hat and a light rain layer.
  • Booking: Reserve beds four to six weeks ahead, since rooms near Montevideo fill and rates climb roughly 20 to 40 percent on festival weekends.
  • Crowds: Arrive before noon and leave before the evening rush back to the capital on Ruta 5.
Check the municipal program a few weeks out, because venues and dates are confirmed late.


source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: not recommended for travelingFEBFebruary: not recommended for travelingMARMarch: excellent for travelingAPRApril: not recommended for travelingMAYMay: not recommended for travelingJUNJune: not recommended for travelingJULJuly: not recommended for travelingAUGAugust: not recommended for travelingSEPSeptember: not recommended for travelingOCTOctober: not recommended for travelingNOVNovember: not recommended for travelingDECDecember: not recommended for traveling

✈️ The backpacker research shortcutUruguay Travel Guide

An offline-friendly backpacking guide with optimized travel routes, ranked highlights, transport advice, and the best areas to stay.
example page 0 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
example page 1 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
example page 2 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
example page 3 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
example page 4 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
example page 5 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
example page 6 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
example page 7 from our offline Travel Guide for Uruguay
The digital guide (198 pages) contains:
✅ 56 highlights, ranked by travel appeal
✅ Optimized 5, 10 & 15-day travel routes
✅ Cities, national parks, landmarks, beaches
✅ How to get around
✅ Offline-friendly for travel without Wi-Fi
👉 Click to see all 30+ guide features

📅 Plan smarter in minutes, not weeks
✅ Month by month travel advice
✅ Festivals & national holidays
✅ Budget expectations

🗺️ Go to the right places, skip the overrated ones
✅ Honest pros & cons of destinations
✅ Top hikes, parks & viewpoints
✅ Lesser-known places most travelers miss
✅ Clear “worth it vs skip it” guidance

🛏️ Travel smoothly without rookie mistakes
✅ Best areas to stay
✅ Transport systems explained simply
✅ Common scams & safety advice
✅ SIM cards, money & practical tips

🌍 Understand the country, not just visit it
✅ Culture & traditions
✅ 52 Essential phrases & customs
✅ Festivals worth planning around
✅ Traveler-friendly historical context
✅ Insights that make places more meaningful

📱 Built for real travel conditions
✅ Fully downloadable PDF
✅ Works completely offline
✅ Optimized for phone use
✅ Useful in remote areas & buses
✅ Everything in one place
Stop searching, start planning
Get instant access to your full guide. 30‑day money-back guarantee.
+ Add another guide for just

By proceeding you agree to our terms.
Sent to your inbox immediately after payment • 100% Secure Checkout
Best Backpacking Travel Advisor 2025 tourism awardBest Backpacking
Travel Advisor
2025
What others say about Take Your Backpack Guides:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fantastic, amazing amount of information!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
My goodness this is amazing, it's what I've been looking for hats off too you!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I think this is absolutely BRILLIANT
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Very complete and informative. It's still missing places, but I gotta to commend you
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is truly amazing, thank you, can't wait to explore it with my kids!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Awesome resource, thank you!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is amazing! Can't wait to explore the ones I haven't seen
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love this! Well done, great idea.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks for taking the time to make this gem!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This might be the best website I've ever seen.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Congratulations, and thank you so much for your work; it's incredibly valuable.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
In all seriousness I think you did a great job pointing out the important spots
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
10/10 very good
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
As someone who's only just starting to visit regularly this is awesome, thank you.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you very much! I'm going to visit my dad, it's going to be very useful!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is really cool! We'll be travelling for the first time and this definitely come in handy.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
You are now our minister of culture, congratulations 👨‍💼
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Just wanted to tell you that this is a pearl! Going to follow your recommendations.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is so cool. I'll definitely be using the resource for my travels soon.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is very impressive! Good work.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is an amazing and informative site. Very well done!

🛏️ Where to stay?Choosing the right base

Montevideo is the smartest base, because its hostels sit within roughly 30 to 60 minutes of the harvest events by bus or shared car, and the nightlife keeps solo travelers company.
Ciudad Vieja is the social choice. Dorms are packed with backpackers, the streets fill with bars and you can swap rides to the vineyards at breakfast. It is quiet and a bit empty after dark on side streets, so take the main routes home.
Pocitos and Cordón are calmer and feel safer at night, with cafés, supermarkets and frequent buses heading north. They suit anyone who wants sleep after long tasting days.
If you prefer … read more 👉
Montevideo is the smartest base, because its hostels sit within roughly 30 to 60 minutes of the harvest events by bus or shared car, and the nightlife keeps solo travelers company.
Ciudad Vieja is the social choice. Dorms are packed with backpackers, the streets fill with bars and you can swap rides to the vineyards at breakfast. It is quiet and a bit empty after dark on side streets, so take the main routes home.
Pocitos and Cordón are calmer and feel safer at night, with cafés, supermarkets and frequent buses heading north. They suit anyone who wants sleep after long tasting days.
If you prefer to be close to the action, Las Piedras and nearby Canelones towns offer a few small guesthouses and family rooms. They are cheaper and friendly, but quiet in the evening and not much for meeting other travelers. Book early, since options are limited.
Avoid arriving late without a bed, as transport thins out after dark.
Best hostels in Uruguay


Best quality hotels in Uruguay

👛 Costs (as of 19 October 2026)How expensive it really is

Budget about US$49 to 130 a day for the Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia if you sleep in Montevideo and day-trip to the events.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Festival ticketsUS$0 to 15Most street events are free. Some winery tastings and special evenings charge an entry fee.
AccommodationUS$20 to 45Hostel dorms in Montevideo cost more on festival weekends. Private rooms run US$55 to 90.
Local transportUS$4 to 15Buses from Montevideo to Las Piedras cost a few dollars each way. Shared taxis cost more late at night.
Food & drinksUS$20 to 40Choripán costs US$4 to 7, a full asado plate US$10 to 18 and a glass of wine US$3 to 6.
MiscellaneousUS$5 to 15Sunscreen, bottled water, a bottle of wine to take home and tips of about 10 percent.
Total Daily BudgetUS$49 to 130Using high-season accommodation, plan on roughly US$85 to 130 for a comfortable day.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

🍲 FoodLocal Flavors for Backpackers

Expect the harvest to shape everything: Tannat flows by the glass at winery stands, alongside crisp Albariño and local grappa. Tastings are small pours, so you can sample many labels without losing the afternoon.
For food, go for the asado smoking over open coals, with sausages like chorizo and morcilla stuffed into bread as a choripán. Try chivito if a stall has it, and finish with dulce de leche pastries or churros. Local cheeses and cured meats pair well with the reds.
Bring cash in pesos, because many small stalls do not take cards and signal can be patchy. Lines move slowly around lunch, so eat early or late. Portions are generous, so split a plate with a new friend. Many stands sell wine by the bottle at lower prices than shops, and tasting glasses are often a small deposit item. Drink water between pours, as the sun is strong.

FAQTraveler FAQ

Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia takes place in March, when the grape harvest peaks in Canelones department. It runs over several days, usually including at least one weekend, with the main events around Las Piedras, about 25 km north of Montevideo. Exact dates change each year, so check the municipal program a few weeks ahead.
Attending Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia can cost very little, since many street events are free. Expect US$0 to 15 for tickets to special tastings or evenings, plus US$4 to 7 for a choripán and US$3 to 6 for a glass of wine. Staying in Montevideo, a full day typically costs US$85 to 130.
Most events at Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia are free and need no ticket, so you can simply show up. Paid winery tastings, gala dinners and some concerts do sell entry in advance, often for US$10 to 15. Book beds in Montevideo or Canelones four to six weeks ahead, as March weekends fill quickly.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Other Uruguayan festivals near Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia

Explore more nearby:


💡 Not sure where to go next?
Create a personalized itinerary for Uruguay including Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia and the places that fit your trip.

Generate my itinerary

👉 Discover all festivals

Or checkout all Uruguay has to offer (think cities, towns, villages, national parks, hikes, beaches, festivals)
Explore Uruguay
Country photo of Uruguay
© Google Images

We 💚 feedbackIs it worth it?

Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia is best in the late afternoon, when the heat of the early autumn harvest drops and the stages warm up. I would arrive around four, taste first and eat before the music starts, then stay overnight nearby. Bring cash and a light layer for the evening.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on in-depth research, insights shared by experienced travelers, and feedback from the local travel community in Uruguay. While every effort is made to keep the information accurate and current, conditions can change — so if you spot anything incorrect or outdated, please get in touch.



🙋‍♂️ Give feedback

👋 Meet the founderWho’s Behind Take Your Backpack?

Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

The goal is to provide realistic, experience-driven guidance — not generic itineraries — so you can explore destinations with better context, clearer expectations, and more confidence.

Read the full story