South America
Argentina
Buenos Aires and tango, the Iguazú Falls, Mendoza wine and the glaciers of Patagonia.
- Buenos Aires & tango
- Iguazú Falls
- Perito Moreno Glacier
- Fitz Roy & El Chaltén
- Mendoza wine
- Patagonia
Argentina is a country of staggering scale and passion, stretching from the subtropics almost to Antarctica. Begin in Buenos Aires, the sultry, European-flavoured capital of grand boulevards, faded grandeur, late-night steak and the smouldering art of tango. Stand before the thunderous Iguazú Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world, and discover the painted canyons and high-altitude vineyards of the northwest around Salta. Sip world-class Malbec beneath the Andes in Mendoza, then lose yourself in Patagonia — the cracking blue wall of the Perito Moreno Glacier, the granite spires of Fitz Roy, the whales of Península Valdés and Ushuaia, the city at the end of the world. With its asados, its gauchos and its irrepressible spirit, it's one of the world's great adventures — perfect over 7, 15 or 21 days.
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The essentials: tango-filled Buenos Aires, the thundering Iguazú Falls, and the Perito Moreno Glacier in Patagonia.
Daily budget:≈ €70–140 / day
Comfortable hotels, steak dinners and Malbec, internal flights, winery tours, the glacier and a tango show. Patagonia costs more than the rest.
Day by day
- 1
The Obelisco on Avenida 9 de Julio, Buenos Aires.© Horacio Cambeiro · CC BY-SA 4.0 Getting there: Fly into Buenos Aires (EZE); transfer to your hotel
Arrive in Buenos Aires, the passionate, elegant capital that feels like a slice of Europe set down in South America. Settle into a barrio like Palermo or Recoleta, stroll the grand avenues past the towering Obelisco, and ease into the city's famously late rhythm with a first steak dinner and a glass of Malbec.
Buenos Aires seduces slowly — the grand, slightly faded boulevards, the cafés full of animated talk, the scent of grilling beef, and a city that doesn't really come alive until the rest of the world has gone to bed.
Our take
Stay in Palermo for food and nightlife or Recoleta for elegance. Embrace the late schedule — dinner often starts at 9–10pm.
Highlights
- ✦ The Obelisco
- ✦ First asado & Malbec
- 2
The Casa Rosada on the Plaza de Mayo.© McKay Savage · CC BY 2.0 
The colourful houses of Caminito in La Boca.© Luis Alberto Brusco · CC0 Explore the historic heart: the Plaza de Mayo, watched over by the pink presidential palace, the Casa Rosada, from whose balcony Eva Perón addressed the crowds. Then head to the working-class barrio of La Boca, where the Caminito street museum bursts with brightly painted tin houses, tango dancers and the passion of the Boca Juniors football club.
From the weighty history of the Plaza de Mayo to the riot of colour at Caminito, this is Buenos Aires at its most theatrical — and the passion of La Boca, all painted tin and tango and football, is irresistible.
Our take
La Boca is best by day and on the main tourist streets only. If you love football, a Boca Juniors match at La Bombonera is electric.
Highlights
- ✦ Casa Rosada & Plaza de Mayo
- ✦ Caminito, La Boca
- 3
The grand mausoleums of the Recoleta Cemetery.© Ermell · CC BY-SA 4.0 
Dancing tango, the soul of Buenos Aires.© Manticora87 · CC BY-SA 4.0 Wander elegant Recoleta and its extraordinary cemetery, a city of ornate marble mausoleums where Eva Perón is buried. Browse the boutiques and parks of Palermo, sip coffee in a historic café, and in the evening surrender to the smouldering drama of a live tango show — the dance born in the streets of this very city.
There's nothing quite like live tango — the snap of the bandoneón, the intense, intricate footwork, the held gaze between dancers — performed in the city that gave it to the world. It's the soul of Buenos Aires made visible.
Our take
For tango, a smaller show or a milonga (where locals dance) feels more authentic than the big dinner spectacles. Recoleta Cemetery is free and unmissable.
Highlights
- ✦ Recoleta Cemetery
- ✦ Live tango
- 4
The Devil's Throat at the Iguazú Falls.© Luca Galuzzi · CC BY-SA 2.5 Getting there: Fly Buenos Aires → Puerto Iguazú (about 1h 45)
Fly north to the subtropical frontier and the mighty Iguazú Falls, a vast system of 275 waterfalls spilling through the jungle in a thunder of spray. Enter the Argentine national park and take the walkways out to the very edge of the Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), where the river plunges into a roaring, mist-filled abyss.
Standing at the Garganta del Diablo, the entire river hurling itself over the edge inches from your feet in a deafening roar of white water and rainbows and mist, is one of the most overwhelming sights on earth. Iguazú makes Niagara look modest.
Our take
The Argentine side has the most walkways and gets you closest; the Brazilian side has the panorama. Wear something you don't mind getting wet, and protect your phone.
Highlights
- ✦ Garganta del Diablo
- ✦ Iguazú National Park
- 5
Walkways over the falls in Iguazú National Park.© Albasmalko · CC BY-SA 3.0 Spend the day exploring more of the falls — the Upper and Lower Circuits, with their endless cascades framed by lush rainforest, toucans, butterflies and cheeky coatis. Take the optional boat ride that powers right under the falls for a soaking thrill, and ride the little jungle train through the subtropical forest.
Beyond the Devil's Throat, Iguazú reveals itself slowly — cascade after cascade tumbling through emerald jungle alive with butterflies and birds. Taking a boat straight into the base of a waterfall is exhilarating, drenching fun.
Our take
Don't feed the coatis — they bite. The boat trip (Gran Aventura) is the highlight for many; you will get completely soaked, so pack a dry bag.
Highlights
- ✦ Upper & Lower Circuits
- ✦ Jungle wildlife
- 6
The towering wall of the Perito Moreno Glacier.© Luca Galuzzi · CC BY-SA 2.5 Getting there: Fly Iguazú → El Calafate (via Buenos Aires)
Fly the length of the country to El Calafate, the gateway to Argentine Patagonia, and head into Los Glaciares National Park to the awe-inspiring Perito Moreno Glacier. From the boardwalks you stand face to face with a five-kilometre-wide, 70-metre-high wall of cracking, electric-blue ice — and with luck, watch great towers calve and crash into the lake below.
Perito Moreno is mesmerising — the immense blue wall groaning and cracking, then a thunderous boom as a tower of ice the size of a building shears off and crashes into the milky water. You could watch it for hours.
Our take
Allow plenty of time on the boardwalks and just wait — the calving is unpredictable but unforgettable. A minitrek on the ice is a magical add-on.
Highlights
- ✦ Perito Moreno Glacier
- ✦ Los Glaciares National Park
- 7
Heading home... already planning the next trip.© Tobias1984 · CC BY-SA 3.0 Getting there: Fly home from El Calafate (FTE) via Buenos Aires
A final Patagonian morning, then the long journey home via Buenos Aires. Want more? The 15-day route adds the granite spires of Fitz Roy at El Chaltén, the lakes of Bariloche and the vineyards of Mendoza, for a far deeper taste of Argentina.
A week in Argentina — tango in Buenos Aires, the thunder of Iguazú, the blue ice of Perito Moreno — already spans subtropics to glaciers, and leaves you awed by the sheer reach of this extraordinary country.
Our take
Flights south route through Buenos Aires (often the Aeroparque city airport, not EZE) — leave time for the connection. Carry home a bottle of Malbec.
Highlights
- ✦ Last Patagonian morning
- ✦ Fly home
Where to stay
The best neighbourhood to base yourself in each area, by budget. We point you to the right zone — then you pick and book the place that fits.
Buenos Aires
- Backpacker · Palermo / San Telmo
- Hostels and budget rooms in hip, lively, well-connected barrios.
- Mid-range · Palermo / Recoleta
- Comfortable hotels among the best food, parks and nightlife.
- Comfort · Recoleta / Puerto Madero
- Upscale hotels in the elegant districts and the smart docklands.
Mendoza
- Backpacker · Mendoza city centre
- Hostels and budget hotels in the leafy, walkable centre.
- Mid-range · Chacras de Coria / Luján de Cuyo
- Comfortable hotels and posadas out among the vineyards.
- Comfort · Uco Valley wine lodges
- Luxury vineyard lodges with Andes views.
Bariloche
- Backpacker · Bariloche town centre
- Hostels and budget stays near the lakefront and chocolate shops.
- Mid-range · Circuito Chico / lakeside
- Comfortable hotels and cabins among the lakes and forests.
- Comfort · Llao Llao area
- Luxury resorts with spectacular lake-and-mountain views.
El Calafate & El Chaltén
- Backpacker · Town hostels
- Hostels and budget rooms in El Calafate and El Chaltén.
- Mid-range · El Calafate / El Chaltén centre
- Comfortable hotels handy for the glacier and the trailheads.
- Comfort · Estancias & steppe lodges
- Luxury estancias and lodges out in the Patagonian wilds.
Ushuaia & Valdés
- Backpacker · Ushuaia / Puerto Madryn town
- Hostels and budget hotels in the towns, handy for boat trips.
- Mid-range · Ushuaia / Puerto Madryn hotels
- Comfortable hotels with harbour or channel views.
- Comfort · Beagle Channel / Valdés lodges
- Upscale lodges with end-of-the-world or wildlife-coast views.
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At a glance
Best time to go
Argentina spans so many latitudes that there's always somewhere in season — and the seasons are reversed (summer is December–February). Spring (Oct–Nov) and autumn (Mar–Apr) are the best all-rounders for Buenos Aires, the northwest and Mendoza. Patagonia is really only comfortable in its summer (Nov–Mar), when El Chaltén and El Calafate are at their best; Ushuaia and the far south are bitter in winter. Iguazú is hot and humid year-round. For whales at Península Valdés, come roughly June–December.
Currency
ARS (Argentine peso)
Language
Spanish is the language, spoken with a distinctive, musical Argentine accent (listen for the "sh" sound in words like "calle" and "playa"). English is understood in tourist areas and better hotels, but a little Spanish goes a long way and is warmly appreciated.
Visa & entry
Many nationalities (including the EU, UK, US, Canada and Australia) can visit Argentina visa-free as tourists, commonly for up to 90 days. Always confirm the current rules and any reciprocity or entry fees for your nationality before you travel.
Daily budget
Argentina's economy is volatile and inflation is high, so prices shift constantly — but for foreign visitors it can be excellent value, especially for steak and wine. Plan very roughly €70–140 per person per day for comfortable hotels, eating out, internal flights and tours; Patagonia and the big glacier and whale excursions cost more. Carry some US dollars and a card, and check the current money situation before you go. Figures are approximate.
Getting around
Argentina is vast, so domestic flights (Aerolíneas Argentinas, Flybondi, JetSmart) are essential for linking Buenos Aires with Iguazú, Salta, Mendoza and Patagonia — book ahead. The long-distance buses are famously comfortable (the "cama" and "suite" classes are like business-class seats) and good value for shorter hops. In Patagonia, distances are huge and a hire car or organised transfers help; Buenos Aires has a handy metro (Subte) and plentiful taxis and apps.
Safety
Argentina is generally safe and welcoming, and Patagonia and the smaller towns feel very relaxed. In Buenos Aires, use normal big-city sense: watch for pickpockets and bag-snatching in tourist areas and on transport, use apps or radio taxis at night, and be a little cautious in La Boca, which is best visited by day and on its main tourist streets. Money can be confusing with multiple exchange rates — use trusted means and keep cash discreet.
Connectivity
A local SIM (Claro, Movistar, Personal) is cheap with good coverage in cities and towns, or use a travel eSIM; signal thins out in remote Patagonia, where some areas are off-grid. Wi-Fi is common in hotels, cafés and on the long-distance buses.
What to pack — Argentina
Our recommended gear for this trip — country-specific picks first, then the travel essentials we never leave home without.
- 🧥Warm layers & windproof (Patagonia)→
- 🥾Hiking boots→
- 🧴Sunscreen & sun hat→
- 🔌Argentina plug adapter→
- 🔌Universal travel adapter→
- 🧳Packing cubes→
- 🔋Power bank→
- 🎒Packable daypack→
- 💧Filtered water bottle→
- ⛑️Travel first-aid kit→
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Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Argentina? ＋
The seasons are reversed (summer is December–February). Spring (Oct–Nov) and autumn (Mar–Apr) are the best all-rounders for Buenos Aires, the northwest and Mendoza. Patagonia (El Chaltén, El Calafate, Ushuaia) is really only comfortable in its summer (Nov–Mar). Iguazú is hot and humid year-round. For whales at Península Valdés, come roughly June–December.
Do I need a visa for Argentina? ＋
Many nationalities (including the EU, UK, US, Canada and Australia) can visit visa-free as tourists, commonly for up to 90 days. Always confirm the current rules and any reciprocity or entry fees for your nationality before you travel.
How do I get around such a big country? ＋
Argentina is vast, so domestic flights (Aerolíneas Argentinas, Flybondi, JetSmart) are essential for linking Buenos Aires with Iguazú, Salta, Mendoza and Patagonia — book ahead. The long-distance buses are famously comfortable and good value for shorter hops. In Patagonia, a hire car or organised transfers help with the big distances.
What's the deal with money and prices? ＋
Argentina's economy is volatile and inflation is high, so prices change constantly and there have at times been multiple exchange rates. For foreign visitors it can be great value, especially for steak and wine. Bring some US dollars and an international card, pay attention to how you exchange money, and check the current situation shortly before you travel.
Sources
Last reviewed on June 12, 2026Facts in this guide were checked against the following sources.
- Argentina — official tourism — Destinations and travel basics
- Administración de Parques Nacionales — National parks (Iguazú, Los Glaciares)
- Iguazú Argentina — national park — Iguazú Falls visits
- UNESCO World Heritage — Argentina — Heritage sites (Iguazú, Valdés, Quebrada)
⚠️ Prices, opening hours and transport times change — always verify the latest details before you travel.
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