BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires, or “The Paris of South America”, is a city of neighborhoods. All 48 of them have unique histories, demographics, and cultures. This makes sense considering Buenos Aires is known as being the melting pot of Latin America. Residents believe that this welcoming of difference and diversity is what has kept the city strong. Additionally, Argentina’s capital is known for its European architecture, vibrant street art, vivacious nightlife, easy-to-use metro system, deep love of soccer, and ever-growing population. Buenos Aires and its metropolitan area is called home by more than 15 million people!
Attractions:
La Boca: One of Buenos Aires’ most colorful and famous neighborhoods! If you find yourself in this area, you need to visit two places in particular: Caminito and La Bombonera. Caminito is a street museum and hub of activity. You wil see art, dancing, restaurants, and much more here! La Bombonera is the home soccer stadium for Boca Juniors.
Recoleta Cemetery: This world-famous cemetery is free to enter and open daily from 8:00am-5:00pm. It is well worth walking around and admiring the elaborate mausoleums and tombs for at least an hour. You may even see some familiar names! On weekends, you will find a famous art fair taking place just outside.
Relax in City Parks: There are many large green spaces in Buenos Aires including but not limited to: Jardín Japonés, Parque Centenario, Paseo El Rosedal, and Parque Tres de Febrero. You can spend hours in each of these!
Watch a Soccer Match: If you are visiting BA during the soccer season (January-May or July-November), you must go to a game! There are plenty of fútbol clubs in Buenos Aires, but the most popular are Boca Juniors, River Plate, Independiente, and San Lorenzo de Almagro. If you purchase a tour through Landing Pad BA, the $115-$165 USD cost comes with a ticket to a game, transport to and from the stadium, and a pre-game gathering with traditional Argentine food, beer, and local fans! Enjoy!
Explore Plazas: Argentina’s most famous square, Plaza de Mayo, is home to Casa Rosada and its enormous Argentine flag flapping in the breeze. Three other noteworthy squares are Plaza Italia, Plaza Serrano, and Plaza Dorrego. Plaza Italia is a great spot to people watch, while Plaza Serrano is the perfect setting for a relaxing beer after a day of exploring. On Sundays from 10:00am-6:00pm, Plaza Dorrego is home to San Telmo Market, one of Argentina’s most lively street markets! Here, you will find Argentine tango, authentic cuisine, and much more!
Visit Tigre: This small Argentine town is 50 minutes north of Buenos Aires by train. Here, you will find stilt houses, open-air markets, and canals! Much more tranquil than BA, visitors can spend a day floating through the canals while visiting the delta’s islands and observing the Argentine way of life. Linea Mitre trains leave every ten minutes from Retiro Station and cost 18.50 ARS.
El Zanjón de Granados: History buffs will want to make a visit here to check out artifacts and ruins from the 18th century! Some historians point to this location as evidence of the first settlement in Buenos Aires in 1536. 50-minute tours run Sunday-Friday and cost 3,000 ARS ($12 USD).
Cross into Uruguay: Getting to the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo from Buenos Aires is easy! From Terminal Buquebus, a direct ferry is 2.5 hours and costs 16,000 ARS ($67 USD). To save money, you can instead take a ferry to Colonia followed by a 2-hour bus to Montevideo; this trip takes 4-5 hours and costs 7,275 ARS ($30 USD). You can also fly! The flight is 1 hour and costs 16,000-30,000 ARS ($67-$122 USD).
Restaurants: Want to try Argentine cuisine but can’t because of your diet? Check out Naturaleza Sabia or Loving Hut. They have plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options for all!
Other attractions to stop by include: Obelisco, Puente de La Mujer, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Teatro Colón, and Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires.
Accommodation:
Selina Palermo: Modern, clean, and lively! Fit with a gym, rooftop bar, bike rental station, and café, this hostel is located in the lovely neighborhood of Palermo. It is just a quick metro ride from the city center and/or Retiro Bus Station.
Transportation:
The main bus station in Buenos Aires is Retiro Bus Station; all buses below leave from here.
Montevideo, Uruguay is 2.5 hours by ferry from Buenos Aires and costs 16,000 ARS ($67 USD); ferries depart from Terminal Buquebus. The flight 1 hour and costs 16,000-30,000 ARS ($67-$122 USD).
Cordoba is 11 hours by bus from Buenos Aires and costs 7,000 ARS ($29 USD). The flight is 1.5 hours and costs 5,800-10,500 ARS ($24-$43 USD).
Mendoza is 17 hours by bus from Buenos Aires and costs 9,000 ARS ($37 USD). The flight is 2 hours and costs 9,000-14,000 ARS ($37-$55 USD).
Asunción, Paraguay is 18 hours by bus from Buenos Aires and costs 13,500 ARS ($56 USD). The flight is 2 hours and costs 21,000-24,000 ARS ($85-$98 USD).
Salta is 21 hours by bus from Buenos Aires and costs 13,500 ARS ($55 USD). The flight is 2.5 hours and costs 10,000-14,000 ARS ($43-$55 USD).
Bariloche is 24 hours by bus from Buenos Aires and costs 13,500 ARS ($55 USD). The flight is 2.5 hours and costs 10,000-14,000 ARS ($43-$55 USD).
Santiago, Chile is 25 hours by bus from Buenos Aires (indirect; via Mendoza) and costs 15,000 ARS ($61 USD). The flight is 2.5 hours and costs 19,000-24,000 ARS ($79-$98 USD).
Calafate is 40 hours by bus from Buenos Aires (indirect; via Rio Gallegos) and costs 40,000 ARS ($171 USD). The flight is 3 hours and costs 26,000-30,000 ARS ($104-$122 USD).
Ushuaia is 48 hours by bus from Buenos Aires (indirect; via Rio Gallegos) and costs 46,500 ARS ($189 USD). The flight is 3.5 hours and costs 15,000-30,000 ARS ($61-$122 USD).
Ezeiza International Airport (EZE), sometimes referred to as Ministro Pistarini, is 22km (14 miles) from the city center and accessible via bus or taxi.
Bus: The ride on “Bus Line 8” is 90 minutes and costs 150 ARS ($0.60 USD); buses leave every 30 minutes from 6:00am-9:00pm and drop off at Plaza de Mayo.
Taxi: The ride is 45 minutes and costs 4,500-7,500 ARS ($18-$30 USD) depending on the time of day.
Buenos Aires’ secondary airport is Jorge Newbery Airfield (AEP), which is located just 2km from the city center. It is the city’s main domestic hub and only flies internationally to Uruguay. Like EZE, it is accessible via bus or taxi. There is also a shuttle bus connecting the two airports.
Bus: The ride on either “Bus 33” or “Bus 45A” is 45 minutes and costs 210 ARS ($0.85 USD); buses run 24/7, leave every 10 minutes, and drop off near Plaza de Mayo.
Taxi: The ride is 15 minutes and costs 900-1,200 ARS ($4-$5 USD) depending on the time of day.
Airport Shuttle: The shuttle connecting AEP to EZE is 1 hour and costs 450 ARS ($2 USD); buses run hourly between 4:00am-9:30pm.
