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Travel advice for Argentina
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Argentina
Book your individual trip, stress-free with local travel experts
written by Heidi Fuller-Love
updated 19.10.2022
For some, a trip to Argentina would not be complete without a day tour with a local gaucho. A prominent figure in Argentine culture, gaucho typically refers to local nomadic horsemen, known for their bravery and ability to rope cattle. See how travel expert Heidi Fuller-Love gets on while spending a day in gaucho Argentina.
10 days / from957 USD
The Great Lakes and Glaciers of Argentina
Experience the great outdoors, Argentina-style! Marvel at jaw-droppingly beautiful Patagonian landscapes, walk the shores of deep-blue lakes guarded by snow-capped mountains at Bariloche, explore the stunning Perito Moreno Glacier – experience all of this, and much more, with this unique trip!
customize ⤍13 days / from1729 USD
From Chile to Argentina, across the Andean Lakes
Travel from Chile to Argentina across the stunning Andean Lakes, also known as the Lakes District. Beginning in Santiago, you will travel to Puerto Varas, in Chile, and then across the lakes to Bariloche, Argentina, taking in the stunning mountain scenery, before ending your trip in Buenos Aires.
customize ⤍14 days / from1933 USD
An adventure across three countries: Brazil, Argentina & Uruguay
A trip filled with history, culture and nature spread out over three beautiful and unique countries, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Visit some of the most stunning sites, like the Sugar Loaf Mountain, Iguazu Falls and UNESCO World Heritage site Colonia del Sacramento, during this 14-day trip.
customize ⤍13 days / from1310 USD
Argentinean Patagonia: from the Coast to the Andes
Explore the region's most fascinating corners: sea life in Puerto Madryn awaits before you head to the most southern city in the world: Ushuaia. Discover Tierra del Fuego before heading out to El Calafate and Bariloche, really soaking in the Argentinean vibes.
customize ⤍16 days / from1915 USD
Unforgettable Argentina
Argentina has a lot to offer travellers, in this itinerary you will explore the highlights in just two weeks. From busy Buenos Aires you will fly to Iguazu to marvel at the majestic waterfalls before heading south to Puerto Madryn, Ushuaia and El Calafate. Unforgettable Argentina awaits!
customize ⤍10 days / from1052 USD
Magical Patagonia and Cultural Buenos Aires
Combine exploring the contemporary city of Buenos Aires, with all its luxuries and grand, historical buildings, together with the wild, rugged land of Patagonia. Take in the culture and observe the landscape and wildlife to gain a complete picture of the true Argentina.
customize ⤍16 days / from3885 USD
Andean Triangle - Chile, Bolivia and Argentina
Start your South American adventure in Santiago de Chile before exploring the wonders of the Atacama desert. A short hop across the border and you'll find yourself in the middle of the Bolivian salt flat. Afterwards, you'll continue to Argentina with Salta and Buenos Aires.
customize ⤍13 days / from1397 USD
Argentina: Tango and Glaciers
Visit the grand, edgy and famously seductive Argentine capital of Buenos Aires for tango and culture; then head northeast to see the thundering Iguazú Falls. Finally, it’s off to the end of the Americas to deepest Patagonia for adventure, glaciers and limitless horizons.
customize ⤍13 days / from3742 USD
Wild Patagonia
Argentina has lots to offer its visitors: a glacier the size of a city, sizzling tango, fashionable barrios, artisan towns, ranches with horses and gauchos and wild untamed natural beauty. From Buenos Aires to Patagonia, you’ll get to see it all in this adventure-laden vacation.
customize ⤍7 days / from447 USD
Tango & Wines in Argentina
Argentina is known for its dances and gastronomy scene, both to be discovered on this trip. Explore Buenos Aires on your own and with a guide, including its famous nightlife before heading to the vineyards of Mendoza, one of the most developed wine regions in the country.
customize ⤍14 days / from2271 USD
Multi-country adventures from salt flats to the Andes
South America is full of wonders and this trip packs Argentina, Chile and Bolivia into 2 weeks. Bustling Buenos Aires, beautiful valleys around Salta, the surreal looking surroundings of San Pedro de Atacama, the salt flat of Uyuni as well as Lake Titicaca are all part of this itinerary.
customize ⤍10 days / from1870 USD
South American Wines Trail
All wine lovers unite! Start your tour in Buenos Aires before heading to the wine region of Mendoza. Sample some of Argentina's finest wines and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Afterwards, continue to Santiago de Chile with a day trip to Valparaiso.
customize ⤍13 days / from2600 USD
Argentina and Chile: Dazzling Cities and Magical Landscapes
Santiago is an emerging city, whilst Buenos Aires has long been a busy metropolis. Both offer historical buildings to admire, a local gastronomy scene to savour and sensuous dances to learn. Not to mention the mountainous terrain and desert landscapes outside the cities waiting to be explored.
customize ⤍14 days / from7857 USD
Southern Argentina & Antarctica
Explore the Antarctica on an intimate cruise from Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. Start in Buenos Aires before spending a few nights in El Calafate and Ushuaia to then board your cruise. 4 nights in the Antarctic are the highlight of your trip before heading to Chile's capital Santiago.
customize ⤍4 days / from420 USD
A city escape to Buenos Aires
Soak in the unique atmosphere of Buenos Aires on this 4-day tour premium tour. Stay at one of the most exclusive hotels and discover Argentina's capital on bike during the day and in style at a Tango show at night.
customize ⤍13 days / from1468 USD
Argentina and Chile - Wine Country Explored
Get a taste of the wines of Argentina and Chile on this tour of the country's best bodegas. Sway to the rhythm of tango in Buenos Aires before you head to high altitude towns and absorb stunning mountain scenery. Then it's across the border into Chile to sample Santiago's historic delights.
customize ⤍14 days / from3075 USD
Self Drive on the Atlantic Patagonia Blue Route
Travel across wild Patagonia in your own rental car. Full autonomy and freedom means being able to truly go off the beaten track. You'll come across plenty of wildlife like whales and penguins, as well as following Darwin's footsteps across the steppe.
customize ⤍13 days / from1315 USD
Argentina's Northern Highlights
Your journey begins in Bueno’s Aires, the Argentine capital and the home of tango, colonial buildings and cobbled streets. Explore museums, churches, and stunning mountain valleys; be awestruck by the roar of the Iguazú Falls; then explore the wineries of the Central Valley.
customize ⤍7 days / from440 USD
From the city to the jungle
Visit two of the most fascinating parts of Argentina: First, the electrifying capital of Buenos Aires in all of its glory before heading out to Puerto Iguazu to discover the majestic Iguazu waterfalls.
customize ⤍14 days / from7500 USD
Luxury Holidays in South America
Experience the best of Argentina and Brazil in luxury. From vibrant Buenos Aires to breathtaking Argentinian Falls, stunning Bariloche, and untamed Patagonia. Conclude in Rio de Janeiro's iconic beaches before immersing in cosmopolitan Sao Paulo.
customize ⤍9 days / from3300 USD
Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls & Wine Country
Embark on an unforgettable journey through Argentina's diverse landscapes and vibrant cities. Explore the cosmopolitan charm of Buenos Aires, marvel at the awe-inspiring natural wonder of Puerto Iguazú's majestic waterfalls, and indulge in the renowned wines of Mendoza's picturesque vineyards.
customize ⤍10 days / from1250 USD
South Argentina and the Ends of the Earth
This trip goes to the southernmost point of Argentina and to the ends of the earth. Begin in Buenos Aires, then travel south to El Calafate and explore the stunning Perito Moreno Glacier, before continuing to the southernmost city on earth, Ushuaia, and the Tierra del Fuego National Park.
customize ⤍11 days / from15375 USD
Classic Antarctica from Chile
Start and end your trip in Chile and discover the Antarctica on an intimate, Boutique-style expedition boat. Cruise the Drake Passage, visit Cape Horn and fly back to Punta Arenas before returning to the capital Santiago.
customize ⤍11 days / from3600 USD
Bariloche & Buenos Aires
Explore the stunning landscapes of Bariloche and immerse yourself in nature's wonders. Then, soak up the vibrant energy of Buenos Aires, with its captivating culture, history, and lively streets. A journey of breathtaking beauty and cultural immersion awaits.
customize ⤍12 days / from2500 USD
Islands & Waterfalls: Ihla Grande and Iguazu
A mesmerizing journey through Brazil and Argentina, starting with the vibrant energy of Rio de Janeiro. Explore the pristine paradise of Ilha Grande, then step back in time in the colonial gem of Paraty. Finally, marvel at the awe-inspiring Iguazu Falls.
customize ⤍Gaucho day trips are a-peso-a-dozen near Buenos Aires, but I wanted to head out to an estancia (ranch) with a bona fide member of Argentina’s cowboy club, so when I met Andre – a gaucho guide from toursbylocals.com – I jumped at the chance to visit his ranch in the Paraná Delta.
It’s an hour’s drive through Buenos Aires’ shanty-town-packed suburbs to reach the delta, where Andre awaits me. Back in the bohemian neighbourhood of San Telmo he had looked uncomfortable in his city suit, but here he is in his element.
Short and wiry, he wears the pancake-sized traditional boina beret and baggy bombacha trousers revealing bandy legs – the hallmark of any true gaucho.
The beautiful grassland landscapes of Argentina © Shutterstock
Before leaving for the ranch, he takes me on a short tour of the Paraná Delta’s tiny capital. “It’s called Tigre because of the jaguars – known as tigres – that once roamed here”, he tells me. We visit antique shops, a crafts fair, a museum packed with the work of Argentine artists and even take a tour of the mate museum before hopping into a shallow-keeled motor boat and taking to the water.
Covering some 5,405 square miles, the Paraná Delta is Argentina’s answer to Venice. A vast, watery wasteland dotted with islands, it flows into the Río de la Plata, which separates Argentina from Uruguay. Churning the chocolate water into worry furrows, we chug past rambling, colonial-style properties.
“Many important people have lived here – a few years ago when she was playing Evita, Madonna even came here with her kids”, Andre explains.
Cattle being gathered by a gaucho, Argentina © Shutterstock
With its rich grazing land, the Delta has been home to gauchos for centuries. “My great grandfather bought this ranch”, Andre tells me as we leap from his boat onto the narrow jetty next to his sprawling property.
Gauchos are a potent symbol for Argentinians. The 1940s film La Guerra Gaucha about the gaucho struggle for freedom in Spanish-occupied Argentina is a well-loved classic. José Hernández’s epic poem Martin Fierro is taught in many schools.
According to Andre, this is because Martin Fierro is a symbolic gaucho: he represents the force of good against bad.
In a hummocky field behind the timber-framed ranch house I have my first gaucho lesson. Andre shows me how to sling the boleadoras, those three lumpy, leather-bound rocks tied together with straps that are used to catch wild horses and runaway cattle.
It looks easy when Andre swings the weights around his head then slings them in a windmill flurry, neatly capturing the gatepost. When it’s my turn, however, I mistime the moment to let go and capture my own shins, bruising them black-and-blue.
When Andre’s gaucho employee, Jose, brings out two sturdy-boned native Criollo horses, I’m happy to move onto the next class. Donning a pair of bombacha trousers and a woollen boina I swing clumsily into the saddle, then canter off behind Jose and his hairy, wary-eyed dog to round up a few of those big-horned, docile Criolla cattle that Argentina is famed for.
Jose lassos a young calf, expertly binding its feet then slinging it over the high pommel of his saddle, then he teaches me to lasso a tree stump. Soon I can catch that darn old stump without difficulty, but when I try out my skills on an ornery herd of galloping Criolla cows, I can’t catch a single horn.
Back at the ranch the yerba mate calabash, made out of a varnished gourd, is doing the rounds. When it’s handed to me I poke the metal bombilla straw through the murky hash of floating leaves on top and take a deep sip as if I’ve been doing it all my life.
Made from the leaves of a species of holly, Argentina’s national beverage is so acrid it makes me want to vomit. Snorting with laughter, Andre takes the calabash and shoves a glass of Argentinean Malbec into my hand. “It’s an acquired taste”, he says.
Guacho culture in Argentina © Shutterstock
I sip the Malbec, allowing the wine’s soothing flavours to comfort my yerba-mate-assaulted palate, while Andre shows me how to prepare the asado. Using the same technique that gauchos have employed for centuries, he fills a deep pit with charcoal and lights it.
He then straps hunks of morcilla (black pudding), chunks of mollejas (sweetbread) and slabs of asado de tira (ribs) onto the parilla – a large metal grill, which he fixes almost vertically above the lit fire.
An hour later, I bite into my first crisp, slightly charred chunk of morcilla, take a long sip of Malbec and face up to the fact that I’ll never be much of a gaucho.
Andre hands me hunks of asado de tira dripping with parsley-and-garlic Chimichurri sauce. Dropping my fork, I pick up the ribs with my bare hands and tear off strips of tender meat with my teeth. “You might not be much of a gaucho, but you certainly eat like one,” Andre laughs.
Dreaming of going on an adventure like Heidi's? Our tailor-made trip service makes it easy to plan and book your trip to Argentina without any effort or hassle. Our trips are fully customisable and use the expertise of our local travel experts to make sure your trip will be just like you dream it to be.
For travel tips, don't miss the Rough Guide to Argentina. Read more about the best time to go, the best places to visit and the best things to do in Argentina. If travelling further into South America don't miss the Rough Guide to South America on a Budget.
If you are planning your trip now, find accommodation to fit your budget in Buenos Aires and more.
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Top image: A gaucho, Argentina © Shutterstock
written by Heidi Fuller-Love
updated 19.10.2022
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