Buenos Aires Travel Guide

We spent just over two weeks traveling Argentina during end of January, beginning of February and it’s been one of our top trips we’ve done! We visited Buenos Aires, Bariloche, El Calafate, El Chalten, and Ushuaia. Our first stop was Buenos Aires and in this blog I’m going to break down everything we did day-by-day and how long you should stay.

Day 1: Arrive, Settle in & Explore Palermo

We arrived in Buenos Airea around noon and checked into our Airbnb in Palermo. I highly recommend staying in this neighborhood! It’s a great location and close to so many cute cafes, restaurants, wine bars, and shops. It has a very artsy, young vibe.

We walked to Birkin Cafe, roughly 20 minutes from our Airbnb, and had a wonderful meal and delicious lattes. Afterwards, we walked through the Jardin Botánico (free) and soaked in all the beautiful nature right in the middle of the city.

One thing that really surprised me about Buenos Aires is how much nature is woven throughout the city. It honestly feels like they built the city inside a jungle. We loved this about Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires is SUPER HOT during the summer months, so pack accordingly and carry water with you.

We spent the evening at Wine Window, a super cute spot with a wine window similar to the ones in Florence, except they also have seating inside. We ordered some snacks and wine before heading to La Cabrera for our dinner reservation. The meat here was incredible, this would definitely be my top dinner recommendation in Buenos Aires.

Wine Window and La Cabrera are pretty close to each other, and I think pairing these together makes for a really fun and romantic evening in Palermo.

Day 2: Exploring Buenos Aires & Tango Show

We started the morning at Cuervo Cafe in Palermo - highly recommend! We actually came here multiple times during our few days in Buenos Aires. Great coffee, good breakfast (although not a huge menu), and I loved the vibe of this cafe.

We then headed to El Ateneo, the famous theater bookstore in Buenos Aires.

This was also our first day trying to use the bus system, and honestly… we struggled. It was really hard for us to figure out where to buy the transit card, so we ended up Ubering almost everywhere in Buenos Aires. I was shocked at how cheap the Ubers were, almost every ride was only a few dollars. So yes, I admit, we failed at the Buenos Aires bus system.

El Ateneo was cool to see, but personally, I wouldn’t go out of your way for it. There’s a cafe inside where we tried to order coffee, but the service was terrible. After waiting around 10 minutes without anyone taking our order, we ended up leaving.

Afterwards, we walked to Recoleta, a neighborhood often called the “Paris of Argentina.” Honestly, a lot of Buenos Aires reminded me of Paris. We grabbed a coffee and relaxed in the park for a little while.

For lunch, we went to El Preferido in Palermo, and this restaurant was amazing! The bread, the meat, the burrata , everything was so good. Plus, it’s such an adorable restaurant, and the outside is painted pink.

We then headed back to our Airbnb to relax before going out again later that evening to the Plaza de Mayo area. We first stopped at Purple Wine nearby for a glass of wine and then walked around the area. Plaza de Mayo is the main square in Buenos Aires, and the architecture around here really makes you feel like you’re in Europe. It’s a beautiful area.

Just down the street, we had our tango show and class, and I was SO excited for this! A tango show is absolutely a must-do in Buenos Aires, tango was essentially born in Argentina.

We booked a package that included a tango class, dinner, drinks, and the show. The class was super fun. It lasted about 30 minutes and was really more about having fun and socializing than actually learning complicated dance moves. I think we danced more with other people than our own partners! Even if you don’t dance, you’ll be totally fine. We learned a few tango basics and had such a good time.

Dinner was served afterwards. The food was decent, nothing amazing, but pretty typical for a large tourist activity like this. We were also served wine, which was definitely a plus.

Then around 9:45 PM, the show started, and let me tell you… it was incredible. The dancers, the singers, the live band -everyone was unbelievably talented. We couldn’t take our eyes off the stage. I highly recommend adding a tango show to your Buenos Aires itinerary.

Day 3: 9 Course Meal and Port Area

We had another slow morning before heading to our afternoon reservation at Fogón Asado for a 9-course dining experience. We booked this through Get Your Guide, and while it was definitely expensive, the food was amazing and the entire experience felt so unique.

You watch the chefs prepare each course, they explain what it is and how it’s cooked, and everything just felt so intentional and well done. The ambiance, the people, the food, the drinks, it was all such a memorable experience.

The meal came with a welcome cocktail, but we skipped the wine pairing since it made the experience much more expensive. I did order a glass of wine separately though, and it was honestly one of the best glasses of wine I’ve ever had.

Later that afternoon, we headed to Caminito, the area known for its bright, colorful buildings, local artists, shops, and bars. One thing to note is that it’s important to stay close to the main tourist area here. Our Uber driver warned us that the surrounding streets are not considered very safe.

If I’m being completely honest, we didn’t love this area and didn’t spend much time here. It felt very touristy, and there were a lot of people aggressively trying to sell things. I think if we had been looking to go out drinking, we probably would’ve enjoyed it more. We had also just eaten, so we weren’t really interested in the restaurant and bar scene at the time.

I do think timing matters here. I’d probably recommend visiting earlier in the morning when it’s less crowded, or coming in the early evening if you plan to grab drinks and enjoy the nightlife atmosphere.

Afterwards, we headed to the Puerto Madero area and stopped at OL'DAYS Cafe. We walked around for a while, enjoyed the parks and waterfront views, and then hopped around to different restaurants and bars along the river. Once evening comes around, this area gets super lively and fun.

This ended up being one of our favorite parts of Buenos Aires. There was music everywhere, great bars, beautiful scenery, and such a fun atmosphere. I’d highly recommend checking out the port area while visiting Buenos Aires.

Final Thoughts on Buenos Aires

Overall, I think the must-do experiences in Buenos Aires are definitely attending a tango show/class and exploring the different neighborhoods like Palermo, Recoleta, and Puerto Madero. Plus, of course, eating amazing food and drinking some of the best wine.

I think 3–4 days in Buenos Aires is a great amount of time to see the city highlights, but there’s also so much to this city that you could easily spend longer here if you have the time. I’d say 3 days minimum.

We absolutely loved Buenos Aires, and it ranks as one of our favorite cities we’ve visited. I loved the beauty of the city, how walkable everything felt, and how each neighborhood offered such a different atmosphere and experience.