22 Best Argentina Travel Tips

Are you planning a trip to Argentina? It can be overwhelming at first because there’s so much information floating around online, and some of it might seem conflicting. But once you weed through the information, start planning your Argentina itinerary, and make the jump, you won’t regret it.

Argentina is one of my favorite countries in the world. I have visited multiple times and long to go back for more – I can never seem to get enough of it.

If this is your first time in Argentina, you are probably searching the web for useful, practical information that will help you plan your trip. As I know the country really well, I thought I’d put together a selection of Argentina travel tips with everything you need to know before visiting.

In this Argentina travel guide, I’ll review the best travel tips for Argentina, including transportation, what to pack, things to know about Argentina, SIM cards, and other little travel secrets.

The Best Argentina Travel Guide: What You Must Know Before Visiting Argentina

Argentina Travel Tips: Quick Facts

Let’s start this post with a selection of essential information you need to know before visiting Argentina.

AREA – 2,780,400 km2 (1,073,500 sq mi)

POPULATION – 46,057,866 (2024 estimate)

CAPITAL – Buenos Aires (urban area population 15,618,000) (2024 estimate)

LANGUAGE – Spanish. Most people speak English, and many also speak Italian.

CURRENCY – Argentine Peso (ARS)

COUNTRY CODE – +54

EMERGENCY NUMBERS – 911 (General Emergencies); 101 (Police); 100 (Fire); 107 (Medical Emergencies)

The best time to visit Argentina

The best time to visit Argentina is in the late spring and summer months, between the end of October and the end of March, when you can enjoy the whole country thanks to the favorable weather conditions.

December to February is peak season, and all the main tourist destinations will be busy. You will have to make reservations for buses, internal flights, and accommodation well in advance.

Summer is the best time to visit Argentina if you want to admire wildlife in the areas of Peninsula Valdes and Punta Tombo (though whales and orcas are spotted during the winter months). Patagonia is best visited in the summer when Perito Moreno is not prohibitively cold; the same can be said for Tierra del Fuego.

Buenos Aires gets tremendously hot in the summer months, but it’s very pleasant in September and October when all the large boulevards are colorful with jacaranda trees in full bloom.

Buenos Aires doesn’t get too cold in the winter months, but Patagonia may be unaccessible – unless you plan to go skiing in places like Ushuaia or Bariloche.

Pro Tip: With Argentina, it’s always better to come more prepared than under-prepared. That said, some tourist hotspots like Ushuaia do offer “gear rentals” for long treks or expeditions (these often include a large, insulated jacket, hiking/trekking boots, and other necessities).

What to pack for Argentina

One of my top Argentina tips is to pack extremely wisely.

Even if you visit Argentina in the summer, the weather will vary dramatically from one place to the other. There will be very hot and humid days in Buenos Aires or Iguazu Falls and cold (and at times even very cold) temperatures in places like El Calafate and Ushuaia. You will need to be prepared for it.

If you are hitting the trails in Patagonia, bring all sorts of hiking gear with you, including very good hiking shoes, hiking pants, and a wind and rain-proof jacket (and a warmer one if you are heading to Tierra del Fuego). No matter where you go, pack a good pair of walking shoes.

Head over to my post, What To Pack For Patagonia, for a much more detailed account with all my best personal recommendations based on my travels through Argentina.

How long do you need in Argentina?

Here’s one of the most useful things to know about Argentina: if you don’t have enough time for a proper trip, postpone it until you do.

It might be controversial, but you want to spend at least 10 full days in Argentina. If you do any less, you might just leave disappointed because you won’t be able to even touch on the many amazing things to do in Argentina.

Argentina is the 8th largest country in the world—in other words, it’s massive. Ideally, you’d need three full weeks in the country, and even then, you’d barely be scratching the surface. You would have to plan everything in advance, booking your accommodation and a few domestic flights.

At a minimum, you will need 10 or 11 full days to explore the main sights in Buenos Aires, Patagonia, and Mendoza. With two full weeks, you would be able to see a bit more—e.g., add Iguazu Falls or even Puerto Madryn.

Pro Tip: When you’re planning your trip to Argentina, make sure to account for the travel days (the travel to Argentina and the days spent going from Point A to Point B in the country) because this can take up a lot of time! Also, make sure to include a few rest days in there, with fewer activities planned, especially if you’ll be hiking a lot.

Consider joining a guided tour of Argentina

If you want to travel to Argentina but have no time to plan the route, or aren’t exactly a fan of it, leave it to the experts!

Many companies run excellent tours of Argentina: you will be shown the most beautiful places, have a tour guide or a tour leader taking care of all the logistics, and the only thing you’ll have to worry about is taking your camera with you.

Guided tours are usually more expensive then planning it out yourself, but not always, surprisingly. When you factor in the hours spent planning and booking things and the little hidden costs that pop up here and there, a guided tour might actually be the better choice.

You can also choose to do a mix of guided tours and self-travels throughout Argentina, which is another great option. For example, there are many multi-day trips out from Buenos Aires, multi-day hiking treks around Argentina’s national parks, and other options.

One of the most popular multi-day trips out of Buenos Aires is Iguazú Falls (which is really a must-see). You can do it on a day trip from Buenos Aires, but it’s highly recommended to spend at least a few days exploring.

For example, I recommend this Iguazú Falls Brazil & Argentina 3-Day In-Out Transfers from Buenos Aires! The tour really takes a lot of hassle off you with all the planning, and you’ll get to visit both Brazil and the Argentinian side of the impressive falls.

Do you need a visa for Argentina?

If you have a European Union passport or are coming from Canada, the United States, Australia, and Switzerland, you won’t need a visa to travel to Argentina as of 2024.

Your passport will be stamped, and you will get a tourist visa, free of charge, for 90 days from the date of arrival. The Argentina Reciprocity Fee has recently been suspended for US, Canadian, or Australian passport holders.

However, the suspension of the reciprocity fee isn’t set in stone, so here’s one of my Argentina travel tips for you: check the website of the Argentine consulate in your country to make sure you don’t need a visa for your trip to Argentina, just in case!

How to get to Argentina

Traveling to Argentina isn’t exactly cheap. My advice is to look for flights on engines such as Skyscanner. If your travel dates are flexible, you can set up a search system to show you the cheapest months to travel and, within that month, the cheapest dates. You can even set up price alerts, so as soon as you see a deal within your price range, make sure to grab it.

Google Flights is also offering a “price match guarantee” system. I haven’t used it yet, but apparently, if you purchase flight tickets off Google Flights and the price goes down afterward, you can submit a request to Google Flights, and they’ll refund the difference.

Supposedly, they simply guarantee you’ll always pay the lowest fee. This is, of course, a little bit more of a hassle and it’s still a new feature.

Ezeiza (EZE) airport in Buenos Aires is the main international hub in Argentina. The airport is connected via direct flights to North America, the United Kingdom, most European countries (there are direct flights from Rome), South Africa, and most South American countries.

Make sure to read my post How To Get From Ezeiza Airport To Buenos Aires to know everything to expect on this journey!

The other two airports in Buenos Aires are Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP), located in Palermo and mostly serving domestic flights and some international flights to Uruguay, Chile, or Brazil, and El Palomar (EPA), which mostly serves budget airlines.

If you plan to fly to another Argentine destination from Aeroparque Jorge Newbery on the same day you land in Argentina, leave plenty of time to make it to the airport and for all formalities (checking in, going through security, etc). Aeroparque is 41 km (25 miles) from Ezeiza, and with the insane traffic in Buenos Aires it cane take up to two hours to get there.

If you are visiting Argentina as part of a longer trip across South America, you will find an overland border crossing from Bolivia, Paraguay, and Brazil at Puerto Iguazú, Chile.

There are several crossings, including one between Torres del Paine and El Calafate, Santiago de Chile to Mendoza, and from Uruguay (various crossings in Uruguay, including the ferry from Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay).

More information about crossing the border to and from Argentina

There are several places to cross the border between Argentina and Uruguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, and Paraguay.

Crossing the border is usually a rather easy process, but keep in mind that no fruits and vegetables can be carried into Chile. Whatever fresh food item you have with you needs to be either thrown away before crossing the border or declared on your immigration card.

The fines for omitting to do so aren’t high, but the Chilean authorities will take their time to measure every single item that can’t be carried into Chile to give you a proportionate fine. This may slow down the entire border crossing process—and aggravate anybody traveling on the same bus.

How to move around Argentina

Have I said Argentina is massive? Distances are enormous. To give you a few examples, the flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia takes almost 4 hours; it takes 20 hours by bus to travel from Puerto Madryn to El Calafate and 15 hours to go from Mendoza to Buenos Aires.

Considering this, unless you have a couple of months to explore the country, you’ll be better off catching the occasional flight.

Aerolinas Argentinas is the main national carrier and serves the entire country. You may also be able to get deals with low-cost airlines such as FlyBondi and JetSMART.

One thing to consider is that you will often have to connect in Buenos Aires to reach your final destination—for example, there are no direct flights from El Calafate to Mendoza or from El Calafate to Puerto Iguazu. This means that, at times, your entire day will be spent flying from one side of the country to another.

Buses in Argentina are usually punctual and comfortable. Seats can be fully reclined, and long-distance buses even pass around meals (don’t expect anything fancy). Seats typically have a personal screen, you will be given headphones, and many long-distance buses will have Wi-Fi.

You can check out the schedule and the prices of flights and buses in Argentina on the Omio App. It’s a really useful resource that’ll help you gather all the travel resources you need in Argentina.

Another option to get around Argentina is to rent a car. You won’t need it in Buenos Aires, where traffic is terrible and public transportation works really well (more about it in a bit).

However, a car is certainly handy if you are visiting the northwestern province of Salta (you can plan a road trip around the Quebrada de Humahuaca), Tierra del Fuego, or hikes all around Patagonia.

Roads in Argentina are generally good, though in the most rural areas, you may encounter dirt roads.

There will be some toll roads, so having some spare change handy is recommended. You’ll need to keep your headlights on, even during the day. Driving is on the right-hand side of the road (like in North America and Europe, but unlike the UK, South Africa, and Argentina).

I recommend using a comparison site to check out the prices of car rentals in Argentina. My favorite one is Discover Cars. I’ve used it in many countries in South America and have only had great experiences.

Check out the rental conditions, as some companies restrict mileage. Finally, remember that most rental cars in Argentina have manual transmissions.

Make sure to read my post, A Guide To Renting A Car In Argentina, for all my expert advice based on my travels in Argentina.

How to move around Buenos Aires

Public transportation works really well in Buenos Aires, and there are plenty of buses, the SUBTE (metro), and trains you can count on.

Download the app Cómo Llego (translation: “How do I get there”) to check the best way of getting from one place to another. Google Maps also works well.

To use public transport in Buenos Aires, you will need a SUBE card. You can get this directly at a ticket window at any metro station or at any kiosk around town.

You can also count on a cheap and reliable taxi service. Taxis work by the meter, so you can be sure you will be paying a fair price. However, here’s another useful tidbit from this Argentina travel guide: check the best route before you get on.

While most drivers are honest, there are a few who will try to scam tourists and opt for the longest route to a destination. Speaking Spanish and/or acting confident as if you know the exact route will definitely help avoid a scam.

Uber has been very controversial in Buenos Aires over the years, but it does work and seems to be getting more efficient with each passing year. That said, Cabify is another rideshare app that seems to work well in Buenos Aires.

Get a good travel insurance

The healthcare system in Argentina is quite good and, at times, free even for foreigners. For example, my sister was not charged for an emergency appointment at the clinic in El Calafate (she had bad conjunctivitis).

However, it’s always better to purchase reliable insurance before your trip, especially if you’re planning to do more adventurous things (which many people are in Argentina).

Travel insurance should be a no-brainer for your own health and safety, as well as financial stability if some big accident does happen.

I highly recommend HeyMondo for international travel insurance, but you can read more about my thoughts on good travel insurance before settling on the best one for your travels.

Get a local SIM card

If you want to stay connected with your family and friends, one of my Argentina travel tips is to bring your unlocked phone with you and get a local SIM card as soon as you arrive.

The main providers are Personal, Movistar, and Claro. Personal has a stand right outside the terminal in Ezeiza airport, and all providers have shops in town where you can get your SIM card. Bring your passport with you as the shop will need a copy to complete the transaction.

To top up your SIM card, look for a kiosk or shop with your provider’s logo. It’s easy and fairly affordable.

Unlocking phones from the United States

For people coming from the United States with a U.S. phone provider, you might need to call your carrier to unlock your phone before your trip.

They will not unlock phones that aren’t paid off or on a payment plan (if you have a new phone through Verizon or AT&T and are making monthly payments on your contract).

If you can’t unlock your phone because it isn’t paid off yet, I recommend getting a cheap second phone that’s unlocked and paid off to use with a SIM card here.

Currency in Argentina

The Argentinian peso is the most fluctuating currency in South America, if not the world. Inflation rates are very high, and prices can change dramatically in a few weeks.

In fact, Argentina actually devalued their peso by more than 50% at the end of 2023/beginning of 2024. This could also lead to some more major price fluctuations going forward.

Cash is king in Argentina. While credit cards (Visa and Mastercard, but not American Express) are accepted in hotels and restaurants catering to tourists, they aren’t as widely accepted in smaller shops.

It’s much easier to use cash rather than credit cards most of the time, as a surcharge is often applied to card payments. Make sure to always carry cash with you.

However, there’s another issue: ATMs in Argentina are very expensive. Even though your bank may not charge you for any withdrawal you make while in Argentina, local ATMs will apply a fee of up to $10 USD for any withdrawal and put limits on the amount of money you can withdraw in a single transaction.

There really is no other way around it, and you should factor withdrawal fees into your trip budget unless your bank refunds all ATM fees and foreign transaction fees.

Dollars and Euros are widely accepted—in fact, bring some with you and plan to either pay directly in USD or € (many shops will have the coto—daily exchange rate—listed at the register) or exchange them when you need to.

Money exchange in Argentina

This obviously brings the next question: how to exchange foreign currency in Argentina?

Read carefully, as I have one of the most important Argentina travel tips for you.

First of all, don’t exchange money at the bank in your home country or at your hotel in Argentina (only do it as a last resort). The exchange rate is really bad.

Instead, try to exchange your US dollars or euros at the Mercado Azul (blue market) – basically the black market.

The exchange rate is much better, and you can get almost twice as much for a dollar at the blue market compared to the official rate.

Make sure to check the exchange rate for the dólar official (official exchange rate) on sites such as XE.com (they also have a good phone app) and compare it to the rate of the dólar informal (also known as the blue dollar)—you can do that on sites such as Ambito.

To give you an idea, when I changed USD on the black market in 2015, I got an exchange rate of 14 ARS to $1 USD versus the official rate of 8 ARS to $1 USD.

At the time of first writing this Argentina travel guide in 2022, the official exchange rate was about 124 ARS to $1 USD, whereas a blue dollar was sold for 226 ARS.

At the time of updating this post in 2024, the official exchange rate is about 850 ARS to $1 USD, whereas a blue dollar is sold for around $1,025 ARS (this also gives you the perfect example of the wild fluctuations of the ARS in recent years).

To exchange your USD at the blue dollar rate in Buenos Aires, look for an arbolito (literally “small tree,” but it is used to refer to a money changer in Argentina). There are many in the area of Microcentro in Buenos Aires – chances are you will hear them call around “cambio!” (exchange).

In other towns and cities, the best way to find a blue dollar exchange is by hearsay – ask at your hotel or hostel. That’s how I found one in Mendoza.

Tipping in Argentina

The rules for tipping in Argentina are very similar to those that are commonly applied in Italy. In general, you are not expected to tip.

Some restaurants will add a service charge, but if you want to leave a tip, you can usually just round up the final bill or add a small tip of no more than 10%.

Check out my post A Guide To Tipping In Italy if you want more information on how the practice transfers over to Argentina.

Learn some Spanish before you go

Most people in Argentina speak some level of English; a lot speak Italian, and when all else fails, they will be happy to communicate with you via sign language. In other words, don’t worry about the language barrier. You will definitely get by during your trip.

Having said so, I usually recommend learning at least a few words of the local language before traveling to a new place, and the same applies here: one of my Argentina travel tips for you is to learn at least some basic Spanish before your trip.

A word of warning, though: the Spanish spoken in Argentina is actually fairly different from that spoken in Spain or even Mexico.

In general, it’s a bit slower, the intonation is different (and actually more similar to Italian), some sounds and hence words are pronounced completely differently, and in fact, different words are used to refer to the same thing.

Is Argentina safe?

I have always found Argentina to be a safe country, and the people are truly and genuinely friendly. That said, it’s worth taking some precautions when visiting Argentina—though not particularly different from those you’d use in other places.

Keep in mind that Argentina is currently experiencing a declining economy, and some studies show this may correlate with a higher crime rate (especially property crime).

Keep an eye out for scams—they are no different from those you’d encounter in other countries. Also, watch out for pickpockets in large cities, especially Buenos Aires.

Keep an eye (and a hand) on your belongings when riding the metro or the bus and in markets: make sure your bag/backpack is properly closed, and you prefer a crossbody bag. Wear your backpack in front of you when on the bus or metro, and close your taxi window just in case someone drives by on a motorbike and snatches your phone out of your hands.

Finally, watch out for motochorros – muggings.

Here are some additional Argentina travel tips to keep you safe:

• Hop on a taxi to take you back to your hotel at night, especially if it’s a long walk away.
• Avoid walking around alone in poorly lit areas.
• Learn some basic Spanish to help you get by in taxis, on the bus or metro, or to ask for help.
• Keep a low profile—try not to appear too much like a tourist, and don’t flash your belongings, such as a camera, phone, or jewelry.
• Don’t leave your phone on the table when you are eating or having a drink.
• Carry a copy of your passport with you – but not the actual passport.
• If you are being mugged, don’t fight back.

Make sure to get good insurance, like HeyMondo, for your trip to Argentina. Some travel insurance can actually be pretty handy, even for theft, missed flights, and other travel-related problems.

Visiting Argentina as a solo female traveler

Argentina is a safe destination for solo female travelers. I have been there three times, two of which were on a solo trip, and I had a fantastic time.

If you are visiting Argentina by yourself, plan to stay at hostels (you can almost always get a private room if you don’t want to stay in dorms) and take advantage of their social spaces and events to meet other travelers. You’ll have a great time.

Speaking Spanish will be a bonus as it will help you connect with locals.

Dogs are everywhere

One of the things to know about Argentina is that the country is packed with dogs. It’s not uncommon to come across a paseo perros (a professional dog walker) walking up to 12 dogs in Buenos Aires, especially around the residential areas of Recoleta and Palermo.

However, in more rural areas, there are many stray dogs. Most are quite friendly, and chances are they will follow you around for pets. They are typically well fed and taken care of by volunteer organizations, to which you can donate.

With so many dogs around, watch out for dog poop – you definitely don’t want to step on it!

Where to stay in Argentina

The range of places to stay in Argentina is incredible: from hostels to hotels, from bed and breakfasts to guest houses and self-catering apartments, there is something for any budget.

The standard of hostels is generally good: clean, well equipped, with a nice vibe. They even organize nights out, parties, and dinners for very good prices.

For something really unique, consider staying in an estancia (called finca in some parts of the country), a ranch. Estancias are located out of town, usually in rural areas. There are some fabulous ones in Patagonia, but you will find a nice selection also close to Buenos Aires.

Check out my post, Where To Stay In Buenos Aires, for your time in the capital city. There are so many amazing options for all budgets and types of travelers.

Eating and drinking in Argentina

Food in Argentina is delicious: the country is a real paradise for meat eaters, and enjoying a good asado (a mix of barbecued meats) is a must.

Vegetarians and vegans visiting Argentina used to have a hard time, but things have improved a lot in recent years, and the choice of vegan restaurants is now quite large, especially in cities such as Buenos Aires and Mendoza.

Thanks to its Italian heritage, you will also find lots of good Italian food: homemade pasta and pizza are available in many restaurants, making the lives of vegetarians and vegans a bit easier.

Empanadas (small calzones with various fillings) are a good option for cheap and tasty food. You will find them served as appetizers or snacks in all restaurants, eateries, markets, and even on the streets. Another common thing to eat is humitas (tamales made of corn dough).

Dulce de leche (caramelized milk, almost nauseatingly sweet) is very popular and pretty much spread on anything, or so it seems.

Alfajores are also popular: they are two rounded dry biscuits joined together by (usually) dulche de leche and often covered in chocolate. Thanks to the Italian heritage, gelato is very good in Argentina, and you’ll find it easily.

Argentinians typically eat a small breakfast consisting of café con leche (coffee with milk) and medialunas, similar to small Italian cornetto. International hostels and hotels offer a bigger variety of breakfasts, which usually include fruits, cereals, and also eggs.

Finally, don’t try to have an early dinner. Locals won’t even consider eating before 8:00 pm!

In a country where meat is a staple, it almost goes without saying that wine is fabulous. The biggest producing regions are Mendoza and Cafayate, where you can go on a wine-tasting tour.

Beer is also a very popular drink, and in recent years, craft beer has become more easily available. The best off-the-counter beers are Quilmes and Salteña, which are more popular in the region of Salta. They come in very large bottles, too!

Last but not least, one drink you need to try when visiting Argentina is mate – a strong infusion of yerba mate, a bitter herb high in caffeine. Argentinians swear by it, but to be honest, it takes a bit of an acquired taste to appreciate it (and I haven’t acquired it even after three trips).

What’s special about it is the culture surrounding it: first of all, many locals never leave their house without their mate.

They will carry around a thermos of hot water (strictly at 84°C), a bag of yerba mate, their cup, and bombilla—a metal straw used to drink the infusion. Most importantly, locals normally pass around the mate and share it in a group, all drinking from the same straw. It’s up to you if you want to try it or not!

Movies and series to watch before visiting Argentina

Are you still looking for inspiration for your trip to Argentina? Consider reading a book or watching a movie or even a Netflix series to get a sense of the country, its culture, and its beauty.

I have a full post dedicated to the best movies set in Argentina. Don’t miss Relatos Salvajes (Wild Tales) – a movie of 6 short stories that are hilarious and, at the same time, sad. You should also watch El Secreto de Sus Ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes), which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2010.

When it comes to Netflix series, I am a massive fan of Casi Feliz (Almost Happy). This series is based in Buenos Aires, and the main character is Sebastian, a popular radio host who finds himself regularly in the most absurd situations. It’s sweet, funny, and bitter at the same time.

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