Argentina is one of the safest countries in SA. There should be no concern. In Buenos Aires, you should prepare as you would in an urban area in the US - keep your handbags close, don’t flash money/jewelry/cameras, walk on well-lit streets. I don’t have an issue hailing taxis, but others are more comfortable with Ubers.
At EZE, use official ground transportation vs gypsy cabs. In Trelew and El Calafate, your hotel can arrange ground transport for your excursions.
BA is a cosmopolitan city. There will be zero issues with vegetarian meals. Outside BA, it’s a bit trickier, particularly in smaller restaurants. But vegetable (and cheese, if she eats) empanadas, salads, pasta are generally available. Even with meat-free dishes, you need to confirm that it was prepared without meat in the broth, etc.
Thanks so much for the feedback and advice, @skieurope!
“Very tight” doesn’t sound ideal. This is our first trip to Argentina and to South America, and we’d like it to be enjoyable, not stressful.
We have about 6 nights (could make it 7 if needed). Besides Buenos Aires, we’re interested in seeing the penguins (Punta Tombo), Iguazu Falls and the Perito Moreno glacier. We were hoping to see at least two of the three, but we may end up doing just one.
What would you cut? If we do only one or two, which would you pick, and how many days would you give Buenos Aires? We’re also open to other destinations we may not know about. Mostly we’d like some of Argentina’s natural beauty alongside what Buenos Aires offers.
Your first 2 nights in BA - does that include the day you land? How much of that day will you have? My info is not current (it’s about 20 years since the last time we were there) but we didn’t get bored in a full 5 days just in BA. Of course you don’t need to stay that long - I would make sure you have at least 2 full days there to explore. Have not yet been elsewhere in Argentina so I’m no help there.
We are in fact going to be back in Buenos Aires in the next few weeks post an Antarctic trip, and we have planned for 3 days there. What I have picked up from Reddit forums in surrounding discussions is that internal domestic flights can be pretty unreliable, so if any of your plans involve having to fly domestically you may want some extra time padding there as well.
Ideally 3, but doable with 2. The challenge is your first full day is the day you land and you’ll likely be exhausted. Plus I don’t know how much time you’d have left in your final day. I also don’t know where you’re coming from, but for me, it’s an 11 hour flight. And while the time zone change is minimal, it’s still a long overnight flight.
That’s a personal choice. For me, if I only did 2, I’d choose Iguazu Falls and the Perito Moreno Glacier as being the most dramatic.
But if a wildlife viewing experience is more important, then Punta Tombo
My son has flight benefits. Argentina is one of my family’s favorite destinations. I didn’t make that trip but it’s on my future list. They loved Iguazu. They felt safe especially compared to other SA cities. Have fun.
Argentina is huge. I haven’t been, but I feel like this is a lot to try to do in just a week. It’s almost an 11 hour flight from New York City. I’ve watched a lot of videos about Argentina on Dreaming Spanish, I think I’d go to Iguazu Falls and Buenos Aires and leave the rest for another trip. Travel to either takes a lot of time, even flying.
The issue with Iguazo Falls is that - while lovely - they are in the opposite direction since they are in the NW of the country and through the rainforest.
Yeah, remember Argentina is not a small country. Indeed, the distance from Perito Moreno Glacier to Iguazu Falls is about the same as NYC to LA. Buenos Aires to Perito Moreno is like NYC to Miami.
Thanks to everyone who replied above. Based on your advice, we decided to include just one destination besides Buenos Aires. After exploring options, we settled on Ushuaia, as my wife and daughter both want to see the penguin colony and walk among penguins.
Revised plan:
Day 1: Depart Newark
Day 2: Arrive in Buenos Aires in the morning, light afternoon in Recoleta
Day 3: Full-day private guided tour of Buenos Aires
Day 4: Free day in Buenos Aires
Day 5: Morning flight to Ushuaia
Day 6: Penguin walk on Martillo Island (afternoon land excursion, about 7 hours)
Day 7: Tierra del Fuego National Park (also our backup day if the penguin tour is cancelled due to weather)
Day 8: Midday flight back to Buenos Aires
Day 9: Buenos Aires, then the night flight home
Day 10: Arrive home
Questions:
Does the pacing seem more reasonable, with only two domestic flights?
Is three nights in Ushuaia about right? What else is worth doing there besides the penguins and the national park?
Is three days in Buenos Aires enough? Any neighborhoods or experiences you’d add or skip?
Any advice on flying to and from Ushuaia, such as morning versus afternoon flights or weather delays? Did you book directly with the airlines or through an agency?
Nothing has been booked yet, so the plan detailed above is just that.
I haven’t been either but know people who have, including people who have relatives from Argentina. It’s a much bigger country than people think it is and distances are big. If you want to see a lot of places and really explore the county thoroughly, you want to have a lot of time. If you’re limited on time, the advice seems to be just stick to one part of the country or see BA and one other place (or more depending on time), that’s what I’ve heard from people who have been to Argentina.
I’ve heard Mendoza and the surrounding area is interesting, especially if you like wine. Please let us know how your trip goes, Argentina is definitely on my list of places. It seems like your itinerary is planned, but I have heard good things about Uruguay.
Thank you. We’ll definitely have to make additional trips in the future, given how much there is to see — not just in Argentina, but also in Uruguay, as you mentioned, as well as Chile and Brazil.
Our itinerary isn’t set in stone yet, but it’s quickly firming up.
I think this sounds decent, I am wondering if you need much more than 2 days in Ushuaia though? I don’t know much about it other than it’s the hop-on point for a number of Antarctic cruises and Tierra del Fuego but my understanding is it’s very small so not sure other than the two things you mention , what there is to do (I will be there on Saturday for around half a day and can possibly give some more feedback then…) I would probably add a day in Buenos Aires instead. You will see - I presume - all the neighborhoods on your private tour and can decide if there are any you want to explore further, or you can look into some of the day trips they do from there. Montevideo seems a bit far but (we may see if we can book last minute) the day trips to Colonia del
Sacramento in Uruguay look pretty good to us. There are also day trips focusing on gauchos if that’s your thing. But last time we went we spent 5-6 days just in Buenos Aires and we were not bored at all.
If I went, I would definitely want to see the falls, and the penguins would be pretty high on my list. A friend is doing a Road Scholar trip there this December, and they offer an additional/add on trip to see the falls.
Thanks, that’s helpful feedback. We’ve allocated 3 days to Ushuaia as follows: 1 day for the penguin walking tour, 1 day to explore Tierra del Fuego National Park, and another as a buffer in case the penguin tour gets cancelled due to weather and needs to be rescheduled (which I’ve heard can happen). If the tour doesn’t need to be rescheduled, we’re thinking of doing a Beagle Channel cruise or just taking it easy and having a relaxed day.
It’s good to know there’s plenty to see in Buenos Aires! I haven’t researched that part of the trip as much yet.
We debated between the two destinations quite a bit, and honestly, we were torn. Ultimately, we figured that visiting the southernmost city in the world and walking among penguins would be a more unique experience, so we chose Ushuaia. The falls look spectacular, though, and we’ll be back to see them!
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