Buenos Aires Tours
Discover The City of New Beginnings
Buenos Aires Tours
Take a trip to the elegant solid jungle of the South and meet the descendants of the Great Immigration with our favorite Buenos Aires tours. Trips to Buenos Aires include history, nature, culture, and of course, Tango.
FAQs
How many days it is recommend to stay in Buenos Aires?
That depends on your interest in the cities, their history, and their culture. Buenos Aires really never sleeps, there is always something to do. Bicycle tours, walking tours, museums, theaters, cinemas, bookstores, cafes, shows and more. It´s recommended at least 3 nights in Buenos Aires, and the best is to stay some nights at the beginning of your trip and one night in the end.
Is it safe to travel alone in the city by public transportation?
Yes, and it is very easy. You only need a “Sube” card, which can be bought in the subway stations or in some “Kioskos”, you load the money you want and you can use it for the internal buses of the city, the subway, and the urban trains.
What should I pack to visit the city?
It depends on the time of year you visit us Buenos Aires since it . Buenos Aires is close to the river, so it is a city with humidity. This means that in summer it is hot and in winter it is cold, despite the degrees that it is, the humidity intensifies the temperature. For the summer it is best to have light clothes, comfortable shoes, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. For the winter it is best to have warm clothes, a raincoat and comfortable shoes. There will be nights where you will want to dress a little better, but it is not necessary to have formal clothes for any restaurant or for the tango show.
Is it safe to go out at night in Buenos Aires?
As in every big city, you have to be careful, but of course, you can go out! The fashionable area to go out at night is Palermo, there is a great variety of restaurants, bars of handmade beer or designer cocktails.
What are the most popular neighborhoods in Buenos Aires?
The trendy neighborhoods and where people use to go out are Palermo and Recoleta. If you want to be in a more historical area, the best would be San Telmo or downtown, near Obelisco and Av. Corrientes.
Should I go to a tango show or to a milonga (dance hall)?
They are different experiences and both are worthy, they complement each other perfectly. The tango show is like going to see a play at the theater (you’ll enjoy the orchestra, the dancers, the costumes), plus you can have dinner there and the food of excellent quality. Another day you can schedule a visit to a “milonga”, where the locals dance tango, they are different milongas running on different days of the week so you need to make a little research there. In a milonga, you’ll see regular people dancing tango, have dinner (nothing too fancy) or a drink, dance with locals and other foreigners and even take a class if you want!
What to do on a Buenos Aires trip?
Famously called the ‘Paris of South America’, Buenos Aires was founded by the Spanish Crown in 1580. The region was originally home to the Querandies, a community of great runners that used to run and hunt deers and guanacos. Buenos Aires sits on the coast of Río de la Plata, the widest in the world. If you cross this immense river it will take you 1 hour to reach the other coast in Uruguay! The city was named after a virgin, Nuestra Señora del Buen Aire, who accompanied the first Spanish explorers.
Today, Buenos Aires has a vibrant cultural life, museums, galleries and theaters, and a busy nightlife that awakes early in the evenings and finishes late in the first morning hours. This is a South American capital city of contrasts where the districts of La Boca, Palermo and Recoleta all offer their own insight, each being known for either a culture, food and nightlife. Buenos Aires was recently declared a “prepared destination” by the WTTC (World Tourism Travel Council) and features many open circuits to discover the different barrios of the city.
Types of Buenos Aires tours
Destinations to combine with tours in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the best-connected destination of Argentina, making it one of the most popular trip destinations in South America. It has the biggest international airport, train and bus station with the largest frequency. The port is also frequented by cruises and has weekly departures to Uruguay where you can also enjoy day trips from Buenos Aires.
El Calafate
Located on the shore of Argentino Lake, El Calafate is the perfect destination to start a trip through Patagonia. The word “calafate” comes from a little bush with yellow flowers and dark blue berries that is pretty easy to find in this region. El Calafate is home to giant glaciers and isolated ranches where gaucho culture can be appreciated. It is also the perfect destination for outdoorsy travelers who enjoy hiking, horseback riding or navigate lakes and rivers. Most travelers come to El Calafate to see the famous Perito Moreno Glacier and navigate to its icy walls. You can even walk over the glacier in special mini trekking! From El Calafate, El Chaltén, another hiker’s paradise can be easily reached.
Iguazú Falls
Iguazú Falls are located between the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná. These magical falls were named Natural World Heritage in 1984 and one of the Seven Natural World Wonders in 2011. It features 250 waterfalls, and the widest is the Devil’s Throat (82 meters high). Iguazú Falls is the most international destination of Argentina and can be visited all year round. The falls are shared by three countries: Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina. Both Brazil and Argentina have National Parks devoted to them, and they are sufficiently different in character to each merit a visit. Waterfalls are always a somewhat magical phenomenon and make every hike a little more special than just walking on a trail. However, when you have some of the largest waterfalls in the world placed in a tropical jungle climate, the phenomenon takes on a whole different level of incredible. That is what it is like to experience Iguazu Falls.
Iberá Wetlands
The Iberá Wetlands are among the last natural paradises on earth. Found to the south of Iguazu Falls, Esteros de Iberá is the second-largest wetlands in the world and is also one of the biggest freshwater reservoirs on the continent. This nature reserve covers over 5000 mi² of marsh with over 60 lakes. These marshlands offer one of the best spots for a nature-lover’s Argentina vacation. With an overwhelming variety of species, including more than 300 species of birds, Ibera is one of the best destinations for people looking to get a little bit closer to Argentine wildlife. Here, visitors can get face to face with caimans, capybaras, swamp deer, pampas deer, howler monkeys, giant otters, anacondas, greater rheas and over 350 species of birds that can be easily spotted.
Mendoza
Argentina is world-known for its “asado” and its delicious Malbec wine! Mendoza is the capital of the wine country and a destination for food enthusiasts and sybarites. Visit Mendoza and discover beautiful vineyards, wineries of all types and shapes and enjoy adventure tours like horseback riding and white water rafting. Mendoza’s best wine-growing region is situated 4,000 feet high in the Andes, making it one of the highest altitude wine regions in the world. Due to the high altitude and low humidity of the main wine-producing regions, organic wines can be easily produced in Argentina.
Northern Argentina
Northern Argentina features completely different landscapes from Patagonia and Iguazú. Travelers come to the north to wander the Calchaquí Valleys, visit the Humahuaca Gorge, declared a UNESCO World Heritage, and taste the delicious torrontés wine in Cafayate, the second wine-producing region after Mendoza. Salta is the starting point for most of the trips to this destination but it is easily combined with Jujuy. The Great Salt Flats, the Seven Color Hill and the craft markets of the isolated villages are also highlights of the region.
Ushuaia
Nicknamed the “End of the World”, Ushuaia sits south of the Tierra del Fuego island and at the shore of the Beagle Channel. When Europeans set foot on these lands, marveled by the many fires made by the inhabitants of the region, the Yamanas, a community of superb fishermen and sailors that were the first to navigate through the channel and lakes in their canoes. Today, in Ushuaia, there are museums dedicated to the story of the Yamanas, and tours to visit remains of some former settlements. Ushuaia, founded as an Anglican mission and then known to feature the most southern Prison in Argentina, focuses on tourism as its main activity. Then there’s the unmistakable Tierra del Fuego National Park too, a visual spectacle of mirror-like lakes, imposing mountain peaks and alluring native forest reserves ready to explore. Every year is visited by travelers seeking to discover the amazing nature and wildlife of Patagonia.
Tango in Buenos Aires
Any tour in Buenos Aires would be remiss to not include a good deal about the city’s primary cultural contribution — the sultry combination of music and dance known as the Tango. The dance’s sensual movements build on hypnotic rhythms and nostalgic lyrics (when sung) to create a truly unforgettable experience.
Where to find Tango dancers on the streets?
Exploring the history of Tango is very much like exploring the history of Buenos Aires itself. Tango is a product of many different cultural influences (Spanish, Italian, French, African and Eastern European), having been developed in the crowded streets of the immigrant barrios La Boca and San Telmo. It can still be found there: in quite spontaneous ways in San Telmo’s Plaza Dorrego (particularly on a Sunday afternoon), and in a more touristy, semi-professional manner in La Boca. This is the best manner to first encounter the dance and music, for it recreates some of the flavors of the movement’s early period.
Professional Tango & Tango show in Buenos Aires
Tango gradually became a cultural export of Buenos Aires, and this professionalization soon became very popular throughout the world. It was still a while before the Argentine elite would completely accept it, but already the phenomenon of a Tango show was born. Today’s shows bear quite a lot of similarities with those first ones. It is difficult to venture through central Buenos Aires without being invited to one. Given the enormous variety of options, prices and quality, it is a good idea to go with some advice. Say Hueque has carefully chosen for its tours to Buenos Aires, some favorite places in the city to appreciate Tango performances based on the quality of the food, the show, the price, and the historical significance.
Where to learn the Tango & Tango dance halls in Buenos Aires
Tango was never meant only to be watched but danced. Some take a tour of Buenos Aires with the sole aim of learning the dance, but in reality, any time dedicated to it will guarantee to be a memorable, perhaps intoxicating experience. There are an immense number of dance halls or milongas in Buenos Aires that offer very different types of ambiance and style. Venture to places like the beginner-friendly La Viruta, which holds a nightly milonga (tango dance hall) and lessons. A milonga with a more advanced clientele includes the Salon Canning. This is just the tip of the iceberg—there are venues that feature electronic-infused versions, as well as ones devoted to gay and lesbian pairs.
Tango taxi dancer experience
The city’s tourism industry offers some very convenient ways to enjoy the Buenos Aires Tango, from the ‘TangotaxiDancers’ service, which provides dancing partners of both sexes and at every ability level, to guided Milonga tours and, of course, a Buenos Aires Tango Show. For those interested in learning more, there is also a Tango Afternoon—which includes a visit to the city’s Tango spots (like the Tango Museum on Avenida de Mayo) and introduces its key figures (such as Carlos Gardel—the godfather of Tango, his cheeky smile beneath a fedora is hard to miss). It also includes thorough group lessons and finishes in Café Tortoni.
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