Itineraries for Your Trip to Buenos Aires
2 Days in Buenos Aires for First Timers
I first visited Buenos Aires as the prelude to a 6-month backpacking trip around South America. A few days in, I was hooked. Flash-forward several months, and I moved to the city to work as an English teacher, learn Spanish, and experience life as a porteño (local). The holiday romance soon became a full-blown love affair, as I fell for the city’s characterful barrios (neighborhoods), melting pot of cultures, and laid-back charm. Whether you’re visiting for a weekend or an entire summer, Buenos Aires welcomes you with open arms. Two days is enough time to fall in love with the city as I did, and this itinerary gives you a taste of all it has to offer.
Summer is sweltering, and most porteños escape for the coast—the best time for sightseeing is spring or fall.
If you only have time for one thing, make it a stroll around San Telmo’s atmospheric Sunday market.
A guided tour or hop-on hop-off bus is the most convenient way to see the central sights. Start at Plaza de Mayo, home to the Casa Rosada with Evita’s famous balcony and the Metropolitan Cathedral, the former church of Pope Francis. Then, continue along 9 de Julio Avenue, past the Obelisk and Colón Theatre, to browse the shops along Florida Avenue.
Discover two of Buenos Aires’ most atmospheric districts, San Telmo and La Boca. San Telmo is liveliest on market day (Sunday), when tango dancers and musicians provide live entertainment, but the old colonial buildings are beautiful any day. In La Boca, the star attractions are Alberto J. Armando Stadium, known as La Bomboner, and the colorfully painted houses along Caminito Street.
Continue sightseeing with a drive through the waterfront Puerto Madero district—the high-rise buildings and futuristic Puente de la Mujer bridge are impressive when illuminated at night. Sample Argentina’s world-famous steak for dinner at a traditional parrilla (steakhouse). Don Julio and Gran Parrilla del Plata have the best steaks in town if you want to splash out.
Start the day with breakfast at Cafe Tortoni, the oldest in the city—its facturas, or pastries, are delicious. Then explore Buenos Aires’ northern neighborhoods, Recoleta and Palermo. The leafy plazas and parks offer a perfect backdrop for a bike tour, taking in the Palermo Woods, Botanic Gardens, and Japanese Gardens, or you could explore Palermo’s growing street art scene.
Wander through the grand mausoleums of Recoleta Cemetery to find Evita’s grave before learning more about Argentina’s beloved political icon at Palermo’s Evita Museum. Close by, the MALBA museum is brimming with Latin American art, and it’s within walking distance of the Floralis Genérica statue. The flower sculpture closes its petals as the sun goes down, so time your arrival for sunset.
Celebrate your final night in Buenos Aires by watching a tango show. There are dozens of options, from small and intimate performances to big theater shows, and you can even join a tango class and try out some moves for yourself. For your last hurrah, head to the bar- and club-filled Palermo Soho—it’s the place to be after dark.
