South America
Argentina
From the tango halls of Buenos Aires to the granite spires of Patagonia.
Argentina is huge, so plan around long-distance buses or a couple of domestic flights. Buenos Aires deserves a week on its own, and the wine country around Mendoza is an easy detour.
In the south, El Chaltén is the hiking capital of the country, with free trails straight from town to the foot of Fitz Roy.
Good to know
- Time zone
- GMT-3
- Plugs
- Types C and I, 220V
- Emergency numbers
- 911 police, 107 ambulance
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Traffic drives on the
- Right
- Tipping
- Leave around 10% in restaurants, in cash if you can, as it rarely goes on the card.
- SIM cards
- Personal, Claro and Movistar SIMs cost a few thousand pesos, with a month of data for around 10,000 pesos.
When to go to Argentina
Best months to go: November to March. Pick a month to see what it’s like.
Bars show rainfall; numbers are the average daytime high. Amber marks the best months to go.
September
Spring in Buenos Aires, with jacarandas coming soon.
- Daytime high
- 19°C
- Rainfall
- 70 mm
- Crowds
- Quiet
| Month | Daytime high | Rainfall | Crowds | Best time to go |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30°C | 120 mm | Peak season | Yes |
| February | 29°C | 115 mm | Peak season | Yes |
| March | 26°C | 130 mm | Busy | Yes |
| April | 23°C | 90 mm | Quiet | No |
| May | 19°C | 80 mm | Quiet | No |
| June | 16°C | 60 mm | Quiet | No |
| July | 15°C | 60 mm | Busy | No |
| August | 17°C | 65 mm | Quiet | No |
| September | 19°C | 70 mm | Quiet | No |
| October | 22°C | 120 mm | Quiet | No |
| November | 26°C | 110 mm | Busy | Yes |
| December | 28°C | 100 mm | Peak season | Yes |
What Argentina costs
Work out a budget for your trip, then check what everyday things cost.
$560for 14 days, about $40 a day (ARS 840,000 in total)
| Cost | Per day | For the trip | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | $14 | $196 | |
| Food and drink | $12 | $168 | |
| Getting around | $7 | $98 | |
| Things to do | $4 | $56 | |
| Everything else | $3 | $42 |
Per person, in US dollars. Flights and insurance not included.
What things cost
- Empanada from a bakeryARS 2,000, about $1.33
- Choripán from a street grillARS 6,000, about $4
- Coffee and three medialunasARS 5,500, about $3.67
- Pint of craft beerARS 5,000, about $3.33
- Bife de chorizo at a parrillaARS 22,000, about $15
- Hostel dorm bedARS 22,000, about $15
- Subte ride in Buenos AiresARS 1,300, about $0.87
- Overnight bus, Buenos Aires to MendozaARS 90,000, about $60
Routes through Argentina
Where to go and how long to stay, for the time you’ve got.
14 nights, 4 stops
Buenos Aires, the falls and a taste of Patagonia, linked by two domestic flights.
Buenos Aires
4 nights
Steak, tango in San Telmo and late nights in Palermo.
Puerto Iguazú
2 nights
Walk the catwalks right up to the Devil’s Throat.
El Calafate
3 nights
Watch the Perito Moreno glacier calve into the lake.
El Chaltén
5 nights
Free trails from town to Laguna de los Tres and Fitz Roy.
Getting around
Bus
$40–90 for a long overnight trip
Long-distance coaches are comfortable. Pay a little more for a cama seat that reclines almost flat.
Flight
$40–120 one way
Aerolíneas Argentinas, Flybondi and JetSMART save you days getting to Patagonia.
Private car
$40–70 a day to hire
Worth it in the north-west and on the Ruta 40, where buses are rare. Split it between four.
Ferry
$30–60 one way
Buquebus and Colonia Express cross the River Plate to Uruguay in about an hour.
What to eat and drink
Asado
A slow barbecue of beef, sausages and offal, usually on a Sunday.
ARS 22,000, about $15
Empanadas
Baked pastries filled with beef, cheese or humita. Each region swears theirs is best.
ARS 2,000, about $1.33
Choripán
Grilled chorizo in bread with chimichurri, sold at football grounds and roadsides.
ARS 6,000, about $4
Milanesa
A thin breaded steak, often served a caballo with a fried egg on top.
ARS 12,000, about $8
Mate
Bitter herbal tea sipped through a metal straw and passed around the group.
Malbec
Mendoza’s red wine, good and cheap even in the supermarket.
ARS 8,000, about $5.33
Say it like a local
A few words go a long way. Tap “Hear it” to listen, where your browser can.
Hi, all good?
Hola, ¿todo bien?
Say it like: oh-la, toh-doh byen
Hey, mate
Che
Say it like: cheh
Thank you
Gracias
Say it like: grah-syass
How much is it?
¿Cuánto sale?
Say it like: kwan-toh sah-leh
OK, sure
Dale
Say it like: dah-leh
The bill, please
La cuenta, por favor
Say it like: la kwen-ta por fa-vor
Brilliant
¡Bárbaro!
Say it like: bar-ba-roh
Cheers!
¡Salud!
Say it like: sah-lood
Questions travellers ask
Should I bring US dollars?
Bring a few hundred in clean, new notes as a backup. Card payments now get close to the market rate, but the peso moves fast, so check the latest before you go.
Is Argentina still cheap?
Less than it was. Prices rose sharply in 2024 and 2025, and Patagonia is expensive, but steak, wine and buses are still good value.
When do people eat?
Late. Restaurants fill up from 9 or 10pm, and clubs in Buenos Aires do not get going until 2am.
Do I need to book Patagonia in advance?
In December to February, yes. Book beds in El Chaltén and El Calafate a few weeks ahead, and the W Trek across the border in Chile months ahead.
How do I pay for the Subte and city buses?
Buy a SUBE card at a kiosk and top it up. It works on buses and trains across Buenos Aires and in several other cities.