Following a backpacking trip in Patagonia with friends, we decided to spend a few days in Buenos Aires before heading home. It was a fun 3 days!
General Planning/Info:
- We booked our lodging on our own (splitting the group between two hotels near each other), and booked our own restaurant reservations. However, because we were a group of 14, we hired MK Travel Consultants to help us with the transportation and a day of general sightseeing. They handled our airport transfers and arranged for a full-day Buenos Aires tour (details below). They can arrange pretty much any activity (polo, tango lessons, delta tours, etc) and do hotels and restaurant reservations if desired, but we planned activities other than the city tour on our own. We highly recommend them, and highly recommend requesting Connie as a guide! MK Travel Contact Info: Peter, MK Travel Consultants, monicaknull@usa.net. Mobile / Whatsapp + 54 – 911 – 5302 – 3702
General Notes:
- Whatsapp is the best way to contact restaurants, book tickets, etc.
- Aerolineas Argentinas is famous for modifying, rescheduling flights, and even switching airports. And they often don’t let you know. Make sure to continually check your reservation status. We were scheduled to fly into the international airport (EZE) and checked the day before our flight, finding out it had changed to arrive at the domestic airport (AEP) instead!
- Do not wear nice jewelry, especially Rolex watches, and keep your valuables secure. We didn’t feel unsafe, but we’ve heard stories of theft.
- Never leave your phone on a table and be careful using it when walking around – it can easily get nabbed. Again, we didn’t experience this, but were warned often about it.
- Ubers are really cheap and are a great way to get around town.
- Stores and restaurants open late! Some coffee cafes don’t open until 8am, most bars don’t open until 8pm, and restaurants don’t fill up for dinner until around 9pm. Many stores are not open in the morning, and are closed often in the early afternoon!
- We were able to use credit cards for everything.
3 Day Itinerary
Arrival Day:
We arrived in the late afternoon at the domestic airport (AEP) and were met by MK/Peter. It was a short drive to the Recoleta neighborhood where we settled into our hotels (our group of 14 divided up into 2 hotels, 4 blocks from one another: Mio Recoleta and SuMa Recoleta) We stressed a lot about whether to stay in Recoleta or Palemo Soho neighborhoods (sort of like choosing between the Upper East Side and the Village in NYC) and we were very happy in Recoleta. It had lots of shopping, restaurants, and bars and was centrally located to neighborhoods both north and south. It’s also close to the major parks for those who wanted to run in the morning.
We tried to have drinks at Presidente, a bar in Recoleta but it didn’t open until 8pm! Yes, everything happens later in Buenos Aires. We had dinner at La Parrilla la Canita, a ‘where the locals go’ spot recommended by a friend. It was in the Palermo Hollywood neighborhood and we enjoyed grilled meats, a tortilla (a kind of frittata), ravioli, chicken provencal and parmesan, and lots of salads and wine. We ate outside on the street which was nice, but noisy being on a bus route. Everyone enjoyed the variety of food available – we hadn’t found much chicken before here – and it was our least expensive meal by a long shot!
Day 1:
Today was our all-day city tour. Our guide Connie (LOVED her!) picked us up with a driver and we explored many of the neighborhoods and sights of Buenos Aires, learning so much as we toured:
- The Avenida 9 de Julio & The Obelisco: the major thoroughfare in the center of town. The Obelisco is the icon of Buenos Aires and commemorates the quadricentennial of the first foundation of the city.
- Plaza de Mayo, which includes the Casa Rosada: where the Argentine President works and the Metropolitan Cathedral: where Pope Francis was Archbishop.
- La Boca: Brightly colored neighborhood near the Port and home to the famous football team, Boca Juniors.
- San Telmo: One of the oldest neighborhoods and a group favorite. We had lunch at the Mercado – a large indoor market that sells food and has various restaurants and antique shops.
- Puerto Madero: A revamped dockside area with upscale skyscrapers and a Calatrava bridge.
- Palermo Chico: Area with a lot of fancy mansions and embassies.
- Recoleta Cemetery: We did a walking tour of this famous cemetery that contains 4,800 vaults and mausoleums and is a kind of open-air museum. More than 20 presidents, 25 city mayors, 40 governors, Nobel prize winners, writers, politicians, engineers, and Eva Peron are buried here.
- Rapanui: Our tour ended at this iconic ice cream shop. Argentinians love their ice cream, and it is GOOD! We may have visited here a few more times during our stay…!
Before dinner a few people visited a speakeasy called Floria Atlantico. Hidden away in a floral shop, you enter the stairs to the bar via a refrigerator door. This was a fun bar with vintage decor and great mixologists, and was voted one of the best 50 bars in the world.
Dinner was at the famous Don Julio Parrilla! Be sure to make reservations ahead as it’s really popular…for a reason! In the Palermo neighborhood, this steak house didn’t disappoint. We sat outside, were greeted with champagne and empanadas when we checked in, and had everyone’s favorite steak of the trip. The veggie sides, salads, and fries were also good.
Day 2:
This was our first of two free days and the group divided and conquered based on interests. People both walked and/or Ubered to these spots. Options enjoyed included:
- Uruguay: One group took an hour ferry ride across the Rio de la Plata to Colonia de Sacramento in Uruguay, a UNESCO site and one of the oldest towns in Uruguay, founded in the late 1600’s by the Portuguese. We spent a few hours walking around, having lunch and ice cream, hiking to the top of the lighthouse, and visiting a few of the museums. It was a very worthwhile trip.
- Palermo Soho: A few people strolled this neighborhood, shopped, and stopped for a pizza lunch at a local spot.
- El Ateneo Grand Splendid Bookstore: Everyone loved visiting this bookstore, located in a former theatre. It is one of the world’s most beautiful bookstores and has a great record album collection downstairs.
- Museo de Arte Decorativo: Housed in the former residence of a wealthy family, this museum blends art and history allowing an insight into how this family used to live in the early 1900’s.
Dinner was at Fervor, a classic Argentinian restaurant in the Recoleta neighborhood. We needed a night off of red meat, and this restaurant offered grilled fish, chicken, great salads, and of course french fries. We over-ordered, but the service was plentiful and they made sure we were done in time to get picked up to go to the tango show at El Viejo Almacen. The show ticket (we booked through WhatsApp contact) included transport there and back and two drinks. The show started at 10, which was a little late for our group (!), and it lasted about an hour and a half, which was about an hour longer than we’d have liked, but we couldn’t leave Buenos Aires without seeing tango!
Day 3:
Another free day with many activities, including:
- Teatro Colon: The Teatro Colón is a historic opera house and is considered one of the ten best opera houses in the world by National Geographic. There are tours every 15 minutes and everyone enjoyed their visit – even taking the tour in Spanish! Get tickets ahead of time as they do sell out.
- MALBA Museum: The Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires is a prominent museum dedicated to Latin American art from the early 20th century to the present. It displayed the most modern art of the city’s museums and had a nice collection of Frida Kahlo and Diego Riviera.
- San Telmo: Some went back to this neighborhood to walk around and have lunch at the Mercado, and to shop the streets around the market.
- Teatro Colon Fabrica: This unique space back in the Boca neighborhood features the great productions that were created for the Teatro Colon: costumes, scenographies, wigs, shoes, and special effects.
Cafe culture and ice cream is a big part of life in Buenos Aires. We recommend:
- Josphina’s Cafe: A few blocks from the SuMa hotel in Recoleta, we sat outside at this cafe on a quaint corner and had breakfast, lunch, coffees, etc.
- La Biela Recoleta: This historic cafe has been a staple of the city since 1850. With indoor and outdoor dining, this cafe is open all day. The huge ficus tree outside has sprawled there for over a century.
- Rapanui: Various locations around the city known for its chocolates and ice creams. We stopped here daily for ice cream.
We had a full day of activity since all of our departures back to the US left around 10pm from the International Airport (EZE). We left Buenos Aires 4 hours ahead of our flight time since it was over an hour drive to the airport and we were advised to arrive 3 hours ahead of our flight time. It was a process getting through immigration and security and we had plenty of time.
