Buenos Aires, also nicknamed “The Paris of South America” is a mesmerizing city that holds many travelers captive for much longer than they originally planned. With its interesting and distinct neighborhoods, diverse cultural experiences and a buzzing night life, this is not surprising. There is plenty to do in Buenos Aires to keep visitors entertained for quite a while. For those who don’t have unlimited time, a week is a good amount of time to spend here. With this itinerary for one week in Buenos Aires you will visit all the best that Buenos Aires has to offer and get a good overall feel of this city so many travelers fall in love with.
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission when you click on them, at no additional cost to you. It just helps to keep this site running. I only promote products and services I really recommend and always give my honest opinion about them.
Table of Contents - The perfect one week itinerary for Buenos Aires
How to get to Buenos Aires
Being the capital city of Argentina, Buenos Aires is very well connected by plane and bus with both domestic and international destinations.
International flights arrive at Ezeiza Airport, which is quite far from the city center. There is a direct bus (nr 8) to Plaza de Mayo though, in the center of Buenos Aires. Most domestic flights arrive at Aeroparque, which is close to the popular Palermo neighborhood. Aeroparque is also serviced by public transport.
The bus terminal is called Retiro and is close to the center. Right outside of the terminal, there are buses to various destinations across Buenos Aires. To get to the metro, you’ll need to walk a little further and pass the train station. Keep your wits with you, as Retiro is a poor neighborhood and not the safest. So pickpocketing and tricks to steal your stuff is not uncommon. Distracted tourists make for an easy target.
When to visit Buenos Aires
The best time of year to visit Buenos Aires is in spring or early autumn. Summers can get very hot and humid, and power cuts are common. The network can’t quite handle all the aircon’s working in the city, on top of the already high demand for electricity in this densely populated city. Winters in Buenos Aires are cold, gray, and rainy.
Where to stay in Buenos Aires
My favorite neighborhood in Buenos Aires to base myself in is Palermo. It’s green and hip and full of cool bars, cafés and restaurants to explore. If you’re looking for a neighborhood with a more authentic feel to it, San Telmo is your place. And if you don’t care too much about where you’re staying but want to have the easiest public transport connections, the Microcentro is the best place to stay for you.
Getting around Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires has an extensive public transport network, consisting of metros (Subte) and buses (collectives, also called “Bondi” in local slang). All the below-mentioned neighborhoods can easily be visited by public transport. I prefer using the Subte, as it’s quicker and easier to determine where you are and where you need to get off than the bus. But if there is no convenient connection with the Subte, buses are a great alternative. Google Maps works great to figure out the best way to get from A to B with public transport. Use it to figure out how to get to the places named in this Buenos Aires itinerary from your location.
You need a Sube card to be able to use public transport in Buenos Aires. You can buy these cards in metro stations, and many kioscos (kiosks) sell the card too. Once you buy your card, you need to charge it. You can charge it at the same place where you buy your card, at charging machines available in the metro stations (although they often don’t work), and any kiosco with a “Sube” sticker.
If you travel by metro, just scan your card at the gate to the platform(s), it’s a fixed fare. If you travel by bus, tell the bus driver where you’re going and they’ll enter the fare for you.
Uber is also a common way to get around and quite cheap. Note that Uber is technically not legal, and getting one to or from the airport can be challenging. But other than that there are no problems, and Ubers are widely available. Payments are in cash.
Paying for things in Buenos Aires
If you are planning a trip to Argentina, you will certainly have heard about the different exchange rates and most likely, you will be very confused about them. Don’t worry, this is normal.😉 In summary, the best way to pay in Argentina is with cash which you get from Western Union. Western Union will pay the Blue Rate, and for Euros even more than the Blue Rate.
You can also choose to exchange money. This exchange office is very good. They give you a rate very close to the Western Union one, but you don’t need to pay the fee. Plus, they always have money! Also for bigger amounts.
While it’s possible to pay by card in Argentina, the rate for card payments (MEP) is lower than the Blue Rate. It lies between the official and the Blue Rate and is about 10% lower than the Blue Rate. So while the differences between the official rate, MEP rate, and the Blue rate are not as big anymore as they used to be, paying 10% more on every payment does add up. It’s good to have your card as a backup in case you don’t have (enough) cash on you, but I wouldn’t plan to pay everything by card. With prices in Argentina approaching European prices for many things, this difference will probably add up to being more than you think.
Note that all of this is valid at the time of writing, while more stable than in the last few years, the economic situation in Argentina changes a lot, and it’s always wise to check the current situation, for example in Facebook groups like this one.
The perfect one week itinerary for Buenos Aires
In this itinerary for Buenos Aires I will give you suggestions per weekday instead of per day of visit. This is because several attractions and parks are closed on Mondays. Other things occur one day a week and a lot of places get super crowded during the weekend. Of course, you can change the days around as you please but do keep this in mind and double-check opening hours if you swop things around.
Friday
If you arrive in time, start your week in Buenos Aires with a free walking tour of the city center at 3 pm. It’s a great introduction to the city. While you’re in the center anyway, you could grab a pizza at El Cuartito or Pizzería Güerrín, two of Buenos Aires’ best pizzarias. In the evening, why not go for a free tango class at Manzana de las Luces if they offer them.
Saturday
If you loved the free walking tour of the city center, you’ll love the Recoleta tour as well. This tour leaves in the morning, so after the tour has finished, you’ll have plenty of time to visit the cemetary. Most foreigners will only know the Recoleta Cemetary because Eva “Evita” Peron is buried here, but many more famous Argentinians have been buried in Recoleta. If you want to know more, you can join a guided tour. But you can also wander around on your own and admire the many beautiful mausoleums.
If you still have time and enery after the tour and cemetary, you can visit one of the musea found in Recoleta, like the Museo de Bellas Artes for example. Musea not your thing? There is a market in front of the cultural center during the weekends and the cultural center itself is also open to the public (and has toilets).
In the evening, head to Palermo, San Telmo, or Puerto Madero for a drink. Palermo is my personal favorite, with many cool bars offering good beers and other drinks. Puerto Madero is a nice place too, with many upscale bars and restaurants along the esplanade and with views over the many tall office buildings. San Telmo has a more authentic feel to it, if that’s what you’re after but do be careful here at night, as it’s not as safe as Palermo or Puerto Madero.
Sunday
Sunday is the perfect day to check out the San Telmo neighborhood, with its huge market selling all kinds of souvenirs, handicrafts, and antiques. The very center of the market is Plaza Dorrego, where you will often find people dancing Tango as well. Around the square are many bars and restaurants to go for a drink or food while watching all the hustle and bustle. If you prefer an indoor place, check out the San Telmo Market. It gets very crowded here, so be prepared for that. But there are many places to grab something to eat or drink.
Before or after checking out San Telmo, head to the neighboring neighborhood of La Boca, one of the most iconic neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. Note that only a small part of La Boca is interesting for tourists, and this part has been completely exploited. But, it is where the iconic colorful houses are located, and the stadium of La Boca, Buenos Aires’ popular soccer club. Since you’ll only want to visit a small section of La Boca, the rest is not very interesting and also relatively unsafe, it’s very easy to combine your visit with that of San Telmo, without feeling rushed.
Monday
Let’s get a little further away from the crowds and visit El Tigre today. El Tigre is a suburb in the north of Buenos Aires, although it feels more like a different town. It is the gateway to the wetlands, and the best way to explore El Tigre is by joining a boat tour. There are several companies offering boat rides from about 1-1.5 hour or longer ones. Prices and schedules vary, so ask around at the dock and pick the one that suits you best.
Besides exploring the delta by boat, you can also walk along the river and go souvenir shopping at Puerto de las Frutas (the fruit port). There is an art museum in El Tigre as well, but it’s closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and only open in the afternoon on other days. So if you’re interested in visiting this museum, visit on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday (El Tigre gets very crowded in the weekend).
In the evening, head to La Bomba del tiempo. La Bomba del Tiempo is a concert held by an amazing drum band every Monday night. Every show is different as they improvise and work with a different guest every time. An absolute must on every Buenos Aires itinerary.
Tuesday
If the weather is nice today, explore the parks of Palermo. Palermo is home to many parks, my two favorites being Bosques de Palermo and Ecoparque. Bosques de Palermo, officially called Tres de Febrero, is the biggest one. Many locals come here to run, bike, rollerblade or drink mates. There is a rose garden and the park houses a big lake with many ducks and geese. Don’t feel like walking much? Rent a pedelo and paddle around on the lake for a while. Bosques de Palermo is the perfect spot for a picnic, so grab some delicious empanadas from one of the many Empanada shops in Palermo on the way.
I also really love wandering around Ecoparque, a former zoo. This park is home to many interesting animals, like ducks, peacocks, southern screamers (big grey birds), maras (native rodents), and river rats. These animals roam around freely in the park. Most zoo animals have been set free or moved to more suitable places. The enclosures in this zoo were very small. Unfortunately, some animals could not be moved to a new home, so some remain. These enclosures have signs, explaining why the animals could not be moved. In the case of the giraffes for example it’s due to their size, and the camel can’t be moved or released due to its age.
If you’re looking for more parks to visit in Palermo, also check out the botanical garden and/or the Japanese Garden. The Japanese garden is the only one for which you need to pay, the other parks are accessible for free.
As for dinner, you’ll find the best Parilla in Buenos Aires, Don Julio, here in Palermo. Not quite your kind of place? Don’t worry, there are many more parillas with more accessible prices and which don’t require a reservation. Estacion Villa Crespo in the neighboring Villa Crespo neighborhood is a great option for example.
Wednesday
The last place that cannot miss on any Buenos Aires itinerary is Puerto Madero. Puerto Madero is Buenos Aires’ newest and most modern neighborhood. Here you’ll find many tall office buildings, fancy hotels and upscale restaurants. But besides these buildings, you will also find La Reserva Ecologica (the ecological reserve). A huge green wetland area with many paths and lots of birds. A great place to go for a stroll and escape the chaos of the city for a while.
Thursday
Enjoy your last day in Buenos Aires by going back to your favorite area. Maybe you want to visit another museum in Recoleta, or go for another stroll or picnic in one of Palermo’s parks. Or choose to visit another, less touristic, neighborhood like Belgrano or Villa Crespo.
This was The perfect one week itinerary for Buenos Aires
If you’ve fallen in love with this city and want to spend more time here, there are many more things to do in Buenos Aires to fill your days. There are countless bars, cafes, and restaurants to explore and foods to try in Buenos Aires. There are also many more neighborhoods that are interesting to explore if you’re staying longer. Is Buenos Aires your starting point in South America and you don’t speak Spanish yet? There are plenty of language schools where you can learn Spanish while further exploring this buzzing capital city. For further help with your Spanish, there are also lots of language exchange programs available where you can not only practice your Spanish but also make new local and foreign friends.