Argentina is a beautiful and diverse country. You will find everything from mountains to beaches to jungle here.
If you’re looking for a gorgeous and diverse country with welcoming people and great food, look no further: Argentina is your place. The country is big, but this Ultimate Backpacking Guide to Argentina will help you pick the places you want to visit.
The guide below follows a route from north to south, with the described places color-coded as a must-visit, highly recommended, and if time permits. This route is ideal if you’re coming from Bolivia. If you’re coming from the southern coast of Brazil or Mato Grosso do Sul (southern Pantanal), you might want to start at Iguazu. If you’re coming from the South of Chile, turn the route around and start in Ushuaia. When coming from Uruguay or by international flight, start at Buenos Aires.
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Traveling Argentina - Tips & Tricks
Currency: The local currency is the Argentine peso. Due to the high inflation rate, two exchange rates exist: the official rate, charged by banks, and the unofficial rate, the blue rate. When getting cash out in banks, paying by card and looking up prices in other currencies online, you’ll get the official rate.
Getting cash out: I usually never recommend using agencies like Western Union or Azimo, but in Argentina, they are your best friend. They work with the blue rate, meaning you’ll get about double the pesos for your USD/Euro/etc. compared to the official rate (at the time of writing that is). When paying by card or taking out money from an ATM the banks will charge you the official rate so avoid this. Especially the ATMs as they charge you a very steep fee to take out your money on top. When paying a cash, a lot of companies give you a discount as well.
Whether Western Union or Azimo is best for you, depends on your currency and how much you want to send. Check them both and go with the most favorable one.
Check where they have pick-up locations and their opening hours as well. If you decide Azimo is best for you, you can use MARLOUV934M88 for a €5 voucher. And, as a last tip, don’t wait until the last moment! Due to their popularity, withdrawals are not always available and offices mentioned on the website are not always operating. In big cities, you generally won’t have a problem, but finding a Western Union with money in El Calafate was a struggle and in El Chalten impossible.
Transport: Argentina is huge and so are the distances between places of interest. Luckily places are well connected with busses and domestic flights. Busses are comfortable and it’s often possible to take an overnight bus, saving not only time but also money as you won’t need accommodation. To get an idea of schedules, check Busbud or Plataforma 10, but remember to buy your ticket at the terminal and pay in cash for the best price.
If the thought of spending 15, 24, or more hours on a bus scares you, have a look at domestic flights. When booked in advance, they can be cheaper than busses.
Food and Drink: Food in Argentina is amazing!! If you’re not vegetarian that is… Finding veggie food in big cities and touristic locations is easy, but in smaller, not so touristic towns it can be a struggle.
As most Argentinians are descendants of Italians, their food is Italian style. Pizzas, pastas, empanadas and meat. Lots and lots of tasty meat. You can’t leave Argentina without at least one Asado.
Argentina is also famous for its mate, a strong and bitter green tea, served in a special cup (a mate) and shared between friends, family, and anyone else who comes along. Argentine red wines are among my favorites, and they’re generally cheap too when bought in the supermarket. Lastly, Argentinians are big fans of Fernet and coke, a herbal liquor mixed with coca-cola. I can count the non-Argentinians who actually like this drink on one hand… But do give it a try, maybe you’ll become one of them.
North of Buenos Aires
Salta
The best thing about Salta are the surroundings. So team up with other backpackers and rent a car for a couple of days to explore the area around Salta. We rented one for 3 days, which was a good amount of time for the area south of Salta. You can also include the north and easily fill a week.
We found it hard to find a really nice hostel in Salta, most of them seemed so-so. We ended up staying at Ferienhaus, which was alright. But you don’t want to spend a lot of time in Salta itself anyway. Just a night or two to get organized and a group together (if you don’t already have one) and hit the road.
How to get to Salta
From Bolivia – You need to make your way to Villazon in Bolivia. The new terminal is about 30 minutes walking from customs, or take a taxi. Walk across the border to Quiaca and from here you can take a bus to Salta directly or go via Jujuy (more frequently. Spend a couple of nights in Jujuy, or continue on to Salta directly.
From Jujuy: There are direct bus services throughout the day, roughly every 2.5 hours, and the ride takes about 2 hours.
From San Pedro de Atacama, Chile – Transport is irregular, check at the busstation in San Pedro.
Mendoza
Mendoza is one of the most beautiful places in Argentina. Most people come here to drink wine and tour the vineyards (excellent choice), but if you have more time and your own transport, Mendoza has a lot more to offer. Explore mountain towns, go hiking in the Andes and swim in waterholes. Note that this isn’t a popular hiking destination for tourists like Patagonia and hiking trails aren’t as easily accessible/well marked. Inform yourself well and contract a guide if needed.
If you want to see mountains, but hiking here doesn’t seem that appealing, take a day-tour of the high Andes. You’ll have the opportunity to walk a little bit, but do note that most of the tour will be spent on the bus.
There are quite a few nice hostels in Mendoza. I stayed at Koala and Hostel Internacional. Both were nice, but I felt like Koala offered a bit more value for money.
How to get to Mendoza
From Salta: Busses go throughout the afternoon and evening and take 18+ hours.
From Santiago, Chile: Mendoza is 8 hours from Santiago in Chile. It’s a gorgeous bus ride through the mountains, so even though it’s 8 hours, I recommend going during the day. The border crossing is high up the mountains, so make sure to have a jacket at hand!
From Buenos Aires: Busses go throughout the afternoon and evening. Most companies take 14-15 hours to complete the journey.
Cordoba
Cordoba is a big student city in the north of Argentina. They say that Cordobeses (people from Cordoba) have the best accent in Argentina, so listen out for it. The area around Cordoba is beautiful but requires your own transport or a tour. As I didn’t find people to rent a car with and had limited time to spend in Cordoba, I took a tour to Valle de Punilla. It was a nice trip, but if you have limited time for Argentina, Córdoba could be a place to skip.
How to get to Cordoba
From Mendoza: There are direct bus services leaving in the morning and at night. The ride takes about 11 hours, so perfect for an overnight trip.
From Buenos Aires: Direct busses leave throughout the day. As the trip takes between 8.5 – 11.5 hours (depending on company and hour), I’d recommend going overnight.
Puerto Iguazu
Las Cataratas de Iguaza (Iguazu Falls, or Cataratas do Iguaçu in Portuguese) are by far the most beautiful and impressive waterfalls I’ve seen. I absolutely loved it, despite the immense amount of people here.
Note that part of the national park is in Argentina and part in Brazil, so in order to visit the whole park, you’ll need to cross a border. It’s the easiest way to cross from Brazil to Argentina. Make sure to plan at least 2 days to visit the park: a full day for the Argentinian side and half a day for the Brazilian. As you only need half a day for the Brazilian side, you can visit it while staying in Puerto Iguazu. If you’re not continuing on to Brazil from I here, I recommend this over going to Foz do Iguaçu. You’ll want as much time as possible on the Argentinian side. If you’re looking for a hostel, we really enjoyed our stay at Poramba hostel! Friendly staff, nice breakfast, comfy beds, close to the terminal, and a pool. 👍
How to get to Puerto Iguazu
From Brazil: Take a bus or flight down to Foz do Iguaçu. From here there are busses (or taxis) going to the national park and to the Argentinian border. There are lockers available at the park (for a fee), so you can take your stuff down to the park, leave it at a locker while you visit the Brazilian side, and pick it up before jumping on the bus to Argentina.
From Buenos Aires: If you book on time and outside of the main holiday season, a flight might work out about the same or just a little more than the bus (taking into account that you can pay in cash using the blue rate when taking the bus). As we went in January and went rather spontaneous, flights were expensive and we went by bus. The bus takes about 19 hours.
From Cordoba: It’s 22 hours on the bus or take a flight.
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the gigantic capital of Argentina. It has something to offer for anyone, so make sure to plan some time here. I recommend staying a few days in San Telmo to explore the older part of Buenos Aires and get a feel of the vibe here. Hostel America del Sur is one of the best hostels I stayed at. Friendly staff, comfy beds, social yet not a party place. I really enjoyed my stay here.
Do the free walking tours of the city center and Recoleta. If you’re here on a Sunday, check out the weekly open-air tango show at the square. You’ll see a lot of places offering ‘Tango dinners’, which in my opinion are expensive tourist traps. Take part in a free tango lesson at La Manzana instead. After the class, the venue turns into a Milonga and there will be time for free tango dancing, or just sit back, relax and watch the experts. Note that they might not offer this with covid restrictions in place.
La Costanera Sur is a great place to go for a stroll and to get a green break from the concrete jungle. Afterward, stop for a beer in Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires’ newest neighborhood.
After a few days in this part of the city, change things up and stay a few days in Palermo. This part is great for exploring the cafes, parks, and bars. I loved the eco-park and Bosques de Palermo. The Eco-park is a former zoo. Nearly all animals have been released, the ones that are still here (some monkeys and elephants) couldn’t get released. Other than these, you’ll see plenty of ducks and Maras wandering around the park.
Bosques de Palermo is a big park with lakes. Many people come here to do exercise and I’ve done my fair share of running loops here as well. The many drinking fountains spread around the park are a nice detail.
Make sure to do a day trip to the famous neighborhood of Boca as well. Note that Boca is one of the poorest areas in Buenos Aires, and outside of the touristic block and the stadium, it gets sketchy. It’s not recommended to wander off on your own.
How to get to Buenos Aires
International flights: If you’re starting your South American adventure in Argentina like I did, you’ll likely arrive in Buenos Airs. Buenos Aires is well connected with worldwide destinations. Note that in order to get from the Airport to the city, you have a few options in different price ranges, the bus being the cheapest. If you want something between a taxi and the bus, check out Tienda Leon. Note that Uber is illegal in Argentina, they do work, but are not able to enter the airport. So if you want to go by Uber, you’ll need to order them from outside the airport.
From Uruguay: Buenos Aires is just a 1h15 ferry ride away from Colonia, Uruguay. You can take a ferry from Montevideo as well, they just take a little longer. Check Buquebus or Colonia Express for schedules and prices.
From Cordoba: Buses leave throughout the day and take 9-10 hours. Make sure to plan your trip in such a way you’re arriving in Buenos Aires in daylight. Retiro is known to be a sketchy area, especially at night. Just make sure you at least look like you know what you’re doing and where you’re going and if you need to take a taxi and want to play it extra save, head to the Sheraton hotel across the park, in front of the train station and grab a taxi from there.
From Mendoza: Busses leave in the afternoon and evening and take 16+ hours.
Tigre
While in Buenos Aires, a day trip to Tigre is a must. Tigre is a town just north of Buenos Aires right. It’s the gateway to the Paraná river delta, so make sure to jump on a boat and explore a bit of this delta and the beautiful buildings on the riverside.
Before or after your boat tour, for a stroll around town and explore the market. Amongst locals, Tigre is famous for woodwork as well. Many come here to buy their wooden furniture.
How to get to Tigre
From Buenos Aires: Tigre can be reached by bus, regular train (Mitre line) and the touristic ‘train de la costa’. I recommend the regular train as it’s cheap and quick. Consider the Tren de la Costa if you want to include some other stops in your daytrip. If not, the price is not really worth it in my opinion. The bus is cheap as well, but takes a long time due to the traffic in Buenos Aires.
Villa Gesell
Villa Gesell offers a nice break from the city in summer. Mar del Plata is bigger and more well known as a beach location. It’s just another big city though and can be a little sketchy. Villa Gesell is a lot smaller and, in my opinion, nicer. It’s a popular destination with teenagers for a drinking holiday with friends, so you’ll see plenty of groups dragging their alcohol through town. We stayed a short walk out of the center and weren’t bothered by anything. Don’t expect tropical Brazilian beaches here, you’ll be disappointed. I wouldn’t say Villa Gesell is a must-visit in itself, but if you’ve spend a lot of time in cities/away from the beach and just want to get to the sea, it’s a nice place to spend a day or two.
How to get to Villa Gesell
From Buenos Aires: Avoid weekends as you can, as basically all of Buenos Aires wants a break from the city in summer. Traffic gets crazy and the trip can take up a whole day. Normally, the bus takes about 5 hours. You can try Blablacar as well, but it doesn’t seem as popular in Argentina as in other countries.
Patagonia and the lake district
Bariloche
Bariloche is a beautiful city in Argentina’s lake district. Enjoy the beautiful landscapes driving the route of 7 lakes, biking or hiking Circuito Chico and hiking Refugio Frey amongst many other options. This part of Argentina is famous for it’s trout and chocolate, so make sure to try them both while you’re here.
Book at least a night at Penthouse 1004, this hostel is located on the top floor of a tall building right in front of the lake, in the city center. The view is worth the extra pesos.
How to get to Bariloche
From Mendoza: The bus takes about 18 hours.
From Buenos Aires: The bus takes about 22 hours. When booked in advance, flights may work out cheaper.
El Bolson
El Bolson is a small hippie town just 2 hours south of Bariloche. Spend a couple of days here enjoying more mountain landscapes. Probably the most famous place to visit here is El Bosque Tallado (the carved forest). The sculptures are nice, but I enjoyed the hike further up Cerro Piltriquitron more. El Cajon del Azul is a nice day trip as well, and Cerro Amigo provides nice views over town.
The best thing about El Bolson is probably La Casona de Odile. Make sure to book here. It’s about 5 km out of town, but as most hikes require transport anyway, it doesn’t make much of a difference. If you need to get to town, there is a bus that goes to town every hour, or team up with fellow travelers in the hostel and share transport.
As nice as El Bolson is, if you’re short on time and need to skip a place in this part of the country, I’d skip El Bolson. Places like Bariloche and El Chalten offer equally beautiful, or more beautiful hikes and they are easier accessible from town.
How to get to El Bolson
From Bariloche: El Bolson is only about 2 hours away from Bariloche by bus. Transport is frequent throughout the day.
El Chalten
El Chalten was my favorite place in all of Argentina. There are plenty of hiking opportunities here, exploring beautiful mountains, lakes, and glaciers. The most famous hikes are Lago de Los 3 (Fitzroy) and Laguna Torre, but there is much more to see and do here! Make sure to plan at least one week here, maybe even two, you will not be disappointed. Bring your camping gear along to make the most out of your time here. If you won’t have an/don’t want to carry that much with you throughout your travels, you can rent here as well.
How to get to El Chalten
From El Bolson/Bariloche: At the time of writing, Marga Taqsa is the only one offering this route. The ride takes about 22.5 hours from El Bolson to El Chalten. As it’s a long therefore expensive bus ride, check Skyscanner for flights. A flight might not only be a lot quicker, if booked in advance, flying can also be cheaper. Do note that neither El Bolson nor El Chalten have an airport. You’ll need to travel back to Bariloche to catch a flight and you’ll arrive at El Calafate, about 2.5 hours from El Chalten.
El Calafate
El Calafate is famous for the glacier Perito Moreno. There is not much else to do here, so plan 1 full day here to visit the glacier and continue your journey.
How to get to El Calafate
From El Chalten: El Chalten is roughly 2.5 from El Calafate by bus. Transport is frequent throughout the day between these two touristy destinations. Check the schedule here.
From El Bolson/Bariloche: Take the same bus that passes by El Chalten, from Marga Taqsa. If you want to go straight to El Calafate, the ride takes about 25.5 hours from El Bolson to El Chalten. Add another 2 if coming from Bariloche.
Ushuaia
Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world, the gateway to Antarctica. Even though Antarctica will not fit most people’s budgets, Ushuaia does.
Here you can find more hiking, more glaciers, lakes, and mountains, but also penguins, sea lions, and the lighthouse at the end of the world’. It’s not quite the last lighthouse, but it sounds cool though.
As for places to stay, We loved our Airbnb! Carmen is an amazing host and the breakfast is super tasty as well. The room is simple, no-frills, but we didn’t need anything more as we were only there to sleep. It’s a little walk out of the center, meaning the area is quiet.
How to get to Ushuaia
From El Calafate/El Chalten: By now, you should be used to the long distances in Argentina already. It’s about 17 hours from El Calafate to Ushuaia. Note that you need to cross the Chilean border at some point.
From Chile: If you’ve finished your trip in Chile with a bang in Torres del Paine, you can go to Ushuaia from Puerto Nateles.
Other places to visit
Of course there are many more things to see in Argentina. But it’s all about making choices.
Jujuy is a beautiful area with an interesting culture that I skipped. I was in a rush to get back to Buenos Aires and work, so I took the bus directly to Salta. So I only saw this area from the bus. If you’re not in a rush, do make a stop here and explore the indigenous culture from this part of Argentina.
Iberá National Park was on my list as well. These wetlands are comparable with Pantanal. As they don’t really cater to backpackers, and it’s really hard to get to by public transport, I decided to skip it. It would be a long way to go, and expensive as I was traveling on my own, so no one to share rooms and taxis with.
Puerto Madryn is great for wildlife watching and famous for its sea lions, penguins, and orcas. I was mostly interested in Puerto Madryn for the orcas, but as it wasn’t the season, I skipped it. You can see penguins and sea lions in Ushuaia as well, so it wasn’t worth the detour for me.
Stopping in the town of Perito Moreno (not to be confused with the glacier located a few hundred km further south) makes sense when driving, in order to break up the long drive between El Bolson and El Chalten. Stay the night and visit la Cueva de Los Manos on your way further down. Busses that take offer ‘Route 40 transport’ pass by here as well. From what I’ve heard from people it’s not really worth the extra time and less comfortable busses though.
This was the Ultimate Backpacking Guide to Argentina
Enjoy your trip in this amazing country. In order not to make this article too long, I didn’t go in-depth much about the hikes in Patagonia and the Lake District. Click here for a much more detailed, one-month itinerary for this part of Argentina.
