Buenos Aires! My favourite city in South America and after spending several days there this is what I suggest for things to do in Buenos Aires to get the best out of the city.
There’s plenty of other things to do in Buenos Aires, such as the parks and museums, but this list will definitely be some of the best options for you.
It’s all about personal taste. If you love museums then hit those up as well. Personally, I love walking in cities and exploring neighbourhoods. A good barbecue with friends and a street performance of the tango are some of the best memories from Buenos Aires.
Explore La Boca and El Caminito Road
The El Boca neighbourhood of Buenos Aires is a trendy area of art galleries and an alternative kind of vibe.
The El Caminito Street is a great street to stroll down and take in the colourful murals, bars, cafes, and tango dancing places.
It’s the kind of neighbourhood that’s great for walking around, relaxing at a cafe/bar, and just taking in the atmosphere.
The famed Boca Juniors football stadium is located there and if you are a football fan is the place to be!
Dance The Tango
The tango, the most famous of Argentinian dances. And where better than to dance the tango, or give it a try, than Buenos Aires.
There are numerous places where you can see a tango performance all over Buenos Aires (Corrientes Avenue, see further down the article) and you may even catch some people dancing on the streets.
Here’s a short video of a tango dance in the El Caminito area:
You can see book to see a performance of the tango and have an optional dinner with it.
To try learning the tango you can book a private 1 hour tango lesson.
Seeing the tango and giving it a try is one of the best things to do in Buenos Aires.
San Telmo
The San Telmo neighbourhood is one of the best areas for strolling along the cute cobblestone streets with old colonial-era houses where plenty of cafes await to relax for a break before taking in the boutique shopping opportunities.
This is also a good place to go at night for the tango clubs and the Independencia Street has plenty of nightclub opportunities for you.
Argentinian Beef and Wine
Ok, this one is obviously not for you if you don’t like meat, but for those that do Argentina is famous for its beef and a typical Argentine barbecue can not be missed.
I don’t eat much meat but when an opportunity arises to try some of the best in the world I’m always game! The first night in Buenos Aires I was invited to a barbecue with some friends there and it’s easily amongst some of the best meat I’ve ever tried.
A typical place where you can find beef is called a ‘parrilla’ and there are many in Buenos Aires. The San Telmo area mentioned before has many.
Recoleta Cemetery
The Recoleta Cemetery is where many of Argentina’s political elites and other notables of the countries history are laid to rest, such as Eva Perón.
But the main reason to visit this necropolis in Buenos Aires is for the architectural delights to be seen amongst the mausoleums.
It’s free to enter and open early morning until 6 in the evening.
Colón Theater (Go To The Opera)
I’ll admit I’m not personally a big fan of the opera but Buenos Aires has an amazing opera house and is world re-known for great opera singers visiting and performing there.
So even if you’re not into it it’s worth going to see a performance as an experience. You can go just to have a tour without seeing a performance as well just to look at the grandiose inside filled with marble staircases and mosaics, etc.
There’s a good Buenos Aires walking tour that includes Colon Theatre and museums that you can do.
Palermo Hippodrome (Horse Races)
Ah yes, horse racing. I’ll say first of all the first horse races I ever saw were in Buenos Aires and were a lot of fun.
But most of the fun wasn’t in the actual horse races themselves but in the characters that you can meet there. Many older men gather at the race track to socialize and bet on the horses and just meeting them was the highlight for me and the races were interesting as well.
Now I’m not a gambler and have never bet on sports etc but as I had listened to these men for an hour or so talking me passionately through it all for an hour I decided to bet just a measly $5 on a horse fro fun.
The look they gave me seemed to be one of disapointment as to how I could bet so little after they said so much! I had to explain I don’t gamble so just a little for a laugh.
Oh, my horse didn’t win and I haven’t bet again since!
Check out the Palermo Hippodrome website for info on races.
Puerto Madero (Explore The Waterfront)
The waterfront area in Buenos Aires is great for a walk around, especially in the evening, and if you happen to be in Buenos Aires for New Year it’s the best place to go for firework displays (I spent New Year there).
Daytime is not the best time to visit as it’s a working area so head there in the evening and at night.
The Puerto Madero has lots of good dining options and you can get your Argentine steak fix here easily. Go there for an evening walk, have dinner, and then check out some night-spots like the Rojo Tango.
Corrientes Avenue
Corrientes Avenue is the ‘Broadway’ of Buenos Aire’s. Theatres (the Colón Theater is located there), tango dances, cinemas, etc all rub shoulders with cafes and boutique stores.
It’s the nightlife in Buenos Aire’s hotspot and the place to go at night. It’s in the Centro area and although is ok in the daytime, the night is the best way to see this place, like most places in the world where theatre, etc can be seen.
Plaza de Mayo
The Casa Rosada is the main building to see in this historic plaza in Buenos Aires and is the presidential headquarters of Argentina.
There’s not much to do in the square itself but sit on a bench and relax and people watch, while imagining Evita giving a speech to the poor of Buenos Aires and other past events that have occured there.
Things To Do In Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is a must-visit city in South America if you can make it there.
Find places to stay in Buenos Aires here.
For a guidebook for Buenos Aires I recommend the Lonely Planet Buenos Aires City Guide.
After Argentina, I headed into Chile to Santiago via Mendoza and then up to San Pedro de Atacama.
From there I continued into Peru where one of my other favourite cities in South America is, Arequipa.
It was a great trip which ended in Columbia where I happily stayed in haciendas in the mountains and enjoyed lots of Columbian coffee!
If you plan to visit South America on a long trip this makes one of the best routes to do, or vice versa. I didn’t have time for Bolivia sadly but it’s on my agenda for some other time.
Enjoy South America and also all the things to do in Buenos Aires!
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