A 3-Week Argentina Itinerary: From Mendoza to Buenos Aires
Having spent this long in Argentina during my last trip, I have decided to share a 3-week Argentina itinerary on what you can do to hopefully fall in love with this country just as much as I did.
My suggested 3-week Argentina Itinerary will take in the following destinations: Mendoza, Cordoba, Villa General Belgrano, Iguazu Falls (Puerto Iguazu) and Buenos Aires. This is because these are the places I visited in my own trip, and I only like to share destinations I have first hand experience of visiting. I would recommend pretty much all of them. Only Cordoba evokes neutral feelings rather than positive ones. However it isn’t a bad place. It was just overshone by the others. But it’s also a good connection point.
If you are looking for famous spots towards the south of Argentina, such as El Chalten, El Calafate, the Perito Moreno Glacier, Ushuaia or other parts of Tierra del Fuego, I will post about those in the future when I’ve had the chance to visit these bucket list destinations. For now however, we will focus on the wonderful north and hopefully give some good suggestions for your 3-week trip.
3 Weeks in Argentina: Budget – How Much Money Do You Need?
I went to Argentina in September/October 2022. During that time I spent exactly £680.81 (US$863.20) across 22 full days, averaging out at £30.95 per day (US$39.24). This included absolutely everything: Food and drink, accommodation, transport, activities and other costs which don’t fit into these categories (for example, replacing my electric razor which broke). I have not counted the day I arrived in Mendoza from Santiago in Chile. Nor have I counted the day where I left Buenos Aires for Colonia del Sacramento in neighboring Uruguay in these costs.
Now do you want the bad news? Whilst these costs stayed relatively stable since my visit, things changed at the end of 2023. In December, new president Javier Milei started work, and followed through with his promises to remove price controls which resulted in most prices doubling within days. Therefore you are currently looking at up to £60/US$76 per day in costs whilst visiting Argentina.
I wrote a more detailed post on money in Argentina explaining everything you should know as a tourist.
Inflation has also skyrocketed which has left an already-volatile economy facing a lot of uncertainty. My recommendation would be to join Facebook groups with current up-to-date information on the Argentine pricing situation. I suggest Argentina Travel Tips which has over 40,000 members asking and answering questions on a daily basis about the current state of the country, including the economy.
3-Week Argentina Itinerary
Without further ado, here’s my suggestion for a 3-week Argentina itinerary. Please note that where days are missing in the itinerary, it is due to a long journey which wipes out the best part of a whole day. I went between each of these places by bus. Therefore my suggestions generally assume that you also take the bus. Although higher budget travellers could save some time by flying between many destinations.
Mendoza (Days 1-4)
I came over to Argentina from Santiago in Chile, a city I definitely wasn’t fond of! Fortunately, stop number one was Mendoza. This delightful city at the heart of Argentina’s wine region quickly became one of my favourites, not just in South America, but in the whole world.
Mendoza has a very pleasant climate with temperatures averaging around 17 degrees Celsius across the year. Even in the winter, it remains around the 8 degree mark in the coldest month (July) on average.
Winetasting in Mendoza
Anyway, Mendoza is famous for its Malbec wines. Therefore if you’re a fan, there’s no shortage of vino tinto round here. Wine tasting tours are one of the most popular things to do in Mendoza. If you fancy doing one, then there are numerous options available, and they centre around three regions.
The Maipu Valley, Uco Valley and Lujan de Cuyo are the three hotspots for wine tasting in Mendoza. The Uco Valley is about an hour away from the city centre, whereas the other two are a short 15-20 minute drive away.
Vineyard Tours
There are also 53 vineyards in Mendoza. You can visit them, and most are open for 5-7 days a week. Check out World’s Best Vineyards for specific opening hours and details on each one. You can learn about the history and the winemaking process, then sample some of the produce yourself. You won’t be drinking as much here as you would be in a dedicated winetasting tour. However it’s still one of the top things to do in Mendoza and can be a great day out!
Mendoza Free Walking Tour
One of my top tips for visiting any new city is a free walking tour. In these, a local guide explains a lot about the history of both the city and the country, whilst showing you the best spots. Some tours even let you participate in activities. One of the most common is tasting food in a local marketplace. Bogota was particularly good for this with a wide range of local fruits on offer. In Peru our tour even took us to feed alpacas!
The one I did went from Plaza San Martin to Parque General San Martin with the guide explaining a lot of the city’s history along the way. Whilst this one didn’t take in as many stops as most free walking tours I’ve done (over 30 in various countries and cities), it was still good to pick up some local knowledge and a better understanding of the place. Our guide was also full of tips on where to eat and drink as well. If you’re looking for suggestions, Aristides Villanueva is where to go for bars. I’ll address food shortly.
Parque General San Martin
My favourite part of the city by far. This massive park is absolutely beautiful. My first few days in the city were spent recovering from an illness that struck me down in Chile. Therefore I used some of this downtime to do daily walks to possibly the best park I have ever visited.
There’s a small lake here (El Lago del Parque General San Martin) with people enjoying water activities such as rowing. I enjoyed walking around the lake soaking up the sun. It’s a lovely picturesque spot, and you can even walk to a small island at the southern end.
Another thing I loved about Parque General San Martin was a Chilean marketplace which was being held during my visit here. It sold beers, amazing steaks, and a series of foods and crafts which were supposedly Chilean. Although in reality, a lot of things were more Argentinian than Chilean. Stalls were named after different parts of Chile. Annoyingly, the Easter Island stall simply sold drinks with no connection to Easter Island (a place I had visited two weeks previously).
Unfortunately, the market was only a temporary event. However, there are often other events throughout the year that you may be lucky enough to experience during your own Mendoza visit.
Where to Eat in Mendoza?
I met a fellow traveller who came armed with a Lonely Planet guide and suggested a restaurant from the book called El Asadito. Now we never quite made it here, because we came across a different El Asadito on the way which looked lovely, so we stopped there instead.
This turned out to be one of the best meals I have ever had. Argentina is famous for its steak, and El Asadito served up an absolutely wonderful asado which has remained in the memory ever since. Of course, being Argentina, El Asadito is also a place to get stuck into a bottle or two of Malbec.
Until this point, the food I’d discovered in Mendoza had been pretty average. But El Asadito changed everything. Would highly recommend eating here.
Cordoba (Days 6-8 and 10)
From Mendoza, it takes around 33 hours to take a bus to Iguazu Falls. So why not break up the journey with a trip to Cordoba?
I must confess, that if there’s one place you can skip in this 3-week Argentina itinerary without really missing much, it’s Cordoba. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad city however. It still has some interesting things to see and do.
Your bus journey from Mendoza will take anything from 9-12 hours depending on which bus company you choose, and how the traffic tends to be at any specific time.
As for things to do in Cordoba, I did two major activities in the city. You can cram both into one day in all honesty, but two days are better if you want to slow things down a bit, take in a little more, and find one or two nice places to eat.
Cordoba Free Walking Tour
Now the best way to see the city is, you guessed it, a free walking tour. I must admit however that Cordoba doesn’t have loads of interesting spots. Some highlights of this 2.5-hour tour include the Cathedral of Cordoba, a Jesuit crypt underneath the city and the Museum of Memory which I’ll cover a little more below. I would still say it’s a good use of your morning.
Museo de la Memoria (Museum of Memory)
From 1974-1983, thousands of civilians disappeared in Argentina whilst the country was under the control of military dictatorships. Many were tortured in tiny cells inside what is now the Museum of Memory, and they were never seen again. By 1982, the dictatorship’s crimes were becoming known across the world, and General Galtieri invaded the Falklands in attempt to boost popularity. It massively backfired as the army were destroyed within weeks, which marked the beginning of the end for Argentina’s dictatorships.
On the plus side, this did at least prevent a war with Chile. Argentina had previously planned to invade their neighbour over land in the south they believed to be Argentinian. Defeat in the Falklands scuppered this plan as the dictatorship collapsed.
Yet in Cordoba, the damage was done. Thousands of families were destroyed, with posters for several missing individuals found outside the museum even today.
And you can visit this poignant location to learn about the damage caused here. If you’ve been to other scenes of genocide which have since become museums, such as Auschwitz or Tuol Sleng, then you will experience a similar feeling here.
The museum is open from Tuesday to Friday from 10am-5pm. It is also free to enter.
Villa General Belgrano (Day 9)
This tiny village is a 2-3 hour bus ride from Cordoba, and it’s well worth a day trip, or even two days. More if you visit during Oktoberfest.
Wait, isn’t Oktoberfest a German thing???
Yep. And that’s the theme of Villa General Belgrano. This small mountain village has a heavy Germanic theme with chocolates, beers and scenery similar to what you could expect to find in Central Europe.
If you’re wondering what to do in Villa General Belgrano then check out my post on it for more details!
Puerto Iguazu (Iguazu Falls) (Days 12-14)
From Villa General Belgrano, return to Cordoba for day 10. This will be a bit of a down day because there is only one bus to Puerto Iguazu each day. And it leaves at 4pm. In fact it takes 21.5 hours.
This 3-week Argentina itinerary is based on what I did personally. However the transport here is one area in which you may want to differentiate from my own route.
There are usually around 30 flights a day, sometimes many more. And they often cost between £50-100 (US$63-126) for the cheapest flights on any given day. Of course, it’s best to book a few days in advance for the best deals.
Anyway, you will end up in Puerto Iguazu. This is a tiny little town near the Triple Frontier, which is a river confluence that separates Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
Puerto Iguazu is tiny, and there isn’t much to do here. A handful of nice bakeries and restaurants but that’s about it. However, you didn’t come here for the food.
Iguazu Falls: Argentina Side
Iguazu Falls are split between two countries: Argentina and Brazil. You can visit both sides. Therefore I’d recommend spending two full days in Iguazu. One to see the Argentina side and one to see the Brazil side.
The border crossings are very easy. Although I say that as someone with a British passport who has easy access to both countries. If you need a visa for either country, make sure you have all of that prepared as you will need to cross a lot of borders during your time here if you wish to see it all. Even more so if you wish to add the Salto del Monday waterfall in Paraguay to your itinerary.
There are 6 circuits which can take you around the national park, and take you to each of the best points around the falls. Some are walkable, whereas others are traversable by train.
The falls are open daily from 8am-6pm but they do cost a fair bit to visit. In late 2022 I paid £12 ($15) by taking advantage of the Blue Dollar rate. The Argentine currency situation has changed rapidly since then and prices are officially listed at US$39 on the website. For those unaware, the “blue dollar” is an unofficial black market currency exchange which gives foreigners very favourable exchange rates on (usually) dollars.
At the time of writing, you can still get tickets for cheaper with the blue dollar rate. However the gap between the blue dollar and official rates has closed from around a 100% bonus in late 2022 to 20% in February 2024. Therefore the February 2024 ticket price is £24/US$31 if you use the blue dollar. Due to the very volatile Argentine currency situation right now, this information could change quickly and significantly. Therefore you should pay attention to both the official website and the Blue Dollar website for current prices. Also, Mercosur members generally pay half this.
Anyway, I’ll be writing a detailed post on Iguazu Falls soon. That will have more details on what you can do here.
The ferocious Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo) is the star attraction here. This behemoth of a waterfall crashes 82 metres (269 feet) into the Iguazu River below. It is a truly impressive sight to behold. There is one slight problem however. Such is the power of the Devil’s Throat, that it can destroy nearby viewing spots when the weather is bad. Flooding in October 2022 led to a closure which only reopened 5 months later in March 2023. Then again in October 2023 with no current indication as to when it will reopen.
Be sure to do some research before your own trip to see if there is any news as to when the Devil’s Throat will be back in action.
Aside from the falls themselves, this national park is home to an abundance of wildlife. The raccoon-like coatimundi is one of the most common animals in the area. I first saw these cool little creatures all the way up at Tikal in Guatemala. They’re fun to spot but can be aggressive if cornered, so don’t get too close! Aside from coatis (as they’re often known), you can also see toucans and a series of other colourful birds. Perhaps the most impressive creatures are also the rarest. Tapirs and jaguars have also been spotted, although the latter generally avoids humans, so don’t worry about them as the chances of encountering a jaguar on any of the tourist trails are almost zero.
Iguazu Falls: Brazil Side
As part of this 3-week Argentina itinerary, I would recommend going to… Brazil!?!? Yep, but when in Puerto Iguazu, it makes sense to do the fairly simple border crossing into Brazil and see the other side. Only 20% of the falls are located in Brazil, with the other 80% in Argentina, but there’s still a lot to see across the border.
The Brazil side is located near the border town of Foz do Iguacu. Interestingly, they speak a completely different language on the other side of the same attraction. In Argentina, Spanish is the local language, whereas in Brazil they speak Portuguese. Therefore the language differences are instantly noticeable if you understand a little of either language. Although, being touristy, English is widely spoken and you shouldn’t have to worry about any issues with the language here.
The Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls is open from 9am-6pm every day, with last entries to the park at 4:30pm. Tickets cost 97 Brazilian reals (£15/US$20) and can be purchased online or at the falls themselves.
Brazilian Iguazu is much easier to navigate, with only one circuit taking you around the falls. It takes about two hours to complete this.
Again, you can see the falls and a lot of wildlife here. I saw a bunch of coatis, a snail and a few birds during my own trip here.
After completing the circuit, you can get a free bus back to the entrance, then you can catch another bus from outside which will take you back to Argentina.
I went to both sides of Iguazu Falls in September 2022. I do not recommend going at this time of year as it is the beginning of the wet season. It was raining heavily during both trips I did (to the Argentinian side and the Brazilian side). In fact I’d go as far as saying that the wettest day of my life was the day at Argentinian Iguazu.
The best time to visit Iguazu Falls is from July-August or March-April during the shoulder seasons when crowds are still low yet weather is still good. Avoid September-February when you will be arriving during the wet season.
Buenos Aires (Days 16-21)
For the final few days of this 3-week Argentina travel itinerary, you should head to the capital: Buenos Aires.
Buenos Aires is a city with a lot going on. You can indulge in the culture, which is heavily influenced by Europe. After all, many Argentinians are of Italian descent, and they took a lot of culture to the southern hemisphere with them.
One of the best things to do here is tucking into the local steak. Argentina is undoubtedly the best country in the world for steak. There are no shortage of options here. However if you want to go to a famous spot, check out Don Julio, rated the best restaurant in Argentina, 4th-best in South America and 19th-best in the world as of 2023. You will need to book around 3 months in advance though to be sure of a table at a restaurant where demand heavily outweighs supply.
Anyway, what are the best things to do in Buenos Aires? Let’s go through a few things you should squeeze into your short time here.
Free Walking Tour of the City Centre
Once again, this is the perfect way to find your feet in the city. The tour I did covered a lot of the history and visited key spots including the elegant Congress Building, picturesque Casa Rosada, famous Parisian-style cafe and tango spot Cafe Tortoni and lively Plaza de Mayo. It’s important to note that the tour only passes these buildings on the outside rather than going inside.
Even if the history doesn’t interest you, you will at least learn a lot about the city and be able to visit many spots you may wish to return to later in the week.
La Boca
Now we cannot talk about Buenos Aires without talking about La Boca. This colourful and vibrant neighbourhood is one of the most unique spots in the capital.
You can experience the highlights of Argentine culture all within this tiny area which only takes a few minutes to walk around. Tango, steak, wine, football. All of the above is found in La Boca. In fact, Argentina’s footballing mega club Boca Juniors play here.
If you want to read a detailed guide on the top things to do in La Boca, I wrote one explaining all you need to know.
Experience Tango Dancing
Tango is as synonymous with Argentina as Messi or Maradona. And you can find it without looking in the capital. I saw tango taking place at a restaurant in La Boca. And also in the streets of San Telmo, where dancers performed at Plaza Dorrego.
In fact Plaza Dorrego is famous for tango dancing. Throughout the day, professionals perform for a long time hoping to pick up tips from passing tourists. On Sundays, the plaza is the scene of various milongas, or public dance gatherings. You can even join in if you wish to give it a go! A milonga can also mean a tango club, of which there any several dotted around the capital. Beginners are very welcome in these spots.
If you’re more into watching tango however, you won’t find any shortage of venues putting on a performance. One of the cheapest is Cafe Tortoni, although you do need to book in advance.
The best parts of the city to watch tango are San Telmo, La Boca and Almagro near Palermo which is a popular place to stay in Buenos Aires.
Football in Argentina
As a football fan looking to watch a top level match in every country, Argentina was right at the top of my bucket list.
Outside of Europe, there are two mega footballing superpowers: Argentina and Brazil (although Uruguay also deserves a special mention). Both countries have produced an endless conveyor belt of superstars over the years with Argentina being the home of Messi, Aguero, Di Maria, Tevez and many more in recent years.
And the Argentinians are absolutely fanatical about the beautiful game. This isn’t a football article, so I won’t deep dive into the history too much. But the two biggest clubs are Boca Juniors and River Plate. They absolutely despise each other and tickets for games between the two go for hundreds of every major western currency (euros, dollars, pounds).
Whenever the two teams play, they are famous for the amazing atmosphere they bring with them.
Now, other Argentinian teams can do the same, although to a much lesser extent.
If you want to get River Plate or Boca Juniors tickets, it can be very hard. You need a local contact to sort these out for you as they aren’t welcoming to tourists. Some hostels or online tour companies will be able to help you with this.
To watch any other team in Argentina, it’s a lot easier as most of the ticket demand comes with the big two.
I went to watch Barracas play in Buenos Aires. Despite a small ground, they were able to generate a good atmosphere. Although they didn’t seem overly keen on me being there.
When I asked how to get tickets on the day, I was turned away. Apparently it was not possible. So I turned to plan B: approaching a tout.
Was a little worried getting my wallet out in a crowded part of Buenos Aires to buy tickets from a shady character who knew he wasn’t meant to be selling tickets to strangers. But everything paid off when I bought one for a bargain £3/US$4 and went straight into the ground.
Whilst the game mostly passed without incident, there was one guy who decided to smash the back window of an ambulance at half time… He’d clearly had a few too many bottles of Quilmes before entering the ground… But being a British football fan, it’s not like this was a completely alien experience unrelated to anything I’d seen back home. In 20 years of going to football, I’ve not been harmed by another football fan. Well not intentionally. I once got a good kick by a fellow excited fan whilst running onto the pitch to celebrate my team getting promoted to the Premier League in 2012. Anyway, the point is that you shouldn’t have any issues with safety here unless you really go out of your way to find them.
My top tip for watching football in Argentina would be to reach out to contacts in advance who can get you a Boca or River tickets. If you fall short here, then go to watch another team such as Barracas as a plan B.
Is Argentina Safe to Visit?
Argentina is alongside Costa Rica and neighbouring Uruguay as one of the safest countries in Latin America.
Of course, this doesn’t mean absolutely everywhere is safe. The city of Rosario for example is a little dodgy and has links to gang violence. However even then, you’re unlikely to encounter trouble unless you’re incredibly unlucky.
In Buenos Aires, take extra precautions around La Boca. The touristy spots there are very safe, so don’t worry about that. But the surrounding areas have been the scene of a fair few muggings. So make sure you take a taxi or bus to get inside the safety bubble of La Boca itself. And avoid the whole area after sunset.
The only major safety concern to consider in Argentina is the environment. Patagonia has a lot of cold weather and general mountain safety precautions should be taken. Tierra del Fuego National Park in the far south has a lot of mountainous terrain, whereas Los Glaciares National Park is a place where you are advised to stick to official paths to avoid the risk of falling glacier walls.
Is Argentina Worth Visiting?
Yes, yes and yes! Argentina is an absolutely fantastic country, and one of my favourites in the world. With enough land to cover pretty much all of mainland Europe, there is a lot to explore here. The steaks, the waterfalls, the mountains, the wine, the salt flats of Salta, the glaciers of Patagonia and so much more.
Whilst I used buses to get around the country, flights will cover the country’s long distances at a much faster pace, whereas hiring a rental car could be worthwhile to visit many of the country’s 35 national parks.
Hopefully this 3-week Argentina itinerary has given you a good suggestion of what you can do here. If you have the time available, I would suggest 2-3 months to explore Argentina in its entirety. I’ll be back to cover more of this country later in the year. And of course I’ll be sharing some tips with you along the way. Please comment below if you have any questions and I’ll be more than happy to help!
