Best Places to Visit in Argentina
Are you planning to visit Argentina? Wondering where you should go? I lived in Buenos Aires for 3 years and traveled around Argentina extensively. Today I’m sharing with you a brief overview of my favorite places to visit in Argentina. Be sure to check out my other blog posts for more in depth information on each region.
There are countless gorgeous places to visit in Argentina. It’s hard to pick out just a few, so I went with my top 8 places. I know 8 is hardly “narrowing down” but each of these regions are completely different from each other and highlight what Argentina has to offer.
And like most countries, I truly believe to get a full picture of Argentina, you have to visit them all.
My 8 Favorite Places to Travel to in Argentina
Buenos Aires
Of course Buenos Aires has to make this list! You’ll need to fly into Buenos Aires to start any of your Argentina travels and while you’re in the city, be sure to stay for a few days so you can enjoy it! There are so many museums to visit and restaurants to try you’ll want to be sure you spend at least a few days soaking up everything Buenos Aires has to offer.
Buenos Aires is a treat of a city to explore! The building architecture is wonderful, the food is unique, there are museums to learn more about Argentine and South American history, there’s great shopping and parks for you to relax in after you’ve had a full day of sightseeing.
I could go on and on about Buenos Aires but this is supposed to be a brief overview! Be sure to get on my mailing list at the bottom of this page to hear about upcoming blog posts where I talk about Buenos Aires travel in depth.
Ready to visit or move to Buenos Aires? Download this activity list I created with over 50 things you have to do to get the full Argentine experience!
Cordoba
Cordoba is the perfect quick getaway from Buenos Aires. Cordoba has a slower pace of life and I'm here for it. When you’re in Cordoba be sure you stay at an estancia to get the full experience. I dedicated an entire blog post to estancias, be sure to check it out if you’re planning travel within Argentina. You’ll find estancias all over the country.
Cordoba is only an hour plane ride from Buenos Aires so if you’re living in Buenos Aires, there’s no excuse for not visiting for a weekend. If you take my advice and stay at an estancia, when you arrive you’ll instantly feel transported to a past way of living. The hussle of Buenos Aires will fall away and you’ll be left with wide open spaces, delicious asadas, horseback riding and other relaxing “ranch” activities.
If you’re looking for a more relaxed pace of life then you can’t miss visiting Cordoba.
Salta & Jujuy
Salta is the major city within the Jujuy region. Jujuy’s landscape is unique and diverse because of the beautiful mountains and flat salt pans. You’ll see everything from mountains, valleys, rivers and flat salt pans.
When you visit, be sure to stop and have a meal and souvenir shop in the small town of Purmamarca. When we were visiting we purchased a traditional mate cup made from calabaza (hollowed out squash). You may have spotted it in some of my YouTube videos!
In Purmamarca, you’ll also find El Cerro de Siete Colores (The Hill of Seven Colors). It’s a large rock hill colored with dark reds and oranges. Enjoy the view and snap some photos then head out to visit Salinas Grandes.
Salinas Grandes are the large salt pans found in Jujuy. There’s a spot where you can park your car and walk on the salt pan. This was my second time visiting a salt pan (the first was in Botswana) and it did not disappoint. I love how far they stretch - as far as you can see there is white. And when you walk around you’ll feel and hear the crunch of the salty earth beneath you.
I highly recommend a long weekend trip to Salta & Jujuy. You can’t leave Argentina without experiencing the dramatic Salinas Grandes.
El Calafate
El Calafate is found in the southern region of the country and once again has a unique landscape. When you fly in, you’ll notice how flat and dry it looks. But once you start driving to the town of El Calafate, the mountains and Lago Argentino will begin to appear out of nowhere.
El Chalten is a small town about a 2 hours drive from El Calafate but it's not to be missed if you enjoy hiking. We went on a day trip to El Chalten to hike and see Fitz Roy - the mountain famed by the Patagonia logo. The hike was about 5 hours round trip and not too difficult. Many people go straight to El Chalten and spend a few days hiking because there are so many trails available to hike. You could probably spend two weeks camping and hiking in El Chalten alone.
In my opinion the highlight of El Calafate is Los Glaciares National Park. You have the opportunity to get up close and personal with huge glaciers. We also booked a tour to hike on a glacier after visiting the National Park. Yep, you heard that right - we put crampons on our shoes and hiked around a glacier. An adventure you cannot miss when you travel to Argentina!
El Calate is incredibly unique and important to visit if you’re in Argentina. The gorgeous nature will share a different side of Argentina with you. For more about El Calafate, check out this full blog I wrote (it also includes logistics of getting there from Buenos Aires!).
Bariloche
Bariloche is Argentina’s lake district and it is absolutely gorgeous. The mountain and lake scenery rivals that of Switzerland. There are many places to stay all over Bariloche but if you’re in the mood to splurge I highly recommend the Llao Llao. We stayed there and it was luxury accommodations in the perfect lakeside location. It was also a short walk away from multiple hiking trails. And the Llao Llao is known for their delicious food. My favorite were the local lake trout empanadas.
Bariloche is a great place to go if you’re wanting to soak up nature. There is a beautiful lake for you to kayak or swim in. There are forests waiting for you to hike or mountain bike through. And there are mountains waiting to be skied down during the winter months. Bariloche is a nature lover's playground.
For an extra treat, you can’t miss the delicious chocolate in Bariloche. They’re famous for it and it’s divine.
Mendoza
Mendoza is Argentina’s wine country. If you enjoy Malbec, visiting Mendoza should definitely be on your list! In addition to countless wineries, the city of Mendoza is a great place to visit over the weekend. The downtown area is very walkable and has plenty of shops, restaurants and bars to keep you busy!
You can’t visit Mendoza without doing a few (or several) wine tastings! Now, I’ve done wine tastings in several countries including the USA, New Zealand, Italy and Chile but the wine pours in Mendoza top them all! Be prepared for large tastings in Mendoza. That is all I will say on that.
And you may want to take a tour so you can fully enjoy those generous pours. A tour is great because you’ll learn a lot of history about the area and someone else does all the driving! We did our wine tastings through Ampora Wine Tours. I highly recommend them.
Ushuaia
I wrote a full blog post dedicated to Ushuaia. Be sure to check it out if you’re considering travelling there. Ushuaia is the southernmost point in Argentina. There is only one location in Chile that is closer to the south pole. And when you’re in Ushuaia you really do feel like you’re at the end of the world! From cold and windy boat rides to glacier hikes to visiting penguins in their natural habitats to delicious meals of crab, Ushuaia is an Argentine must see.
If you’re planning to visit Ushuaia I recommend going in the summer months. But even then, it will still be chilly! So don’t forget your coat! If you go in the winter, plan on skiing because that’s about all you’ll be able to do!
As you travel through Argentina you’ll see the vast differences in all the regions. For me, that’s the true beauty of Argentina. It’s amazing how there are so many diverse places all in one country.
There are many more beautiful places to visit in Argentina but these 8 places will definitely be a good start!
Which regions of Argentina are you most looking forward to seeing? Let us know in the comments so we can get excited with you!
Planning to move to Argentina? Then check out this overseas packing checklist I created so you don’t forget to pack anything!
