Before travelling please be sure to consult any local travel advice.
Argentina has everything a culture-seeking traveller could want: delicious food, world-renowned wines, vast mountain ranges and, of course, it is the birthplace of the sensual tango.
Given its sheer size, you would really need months – perhaps years – to explore Argentina’s full wonder.
Not having anything close to this time frame, we did our best to scrape the surface in just two weeks. What we found definitely left us wanting more.
Costs
CURRENCY: Argentine peso
1 USD = ~900 ARS
1 GBP = ~1,132 ARS
*As of May ‘2024;
The exchange rate was 1 USD = 37 ARS during our visit in Jan ’18 so please keep in mind that subsequently the costs referenced below may have changed. Argentina is know for its huge fluctuations in exchange rates.
So a slight downside for budget travellers is Argentina’s notoriously high costs. Some have even compared them to European prices!
This sentiment has definitely been echoed increasingly in recent years due to the plummeting value of the Argentine peso.
While the country’s economic crisis may be a slight deterrent for backpackers, it is still possible to visit on a budget.
Big tip #1? If possible, bring cash with you.
One of our biggest headaches was having to withdraw cash here. There are literally lines around blocks for ATMs! Banks here place a cap on withdrawals, making it an seemingly daily endeavor for locals.
Not only will you need to queue but you will need to pay an extortionate fee. One bank tried to charge us $14 USD to withdraw cash! $14 USD!!
The cheapest we could find was still a crazy $7 USD. This hassle is definitely one we could have done without.
Note: On the subject of costs, be sure to check for any potential additional fees to enter the country. Citizens of the US, Canada & Australia, for example, will need to purchase visas in advance.
Food
Argentina is globally recognised for it’s quality steaks and world-class Malbecs! A heaven for meat-lovers and connoisseurs alike.
I think it’s fair to say we ate more meat in our last few weeks in South America, than we had the entire 4 months prior combined!
Be prepared to stretch the budget a little for a nice meal out here. To get a good steak dinner, wine included, we were told it would costs upwards of $20 USD pp. Not extortion but not totally budget-backpacker friendly.
We tried to ‘cheap it’ and it wasn’t really worth it. For us, we found the best way was to buy and grill our own steaks.
The Journey
From Santiago in Chile, we made our way up and over the Andes to Argentina’s well-known Mendoza region.
Although a 7 hour trip by bus, you definitely want to make this journey by day to take in the views. Those who suffer motion sickness be warned; the journey is a windy one!
Mendoza
Mendoza is no doubt a welcome sight for most.
It gives visitors a great first impression with it’s wide streets, all lined with huge trees that provide a blanket of shade from the sun. Trust us, it’s needed!
To learn more about the city and some of it’s highlights, we joined a free walking tour.
The local market was also on our agenda to explore. However we hadn’t factored into our schedule their daily custom siesta.
Shops, stalls and markets all seemed to shut down for an astonishing 4 hours between 1 and 5pm! It’s baffling yet impressive.
So, when browsing the local shops is out the question, the best way to spend the afternoon is exploring Parque San Martin. At 420 acres, this massive park is almost the same size as the adjacent city!
While an adventure around the city and park were fun, we were here for the wine…
Wine tasting
Pricey wine tours were out the question for budget backpackers like us. However that is not to say we missed out. We opted for the cheapest – and definitely most adventurous – option: a self-guided cycling tour.
Luckily, it’s a pretty easy task to navigate. The public bus from Mendoza to Maipú costs just 4 pesos pp, each way. There are several bike rental companies. All-day rentals typically cost 25 pesos, although can be negotiated lower for groups.
We were part of a group of five from our hostel that made the journey to Mr. Hugo’s, a well-established rental shop in the Maipú region.
Our first stop at Pulmary Winery was awesome! We sampled four different wines, three of which were malbecs, and even a beer! They also allowed us to eat lunch on the grounds from the bakery across the street.
The wine tour & guided tasting at Nieto Senetiner was exceptional thanks to our wonderful sommelier.
Our third & final stop was at Carmelo Patti, a family-run boutique winery. Carmelo’s name-sake blend has gained international fame, incredibly with absolutely zero money spent on marketing!
After an idyllic few days in Mendoza we made our way (17 hours!) across the country to it’s expansive capital.
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires really is the heart of Argentina and is a fantastic way to experience the country’s exuberant culture.
Our early-morning arrival on a Sunday gave us the opportunity to dive straight in with a visit to San Telmo market. We were told it is not to be missed! It was good advice.
We wandered 10+ blocks of carts, shops and stalls selling a wide variety of local products and knick-knacks. Leather belts, jackets, wallets etc., jewellery, antiques, dulce de leche, chimichurri… the list goes on!
Walking Tours
Buenos Aires is a huge city with many different barrios (neighbourhoods) to be explored. Tours are numerous but joining a few can get pricey. For those opting to self-guide, be sure to do research and ask your hostel about potential safety issues.
Additional Tip: If visiting in summer, try to get out early. The heat gets pretty intense in the afternoon, reaching it’s peak about 5-6pm.
We like to keep it simple and so opted for the standard, free walking tour around BA’s Centro Historico. A word of warning: be prepared for crowds.
We began our English-speaking tour with over 50 people! If only we spoke Spanish we could have joined the smaller group of 20. By the end however, we were down to just 25, despite our guide’s decent job.
The tour revealed the city’s diverse range of architecture. Despite being built fairly recently, most of them display an older European-style.
More harrowing were the tolls of Argentina’s unstable economy and heart-breaking stories of the Dirty War which saw over 30,000 people ‘disappear’.
Tango
Whether times are good or bad, escapism can always be found in the Argentine Tango.
This romantic dance is intense, yet playful, and completely captivating. At least when done by the professionals!
Hands down, any visitor to the country should at the very least watch a tango show. That was our plan at least until our hostel presented us with Complejo Tango.
For $34 USD each we got a 1-hour tango lesson followed by a show with dinner and a glass of wine. Food was delicious (we even got given a free starter) and the show was just brilliant!
More exploring
During our week in the capital we also made visits to the iconic Floralis Generica and Recoleta Cemetery.
We were a bit hesitant about a cemetery being a tourist attraction however we quickly learned that visiting the final resting place of Argentina’s wealthiest inhabitants was nothing unusual.
Tours are available but we self-guided. I was sure to do some research first as there are some fascinating – and some truly disturbing – stories of those who lie here.
Lastly, before leaving Buenos Aires we made a last minute trip to Uruguay. We hadn’t quite realised how easy it was! If you have the time we totally recommend.
Be sure to check out our page on Uruguay for more info!
Iguaza Falls
Our last stop in Argentina was the world-famous Iguaza Falls.
The sheer splendor and power of this magical place has to be seen to be believed. It left us awe-struck!
A backpacker’s biggest dilemma will be which side of the border to visit the falls; either Argentina or Brazil. If you can, do them both. It is likely you will only be here once in your lifetime.
If your budget is very tight, then our experience proved true to what we were told: Argentina has much more to see. You can spend the whole day and get right up close and personal with the epic falls.
However, a stop on the Brazilian side is less-expensive and offers more expansive views of the falls. There may be less to explore but it is by no means less impressive.
Not an easy decision…
Iguazu was the perfect way to end our time in Argentina. Hopefully one day we will be back for more.
