Buenos Aires in 7 Days: a guidebook for getting the most out of your visit

There are many things to see and do in Buenos Aires, as it is a vibrant city, full of life and culture and worth exploring with time. Touring its historic center, exploring its different neighborhoods, visiting museums, attending concerts or learning one of the most sensual dances in the world, the tango, are some of the things that the capital of Buenos Aires offers.

In addition, in Buenos Aires you have many green spaces to explore, such as parks, gardens, coastal walks and an ecological reserve; nearby towns where you can spend a day in the countryside and the possibility of visiting the fifth largest delta in the world, the Tigre. There are so many proposals that I have organized them in 7 days, so that you do not miss anything during your stay in Buenos Aires.

On your first day in CABA you can tour the city center, where the most emblematic buildings of Buenos Aires are located, and then visit the neighborhood of San Telmo, to end the day in one of its traditional milongas, and why not, take a tango lesson.

A very comfortable way to tour downtown is to take a tourist bus around Buenos Aires, as it has stops at the main places of interest and you can get on and off as many times as you want.

Downtown Buenos Aires

The tour that I propose you through downtown Buenos Aires, which is part of some of the best tours in Buenos Aires, starts at the Colon Theater, continues at the Obelisk (which is two blocks away) and arrives at the Congress Square (1.5 km away). From there you can walk along Av. de Mayo, and pass by the Barolo Palace and Café Tortoni, before ending at the historic Plaza de Mayo.

The route would be as follows:

• 1. Teatro Colon: because of its acoustics it is considered one of the best opera houses in the world, where you can take an interesting guided tour or get tickets to the theater to tour it on your own.
• 2. Obelisk: it is the iconic monument of the city, which was built to commemorate the fourth centenary of the foundation of Buenos Aires.
• 3. Palacio Barolo: it is a building inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy, highly recommended for a guided tour.
• 4. Café Tortoni, located 3 blocks from Plaza de Mayo, is the oldest café in Buenos Aires (1858), where an important literary club operated until 1926 and where Carlos Gardel used to go.
• 5. Plaza de Mayo: it is one of the most emblematic squares of the country, recognized by the Rondas de las Madres de Plaza de Mayo that have been held since 1977. In its surroundings are the Casa Rosada (seat of government) and the Buenos Aires Cathedral.

From Plaza de Mayo, you can reach the San Telmo neighborhood by bus in about 15 minutes.

The neighborhood of San Telmo

Two kilometers from Plaza de Mayo is the neighborhood of San Telmo, one of the oldest and most picturesque in the city. It is known for its bohemian atmosphere and the San Telmo Fair, which takes place every Sunday in Plaza Dorrego.

In this square is the Plaza Dorrego bar, which has been declared of National Historic Interest, since two renowned Argentine writers used to meet there: Borges and Sábato. Nearby is the Paseo de la Historieta, where you will see sculptures of Mafalda and other characters from Quino's classic comic strip.

The San Telmo neighborhood is also the place to visit some of the most traditional milongas in the city and see the best tango shows in Buenos Aires. You can even take a tango lesson, as they usually take place around 7 or 8 pm.

One of the most traditional bars in San Telmo to see tango shows and have dinner is El Querandí, a place declared of tourist interest that operates in an old mansion from 1920.

Your second day in Buenos Aires can be spent exploring the Palermo neighborhood, which is about 5 km from the Obelisk, and can be reached very quickly by taking the subway (metro). There are many things to see and do in Palermo-Buenos Aires, such as touring its green spaces and museums, or enjoying its lively nightlife.

I suggest that you visit Tres de Febrero Park, also known as Bosques de Palermo, the largest park in the city with 370 hectares, during the day. There you can visit the Japanese Garden, the Rose Garden, the Botanical Garden of the city, the Planetarium, lakes and several museums: the Museum of Plastic Arts Eduardo Sivori, the Museum of Latin American Art and the Evita Museum; so it will take you all day.

It is an ideal park if you visit Buenos Aires with children, for all the recreational and outdoor proposals it offers.

Carlos Thays Botanical Garden

The Carlos Thays Botanical Garden is a very beautiful park dedicated mostly to native flora, and also to plants from different parts of the world. There you can take 5 different thematic tours, sign up for workshops and visit a butterfly garden.

• Hours: Tuesday to Friday from 8 am to 6 pm; Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 9.30 am to 6 pm. From September to March the hours are extended by one hour.
• Admission: free of charge.

Japanese Garden

The Japanese Garden is a very beautiful garden with ponds, sculptures, bridges, monuments, flowers and bonsais, which was built by the Japanese community in 1967. It also has a Culinary Art Space where you can taste typical Japanese food.

• Hours: daily from 10 am to 6.45 pm approximately.
• Entrance fee: about 2 EUR.

Evita Museum

If you want to learn more about Argentine history and culture, at the Evita Museum you will find a lot of information about the legacy of Eva Duarte de Perón, or Evita, as she is known in the country. There you will see objects of the time, film materials and even dresses of the first lady who promoted women's suffrage, and won the hearts of Argentines for her important social work.

• Location: Lafinur 2988 - CABA
• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm, except holidays.
• Admission: free of charge.

Palermo neighborhood at night

Palermo is also known for its nightlife, particularly in the area known as Palermo Soho, which is around Plaza Serrano, and Palermo Hollywood, which is located between Gorriti and Honduras streets. There you will find the best things to do in Buenos Aires at night, as it is an area full of bars, restaurants and nightclubs, very popular among young people.

The Recoleta neighborhood is located next to the Palermo neighborhood, about 3 km from the Obelisk, and you can get there by taking a bus or the subway from downtown in about 10 minutes. It is really so close to Palermo that you could see both neighborhoods in one day. However, as there are many interesting things to do in Recoleta, it is best to dedicate a day to each neighborhood.

In the morning you can go to the Recoleta Cemetery, considered an open-air museum, and after lunch, to the National Museum of Fine Arts (MALBA), one of the most important in Latin America. Very close to this museum is the Floralis Genérica sculpture, in the United Nations Park.

In the afternoon, I suggest you go to the Centro Cultural Recoleta, where you can explore its exhibits and participate in cultural activities, whose hours extend until 10 pm. Recoleta is also home to the National Library and the famous El Ateneo bookstore, the largest in Latin America.

It is a neighborhood with many green spaces, and one of the most opulent in Buenos Aires, with many cafes and restaurants where you can eat typical local dishes.

Recoleta Cemetery

The visit to the Recoleta Cemetery is a classic of the city, because in addition to the architectural and sculptural works that can be admired, you learn a lot about the history and culture of the country. It was built in 1822, and it is the oldest cemetery in Buenos Aires.

It is very visited because it contains the tombs of artists, presidents and important political figures of the country, such as Juan Domingo Perón, Alfonsín and Evita. The guided tours are very interesting, as they also tell you about the mysteries and legends of the city.

• Location: Junín 1760 - CABA
• Hours: Monday to Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm.
• Entrance fee: about 6 EUR and 3 EUR on Wednesdays.

MALBA

One of the most important museums in Buenos Aires and Latin America, it houses works by renowned artists such as Xul Solar, El Greco, Berni, Picasso, Goya and Spilimbergo, among others; and art collections of native peoples.

Touring MALBA can take you an hour and a half or two, depending on your personal interest in art.

• Location: Av. Figueroa Alcorta 3415 - CABA
• Hours: Thursday to Monday from 12 am to 8 pm, and Wednesday from 11 am to 8 pm. Closed on Tuesdays.
• Admission fee: about 6 EUR and 3 EUR on Wednesdays.

El Ateneo Grand Splendid Bookstore

The bookstore El Ateneo is a very visited bookstore in the city, not only because it is the largest in South America, but also because it is located in a building from the early twentieth century very interesting in itself, which has a dome of 20 meters in diameter decorated with frescoes. There is also a cafeteria inside.

• Location: Santa Fe 1860 - CABA
• Hours: Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm, and Sundays from 12 pm to 7 pm.

The Puerto Madero neighborhood is located about 500 meters from Plaza de Mayo, and a few meters from the Casa Rosada. It is an area with green spaces next to the pier, promenades, sculptures and bridges, ideal for walking and spending a day in contact with nature.

There are also museums, such as the Corbeta Uruguay Museum Ship, the Museum of Decals and the modern art museum of Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat.

I recommend that, in the morning, you visit the museums and walk along the pier, where you can see the sculpture of the Bridge of the woman. After lunch, you can visit the Ecological Reserve on the banks of the Río de la Plata, and learn about the native biodiversity. In the evening, you can choose a menu from the food trucks that you will see installed on the waterfront, or choose a restaurant in the area.

Women's Bridge

The Puente de la Mujer (Women's Bridge) represents a couple dancing tango, and is an emblem of the neighborhood. More precisely, it is a rotating bridge that moves to let the boats that sail in the dike pass, work of the architect Santiago Calatrava.

Corbeta Uruguay Museum Ship

The Corbeta Uruguay Museum Ship is the oldest ship still afloat in the country. It was built in 1874 and for some years operated as a training ship. It can be visited from Thursday to Sunday.

• Hours: Thursdays and Fridays from 1pm to 7pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 7pm.

Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve

The Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve is a wetland covering some 350 hectares, where you can see native animals and plants. It is considered a Ramsar site, that is, a wetland of great ecological importance. There you can see more than 2,000 native species, and about 350 species of birds, and walk along different trails.

La Reserva offers different free activities that you can join, so I recommend that before you go visit the website of the reserve, to know all its proposals.

• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 8 am to 6 pm approximately, and in summer until 7 pm.
• Entrance fee: free of charge.

On your fifth day in Buenos Aires you can take a day trip to Tigre, a city located about 32 km away. From there you can visit the Tigre Delta, which is a real labyrinth of rivers and islands with an enormous biodiversity.

It is best to tour the Tigre Delta by boat or kayak to get to know the native flora and fauna of the region, but you can also spend the day at a beach resort or take a guided tour through different trails. From Tigre you can also go by boat to Martín García Island, a wetland nature reserve located at the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Río de la Plata.

When you return from your tour of the Delta, you can walk along the Paseo Victorica, which is located on the banks of the Luján River and, if you wish, visit the Naval Museum and/or the Tigre Art Museum. You can also go to the Mercado de Frutos (Fruit Market), where you can find a wide variety of handicrafts and food stalls.

Another possibility if you go to Tigre with children are the playgrounds, such as the Euca Tigre Aerial Park, which has about 100 high rides of varying difficulty for children and adults, and the Parque de la Costa, the largest amusement park in the country.

How to get to Tigre

To get there from CABA you have several options, besides going by car:

• The Mitre line train Ramal Tigre at Retiro train station, which leaves every 15 minutes from 5 am to 11 am. It arrives in approximately one hour.
• The Tren de la Costa, which makes a more touristic route, but first you must take the train of the Mitre Ramal Mitre line and then this train.
• Uncolectivourbano (bus), which takes an hour and a half to get there.
• Hire an excursion with transfer, which will surely include different activities to do in the city and in the Delta del Tigre.

Whether you take a bus or a train, you will need to buy and charge the SUBE card, which you can do at any subway or train station.

After spending a day in nature in the Tigre Delta, you can dedicate a day to visit the La Boca neighborhood, where the famous Boca Juniors soccer stadium, known as La Bombonera, is located; and the Caminito Museum Street, a very picturesque street with street art worth seeing.

In the morning you can visit the stadium, and then walk about 4 blocks to Caminito Street. Near this street you will find the Quinquela Martin Art Museum, the Wax Museum, and the Museum of Contemporary Art La Boca, among which you can choose according to your interest.

In the afternoon you can finish your tour at the Usina del Arte, a cultural center that has interesting proposals every day and is located one kilometer from the stadium. On the way you can see the mysterious Torre del Fantasma, which is 5 blocks away from La Bombonera, although it is not possible to enter.

Keep in mind that the neighborhood of La Boca is not one of the safest in Buenos Aires, so it is better not to stay there until very late.

Boca Juniors Soccer Stadium

Visiting La Bombonera is a must for soccer lovers, since in addition to being one of the most important soccer teams in the country, it is where Diego Armando Maradona made his debut in the First Division, playing for Argentinos Juniors.

During your visit, you can visit both the stadium and the Museum of Boquense passion. Here you can see different objects, jerseys, audiovisual material and trophies related to the club's history. You also have the option of hiring a guided tour to learn all about the history of this team and Argentine soccer.

• Location: Brandsen 805, Buenos Aires City.
• Hours: Monday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. approximately. Ticket office closes at 5:30 pm.
• Admission fee: about 6 EUR.

Caminito Museum Street

Caminito Museum Street is the most colorful street in Buenos Aires, where you can enjoy amazing street art. It is about 150 meters long and in its buildings, former tenement houses, there are art workshops and craft stores.

On the other hand, all over La Boca neighborhood you will see fileteado, an art form that was born in Buenos Aires, with curved shapes and bright colors. If you have a special interest in this type of art, you could sign up for one of the graffiti tours that take place in Buenos Aires.

The Usina del Arte

La Usina del Arte is a cultural center where every weekend there are free events such as concerts, exhibitions, activities for children and workshops, so it is a good option for you to explore in the afternoon in La Boca. Also, the acoustics of its auditorium are not to be missed.

The building itself is worth seeing, as the cultural center is housed in an old English-style power plant. If you have time, you can also visit the Pablo Ducrós Hicken Cinema Museum, which is next door.

• Location: Agustín R. Caffarena 1, CABA. La Boca neighborhood.
• Hours: Fridays from 3pm to 8pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 8pm.

During your last day in Buenos Aires you can take a trip to one of the most typical villages in the outskirts of the city, to get to know the Buenos Aires countryside and take with you a bit of the gaucho spirit that they try to preserve. An interesting way to get to know it is by taking a gaucho tour in Buenos Aires.

Some of the towns you can visit are San Antonio de Areco, which is 120 km from Buenos Aires; San Antonio de Giles, which is 100 km from the city and Chascomús, located 120 km away, and famous for its homonymous lagoon. From Buenos Aires you can reach any of these towns by bus in about two hours.

In these small towns you can visit ranches, "pulperías", gaucho museums, old chapels, craft markets and walk quiet streets away from the hustle and bustle of the capital. You will also be able to eat typical food such as asado al asador in the most traditional restaurants.

This is the end of the itinerary that I propose to visit Buenos Aires in 7 days, and get to know the most characteristic features of the city during your stay. An extra is to take a day trip to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, which is about 3 hours away from the city and can be reached by ferry.