Buenos Aires Activities And
Things To See & Do

We wanted to experience the best Buenos Aires activities during our trip, so we asked every Argentinean we met and then we tried every suggestion. Featured in this section are our favorite activities, with ideas for those staying for just a few days or even a few weeks.

Top Buenos Aires activities for those on a weekend break

Get to know the city in just a few hours
A great way to get acquainted with the city and its history is to take an organized day tour. There is no quicker way to see what this diverse city has to offer, whilst hearing first hand of its history, its rocky political past and Argentineans hopes for its future.

Recoleta Cemetery
South America’s most exclusive neighborhood is home to Recoleta cemetery the resting place of the most distinguished Argentineans . It’s filled with the flamboyant mausoleums of the countries most famous politicians and heroes (including Evita Peron). It’s an intriguing must-see place where tourists and locals flock to see the resting place of Argentina’s greatest.

Discover the birthplace of tango
The sensual tango was born in one of Buenos Aires’s most famous districts – La Boca. Conceived over a hundred years ago from the fusion of the city’s diverse immigrant cultures, tango is not just an amazing dance it is also a part of Argentina’s heritage and culture.

Buenos Aires is ‘the birthplace of tango’ and the best place in the world to experience this powerful music and see this dramatic dance in action. See elegant couples perform slow sensual dances as well as energetic fast tango to a live tango orchestra at one of the many live tango shows in Buenos Aires. It’s probably the most popular of all Buenos Aires activities and a must-do.

Want a more personal tango experience? Find out which are the best tango evenings to watch Argentineans dance to live local orchestras. Or better still, get involved – take a tango class and discover the most sensual dance in the world.

Pick up a souvenir of Argentina’s history
Every Sunday afternoon the antiques market in the delightful old district of San Telmo is packed with stalls filled with Argentinean antiques, curios and handmade art. On a Sunday, this is one of the best Buenos Aires activities to do.

I loved the atmosphere of this peculiar little market, created by an unusual mix of antiques stalls, local artists and street performers. You can easily spend several hours rummaging through boxes of old photographs and looking at the unusual objects on offer, while constantly stumbling upon beautifully choreographed tango performances in the street.

Visiting San Telmo’s market also offers the chance to explore one of the oldest districts in Buenos Aires. You can roam around its cobbled streets, see some of the aging mansions from the 1800’s and enjoy a coffee sat outside one of the many cafes whilst watching the hustle and bustle go by.

Taste the juiciest steaks in all Argentina
Argentina is famous for its steak and Buenos Aires is packed with steakhouses serving the most delectable steaks imaginable. During our stay, we genuinely found no better steakhouse than La Cabrera.

I still long for the taste of their melt-in-the-mouth steaks rolled in various fragrant herbs.

Trying Argentinean steak is a must while in Buenos Aires – it’s so good that if you try it once, you’ll find it hard to order anything else!

Find out why La Cabrera’s quirky ambiance, delicious steaks and array of side dishes put it a cut above all the other steakhouses we visited.

The widest street in the world
Avenida 9 de Julio is the widest street in the world and standing proud at its center is Buenos Aires’ most famous monument – the towering Obelisco. It’s also home to Buenos Aires most spectacular and important cultural building – the theater colon.

This is where tourists flock to take a photo of Buenos Aires most famous skyline and monument – the Obelisco. Find out the best spot and time of day to take in the views of the widest street in the world and the towering Obelisco.

Buenos Aires’ most impressive cultural building
Take a tour around Theatre Colon, one of the finest buildings in all Argentina. Whilst there, why not experience a performance in its lavish concert hall (probably one of the most lavish in the world).

With a few more days on your hands, explore the city further

Try Recoleta for grand architecture, exclusive shopping and some of the finest Italian style ice cream or ‘gelato’ found outside Italy. Also home to the unbelievable Recoleta Cemetery.

Pop up to trendy Palermo to visit the city’s best art galleries and museums. Afterwards, there are stacks of great things to do - watch a polo match, go to the zoo or just stroll around Palermo’s beautiful parks.

Other Buenos Aires Activities - Short day trips

Visit Tigre – a summer time retreat
On a warm day, cruise up the winding rivers of the delta in a tourist boat or local ferry and discover beautiful old wooden summer houses from the early 1900’s. There are plenty of nature trails, rare plants and wildlife along the way. Or, just jump ashore and relax in one of the many riverside restaurants and watch life on the river go by.

Relax in the old fort town of ‘Colonia de Sacramento’ in nearby Uruguay
Explore the winding cobbled streets of this picturesque Portuguese fort town dating back to 1680. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip across the river to this historic old town, packed with wonderful old colonial houses and churches. Around every corner we found tiny courtyards lined with trees, beautiful hanging baskets and lush green plants. There are also several charming little cafes and restaurants to sit back, relax and enjoy the scenery.

In the early evening we savored a glass of wine or two in a bar on the shore and watched the sun setting over the silver river – ‘Rio de la Plata’. We felt so peaceful we could have sat there forever as the brilliant orange sunlight illuminated the bay - what an end to a relaxing day discovering this wonderful historic old town.

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