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🇦🇷Things to Do in Argentina
From Buenos Aires' tango halls to the glaciers of Patagonia - the essential sights, and how to keep your own record of them.
Travel guide - last updated September 2026
Argentina stretches nearly 3,700km north to south, so a trip usually anchors on Buenos Aires and adds one distant region rather than attempting the whole country - Iguazu Falls in the subtropical north, Mendoza's wine country in the west, or Patagonia's glaciers in the deep south, each a separate multi-hour flight away. Here are 8 places worth building a trip around.
Top attractions
The sights most first-time visitors build an itinerary around.
Buenos Aires & Tango
Argentina's capital, where tango was born in the working-class neighborhoods of La Boca and San Telmo. A dinner-and-show tango evening is the standard tourist introduction; San Telmo's Sunday street fair is a freer, more local alternative.
📍 Buenos Aires
🚉 The Subte covers the city: San Telmo's milongas are near Independencia on lines C and E, and La Boca, which has no station, is reached by bus 29 or 64 from the centre.
Iguazu Falls
A system of nearly 300 waterfalls on the Argentine-Brazilian border, larger than Niagara or Victoria Falls. The Argentine side gets you closer to individual falls, including the dramatic Devil's Throat viewpoint.
📍 Misiones Province
🚉 Puerto Iguazu has no railway - fly in, or take the overnight coach from Buenos Aires, then the Rio Uruguay bus from the terminal to the park gate every 20 minutes.
Mendoza Wine Country
The heart of Argentina's Malbec production, at the foot of the Andes. Many bodegas (wineries) offer tours and tastings without an advance reservation, though booking ahead avoids any disappointment at the more popular ones.
📍 Mendoza
🚉 Mendoza is served by long-distance coaches and flights, not trains; the Maipu bodegas are reached by local bus 173 and then bicycle, and Uco Valley needs a car or a tour.
Perito Moreno Glacier
One of the few advancing glaciers in the world, in Los Glaciares National Park near El Calafate. Walkways let you watch chunks of ice calve off the face without needing a boat tour, though boat trips get you closer.
📍 El Calafate, Santa Cruz Province
🚉 El Calafate is the base, reached by air or coach - there is no rail - and buses run the 80km to the glacier's walkway balconies twice daily, taking about 90 minutes.
El Chaltén & Mount Fitz Roy
Argentina's self-declared trekking capital, in Argentine Patagonia, with the Laguna de los Tres trail to a viewpoint beneath Mount Fitz Roy as the signature day hike.
📍 El Chalten, Santa Cruz Province
🚉 Buses from El Calafate take three hours to El Chalten, and the trailheads for Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Torre start from the village itself, so no further transport is needed.
Peninsula Valdés
A wildlife reserve on the Atlantic coast known for southern right whale watching (roughly June-December) and colonies of Magellanic penguins, sea lions and elephant seals.
📍 Chubut Province
🚉 Puerto Madryn is the gateway, with coaches from Buenos Aires and Trelew airport nearby; the peninsula's beaches are 100km on and have no bus service, so tours or a hire car are the options.
Bariloche
A Swiss-styled lake town in Argentine Patagonia's Lake District, popular for skiing in winter and hiking or chocolate-tasting (a local specialty) in summer.
📍 Bariloche, Rio Negro Province
🚉 Bariloche has an airport and a long-distance bus terminal, and the historic La Trochita narrow-gauge line runs further south; local bus 20 covers the Circuito Chico lakes road.
Ushuaia
The southernmost city in the world, marketed as 'the End of the World,' and the main departure point for most Antarctica cruises.
📍 Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego
🚉 The end of the world is reached by air or by coach through Chile; the Tren del Fin del Mundo is a heritage line to the national park rather than transport, and local buses run to the park gate in summer.
Mark Argentina, get the stamp
In MyPassportStory, every country you mark - visited, lived in, or still on the list - becomes a stamp like these in your own travel passport. Add the cities you stopped in, draw the route between them, and turn the whole trip into a shareable passport-style image.
Open MyPassportStoryPlanning questions
How many days do you need in Argentina?
10 days covers Buenos Aires plus Iguazu Falls or Mendoza well. Patagonia is worth treating as its own extension given the distances - two weeks or more if combining it with the north.
What's the best time to visit Argentina?
Argentina's seasons are reversed from the Northern Hemisphere - December-February is summer, best for Patagonia hiking, while ski season runs roughly June-September. Buenos Aires and the north are pleasant most of the year, with December-February hottest and most humid.
Is Argentina good for a first-time visit?
Yes, particularly Buenos Aires as an entry point - it's a walkable, culturally rich city, though Spanish is essential outside major tourist areas and Patagonia requires more planning given the distances involved.
Do I need a visa to visit Argentina?
Many nationalities, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and most of the EU, can visit visa-free for short tourist stays (typically up to 90 days); other nationalities need a visa arranged in advance. Check the official visa information for your nationality: cancilleria.gob.ar.
What are some things to do in Argentina on a tight budget?
San Telmo's Sunday street fair and most plazas in Buenos Aires cost nothing, walking Perito Moreno's viewing platforms is far cheaper than a boat tour, and Argentina's overnight long-distance buses (often quite comfortable) save on a night's accommodation while covering the country's long distances.
Can I rent a car in Argentina, and what licence do I need?
Yes, and in Patagonia it is often the only way to cover the distances between towns. A foreign licence is accepted when carried with an International Driving Permit, which is expected at rental desks and at police checks on Ruta 40. Minimum age is 21, sometimes 25 for larger vehicles, with a credit card for the deposit. Two Patagonian specifics: fuel stations can be 200km apart, so fill up whenever you can, and taking a hire car across into Chile needs written permission and extra insurance arranged days in advance. National road-safety rules are published at argentina.gob.ar; cars come from Hertz, Avis and Localiza.