Argentina is huge — the eighth-largest country on earth — and its highlights are spread from the subtropical north to the sub-Antarctic south, so the trick is choosing a region rather than trying to see it all. From the tango bars of Buenos Aires to Patagonian glaciers, Andean wine country and the thundering Iguazú Falls, here are the ten experiences worth building a trip around, with rough costs and timing for each.
10 best things to do in Argentina
1. Soak up Buenos Aires
Start in the capital: watch (or learn) tango in a San Telmo milonga, wander the colourful La Boca and leafy Palermo, and pay respects at Recoleta Cemetery where Eva Perón is buried. A steak-and-Malbec dinner rarely tops $15–25. Give it 3–4 days.
2. Stand before the Perito Moreno Glacier
Near El Calafate in the south, this 5 km-wide wall of ice is one of the few advancing glaciers on earth and regularly calves house-sized chunks into the lake. Boardwalks get you close; a boat trip or ice-trek gets you closer. Park entry is around $25–30.
3. Chase waterfalls at Iguazú
On the Brazilian border, Iguazú is a system of 275 falls that dwarfs Niagara. Walk the Argentine-side trails to the roaring Devil’s Throat, then get soaked on a speedboat run beneath the cascades. Budget a full day plus travel; it’s a 1.5-hour flight from Buenos Aires.
4. Drink Malbec in Mendoza
At the foot of the Andes, Mendoza is Argentina’s wine capital and the home of Malbec. Cycle or drive between bodegas in Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, most offering tastings and long lunches for $20–60. Aim for harvest season (Feb–April) if you can.
5. Explore the Patagonian Lake District around Bariloche
Chocolate-box Bariloche sits among glacial lakes and forests, Argentina’s answer to the Alps. Hike the Circuito Chico, kayak Lake Nahuel Huapi, and in winter ski at Cerro Catedral. It’s also the gateway to the scenic Route of the Seven Lakes.
6. Reach the ‘End of the World’ in Ushuaia
The world’s southernmost city is the launch point for Antarctic cruises and the beautiful Tierra del Fuego National Park. Ride the End of the World Train, spot penguins on a Beagle Channel boat trip, and post a card from the southernmost post office.
7. Trek in El Chaltén
Argentina’s self-styled trekking capital sits beneath the jagged Monte Fitz Roy. The Laguna de los Tres day hike to a glacial lake below the peak is world-class and completely free — one of the best value adventures in the country.
8. Discover the colourful Northwest
Around Salta and Jujuy the landscape turns to red-rock canyons and rainbow-striped hills. Drive the Quebrada de Humahuaca (a UNESCO site), see the Hill of Seven Colours at Purmamarca, and taste empanadas salteñas, widely rated the country’s best.
9. Watch wildlife on the Valdés Peninsula
This Atlantic peninsula in Patagonia is a wildlife magnet: southern right whales (June–Dec), colonies of penguins, sea lions and elephant seals, and orcas that famously beach themselves to hunt. Puerto Madryn is the base.
10. Taste the asado and café culture
Beyond the sights, Argentina runs on asado (the slow barbecue), dulce de leche, medialunas with coffee, and late dinners that start at 10pm. Eating and drinking well here is remarkably affordable thanks to the exchange rate — bring US dollars in cash.
Suggested routes
10 days: Buenos Aires → El Calafate (glacier + El Chaltén) → Bariloche. 2 weeks: add Mendoza and Iguazú. Northwest add-on: Salta and the Quebrada need 4–5 days of their own. Argentina’s distances are vast, so fly between regions rather than relying on (excellent but very long) buses.
Practical tips
Money: bring clean US-dollar cash and change it at the favourable ‘blue’ rate for far more pesos than cards give. When to go: Nov–March for Patagonia (southern summer); year-round for Buenos Aires and the north. Getting around: Aerolíneas Argentinas and low-cost carriers link the regions; book domestic flights early.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.