If you’re looking for an adventurous trip and haven’t yet experienced South America, I highly recommend adding Argentina to your bucket list. It is a stunning country with SO much to see. Not to mention delicious food and wine.
A few key things to remember, first the local language is Spanish and I suggest refreshing your memory with a few common phrases, the locals will appreciate it. You will be okay though to get by if you speak only English. Please note when traveling out of common areas and tourist attractions, the language barrier gets tougher, such as in small villages and less populated areas off the beaten road.
Secondly, Argentina is in the southern hemisphere meaning the summer months are December – February and the coldest months you’ll find in June – August. So pack accordingly and plan activities based on the seasons! All months are beautiful though to visit.
Buenos Aires
Closed Door restaurants
I experienced this one night early on during our visit to Argentina, it was my first time in South America as well. It was September 2016 at the time which seems like forever ago! A closed Door restaurant is a unique experience local to the barrios (neighborhoods) in Buenos Aires. It’s like dining in someone’s home where they welcome you in complete with drink pairings and delicious home cooked meals by a proper chef! How glorious of a combination to dine out and experience a local gem while meeting new folks. Other must-sees while stopping in Buenos Aires include; the Recoleta cemetery, the infamous BA signs, a local tango show and dinner – (incredible dancers!), and bar hopping throughout the hot spots (maybe you can even catch a futbol game).
The world is your oyster!
Mendoza
Flying to Mendoza is a quick flight from BA. You’ll be able to depart on a very early morning flight from Buenos Aires over to Mendoza and not only catch a gorgeous sunrise but get to spend most of your day exploring all that Mendoza has to offer. I would say do not miss a bike tour going to different vineyards where you can learn about the grape growing and wine making process while also tasting malbecs. Who doesn’t love a great dark malbec wine?! Here’s another suggestion while in Mendoza, take a trek just a short drive from Mendoza in the Andes Mountains. We had an incredible guide and an also incredibly snowy, freshly coated mountain to hike. It was an amazing experience and I wouldn’t trade the crisp snow for a hot sunny day ever! PS- I will put some hotel recs further below!
Iguazo Falls
These falls technically fall in between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. There are two main viewing towns, one located in Brazil and one in Argentina. You can day trip this or can certainly stay nearby in one of the many hotels. I personally day tripped it, we rose with the sun and boarded a 5AM flight off to Iguazu. Once landed we quickly made our way to the falls on a tour and were able to immediately see what all the hype was about. These are massive falls and they do take your breath away.
We even had a chance to take a speedy boat into the falls, we got drenched! I’ll share more pictures below of this – it was truly a blast. By the end of our day exploring we were exhausted and headed to the airport to catch our flight back to Buenos Aires. This is the largest waterfall system in the world and has even been voted as one of the 7 natural wonders of the world – it is a wonder to be seen!
Argentina is a beautiful country and we would love to help you explore this fabulous place!
Hotel recommendations:
Mendoza: Park Hyatt for a more luxury experience, Casa Lila for the local bed and breakfast and a more quaint experience.
Buenos Aires: to take it up a notch we recommend the Four Seasons for an exquisite experience or Palacio Duhau.
Iguazu Falls: day trip or Gran Malia Iguazu or Loi Suites Iguazu