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Aerial view down Avenida 9 de Julio to the Obelisco, with the city skyline under a cloudy sky

Stop 04 · 34°36′S
Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires

Start here: international flights land at Ezeiza

Buenos Aires.

Cafés, tango and late dinners on the River Plate

  • Three or four nights at the start, and one at the end to break up the long flights
Plan a trip with Buenos Aires

Almost every trip to Argentina passes through Buenos Aires, and most people give it too little time. It is a big city that lives at street level: corner cafés, leafy squares, grand avenues, a dinner hour that starts around nine and a tango scene that starts well after that.

Aerial view down Avenida 9 de Julio to the Obelisco, with the city skyline under a cloudy sky

The way to understand it is by neighbourhood. Below is our guide to the barrios worth your time: the mood of each, when to go, where to eat, and where the tango happens.

Getting there
Start here: international flights land at Ezeiza
How long
Three or four nights at the start, and one at the end to break up the long flights.
Best time
Spring (September to November), when the jacarandas flower purple, and autumn (March to May). Summer is hot and humid, and in January many locals leave town.

What to see.(04)

  1. 01

    San Telmo on a Sunday

    The street market along Calle Defensa, then dancing in Plaza Dorrego as the light goes.

  2. 02

    Recoleta Cemetery

    A city of marble mausoleums, including the family tomb where Eva Perón lies.

  3. 03

    A milonga

    A real tango dance hall, not a dinner show. Go late and watch first.

  4. 04

    Palermo’s parks

    Rose gardens, lakes and long Sunday runs in the Bosques de Palermo.

Neighbourhoods.(09)

The mood of each barrio, when to go, where to eat, and where the tango happens.

Show me neighbourhoods for

Río de la Plata San TelmoLa BocaCentroPuerto MaderoRecoletaPalermoAlmagroVilla CrespoBelgrano

Schematic, not to scale.

  1. 01 / 09 Tango · Markets · History · Eating

    San Telmo

    Cobbled streets, peeling grandeur and antique shops. The oldest part of the city still feels lived-in: 19th-century mansions turned into tenements and then into bars, galleries and workshops.

    A cobblestone San Telmo street with old facades, a mural-covered wall and a mansard-roofed building at the end
    When to go
    Sunday. The Feria de San Pedro Telmo fills Calle Defensa from late morning, and at dusk people dance in Plaza Dorrego. Weekday evenings are quieter and good for bars.
    Where to eat
    • Mercado de San Telmo. A 19th-century iron market hall: antiques, fruit stalls and small counters for coffee, empanadas and steak sandwiches.
    • Bar El Federal. A historic corner bar-café with its old wooden counter; good for a sandwich and a vermouth.
    • El Desnivel. A busy, no-frills parrilla. Big portions, quick service, queues at weekends.
    Tango
    Plaza Dorrego on Sunday evening for open-air dancing. San Telmo also has several of the city’s long-running tango show houses, if you want a staged performance with dinner.
    Tip
    Walk south down Defensa from Plaza de Mayo and the market grows around you.

  2. 02 / 09 Football · History

    La Boca

    Painted tin houses, the old port and the blue-and-gold stadium of Boca Juniors. Caminito is touristy, and it is still worth an hour. The neighbourhood beyond it is working-class and proud.

    Brightly painted La Boca facades with ornate balconies and wrought-iron railings against a blue sky
    When to go
    By day, ideally late morning. Stay around Caminito, the riverside and the stadium, and take a taxi or ride-hail in and out rather than walking from San Telmo.
    Where to eat
    • El Obrero. An old-school bodegón with football memorabilia on the walls, simple grills and pasta. Go at lunch and arrive by taxi.
    • Caminito’s terraces. Plenty of tables with tango dancers performing for tips. Eat for the atmosphere, not the food.
    Tango
    Street tango for visitors on Caminito: dancers perform and pose for photographs for a tip. It is a show, but a fun one.
    Tip
    Fundación Proa, a contemporary art centre on the riverfront, is the neighbourhood’s best-kept secret, with a good café terrace upstairs.

  3. 03 / 09 History · Eating

    Centro & Monserrat

    The civic heart: Plaza de Mayo, the pink Casa Rosada, the cathedral and the grand Avenida de Mayo, lined with Belle Époque cafés and theatres. Busy by day, quiet at night.

    When to go
    Weekdays, in the morning, when the city is at work and the buildings are open. Pair with San Telmo in the afternoon.
    Where to eat
    • Café Tortoni. The city’s most famous café, open since the 19th century. Expect a queue; go for the room more than the coffee.
    • Pizzería Güerrín. A classic on Avenida Corrientes for thick, cheesy Buenos Aires pizza, eaten standing at the counter.
    • El Cuartito. Another pizzeria institution, covered in old sporting posters.
    Tango
    Tango shows in the cafés and theatres along Avenida de Mayo and Corrientes. For dancing, head to Almagro or Palermo.
    Tip
    Avenida Corrientes is the theatre street, and its old bookshops stay open late.

  4. 04 / 09 Parks · Eating

    Puerto Madero

    Restored red-brick docks and glass towers, with the white sail of the Puente de la Mujer footbridge. Polished and a little corporate, but the walk to the nature reserve beyond is a surprise.

    When to go
    A late afternoon walk along the docks, then on to the Costanera Sur ecological reserve, a large wetland on reclaimed land by the river.
    Where to eat
    • Costanera Sur food carts. The grill carts along the reserve’s edge sell choripán (chorizo in bread) and steak sandwiches. Cheap, smoky and very local.
    • Dockside restaurants. Steak houses with river-view terraces. Reliable, priced for expense accounts.
    Tango
    Not a tango neighbourhood. Come for the walk.
    Tip
    Check the reserve’s opening days and hours before you go; it is closed some days.

  5. 05 / 09 History · Parks

    Recoleta

    Paris on the River Plate: mansard roofs, embassies, French-style palaces and the famous cemetery. The city’s smartest address, elegant and calm.

    A paved lane lined with ornate marble mausoleums in Recoleta Cemetery
    When to go
    Morning for the cemetery, then the art museums, then lunch. At weekends a craft fair spreads across the park outside the cemetery.
    Where to eat
    • La Biela. A traditional café facing the cemetery, with a terrace under a huge old rubber tree. Breakfast or a mid-morning coffee.
    • Neighbourhood cafés and confiterías. Recoleta is a place for medialunas and coffee rather than big nights out.
    Tango
    Little dancing here. Stay for dinner in Palermo next door.
    Tip
    Inside the cemetery, follow the signs (or the crowd) to the Duarte family vault, where Eva Perón is buried. The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes is a short walk away.

  6. 06 / 09 Eating · Late nights · Parks · Tango

    Palermo

    The biggest barrio: tree-lined streets, design shops and the best of the city’s restaurant scene in Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood, plus the great parks and lakes of the Bosques de Palermo.

    Aerial view of the domed Galileo Galilei Planetarium surrounded by park paths and trees at dusk
    When to go
    Afternoon in the parks and shops, then dinner late. Nightlife starts after midnight. On weekend mornings the park is full of runners and cyclists.
    Where to eat
    • Don Julio. One of the city’s best-known parrillas. Book well ahead, or join the queue with a free glass of fizz.
    • El Preferido de Palermo. An old corner bodegón brought back to life: tiled walls, hams from the ceiling, good home cooking.
    • Palermo Soho. A dense grid of cafés, wine bars and small restaurants. Easy to wander and choose on the night.
    Tango
    La Viruta and Salón Canning are two of the best-known milongas in Palermo, both with classes early in the evening and dancing late. Check the schedule for the night you go.
    Tip
    The Japanese Garden and the rose garden in the Bosques are both lovely in the morning, before the crowds.

  7. 07 / 09 Tango · Late nights

    Almagro & Abasto

    Unpolished middle-class streets with deep tango roots. Carlos Gardel grew up in Abasto, and the old market hall there is now a shopping centre. The best of the scene here is in clubs and dance halls, not on postcards.

    When to go
    Late evening and night. This is where you go once you have seen a show and want to watch real dancers.
    Where to eat
    • El Banderín. A neighbourhood bar decorated with hundreds of old football pennants.
    • Corner pizzerias and bodegones. Ask at your milonga: the pre-dance dinner spots change with the crowd.
    Tango
    La Catedral, a bohemian milonga in an old warehouse, with classes early and dancing late. Museo Casa Carlos Gardel in Abasto tells the story of tango’s most famous voice.
    Tip
    Milongas start late and run past 2 am. Have dinner first, arrive around midnight, and sit and watch before you dance.

  8. 08 / 09 Eating · Late nights · Markets

    Villa Crespo & Chacarita

    Where Palermo’s energy has spilled over: outlet shops, independent cafés, natural wine bars and some of the most talked-about new kitchens, in streets that still feel like a neighbourhood.

    When to go
    Weekday afternoons for the outlet shops, evenings for food.
    Where to eat
    • New-wave restaurants and wine bars. This is where many of the city’s younger chefs have opened. Our team keeps a current list; ask when you book.
    • Old bakeries and delis. Villa Crespo was historically the city’s Jewish quarter, and some old bakeries survive.
    Tango
    Smaller neighbourhood milongas run in local clubs. Ask locally; schedules change.
    Tip
    Chacarita cemetery, much bigger and less visited than Recoleta’s, is the resting place of Carlos Gardel.

  9. 09 / 09 Tango · Parks · Eating

    Belgrano

    Leafy residential streets to the north, with a small but busy Chinatown (Barrio Chino) and the sloping park of the Barrancas de Belgrano.

    When to go
    A weekend afternoon and evening: Chinatown for lunch, the Barrancas at dusk.
    Where to eat
    • Barrio Chino. A few blocks around Calle Arribeños with dumpling houses, Asian supermarkets and street snacks.
    Tango
    La Glorieta, an open-air milonga in the bandstand of the Barrancas de Belgrano, usually on weekend evenings. Free, friendly and a lovely way to see social tango.
    Tip
    It is a fast train or taxi ride from Palermo; most visitors never come this far, which is part of the appeal.

Restaurants, cafés and milongas open, close and change their nights. Check before you go.

From Buenos Aires.

Straight-line distance and typical door-to-door time to every other stop.

How we work these out
IguazúSaltaPurmamarcaMendozaBuenos AiresBarilochePuerto MadrynEl ChalténEl CalafateUshuaia
ToDistanceDoor to doorHow
Iguazú1,065 kmabout 4 h 301 flight
Salta1,284 kmabout 5 h1 flight
Purmamarca1,389 kmabout 6 h1 flight
Mendoza984 kmabout 4 h 301 flight
Bariloche1,345 kmabout 5 h1 flight
Puerto Madryn1,076 kmabout 5 h1 flight
El Chaltén2,023 kmabout 9 h1 flight via El Calafate
El Calafate2,081 kmabout 6 h1 flight
Ushuaia2,374 kmabout 6 h1 flight

Practical.

The things to know before you add Buenos Aires to a trip.

Getting there

International flights land at Ezeiza (EZE), about 45–60 minutes from the centre. Most domestic flights use Aeroparque (AEP), close to Palermo. Connections between the two take time; see the distance check.

When to go

Spring (September to November), when the jacarandas flower purple, and autumn (March to May). Summer is hot and humid, and in January many locals leave town.

How long to stay

Three or four nights at the start, and one at the end to break up the long flights.

Watch out for

Exchange rules and the best way to pay (card or cash) change often in Argentina. Check current advice just before you travel.

Where to stay

See the 3 kinds of place we look for on our stays page.

Pairs well with.(02)

Aerial view down Avenida 9 de Julio to the Obelisco, with the city skyline under a cloudy sky

Plan a trip with Buenos Aires.

We will tell you what fits with it, and in which order.

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