Buenos Aires is a favorite city for many travelers. With its European influence and many interesting neighborhoods, there’s a lot to see. With just two days in Buenos Aires, you’ll have to do a lot of picking and choosing. There’s just too much to see in this sprawling city for you to reasonably cover everything in just those two days.
So, I put together this itinerary that is loosely based on my own trip to Buenos Aires.
Two Days in Buenos Aires
Note that this Buenos Aires itinerary is walking tour heavy. I’ll full admit I went a little crazy with walking tours in Buenos Aires, but after trying to explore one neighborhood on my own, I realized I got so much more from the tours than I did just traveling on my own. So, I’m including that in this itinerary as well.
If you don’t like walking tours, you can still follow this itinerary. Instead of meeting up with a guide, head to the neighborhood and explore on your own.
Day 1 – Recoleta and Retiro
Your first day in Buenos Aires is focused on what I’d consider the most beautiful neighborhood in the city. Spend your day in Recoleta and Retiro. Here’s where you’ll find the famous Recoleta Cemetery, but it’s also where you’ll find some unique architecture. This is where the rich citizens of Buenos Aires wanted to retire.
Morning – Recoleta Walking Tour
Start your day in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires. There’s interesting architecture all over the city, but I think Recoleta has some of the most beautiful. This part of the city is where the rich residents of Buenos Aires wanted to retire, so it’s no surprise that things just look a little more elaborate here.
You can of course tour on your own, but to get more context, I think it’s better to go with a tour guide. I’ll fully admit that I toured on my own, but if I were to do it again, I’d absolutely go with a guided tour. I just found that I got so much more out of the tours than I did while walking around on my own, but the choice is yours.
Even if you do take a tour, I recommend giving yourself a little bit of time to self explore. You just never quite know what you’ll see and what will stick out to you.
Early Afternoon – Lunch
Take a break from your sightseeing and grab some lunch before continuing on. It’s your choice where you want to eat.
Late Afternoon – Recoleta Cemetery
In the afternoon, plan a visit to Recoleta Cemetery. This is the one thing that seems to end up on every list of things to do in Buenos Aires. While the cemetery used to be free to visit, it now comes with an entrance fee. This is annoying, but it’s what it is.
Again, I recommend taking a tour of Recoleta Cemetery. If you don’t take a tour, at least do some research before you come so you can get some idea of the significance of the cemetery. But a good tour guide can help bring the cemetery to life.
I debated for a long time about whether or not I wanted to get a guide. In the end, I did go with a guided tour and I think it made my visit that much better. Rather than wandering aimlessly through aisles and aisles of mausoleums, I had a guide telling stories about some of the families in this cemetery.
As a note, the ticket sales for Recoleta Cemetery close before the actual cemetery. So, even though the ticket office is closed, you can stay in the cemetery for another hour. Crowds start to clear out as the ticket office closes and that can lead to a better experience at the cemetery. Some of the tour guides are aware of this and will plan their tours accordingly.
Evening – Traveler’s Choice
It is your choice how to spend your evening. Continue exploring, visit another neighborhood, catch a tango show, get a good dinner. The choice is yours.
Day 2 – La Boca or San Telmo & The City Center
I have two options for your second day in Buenos Aires. The first option is for most travelers and it will focus on La Boca neighborhood and the City Center. If you’re visiting on a Sunday, I recommend visiting the San Telmo Neighborhood (instead of La Boca) for their famous Sunday market.
Option 1 – Morning – La Boca Walking Tour
If you’re visiting Buenos Aires on any day other than Sunday, I recommend visiting La Boca neighborhood. Here’s where you’ll find the famous football stadium. Whether you take a neighborhood tour or explore on your own is up to you.
This is one area of the city that I missed out on. Buenos Aires is huge and I just didn’t have time for everything (though I tried to cram in as much as I possibly could). That said, if I had had more time, this was the first thing on that I would have done. It just unfortunately didn’t work out for me.
As a note, a guide in Buenos Aires recommended taking an Uber (or the bus) to La Boca, rather than walking. I think anytime a local recommends Uber for safety reasons, it’s a good reason to listen. To be clear, he stressed that La Boca is safe, but there were some streets nearby (that you would have to pass if you were walking) that weren’t great.
Option 2 – Morning – San Telmo Tour
If you’re in Buenos Aires on a Sunday, I recommend spending your morning in San Telmo. Yes, you can take another walking tour, but if you’re burned out on tours, I totally understand.
The big reason for visiting San Telmo on a Sunday is to visit its bustling market. Of course there is more to see in San Telmo beyond just its market, but the market makes things so much more fun. In fact, wandering through San Telmo and the market helped to improve my overall impression of Buenos Aires.
The San Telmo Market is massive and stretches for several blocks. Later in the day, it becomes packed and difficult to move, so I recommend to try to visit in the morning. Like all things in Buenos Aires, the market won’t really get going until late in the morning, but late morning is much more pleasant than early afternoon.
Early Afternoon – Lunch
Take a break from your sightseeing and grab some lunch before continuing on. It’s your choice where you want to eat.
Late Afternoon – City Center Walking Tour
In the mid to late afternoon, take another walking tour of the city. Rather than focusing on a specific neighborhood, focus on Buenos Aires as a whole and take a walking tour through the city center.
While many of your walking tours throughout your time in Buenos Aires will have covered bits of the city’s history, these tours typically focus on one small part of the city. Now it’s time to think about Buenos Aires as a whole. Starting near the National Congress and ending in Plaza de Mayo, the Buenos Aires’s Free Walking Tour covers a small part of the city, but is no less fantastic.
I know I’ve recommended a lot of tours in Buenos Aires, but in my opinion, if you’re only going to do one tour, make it this one. This tour gave such a wonderful introduction to Buenos Aires as a whole.
Evening – Traveler’s Choice
Like with all of my itineraries, the evening is traveler’s choice.
Is Two Days in Buenos Aires Enough?
For a first time visit, I’d recommend two days in Buenos Aires. I think one day would feel way too rushed and you’d barely get to see anything in the city. With three days, you can see just a little more and explore at a slightly more relaxed pace (though there’s so much to see in Buenos Aires that it’s unlikely you’ll slow down that much).
Anything more than four days and I’d recommend that you start looking into more in Argentina. The country is massive and there is so much to see. Don’t limit yourself to just the capital city.
How to Get Around Buenos Aires
I walked all over the city, though I will fully admit that I did a ton of walking. My feet were exhausted by the end of the day. Instead of killing your feet, you have a few options. Taxis and Ubers are plentiful and can be a great way to get around the city (though I’d recommend Ubers over taxis since the taxis are likely to try to overcharge you).
For public transportation, there are buses all over the city and you can pay with your credit card. Just tap your card as you board the bus to pay your fare. There’s also a metro, though the routes aren’t the most convenient for tourists. Still, you can use your credit card here too if you find a route that works for you.
Final Thoughts
I had hoped to fall in love with Buenos Aires, but I left with a feeling of “I like this city, but I don’t love it.” That’s ok though, because I felt the same way about Colombia after my first visit and after my second visit, it’s now one of my favorite countries. So I’m optimistic that a return visit will push Buenos Aires into a city that I love.
Continue Your Adventure
Buenos Aires: On a first trip to Buenos Aires, you have to include a stop at Recoleta Cemetery.
Salta: In the north of Argentina, you can spend five days in Salta. Visit the nearby Salinas Grandes, taste wine in Cafayate, or head to the town of Cachi.
