The perfect 3 days in Buenos Aires itinerary for first-time visitors

Buenos Aires is an amazing city full of life, culture and colour. We’ve spent so much time in Argentina’s capital that it’s now like home, but if you’re visiting for just a few days, there’s a lot you might want to fit in. Not sure where to start with planning activities, accommodation, and where to go for tango, steak and wine? This jam-packed 3 days in Buenos Aires itinerary has everything you need for an amazing first experience of the city.

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Is 3 days in Buenos Aires enough?

Buenos Aires is one of the biggest cities we’ve ever visited. Not only does it have a huge population, but the main sightseeing attractions and popular neighbourhoods are extremely spread out over many kilometres. With this in mind, 3 days in Buenos Aires is the minimum we would recommend if you want to experience the city in a meaningful way on your first visit.

It’s possible to combine many of the city’s highlights into a fast-paced itinerary for 3 days in Buenos Aires, and that’s what we cover in this guide.

If you want to explore the city a little more slowly, and perhaps extend your time here, you might also want to see our itinerary for one week in Buenos Aires. That allows more space for day trips, free time, shopping and relaxation between all the sightseeing.

Where to stay for 3 days in Buenos Aires

We usually stay in San Telmo or Montserrat on our trips to Buenos Aires. These are the city’s oldest two neighbourhoods, standing side by side on the south side of the city. Their streets are filled with beautiful, aging buildings and this is where you will find the oldest and most classic restaurants, café and tango houses.

These neighbourhoods also flank the world’s widest avenue, Avenida 9 de Julio, which is the nucleus of transport in the city. So, it’s very easy to get around from here and reach anywhere, whether by bus, subway or ordering a quick hail-a-ride.

These are our top recommendations for places to stay around San Telmo or Montserrat:

• Budget: Viajero Hostel or Rayuela Hostel. We’ve stayed in both of these hostels for extended periods and loved them both for different reasons. Viajero is a big hostel that has a bar, swimming pool and runs lots of activities, while Rayuela has a smaller, boutique feel (but still does a fantastic weekly asado night!). You can book private rooms or dorms in either.
• Mid-range: L’Adresse Hôtel Boutique. A small and charming boutique hotel with lovely owners, and an excellent daily breakfast.
• Luxury: Cassa Lepage Art Hotel. An absolutely stunning hotel decorated with magnificent genuine artworks, and housing an archaeological dig and museum on site.

Our neighbourhood guide to San Telmo goes into more detail.

These are some of Buenos Aires’ other popular neighbourhoods if you’d rather stay elsewhere:

• Palermo: a leafy, low-rooftop neighbourhood home to the most thriving dining and nightlife scene, with great bars and restaurants, green parks and colourful street art.
• Recoleta: the “Paris of South America”, filled with elegant boulevards and opulent palaces, intertwined with boutique coffee shops and intriguing museums.
• Centro: the “downtown” area of the city, home to plazas, shops, and major landmarks like the Obelisk and Teatro Colón.
• Puerto Madero: the old docks neighbourhood, which has been brought to life with new money, featuring waterside hotels, bars and business centres.

Read our full guide to the best neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires for more about these areas and our favourite accommodation options.

The perfect itinerary for 3 days in Buenos Aires

We have structured our Buenos Aires itinerary for 3 days into the south, the central area and the north. Spending one day in each of these broad areas of the city is a good way to explore the highlights on a short trip.

The itinerary is based on spending three full days in the city (and four nights), so we’ve included recommendations for breakfast and dinner on every day.

In the itinerary we suggest things to do, places to eat and how to pace your day neatly, but we also include some alternative activity ideas in case you want to mix it up a bit.

Getting around Buenos Aires is easy on public transport, but you might want to consider buying a ticket for the hop-on hop-off city sightseeing bus for your 3-day trip. A 72-hour ticket costs only slightly more than a 24-hour ticket, and the route navigates many of the areas we cover in our suggested itinerary. It’s a less chaotic experience than public transport, and you get to cruise with a rooftop view and audioguide commentary.

Day 1, the south: San Telmo, La Boca and tango!

If you have chosen to stay in San Telmo or neighbouring Montserrat, then the first day of our Buenos Aires itinerary begins right on your doorstep. Begin by heading into the heart of San Telmo, with its cobbled roads and grandiose colonial buildings.

Have breakfast in a San Telmo café

There are great places to eat all over Buenos Aires, but we love San Telmo especially as it’s where you’ll find the cosiest and most authentic local cafés and classic old restaurants.

At breakfast time, the neighbourhood is lovely and quiet. Sit up by the window in one of its charming cafés and you can people-watch as the day slowly springs to life. These are some great places we personally recommend:

• Punto Café, standing on a quiet corner in the north part of the neighbourhood, does delicious pastries and toasties.
• Nica, right next to the old market building in the heart of San Telmo, is great for a more deluxe brekkie, especially their signature eggs benedict.
• Panadería y Confitería La Mariposa is a traditional old Argentine bakery that makes some of the best empanadas in Buenos Aires.

These three places are all usually open by 8am. Take your pick! Don’t start too late, as there’s quite a bit of sightseeing ahead…

Morning: explore the shops and markets of San Telmo

We haven’t specified days of the week in this itinerary, but if your Buenos Aires trip includes a Sunday, that is the best time to explore San Telmo. Sunday sees the weekly Feria de San Telmo, a gigantic open-air flea market that takes over the neighbourhood’s streets around Defensa.

So, if your 3 days in Buenos Aires includes a Sunday, you might want to switch the days in your itinerary to experience the feria.

There’s a lot more to see and do around San Telmo. During the morning, make sure you stop by at Mercado de San Telmo. This indoor market brings together a labyrinth of food stalls and eateries under one giant roof, and has been the heartbeat of the neighbourhood for decades.

Continue exploring on the streets outside and you will encounter wonderful book stores (try Walrus Books), wine shops (La Uvateca is our favourite) and dulce de leche shops (we love La Vaca Lechera).

While you are exploring the neighbourhood, look out for some of its iconic sights. There’s La Casa Minima, the narrowest house in Buenos Aires, and Mafalda, a statue of a much-loved cartoon character on a bench (you may need to queue to have a photo taken with her!).

Venture underground at El Zanjón de Granados

When it gets to midday, take the 12noon tour of El Zanjón de Granados. This restored old mansion conceals a labyrinth of tunnels and historic waterways underneath, and you can venture down into them on a one-hour guided tour. You can either book tickets online or buy them on the door on the day.

Lunch: eat burgers at El Banco Rojo

El Banco Rojo in San Telmo is my favourite burger bar in the world. We’ve eaten here a few times, and it seems to keep getting better. The burgers are stacked high and dripping, served with piles of chips. There’s a great selection of craft beers as well, and the prices are unbelievably cheap.

Afternoon: discover the vibrant La Boca neighbourhood

La Boca is the most colourful little corner of Buenos Aires. The neighbourhood’s central lanes, El Caminito, have become an open-air art museum, with intricate houses of bright blue, yellow and red. A visit here is one of the absolute must things to do in Buenos Aires.

It’s easy to reach La Boca from San Telmo. One way is by using the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus, which stops in San Telmo on the way down to La Boca. Another is by taking the number 29 bus, which links the two neighbourhoods. Or, you can walk. It takes about 30–40 minutes, passing through the leafy Parque Lezama (home to the National Historical Museum) en route.

La Boca is a neighbourhood built on immigration, as this is where waves of people arrived on ships from Italy in the 19th century to start a new life. The open-air street museum was conceived in the 1950s by local artist Benito Quinquela Martín.

While it’s become a bit of a tourist magnet, El Caminito is still wonderful to see; you’ll encounter street artists painting and tango dancers strutting their stuff as you wander in and out of souvenir shops. If you’ve got any space left after lunch, grab a choripan from the street BBQ at Paseo Del Valle.

La Boca is also home to South America’s most famous soccer team, Boca Juniors, and their iconic stadium La Bombonera. With its bright blue and yellow colours, the stadium looks right at home in this vibrant neighbourhood. Take a tour of the museum for a fascinating insight into the club’s history and great players. You can buy on the door or on the club’s website.

Evening: tango show and dinner at El Querandi

No visit to Buenos Aires would be quite complete without going to a tango show! We love the El Querandi tango show because it spans may different styles of the genre, telling the story of 150 years of tango history. If you only have time for one tango show, this is a great choice as it’s got a little bit of everything.

We went for the full three-course dinner with the show and had a lovely, memorable evening. You can check out our full review of El Querandi to find out more.

Other tours to try in the south of Buenos Aires

If you want to mix your itinerary up a bit, these are some other great experiences we love around San Telmo and La Boca:

• South of Buenos Aires bike tour: this includes not only San Telmo and La Boca, but also parts of Centro that we cover in our day two. If you decide to take both the north and south bike tours, you could condense our itinerary into two days, leaving a free day to explore further or take a day trip to the Tigre Delta.
• La Boca walking tour: this is a great introduction to the neighbourhood, taking place at 11am every day. You could flip the day round if you take this tour and explore San Telmo in the afternoon instead.
• Introduction to Buenos Aires wine culture. This fantastic little wine tour visits a local winery in San Telmo for a tasting with food pairings. It starts at 5pm, so if you don’t mind a busy day you could just about squeeze it in before the tango show.

Day 2, the centre: Recoleta, Centro and coffee houses

The second day of our itinerary for 3 days in Buenos Aires focuses around the central areas of the city, where many of its most iconic landmarks are found.

Have a healthy breakfast at Edison Café, Recoleta

If you aren’t having breakfast at your accommodation, then start bright and early at Edison Café in Recoleta, which opens at 8am sharp. This small chain of coffee shops in Argentina does a delicious cup of coffee. We always like to grab some healthy food when we can in Argentina to make up for all the steak and wine, and this place does lovely yoghurt, granola and fruit bowls.

Morning: see the highlights of Recoleta

Known as the “Paris of South America”, Recoleta is the neighbourhood where the old wealth was focused in Buenos Aires. It’s where you will see some of the most lavish buildings and opulent residences.

There is a lot to see and do around Recoleta – more than you can fit into a single morning. We suggest working your way through some of the following:

• Recoleta Urban Mall, a huge modern mall that’s right near Edison Café – ideal if you want to squeeze in some shopping.
• Recoleta Cemetery, one of the world’s most famous cemeteries and the final resting place of Eva “Evita” Perón. See if you can navigate the maze of decadent tombs to find her family shrine. If you decide to stay around Recoleta for a full day, you could take the guided tour of Recoleta Cemetery in the afternoon.
• Centro Cultural Recoleta, a beautiful multi-coloured house that hosts exhibitions, art galleries and workshops.
• Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, one of South America’s best art museums. I particularly loved the huge paintings by Cándido López, a 19th century Argentine soldier and artist, depicting scenes he witnessed personally in wars with Paraguay.
• El Ateneo Grand Splendid, a book store in an old theatre. This might be my favourite building in Buenos Aires, and it is certainly one of the most beautiful book stores in the world.

If you finish up at El Ateneo Grand Splendid and you are ready for another coffee break, you can walk across the block to Öss Kaffe. This was recommended by one of our friends who lives in Buenos Aires as the city’s best coffee, and we loved it! Try the espresso with gin and honey, which is a bit of a house special.

Have late lunch at Café Tortoni, the city’s oldest café

The second part of this day’s itinerary focuses around the Centro neighbourhood, where many of the most important government buildings and national landmarks are located.

Café Tortoni has been a mainstay of the Centro district for over 150 years. This Parisienne-style coffee shop was used as a meeting place for journalists, artists and politicians in decades past, and is now one of the city’s longest-standing rendezvous places.

The eating culture in Argentina is later than what we’re used to at home in the UK. We suggest to go with the local flow and arrive here for a late lunch. You might need to queue up first as it’s a popular spot.

If you have a ticket for the hop-on hop-off bus you can jump on at Recoleta and get off close to the café. Otherwise, it’s an easy bus journey, or takes about 40 minutes to walk.

Afternoon: explore national iconic buildings around Centro

One option for your afternoon is to take the 3pm free walking tour with BA Free Tour. We’ve done this tour and really enjoyed it; like most free tours, it works on a tips basis.

If you’d rather go self-guided, you could take a circular route to navigate the highlights around Centro:

• The Obelisk. You can’t miss this giant 67-metre-high monument on Avenida 9 de Julio, which was unveiled in 1936 to recognise the founding of the city. You’ve probably noticed it by now from the bus, but it’s extra impressive to see up close.
• Teatro Colón. A stone’s throw from the Obelisk, this is one of the world’s greatest opera houses. You can take a guided tour of the theatre to see its magnificent interior.
• Evita murals on Edificio del Ministerio de Obras Públicas. Look out for these depictions of Eva Perón on a government high-rise, on the south side smiling towards the working classes, and on the north side making a speech towards the affluent side of the city.
• Palacio del Congreso. Overlooking the leafy square of Plaza del Congreso, this green-domed palace is the meeting place of the National Congress of Argentina, built in 1906.
• Plaza de Mayo and the Pink House. This major city square is home to the executive mansion of the president of Argentina. The iconic Casa Rosada has seen many legendary speeches and political rallies over the years, including Evita’s last public appearance.
• Calle Florida. After the day’s sightseeing you might want to fit in some shopping. Calle Florida was the first pedestrianised street in Buenos Aires and remains its most popular place for high-end shopping. It’s quite a spectacle even if you don’t want to buy anything.

Steak dinner at Santos Manjares

A couple of blocks away from Calle Florida, Santos Manjares is one of our favourite steakhouses in Buenos Aires. Bife de chorizo (sirloin) is a house speciality here and it is absolutely delicious.

Santos Manjares is on the budget end of the spectrum when it comes to parrillas. If you want to experience one of the best steaks in Buenos Aires and you don’t mind paying more for the pleasure, then hail a ride over to Palermo for dinner at either Don Julio or La Carnicería. Advanced booking is a must, especially Don Julio which gets booked up many months ahead.

Evening beers in Puerto Madero

After dinner at Santos Manjares, you can walk it off with a 20-minute stroll over to the dockside at Puerto Madero. Peñón del Águila is a really cool bar floating on the water and stays open late. You could also go on a little bar crawl along the various establishments on the waterside.

Day 3, the north: Palermo, parks, museums and an asado night

The third and final day of our itinerary for 3 days in Buenos Aires focuses on the north part of the city, and especially the leafy neighbourhood of Palermo.

Palermo covers a sprawling area that is one of the most affluent parts of Buenos Aires, and also among the greenest. The built-up parts of Palermo (you will hear about its sub-neighbourhoods like Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood) are where you will find many of the city’s top restaurants and best nightlife, set among gridded low-rooftop streets daubed with charismatic street art and graffiti.

On the north side of Palermo towards the river is where many of the city’s most beautiful green spaces are concentrated; vast parks with walkways and waterways that you could spend hours getting lost in. This part of Palermo is also where you will find many of the best museums in Buenos Aires.

Breakfast: at your hotel, San Telmo or on the Puerto Madero waterside

Begin the day with breakfast. We suggest either eating at your accommodation if you’re in a hotel that includes breakfast, or – if you are staying around San Telmo – heading to one of our suggested cafés that you didn’t try on the first day of this itinerary.

Alternatively, you could stroll across to the waterside at Puerto Madero, where many of the cafés on the eastern side of the docks open from 8am or 9am. You’ll then be in the right place to hop on the bus and begin the day’s sightseeing.

Morning: parks and museums

If you didn’t buy a 72-hour ticket for the Buenos Aires hop-on hop-off bus, we suggest getting a 24-hour ticket for this final day of the itinerary. It conveniently stops at landmarks around Palermo’s parks, and you can enjoy commentary along the way. Hop on at Puerto Madero and you’ll cruise through the docks, chic Retiro and the financial district before arriving in the green scenes of Palermo’s parks.

If you’re into art galleries, then jump off at MALBA, the Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires. This not-for-profit art museum has some fantastic and varied exhibitions of contemporary art, mostly featuring works by artists from across Latin America.

Alternatively, you could off the bus at Planetario Galileo Galilei. This planetarium occupies one of the city’s most recognisable buildings, topped with a huge dome that stands out above the grassland of the surrounding parks. You can only see shows here at certain times from Tuesday to Friday, but it’s a convenient spot to walk across the parks and absorb the scenery.

From either stop, you could head next to Museo Evita, where you can learn all about the life and legend of Eva Perón. Set in a beautiful early 20th-century mansion that was used by Evita’s social foundation to provide a refuge for women, it features moving exhibitions that tell the story of her trajectory from actress to national political icon, including some original footage.

Between museum visits, take your time to wander the beautiful parks and gardens. The huge Magna Carta Monument stands at the intersection of Palermo’s parks, and is a good navigation base.

If you have still time left in the morning, you could hop back on the bus and complete the full northern circuit around Parque de la Memoria and Estadio Monumental (the football stadium of River Plate), circling back to Palermo where you can hop off again at the Magna Carta Monument.

Lunch: picnic in the park, or smoothie bowls at Distrito Arcos

Once you’re feeling hungry, we have a couple of lunch suggestions for this day of the Buenos Aires 3 day itinerary. The first is to pick up some takeaway empanadas for a picnic in the parks. Impanato is a nice local bakery that stands conveniently right next to Jardín Botánico Carlos Thays and Plaza Italia.

Another option is to take a stroll to Distrito Arcos, about 20 minutes from the Magna Carta Monument, taking you into residential Palermo. Distrito Arcos is a trendy open-air mall with rows of food trucks. If you’re craving a healthy fix, the smoothie bowls from the Mahalo stall are delicious and guaranteed to give you a lift!

Afternoon: Palermo street art and graffiti tour

Palermo’s intriguing and colourful street art is part of what makes the neighbourhood so distinctive. Political graffiti has also shaped the identity of these streets for more than a century. Taking the Palermo street art and graffiti tour was one the highlights of our latest trip to Buenos Aires, and it fits perfectly into this day’s schedule, beginning at 3pm and lasting about two hours. It’s great value for money as well, costing a fraction of other similar tours.

We particularly appreciated the shorter length of this walking tour in comparison to others, as it’s not too hard on your already-weary legs. Our guide, Vito, was a local student full of knowledge and passion about the artistic history of the neighbourhood.

Hit Palermo’s craft beer bars

After the street art and graffiti tour, you have two or three hours free in Palermo before our recommended dinner spot. This is the perfect amount of time to relax and enjoy something the neighbourhood is famous for: craft beer!

You can barely walk a block in Palermo without coming across a local craft beer joint. Some of our favourites are Choppería, 1516 Cerveceria, Baum and Desarmadero.

Dinner: finish in style at the Fogón Asado experience

The final dinner in our itinerary for 3 days in Buenos Aires is one you will always remember. Asado is one of the most important traditions in Argentina, one that is just as much about socialising as it is about food. Various cuts of meat are slow-cooked over a BBQ and enjoyed as multiple courses for several hours while you enjoy the company of friends or family.

Fogón Asado is the perfect place for an introduction to this tradition. The 9-course tasting menu at Fogón Asado does not hold back on quantity or quality, and it’s also an incredible show, as you sit around an open kitchen space and watch the meat being prepared and cooked. There is a lot of fire, flavour and fraternising! We loved the interactive element as well, making our own chimichurri with a secret recipe scroll.

Check out our full review of Fogón Asado to find out more about what you can expect.

Evening: night out in Palermo

If you are not feeling too full and you still have energy left after a day’s sightseeing and Fogón Asado, you are in the right place at the right time to party on your last night in Buenos Aires!

Palermo is the nightlife capital of the city. The team at Fogón Asado will happily recommend their favourite bars in the neighbourhood; we went to Rey de Copas on their advice, a classy cocktail bar in an old mansion around the corner. But you will not be short of options. Enjoy!

Other tours to try in the north of Buenos Aires

If you want to mix up the itinerary for this day, these are some tours we like that you could consider:

• North of Buenos Aires bike tour: as with the south bike tour we mentioned above, this is a great way to make a whistle-stop tour of the top sights in just a few hours. The north circuit includes highlights in Palermo, Recoleta and Retiro. If you do both bike tours of south and north, you could free up some time in your Buenos Aires 3-day itinerary to try a day trip or something else you want to fit in.
• Palermo foodie walking tour with drinks and wine: for travelling foodies, this tour is a great alternative to Fogón Asado that will give you an evening of culinary discovery in Palermo.
• Palermo small group craft beer tour: a great way to get to know the neighbourhood’s famed craft beer scene and be introduced to the very best bars and hidden gems.

3 days in Buenos Aires itinerary: map

Click on the map below to open it, and you can explore the locations of the activities, food, drink, shopping and accommodation that we have featured in this itinerary for 3 days in Buenos Aires:

FAQs about visiting Buenos Aires

Have you spent 3 days in Buenos Aires? We’d love to hear about your experiences in the city in the comments below.

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