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Argentina 🇦🇷

backpacking South America Argentina 🇦🇷Glacier walls, granite spires and late steak dinners, spread over huge distances.

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Backpacking Argentina in 2027

A complete guide including when and where to go, costs, transport, itineraries, and practical travel advice.
The big picture before you go

Backpacking Argentina
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 20, 2026

Dinner in Buenos Aires starts when your stomach has long since given up. Most parrillas barely fill before 21:30, and a 23:00 table on a Friday is normal, so locals bridge the gap with a merienda of coffee and medialunas around 18:00. Copy them or you’ll be starving by the time the provoleta lands.

Argentina stretches roughly 3,700 kilometers from the subtropical north to Tierra del Fuego, which is both the reason to go and the main problem. Iguazú’s roughly 275 falls, the Fitz Roy massif above El Chaltén, the striped hills of the Quebrada de Humahuaca and Malbec at the source in Mendoza each justify a dedicated trip. Linking them costs you. An overnight bus from Buenos Aires to Salta saves a hostel night but eats about 20 hours; a domestic flight takes two hours, costs more and hands you back a full day. For most backpackers, flying the Patagonian legs and busing the north gives the best balance of time and money. Prices are the other plain fact: after prices climbed sharply in 2024, Argentina is no longer the bargain it was, and Patagonia in January charges close to European rates. My first night in El Chaltén I stepped out of the hostel into wind strong enough to lean on, a paper bag of hot empanadas burning my fingers while the granite above town turned orange.

Chile shares the same Andes with smoother infrastructure at about the same cost, with a quieter food and nightlife scene. Bolivia is far cheaper and rougher, with fewer comforts and harder altitude. Argentina suits travelers who want long hikes, serious steak and a capital that keeps late hours, and who can carry a mid-range budget. If you need rock-bottom costs or hate long transit days, start in Bolivia and cross into the Argentine northwest instead, where your money stretches furthest.

👉 Get the 📖 Travel Guide of Argentina
Argentina is too big to cover in one trip, so pair Buenos Aires with one or two landscape regions instead of racing through all five, because the distances here are continental.

Buenos Aires (San Telmo, Palermo, La Boca)

A metro area of around 15 million people that eats dinner at 10 pm and treats the corner café as a second living room. San Telmo’s Sunday feria along Calle Defensa and Palermo’s bars fill most backpackers’ days and nights. La Boca’s Caminito is a one-hour photo stop, not a half day. Ezeiza airport sits 45 to 60 minutes out, and the Subte plus city buses reach everything. Give it four days minimum. Anyone who enjoys cities on foot will stretch that.

Patagonia (Bariloche, El Chaltén, El Calafate, Ushuaia)

Distance decides everything here. Bariloche is about 20 hours by bus from Buenos Aires or two by plane, and El Calafate is a three-hour flight. Fly the long legs, since the overnight bus saves a bed but burns a full day. El Chaltén, three hours by bus from El Calafate, is the best value in the south, with free, unguided trails to Laguna de los Tres under Fitz Roy. Ushuaia is pricey and remote; skip it unless Antarctica is the plan. Suits hikers who shrug off wind.

The Northwest (Salta, Purmamarca, Cafayate, Humahuaca)

Salta’s colonial plazas, spicy Andean empanadas and late-night peñas with live folk music feel closer to Bolivia than to Buenos Aires. Flights take about two hours, the bus 20 or more. Renting a car in Salta for the Cafayate and Purmamarca loops pays off if you split it three or four ways, since buses thin out on side roads; solo, the buses to Purmamarca and Humahuaca work fine. Roads climb past 4,000 meters near Salinas Grandes. The best region in the country for slow, curious travelers.

Mendoza (Mendoza city, Maipú, Uco Valley, Aconcagua)

Mendoza city is flat, leafy and pleasant for two days, no more. You come for wine. A rented bike in Maipú is the cheapest way to hop between bodegas for a day, while the Uco Valley’s architect-designed wineries need a car or tour and cost more, a splurge worth making only if wine is your thing. Buses from Buenos Aires take 13 to 15 hours, flights under two. The 6 to 8 hour bus over the Andes to Santiago makes this the natural exit into Chile.

Iguazú and the Northeast (Puerto Iguazú, Iguazú Falls, Esteros del Iberá)

Humid, green and loud with falling water, this is the one stop worth flying to even on a tight trip: under two hours from Buenos Aires against about 18 by bus. Puerto Iguazú is a functional town of hostels and grill restaurants, not a destination. Give the Argentine side of the falls a full day for the catwalks and the Garganta del Diablo, then add half a day on the Brazilian side for the panorama. The Iberá wetlands, full of capybaras and caimans, are slow to reach and suit wildlife lovers with spare days.
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Geography and where places are located
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Why go?What sets this destination apart

Scenery

Few countries pack this much range into one border. In Jujuy you can stand on the white crust of the … read more 👉
Few countries pack this much range into one border. In Jujuy you can stand on the white crust of the Salinas Grandes at about 3,450 meters, reached from Purmamarca over the 4,170-meter Cuesta de Lipán in roughly an hour and a half of hairpins. It is a fine detour, but if Bolivia’s Uyuni is already on your route, skip it; Uyuni is vastly bigger and the experience is the same, only larger.

Further south, Ischigualasto in San Juan and neighboring Talampaya in La Rioja form a UNESCO site of eroded sandstone and red cliffs laid down in the Triassic, around 230 million years ago. Visits at Ischigualasto run as a ranger-led car convoy on a circuit of about 40 kilometers, and the full-moon tours turn the hoodoos silver.

In Bariloche, the short chairlift up Cerro Campanario gives the best view in the Lakes District for the least effort: Nahuel Huapi, Lago Moreno and the Llao Llao peninsula in one sweep. It beats Cerro Otto’s gondola, which costs more and shows less. Go in the last two hours before sunset, when the lakes go from blue to copper.

Mountains

The Andes run the entire western border, and they top out at Aconcagua, 6,961 meters, the highest summit … read more 👉
The Andes run the entire western border, and they top out at Aconcagua, 6,961 meters, the highest summit outside Asia. A full ascent takes most expeditions 15 to 20 days with permits and acclimatization, so it suits trained climbers only. Everyone else should do the Confluencia trek from the Horcones entrance: a few hours of walking to about 3,400 meters, with the roughly 3,000-meter South Face filling the sky ahead of you.

For multi-day hiking, the Lakes District is the most comfortable mountain terrain on the continent. Club Andino Bariloche runs a network of refugios, staffed huts where you can buy a hot meal and rent a bunk. The walk from Villa Catedral to Refugio Frey takes about four hours one way and ends at a lake ringed by granite spires; stay the night and climbers will be bouldering outside at dusk. Reserve your bunk in January.

Volcán Lanín, at 3,747 meters near San Martín de los Andes, looks like a walk-up from below. It is not. You need crampons, an ice axe and registration with park rangers before they let you start.

Wildlife

Southern right whales gather to calve in the gulfs around Península Valdés from roughly June to December, … read more 👉
Southern right whales gather to calve in the gulfs around Península Valdés from roughly June to December, and they come close enough that you hear them exhale before you spot the spout. Boats leave from Puerto Pirámides, but between September and November you can watch from the shore at El Doradillo beach near Puerto Madryn for free, sometimes with whales twenty meters out. Valdés is also famous for orcas that beach themselves to grab sea lion pups at Punta Norte around March and April; it happens at high tide, and many visitors wait days without seeing it, so treat it as a bonus.

Punta Tombo, south of Trelew, holds hundreds of thousands of Magellanic penguins from September to April, nesting in burrows right beside the boardwalk. If your route passes through Chubut, go there and skip the Ushuaia boat trips that only circle the smaller colony on Martillo Island.

For something completely different, the Esteros del Iberá wetlands in Corrientes are full of capybaras, caimans and marsh deer, and jaguars have been reintroduced there since 2021. Morning canoe outings from Colonia Carlos Pellegrini give the closest encounters.

Backpackers

Argentina’s backpacker scene has a strong local core: in January and February, Argentine students head … read more 👉
Argentina’s backpacker scene has a strong local core: in January and February, Argentine students head out as “mochileros” with tents and a thermos, so campsites and hostels fill with locals as much as Europeans and Brazilians. That mix is the best part. You get invited to share mate on a ferry, join a hostel asado where someone’s uncle takes over the grill, or ride along to a trailhead because a group has a spare seat.

Palermo in Buenos Aires has the densest hostel cluster, from quiet guesthouses to full party operations; pick based on how much sleep you want, because the party hostels mean it. Bariloche and El Chaltén are the social hubs of the south, where trail plans get made over beers each evening and finding a hiking partner takes ten minutes.

Skip the pricey tango-show dinners and go to a real milonga instead. La Catedral in Almagro, a candlelit loft with mismatched chairs, offers beginner classes before the floor opens up to locals.

Pick up some local slang early. Calling someone “che” and understanding that “ll” sounds like “sh” here will get you far.

Low cost

Argentina is affordable if you choose your regions carefully: plan on roughly US$35 to 50 a day in the … read more 👉
Argentina is affordable if you choose your regions carefully: plan on roughly US$35 to 50 a day in the northwest, US$40 to 60 in Buenos Aires and US$60 to 80 in Southern Patagonia for a dorm bed, two meals out and local transport. Since prices rose sharply in 2024, the country is more expensive than Bolivia or Peru, so the old reputation as a giveaway no longer holds everywhere.

The north is where your money still goes furthest. Small family-run hostels in Salta, Tilcara and Cafayate charge well below Buenos Aires rates, and a plate of empanadas or a bowl of locro at a market comedor costs a fraction of a restaurant meal.

Value also comes from the way Argentines eat. Many restaurants serve a fixed lunch menu on weekdays, usually a main dish, drink and dessert, at a much lower price than ordering from the card at dinner. Make lunch your big meal and dinner something light.

Supermarkets help too. Decent Argentine wine costs very little on the shelf, and nearly every hostel has a kitchen and a grill. A shared supermarket asado with your dorm mates is the cheapest good night out in the country.

Food

Beef is the reason, and the parrilla is where it shows. Skip the safe bife de chorizo for once and order … read more 👉
Beef is the reason, and the parrilla is where it shows. Skip the safe bife de chorizo for once and order vacío (flank, crisp outside, juicy inside) or entraña (skirt steak), plus mollejas, sweetbreads grilled until crackling. Argentines cook steak more than many visitors expect, so ask for it “jugoso” if you want it pink.

Avoid the waterfront parrillas in Puerto Madero with menus in four languages; you pay for the location, and the meat is no better. Go to a neighborhood bodegón instead, an old-school canteen with soda siphons on the tables and portions big enough to share between two.

The north eats differently. Empanadas salteñas are small, juicy and baked in clay ovens, and every family swears its version is the original. Locro, a thick stew of corn, beans and pork, is the national dish on 25 May. Humita, sweet corn paste steamed in husks, is worth ordering anywhere you see it.

Then there is ice cream. Heladerías sell by the quarter kilo, stay open past midnight and even deliver. Order dulce de leche granizado, with shards of chocolate through it, and you will understand the national obsession.

⭐ HighlightsStandout locations across the country

  • Perito Moreno Glacier: The ice front runs about 5 kilometers wide and rises up to roughly 70 meters above Lago Argentino, and you hear it before you understand it: a crack like a rifle shot, a long silence, then a slab the size of an apartment block folding into milky water and sending a swell across the channel. Steel walkways on the Magallanes peninsula put you face to face with the wall, and most visitors leave after an hour. Stay into the afternoon, when the sun warms the face and calving picks up. Cold air slides off the glacier and works into your sleeves even in January, so bring a thermos.
  • Iguazú Falls: Roughly 275 separate drops spread along nearly 3 kilometers of the Iguazú River on the Brazilian border, and the Argentine side puts you inside them on catwalks rather than across from them. At the Garganta del Diablo, a U-shaped chasm about 80 meters deep, the spray soaks you in seconds and the roar hums through the metal railing under your palms. Take the first train of the morning
… read more 👉
  • Perito Moreno Glacier: The ice front runs about 5 kilometers wide and rises up to roughly 70 meters above Lago Argentino, and you hear it before you understand it: a crack like a rifle shot, a long silence, then a slab the size of an apartment block folding into milky water and sending a swell across the channel. Steel walkways on the Magallanes peninsula put you face to face with the wall, and most visitors leave after an hour. Stay into the afternoon, when the sun warms the face and calving picks up. Cold air slides off the glacier and works into your sleeves even in January, so bring a thermos.
  • Iguazú Falls: Roughly 275 separate drops spread along nearly 3 kilometers of the Iguazú River on the Brazilian border, and the Argentine side puts you inside them on catwalks rather than across from them. At the Garganta del Diablo, a U-shaped chasm about 80 meters deep, the spray soaks you in seconds and the roar hums through the metal railing under your palms. Take the first train of the morning to beat the tour groups, keep your sandwich hidden from the coatis, and give the park a full day. The Brazilian side adds the wide panorama in a half day.
  • Laguna de los Tres, El Chaltén: The trail is about 20 kilometers round trip from the village, mostly gentle through lenga forest and past braided streams you can drink from. Then the last kilometer climbs around 400 meters of loose rock, your thighs start to burn, and you crest the moraine to find a glacial lake directly beneath the 3,405-meter spike of Fitz Roy. Sweat chills on your back within a minute of stopping at the top. Start before dawn on the clearest forecast day; headlamps bob up the switchbacks by 5:00 in summer, and cloud often swallows the peak by noon.
  • Quebrada de Humahuaca: This 155-kilometer valley in Jujuy was an Inca trade route long before it became a UNESCO site in 2003, and its villages still run on market days and saints’ processions. Purmamarca sits under the Cerro de los Siete Colores, Tilcara has the restored Pucará fortress, and above Humahuaca the Serranía de Hornocal shows 14 colored bands from a viewpoint around 4,350 meters. Up there the air is thin enough that the short walk from the car leaves you lightheaded. In the Tilcara market, coca leaves and dried anise are sold from the same sacks, and the smell follows you down the street.
  • San Telmo on a Sunday: Calle Defensa closes to traffic and the Feria de San Telmo stretches more than a kilometer from Plaza Dorrego, a jumble of soda siphons, tango vinyl, leather and porteño grandmothers haggling over teacups. Carts sell garrapiñada, sugared peanuts roasted in copper pans, and the caramel smoke hangs over the crowd. Duck into the Mercado de San Telmo, an iron-roofed hall from 1897, for coffee among antique stalls and butchers. By dusk, couples dance tango on the plaza cobbles for coins, and nobody minds when you stop to watch.
Off the map, Antofagasta de la Sierra on the Catamarca Puna, the volcanic Laguna Brava in La Rioja and the adobe town of Cachi all repay the long drive, and I would pick Antofagasta first for its black lava fields and flamingos on lagoons at about 3,400 meters.
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🧭 RoutesLogical itineraries covering the highlights

The 14-Day Patagonia Ice and Granite Route


Two weeks aimed at the bottom of the continent, trading city time for glacier walls and windblown trails under Fitz Roy. Expect cold mornings, big hiking days and lamb dinners that taste better after 20 km on foot.
  • The Beagle Channel and Tierra del Fuego National Park
  • Face to face with Perito Moreno Glacier
  • Trekking straight from town in El Chaltén

👉 explore this 14-day route

The 21-Day Argentina Contrasts Route


Three weeks spanning jungle spray, high-desert color and snowy lakes, linked by short flights rather than marathon bus rides. It suits first-timers who want the classic Argentina in one balanced trip.
  • Teatro Colón and La Bombonera in Buenos Aires
  • The Garganta del Diablo at Iguazu Falls
  • Salt flats and striped mountains in the far northwest
  • Malbec country around Mendoza and the lakes near Bariloche

👉 explore this 21-day route

The 30-Day Coast to Cordillera Route


A full month that runs from whale bays on the Atlantic to dinosaur deserts and Andean … read more 👉

The 14-Day Patagonia Ice and Granite Route


Two weeks aimed at the bottom of the continent, trading city time for glacier walls and windblown trails under Fitz Roy. Expect cold mornings, big hiking days and lamb dinners that taste better after 20 km on foot.
  • The Beagle Channel and Tierra del Fuego National Park
  • Face to face with Perito Moreno Glacier
  • Trekking straight from town in El Chaltén

👉 explore this 14-day route

The 21-Day Argentina Contrasts Route


Three weeks spanning jungle spray, high-desert color and snowy lakes, linked by short flights rather than marathon bus rides. It suits first-timers who want the classic Argentina in one balanced trip.
  • Teatro Colón and La Bombonera in Buenos Aires
  • The Garganta del Diablo at Iguazu Falls
  • Salt flats and striped mountains in the far northwest
  • Malbec country around Mendoza and the lakes near Bariloche

👉 explore this 21-day route

The 30-Day Coast to Cordillera Route


A full month that runs from whale bays on the Atlantic to dinosaur deserts and Andean valleys. The pace stays unhurried, leaving room for boat trips, long trails and quieter towns most visitors skip.
  • Whales and penguins around Península Valdés and Punta Tombo
  • Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre on foot
  • Ischigualasto and Talampaya in a single desert day
  • The Quebrada de Humahuaca

👉 explore this 30-day route

🌤️ When to go?A month-by-month overview

The best months for backpacking Argentina are October to November and March to April, when most of the country sits between 15 and 25°C, hostels have empty beds and prices drop below the December to February peak. Timing shifts with latitude: Patagonia works best from November to March and largely shuts down in winter, while the northwest (Salta, Jujuy) is at its best in the dry months from April to November, when summer rains are over.
  • Summer peak (December to February): Prime trekking season in Patagonia, with daylight stretching past 17 hours around Ushuaia and the wind still howling hard enough to knock you sideways on the trail to Laguna de los Tres. It is also when Argentines take their own holidays, so buses to El Chaltén and Bariloche, plus hostels on the coast, fill weeks ahead and prices climb. Buenos Aires turns sticky at 30 to 35°C, and half of it empties to the beach in January. The northwest gets its rainy season, with afternoon storms and occasional washed-out roads around Quebrada de Humahuaca, though February’s Carnival there is a riot of flour, basil and folk music.
  • Autumn shoulder (March to May): Mendoza celebrates the grape harvest with the Vendimia festival in early March, and in April the lenga forests around El Chaltén and Bariloche turn red and gold. Crowds thin and dorm rates ease. Many Patagonian lodges and boat services wind down after Easter, so check opening dates before heading deep south in May.
  • Winter (June to August): Ski season at Cerro Catedral near Bariloche and Las Leñas in Mendoza, with prices spiking during the July school holidays. Much of El Chaltén hibernates and southern trails are snowbound. This is a fine time for the northwest: clear blue skies, warm days and nights well below freezing at altitude. Iguazú is comfortable rather than steamy, and southern right whales start arriving at Península Valdés in June.
  • Spring shoulder (September to November): Whale watching at Península Valdés peaks around September and October, and Magellanic penguins return to Punta Tombo from September. Patagonia reopens in October and November with quieter trails, lingering snow on the peaks and sharp winds. Buenos Aires is at its prettiest in November, when the jacarandas paint the avenues purple.
If you travel between mid-December and the end of January, book long-distance buses and Patagonian hostels at least two to three weeks in advance, and pack a windproof shell and warm layers even in summer, since a single day in El Calafate can swing from 5 to 20°C.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: fair for travelingFEBFebruary: fair for travelingMARMarch: excellent for travelingAPRApril: excellent for travelingMAYMay: good for travelingJUNJune: fair for travelingJULJuly: fair for travelingAUGAugust: fair for travelingSEPSeptember: good for travelingOCTOctober: excellent for travelingNOVNovember: excellent for travelingDECDecember: good for traveling
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💰 Costs (as of 2026)Travel costs in Argentina

Backpacking Argentina now costs most budget travelers US$45 to 70 a day, which puts it level with Chile, at roughly double the cost of Bolivia, and well above Peru. The steep peso devaluation of past years has largely worn off in dollar terms.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$12 to 30 per nightA dorm bed in Buenos Aires (Palermo or San Telmo) runs about US$12 to 20. In Patagonia that climbs to US$20 to 35 in Bariloche or El Calafate. Book Patagonia early in January and February, and ask about paying cash. Some hostels knock 5 to 10 percent off for it.
MealsUS$12 to 25 per daySupermarket self-catering at Carrefour, Coto or Día comes to about US$8 to 12 a day, and pasta, bread, cheese and wine are all good value. Empanadas cost US$1.50 to 2.50 each, a choripán from a street grill runs US$4 to 6, and a set lunch (“menú del día”) is US$8 to 12. Eating out costs more than in Bolivia or Peru but less than in Uruguay.
Local transportUS$3 to 15 per day (excluding long hauls)A Buenos Aires Subte or city bus ride costs around US$1 on a SUBE card. Long-distance buses are the big expense. Buenos Aires to Mendoza (about 14 hours) is US$60 to 90 and Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazú
… read more 👉
Backpacking Argentina now costs most budget travelers US$45 to 70 a day, which puts it level with Chile, at roughly double the cost of Bolivia, and well above Peru. The steep peso devaluation of past years has largely worn off in dollar terms.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodationUS$12 to 30 per nightA dorm bed in Buenos Aires (Palermo or San Telmo) runs about US$12 to 20. In Patagonia that climbs to US$20 to 35 in Bariloche or El Calafate. Book Patagonia early in January and February, and ask about paying cash. Some hostels knock 5 to 10 percent off for it.
MealsUS$12 to 25 per daySupermarket self-catering at Carrefour, Coto or Día comes to about US$8 to 12 a day, and pasta, bread, cheese and wine are all good value. Empanadas cost US$1.50 to 2.50 each, a choripán from a street grill runs US$4 to 6, and a set lunch (“menú del día”) is US$8 to 12. Eating out costs more than in Bolivia or Peru but less than in Uruguay.
Local transportUS$3 to 15 per day (excluding long hauls)A Buenos Aires Subte or city bus ride costs around US$1 on a SUBE card. Long-distance buses are the big expense. Buenos Aires to Mendoza (about 14 hours) is US$60 to 90 and Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazú is US$70 to 100. Per kilometer, that is noticeably more than in Peru or Bolivia.
ActivitiesUS$0 to 60 per day (averaged)Park fees for foreigners are the main cost. Expect roughly US$35 to 45 to enter Iguazú National Park or Los Glaciares (Perito Moreno Glacier). A tango dinner show in Buenos Aires runs US$60 to 120. I would skip the dinner show, watch a free milonga or street tango in San Telmo instead, and spend the savings on a glacier boat trip.
MiscellaneousUS$3 to 8 per dayA Personal or Claro SIM with data costs about US$5 to 10. Laundry is US$6 to 10 a load. Withdrawals from foreign ATMs carry fees of up to US$10 each, so paying by foreign card, which usually gets a favorable exchange rate, saves money. Café coffee costs US$2 to 3.
Total Daily BudgetUS$45 to 70 per dayAbout US$45 to 50 covers a dorm in Buenos Aires or Salta plus cooking and city transport. In Patagonia, with park fees and long bus rides, plan for US$65 to 70. Uruguay costs a little more each day, Bolivia often less than US$30.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

✈️ The backpacker research shortcutArgentina Travel Guide

An offline-friendly backpacking guide with optimized travel routes, ranked highlights, transport advice, and the best areas to stay.
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The digital guide (393 pages) contains:
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✅ Culture & traditions
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🛏️ Where to stay?Accommodation types and options

Argentina has plenty of hostels and budget guesthouses, with dorm beds typically around US$12 to 25 a night and the widest choice in Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Salta and Bariloche. In Buenos Aires, Palermo has the most options, leafy streets, the best bars and clubs, and feels safe late at night, but it sits a 20 to 30 minute subway ride from the historic center. San Telmo is cheaper and closer to the old city and the Sunday market, though its quieter blocks get sketchy after dark, while Recoleta is the calm, safe pick with fewer hostels and slightly higher prices.

If you enjoy meeting fellow travelers, … read more 👉
Argentina has plenty of hostels and budget guesthouses, with dorm beds typically around US$12 to 25 a night and the widest choice in Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Salta and Bariloche. In Buenos Aires, Palermo has the most options, leafy streets, the best bars and clubs, and feels safe late at night, but it sits a 20 to 30 minute subway ride from the historic center. San Telmo is cheaper and closer to the old city and the Sunday market, though its quieter blocks get sketchy after dark, while Recoleta is the calm, safe pick with fewer hostels and slightly higher prices.

If you enjoy meeting fellow travelers, consider choosing hostels with high ratings for atmosphere. On the other hand, if you prefer having your own space, a hotel might be a better option.

Best hostels in Argentina


Best quality hotels in Argentina

🚌 Getting aroundGetting around Argentina

Argentina stretches roughly 3,700 km north to south, so your biggest choice is between spending 18 to 24 hours on an overnight bus and paying for a 2 to 3 hour domestic flight. Since the low-cost airlines arrived, a flight booked three to six weeks ahead often costs about the same as a top-class bus seat, which makes flying the better deal on any leg over about 15 hours.
  • Long-distance buses: The backbone for anything under 12 hours. Seats come as semi-cama (reclining about 140 degrees), cama (160
… read more 👉
Argentina stretches roughly 3,700 km north to south, so your biggest choice is between spending 18 to 24 hours on an overnight bus and paying for a 2 to 3 hour domestic flight. Since the low-cost airlines arrived, a flight booked three to six weeks ahead often costs about the same as a top-class bus seat, which makes flying the better deal on any leg over about 15 hours.
  • Long-distance buses: The backbone for anything under 12 hours. Seats come as semi-cama (reclining about 140 degrees), cama (160 degrees) and cama ejecutivo (near-flat). Buenos Aires to Mendoza takes 13 to 15 hours for US$50 to 90, Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazú 17 to 19 hours for US$60 to 100, and Salta to Cafayate 4 hours for US$10 to 15. On long trips, you’ll usually be fed a basic meal. Book on Plataforma 10 or Central de Pasajes, or pay cash at the terminal if the website rejects your foreign card. Semi-cama saves 15 to 25 percent and is fine for daytime hops, but on an overnight leg, pay for cama. Your sleep is worth more than the US$10 difference.
  • Domestic flights: Aerolíneas Argentinas, Flybondi and JetSMART cover the main routes for US$40 to 150 one way: Buenos Aires to Bariloche in about 2 hours 20 minutes, to El Calafate in about 3 hours 15 minutes, to Iguazú in about 1 hour 50 minutes. Fares on the low-cost airlines only include a small personal item, so a checked bag adds US$20 to 45, and you should add that before comparing prices with Aerolíneas. Most domestic flights use Aeroparque, 15 minutes from Palermo, rather than Ezeiza.
  • City buses and the SUBE card: Buenos Aires colectivos and the Subte (metro) run on a rechargeable SUBE card sold at kiosks, with rides typically under US$1. The same card now works in many other cities, including Bariloche and Mendoza. Keep your phone away from open bus windows and doors, where snatch thefts happen.
  • Ride-hailing and remises: Uber, Cabify and DiDi operate in the big cities and usually run 20 to 40 percent below street taxis, with a cross-town ride in Buenos Aires costing roughly US$4 to 8. In small towns, call a remis, a pre-booked car with a fixed fare.
  • Hitchhiking in Patagonia: On the Ruta 40 and around El Chaltén, many backpackers thumb rides, and it works because drivers are used to it. Expect long waits in the wind and carry water. Trains are not worth it for long distances, apart from the Tigre line and the Buenos Aires to Mar del Plata service.
To avoid backtracking through Buenos Aires, plan your route around direct inter-provincial flights such as El Calafate to Bariloche, Córdoba to Salta or Mendoza to Bariloche, and pay by foreign card, which now gets a rate close to the official one.
Most international flights to Argentina land at Ministro Pistarini International Airport in Ezeiza (EZE), about 35 km (22 miles) from central Buenos Aires, and the cheapest reliable way in is city bus line 8, with the Tienda León airport coach as the easiest budget option.
  • Colectivo (city bus) line 8 (2 to 2.5 hours, roughly ARS 700 to 1,200 / under US$1): catch it at the stop outside the terminals, pay only with a loaded SUBE transit card (no cash), and it runs 24 hours, though it crawls through traffic to Plaza de Mayo and Congreso.
  • Tienda León airport bus (60 to 90 minutes, roughly ARS 15,000 to 22,000 / US$10 to 15): buy a ticket at the counter in the arrivals hall or online, with departures every 30 to 60 minutes around the clock to its terminal near Puerto Madero and Retiro.
  • Official airport taxi or remis (45 to 75 minutes, roughly ARS 40,000 to 60,000 / US$26 to 40): book at the licensed booths inside arrivals, where you pay a fixed fare upfront by card or cash.
  • Uber, Cabify or DiDi (45 to 75 minutes, roughly ARS 25,000 to 40,000 / US$16 to 26): order through the app on airport Wi-Fi and meet the driver at the pickup point the app shows, usually the departures level or parking area.
If you land after midnight, skip the long bus ride with your bags and take a prepaid official taxi from the booths inside the terminal, ignoring the drivers who approach you in the hall.
⚠️ Prices and routes can change, so take this as a rough guide and ask for local advice when you arrive.
🚀 Don’t waste time on the road.
We’ll generate a route that minimizes unnecessary travel and fits your available days.

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🔒 Safety (risk Level: low)Safety considerations for travelers

Safety for solo travelers, including women and LGBTQ+ individuals
Argentina is one of the safer countries in South America for solo travelers, with petty theft the main risk rather than violent crime. Phone snatching, often by motorcycle thieves known as motochorros, and pickpocketing happen in Buenos Aires around La Boca, Constitución, Retiro and busy Subte stations, so keep your phone off the curbside and use ride-hailing at night. Solo women generally travel without problems, although catcalling (piropos) is common in cities and is best ignored. Patagonia and the small towns in the northwest feel very safe. Argentina legalized same-sex marriage in 2010, the first Latin American country to do so, and Buenos Aires has an open LGBTQ+ scene, while rural provinces are more conservative and call for more discretion with public displays of affection.


Full official government travel advisory (live updates)
View details 👉

✈️ VisaWhat travelers should know about visas

Citizens of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, New Zealand and most Latin American countries don’t need a visa for Argentina and receive up to 90 days on arrival with a valid passport. The former reciprocity fee is no longer charged. Travelers from countries that need a visa must apply in advance at an Argentine consulate, and some nationalities who hold a valid US or Schengen visa can request an online Electronic Travel Authorization (AVE) through the National Directorate of Migration.

source: argentina.gob.ar
⚠️ Visa requirements can change over time, so always check the latest visa requirements with the official embassy or government website before you travel.

🎒 What to pack?What you'll need while traveling

Packing for Argentina means preparing for several climates on one trip, as you can sweat in the humidity at Iguazú and get hit by freezing gusts in Patagonia within the same week. The seasons are the reverse of the Northern Hemisphere, and even in the southern summer (December to February) Patagonia can see temperatures near freezing and winds over 100 km/h, so layers and a properly windproof shell are more important than a heavy coat. In the northwest, the sun is intense at altitudes of 3,000 to 4,000 meters, while nights are cold and dry, so plan for strong sun protection and lip balm. Many trails in El Chaltén and Bariloche are rocky and muddy, so bring broken-in hiking shoes. Porteños dress smart-casual, and a clean pair of jeans or trousers will help you blend in at dinner or at a milonga.

Apart from this country specific advice, I have also crafted a general packing list that should help on any trip. authorOver the years, I've learned the importance of packing minimally. It's so much easier to jump on the back of a truck or squeeze yourself into the last spot of a minibus without that supersized backpack. If you're headed to a warm destination, leave your winter jacket at home; for colder regions, opt for thin thermal underlayers. Instead of packing your entire wardrobe, bring just three sets of clothes, as laundry facilities are available everywhere.

View the full list 👉

🙋 FAQQuick answers to practical concerns

Trip Planning

Planning a backpacking route through Argentina can be tricky — you need to balance must-see places, travel times, budget, and how long to stay in each destination. Our free personalized Argentina itinerary planner creates a route based on your travel style, trip duration, and interests, so you can spend less time researching and more time exploring.



Personal tip: I normally search on good rating for atmosphere (for meeting people) and location (for easy exploring). Cleanliness as a bonus.


Travel Essentials

No vaccinations are mandatory for entering Argentina, but make sure your routine vaccines (MMR, tetanus-diphtheria, polio, influenza) are up to date, and hepatitis A and typhoid are recommended for most travelers. Yellow fever vaccination is advised if you’re visiting the subtropical northeast, including Misiones province around Iguazu Falls and parts of Corrientes. Dengue occurs in the north during the hot, rainy months from roughly December to April, so pack insect repellent. Hepatitis B and rabies are worth considering for long stays or extensive rural travel, and you should consult a travel clinic 4 to 8 weeks before departure.


vaccination requirements
When I first started traveling, I often spent part of my first day in a new country hunting for a local SIM card. While this can still be slightly cheaper, it also takes time and planning.

These days, it's much simpler to install an eSIM before leaving home. Once you arrive in Argentina, you can activate it immediately and have mobile data from the moment you land — which is especially useful for ordering transport or navigating away from busy airports.

There are many providers nowadays, and price differences are usually small. I personally go with Holafly, as it offers excellent network coverage throughout the country and strong global coverage, so you can manage multiple countries from a single app.


HolaFly eSim

Culture & Customs

Dinner in Argentina starts at 9 or 10 p.m., so arriving at a restaurant at 7 p.m. usually means an empty dining room or a locked door. If someone offers you mate, accept it, drink the whole gourd through the metal straw (bombilla) without stirring it and pass it back to the person serving. Only say “gracias” when you don’t want any more, since that means you’re done. Do call the islands “Malvinas” or leave the topic alone, because calling them the Falklands or defending the British claim can cause real offense, as can comparing Argentina unfavorably to Brazil or Chile. Being 15 to 30 minutes late to a social gathering is normal, but be on time for tours and buses. Dress neatly in cities, as porteños rarely wear sportswear to dinner. Women may receive persistent compliments or attention in bars, so a firm “no, gracias” and walking away is the accepted response. Same-sex couples can be openly affectionate in Buenos Aires, Rosario and Córdoba, but in small northern towns, where Catholic traditions run deep, it’s wise to be more discreet.
Trying traditional food is always a great way to experience the culture. Here are some must-try dishes for Argentina.
  1. Asado: An entire ritual of beef ribs, flank steak, chorizo and morcilla slow-grilled over wood embers on a parrilla. Sunday asado with family is close to a national institution, and the asador (grill master) gets applause at the end.
  2. Empanadas: Baked or fried pastries filled with beef, chicken, cheese or humita (sweet corn). Every province claims its own version, with Salta and Tucumán the most fiercely proud of theirs. They’re the default cheap lunch and road snack.
  3. Milanesa a la napolitana: A thin breaded beef cutlet topped with ham, tomato sauce and melted cheese, served with fries. It came over with Italian immigrants and is now on every bodegón menu in the country.
  4. Choripán: A grilled chorizo split in a crusty roll and topped with chimichurri. It’s the street food of football stadiums, protests and roadside grills, and costs a fraction of a steak dinner.
  5. Locro: A thick Andean stew of corn, white beans, squash and pork or beef. It’s the traditional dish of May 25 and July 9, the patriotic holidays, and is at its best in the northwest during winter.
  6. Provoleta: A round of provolone cheese grilled until crisp outside and molten inside, sprinkled with oregano. It’s ordered as the opening act of nearly every parrilla meal.
  7. Dulce de leche: Milk and sugar slowly caramelized into a thick spread that fills alfajores, crêpes and ice cream. Argentines consider it part of their national identity and eat it at breakfast without hesitation.
Tap water is safe to drink in most Argentine cities, including Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Córdoba and Bariloche, and locals drink it without a second thought. In parts of the northwest and the Chaco, and in some smaller rural towns, many residents prefer bottled or filtered water because of high mineral content or aging pipes, so a filter bottle is a good idea there. Glacier-fed streams in El Chaltén are famously clean, but drink from the upper sections, away from campsites.
The main language in Argentina is Spanish. Backpacking is way more rewarding if you know a bit of the local language, so I'd suggest brushing up on the basics just in case your Spanish skills have become a bit rusty.

Want to understand locals better?
The complete Travel Guide for Argentina includes 52 essential words and phrases — greetings, thank-yous, ordering food, transport, numbers, and common local expressions you'll actually hear.

Get your local basic phrases 👉

Get the Travel Guide -


English is common in Buenos Aires hostels, upscale restaurants and tour agencies, and many younger, university-educated porteños speak it confidently. Outside tourist hubs like Bariloche, El Calafate and Mendoza, it drops off quickly, and in rural Salta, Jujuy or bus terminals you’ll get by on Spanish alone. Argentine Spanish uses “vos” instead of “tú” and pronounces “ll” and “y” like “sh”, so “calle” sounds like “cashe”. Download the offline Spanish pack in Google Translate and learn numbers and food words, which covers most daily situations.

Money & Payments

The local currency of Argentina is ARS ($).
Visa and Mastercard now work well across Argentina’s cities. Since the 2025 easing of currency controls, foreign cards get a rate close to the official one, so paying by card at hostels, supermarkets, restaurants and long-distance bus terminals is usually the simplest option. ATMs on the Link and Banelco networks are easy to find in any town with a bank, but they are poor value. Expect a local fee of roughly ARS 10,000 to 20,000 (about US$7 to 14) per withdrawal on top of your own bank’s charges, and per-transaction limits that can be surprisingly low. Cash still matters for kiosks, small-town guesthouses, market stalls and anywhere advertising a discount for “efectivo” (often 5 to 15 percent). Bring clean, untorn US$100 notes, which are the easiest foreign cash to change, while euros get weaker rates outside Buenos Aires. Change money at banks or licensed casas de cambio, and skip the street touts calling “cambio” on Calle Florida, where counterfeit pesos and short-changing are common.
Tipping in Argentina is customary but modest: leave about 10 percent in restaurants and cafés, ideally in cash, as card machines often have no tip option and staff may never see it. The “cubierto” on your bill is a cover charge for bread and table service, not a tip, so tip on top of it. Taxi drivers expect you to round up, tour guides usually get ARS 3,000 to 10,000 per person for a day trip, and the baggage handler on long-distance buses expects a few hundred pesos.

🧩 Nearby countriesOther countries to combine with Argentina

📸 PhotosMoments captured along the way

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Photographed by: Johan Kruseman

We 💚 feedbackWhat to know before planning your trip

Argentina runs on warmth and improvisation. Plans shift, buses leave late, and somebody always finds a fix. Expect strangers to pass you mate on a night bus or wave you to the window seat for a sunrise over the Puna. That kind of thing happens here constantly, and it is the part of the trip you will retell.

The small warning: the sun bites harder than you expect. The Puna sits above 3,500 meters and southern Patagonia gets intense UV in spring, so you can burn badly on a cool, windy day without feeling hot once. Pack a hat and strong sunscreen.

The strategic move is to put WhatsApp at the center of your trip from day one. Hostels, tour operators, remises, bike rentals, even bakeries take bookings and answer questions there faster than any website or email, and a quick message the night before often gets you a better rate or a spot that was “full” online.

✈️ When did I visit Argentina?
I have visited Argentina, together with Chile, in September 2012. While my visit dates back, this guide is continuously refined using feedback from locals and current backpackers (last update: 20 October 2026)

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in Argentina, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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👋 Meet the founderWho’s Behind Take Your Backpack?

Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

This site is built on a combination of firsthand travel experience and carefully curated insights from other backpackers. Many guides are based on places I’ve personally visited, while others bring together tips, observations, and practical advice shared by trusted travelers I’ve met along the way.

The goal is to provide realistic, experience-driven guidance — not generic itineraries — so you can explore destinations with better context, clearer expectations, and more confidence.

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