Buenos Aires Travel Tips | A Budget-Savvy Guide

Buenos Aires travel guide. buenos aires flower
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I love to travel, but honestly, South America was not on my radar as a prime destination until a family situation arose last year that necessitated me going; since then, I’ve been to Buenos Aires twice and have fallen in love with it.  It reminds me of a large European city, with its history and architecture, except it is in South America.  The diverse food from a mix of cultures and the locals slower pace of life made me appreciate the area and I now look forward to exploring more cities and countries in South America. Until then, please enjoy this post on Buenos Aires travel tips that focuses on where to stay, things to do, and where to eat in this South American city. My goal is that you will find this Buenos Aires travel guide very helpful in planning a trip to Buenos Aires!

Related post:  If planning a trip to Buenos Aires, be sure to check out my post, Argentina Airport and Airline Guide, for tips on navigating the two airports in Buenos Aires.

Buenos Aires Travel Tips | Where to Stay

There are several barrios (neighborhoods) to choose from when looking for accommodations, and it can be overwhelming to know where to stay in Buenos Aires. As with any trip, I research budget hotels with good reviews on cleanliness, safety, location, and reliable WiFi.  During my research, I found hotels that fit that bill in both San Telmo and Recoleta.

Buenos Aires Travel Tips | Stay in San Telmo

San Telmo is one of the oldest barrios in Buenos Aires and features a weekly Sunday market filled with antiques, artisan goods, and food that is popular for tourists and locals alike.  There are restaurants and wine shops within walking distance (I liked the area around the intersection of Defensa and Estados Unidos and even purchased several bottles of wine from the nearby Vinotango wine shop!) and visitors can easily get to other parts of Buenos Aires via taxi, Uber, or subway. 

wine from buenos aires wine shop located in san telmo

Hotel Review | Merit San Telmo

Aside from the beautiful, old-fashioned neighborhood, we stayed in San Telmo because I found the affordable Merit San Telmo hotel while researching budget hotels in Buenos Aires.  The Merit San Telmo was only about $50 USD/night and had great reviews for being recently renovated, very clean, and within walking distance of lots of restaurants and cafes in San Telmo.  Not to mention free WiFi! 

For the price, I couldn’t pass up trying out this hotel and I am so glad that I did! In fact, we enjoyed the hotel (and the price!) so much that we ended up booking the Merit San Telmo for another night at the end of our trip after returning from Bariloche.  The only downside is that the rooms are small, but when you only need a place to sleep at night, this was not an issue, especially considering that the rooms were updated with a modern touch.

Buenos Aires Travel Tips | Stay in Recoleta

Recoleta is a popular tourist neighborhood due to its central location and nearby attractions (i.e., the cemetery where Evita is buried). Exploring Recoleta and its lively nightlight by foot is easy and fairly safe.  Hotels in this neighborhood can be expensive, but affordable ones can be found with some savvy sleuthing.

Hotel Review | Up. Recoleta Hotel

While we enjoyed staying at the Merit San Telmo during our first trip to Argentina, we decided to try to find an affordable hotel in the popular Recoleta neighborhood on our most recent trip.  I came across the recently updated Up. Recoleta Hotel during my search for budget hotels and found room prices for as little as $50 USD!  Honestly, the older reviews from before the hotel was renovated did not portray the hotel as somewhere I’d like to stay.  Luckily, there were promising reviews from those who had recently stayed at the Up. Recoleta Hotel since its facelift and those reviews met my minimum criteria of great location, clean, safe, and free WiFi. 

Upon arrival at this boutique hotel, I was not disappointed in my choice; the hotel was very modern and in a great location.  Like the Merit San Telmo, the room itself was quite small, but it did come with a balcony, which was great for enjoying a beer or glass of wine. 

Buenos Aires Travel Tips | Things to Do

Just like any major city, there are lots of things to see and do in Buenos Aires, so below is a quick overview of the top three activities that I did while visiting the city. But if you are planning a trip to Buenos Aires, be sure check out my list of the best free things to do in Buenos Aires or my 3 Days in Buenos Aires Itinerary to get a a detailed list of all there is to do on your trip!

Recoleta Cemetery

Visiting the Recoleta Cemetery is a must for anyone planning a trip to Buenos Aires. This popular visitor spot is home to the eternal resting places of some of Argentina’s most famous notables, including Eva Perón, several presidents, Nobel Prize winners, and military heroes.

My husband and I were amazed by the large, ornate and well-maintained gravesites and felt like we could get lost taking a stroll through the cemetery. Of all of my Buenos Aires travel tips, be sure to make this a priority, you will not be disappointed!

Entry is free and the gates usually open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

gravesites in the recoleta cemetery in buenos aires

Note: while the next two activities cost money, the low value of the Argentinian peso compared to the US dollar make these activities a lot more affordable for travelers visiting from the U.S.! 

Bike Tour of Recoleta and Palermo

Buenos Aires is an easily bikeable city, and I highly recommend this bike tour of the Recoleta and Palermo barrios.  It starts in San Telmo and then proceeds along the water into the modern neighborhood of Puerto Madero, before continuing on to Recoleta and then Palermo.  It’s a leisurely ride with a guide who explains the history of Buenos Aires along with commentary about the sites you are passing or stopping by.  There is lots of time to take pictures, ask questions and see some of the top sights in Buenos Aires.

Male and female riding on bikes in Buenos Aires

Malbec Wine Tour in Palermo

Argentina is known for making the best Malbec wine in the world, but visitors have to travel to Mendoza to experience the Malbec wineries in person.  Luckily for those visiting Buenos Aires, one can experience an authentic Argentinian wine tasting without having to travel all the way to Mendoza! 

My husband and I participated in this small group tour, which started with a private tasting at a little art gallery in Palermo Soho before moving onto another private tasting at a wine shop in Palermo Hollywood.  The tour ended at a nearby bar where we had fernet, which is a bitter liqueur popular among locals (but was not popular among my tour group!).

I really liked this tour because not only were we tasting delicious wine, but we were able to experience the trendy barrio of Palermo and had the opportunity to meet other tourists in Buenos Aires, who we ended up heading to dinner with after the tour.  

Tango Shows:  Sol Salute documents their expat adventures of living in Buenos Aires. Check out their list of the Top 10 Best Tango Shows in Buenos Aires!

Buenos Aires Travel Tips | Where to Eat

The food in Argentina is amazing, with a variety of great meats plus an Italian influence on pizza and pasta, and there are so many restaurants to choose from that you really can’t go wrong with where you eat.  Here are a few of my favorite restaurants that I recommend checking out. 

Fun fact: locals do not eat dinner until around 10:00 p.m., even during the workweek, and while most restaurants open before that, you will probably end up eating alone if you head to dinner between 7:00-9:00 p.m.  The good news is that you may be able to score a discount at the restaurant for eating early!

Frank’s Bar

As mentioned above, my husband and I ended up going out to dinner with the rest of our wine tour group after the tour ended.  They had reservations at Frank’s Bar, a speakeasy / secret bar in Palermo, and we ended up being very glad that we had dinner with their group! 

Since it’s a “secret bar,” we initially walked right past the door, and once we finally found it, we were told by the doorman that guys had to be in long pants (no shorts!), so don’t make that mistake if you plan to check out Frank’s. After making it past the doorman, you come to a phone booth where you have to say the secret code (which the doorman or hostess will share with you) before a door opens up for you to enter into the actual restaurant/bar. 

It’s a fairly classy establishment (hence the no shorts) but the food was amazing – definitely the best we had in Buenos Aires.  My husband had the burger and said it was the best burger he’s ever had and I had the best ceviche I’ve ever had, too. 

El Banco Rojo

If you end up staying in the San Telmo neighborhood, you have to get a burger at El Banco Rojo.  It’s a casual restaurant where you order at the counter, but the burgers are amazing (including the vegetarian option!) and they have several beers on tap.  Be sure to checkout Breoghan, a craft brewery, next door too! 

Buller Pub

If staying in Recoleta or visiting the cemetery, I recommend checking out Buller, even for just a beer.  Located across from the cemetery, it’s a huge, trendy pub with lots of outdoor seating.  The food menu is primarily burgers, sandwiches, and pizza and they have a large beer tap list, including their own craft beers. 


Hopefully, these Buenos Aires travel tips give you a much better idea on how to discover the beautiful city of Buenos Aires.  If you have a few extra days to spare while visiting Argentina, then I highly recommend traveling to Bariloche, and you can find out how to start planning for that trip by reading my post: The Savvy Way to Plan a Trip to Bariloche!

Cheers!


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