Argentina Travel Guide: Buenos Aires, Patagonia & Where to Go 2026

Citizens of around 80 countries — including all EU/Nordic countries, the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Japan, and most of Latin America — can enter Argentina visa-free for up to 90 days as tourists. The 90-day stamp can be extended once for another 90 days at the Dirección Nacional de Migraciones in Buenos Aires for around AR$8,000. Russian citizens also enter visa-free for up to 90 days. The US-citizen reciprocity fee was abolished in 2016 — no advance payment needed. Passport must be valid for the duration of your stay (Argentina is unusually flexible on the 6-month rule). On arrival, immigration may ask for proof of onward travel and accommodation. Argentina has free movement agreements with most Mercosur countries — Brazilian and Chilean ID cards are accepted in place of a passport for those nationalities.

Argentina spans subtropical to subantarctic, so timing depends entirely on what you want. The universal sweet spots are March–April and October–November for most of the country (Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Iguazú). Patagonia only opens reliably from November to March — outside that, trails close and weather is brutal. Mendoza wine country peaks during the harvest festival in the first week of March, with activity through early April. Iguazú Falls is best April–September (less heat, fewer afternoon storms). January and February bring 35°C+ heat to Buenos Aires — locals leave the city. Whale watching in Península Valdés peaks September–November. Argentine seasons are reversed from the northern hemisphere: December–February is summer, June–August is winter.

Argentina is enormous — over 2,300 miles from north to south — so trips here demand serious planning. One week minimum for Buenos Aires + one other region; two weeks is the realistic first-trip target. A classic 12–14 day route: Buenos Aires (3–4 days) for tango, steak, San Telmo, Recoleta, and a day trip to Tigre; Iguazú Falls (2 days) via 2-hour flight (both sides — Argentine and Brazilian); Mendoza (3 days) for Malbec wineries at the foot of the Andes; El Calafate / El Chaltén (3–4 days) for Patagonia, Perito Moreno glacier, and the Fitz Roy hike. Internal flights are essential — driving these distances eats your trip. Aerolíneas Argentinas and Flybondi/JetSMART are the main carriers.

Argentine inflation has eased significantly since the 117% peaks of 2024, but prices and exchange rates still shift faster than in most countries — budget figures you read more than a few months old are unreliable. The currency is the Argentine peso (ARS). Three practical tips: bring USD or EUR cash in clean bills ($50/$100 work best) to exchange at casas de cambio for the unofficial "blue dollar" rate, often 30–50% better than the official bank rate. Western Union transfers also deliver near-blue rates with less risk. Cards work everywhere in cities (Visa/Mastercard widely accepted), and since late 2024 the gap between the official and unofficial rates has narrowed for foreign card users — check current spread before deciding. Argentine ATMs charge high foreign fees and dispense small amounts per withdrawal — minimize ATM use.

Skip the tourist parrillas (steakhouses) in Puerto Madero and head to where porteños eat. For steak done seriously: Don Julio in Palermo is the world-famous one (queue or book months ahead), but locals also love El Pobre Luis (Belgrano), La Cabrera (when you can get a seat), and the unpretentious neighborhood parrilla on any corner — order bife de chorizo or asado de tira, plus chimichurri. For Italian-Argentine (a huge thread of BA cuisine): El Cuartito for thick fugazzeta pizza since 1934. For modern BA: Mishiguene for Jewish-Argentine, Don Julio's sister bodegón Anchoíta, or natural wine at Aldo's Vinoteca. Lunch runs 1–3pm, dinner from 9pm. Tip 10% in cash.