Visas & entry
Citizens of many European countries, the UK, US and Canada commonly receive visa-free tourist entry for short stays (often up to 90 days), but Argentina’s rules and any electronic-travel-authorisation requirements can change. Check the Argentine consulate or immigration authority for your exact passport before booking, especially if entering overland or combining Iguazú with Brazil.
Getting in
- Buenos Aires — Ministro Pistarini International Airport: Argentina’s main intercontinental gateway and the normal arrival point for long-haul visitors. It is about 30 km from central Buenos Aires; allow serious time if connecting onward, especially if you must change airports.
- Buenos Aires — Aeroparque Jorge Newbery: The useful domestic hub, close to the city, for flights to Iguazú, Mendoza, Bariloche, El Calafate, Ushuaia and other regional anchors. Do not treat an EZE-to-AEP connection as simple: immigration, bags, traffic and the airport change can consume hours.
- Mendoza — El Plumerillo International Airport: A practical regional arrival for Chilean connections and the Andes/wine-country circuit. It is useful if Mendoza is your main destination, but not a substitute for Buenos Aires as a nationwide flight hub.
- Córdoba — Ingeniero Aeronáutico Ambrosio L.V. Taravella International Airport: A useful central-country gateway for Córdoba and occasional regional international connections. Choose it when your trip is focused on central or northern Argentina rather than as a default first arrival.
Getting around
Fly between far-apart anchors: Buenos Aires–Iguazú, Mendoza, Bariloche, El Calafate and Ushuaia are sensible air hops, though each still eats much of a day door to door. Use comfortable long-distance buses for medium-distance or overnight corridors, not to defeat Argentina’s scale; Buenos Aires–Mendoza is roughly 1,050 km by road. Rent a car within a region—Mendoza, Salta/Jujuy, the Lake District or Península Valdés—but do not drive between headline regions unless the road trip itself is the holiday. Treat rail as a selective experience rather than a dependable national network.
Money
Argentina uses the Argentine peso (ARS), and exchange rates are volatile. Foreign Visa and Mastercard purchases may receive a favourable tourist/MEP-linked rate, but carry backup cash and more than one card: smaller towns, rural areas and some tours can be cash-dependent, while card acceptance and exchange rates can be inconsistent. A roughly 10% restaurant tip is customary when service is not already included.
Daily budget · USD; quote Argentina in USD-equivalent terms because ARS prices and exchange rates move too quickly for a useful fixed peso budget.
- Value
- US$55–100 budget, US$130–230 comfortable mid-range, US$350+ high-end, excluding international flights.
- Mid-range
- US$130–230 per person/day: a good private room or modest hotel, sit-down meals, local transport and one paid activity most days. In Patagonia in peak summer, expect the same standard to run US$180–300+.
- High-end
- US$350+ per person/day: boutique or upscale hotels, serious winery meals, private drivers/tours and premium excursions. Patagonia lodge stays, Antarctic-linked Ushuaia travel and top Mendoza wineries can push this far higher.
- Buenos Aires, Salta and Córdoba are the value plays; southern Patagonia, Ushuaia, Península Valdés in whale season and the Lake District in ski season are the expensive regions.
- Domestic flights are usually the budget breaker, not meals. Price them separately and book peak Patagonia, July ski and holiday-period routes early.
- El Chaltén trekking can be inexpensive once there, but El Calafate accommodation, transfers and glacier excursions raise the daily average sharply.
- Mendoza is moderate until you add winery lunches, drivers and Uco Valley lodging; do not try to economize by driving after tastings.
- Carry a payment strategy rather than relying on a single card or a fixed ARS cash budget: exchange conditions, card acceptance and effective rates can change quickly. Check current official and card rates immediately before departure.
- Spend on regional transport and weather buffers rather than trying to stitch distant regions together by bus. A cheap-looking cross-country itinerary often costs more in lost days than a domestic flight.
Eating well
- In Buenos Aires, plan dinner for 9–10 pm or later; eating at international early-dinner hours misses the city’s natural rhythm.
- For Mendoza, reserve wineries and lunch well ahead. A long lunch at one or two good bodegas is better than a frantic tasting circuit.
- Use a driver, organized transfer or cycling plan for winery days; drinking and driving is not a viable Mendoza itinerary.
- During Vendimia in late February/early March, Mendoza rooms, winery tables and transport tighten sharply—book early or avoid the period.
- Treat regional food as a reason to include the northwest, not merely a stop between wine country and Buenos Aires.
Book before you land
Perito Moreno Glacier Minitrekking or other paid glacier walks from El Calafate — seasonal, capacity-limited and worth reserving directly with the authorized operator if non-negotiable. · Mendoza winery lunches and tastings at sought-after bodegas, especially in harvest/Vendimia season and on weekends. · Whale-watching departures from Puerto Pirámides in Península Valdés during the September–October peak, particularly if dates are fixed. · Antarctica cruises departing Ushuaia, which should be booked well before arrival rather than treated as a walk-up excursion.
- Do not book a tight EZE-to-AEP connection. They are different airports, and immigration, baggage collection and Buenos Aires traffic make a same-day transfer unpredictable.
- Book domestic flights early for Christmas–February, July school holidays, Easter/Semana Santa, Carnival and Mendoza’s Vendimia period; these are the dates when Argentina’s internal flight network gets expensive fast.
- Use official sites for national-park tickets. Puerto Iguazú in particular has attracted fake online ticket sellers.
- Buenos Aires needs normal big-city habits: keep phones and valuables discreet, use licensed transport late at night, and visit La Boca’s Caminito by day rather than wandering the surrounding area.
- Altitude matters in the northwest. Build in an easy first day before high-puna routes, hydrate, and do not assume a short distance on the map means an easy drive.
- For Iguazú’s Brazilian side, confirm Brazil entry requirements for your passport before reaching Puerto Iguazú; border formalities can determine whether the panoramic-view day is possible.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this country.
Season by season
December–February (summer)
Long days and the most accessible trails make this peak season for El Chaltén, El Calafate, Ushuaia and the Lake District, though Patagonia remains windy and changeable; Buenos Aires, Iguazú and the northwest are hot, humid or rainier.
Patagonia trekking and glaciersLake District hikingAtlantic beachessouthern road trips
Christmas through February brings the highest prices and fullest flights, rental cars and lodging in Patagonia; January is especially crowded on the Atlantic coast.
March–May (autumn)
Crowds ease after summer while Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Córdoba, Salta/Jujuy and Iguazú are generally comfortable; Patagonia can be excellent through April but hiking weather and services become less dependable later in the season.
cities and food travelMendoza wine countrythe northwestbalanced multi-region trips
Patagonia is a shoulder-season proposition by late autumn, with shorter days, variable weather and some reduced services; Mendoza tightens sharply around harvest festivities.
June–August (winter)
The high northwest is usually dry, sunny and pleasant by day, Bariloche and other Andean resorts are in ski season, and southern right whales arrive around Península Valdés from June.
Salta and Jujuyskiingwhale watchingBuenos Aires museums and dining
Southern Patagonia is poor trekking territory: short daylight, harsh weather and reduced small-town services can derail plans; July school holidays push up ski and family-destination demand.
September–November (spring)
Buenos Aires, Iguazú, Iberá, Córdoba, Mendoza and the northwest are broadly appealing; jacarandas usually peak in Buenos Aires around November, while Península Valdés whale activity is strongest in September–October.
Buenos Aires city timeIguazú and wetlandswhale watchingwine country and the northwest
Patagonia is reopening rather than reliably settled: choose it for lower crowds and accept that wind, snow or closed trails can still disrupt trekking.
Events worth planning around
Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia · Late February to early March, usually centered in Mendoza around the grape harvest. · Mendoza
A strong reason to visit if wine culture and festival atmosphere are the point, but hotels, transport and winery lunches fill early and prices rise.
Carnival · Usually late February or early March; dates vary with the calendar. · Nationwide, with major celebrations in several towns and cities
A long-weekend travel surge: reserve domestic flights, buses and popular hotels early if crossing the country.
Semana Santa / Easter · March or April; dates vary annually. · Nationwide
One of the main domestic travel periods, affecting flights, buses, road traffic and accommodation in nature destinations.
Winter school holidays · Usually July, with timing staggered by province. · Nationwide, especially Bariloche and Andean ski areas
Domestic families drive up ski-resort prices and occupancy; book flights, lodging and rentals well ahead.
Christmas–New Year period · Late December to early January. · Nationwide, especially Patagonia and the Atlantic coast
Peak summer travel begins: Patagonia flights, rental cars, headline hotels and glacier or wildlife activities need early booking.
What to eat
Eat by region rather than chasing a national checklist: Buenos Aires is for late dinners, steakhouses, bodegones and café culture; Mendoza is for long winery lunches; the northwest is where regional Andean cooking has the most character. Book the meal, not just the tasting, in wine country—and do not expect an early dinner in Buenos Aires.
Argentine beef and steakhouse mealsAsadoBodegón cookingMalbecCabernet FrancBonardaTorrontésHigh-altitude ChardonnayMendoza olive oilNorthwest regional/Andean cooking and folk-music dining culture in Salta and Jujuy
Buenos Aires: Steakhouse culture · Bodegones · Late-night dinners · Historic cafés · Everyday dining across Villa Crespo and Chacarita
Mendoza and the Uco Valley: Winery lunches · Malbec, plus Cabernet Franc, Bonarda, Torrontés and high-altitude Chardonnay · Olive oil · Long, food-led vineyard days rather than rushed tastings
Salta, Jujuy and the northwest: Argentina’s strongest regional and Indigenous-Andean food character · Regional cooking paired with folk-music culture · Cafayate wine country
Bariloche and the Lake District: Chocolate shops · Alpine-style resort eating alongside outdoor days