One of the most important capitals in Latin America, Buenos Aires feels like a lost European city. Architectonically closer to Paris than any other city on this side of the world, Buenos Aires sightseeing is populated by imposing buildings from the early 20th century. Each step on its cobblestone streets feels like a throwback to past decades, as locals, known as porteños, also happen to hold a lot of love for everything retro. A lot of the city’s charm stems from how it’s a little stuck in time. In this Buenos Aires travel guide you will find my choices for restaurants, hotels and some exciting things to do in Buenos Aires!

Buenos Aires sightseeing includes history, parks and cafés, plus and a thriving social and nightlife: it was love at first sight for us! Read all about our lovely Buenos Aires days in my Travel Story post!

Traveling – How to get to Buenos Aires?

There are a lot of international airlines serving the city’s main airport, Ministro Pistarini at Ezeiza. You can find direct flights to Buenos Aires from many of the major cities in the world, including European capitals like and , Middle East locations like and Doha, numerous U.S. cities and even a flight from New Zealand. Many of the flights come from major South American cities, mostly from Brazil, as it’s Argentina’s biggest ally.

Keep in mind, however, that Ezeiza Airport is pretty far from downtown, and it can take about an hour to reach the city. You can do this by hiring a fixed-price taxi (called remis) once you get there, which will take you to your door. There are also cheaper shuttles, but they’ll leave you in a previously defined station, and you’ll have to take either a taxi or public transportation to get to where you’re staying.

There’s another airport in the neighborhood of Palermo, the Aeroparque, which receives flights from Argentine destinations and a few nearby international ones, like Sao Paulo and Santiago de Chile. Then, you’ll be ready for some Buenos Aires sightseeing!

Living – Where to Stay in Buenos Aires

During this trip, we found that the best idea was staying at an Airbnb, and so we rented a small studio apartment in the Recoleta neighborhood. A long-standing upscale neighborhood, this beautiful old area is filled with lovely buildings and landmarks, including the iconic Recoleta Cemetery. This the final resting place of the Argentine First Lady turned pop culture legend, Eva “Evita” Perón. Recoleta was also home to personalities like writer Jorge Luis Borges and even Zorro actor Guy Williams!

A traditional centric neighborhood and a must during Buenos Aires sightseeing, Recoleta’s old buildings are mixed with beautiful parks and a lot of little cafés and gelaterias. Strangely enough, the area with the nightlife is actually around the cemetery, where you can find a lot of bars and restaurants, a mall and a multiplex cinema. Performance lovers will also be thrilled to go to the Fuerza Bruta show, a few steps away from the cemetery, a theater experience famous all over the world.

Eating – The Best Restaurants in Buenos Aires

Much like the United States, Argentina is a country of immigrants. There were numerous waves throughout the 20th century that populated Buenos Aires with flavors from all over the world, particularly Europe. The Italian population and their descendants is the largest one by a large margin, and this peninsula’s cuisine is one of the most popular in the city, so you’ll find delicious pizza places anywhere you look, plus staple dishes like milanesa and gnocchi. There are so many amazing eateries here, so you can take a break from Buenos Aires sightseeing for some delicious food!

Of course, there’s one staple in the Argentine diet that’s famous all over the world: the beef! One of the biggest exporters in the world, you’ll find it hard to find a place where the meat is subpar. The asado (barbecue) is one of the most popular social experiences in the country.

Once again, you’ll also find plenty of cafés, filled with people reading the newspaper, working or even hanging out with their old friends while having heated discussions about politics, the second national hobby after football. When having coffee, remember to order some facturas, which are delicious local pastries that can be filled with custard, membrillo, chocolate or even dulce de leche.

The neighborhoods with the most restaurants are Palermo and San Telmo, but you can find little gems throughout your Buenos Aires sightseeing experience. There’s also a growing craft beer/fancy burger scene, plus a myriad of other flavors with a lot of gastropubs, so it’s a great city to get your foodie on!

Sottovoce – The Italian with a view in Puerto Madero

We made reservations for the Puerto Madero Sottovoce location, right by the river. With a broad terrace, it’s perfect for the summer, with great views of this near-futuristic side of town. An upscale experience with Italian flavors, the food and service were great, and the crowd was pretty interesting – a mix of old and young! The panorama was definitely the best point of the evening, providing truly unique Buenos Aires sightseeing.

Casa Cruz – The Upscale Culinary Star in Trendy Palermo

In Palermo neighborhood, just a couple blocks away from the popular Plaza Serrano, stands brasserie Casa Cruz. With beautiful and luxurious décor, and a lot of lamps illuminating a somewhat dark ambiance with lots of wood, this was our choice when it came to tasting the famous Argentine beef, and we were not disappointed! Clearly a spot for the jet-set porteño foodies, it’s a restaurant of small and beautiful portions, designed to truly get a taste of each carefully crafted dish. When you’re done with your Buenos Aires sightseeing in the area, get a bite here!

Barbacoa Parrilla – The Authentic Local one in Recoleta

Sometimes the best experiences is not the fanciest one. Barbacoa Parrilla in Recoleta is one of those, a small eatery where you will meet the locals. We just passed by and stayed here among locals all night long after a long day of Buenos Aires sightseeing. The place is simple, nothing fancy but very cozy and with a lovely relaxed and friendly atmosphere. You have to try out their meat grilled on the open oven, the chimichurri and a glass of Malbec!

Le Blé – The Perfect Brunch & Afternoon Spot

A growing breakfast and brunch chain, we stayed pretty close to one of their Recoleta locations. This gave us a chance to try some of the items in their menu and engage in some serious people-watching! With a boho-chic vibe, Le Blé makes it a point to serve beautiful dishes, with a lot of color combinations.

Café Tortoni – The Most Famous C afé in Town

Located downtown, Café Tortoni is perhaps the most famous café all over Buenos Aires, and certainly one of the most historic. Founded in the mid-19th century and decorated in the style of iconic Parisian cafés like Les Trois Magots, this place was a meeting point for national and international writers during the 19th and 20th century. People as varied as physicist Alfred Einstein and former Spanish King Juan Carlos I visited! Nowadays it’s very touristy, but you can definitely still feel the upscale vibe of over a century of history. And in any case, it’s an essential part of any Buenos Aires sightseeing tour!

Exploring: 7 Things to Do in Buenos Aires

Vibrant and metropolitan, Buenos Aires sightseeing has a lot to offer for all kinds of travelers: it’s a city of theaters, culture, wild partying and a big love for food. It’s also a great town for walking, although since it’s very big, you will surely have to take taxis or Ubers at some point to move between the different neighborhoods. Some of the best things to do in Buenos Aires:

1. Sundays at San Telmo

The oldest neighborhood in Buenos Aires, San Telmo hosts a blocks-long market with the most varied products. From jewelry to beautiful and cheap leather products, it’s a must of Buenos Aires sightseeing! After you’ve walked around, there are plenty of places to eat and have some wine. You can also visit the old Market, which hosts a lot of eateries, including a café, a raclette restaurant, delicious street-like tacos, and even a great Vietnamese restaurant.

2. Explore Downtown

There are some fantastic areas in the city center that deserve some love during your Buenos Aires sightseeing tour. You can easily spend a day here walking around Plaza de Mayo, visit Cementerio de La Recoleta – spooky but beautiful place where you can find tomb of the famous Eva Peron!

3. La Boca – Where Football and Instagram Lovers Meet

A staple of Buenos Aires sightseeing is La Boca neighborhood – a must for football lovers and nowadays also Instagrammers. Here you will find Caminito, the most iconic street in La Boca neighborhood, lined with cute colorful houses next to Bocca Junior’s arena.

4. Enjoy the Many Oases of Buenos Aires

Nature lovers will find a respite in the big city, as Buenos Aires sightseeing includes many parks. One of the must-visit parks is the Palermo Woods, home to the Rose, Japanese Gardens and the Planetarium. It’s one of the loveliest areas in Buenos Aires. Animal lovers might also enjoy walking around the Costanera Sur, an ecological park in Puerto Madero. Here you can see ducks, local swans, and even capybaras. It’s right at the heart of the most modern neighborhood in town.

5. Shopping, Shopping & Shopping

Some of the best areas include Florida Street downtown, with blocks and blocks of stores of all types. There’s also a small outlet area in the Villa Crespo neighborhoods, perfect for when you’ve covered all the Buenos Aires sightseeing you can handle in one day. This is where you can find cheaper versions of upscale local brands like Prüne. Finally, some of the malls where you can find fancier international brands. These include Alto Palermo, Recoleta Mall and the Florida Street old restored building Galerías Pacifico.

However, I liked trendy Palermo the most, and it was my favorite spot for Buenos Aires sightseeing. This is where you will find the best design boutiques with the latest trends and a lot of unique pieces.

6. Buenos Aires Broadway

If you love theater and can hold your own in Spanish, catch a play at Corrientes Avenue! It’s like City’s Broadway or ’s Gran Vía, and a must Buenos Aires sightseeing spot for theater lovers. This large avenue is filled with plays starring some of the most important local and international actors. There are a few iconic eateries here too, like famous pizzeria Güerrín and the Cadore ice cream place. Hence these have been named among the best in the world.

7. Party All Night Long with the Porteños

Porteños love to party hard every day of the week, even more than Buenos Aires sightseeing. Areas like Palermo and the up-and-coming Las Cañitas are filled with nightclubs. These usually have the most people after 1am, which is when locals begin their party nights. There are also a lot of brew pubs in those areas. Mostly in San Telmo, for those who like a more chill ambiance instead of a heavier party scene.

8. Day Tripping

If you have the time, Tigre is a lovely weekend hangout filled with so many of the best things to do in Buenos Aires. It is a pretty town a 50-minute train ride away from Retiro Station, it’s a Delta of different rivers. Therefore perfect if you’re looking for a quiet place to spend a day or two surrounded by nature.

You can also go to Colonia del Sacramento by boat or ferry. (the fastest are about 50 minutes, the slowest, 3 hours). This is a gorgeous little town in Uruguay with enchanting old houses from previous centuries. Hence, it was both a Portuguese and Spanish colony, leading to a fascinating and completely unique architecture. With so many things to do in Buenos Aires, you won’t get bored during your trip beyond Buenos Aires sightseeing!

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