travel to
Argentina
Few countries in the world can claim subtropical forests and glaciers, huge waterfalls and deserts, swampy lowlands and high mountains, wide-open spaces and bustling cities, penguins and flamingos. Yet Argentina has all that and more. Thundering Iguazú Falls, the calving glacier at Perito Moreno and the mountains of Patagonia are the most famous draw cards. Then there are football, tango, great steaks and phenomenal wines. Part Latin American and part European, this is one country you do not want to miss.
best time to travel
Travel to Northern Argentina can be done year-round. Travel to Patagonia is at its best from December through February.
places to go
key experiences
Buenos Aires
Sophisticated yet down to earth, sensuous and cultured, the capital of Argentina has a lot going for it. In this city of tango, cultures and foods from around the globe abound, but it the steakhouses that people come for from all over the world. BA is a city of neighbour-hoods. Discover San Telmo's cobblestoned streets and artisan shops, the French-style palaces of Retiro, working-class Boca, visit the famous cemetery in Recoleta or the museums and cafes of Palermo.
Iguazú Falls
Set among dense jungle, Iguazú Falls are the world's most awe-inspiring waterfalls. Take enough time to see them from both sides: the Argentine side offers long boardwalks along wildly cascading falls and rapids as well as rafting trips. But to experience the falls at its best, be sure to visit the Brazilian side for the day.
Península Valdés
Península Valdés is home to a staggering array of wildlife – sea lions, killer whales, elephant seals, Magellanic penguins, guanacos, rheas and numerous seabirds. Southern right whale breed here between June and mid-December.
Ushuaia
Dramatically hemmed in between mountains and the icy waters of the Beagle Channel, this city at the end of the world is the gateway for Antarctic cruises as well as for visits to and hiking in spectacular Tierra del Fuego National Park.
Perito Moreno Glacier
Perito Moreno is one of the easiest accessible ice fields in the world and walking one of the boardwalks along its five kilometre long face is one experience you will not soon forget. Icebergs and chunks of ice calve off the glacier and plunge in to the depths of Iceberg Channel.
Fitzroy
Located just outside the small village of El Chaltén, the Fitzroy range offers world-class hiking, ice climbing and camping amidst some of the most spectacular mountain scenery you will see anywhere in the world.
Bariloche
San Carlos de Bariloche, or Bariloche for short, is the prime holiday destination for Argentineans. People come here to experience the stunning landscapes of the surrounding mountains and the lake district. Enjoy one of the many activities on offer: hiking, horse back riding, mountain biking or fishing to name but a few.
Ruta de los Siete Lagos
The sparkling waters of seven Patagonian lakes shimmer in every imaginable shade of blue. December to May is the best time to explore this magical mountainous route.
Mendoza
City of wide, leafy avenues, glorious fountains, atmospheric plazas and cosmopolitan cafes, Mendoza is the place to come to tour vineyards and try some of the phenomenal wines.
Salta
Salta, nicknamed "Salta the Fair" easily lives up to its reputation. The city has a festive atmosphere, the spectacular Neoclassical Iglesia San Francisco and excellent museums, all dramatically set between steep, rippling mountains.
Quebrada de Humahuaca
Whitewashed settlements nestled against polychrome mountains, dazzling salt flats, lush valleys and cactus forests, windswept steppe and deep gorges – some of the planet’s most incredible scenery.
Esteros del Iberá
The shimmering rain-fed lagoons of the stunning wetlands of the Esteros del Iberá are home to plenty of birds, from hummingbirds and kingfishers to beautiful herons. Specialized guides will take you out into the wetlands, where caimans bask in the sun, and capybara, marsh deer and howler monkeys abound.
Hiking the Andes
Argentina's south offers some world-class trekking. Explore the Fitz Roy sector of the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares or the mountains of Tierra del Fuego.
Glacier trekking & ice climbing
Parque Nacional Los Glaciares offers several locations where one can strap on crampons and, ice axe in hand, hike on the stunning glaciers of this portion of the Andes. If you feel up to it, scale a wall of ice and feel like Edmund Hillary for a day!
Wildlife at Valdés
Península Valdés is home to a staggering array of wildlife – sea lions, killer whales, elephant seals, Magellanic penguins, guanacos, rheas and numerous seabirds. Southern right whale breed here between June and mid-December.
Dance the Tango
Buenos Aires is the birthplace of tango and one of the best experiences you can have in the city is a dinner and tango show. If you are lucky you may also see an impromptu performance on the streets of San Telmo. For the truly adventurous, take a tango lesson at a local milonga.
Be awed by Iguazú Falls
Iguazú Falls are the world's most awe-inspiring waterfalls. The Argentine side offers long boardwalks along wildly cascading falls and rapids as well as rafting trips. But to experience the falls at its best, be sure to visit the Brazilian side for the day.
Raft Iguazú
Join a never-tiring crew as you raft down the rapids of the long and narrow chasm called the Devil's Throat. Leave your valuables at the hotel as you will get soaked!
Join the football craze
No trip to Argentina is complete without attending a fútbol match. Nothing else inspires the Argentine people like a good game of soccer, especially at either River Plate or Boca Juniors in Buenos Aires.
Sip the wines of Mendoza
Is there a better Argentine meal than steak with one of the stellar malbecs or syrahs from Mendoza?
Feel like a gaucho at an estancia
Visit an estancia, the Argentine equivalent of a ranch, and try your hand at cattle-herding or sheep-shearing. Enjoy some great home-cooked food and get a real taste of the gaucho way of life.
Wildlife at the Esteros del Iberá
The shimmering rain-fed lagoons of the stunning wetlands of the Esteros del Iberá are home to plenty of birds, from hummingbirds and kingfishers to beautiful herons. Specialized guides will take you out into the wetlands, where caimans bask in the sun, and capybara, marsh deer and howler monkeys abound.
Climb Aconcagua
At nearly 7,000 metres (just over 23,000 feet), Aconcagua is the highest peak outside the Himalaya. Climbing this peak can be done by anyone with the appropriate fitness and stamina. Allow 13-15 days to climb to the top, one of the famous seven summits.
Wildlife of the Andes
As you hike or drive through the Andes mountain range you have a good chance of spotting llamas and its distant cousins, alpacas, guanacos and vicuñas.
Join in for an asado
The Argentine answer to the barbecue, the asado is central to the identity of the Argentine people. Beef and several other meats are grilled or cooked over an open fire and enthusiastically devoured.