12-Day Argentina Travel Itinerary: Best Attractions, Tours & Hotels for Your Adventure

Since we didn’t have much vacation time and wanted to make the most of the holiday season in December, we put together this 12-day itinerary to experience the best of Argentina. From walking the vibrant streets of Buenos Aires to hiking the glaciers in Patagonia and getting soaked at Iguazu Falls, we saw all the iconic spots. Below, you’ll find our recommended itinerary, tours, and where to stay to make the most of your Argentina adventure.

Argentina Itinerary – 12 Days

• Day 1 – Flight
  Arrive in Buenos Aires
• Day 2 – Buenos Aires
  Exploring Buenos Aires and Enjoying a Tango Show
• Day 3 – Buenos Aires -Puerto Iguazu
• Recoleta Cemetery & National Congress and fly to Puerto Iguazu (2 hours) late afternoon/evening.
• Day 4 – Puerto Iguazu
  Argentinian side of Iguazu Falls, Upper and Lower Circuits, Boat ride under the falls
• Day 5 – Puerto Iguazu
  Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls, Devil’s Throat
• Day 6 – Fly to El Calafate from Puerto Iguazu
  Fly to Elcalafate ( 6 hours) Settle in and explore local town
• Day 7 – El Calafate
  Perito Moreno Glacier: Boardwalks, mini-trekking, boat ride
• Day 8 – El Calafate to El Chalten
  Visit Lake Argentina in the morning and Drive from El Calafate to El Chalten (3 hours)
• Day 9 – El Chalten
  Full-day Trekking Laguna de los Tres with view of Mount Fitz Roy
• Day 10 – El Chalten
  Optional Mt Fitz Patagonia hike, relax or explore local sights
• Day 10 – Fly to Buenos Aires
  Drive from El Chalten to Elcalafate (3 hours) and Fly from ElCalafate to Buenos Aires (Approx 3.5 hours)
• Day 11 – Buenos Aires
  Half-Day Delta Safari in Tigre Delta and shopping, local culture, packing, free time
• Day 12 – Flight
  Depart Buenos Aires for return flight

Where to Stay

• Buenos Aires: NH City Buenos Aires 
  The hotel is just about a one-minute walk from the Pink House (Casa Rosada) and walking distance to several important buildings and sites in Buenos Aires. The surrounding area is home to other government buildings and the Federal Bank, so it’s not only central but also very safe.
• View other hotels in Buenos Aires
• Puerto Iguazu: Hotel Saint George in Puerto Iguazu 
  This hotel is in the middle of the town, surrounded by restaurants. The rooms were large, and it had a beautiful garden by the pool.
• Foz do Iguacu (If you stay in Brazil – Foz do Iguacu and visit the Iguazu falls): Hotel Rafain Centro The hotel is in a central location, about a 7-minute drive from Iguazu Falls. The breakfast was really good.
• El Calafate: Hotel Posada Los Alamos This hotel is walkable to Lake Argentino and also is close to downtown where you can find good restaurants
• El Chaltén: Chalten Suites Hotel
  The location is about a few kms drive to the trail head. Rooms and dining area have beautiful views of the Mt.Fitz Roy.

Tours we Recommend

• Buenos Aires: Buenos Aires City Tour 
  Explore Buenos Aires’ vibrant neighborhoods and admire some of the city’s most memorable landmarks with this comprehensive half-day tour.
• View other city tours in Buenos Aires
• Tigre Delta: Private Safari Delta in Tigre Private boat tours allow us to sail in inflatable zodiac-type boats, giving us the chance to get down and walk through the floating plants of the Paraná River, as well as enjoy some time to swim. Group tour boats, being much larger, don’t allow for these experiences.
• Iguazu Falls: Puerto Iguazu -Iguazu falls and Boat Ride Argentinian side Our tour guide picked us up from Puerto Iguazú and took us straight to the falls. The tickets were all arranged in advance, and the boat ride was included. Just a heads-up: the boat ride is only for those aged 12 and above, so younger kids can’t go on it.
• Puerto Iguazu – Iguazu falls Brazilian side
  The tour operator handles the transfer and visa stamping and paperwork at the Argentina-Brazil border and arranges entry into Iguacu National Park. Always check your country’s visa requirements when travelling between Argentina and Brazil to avoid any issues at the border.
• Perito Moreno Glacier: If you book a Mini-Trekking tour through the GetYourGuide link, they do the pick and drop off. Also, the national park entrance ticket and access to the walkways are included, which makes the whole process much easier.
• Laguna de los Tres Hike: You need tickets to hike in this national park. Keep in mind that rental cars in El Calafate are limited, especially in high season, so if driving is an issue for you, you can buy your tickets for Laguna de los Tres hike here. They offer tours with transportation and national park tickets included, which makes the trip much easier.