Hello, I am planning a trip for November 2009 for my boyfriend and I to Argentina. This will be our first trip to Argentina and since we don't know when we will be able to make another trip back we would like to see and do as much as possible without feeling like we're too rushed through everything. I know the time we have is far too short but we are trying to make it the best trip we can. We are going for 11-14 days and I am currrently debating the below two itinerary's.
We are a couple in our late 20's who want a mix of active nature days, some less busy days with a glass of wine and a final unwind... Could anyone give me advie on the itinerary options if they think this is feasible to do everything? And based on the distane between locations which may be the best option.

Itinerary #1
DAY 1 – 3 BUENOS AIRES
DAY 4 - Travel day BUENOS AIRES – MENDOZA
DAY 5 - 7- MENDOZA
DAY 7 – Travel DayMENDOZA - BUENOS AIRES
DAY 8 - Travel Day BUENOS AIRES - IGUAZU FALLS
DAY 9 -10 IGUAZU FALLS
DAY 10 - Travel Day IGUAZU FALLS - BUENOS AIRES
DAY 10 -12 MAR DEL PLATA
DAY 13 BUENOS AIRES RETURN FLIGHT

Itinerary #2
DAY 1 – 3 BUENOS AIRES
DAY 4 - Travel Day BUENOS AIRES - BARILOCHE
DAY 5 - 7- BARILOCHE
DAY 7 - Travel Day BARILOCHE - BUENOS AIRES
DAY 8 - Travel Day BUENOS AIRES - IGUAZU FALLS
DAY 9 -10 IGUAZU FALLS
DAY 10 - I Travel DayGUAZU FALLS - BUENOS AIRES
DAY 10 -12 MAR DEL PLATA
DAY 13 BUENOS AIRES RETURN FLIGHT

I appreciate any suggestions/ tips for planning this trip!

So basically what you are trying to decide between is whether to go to Mendoza or Bariloche?

Yes and if this seems like there will be enough time for either itinerary?

Hi Mandany,

Are you travelling about by bus? If so, you might be able to do both, by cutting out the to-ing and fro-ing to BA?

You could go direct from BA to Bariloche, then come back on yourself to Mendoza, then go direct from Mendoza to Iguazu (or via Córdoba to break up the journey?). You can then come straight back from Iguazu to BA, so it's a full circle?

Also, at Iguazu, I'd recommend seeing the Brazilian side of the falls too (you can get a local bus for $1 over the border and see that side in a couple of hours - I think it'd be best to do tht side first, as it gives you the panoramic view, then spend a whole day on the Argentinian side - you need a whole day to get round all the trails / the boat trip etc.

Check the weather for the time of year you're going - I never made it to Bariloche, but it gets very cold in winter, and I'm not sure of the effect on transport. I DID go to Mendoza, and I loved it - I noticed you like your wine, well, Mendoza is the wine capital of Argentina - I swear, it's cheaper than water!!!

Hi Kathryn,

Thank you for your tips! We were thinking of flying since we thought we'd save travel time but perhaps we can do some transfers via bus that way we don't have to keep flying to BA. i will definitely look into it! I hear even though the bus travel is long that the buses are very comfortable!

Thanks again,

Amanda

Hi Amanda, yes the buses are amazing in all of the South America I saw. You can get your ticket the day before, and it's all very organised, and you get seat numbers etc, so the long distance buses are never overcrowded - everyone has to be seated.

If you're on a long journey, they give you a basic meal on the way, and you can opt for standard, deluxe & super-deluxe buses. The standard is just a normal seat, deluxe means they recline (quite a lot!), and super-deluxe go the whole way back - so effectively - a bed!

I did a lot of my journeys overnight as the buses were so great, meaning I could wake up in a new place in the morning with a good nights sleep behind me. My view is by the time you make your way to an airport, check in, wait etc, you could be halfway there - and you get to see more of the country by bus - plus you could break long journeys up and stop at little towns, meaning you see more...

BA's bus station is massive, with loads of destinations - I can't remember the names of any bus companies, but there are loads to choose from, and honestly, all you have to do is turn up the day before and you'll get a seat on one of them (just make sure it's not a public holiday though - they get busy then)

I'm so jealous - I love South America!! You'll have a ball!
Kathryn

Hi Amanda, if you go to buenos aires i recomend you to go to circus hostel located in San Telmo, i stayed there for 20 days and i had a lot of fun, y have a lot of pictures of the hostel, if you want to watch them , tell me, y left you one.Click to view attachment

Hi there!!!

I'm happy to hear that you want to visit Argentina. I'm sure you'll love it!! (I live in BA)
I was reading your planning and I wanted to give you my opinion about it.
I think that what you want to do is feasible but I'd change my itinerary as follows:

I would go from BA to Bariloche by plane since a bus will take a whole day.

From Bariloche to Mendoza you have about 850km, it's a night trip on a bus.

From Mendoza I'd go to BA again and take a plane to Iguazu.

Why? Because there is just one flight a week from Mendoza to Iguazu and cover that distance on a bus will take another day so you take a bus from Mendoza to BA at night and a plane from BA to Iguazu (you have flights every day) and I'd return to BA on a plane too for the same reasons.

I don't know why you want to visit Mar del Plata, maybe you have friends there? It's a nice city!! and you have buses every day at all hours and also a train. It's about 5 hours from BA.

Why this change of plans? To save time and kilometers (you can see what I mean by looking at the map)

To check the flights:
http://www.aerolineas.com.ar/arg/main.asp?...amp;idIdioma=en
but you can also check Lan Chile
To check the buses:
http://www.andesmar.com/shop/ListCatsPacks.asp?lang=en

You can also have a look at my blogs for more information and links !!!

I agree with what Kathryn here has said. I don't know the hostel Marianita has mentioned but I'm sure that the travelers are the best trip advisors!! Besides, I live here so I don't have first hand experience with hostels in my own city. San Telmo is a nice place to visit but if I were to be in a city, I would chose Palermo. I think is safer at night.

If you need further information, don't hesitate to ask!!!!

Hey Guys,

Like Mandany, we are also traveling to Buenos Argentina at the end of October/beginning of November as well. I have a few questions and it seems like you guys might have some good recommendations.

We plan on going to Iguazu as well, but I have a few questions: (we are US citizens)

I know you have to get a Visa if you're going from Argentina to Brazil (as US citizens) but I have read in many blogs that for a day trip, we in fact do not need to get Visas if we are simply going from Iguazu AR to Iguazu BR for one day. Can anyone confirm this at all or provide links that might be of any assistance?

As well, do you guys know what airlines are the best to travel from Buenos Aires to Iguazu and what airport we should fly into? If we do not need visas for a day trip to the BR side, then we will most likely stay on the Argentinean side.

Any hotel recommendations would be greatly appreciated. As well, what buses can we take from Iguazu AR side to the BR side and approximate time and cost so we can plan accordingly.

We are also interested in going ziplining (flying through the trees), para-gliding, and white water rafting. Does anyone know where we can contact for more information to set up these activities?

Lastly, here is what we have planned during our stay in Buenos Aires:

- Catch a Futbol game
- Take a Tango lesson
- Go to a local but authentic Argentinean steakhouse
- Museums and shopping for local things

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!

Hey there,
Afraid I can't help with the US visa question, but to get from one side of the falls to the other, it's easy. There's a local bus (white bus) with 'Puerto Iguazu / Foz de Iguacu' written on the front. They are so frequent, you get off at immigration, and catch the next one that comes along, but it's just one ticket, so you show it to get on the second bus - and the ticket is only about 25 US cents!

I stayed in hostels, so not sure about hotels. Cool plans for BA - I found the cemetary interesting - where Evita is buried - I didn't do a tour, I just followed the crowd, so it was easy to find! You'll be hard pushed not to find a traditional steakhouse - yum! Check out La Boca area when you are down at the football If you have time, you could take the boat to Colonia del Sacramento or Montevideo in Uruguay - or take a bus over to Mendoza in Argentina - lovely there too

Hi Kathryn,

Thank you very much for your response. I will definitely keep an eye out for the 'White Bus'. I'm not sure what hotel we are staying at yet, but I will be sure to ask them as well. I believe most of the hotels are about 8 - 15 miles away so we'll have to take a taxi to the AR side of the Falls and then take the bus over.

Adding the trip to the cemetary where Evita is buried sounds like a great idea, thanks for the suggestion. We will definitely go to La Boca area as well, I'll have to check out what's in Mendoza, I believe that's the wine country of Argentina no?

Thank you for the recommendations - Kathryn. If anything else comes to mind, please feel free to add anymore suggestions. You definitely know your way around and I appreciate your willingness to answer my questions. Cheers!

Hiya, no worries - I have attached a link to a pic of the 'white bus' you need to take at the falls!

As for the hotels - no - Iguazu is quite compact in Argentina - so you're not going to be that far from the falls. You just need to take a bus into the falls area, and then you can walk about the trails / take the boat ride to the falls etc, depending on what you want to do. The boat ride is quite thrilling, and the trails go everywhere - you'll need a whole day to explore, but it's amazing

In La Boca, watch out for the 'professional dog walkers' - I saw some wearing jeans (the dogs, not the walkers...!) The tin houses are amazingly colourful, so it's definitely a place for the daytime (and I think it's dodgy at night anyway)

Mendoza is amazing - the wine is cheaper than water! Yep, that's the wine capital of Argentina - maybe plan for more days there

Similar question as Amanda but a little different ideas:
We will be in Argentina Oct 31- Nov 14.
We want 9 days of travel and 4 days of beach. Would really appreciate suggestions--

We were thinking
3 days Buenos Aires
3 days Mendoza
3 days Patagonia- can't decide between Bariloche or Calafate
*My husband has seen Iguazu already...
4 days Uruguay Punta del Este for beach

Also, what do you recommend to travel between BA-Mendoza
Mendoze-Patagonia
Patagonia- Urug
Uruguay- BA?

THANKS!
Also, should we not do Punta? Will it be too cold? any other place with nice beach?

´d go to Calafate, the view of the glacier is unique, you cannot miss it!! Bariloche es really beautiful, but uniqueness you find in Calafate.
It´s cold to go to the beach at this time of the year, I´d think of a short flight to Brazil ...

I was in Uruguay in September and it was only just coming into Spring, so think Ellen is right on the weather...but you could always go and if it's not warm enough, hop on a bus north to Florianopolis in Brazil, if you don't have time to get all the way up to Rio?

I think that Rio will be a better option. I was in Florianopolis on September and it was pretty cold (around 15/20 Centigrades). At this time of the year, you find very good deals to Rio.
You can check this site:

www.despegar.com.ar