Planning Your Budget Vacation to Buenos Aires

Argentina is the jewel of South America. The vibrant cities, magnificent landscapes, and tall mountains make it irresistible for the traveler’s tongue. Argentina is synonymous to the words tango, beef, football, and the Andes.

Ever since 2001, Bueno Aires has gone through an economic setback which has made this city a bit affordable than usual. Although it is the most expensive country in South America, yet some tips can help you maintain your budget while you’re on travel in the city.



1. Cheap Transportation

Travelling within cities is best done by buses. Be a bit more active and take overnight buses because it’ll save your accommodation for one night. You could sleep on the way or read a book or even watch a movie on your tablet.

The overnight bus trip itself can become a fun part of your journey. It will cost you $5/hour on a bus and buses are cheaper than trains and air travel. The cool thing about bus journeys is that food is served on it and Wi-Fi is available too.

You can get around Bueno Aires by using its subway which is 7 pesos for 10 trips. Also you can walk around Bueno Aires as well to discover it like you can in New York or Toronto. The city is beautiful so the walk will be quite interesting.

2. Affordable Food

The best restaurants to eat at in Argentina are those that serve all you can eat buffets. The options to eat are ample and the food is appetizing which will quench your hunger for quite some time. Restaurants are not that expensive and people usually eat on the pampas which are grassy plains where beef is served.

These pampas are quite affordable. You can get a meal for $10 at a cheap restaurant, fast food like burgers is $7. Fine dining will cost you not more than $30. If you eat the ‘menu-of-the-day’ items at a restaurant, they’ll be quite cheap too.

3. Currency

Before you change your money into the local currency, check out the best rate that you can get from banks or money exchange shops.

4. Travel in Low Season

For every budget trip, the main thing to do is to travel in the low season. For Argentina it’s the summer months from December to February.

5. Low Cost Accommodation

You can get a hotel room starting at $20/night or if you want to go cheaper, than rent out an apartment with a kitchen and sometimes a pool too. Homestays are the most popular option for tourists if you don’t mind sharing a room in local host family’s house. It costs between $100-$140 per week and includes three meals a day. It’s a pretty good deal and you’ll get to know the locals and Argentinian culture this way.

Bueno Aires of Argentina is called the Europe of South America but only sights wise, if you compare its travel costs from that of Europe, you’ll notice a huge difference. Argentina is cheaper and you can easily spend the amount of money that you would on a Europe trip and still get the sights that Europe is popular for.

Have you been to Buenos Aires? Feel free to share your tips and recommendations.

Photo Credits (Flickr CC): Buenos Aires by flavouz

Five Places to Visit in Salta, Argentina

Salta is one of the most visited places in the northwest part of Argentina by local and foreign tourists alike because of its warm and dry weather, outstanding museums, wineries and old-world architectures. Salta has a lot to offer to its visitors, many beautiful sights to see and things to do when you’re visiting the city. The place offers the facilities of a large city while at the same time, maintains the comfortable vibe of a small town and because of that the city has a peaceful and relaxing vibe to it making it a perfect place for a vacation. We’ll list here some of the most popular destinations in Salta that you might want to visit, so let’s get started shall we?



Here’s our list of Five Places to Visit in Salta, Argentina:

1. San Bernardo Hill – This is a good place to visit if you want to enjoy an awesome view of the city and the bonus is the gorgeous landscape which has made it a serene place, really perfect for relaxation. There’s also a shop there that offers meals or a beers at affordable rates.


2. Iglesia San Francisco – This church is located on the corner of Caseros and Córdoba. It is a very beautiful church with a beautiful tower a good place to view and enjoy the colonial architecture of the church.


3. Cerro San Bernardo – It is a hill just east of the city centre. If you’re planning to go there it is best to take the cable car that can take you all the way to the summit. When at the top you can enjoy spectacular views of the city and its surroundings. A good place to visit.


4. Museo El Tribuno Guillermo Pajerrito Velarde – The place is a wonderful small house museum that is a tribute to Velarde (1895-1965), a bohemian patron of arts. They offer guided tours and the guide does a great job of presenting colourful stories behind the exhibits. A good to learn more about the city’s art and tango.

5. Tren a las Nubes – This is a day trip by train up in La Povorilla. This train runs from April to November, two times a week on Wednesday and Saturday and will cost you US$120 which is pretty pricey but worth every penny. A very good and exciting experience.

Have you been to Salta? Feel free to share your tips and recommendations.

Photo Credits (Flickr Creative Commons): Cable Car by amanderson2/ Salta by morissey/ Statue by Alicia Nijdam/ Iglesia San Francisco by jimmyharris/ Tren a las Nubes by jbgeronimi

Five Things to Do in Mendoza, Argentina

The city of Mendoza is the capital of the Mendoza province in Argentina and it is located in the northern-central part of the province. This city is best known for its wine, leafy avenues, good bars, restaurants, atmospheric plazas and many cafés that will make you attracted to the city. There are a lot of things to see and to in Mendoza like climbing, skiing, hiking and rafting. Mendoza is one of the most visited places in Argentina.



Here’s our list of Five Things to Do in Mendoza:

1. Attend the Vendimia Harvest Festival – This festival is one of Argentina’s premier wine tasting events that takes place in the first week of March, so if you’re attending the festival make sure to taste a lot of wonderful wines and after that there are also parades and shows for you to enjoy and also fireworks on the first night. Wine tasting, parades, shows and fireworks hell of a good night right?



2. Stroll at Parque San Martín - A huge and beautiful park perfect for walking or biking around and just enjoying the sceneries. There is also a zoo at this park and behind the zoo there’s a path going to Cerro de la Gloria where there is a large statue and nice view over the city and of the mountains that you can enjoy and take photos. This is also a great place to just spend the afternoon, laze around and marvel at the spectacular sunset.



3. Check out Plaza España – This place is said to be the most beautiful square in Mendoza. The square is decorated with typical Andalusian and Spanish motifs. A good place to take a walk and relax.



4. Visit Plaza Independencia – It is the central main square or plaza of Mendoza and it is considered as the best starting point to explore the downtown part of the city. The plaza has nice buildings, restaurants and even some street shows around and also the Mendoza Museum of Modern Art is located just under the plaza also and the museum has no entrance fee on Wednesday. The plaza is very beautiful at night.



5. Explore the Central Park – The Park is just located ten blocks north from plaza Independencia. It is a modern city park with some nice water fountains and a grassy hill. A good place to kill some time.

Have you been to Mendoza? Feel free to share some of your tips and recommendations.

Photo Credits (Flickr Creative Commons): Mendoza by morissey/ Vineyard by Justin Ornellas/ Parque San Martin by LWY/ Plaza Espana by jennifrog/ Plaza De Independencia by Justin Ornellas/ Central Park by A6U571N

Five Places to Visit in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires is the largest city and also the capital of Argentina. The city is also rated as one of the 20 largest cities in the world. There are a lot of places to see and things to do in the city like you can spend your day visiting the city's museums to learn more about the history of the city and the country or wander around the neighborhoods or check out the coolest restaurants and clubs. Buenos Aires is also the birthplace of the newly elected Pope Francis.

Here’s a list of Five Places to Visit in Buenos Aires, Argentina:



1. Plaza de Mayo – Plaza de Mayo has been around since the 16th century and it is here where political protests and gatherings have taken place. There are lots of colonial type buildings surrounding the plaza and at the eastern end you can see the Casa Rosada or the Presidential Palace. A nice place to take a walk and just enjoy the background and feel of the plaza.



2. La Recoleta Cemetery – This place is also called the Cementerio de la Recoleta. It is one of the city’s main attractions because of its numerous monuments made from marble, dark granite and some are bronze, others are decorated with stone angels and statues of the Virgin Mary. Some of the famous and prominent people such as past presidents, writers and sports stars are buried on this cemetery. A great place to visit if you want to learn some of Argentina’s past.



3. San Telmo – This place is best visited on Sundays to attend the Weekly Street fair and flea market. Be aware though that the place is crowded during this time as well. If you like shopping then this place is right for you just be watchful for good deals and bring in your own water because it can get quite expensive here. On Sunday nights, there is also a tango performance in the plaza.



4. The Palermo Viejo District – A trendy neighbourhood with charming cobblestone streets. There are a lot of bookstores, bars, and boutiques in the area.



5. Teatro Colon – This place is an impressive seven stories opera house which was opened in 1908. There is also a small museum in the lobby and they offer guided tours in English. A good place to visit if you’re in to ballet, opera and listening to classical music.

Have you been to Buenos Aires? Feel free to share your tips and recommendations.

Photo Credits (Flickr Creative Commons): Buenos Aires by Martin Terber/Plaze de Mayo by seretide/ La Recoleta Cemetery by BrianMKA/ San Telmo by Denise Mayumi/ Palermo Viejo by Andrew Currie/ Teatro Colon by Roger Schultz

Ten Things to Do in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

San Carlos is the largest ski area in South America. It also has a lot of activities to offer to its visitors like boating, trekking, paragliding and climbing so if you’re in to all that stuff then San Carlo is the perfect place for you. The place has one of the most beautiful settings imaginable, combined with a wealth of summer and wintertime activities in the surrounding countryside it has helped it become the Lake District’s principal destination. There are a lot of fun things to do in San Carlos and we’ll list some here so let’s get started shall we?



Here’s a list of Ten Things to Do in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina:

1. Hiking – You can take guided hikes with mountain guide in Nahuel Huapi National Park. A fun activity for adventurous people.



2. Visit Museum of Patagonia – The museum is on the main plaza near the Tourist Info center. The museum houses some stuffed native wildlife, pictures, and a great section covering the indigenous pre-Hispanic inhabitants of the region. This is a great place to visit to learn a lot of information about the local flora and fauna and the indigenous people living in this region.

3. Cerro Campanario – the place has a beautiful view of the lakes and mountains around and you can hike it or take the ski-lift.



4. Cerro Catedral - It has the biggest ski centre in South America with a skiable area. The place is located 12 miles from Bariloche. If you enjoy hiking and skiing this place is worth the visit.



5. Cerro Otto – It is the viewpoint over the area of San Carlos. You can take a cable car or hike up or you can also take a mountain bike. The rotating restaurant at the top provides a jaw dropping view of the region and an average meal costs about $25 pesos.



6. Cerro Frey – It is considered by a lot of people as one of the best trekking routes in San Carlos.If it's cold enough you can skate in the lake near the refuge and when there's not too much snow you can climb the granite near the refuge, or you can head to Lago Jakob. A good place to visit if you’re into hiking or trekking.

7. Circuito Chico – It is a beautiful route that can be biked or hiked and you can also do it by bus during summer.



8. Los Siete Lagos (the Seven Lakes) – The place offers an all-day tour by bus to see the seven beautiful lakes between Bariloche and San Martin de Los Andes. The return trip goes through the arid Pampas where you will have an opportunity to see the local wildlife. A good place for sightseeing and just laidback trips.

9. El Bosque de Arrayanes – This is probably one of the most beautiful sights in San Carlos. The place is a forest of rare orange colored trees. You can take the circuit bus out of Bariloche and catch a boat and have lunch, and enjoy the day exploring this place.

10. Cruce de Lagos – The place offers an all day cruise of Lake Nahuel Huapi and the National Park with multiple stops that will let you enjoy the beauty of nature.

Have you been to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina? Feel free to share your tips and recommendations.

Photo Credits (Flickr Creative Commons): Bariloche by mckaysavage/ Camping by mckaysavage/ Cerro Campanario by Liam and Hels/ Cerro Catedral by fabulousfabs/ Cerro Otto by keskyle70/ Circuito Chico by fabulousfabs/ Lake by scolussi