Elegant yet energetic, Buenos Aires has it all. The cosmopolitan capital of Argentina offers an eclectic mix of modern and European colonial styles. Filled with Argentine traditions, it’s the unique things to do in Buenos Aires that drew me here. A city pulsing to a tango beat, it has a few surprises.
Unique things to do in Buenos Aires
Tango in Durrego Square, San Telmo
Tango started in Buenos Aires and is deeply ingrained in the culture. In the San Telmo neighbourhood, tango goes even further, as it is part of their Argentine traditions. Argentina declared its independence in 1816 in Durrego Square, but today the square draws crowds for the tango.
It was here that we sipped coffee at an outdoor cafe in Durrego Square on a Saturday afternoon. At the same time, we stared in wonderment as incredibly talented dancers demonstrated their art. Well-earned tips flew from the crowd when the dancers took a break. Soon, a second couple began dancing.
Tango is not exclusive to San Telmo. In fact, there are shows and lessons (tanguerias and malongas) in just about every neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. You can even book a Madero Tango Show with an optional dinner and tango lesson in advance.
Absorb the colourful La Boca neighbourhood
A visit to La Boca’s brightly coloured Caminito is on nearly every list of top things to do in Buenos Aires. This colourful street is an open sky museum in the neighbourhood that held the first port of Buenos Aires. When walking along the Caminito, be sure to notice that the buildings have windows but no doors. When built, this street was the back alley.
Visitors to La Boca often admire its large, caricature-like statues of famous people like Pope Francisco, soccer star Diego Maradona, and tango legend Carlos Gardel. The neighbourhood also proudly hosts Boca Juniors’ stadium, the most famous in Argentina.
We enjoyed our walking tour of La Boca, as it is the small details brought out by our guide that make this neighbourhood so interesting. Had we been feeling more energetic, we would have opted for this top-rated bicycle tour of La Boca and San Telmo.
Visit the world’s most beautiful bookstore (El Ateneo Grand Splendid)
Imagine an elaborately decorated theatre converted to a huge bookstore and you have the El Ateneo Grand Splendid. In January 2019, National Geographic named it the world’s most beautiful bookstore.
Witness graduation traditions in Argentina (from a safe distance)
When I graduated from university, I received flowers. Not so in Buenos Aires. Following Argentine traditions, family and friends toss eggs, flour, old maté, and other wet or smelly items on the graduate. And if that’s not enough humiliation, family and friends often make a giant cardboard picture frame to capture the moment.
Stroll through the Recoleta Cemetery
A walk through the cemetery is one of the iconic things to do in Recoleta. It is the final resting place of generals, presidents, and former First Lady Eva Perón. With over 90 vaults, history, legends, and ghost stories fill the Recoleta cemetery.
Beware of the animals (or not) at EcoParque
We were lucky to tour EcoParque before it opened to the public. It’s an interesting concept that converts the former Buenos Aires Zoo to an interactive, educational, eco-friendly park. With many animals roaming free, I am sure that once open to the public, a visit here will be one of the more unusual things to do in Buenos Aires.
The Buenos Aires Zoo originally opened in 1888. When it closed in 2016, many animals were relocated to natural reserves and sanctuaries. The animals that remain were slowly given a new home. While we were surprised to see mara wandering free, we were saddened to see the small spaces allocated to the monkeys, elephants, and other animals. We hope that by the time EcoParque opens, these areas will be significantly improved.
Entry will be limited to 2,000 visitors per day, and a visit here will be one of the free things to do in Buenos Aires.
Attend a concert or take a tour of Colón Theatre (Teatro Colón)
Pavarotti once stated that the Colón Theatre has such perfect acoustics that the audience knows immediately if he makes a mistake. Today, Teatro Colón is world-renowned for its mix of architectural styles and sound quality. Guided tours of Colón Theatre often book up, so it’s often a good idea to get them in advance.
Honour the fallen at the Israeli Embassy Memorial (Plaza Embajada de Israel)
Spend a few moments at Plaza Embajada de Israel to honour those who died in the 1992 suicide bombing attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires. The memorial plaza sits on the site where the building stood and includes twenty-one trees and seven benches in memory of the victims.
Roll your eyes at the story of the Kavanagh building and the Basilica del Santisimo Sacramento
Sometimes listening to the stories is one of the most unique things to do in Buenos Aires, and this is a good one: a revenge story between two prominent women. First, there is Mercedes Castellanos de Anchorena. Mercedes lived in Palacio San Martín with her three sons. Well, to do, she had the Basilica del Santisimo Sacramento built to be seen from her residence.
Another woman, Corina Kavanagh planned for her daughter to marry one of Mercedes’ sons; however, Mercedes rejected the idea. To get revenge, Corina built the Kavanagh Building (the tallest building in South America at its completion) to block the palace’s view of the Basilica.
Bottom: Kavanaugh Building and a memorial to those who lost their lives in the Malvinas (Falklands) Wars in the foreground.
Take in mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires
Former home to the current Pope, the Catedral Metropolitana de Buenos Aires is the headquarter of the Catholic Church of Argentina. In a side room, there is the guarded mausoleum of General José of San Martín.
Take a walking tour of Buenos Aires
One of the best ways to discover the unique things to do in Buenos Aires is with a walking tour. We took several tours of the city. First, we toured with Buenos Aires Free Tours. Their popularity is also their downfall as there were over 50 people on our walking tour with only one guide. Not a good ratio.
However, we had an outstanding private tour of the Recoleta Cemetery and another fantastic small group tour of La Boca that was booked through Travel Buenos Aires (tourism board). As a fan of street art, we took a tour in order to find the best locations. While not the same one that we took, this street art tour is very highly rated.
Admiring artwork is one of the unique things to do in Buenos Aires
Eva Perón Portrait
There are two giant portraits of Eva Perón, one on each side of Argentina’s social development ministry building. She is the beloved wife of former president Juan Perón.
Comic Strip Walk (Paseo de la Historieta)
Life-sized statues of some of Argentina’s favourite comics are on display. It’s a short walk starting not too far from Durrego Square in San Telmo, and is one of the best things to do in Buenos Aires with kids. The tourism board provides a list of all the characters.
Four of my favourite artworks
Bottom Row: Museum of Modern Art; Floralis Genérica.
- Atlas holding up a rubber tree: Who better than “Atlas of Recoleta” to hold up the longest tree in Buenos Aires? The gomero (rubber tree) was planted in 1781.
- Palermo Soho street art: Best known for culinary pleasures, street art fans will want to walk down the colourful alleyways of Palermo Soho.
- Buenos Aires Museum of Modern Art (MAMBA): Most modern art museums confuse me, but this one went a step further, leaving me dumbfounded. If you prefer the classics, then don’t miss Belle Arts, one of the best museums in Buenos Aires.
- Floralis Genérica: This giant flower sculpture (over 20 metres in height) opens every morning and closes in the evening.
More things to see in Buenos Aires
Obelisk (Obelisco)
The obelisk stands proudly on the spot where the first national flag was hoisted in the city. It commemorates 400 years of the first foundation of Buenos Aires.
Pink House (Casa Rosada) on Plaza de Mayo
Casa Rosada, called the Pink House by locals, is the current presidential palace. When constructed in 1580, it was the first fort of Buenos Aires. Free guided tours are available in English on the weekends but require advance booking.
At Plaza de Mayo you will also find the Cabildo (original government building), the Metropolitan Cathedral (see above), and the City Hall. And, if you had visited prior to the May Revolution in 1810, you might have also seen a bullfight.
British Clock Tower (Torre Monumental)
The British Clock Tower is a gift from England to Argentina to celebrate the country’s first 100 years as a Republic. Traditionally English, its nickname is “Big Ben of Argentina.”
Freedom Temple (Templo Libertad)
Argentina has the 6th largest Jewish population in the world (2017 statistics). Freedom Temple, Israelite Congregation of Argentina, is the first Jewish Synagogue in Buenos Aires and seats nearly 1,000 people. Its mission (translated to English) is “We are the unity of individualities, built for everyone. We are history, memory, action, and vanguard. We are freedom.”
Where to Stay in Buenos Aires
We stayed at the Sileo Hotel in the Recoleta neighbourhood and liked it so much we booked it again for our second visit to the city, rather than trying somewhere new, as we had planned. seamlessly blending boutique with luxury it met all our needs.
We enjoyed the incredible view overlooking Recoleta Cemetery from our terrace suite balcony, the plush comfort of our bed, and the friendliness of the hotel staff. While I can’t imagine staying anywhere else, there are plenty of other Buenos Aires hotels.
Unique Things to Do in Buenos Aires – Day Trips from the City
- Montevideo Uruguay: The same architect designed both the Salvo Palace in Montevideo and the Barolo Palace in Buenos Aires. Interestingly, both buildings claim to have been the tallest in South America until the Kavanaugh building was built.
- Colonia del Sacramento: If you have an extra day, take a ferry across the Río de la Plata to one of the oldest cities in Uruguay. We found it easy to explore the city on our own.
- Estancia: Get out of the city and see how the Argentinean cowboys (gauchos) live and work with an estancia tour.
Practical Information on Buenos Aires
- Don’t miss this travel guide for first-time visitors to Argentina.
- If you take taxis, use metered taxis.
- ATMs charge high transaction fees.
- Several restaurants in trendy areas add a “service fee” for use of the table, the cutlery, etc.
- Some neighbourhoods are generally safer than others. Know where you are going and what, if any, extra precautions you should take.
- Maps.me seems more accurate than Google Maps in Argentina (and Chile), and it offers downloadable maps that work offline.
- Buenos Aires is a popular cruise port. However, the cruise terminal is not in the best area of town. If you are cruising in or out of Buenos Aires, it’s best not to walk into town but rather to take a taxi if you don’t have a tour booked. We sailed in and out of Buenos Aires with no problems. It is one of many beautiful cities that we have enjoyed as cruise ports.
More from South America
Starting with our South American itinerary and our general safety tips for travelling in the region.
Which of these unique things to do in Buenos Aires caught your eye?
Disclaimer: While in Buenos Aires, we worked alongside Travel Buenos Aires, the government-sponsored tourism board. However, the opinions expressed here are strictly our own.
jagjit singh
Going to Visit Buenos Aires next week as I don’t know much about it so I was looking for a blog to know the best things to do there thanks for this information. As Know I know What to do there.
Priscila Foletto
What a great articles and so many good details about what to do and where to go. I recently came back from there for the first time and I felt in love with it, But what I enjoyed the most was the tango shows!!! I saw a show at the same plaza of your picture 😀
Trisha
This is so exciting!! I stayed in Buenos Aires for a while and honestly haven’t done a lot from this list!! Not sure about trying tango but I’ll definitely spend hours in that grand bookstore!
Anda
Tango is so embedded in this city’s culture! How nice that you made a little movie of the street dancers. 12 years ago (or more) when we went to Buenos Aires, there were no camera phones, so we only took pictures. Your post took me back to Buenos Aires and reminded me why I loved this city so much. I’m ready to go again.
Jas
I definitely wouldn’t mind getting lost in the streets of La Boca! And that bookstore too! I’d recently just seen a photo of it on Instagram and can totally see why it would be the world’s most beautiful bookstore. Love all your recommendations and I can’t wait to visit Argentina someday!
Esther
I’d absolutely love to visit Buenos Aires, it’sbeen on my wishlist for a really long time! Thank you for this post!
Holly
I’d love to visit. I didn’t realize the tango was started there. This is a great guide. I’ll have to bookmark.
sherianne
Watching people tango in Durrego Square is my image of Buenos Aires. I would absolutely love wandering around El Ateneo Grand Splendid and photographing the La Boca neighbourhood. This is the first I have heard of the Comic Strip Walk, sounds like fun
Carol
I loved every suggestion from the tango to beautiful architecture to that glorious bookstore!
Brianna Simmons
From tango to all the murals and sculptures I love how art is woven throughout every fiber of Buenos Aires. I’m also in love with all the Beaux Arts architecture!
Nancy
Looks like a colorful and vibrant city – great shots!
Photo Cache
Incredible coverage. It looks like a ton of things to do and see in this vibrant city.
Kathleen
So many interesting things to do in Buenos Aires. I would love to watch someone who knows what they are doing dancing the Tango. What a great treat that would be. The architecture is really lovely, so visiting all the beautiful buildings, especially the library, would be on my list for sure. What a great description of all the really non touristy things to see.
Laurie
I would love to take a trip that included Buenos Aires, then continued south to Patagonia. Thanks for the photos and information. I will file it away!
Little Wandering Wren
I am well traveled and yet have only seen a fraction of the world – Argentina would be a massive delight for me. I can’t wait to get there sometime!
Great post – love it.
Wren
Alan Bates
The tango dancers would be a must. As would the big sculpture that opens and closes. So much to do!!
Sharon
I would love to watch the tango dancers. No way could I do that! Those colorful buildings of La Boca would be fun to see, too.
Jenn and Ed Coleman
Taking a bike ride in La Boca seems like a lot of fun. I am a big fan of urban bike tours, especially if they are food/bike/beer tours. Hearing about the the graduation ceremony makes me not feel bad for missing all of my graduations. I am on the cusp of my 30th high school reunion and I realized I never went to a single of my graduations.
stevebethere
What fab photos I liked the theatre and Cathedral, thanks for the tour 🙂
Have a triptastic week Rhonda ➡
Elaine Masters
How lovely Buenos Aires is! I’d tango in the square (especially if I looked as good as the couple in your photo!) Would love to see the colorful neighborhoods and that graduation ritual (yikes!)
hilary
I’ve got close friends from Buenos Aires, but haven’t ever been there, so it’s nice to see all there is to see and do there. Although I’m not sure about the eggs, flour, flower treatment… think I might not want to get too close to that tradition. Yikes!
Candy Rachelle
I have heard a lot of good things in Buenos Aires Argentina. Such a beautiful place to visit and that is on my bucket lists now.
Lori Tripoli
This looks like a comprehensive list of things to do in Buenos Aires. I look forward to going there–and referring back to this piece!
eli
Buenos Aires is one of the liveliest cities I have ever been to. I wish I had more time because I didn’t even cover half of the stuff that you did!
Ogenevwaire Ogaga
I will love to see visit Buenos Aires for a vacation though am. Not conversant with the environment
Amy Franks
As old as those houses look I still like the colour of them, at least they stand out.
Linda (LD Holland)
I am saving these posts for our visit to South America next year. I would love to tango in the square. But hubby has two left feet. So I would be looking for another partner. A walk through the La Boca neighborhood sounds like it must be on the list of things to do. We do love to visit cemeteries. So we will keep Recoleta Cemetery on our list. I will definitely take your advice and book a private walking tour. A 50 person tour does not sound fun. I do love the street art you found.
Ogenevwaire Ogaga
Seems there is a lot of things going on in Buenos Aires not conversant with the place though
Sue
Loved Buenos Aires but missed visiting a number of these. My favourite things to do we’re the walking tour & the Recoleta Cemetery – so eerie but so fascinating! Clearly I need to go back & finish off my to do list! Thanks for sharing.
Jill
I had a pen pal from Buenos Aires when I was in elementary school. It has remained the number one place I want to visit in South America since then. I’m going to have to make that happen! Love the tango video – that’s some footwork.
Nbam Ana
Eew! I have never seen anyone celebrating graduation ceremony this way! 🙈😀 The place looks so gorgeous, would love to visit there someday!
Lyn aka The Travelling Lindfields
David and I love Buenos Aries. We have been drawn back there again and again over the past decade. The city has an atmosphere which is so unique and compelling. I can feel another trip coming on. We have often said that if it wasn’t so far we would pop across for afternoon tea every Sunday.
Shannon Gurnee
I’ve never been there before, but it looks like an awesome place to visit! I would love to check it out someday.
Beth Pierce
Buenos Aires is high on my bucket list; I can’t wait to visit one day! There is so much beauty to appreciate.
Sara Welch
Buenos Aires looks gorgeous! There is so much to soak in just looking at your photos; can’t wait to visit one day!
Clare
Absolutely love the idea of the tango in one of the public squares! How cool would that be to see! I’ve written about that wonderful bookshop too. I’d love to see the colourful street too.
Jacqui Murray
It looks marvelous. I love the Tango. It’s a lot harder to do than it looks.
Yeah Lifestyle
It looks like there is so much to do in Buenos Aires. I love finding unique things to do when visiting places.
Kalyan Panja
Lovely reading your nice bucket list of things to do in Buenos Aires. I would love to visit there soon.
Brianne
What a fantastic list of things to do! I’d love to go there some day. It would be fun to do these.
Hilary
Hi Rhonda – what a great tour … and it does look so amazing … I spotted the Jacaranda tree. Lovely architecture and interesting rivalry! The book store – how wonderful that would be to see. Love the colours and the tango – and I’d be really happy just sitting in the square watching the dancers while the world gently passed by. Gorgeous photos – thank you .. cheers Hilary
Hilary
Hi Rhonda – what a great tour … and it does look so amazing … I spotted the Jacaranda tree. Lovely architecture and interesting rivalry! The book store – how wonderful that would be to see. Love the colours and the tango – and I’d be really happy just sitting in the square watching the dancers while the world gently passed by. Gorgeous photos – thank you .. cheers Hilary
Ryan K Biddulph
Walking through La Boca sounds like it would be up my alley.
Heather
I would love to go there one day. It looks like such a beautiful place to visit.
L. Diane Wolfe
An old opera house – what a great idea for a bookstore. In my hometown of Salem, Oregon, they’d converted two old opera houses into movie theaters and they were the best. (Sadly, the big one was torn down and the other converted back to stage productions.)
Alex J. Cavanaugh
Funny story about the building blocking the palace’s view.
Hopefully all of the animals either wander or have new homes now.
And glad I did not graduate in Argentina!
Sandee
Oh my, hubby and I could spend days in that book store. Wow. Impressive.
Have a fabulous day, Rhonda. ♥
Chad
I’ve never been to Argentina yet but i am sooo interested in visiting it, the country is gorgeous! I can’t wait to visit it soon.
Elaine
Loved this comprehensive guide of Buenos Aires! I’ve heard such good things about this city, and from your post, I can definitely understand why people love it so much.