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Argentina Itinerary: 7 Days in Buenos Aires, Puerto Iguazú, Mendoza

Argentina rewards a week that swings between extremes: the European-flavored capital, the subtropical falls on the Brazilian border, and the high-desert vineyards under the Andes. The two internal flights are long but the payoff is three genuinely different Argentinas, from tango streets to jungle catwalks to snow-capped wine country.

Argentina had 7.4 million international arrivals (2023, Argentina INDEC international tourism statistics (non-resident arrivals)). Last reviewed 2026-08-21.

Argentina · 7 days Buenos Aires → Puerto Iguazú → Mendoza
Best time: Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) are the sweet spots, with mild weather in Buenos Aires, comfortable falls viewing at Iguazú, and either the vine bloom or the grape harvest around Mendoza.
Buenos Aires: ObeliscoDay 1
🏛️9:00 AM
Obelisco
The 67-metre obelisk on the wide Avenida 9 de Julio, the city's central meeting point.
🚗 ~8 min · 2.2 mi
🖼️1:30 PM
MALBA
A modern museum of Latin American art anchored by 20th-century masters.
🚗 ~12 min · 3.5 mi
🌆6:00 PM
San Telmo
The oldest barrio, a grid of cobbles, antique shops, and a famous Sunday street market.
Buenos Aires: Teatro ColónDay 2
🏛️9:00 AM
Teatro Colón
A world-class opera house renowned for its acoustics and gilded auditorium.
🚗 ~10 min · 2.8 mi
🥾1:30 PM
Bosques de Palermo
The city's largest park, with a rose garden, lakes, and rowboats.
🚇 Subte line hop
🎟️6:00 PM
Tango show or milonga
An evening at a staged show or a local dance hall where couples still dance socially.
Buenos Aires: Casa RosadaDay 3
🏛️9:00 AM
Casa Rosada
The pink presidential palace on the Plaza de Mayo, famous for its balcony.
🚗 ~7 min · 2.1 mi
🖼️1:30 PM
National Museum of Fine Arts
Argentina's flagship collection, spanning European and Argentine painting.
🚶 ~6 min · 🚗 ~1 min · 0.2 mi
🌆6:00 PM
Recoleta
An elegant district of French-style mansions centered on its celebrated cemetery.
Arrive in Puerto IguazúDay 4
✈️8:30 AM
Flight to Puerto Iguazú
Buenos Aires (AEP) to Puerto Iguazú (IGR), usually direct
✈️ ≈1h45 by flight · 660 mi
🚂 Ecological jungle train hop
🏛️2:00 PM
Garganta del Diablo
The horseshoe chasm reached by a long catwalk and a park train, the falls' most powerful point.
🚶 ~9 min · 🚗 ~1 min · 0.3 mi
🌆6:00 PM
Iguazú National Park (Argentina)
The Argentine protected area laced with catwalks that put you among the individual cascades.
Puerto Iguazú: Hito ArgentinoDay 5
🏛️9:00 AM
Hito Argentino
The pale blue-and-white obelisk marking the Argentine corner of the triple frontier.
🚗 ~8 min · 2.4 mi
🖼️1:30 PM
La Aripuca
A cultural attraction built as a giant wooden trap-house, focused on native trees and Guaraní heritage.
🚂 Ecological jungle train hop
🎟️6:00 PM
Jungle boat under the falls
A fast inflatable run that noses into the spray beneath the cataracts.
Arrive in MendozaDay 6
✈️8:30 AM
Flight to Mendoza
Puerto Iguazú (IGR) to Mendoza (MDZ), via a Buenos Aires connection
✈️ ≈6h total with connection
🍷 Bodega bike hop
🏛️2:00 PM
Plaza Independencia
The main square with fountains and an underground cultural space beneath it.
🍷 Bodega bike hop
🌆6:00 PM
Plaza Independencia
The tree-shaded central square at the heart of the rebuilt post-earthquake grid.
Mendoza: Cerro de la GloriaDay 7
🏛️9:00 AM
Cerro de la Gloria
A hilltop monument to the Andes-crossing liberation army, with city-and-mountain views.
🚗 ~11 min · 3.1 mi
🖼️1:30 PM
Área Fundacional
A museum built over the ruins of the original city destroyed by the 1861 earthquake.
🍷 Bodega bike hop
🎟️6:00 PM
Bodega wine tasting
A vineyard circuit sampling Malbec and Torrontés at working estates.
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Best time to goSpring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) are the sweet spots, with mild weather in Buenos Aires, comfortable falls viewing at Iguazú, and either the vine bloom or the grape harvest around Mendoza. Summer is hot and humid at the falls and in the capital.
Recommended splitBuenos Aires 3d · Puerto Iguazú 2d · Mendoza 2d
Local tip: The Iguazú-to-Mendoza leg almost always routes back through Buenos Aires, so treat it as a travel day rather than trying to squeeze sightseeing around it. Cash and card habits shift often in Argentina, so carry some pesos as backup and confirm current payment norms on arrival.

Buenos Aires, 3 days

The capital deserves three days because its character lives in distinct neighborhoods rather than a single sight: the antique-market streets of San Telmo, the mausoleum city of Recoleta, and the leafy parks and museums of Palermo. This stop leans on the cemetery, the grand theater and bookstore, and the green belt, keeping it complementary to the headline tango-and-La-Boca circuit.

Neighborhoods to base yourself inSan Telmo. The oldest barrio, a grid of cobbles, antique shops, and a famous Sunday street market.Recoleta. An elegant district of French-style mansions centered on its celebrated cemetery.Palermo. A sprawling, green neighborhood split into design-led and park-side sub-districts.Puerto Madero. A redeveloped dockland of converted warehouses and a signature white footbridge.
LandmarksObelisco. The 67-metre obelisk on the wide Avenida 9 de Julio, the city's central meeting point.Teatro Colón. A world-class opera house renowned for its acoustics and gilded auditorium.Casa Rosada. The pink presidential palace on the Plaza de Mayo, famous for its balcony.El Ateneo Grand Splendid. A bookstore inside a converted 1919 theater, with shelves under the old stage boxes.
Nature and outdoorsBosques de Palermo. The city's largest park, with a rose garden, lakes, and rowboats.Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve. A riverside wetland reserve of lagoons and trails just east of Puerto Madero.Japanese Garden. A manicured garden with koi ponds, arched bridges, and a teahouse in Palermo.
MuseumsMALBA. A modern museum of Latin American art anchored by 20th-century masters.National Museum of Fine Arts. Argentina's flagship collection, spanning European and Argentine painting.Recoleta Cemetery. An open-air city of ornate mausoleums, including Eva Perón's family tomb.
Worth a guided tourTango show or milonga. An evening at a staged show or a local dance hall where couples still dance socially.Parrilla and asado tasting. A guided route through the city's grill culture and cuts of beef.Estancia day trip. A visit to a pampas ranch outside the city for riding and a countryside barbecue.Matchday football. Attending a local league fixture for the famously intense stadium atmosphere.
Getting around Buenos AiresThe subte metro and a dense bus network cover the city cheaply with a rechargeable SUBE card, and neighborhoods like San Telmo and Recoleta are best walked. Evenings run late here, so expect dinner and shows to start well after 9pm.

Puerto Iguazú, 2 days

Getting here: Flight, Buenos Aires (AEP) to Puerto Iguazú (IGR), usually direct

The Argentine side holds roughly two-thirds of the falls, so two days lets you walk the long upper and lower circuits and take the train out to the Devil's Throat platform without cramming. The jungle around Puerto Iguazú adds wildlife refuges and the triple-border viewpoint for the extra time.

Neighborhoods to base yourself inIguazú National Park (Argentina). The Argentine protected area laced with catwalks that put you among the individual cascades.Puerto Iguazú town. The small, relaxed base town on the Argentine side, close to the park entrance.Hito Tres Fronteras. A riverside marker where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay converge.
LandmarksGarganta del Diablo. The horseshoe chasm reached by a long catwalk and a park train, the falls' most powerful point.Hito Argentino. The pale blue-and-white obelisk marking the Argentine corner of the triple frontier.
Nature and outdoorsIguazú Falls (Argentine side). The larger share of the falls, seen up close from a web of walkways over the water.Upper Circuit. A raised catwalk trail crossing the tops of several cascades for aerial views.Lower Circuit. A trail descending to the base of the falls with a boat point to San Martín island.Macuco trail. A forest track through the subtropical jungle ending at a hidden waterfall and pool.
MuseumsLa Aripuca. A cultural attraction built as a giant wooden trap-house, focused on native trees and Guaraní heritage.Güirá Oga. A wildlife refuge and rescue center for native birds harmed by trafficking and the roads.
Worth a guided tourJungle boat under the falls. A fast inflatable run that noses into the spray beneath the cataracts.Full-moon walk. A guided night walk to the Devil's Throat on the few nights around the full moon.Brazilian side day trip. A cross-border excursion for the panoramic frontal view from Brazil.4x4 jungle drive. An open-truck ride along forest tracks with a naturalist guide.
Getting around Puerto IguazúA park train runs from the entrance to the trailheads and the Devil's Throat platform, and the rest of the circuits are on foot. Buses and taxis connect town, the park, and the border, and passports are required if you cross to Brazil.

Mendoza, 2 days

Getting here: Flight, Puerto Iguazú (IGR) to Mendoza (MDZ), via a Buenos Aires connection

Mendoza is Argentina's wine capital, and two days balances the leafy, plaza-lined city with a day out among the vineyards and the high Andes beyond. The oasis city sits at the foot of Aconcagua, so the same base serves both bodega tastings and mountain drives.

Neighborhoods to base yourself inPlaza Independencia. The tree-shaded central square at the heart of the rebuilt post-earthquake grid.Maipú. A vineyard belt just outside the city, dense with wineries and olive groves.Luján de Cuyo. A premier Malbec district south of the city, known for high-altitude vineyards.Uco Valley. A higher, cooler valley of boutique estates against a wall of Andean peaks.
LandmarksPlaza Independencia. The main square with fountains and an underground cultural space beneath it.Cerro de la Gloria. A hilltop monument to the Andes-crossing liberation army, with city-and-mountain views.Puente del Inca. A natural stone arch stained ochre by mineral springs, high on the Andean route.
Nature and outdoorsParque General San Martín. A vast landscaped park with a rose garden, lake, and grand wrought-iron gates.Aconcagua Provincial Park. The park around the Western Hemisphere's highest peak, with a lookout over the massif.Potrerillos reservoir. A turquoise mountain reservoir on the road west, used for rafting and kayaking.
MuseumsÁrea Fundacional. A museum built over the ruins of the original city destroyed by the 1861 earthquake.Museo Cornelio Moyano. A natural history museum with regional fossils and Andean specimens.
Worth a guided tourBodega wine tasting. A vineyard circuit sampling Malbec and Torrontés at working estates.High Mountain Andes route. A full-day drive toward the Chilean border past Aconcagua and Puente del Inca.Mendoza River rafting. A whitewater run on the snowmelt river near Potrerillos.Olive oil tasting. A visit to an olive estate for pressing and tasting alongside the wine country.
Getting around MendozaThe compact city center is walkable around its five plazas, but the vineyards and mountains need a hired driver, a tour, or a rental car. Distances to the Uco Valley and the high Andes are long, so pick one direction per day.
The full plan as text

The same day-by-day plan, expandable day by day. Times are starting points, not homework.

Day 1: Buenos Aires: Obelisco
9:00 AM
Obelisco
The 67-metre obelisk on the wide Avenida 9 de Julio, the city's central meeting point.
1:30 PM
MALBA
A modern museum of Latin American art anchored by 20th-century masters.
6:00 PM
San Telmo
The oldest barrio, a grid of cobbles, antique shops, and a famous Sunday street market.
Day 2: Buenos Aires: Teatro Colón
9:00 AM
Teatro Colón
A world-class opera house renowned for its acoustics and gilded auditorium.
1:30 PM
Bosques de Palermo
The city's largest park, with a rose garden, lakes, and rowboats.
6:00 PM
Tango show or milonga
An evening at a staged show or a local dance hall where couples still dance socially.
Day 3: Buenos Aires: Casa Rosada
9:00 AM
Casa Rosada
The pink presidential palace on the Plaza de Mayo, famous for its balcony.
1:30 PM
National Museum of Fine Arts
Argentina's flagship collection, spanning European and Argentine painting.
6:00 PM
Recoleta
An elegant district of French-style mansions centered on its celebrated cemetery.
Day 4: Arrive in Puerto Iguazú
8:30 AM
Flight to Puerto Iguazú
Buenos Aires (AEP) to Puerto Iguazú (IGR), usually direct
2:00 PM
Garganta del Diablo
The horseshoe chasm reached by a long catwalk and a park train, the falls' most powerful point.
6:00 PM
Iguazú National Park (Argentina)
The Argentine protected area laced with catwalks that put you among the individual cascades.
Day 5: Puerto Iguazú: Hito Argentino
9:00 AM
Hito Argentino
The pale blue-and-white obelisk marking the Argentine corner of the triple frontier.
1:30 PM
La Aripuca
A cultural attraction built as a giant wooden trap-house, focused on native trees and Guaraní heritage.
6:00 PM
Jungle boat under the falls
A fast inflatable run that noses into the spray beneath the cataracts.
Day 6: Arrive in Mendoza
8:30 AM
Flight to Mendoza
Puerto Iguazú (IGR) to Mendoza (MDZ), via a Buenos Aires connection
2:00 PM
Plaza Independencia
The main square with fountains and an underground cultural space beneath it.
6:00 PM
Plaza Independencia
The tree-shaded central square at the heart of the rebuilt post-earthquake grid.
Day 7: Mendoza: Cerro de la Gloria
9:00 AM
Cerro de la Gloria
A hilltop monument to the Andes-crossing liberation army, with city-and-mountain views.
1:30 PM
Área Fundacional
A museum built over the ruins of the original city destroyed by the 1861 earthquake.
6:00 PM
Bodega wine tasting
A vineyard circuit sampling Malbec and Torrontés at working estates.

Make this Argentina trip yours

Forward your real booking confirmations to Petrel and it builds this exact day-by-day view for you: flights, hotels, reservations, live flight status, and the travel time between stops. Under a minute.

Start your free trip

First trip free. No account, no credit card.