Visit the city through the exclusive Four Balconies of Buenos Aires. Visiting the four highest parts of the city gives you possibility to enjoy the best panoramic views from the Buenos Aires. This tour is a great way to introduce you to the different, colorful districts of Buenos Aires and determine where you may wish to return. The tour includes a flexible guide who can add some other visits to the group as museums or other neighborhoods like Puerto Madero, Monserrat, Palermo, etc. We recommend adding the one hour tour to Colon Theatre.
The importance of Colon Theatre is artistic, historical and social. The imposing building, a symbol of architectural eclecticism of Buenos Aires, immediately transports the visitor one hundred years back in time, when Buenos Aires was becoming one of the most beautiful capitals, modern and thriving in the Americas. With its excellent acoustics, the Colon Theatre is among the top 5 world's best opera houses in the world. It is part of the opera long tradition of Argentina, known for its erudite and demanding public.
Depart walking from the hotel escorted by our specialist guide who helps you to appreciate “porteños” lifestyle and habits. The purpose of this tour is to get to know the neighborhood, following the historic paths and fashion trails, green parks and others. This tour is recommended for your first day in Buenos Aires.
Pick up at the hotel and transfer to Plaza San Martin, where the tour begins. Set off with your guide for 4 hours of easy cycling through Buenos Aires (helmets and bikes included).
This is a fun and active way to discover and enjoy the city. Along with your guide, you will explore the city, stopping often to take in some sights. This guided ride will go through different areas of the city, such as historic Plaza San Martin, Puerto Madero, the former docks recently transformed into a new trendy area full of restaurants, bars and theaters; Costanera Sur Nature Reserve (close on Mondays), the artistic neighborhoods of La Boca and San Telmo and downtown around Plaza De Mayo.
The tour begins in Plaza San Martin where you will meet your guide and the rest of the group. Bikes made of bamboo are more ecological, lighter but still strong, easy to ride and very comfortable.
They are made in Argentina in a traditional style with natural bamboo from the North part of the country. The visit includes Retiro neighborhoods, Palermo Woods, Palermo Soho and Recoleta (Cemetery) as well.
The bilingual, guided tour is focused on history and architecture as well as on the area’s anecdotes, general culture, myths and traditions.
Bike tours are an active way of visiting the city, but due to frequent stops, no previous training is necessary.
This group tour offers a general view of the different aspects of Buenos Aires.
The following places and attractions are included: the Obelisk; different squares such as Plaza de Mayo, Plaza San Martin, Plaza del Congreso; Avenues, Corrientes, de Mayo, 9 de Julio, among others; historical neighborhoods such as La Boca, San Telmo and Montserrat; elegant neighborhoods such as Palermo and Recoleta; the modern Puerto Madero; parks such as Lezama, Tres de Febrero and the Ecological Reserve.
You will also visit financial and commercial areas and Soccer Stadiums and more. This is an alternative to our private “Four Balconies of Buenos Aires” tour.
Introduce yourself in “Belle Epoque” history. The turn of the twentieth century found Buenos Aires slowly developing into the huge cosmopolitan city of today. Visit of some of the districts reminiscent of this era of grandeur, like Retiro, Recoleta and Palermo Chico.
Galleries, art exhibitions and colorful street fairs are testimony of Buenos Aires cultural life, which can be discovered during this tour. Depending on the visitor’s personal interests, the guide will adapt the visit, to introduce visitors into our authentic artistic culture in order to include two of the following places:
1. Marcelo Toledo’s Silver Workshop – a silverwork school and exhibit with optional participation component. Toledo is an internationally acknowledged master of silverwork.
2. Isaac Fernandez Blanco Museum – a superb colonial building housing spectacular pieces of XVIIIth and XIXth century silverware and other implements of the colonial era
3. Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires (MALBA) - first contemporary (XXIth) museum in Buenos Aires with a rich and valuable collection, modern building, and interesting cultural activities. Includes World-renowned Constantini Collection
4. Fortabat Art Museum - museum contains an enormous collection of both Argentine artists and other World renowned artists such as by Warhol, Dali, Chagall, the Breughels, as well as a collection of ancient art.
Buenos Aires’s location on the harbor has made it a destination for migratory groups throughout history, making it one of the richest archeological areas in the country. The tour follows the River Plate embankment from the south to the north.
Starting at the Quinquela Martin Museum and School in La Boca, the tour continues to the Belle Époque "Museo de la Ciudad” - (city Museum) and the excavations at the financial district.
Buenos Aires has a very large Jewish community that has impacted the city’s culture from the very beginning. This tour offers a wide view of Jewish social, religious and recreational institutions in the city. The tour will visit the Paso Street Synagogue, then walk across to the Once neighborhood; Libertad Street Synagogue, where the first congregation was held, and its associated museum; as well as commemorative monuments of different historic episodes including – Memoria Activa (AMIA bombing), Israel Embassy (bombing), La Memoria Park (1970s-80s military regime).
Publicly known as the “stem institution”, and the center in which all organized community activity took place, it was the core where important initiatives were born, such as: the Central Council for Jewish Education (known by its Spanish name, Consejo Central de Educación Judía), the Federation of Jewish Communities in Argentina (Spanish name, Federación de Comunidades Judías de la Argentina), and the Tzedaka Foundation, among others.
In 1994, to commemorate the centennial of its creation, AMIA organized a series of celebrations that were interrupted on July 18th by a bombing that took place at the iconic building of the Jewish Community of Argentina.
This is a suggested add-on to the Jewish Heritage Tour.
This tour guides visitors through history, lifestyle and ideas of Evita Perón during the political context of her time. Her museum shows images of her funeral, habits, lifestyle, personality, romance with Juan Domingo Perón, and her social work with the “descamisados” (working class people). The tour also includes a walk by Palermo Parks up to the National Library where the official residence of Perón and Evita was erected before it was set on fire. It concludes at the Recoleta Cemetery where you can visit Evita Perón’s mausoleum.
Borges Literary Walk is an ingenious way to discover Buenos Aires and its inhabitants from the hand of renowned author Borges. Here comes a first contradiction: a blind man gives the guide. He awakes the senses and allows visitors to understand the city in a new way. Walking through this legendary city, reading stories, having coffee and observing the paintings of Xul Solar are part of the experience.
The visit begins in Palermo and ends in one of the most traditional cafes in Buenos Aires – Cafe Tortoni, located just at a walking distance from Plaza de Mayo. Those who are familiar with the work of Borges will continue exploring it with a new perspective and those who are just starting to learn about it will launch into a new literary adventure.
Enjoy a tasting of unique Argentine wines served with a variety of cold cuts and cheeses while learning about wine history and culture in Argentina. The tasting is hosted by connoisseur Alejandro Frango, philosopher and specialist in wines, in his own private loft. Gain appreciation for Argentinean wine habits as the country gains global recognition for the exquisite wines produced mainly in the Cuyo area.
Diego Bigongiari guides this wine tasting in a bar or restaurant in Buenos Aires. Every seven years, Bigongiari edits a book that includes the best Argentinian wines to date – having tasted over 1000 labels. He is well known as a frequent traveler, having visited nearly all of the winerys in the country. He also produces his own wine from a personal garden. Bigongiari offers a range of perspectives.
The Asado is a tradition in the Argentine families. The aim of this class is to know the gastronomical ritual from the kitchen itself.
The Chef of Cabaña restaurant will be your host who will let you enter his kitchen only if you don the asador’s apron. What does asado mean for an Argentine, what are the different cuts of meat, the best time to cook and the customs around the asado are several subjects that the chef will share with his "trainees”.
During the class the chef will reveal the secrets of the fire, you will learn how to prepare the meat and also to prepare an unfailing chimichurri. At the end of the class it will be time to sit around the table and enjoy the lunch or dinner with a glass of Malbec.
On an architectural excursion, from Colonial (XVII-XVIII) to Post Modernism (1980-2001), you will obtain a full scope of the essential elements that are part of the “Porteño” identity. Being four hundred years old, the city is like an architectural library of Babel, a labyrinth of styles, a collage, decanted from various cultural world centers representative of the West.
Shopping assisted by a friendly guide will help you to find places to explore that are specific to your interests. Get an exclusive taste of local treats and experience Buenos Aires like a native. This is a perfect way to save time. Stores visited offer clothing, jewelry, crafts, art stuff and accessories at various price levels.
Early in the morning you will be picked up for the visit to the Cattle Market “Mercado de Liniers”.
It is located near Buenos Aires, 40 minutes from the city. It is one of the world’s largest livestock markets founded in 1890 where around 7,000 head of cattle are auctioned (number fluctuates depending on weather and season). Supermarkets and meat processing plants are the principal wholesalers who buy in it.
Livestock is ready to be bought while buyers and auctioneers negotiate. Visitors and customers walk along the endless catwalks above the wooden corrals following the auctioneer. This experience is a good way to appreciate the business. When the sale is over, the reference price for meat is set across the whole country for that day.
During this visit, you will get to know La Plata city, capital of the Province of Buenos Aires (located 40 km away from the city). Founded in 1882 by Dardo Rocha, governor of the province at that moment, the city is the perfect example of Argentinean golden era during the second part of last century.
The city was thought to be the Capital City of Buenos Aires Province from the very beginning. From its exceptionally geometric layout and design, to the magnificent public buildings and the many green areas, La Plata stands as an example of a well-planned Metropolis.
Among La Plata’s attractions, the ones which stand out are the Cathedral with a New Gothic style and its 37 French and German vitreaux and the very well known Natural Sciences Museum, which is considered the fifth most important world-wide.
The museum includes exhibits on flora, fauna, archeology and cultural history of South America. The main attraction is the large mammal fossil collections dating back to the Tertiary and Quaternary periods. The museum was founded in 1877 and now holds some collections that are completely unique.
Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Rio de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires. It is the oldest town in the country, founded in 1680 by the Portuguese and later parts were overtaken and disputed by the Spanish.
The original terrain-based street plan of the old Portuguese-built area contrasts nicely with the wider orthogonal streets in the Spanish area. Pick up is at the hotel in Buenos Aires and transfer to Buquebus pier to board the hydrofoil to Colonia.
Explore one of the most beautiful areas of Buenos Aires surroundings, the northern riverside districts of San Isidro & Tigre. In the early twentieth century, San Isidro was a neighborhood of summer mansions which belonged to the traditional families.
This colonial heritage is reflected in the old preserved buildings such as Pueyrredon Farm, Estancia Tres Ombues, San Isidro Cathedral and several colonial mansions or the Victoria Ocampo's Mansion (once, the cultural center of South America).
Tigre is a district overlooking the Delta of the Parana River. Here, you may explore the “Fruit Market”, located in the port of Tigre, where the streets full of colorful rustic fabric, furniture and accessories made in cane and willow, delicious jams and honey, brilliant flowers, and variety of native fruit.
After free time to have lunch (not included) you will enjoy a riverside walk and a boat trip through the Parana River with beautiful views of the riverside villas, Victorian docks, English gardens or traditional rowing clubs.
Passengers may enjoy a private navigation in a boat with a maximum capacity of 10 passengers.
It is an old wooden taxi-boat that is very well restored. You can have lunch at a private island or at a restaurant in the mainland of San Isidro or Tigre city. For more special occasions, we can organize longer private navigations with picnic lunch on board so you have more free time to explore the Delta and all its rivers and streams.
Board a private boat and enjoy beautiful views of the riverside villas, Victorian docks, English gardens, and traditional rowing clubs through the countless islands of the delta of the Parana River. This is a great way to explore the Tigre and Delta, through its small streams and canals.
The Parana River delta is a huge forested marshland about 20 miles northeast of Buenos Aires.
You will go out in double kayaks specially prepared for long trips and built by coordinator of the program and renowned kayaker, Ricardo Kruszewski – the first Argentinian to reach Cape Horn by rowing. No previous kayak experience is necessary.
The trip explores the different woods and surrounding marsh. It lasts approximately 1-2 hours, travelling about 10-20 km depending on the passengers’ experience.
Explore every meander in the Parana Delta River in a hand built Canadian canoe, using entirely carved rows. The canoes carry between 2 and 6 passengers. Two daily departures are scheduled from Tigre (10 am and 2 pm). Each trip is two hours long. You may also choose private services for more hours or a stop in an island.
Depart to Tigre to board a regular service boat. After 20 – 30 minutes of navigation through the Carapachay River, arrive at “Bonanza.” During the navigation enjoy typical Delta adventures and appreciate local lifestyle. The boat will pick up and drop off locals from their own islands as well. Bonanza has more than 100 years of history.
It is a sixty hectare island surrounded by abundant vegetation and native fauna. The trek travels along open trails, woods, marshlands and places abounding in straw and gleanings. You will be able to do a photographic safari and bird-watching. Develop your spirit of adventure through the following activities: trekking, riding or canoeing.
Return to the pier on a regular boat during the afternoon.
Early morning arrival to Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve will be accompanied by a specialist guide. This unique forest and grassland is found inside of Buenos Aires City. Despite being very close to the financial and business environment of Buenos Aires, this spectacular place offers a great contact with its flora and fauna.
It was founded in 1989 over the Rio de la Plata. It features 356 hectares and 15 km of catwalks that can be walked or biked. During the walk across the reserve enjoy an interesting diversity of vegetation as shrubs, trees, grazing land and different styles of herbs typical from Delta and Rio de la Plata coast.
The area is home to a large variety of fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, insects and some other invertebrate water and ground species.
Located 30 minutes north of downtown, this reserve of only 11 hectares has a nice, dense humid forest found in a residential neighborhood. It is home to an interesting diversity of birds including herons, rails and wood-rails, hummingbirds and small forest birds. Take advantage of the network of trails to go bird-watching.
As part of the National Parks system, the reserve was created in 1990 and designed with the aim of protecting endangered species. Situated 66 km from Buenos Aires over Parana de las Palmas´s River, it protects 2600 hectares.
The fresh environment includes grasslands, marshes, reverie forest and thorny woodlands that host uncommon species like the shy South-American Painted-Snipe, Dot-winged crake, Spotted Rail, Red-capped Wren Spine tail, Hudson's Canastero, Crested Doradito and Hellmayr 's Pipits.
This eveing entails being picked up to enjoy dinner and a tango show and later being returned to your hotel. The following are recommended venues and brief descriptions:
1. Esquina Carlos Gardel: An intimate theatre where the orchestra is easily visible since it is hanging over the stage. A la carte meals.
2. El Querandi: A traditional restaurant of Buenos Aires, in a 1860’s building, that features a la carte meals. Great tango atmosphere and excellent views of the show, which goes over tango history with very good musicians.
3. Gala Tango: A glamorous house with French style decoration and exclusive refined details. First you can enjoy a Tango lesson while you taste the exquisite gourmet cuisine. Afterwards, enjoy the Tango and Folklore show. All is complemented with wines from one of the most exclusive cellars in Argentina.
4. Rojo Tango: Takes place in the Hotel FAENA cabaret. Good meals and great dancers in an intimate atmosphere, ideal for vip passengers.
5. Café De Los Angelitos: A mythical Café Porteño that has re-opened its doors to visitors. Apart from the classical coffee service and the particular “porteño” atmosphere, it offers an excellent tango show, in which musicians’ and dancers’ skills, the traditional Orquesta de Señoritas, the stage design and illumination all stand out.
6. El Viejo Almacen: This is a good option for those who only want to enjoy the show, since the spectacle is very good. It could be an alternative to Bar Sur, you may consider it for the Tango Night & Tango City.
It can be fascinating to watch professional dancers in a theater, although it is a tourist show. Each show has its own special moment. For those who want to learn more about tango, the alternative is to go to a milonga, where you can dance and watch local Porteños dance. This experience will allow you to live authentic tango.
These places are handled with a particular code, according to which the man invites the woman to dance with a look or a nod of the head. The plan of the night is not meeting people or dating, but just enjoying the dancing. Many times the rhythm of tango is interrupted by other types of music such as rock, jazz or other styles.
Places to go depend on the day of the week. That is why we do not confirm the actual locations until the week before your arrival. It is best to go late at night when there is more activity. The best hours to be in the middle of the tango atmosphere are between 10-11 pm. On Fridays and Saturdays there are often live bands after midnight.
We suggest to visit one or two milongas accompanied by your guide. At one of them they will assist with a tango lesson and help you transition to the local tango atmosphere. For those who do not like staying up late, there are other options of milongas available during the afternoon but the afternoon atmosphere is totally different from what is experienced at night.
You will be picked up at your hotel and set off for a private Tango lesson in San Telmo. The melancholic romanticism of Argentina is clearly reflected by their most unique traditional music and dance: the Tango.
On this 3-hour lesson and practice, your expert dance instructor will introduce you to the world of tango and the first steps of this glamorous dance. She is a professional tango teacher and an amazing character that will show you her tango passion.
She has participated in tours to Japan and Brazil and some movies such as “Tango” by Carlos Saura. This is an ideal opportunity to enjoy the behind the scenes of tango dancers. Even though it seems to be a difficult rhythm, learning the first steps is really simple and they will let you enjoy this particular dance.
Notes:
After the tango lesson we suggest you to do the Milongas program so you will be able to practice your dancing and watch local tango dancers.
For those who wish to delve deeper into tango and who are serious about tango dancing we suggest a course of 4 or 5 private lessons and nightly visits to different milongas and tango shows.
Gardel Smiles starts in Plaza San Martín, in the Palacio Paz, the place where tango was born and accepted by society. Then, transfer to Jean Jaures Street, located in Abasto, to visit the house in which Gardel lived from 1926 to 1933 with his mother and today is the Gardel museum.
Other streets like Zelaya and Carlos Gardel are fully decorated with letters from tango song and Filetes Porteños. In Carlos Gardel, there is the monument to El Banoneon and to figures like Alberto Castillo, Pichuco, Polaco Goyeneche, Tita Merello, Piazzola and of course Gardel. The tour continues 150 m ahead to the Carlos Gardel subway station.
You will take the subway to other stations dedicated to tango. Afterwards, you will take the newest subway up to one of the most characteristic neighborhoods of tango, Parque Patricios. In this neighbohood, there is a corner-building called “La Sonrisa de Gardel” – with 96 smiles created by different local artists.
Transfer to the Norman Foster’s new buildings, walk around and finally, transfer to a coffee house in San Juan and Boedo. Includes hotel transfers.
Take an early morning exploration of this incredible area, in which flora and fauna completely grew over the abandoned Rio de la Plata landfill. It has an abundant Pampa wetland birdlife, including very diverse waterfowl, birds from the riverside forest and grassland, all with the Buenos Aires skyline in the background.
Estancia el Ombu de Areco
Transfer across the Pampas to El Ombú de Areco, a historic estancia located in San Antonio de Areco, 75 miles from Buenos Aires. Home of the gaucho, the Pampas are seemingly endless grasslands, dotted with lakes, ponds and wetlands. The surprisingly abundant variety of wildlife is especially rich in birdlife diversity.
A magnificent construction built by Lieutenant General Pablo Riccheri in 1880, the estancia features ample windows and antique furniture all framed in the beauty and tranquility of the Argentinean country.
The 300 hectares is dedicated mostly to cattle breeding. During your stay at the ranch you will enjoy a delicious Asado (Argentinean barbeque). Lunch will be served to all visitors and guests.
Enjoy the day as you like by horseback riding, walking or partaking in the different activities related to cattle ranching. The estancia also features a swimming pool with solarium, ping-pong, billiard, football and volleyball. At the end of the day your will be driven back to your hotel in Buenos Aires.
Estancia la Bamba
Transfer across the Pampas to Estancia La Bamba, situated 126 km from Buenos Aires and 12 km from San Antonio de Areco. It used to be part of the “postas” (grocery store) of the "camino real" (royal way) that joined Buenos Aires with the northern part of the country.
The main house is from 1830, with a classic colonial style and a tower from which to sight visitors or enemies. High roofs, wide walls, a well, a true film set that was used for films like “Camila”, directed by María Luisa Bemberg and starred by Imanol Arias, and also “Las Cosas del Querer” by Jaime Chavarri. The grocery store house is from earlier times, and was a stop for gauchos and their horses and later served as a hotel for them.
In 1970 was declared National Monument and in 2009 was totally restored, honoring the traditional house and bringing it back the traditional lifestyle with European style. The park surrounding the house has more than 12 hectares and was designed by Shall. It has a thick woodland where a swimming pool and polo court are available.
Watching polo matches is common during high season. Its owner is part of La Bamba's team, which annually participates in European tournaments. Enjoy games, public areas, football table, pool, biking and horseback riding as well.
Estancia la Candelaria del Monte
Transfer across the Pampas to Estancia La Candelaria Del Monte, located 60 miles from Buenos Aires in San Miguel del Monte. Home of the gaucho, the Pampas are seemingly endless grasslands, dotted with lakes, ponds and wetlands. The surprisingly abundant variety of wildlife is especially rich in birdlife diversity.
This sophisticated colonial estancia is surrounded by a park created in the 1830s. A swimming pool, horses and wild birds add to its charm. San Miguel del Monte, where the estancia is located, is a typical small La Pampa village with its colonial church and parks. Afternoon return to Buenos Aires.
