Best Guided Tours to Do in Buenos Aires
It’s not a secret that Buenos Aires is a beautiful city with much to offer. From the amazing architecture to the vibrant culture, there are many reasons why it should be at the top of your list when you’re planning your next vacation destination.
But if you want to taste this bustling metropolis in Argentina, I highly recommend checking out one of these five guided tours while you’re visiting.
They’ll give you an intimate look into some of the best parts of this South American city and allow for plenty of time to explore on your own afterward!
Buenos Aires is a city like no other. It is a city to enjoy, full of life and activities to do. You can live a tango experience, enjoy their gastronomy, shopping, and of course, go out at night when “porteños” come out.
In today’s post, I want to talk about what Tours you have to do when you visit Buenos Aires.
Guided Tours You Want to Do in Buenos Aires
These tours organized in the city of Buenos Aires are highly recommended and cheap.
Especially for those of us who go from Europe, but also for the Argentinians themselves. I will tell you the ones I like the most and leave the link for you.
Let me know what your favorites are!
Touring “La Recoleta” on a bike tour
Recoleta is the city’s most elegant neighborhood; they call it “the Argentina Paris” by the number of French immigrants since 1840 and by the architecture they brought.
Here you will find many art galleries and the best restaurants in Buenos Aires.
In this neighborhood, you have to visit, in addition to the neighborhood itself, the cemetery of the same name, the Church of the Pillar, the Cultural Center, and the handicraft fair that operates Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays in front of the Church of Pilar.
Book your tour here (and check the prices for your travel dates)
A good way to know Recoleta is with the bike tour. We loved it because we knew many secrets of this neighborhood, its history, who were the famous people who lived here, and much more.
You may think that in Buenos Aires, they drive like crazy (which is true). But they’ve created many miles of bike lanes.
So you don’t have to go where the cars go, and it’s very safe. In addition, this neighborhood is very flat, and there are no slopes, so it becomes very easy on a Bike.
The tour includes a bike and a professional guide who thoroughly knows Buenos Aires.
If the idea of doing the bike tour doesn’t call you, you can visit Recoleta on foot.
Tangueros bars walking tour
There are many tours about tango in the city of Buenos Aires. Every Thursday, there is one for a different neighborhood, so you have to see which neighborhood it touches on the date of your trip.
- You have a route through the tangueros bars of San Nicolás and Balvanera
- Tangueros bars of the Recoleta
- Visit Tanguero Bars in Retiro
- Tangueros bars of San Nicolás and Recoleta
First, the visit is free, and you go with a guide who is awesome what he knows about tango. Second, the route is on foot, and you get to know different places where they met renowned tangueros bars, also places that no longer exist.
In our case, we went by the Celta Bar, the Hotel Savoy, the Confitería el Molino, Café Los Angelitos and one of the least well-known houses of Carlos Gardel. During the tour is honored to Piazzolla, Ferrer, Gardel, Troilo and Goyeneche.
Completely advisable to do one of these walking tours. You’re going to see another side of Buenos Aires.
Check the tours on this website.
Touring Palermo with a guide
Palermo is my Buenos Aires favorite neighborhood. Here you have everything, history, culture, one of the best restaurants in town (la Cabrera, which we went to, but I’ll tell in another post), many bars, and a nice atmosphere.
It certainly has to be your must-see when you visit the city.
To get to know a little more about this huge porteño neighborhood, it’s best to do it with a Guide. On the Buenos Aires tourism website, you will see several tours, some are free, and others are very cheap.
Among the must-see is the visit to urban art, the guided tour of the Forests of Palermo, the guided tour of the Temples of Villa Crespo and Palermo, and the guided tour of Palermo Hipódromo.
You have to choose, but I would choose the Palermo Forests and urban art if you can only make one.
Visit the Japanese Garden
The Japanese Garden of Buenos Aires is the largest Japanese-style park outside the Japanese country and has unique elements of its culture.
The Japanese Garden from Buenos Aires was created by the Japanese community of the city and is located in the Palermo neighborhood.
It was built in 1967 in honor of the visit of then Crown Prince Akihito, the present Emperor of Japan.
In its lakes, you will be able to see hundreds of colorful carps, and it is allowed to feed them. Here you will see a typical Japanese garden with lakes, bridges, and waterfalls.
Inside the garden, You can eat sushi at their restaurant or have a cup of tea at the tea house in a traditional pagoda. We visited the tea house.
- Address: Av. del Liberator and av. Casares, Palermo
- Hours: daily, from 10 to 18 h.
- Entrance fee: 150 pesos (September 2019), about 3€
Visits guided are organized by the Japanese garden itself every Saturday, Sunday, and holidays at 11 am. Check out its website: https://jardinjapones.org.ar/visitas-guiadas
Walking tour Puerto Madero
Along the Rio de La Plata, we find one of the most exclusive and gastronomic neighborhoods of Buenos Aires.
Puerto Madero is an old port built so that large ships could reach the City. In 1882, the city government hired Eduardo Madero to construct this new port.
Only ten years then, with the increase in the size of the ships, Puerto Madero was disused and fell into a great state of decline. Then, years later, it began with the rehabilitation of the area to turn it into a wonderful space today.
The visit to Puerto Madero will take you through history, help you discover the corners of the old port, and know the essential places to visit on this tour in Buenos Aires.
This activity has to be booked in advance, and paid by card before starting, and it could be canceled for rain (you are notified by email)
How to do tours in Buenos Aires
To make the excursions in Buenos Aires, you have to enter this website, and here you will find a huge amount of excursions and guided tours of the city. You may have to make the reservation in advance.
Another thing to remember is that visits on foot or by bike are canceled if it rains.
Plan Your Trip to Buenos Aires
- 7 Buenos Aires Must-visit Places
- Where to stay in Buenos Aires
- More excursions in the capital of Argentina
- Perito Moreno Excursion
- Visit Iguazu Falls in 4 days
- Best Travel Insurance for your trips
Last Updated on 9 October, 2023 by Veronica
Disclosure: Some of the links on this post are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Author: Veronica
Vero, a seasoned traveler, has explored 25 countries and lived in five, gaining a rich perspective and fostering an infectious passion for travel. With a heart full of wanderlust, Vero uncovers the world’s hidden gems and shares insights, tips, and planning advice to inspire and assist fellow adventurers. Join Vero and let the shared passion for travel create unforgettable memories.
