UltimateCity Guide Buenos Aires
Our favourites
Recoleta and the parks at sunset from above, with Floralis Genérica in its circular garden and the river beyond

The city guide to Buenos Aires, Argentina

Best of Buenos Aires

Marble and jacaranda, opera and tango: the Teatro Colón’s red and gold, the palaces of the Avenida Alvear, Sunday on the cobbles of San Telmo and a late steak at Don Julio. Buenos Aires, checked place by place.

Launch edition · Autumn 2026

Where to eatWhat to see
The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakSister guideULTIMATE Rail JourneysThe story of the train, the great journeys and where to book themA cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, MontenegroSister guideULTIMATE CruisesLines, ships and itineraries, from river to expeditionThe Matterhorn in winter above ZermattSister guideULTIMATE Ski ResortsSeason dates, hotels, après and ski schools, resort by resortThe Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratSister guideULTIMATE PropertyRecoleta, Palermo Chico, the docks and how the escritura works

Buenos Aires, from the opera house to the milonga

Buenos Aires stretches along the Río de la Plata: the palaces and parks of Recoleta and Palermo to the north, the colonial cobbles of San Telmo and the painted houses of La Boca to the south, the avenues, cafés and theatres of the centre in between, and the docks of Puerto Madero on the river. Here are its grand hotels and the 2026 MICHELIN stars, its cafés notables and parrillas, its museums, stages and tango salons, and day trips to Tigre, Colonia del Sacramento, San Antonio de Areco, La Plata and Montevideo. Every listing is checked against the venue’s own website or an official source, and anything we can’t confirm is left out.

The Paris of the south, and much more: Buenos Aires’ great sights

In depth

The Paris of the south, and much more

Buenos Aires·In depth

The Teatro Colón, the Recoleta Cemetery, the Plaza de Mayo, La Boca and the docks: how to see Buenos Aires, and in what order.

Read the story

Arts + Culture

All of Arts & Culture

The Teatro Colón, the MALBA and PROA, the theatres of Corrientes and the tango salons where the city dances.

The Salón Dorado of the Teatro Colón, with gilded columns, painted ceiling and crystal chandeliersArts + CultureArts & Culture in Buenos AiresOpera, museums and tango

Buenos Aires, barrio by barrio

Seven barrios, each with its own guide: the palaces and marble of Recoleta, the parks and designers of Palermo, the cobbles of San Telmo, the painted houses of La Boca, the docks of Puerto Madero, the opera and avenues of the centre, and the leafy streets of the north.

The white colonial façade and bell tower of the Basílica del Pilar under a summer skyNeighbourhood guideRecoletaPalaces, marble and the Avenida AlvearRose beds in flower at the Rosedal de Palermo, with jacarandas beyondNeighbourhood guidePalermoParks, designers and the parrillaA white Belle Époque corner building in San TelmoNeighbourhood guideSan Telmo & MonserratCobbles, antiques and tangoThe brightly painted corrugated-iron houses of Caminito in La BocaNeighbourhood guideLa BocaColour, football and artThe white Puente de la Mujer and its leaning mast over the dock at Puerto MaderoNeighbourhood guidePuerto Madero & Costanera SurThe docks and the river

After dark

Buenos Aires keeps late hours: dinner at ten is ordinary, and the milongas are only warming up at midnight.

  1. Neighbourhood guideRetiro & the CentroThe opera, the avenues and the cafés
  2. Neighbourhood guideBelgrano, Colegiales & NúñezThe leafy north

Before you go

Essentials

Entry and health insurance, arriving at Ezeiza or Aeroparque, tickets for the Colón and the tango houses, and three days that work for a first visit.

The white Obelisco on the Avenida 9 de Julio under a deep blue skyBefore you goBuenos Aires essentialsEntry, money, safety and 107The domed hall and gallery of the Retiro railway terminusGetting aroundGetting aroundThe airports, the Subte, the trains and the ferriesThe Plaza de Mayo with its palms and pyramid, the Casa Rosada at the far endItineraryBuenos Aires in three daysThe Colón, Recoleta, Palermo and San TelmoThe white-and-red dining room of Bistro Sur at the Faena Hotel, with chandeliers and unicorn heads on the wallsLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addressesItineraryThe Gold weekendThe Alvear Palace, Aramburu and Crizia
  1. ItineraryThe Platinum weekendThe Faena, Rojo Tango and Don Julio

Our advice

Book the Colón before you fly

A guided visit shows you the horseshoe of red and gold, but a performance shows you the sound. Book the opera, the ballet or the Filarmónica on the theatre’s own site, then build your days around it. The Teatro Colón

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Beyond Buenos Aires

The islands of the delta are a train ride north; Colonia and Montevideo lie across the river in Uruguay; the estancias of San Antonio de Areco are out in the pampas, and La Plata is down the coast.

A wooden passenger launch on a river of the Paraná DeltaBeyond Buenos AiresTigre & the DeltaA city on the waterThe rooftops of Colonia del Sacramento and the Río de la Plata, with a ferry in the harbourBeyond Buenos AiresColonia del SacramentoAcross the river to UruguayTrees reflected in the still Río Areco at San Antonio de Areco, at golden hourBeyond Buenos AiresSan Antonio de ArecoGauchos and estanciasThe pink Gothic Revival Cathedral of La Plata across the Plaza MorenoBeyond Buenos AiresLa PlataThe planned capitalMontevideo from above, the old city and the rambla along the riverBeyond Buenos AiresMontevideoUruguay’s capital

Our advice

Take your passport to Colonia

Colonia del Sacramento and Montevideo are in Uruguay: the ferries leave from Buenos Aires, but there is passport control at the terminal. Stay for the sunset over the river and book the late boat back. Colonia del Sacramento

In depth: the back stories of Buenos Aires

The great sights, the table, tango and opera, the hotels, the Subte and the ferries, and where to buy: the stories behind Buenos Aires.

An asado board of grilled ribs and sausagesThe back storyBuenos Aires at the tableAramburu, the parrillas and the late dinnerTwo tango dancers in red on the Avenida Corrientes at night, the Obelisco behind themThe back storyTango, opera and the avant-gardeThe arts of Buenos Aires

Onward with the ULTIMATE guides

Buenos Aires joins Rio in the South American guides: north to the Corcovado, out to sea from the Río de la Plata, and the great journeys beyond.

The towers of Puerto Madero across the dock, with a tall ship moored in the foregroundULTIMATE Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroThe South American sister guide

The ULTIMATE City Guides around the world

See all South America

Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

Christ the Redeemer on the Corcovado and Sugarloaf in silhouette at sunrise, above the bay and the cityBrazilULTIMATE Rio de JaneiroChrist on the Corcovado, the cable car to Sugarloaf, the Copacabana Palace, Lasai’s two stars, the Carnival, and day trips to Paraty and Ilha Grande.Canal houses and bridges in Amsterdamthe NetherlandsULTIMATE AmsterdamThe canal ring, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, canal-house hotels, twenty MICHELIN-starred tables, brown cafés, and day trips to Haarlem and Keukenhof.The Alhambra in Granada in the evening lightSpainULTIMATE AndalusiaSeville, Granada and the Alhambra, Córdoba, Málaga, Cádiz and Jerez, Ronda and the white villages, Doñana and Cabo de Gata.The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos HillGreeceULTIMATE AthensThe Acropolis and the Plaka, rooftop bars facing the Parthenon, the Athens Riviera and the Greek islands: our original guide, and our deepest.The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open seaSpainULTIMATE Balearic IslandsMallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera side by side, and how to hop between them by ferry.The Sagrada Família lit up at nightSpainULTIMATE BarcelonaGaudí and the Sagrada Família, the Gothic Quarter, four Three-Star MICHELIN kitchens, the beaches and day trips to Montserrat and Girona.

See all 81 guides

HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

From our readers: visitors and porteños on the parrillas and cafés notables, the Colón and the milongas, Sundays in San Telmo and the ferry to Colonia.

    Have your say in HOT TOPICS

    The Teatro Colón

    This week's pick

    The Teatro Colón

    Centro·Opera house

    The Ballet Estable del Teatro Colón dances Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon from 5 to 15 November, with the Filarmónica de Buenos Aires in the pit: book on teatrocolon.org.ar.

    Find out more

    Every list in the guide

    Plan your day

    Seven ways to spend your days, from the centre in a day and a Sunday in San Telmo to a day across the river in Colonia.

    The Avenida de Mayo, with the Palacio Barolo and its domes rising above the streetItineraryThe centre in a dayOne dayAntique stalls under awnings at the Sunday Feria de San TelmoItinerarySan Telmo and La Boca on a SundayOne dayA marble mausoleum with sculpted mourning figures in the Recoleta CemeteryItineraryA property viewing day: Recoleta, Palermo Chico and Puerto MaderoOne day
    1. ItineraryA day across the river: Colonia del SacramentoOne day

    Know your neighbourhoods

    Our favourites right now

    Restaurants

    1. 1Buenos Aires at the table: fire, stars and the late dinnerBuenos Aires · In depth
    2. 2AramburuRecoleta · Fine dining
    3. 3Don JulioPalermo · Restaurant
    See all 38

    Cafés

    1. 1Gran Café TortoniAvenida de Mayo · Historic café
    2. 2Las VioletasAlmagro · Historic café
    3. 3La BielaRecoleta · Historic café
    See all 7

    Bars & Tango

    1. 1Florería AtlánticoRetiro · Cocktail bar
    2. 2Presidente BarRecoleta · Cocktail bar
    3. 3MiliónRecoleta · Bar and restaurant
    See all 12

    Hotels

    1. 1Where Buenos Aires sleeps: palaces, docks and garden hotelsRecoleta · In depth
    2. 2Alvear Palace HotelRecoleta · Grand hotel
    3. 3Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos AiresRecoleta · Grand hotel
    See all 13

    Sights

    1. 1The Paris of the south, and much more: Buenos Aires’ great sightsBuenos Aires · In depth
    2. 2The Teatro ColónCentro · Opera house
    3. 3The Plaza de Mayo and the CabildoMonserrat · Historic square
    See all 18

    Arts & Culture

    1. 1Tango, opera and the avant-garde: the arts of Buenos AiresBuenos Aires · In depth
    2. 2MALBA – Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos AiresPalermo Chico · Art museum
    3. 3Museo Nacional de Bellas ArtesRecoleta · Art museum
    See all 26

    Parks

    1. 1The Bosques de Palermo and the RosedalPalermo · Park
    2. 2The Japanese Garden (Jardín Japonés)Palermo · Garden
    3. 3The Botanical Garden (Jardín Botánico Carlos Thays)Palermo · Botanical garden
    See all 7

    Walks

    1. 1San Telmo on a SundaySan Telmo · Walk
    2. 2Recoleta: palaces, the cemetery and the parksRecoleta · Walk
    3. 3The Avenida de Mayo: from the Plaza de Mayo to the CongressAvenida de Mayo · Walk
    See all 6

    Shopping

    1. 1Galerías PacíficoCentro · Shopping gallery
    2. 2Patio BullrichRecoleta · Shopping centre
    3. 3Alcorta ShoppingPalermo Chico · Shopping centre
    See all 8

    Health

    1. 1Emergencies: 107 and 911Buenos Aires · Emergency numbers
    2. 2Hospital AlemánRecoleta · Private hospital
    3. 3Hospital BritánicoBarracas · Private hospital
    See all 8

    Property

    1. 1Buying in Buenos Aires: palaces, towers and the escribanoBuenos Aires · In depth
    2. 2Your tax number and the escribanoBuenos Aires · Official step
    3. 3Toribio AchávalBuenos Aires · Estate agent
    See all 5

    Developments

    1. 1Puerto Madero: the docks rebornPuerto Madero · Regeneration
    2. 2The Paseo del BajoPuerto Madero · Road and parks
    3. 3Subte Line FBuenos Aires · Metro line
    See all 5

    Motoring

    1. 1Buenos Aires’ black-and-yellow taxisBuenos Aires · Taxis
    2. 2Tienda LeónBuenos Aires · Airport transfers
    3. 3Car hire at Ezeiza and AeroparqueBuenos Aires · Car hire
    See all 5

    Getting Around

    1. 1Buenos Aires by Subte, train and ferryBuenos Aires · In depth
    2. 2Ezeiza International Airport (EZE)Ezeiza · Airport
    3. 3Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP)Palermo · Airport
    See all 8