Uruguay Attraction Tours by Price Tier
Uruguay prices its attractions in pesos, and the spread is wide: one famous theatre is free on a weekday, while a winery lunch costs more than a night in a hostel. Sorting by tier makes the choices easier.
Free
Teatro Solís in Montevideo, opened in 1856, runs guided tours that cost nothing on Wednesdays. Tours run Tuesday to Friday at 11:00, 12:00 and 16:00, and Saturday and Sunday at 15:00 and 16:00, in Spanish, English and Portuguese. Check the theatre’s own page for the current schedule.
The Artigas mausoleum under the statue on Plaza Independencia is also free, and so is the Barrio Histórico of Colonia del Sacramento. Santa Teresa National Park, in Rocha, charges nothing for its grounds either.
Up to about UYU 500
Santa Teresa fortress costs UYU 50, and children under 12 go free. The park gate is on Ruta 9 at km 302, open Tuesday to Sunday, 08:00 to 18:00. The stone fortress was begun by the Portuguese in 1762, and the Spanish later took it.
Outside Wednesdays, a Teatro Solís tour costs UYU 400 for foreign visitors and UYU 200 for Uruguayans. Palacio Salvo, the 1928 tower on Plaza Independencia, offers guided visits to its viewpoint and the tango museum, at roughly UYU 400 per early-2026 reports; confirm hours and price with the operator before you go. The Faro de Colonia lighthouse takes a small entry fee for its view over the old quarter.
UYU 500 to 700
Casapueblo , Carlos Páez Vilaró’s white cliffside museum at Punta Ballena, charges UYU 600 for adults and UYU 500 for visitors over 65, with under-12s free. It opens daily at 10:00 and stays open to sunset, when the Ceremonia al Sol takes place. Arrive about 40 minutes early.
Higher cost: wineries and lunches
Canelones has two separate wineries that readers often confuse: Bodega Bouza and Establecimiento Juanicó. Secondary sources put Bouza tours from about US$50 with transfer and Juanicó from about US$40, so ask each winery for its current rate. If you prefer a packaged visit, search wine tours on Viator and compare what the price includes.
An asado dinner at a parrillada typically runs from UYU 800 to 1,500 a head.
Paying less
Restaurants and wine-tourism visits get a 9-point VAT cut, from 22% to about 13%, when you pay by card, and that is in force to April 2027. Visitors paying with foreign cards should ask whether a full exemption applies. Hotels charge non-residents 0% VAT with foreign ID.
Verdict
The best value is the free Wednesday at Teatro Solís, and the best splurge is Casapueblo at sunset. If you have only one tier to fund, the middle one covers both a fortress and a view. For routes that join these stops, see sightseeing by time of day .
Tip: build your Montevideo days around a Wednesday so the theatre tour costs nothing.