7 Days in Buenos Aires: First-Timer Plan
A full week in Buenos Aires covers everything in this guide with room to spare, three day trips, the full neighborhood circuit, and slower time throughout. It’s worth saying upfront: with a week or more in Argentina, most repeat visitors still spend only 3-4 days in the capital and fly onward to Iguazú Falls, Patagonia, or Mendoza rather than padding the city itself. This itinerary is for readers who specifically want a full week here.
Before You Go: The Money Reset
The old advice to bring USD cash for the “blue dollar” black market is out of date. Argentina abolished its currency controls in April 2025, and by mid-2026 the blue, official, and MEP rates had converged to within a few percent of each other. Foreign cards now convert at essentially the market rate, so pay by card by default and treat cash as an optional backup. Check a live rate at dolarhoy.com close to your travel dates, since inflation (around 33.8% annually in mid-2026) makes any fixed peso figure stale within weeks.
Day 1
Morning: Arrive, settle into Palermo Soho.
Afternoon: Palermo’s boutiques and street art, then Bosques de Palermo and the free Rosedal rose garden.
Evening: A proper asado at a parrilla, starting with achuras, then tira de asado, then bife de chorizo or ojo de bife.
Day 2
Morning: Recoleta Cemetery, now ticketed for foreign visitors at roughly $15-20 USD; Eva Perón’s grave is in the Duarte family mausoleum.
Afternoon: Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, free entry, then Café Tortoni for coffee.
Evening: Dinner in Recoleta, an easy, elegant neighborhood for a slower night.
Day 3
Morning: Taxi or Uber to La Boca’s Caminito strip, daylight only, stay on the painted blocks, then taxi or Uber back out; a street or two off the strip is a real robbery risk. La Bombonera stadium tours run from about $32 USD.
Afternoon: San Telmo’s cobblestone streets and antique shops.
Evening: A tango show at El Viejo Almacén, El Querandí, or Rojo Tango at the Faena Hotel, or a milonga at Plaza Dorrego on a Sunday.
Day 4
Morning: Feria de San Telmo if Sunday (about 270 stalls, 10am-5pm around Plaza Dorrego and down Calle Defensa), otherwise a visit to Plaza de Mayo and the Casa Rosada.
Afternoon: Guided tour of Teatro Colón, about $46-47 USD, then MALBA (about $7-10 USD, half-price Wednesdays).
Evening: El Ateneo Grand Splendid, free to walk in, then dinner nearby.
Day 5
Full day: Tigre and the Paraná Delta, about an hour by train from Retiro, a boat ride, the Puerto de Frutos market, and a riverside lunch.
Day 6
Full day: Colonia del Sacramento, across the river in Uruguay, about 1 hour 15 minutes by ferry, first boat typically around 8:15am. Bring your passport, it’s a genuine international day trip and the UNESCO-listed old town is worth the full day.
Day 7
Morning: San Antonio de Areco, the classic gaucho town, about 1.5-2 hours away, or a slower morning in Puerto Madero, the Puente de la Mujer footbridge, and the free Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur.
Afternoon: Last-minute shopping or a return to a favorite neighborhood.
Evening: A farewell dinner in Palermo before departure.
Where to Stay
Palermo Soho is the strongest all-around base for a full week; Recoleta is a good alternative if you want something quieter and more central to the museums.
Getting Around
The Subte and buses need a SUBE card or a contactless bank card. Uber, Cabify, and DiDi operate normally; Tigre and La Plata are reached by train from Retiro and Constitución stations respectively, and the Colonia ferry departs from Puerto Madero.
The Honest Take
A full week covers the city thoroughly, but it’s genuinely worth weighing against spending only 3-4 days in Buenos Aires and using the rest of a longer Argentina trip for Iguazú, Patagonia, or Mendoza instead of staying in the capital the whole time.
Read more: see the 6-day itinerary for a slightly tighter version, or the travel guide for the background on everything above.