Buenos Aires 6 Day Itinerary
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Six days is our 5-day itinerary , the core plus Colonia del Sacramento, with a second full day trip added, the gaucho town of San Antonio de Areco, and a slower final day for whichever barrio and museum pulled you in earlier in the week.
Day-by-day at a glance
| Day | Focus | Est. spend (excl. hotel) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plaza de Mayo, Microcentro, Recoleta Cemetery | ~$35-55 USD |
| 2 | San Telmo, La Boca/Caminito (day only), a tango show | ~$60-100 USD |
| 3 | Palermo, Bosques de Palermo, MALBA, an asado dinner | ~$50-90 USD |
| 4 | Tigre or La Plata day trip, El Ateneo, Puerto Madero | ~$25-45 USD |
| 5 | Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay (full day, passport) | ~$70-110 USD |
| 6 | San Antonio de Areco (gaucho town), slower barrio time | ~$30-60 USD |
Book before you go
- A tango show for Day 2.
- The Colonia ferry for Day 5, from around $65 USD with Buquebus, first boat around 8:15am, passport required.
Day 1: Plaza de Mayo, Microcentro, and Recoleta
Morning: Plaza de Mayo, then the Obelisco on Av. 9 de Julio and Teatro Colón.
Afternoon: Recoleta Cemetery, about $15-20 USD for foreign visitors and volatile with the peso; Eva Perón’s grave is in the Duarte family mausoleum.
Evening: Coffee at Café Tortoni, open since 1858.
Tip: Check dolarhoy.com before you fly; treat any peso figure here as a starting point.
Day 2: San Telmo, La Boca, and a tango night
Morning: On a Sunday, Feria de San Telmo fills Plaza Dorrego and Calle Defensa.
Afternoon: La Boca’s Caminito by day, heavily policed and worth 30-45 minutes; stay on the painted strip and taxi out before dark.
Evening: A proper tango show, El Viejo Almacén, El Querandí, or Rojo Tango, not the sidewalk dancers.
Tip: Tip about 10% cash on the show’s dinner; the “cubierto” is separate from the tip.
Day 3: Palermo and a real asado
Morning: Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood, then Bosques de Palermo and El Rosedal.
Afternoon: MALBA, about $7-10 USD, half-price Wednesdays.
Evening: A proper asado, achuras, then tira de asado, then bife de chorizo or ojo de bife.
Tip: Tip about 10% in cash even when you paid by card.
Day 4: a day trip, El Ateneo, and Puerto Madero
Morning: Tigre and the Paraná Delta, about an hour by train, or La Plata’s cathedral and museums.
Afternoon: El Ateneo Grand Splendid, free to walk in.
Evening: Puerto Madero’s Puente de la Mujer and the free Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur.
Tip: Puerto Madero goes quiet at night, plan your onward transport before you head out there.
Day 5: Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay
All day: The Buquebus or Colonia Express ferry crosses in about 1h15, first boat around 8:15am. Colonia’s UNESCO-listed colonial old town is small enough to walk end to end. Bring your passport.
Tip: Book your return sailing before you leave the port that morning; weekend crossings fill up.
Day 6: San Antonio de Areco and slower time
Morning to afternoon: San Antonio de Areco is about 1.5-2 hours out, the classic gaucho town, working estancias, an asado and horse-show day if you book one, and, each November, the Día de la Tradición festival.
Evening: Back in Buenos Aires, revisit whichever neighborhood, Palermo, San Telmo, or Recoleta, made the strongest impression earlier in the week rather than checking off something new; by day six, slower is the better call.
Tip: If today falls on a Sunday and you’d rather stay local, the Feria de Mataderos gaucho fair runs Sundays March through December and covers similar ground without the trip out.
Is 6 days enough for Buenos Aires?
Six days lets you do both signature day trips, Colonia in Uruguay and San Antonio de Areco’s gaucho country, without skipping the museum and barrio time that makes the capital itself worth the visit. Our 7-day itinerary adds one more museum day and the honest case for flying onward to wider Argentina instead of padding further; see our Buenos Aires guide for that broader pacing advice.