Panorama of Plaza de Mayo with the Casa Rosada in the background
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Buenos Aires in 1 day

  • 1 day
  • 8.9 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

One day is not enough for all of Buenos Aires, but it is enough to take home its truest portrait. This plan strings together three walking routes: the big icons in the morning, colonial history in the afternoon, and tunnels and legends at dusk. It is a long day, built for anyone passing through who wants the essentials.

One day in Buenos AiresThree Buenos Aires in one day

Start early at Plaza de Mayo with "The Best of Buenos Aires: From Plaza de Mayo to the Obelisk": Avenida de Mayo, Café Tortoni, Palacio Barolo, the Congress and the Teatro Colón, all the way to the Obelisk. It is about 4 km, so have an asado at Chiquilín, a step from the Obelisk. In the afternoon, head back to the historic centre by metro or taxi for "From Colonial Fort to Capital", from the Casa Rosada to Plaza Dorrego. At sunset, walk down Calle Defensa with "Underground Buenos Aires" and finish with a porteño pizza.

  1. Morning

    The Best of Buenos Aires: From Plaza de Mayo to the Obelisk

    Mixed · 4.3 km · 2 h 15 min

    1. Plaza de MayoThe stage of Argentine political life: here people celebrated, protested and searched for the disappeared.
    2. Café TortoniThe oldest and most famous café in Buenos Aires, where Gardel, Borges and Alfonsina Storni sat.
    3. Palacio BaroloA 1923 skyscraper designed as the Divine Comedy: hell below, heaven above and a lighthouse at the top.
    4. National CongressA green dome some 80 metres high, a murdered architect and a building that took half a century to finish.
    5. Teatro ColónTwenty years of building work, three architects and acoustics the world's top conductors rank among the very best.
    6. The ObeliskBuilt in weeks in 1936, voted for demolition in 1939, and today the symbol of the city.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Asado and bife de chorizo at Chiquilín. Sarmiento, 1599

  3. Afternoon

    From Colonial Fort to Capital: Buenos Aires in Six Stops

    History · 2.3 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. Casa RosadaA pink palace built over the fort that defended the city from the late 16th century.
    2. Plaza de Mayo and the May PyramidThe city's first patriotic monument hides another pyramid inside it: the original one from 1811.
    3. Metropolitan CathedralA Greek-temple façade, a biblical relief with a political message and the tomb of General San Martín.
    4. The CabildoThe building where the end of Spanish rule was decided lost half its arches to new avenues.
    5. Manzana de las LucesThe Jesuits' block became the cradle of the city's university and culture: hence its name, the «Block of Enlightenment».
    6. Plaza DorregoWhere ox carts stopped before entering the city, independence was sworn, and today San Telmo's heart beats.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  4. Early evening

    Underground Buenos Aires: Tunnels, Cannonballs and Forbidden Love

    Mysteries & legends · 2.3 km · 1 h 35 min

    1. The Tunnels of the Manzana de las LucesBeneath the Jesuits' block run colonial galleries that nobody can say for sure why they were dug.
    2. Basilica of Santo DomingoIn 1807 British troops barricaded themselves in this church; its tower still bears the marks of the fight.
    3. El Zanjón de Granados and the Casa MínimaA stream buried beneath a mansion and, around the corner, the narrowest house in the city with its legend of freedom.
    4. The Antigua Tasca de CuchillerosA whitewashed colonial house and the legend of Margarita, the daughter who fled a forced marriage.
    5. Parque LezamaSome historians place the first Buenos Aires here: the settlement of 1536, consumed by hunger.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Porteño pizza and fainá at Pizzería Güerrín. Avenida Corrientes, 1368

The map

Buenos Aires in 1 day, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed History Mysteries & legends

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Before you go

Tips for Buenos Aires in 1 day

  • Wear comfortable shoes: the morning route is the longest (about 4 km) and porteño pavements have loose slabs. From the Obelisk to Plaza de Mayo, the metro or a taxi saves you half an hour.
  • Tours of the Manzana de las Luces tunnels and El Zanjón are usually guided and have limited places: check the schedule and book before planning your evening.
  • Porteños eat dinner late. If hunger hits early after the dusk route, grab a slice of pizza standing at the counter and save the long dinner for another day.

Questions

Buenos Aires in 1 day: your questions

Can you see Buenos Aires in one day?

The essentials of the centre, yes: Plaza de Mayo, Avenida de Mayo, Congress, the Teatro Colón, the Obelisk and San Telmo. Districts like Recoleta, La Boca and Palermo stay out. In one day you will be on the move; in two you can breathe.

How far do you walk in this plan?

The three routes add up to about 8.9 km: 4.3 for the essential, 2.3 for the history route and 2.3 for the mysteries. Add the trips between them, meal breaks and queues for the tours. It is a day of more than ten hours.

How do I get between the three routes?

Between the Obelisk and Plaza de Mayo, the easy option is the metro (Line A runs under Avenida de Mayo) or a short taxi ride. The two southern routes, history and mysteries, are done on foot, since both head down through the Defensa area.

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