Panorama of Plaza de Mayo with the Casa Rosada in the background
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Buenos Aires in 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 8.9 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

With two days, Buenos Aires stops being a list of monuments and becomes a city with two faces: elegant and European on the first day, colonial and underground on the second. The pace is comfortable, with time to linger over lunch, wander among the tombs of Recoleta and stroll by the river.

Day 1European elegance and legends

In the morning, "The Best of Buenos Aires: From Plaza de Mayo to the Obelisk", with Avenida de Mayo, the Palacio Barolo and the Teatro Colón. Have an asado at Chiquilín, near the Obelisk. The afternoon is free for Recoleta, a short taxi or bus ride away, and for a bookshop straight out of a film on Avenida Santa Fe. At dusk, head south again for "Underground Buenos Aires: Tunnels, Cannonballs and Forbidden Love", which starts at the Manzana de las Luces. Finish with pizza and fainá on Calle Corrientes.

  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

    Recoleta Cemetery

    A city of marble and granite mausoleums, opened in 1822, with streets, porticoes and sculptures. Eva Perón's tomb is here, in the Duarte family vault. Go in slowly and without a map: the best way to see it is to get lost.

    Directions

    El Ateneo Grand Splendid

    A 1919 theatre turned bookshop, with boxes that are now reading rooms, frescoes on the dome and a café on the old stage. It is a few blocks from Recoleta, on Avenida Santa Fe: ideal for an afternoon coffee.

    Directions

  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

Day 2Colonial San Telmo and the river

Today belongs to the past. Start with "From Colonial Fort to Capital: Buenos Aires in Six Stops", from the Casa Rosada to Plaza Dorrego, and don't skip the Cabildo or the Cathedral. Try some empanadas for lunch and, with the afternoon free, step into the San Telmo Market, a stone's throw from the square. Then take a taxi or bus down to Puerto Madero to see how the old port became a new neighbourhood. It is a fine finish: a flat stroll, evening light on the water and plenty of fresh air.

  1. Morning

    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

  2. Lunch

    Try Empanadas at La Americana. Avenida Callao, 83

  3. Afternoon

    San Telmo Market

    A big iron-and-glass hall from the late 19th century, with antique stalls, greengrocers, bars and cafés. It is the best place to get a feel for the neighbourhood. On Sundays, the Calle Defensa fair spreads across the whole area.

    Directions

    Puerto Madero

    The docks of the old port, with red-brick warehouses turned into restaurants and offices. Cross the Women's Bridge, by Santiago Calatrava, and keep going to the Ecological Reserve if you still have energy.

    Directions

The map

Buenos Aires in 2 days, on the map

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

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

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Before you go

Tips for Buenos Aires in 2 days

  • Keep a SUBE card handy or plan on short taxi rides: between the centre and Recoleta, and between San Telmo and Puerto Madero, there are half-hour walks that are not worth the effort.
  • Museums and many guided tours close one day a week, often Monday. Check the calendar before deciding which day gets what.
  • If you can choose, do San Telmo on a Sunday for the Defensa fair, though it will be far more crowded. The rest of the week the neighbourhood is calmer for photos.

Questions

Buenos Aires in 2 days: your questions

Is two days enough for Buenos Aires?

For a first visit, yes: the centre, Avenida de Mayo, Recoleta, San Telmo and the river. La Boca, Palermo and the big museums are left out. If you have a spare day, the third fits La Boca and its art perfectly.

How far do you walk in 2 days?

The routes add up to about 8.9 km: 6.6 on day one (essential and mysteries) and 2.3 on day two. Add Recoleta, the market and Puerto Madero. Day one is a good deal tougher than day two.

Is it worth booking anything?

Yes: the Manzana de las Luces and El Zanjón tunnels are visited in groups with limited places, and the Teatro Colón and the Palacio Barolo run timed tours. Pick what you want and book before you travel.

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