7 places to see in Argentina in 2-3 weeks

In this list of places what to see in argentina I will show you the places that we recommend visiting if you intend to travel on your own to soak up nature. In the same country you can see whales and orcas, walk through glaciers, reach the end of the world, enjoy the most beautiful waterfalls on the planet and a thousand and one other things. Sounds good right? Let’s start!

All the information that I provide in this post is based on the experience traveling through Argentina for 20 days, more specifically through Patagonia, Iguazú and Buenos Aires. At the end of the post you will be able to find the recommended route so that you can make the most of your time, as well as the recommended flights since as you know here in Argentina the distances are enormous and you will have to book internal flights.

As I said, based on the route through Argentina (click on the link to expand information) that we did these are the 7 essential places what to see in argentina.

1. Iguazu Falls

the falls of iguazu It is one of those essential places what to see in argentina. Always, I repeat, always, they leave their visitors mesmerized by the infinite beauty of the landscape.

The Iguazú Falls are located inside the Iguazú National Reserve, which, together with the Iguazú National Park, occupy a total area of ​​68 thousand ha. They were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. You have all the information on the Iguazu Falls (how to get there, how much does it cost…) in the link.

Since the Iguazú Falls are located between Argentina and Brazil, Iguazú is usually visited from the Argentine side and the Brazilian side in one or two days. You can reserve your guided tour of Iguazú on the Argentine side and/or you guided tour of Iguazú on the Brazilian side. In both cases they pick you up and take you to your hotel.

To see the Iguazú Falls, the ideal is to sleep in Puerto Iguazú. We stayed at the Marcopolo Inn, but we don’t recommend it because it was very seedy. They speak wonders of Iguazu Nature Hostal for its excellent location and good value for money. In this hotel list I leave you other interesting accommodation options.

2. Punta Tombo Penguin

If you are going to Península Valdés, you must make a previous stop at the Punta Tombo penguin colony to see the Magellan penguins. You have all the information in the following section of Peninsula Valdés.

If you travel on your own, you can go directly to the penguin colony, paying the entrance fee there. If you do not have a vehicle and you are in Puerto Madryn you can book this excursion and guided visit to Punta Tombo which also includes a visit to Isla Escondida to see the impressive sea elephants.

To visit Punta Tombo, a good option is to sleep in Trelew, which is what we did, since it is close to the penguin colony. Good value for money has the Hotel Galicia.

3. Valdes Peninsula

On a trip to Argentina you cannot miss a visit to Península Valdés, a place brimming with nature where the WhalesOrcas, elephant seals and penguins star in the landscape.

People come to Península Valdés to see fauna, specifically whales, sea elephants, sea lions and birds. One of the big dilemmas you face when you decide to travel to Península Valdés is whether to sleep in Puerto Madryn or Puerto Pirámides, the two reference cities of the place. Well, you should know that both options are excellent, but we recommend sleeping in Puerto Pirámides (which is inside P. Valdés) for the reasons that I explain in the post about Valdes Peninsula which we recommend you take a look at to get an answer.

you can book this whale watching in Península Valdés. The tour includes pickup and drop-off at your Puerto Madryn hotel. Hurry up you run out of seats!

To sleep in Península Valdés, the ideal is to look this list of hotels as prices vary frequently.

4. Ushuaia, Beagle Channel and Tierra del Fuego

Ushuaia is the southernmost city in the world. Its attractive mountains, immense lakes and its fauna seem to come out of the old canvases that our grandparents hung on the walls; those canvases in which geese were seen on a turquoise lake surrounded by leafy forests and in the background snow-capped mountains. If when we looked at one of these paintings we said “it doesn’t exist”, we were wrong. It exists, and it is in Tierra del Fuego, next to Antarctica, and is therefore one of the essential what to see in argentina.

People come to Ushuaia to enjoy the mountain and seascapes and its fauna. Here you have to navigate the Beagle Channel and do some hiking trails such as the Marcial Glacier or the Coastal Path or Milestone XXIV, the latter two located inside the Tierra del Fuego National Park. You have all the necessary information to make the navigation and the hiking routes in what to see in Ushuaia.

In Ushuaia this is recommended boat trip through the Beagle Channel. The journey includes a visit to the Isla de los Pájaros, the Isla de los Lobos and the photogenic lighthouse of Les Éclaireurs.

We stayed in one of the Southern Bird Cabinswhich are 100% recommended and which you can book directly at this link.

5. El Calafate, an essential thing to see in Argentina

El Calafate is another classic and essential place what to see in argentina. The reason is very simple, since here is the Los Glaciares National Park, where one of the main natural jewels of the country is located, the Perito Moreno Glacier.

Getting on a boat to navigate through the national park is the main activity you have to do in El Calafate. During the tour you will pass by the imposing Perito Moreno, the Spegazzinni, Onelli and Upsala, among other glaciers. Can book your boat trip through Los Glaciares National Park here. If you do not want to get on a boat you can book this Excursion to the Perito Moreno Glacier.

In El Calafate there is also the Laguna Nimez, which has a 3-kilometer path from where you can see some of the approximately 100 species registered. You have all the information the calafate (boat excursion, lagoon, etc.) at this link.

In El Calafate we stayed at Hostería Los Ñires, which is currently closed. You can search the availability of the Calafate Hostelabout which they speak wonders, although you also have other interesting options in this website to find your best accommodation

6. El Chalten, a classic mountain to see in Argentina

Did you know that El Chaltén is considered the National Capital of Trekking in Argentina? Well that, they come to El Chaltén to kick the mountain. If you don’t like hiking, discard the idea of ​​coming to El Chalten.

There are two routes that we recommend: 1) the classic one that runs from the Poincenot Base Camp to the Laguna de los Tres to reach the base of the Fitz Roy in Los Andes and 2) that of the Mirador de los Cóndores. Do you have all the information about trip to El Chalten in this link. If you do not have much experience in the mountains, it is advisable to take a guided excursion, for example this hiking through Laguna Torreanother classic from El Chaltén.

Here we stayed at the Nothofagus B&B, one of the best of our trip to Argentina that you can book on this link.

7.Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital of the country, and therefore, an essential what to see in argentina. It is a frenetic city, full of life and hundreds of cultural plans to choose from.

To visit the capital of Argentina you should know that its main places of interest are concentrated in an area known as Microcentro. In any case, you must include a visit to the following places: La Boca, Ateneo Grand Splendid, Teatro Colón, Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada, Buenos Aires Cathedral, Recoleta Cemetery, San Telmo Fair and the Obelisk of Buenos Aires. To know them and not lose detail you can do this FREE free tour of the center of Buenos Aires.

Do not leave Buenos Aires without going to see the Tango dance. you can book this Tango show with dinner at Querandione of the most intimate places in Buenos Aires to appreciate the romanticism of tango.

I leave you with this list of hotels in Buenos Aires so you can find your best option.

Map with places to see in Argentina

In the following map I show you the 20-day route that we did on the trip to Argentina. We made some trips to make certain excursions in rental car. You can book your car at a good price at this link. This was the route.

Travel insurance to travel to Argentina

Before traveling to Argentina, do not forget to take out travel insurance, something essential. They are usually cheap and can get you out of a bind. In this link you can get a 5% discount for being a reader of naturalezayviajes.com.

trip route

• days 1-3. I fly to Buenos Aires. Displacement to Puerto Iguazú to know the Iguazu waterfalls. We cross the Argentine-Brazilian border to admire Iguazú not only from Argentina but also from the country of samba.
• days 4-5. Flight to Trelew and visit Punta Tombo by rental car.
• days 6-7. Travel by rental car to Valdes Peninsulathe kingdom of southern right whalesorcas and elephant seals.
• Days 8-11. Days later we flew down to the southernmost city in the world, next to Antarctica, specifically to Ushuaia.
• Days 12-14. A few days later we flew northwest to the calafate to know the Glacier National Park.
• Days 15-16. We continue by rental car to El Chalten to enjoy in the Andes with the majestic Fitz Roy (3.405 m.).
• Days 16-19. Finally we return by plane to Buenos Aires to move away from the adventure of nature and into the cultural adventure.
• Day 20. Flight back.

Other places to see in Argentina

As you already know, my trips always have nature as a preference, which is why I decided to spend most of the days in Patagonia. However, there are other wonderful places in Argentina that I also encourage you to visit. I can’t tell you about them since I haven’t visited them, but I’ll list them for you in case you’re interested.

• Bariloche.
• El Bolsón and Lago Puelo National Park.
• Tucuman.
• Salta.
• Hill of the 7 colors in Purmamarca.
• Jujuy.
• Córdoba.
• Mendoza.

What did you think of the post? Do you recommend a specific place or do you have any questions about traveling to this fascinating country?

Leave us a comment and tell us your doubts or experience.