2 Weeks in Argentina

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I have totally fallen in love with Argentina and want to go back to explore more of the country! Whether it is your first time in Argentina or if you have been before but are looking to experience Argentina’s beauty and diverse again, this 2 weeks in Argentina itinerary covers a lot and let’s you experience the highlights of the country.

Notes About the Itinerary

• You will need to fly within Argentina for these 2 weeks
• This itinerary has early morning flights to make most of the 2 weeks in Argentina but you can adjust as needed
• You will have to connect via Buenos Aires. There are 2 airports in the city. Search for flights using the code BUE to pull up results for both airports
• If you are flying in and out of Buenos Aires from/back home, you could break Buenos Aires into 2 (i.e., 2 days at the beginning and 1 day at the end).

Don’t go to Argentina without reading my step by step guide on how to plan a trip to Argentina

These tips on Argentina will be very helpful! Read them before you go!

2 Weeks in Argentina

Day 1-3 – Buenos Aires (Overnight Buenos Aires)

There is a lot to see and do in Buenos Aires. My recommendation is to spend at least 3 nights in the city. Buenos Aires is a massive city, so you have to make sure you are combining things close together on your 3 days here. The good news is that Uber and taxis are very cheap in Buenos Aires.

See my very detailed itinerary on what to do in Buenos Aires in 3 days HERE

Places and Things Not to Miss

(These are just the highlights. My post linked above has a day by day itinerary with many more things to do and see)

• Recoleta Cemetery
• La Boca
• San Telmo
• Puerto Madero
• Plaza de Mayo
• Teatro Colon
• Tango
• Fogon Asado

Read these very important and must know tips before visiting Buenos Aires HERE

Leave Buenos Aires early morning on day 4 for Patagonia. There is a flight that takes off in the wee hours of the morning. The main airport is in El Calafate (FTE).

Day 4 – 8 – Patagonia

Patagonia is one of my favorite places in the world! It’s raw, remote and pristine! Spend 5 days of your 2 weeks in Argentina in Patagonia. You could probably spend a whole month in this region, if you have the time. Starting in Bariloche in Northern Patagonia and ending in Argentina’s southern most tip (Ushuaia). However, since you are only spending 2 weeks in Argentina, 5 days will have to do for this time. These 5 days will focus on Los Glaciares National Park, starting in El Calafate, which is also known as the land of the glaciers and then going to El Chalten, which is the hiking capital of Argentina.

Day 4-5 – El Calafate (Overnight in El Calafate)

As I mentioned above, El Calafate is the land of the glaciers and there are a lot of glacier related activities that you can do here.

If you took the early morning flight from Buenos Aires, then you can do a glacier sailing experience on day 4. You may not make it in time for pick-up from El Calafate for the morning tour but this company offers afternoon tours.

I wrote about the entire experience and what to expect HERE

I really enjoyed this tour and highly recommend it! It’s one of the best ways to see the raw beauty of Patagonia!

On day 5, make your way to see the Perito Moreno Glacier. The cool thing about this glacier is that you get to see it up close and also can hike it if you want to. You need to book a tour to hike the glacier. If glacier hiking is not your thing, you could also kayak or take a boat trip. All these require a tour company. However, you can visit the catwalks on your own.

Check out this post that covers all the available activities, how to get there and more very important tips HERE

Day 6-8 – El Chalten (Overnight in El Chalten)

Spend Days 6, 7 and 8 in El Chalten, Argentina’s national hiking capital. The drive between El Calafate and El Chalten is about 2.5 hours. Get to El Chalten at a reasonable time so there is time to do things on day 6. I have written detailed posts for all of the things to do in El Chalten listed below.

Places and Things Not to Miss

• Lookout points and short hikes
• Huemel Glacier
• Laguna de Los Tres hike – full day hike
• Laguna Torre Hike – full day hike (but shorter than the one above)

HERE you will find how to combine and do these hikes in 3 days.

Depending on what time your flight is on day 9, it maybe better to spend night 8 in El Calafate (where the airport is).

Day 9 – 11 – Iguazu (Overnight in Iguazu)

Next up on this 2 weeks in Argentina itinerary is Iguazu. Day 9 will more or less be a travel day as you will have to connect via Buenos Aires to go from El Calafate to Iguazu. Depending on the time of your flights, you will probably make it to Iguazu around evening/night time.

The main attraction in Iguazu are the waterfalls. You need 2 days in Iguazu, one for the Brazilian side and one for the Argentinian side. Alternatively, you could try and squeeze in both sides in one day but I don’t recommend it as you will need to factor in the border crossing.

You may also need a visa depending on where you are coming from, so please check!

Which park to go on which day really depends on what you do in each park and what attractions are open. If you go on the boat ride on the Brazil side, you need about 5 hours to see the entire park. If not, 3 hours is more than enough time in Brazil. On the Argentinian side, if devil’s Throat is closed, and you are not doing a boat ride, then you can see all of the Argentinian side in about 3 hours IF you are not doing anything else but the falls.

I cover how to spend 2 days in Iguazu in this detailed post.

Options for Flying to Mendoza

• You could take an evening flight from Iguazu to Buenos Aires on day 11, stay at a hotel near the airport and then take an early morning flight to Mendoza on day 12.
  • This can easily be done if you go to the Brazilian side on day 1 and the Argentinian side on day 2. The Argentinian side opens earlier. If Devil’s Throat is closed and you are only visiting the falls, you could easily go to the park early and take an afternoon flight to Buenos Aires.
  • This is better than option 2 in my opinion as you then have a full day in Mendoza
• You could take a morning flight on day 11 from Iguazu and land in Mendoza mid-day on day 12 (you will still have to connect via Buenos Aires.
  • You will have to cut down some activity from what I am suggesting below.

Day 12-14 – Mendoza (Overnight in Mendoza)

Mendoza is a wine lover’s dream but there are also lots to do if you love outdoorsy activities. You could spend all 3 days at wineries OR you could do a mixture of wineries and activities which is what I did. Here is how I broke down my 3 days in Mendoza but please feel free to mix it around.

This 3 days in Mendoza itinerary breaks the 3 days down.

Day 1 – Wineries – I had a full day on day 1 as I took an early morning flight to Mendoza, so I visited 4 wineries this day, including having a multi-course lunch with wine pairings at one of the wineries

Day 2 – Hiking – I spent this day, hiking to Confluencia which is mount Aconcagua’s first base camp. After the hike, I spent time in a thermal water park relaxing and unwinding. If yo much rather keep to wineries, you can select some from these top rated wineries in Mendoza. If you don’t want to hike but still want to do other outdoor activities, you can see here for more details. Whatever you choose to do, don’t miss out on having dinner at Casa Vigil once back in the city. This Michelin Star restaurant was top notch!

Interested to learn more about the Confluencia hike? Check out this post! I breakdown how to get there, the hike and how to make reservations for it!

Day 3 – Wineries – I visited another 4 wineries and did a multi-course lunch with wine pairings at one of them.

See HERE for winery recommendations and more on how to get around in Mendoza!

At the end of day 14, you can either catch an evening flight back to Buenos Aires (if you need to go back home from Buenos Aires) or fly back the next day.

What to Eat in Argentina

Argentina is a food lovers paradise! See HERE for food you should not miss when you visit Argentina!

What to Pack for 2 weeks in Argentina

You will need to dress for both the cooler Patagonian climate and the tropics in Iguazu during these 2 weeks in Argentina. See here for a detailed packing list!

More Places to Add if you Have the Time

• Lake District – Bariloche
• End of the World – Ushuaia
• Jujuy Province – Salta
• Cordoba

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