Visitors To Buenos Aires For 3 Days

[Redbeanz]

We have friends who will be in BsAs for 3 days, and want advice on things to see. this may be their only visit to the city. We will be away, so they will be on their own, which is fine, as they are travelers.

We are trying hard not to just suggest places that we especially like, but instead, want to concentrate on places that are quintessentially BsAs. We have been in our own pattern too long to remember the first things we ever wanted to experience here, or a manageable collection of landmarks, museums, parks, events, restaurants that would form a lasting memory of this beautiful city.

We would like to suggest sightseeing in places without which they won't feel as if they have had a true glimpse of the city and its landmarks.

You haven't seen New York if you haven't seen the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Bldg, Metropolitan Museum, Fifth Avenue, St. Patrick's Cathedral. You haven't seen London without seeing Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Westminster Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, Houses of Parliament, a quaint pub.

Please help me fill in the blanks!
You really haven't seen Buenos Aires if you haven't been to
Plaza de Mayo, Obelisco, Tango show, a good parilla, and ...............?
Circulo Militar / Plaza San Martín, Clock Tower?
Recoleta Cemetery?
Puerto Madero?
Parques de Palermo?

Would very much appreciate your suggestions.

 

[Ries]

tea and cakes at Las Violetas.
a choripan at midnight at costanera sur, my favorite is Mi Sueno.
Most of your other suggestions are good.

 

[Matiasba]

if the weather allows it, a day in Tigre.

 

[Girino]

Depending on how fit your visitors are, I'd suggest the following itineraries:

Day 1: Start from Congreso and walk to Plaza de Mayo, crossing Av. 9 de Julio (snap a picture of Obelisco and one of Evita). In Plaza de Mayo visit the Museo Bicentenario (behind/below the Casa Rosada), the Catedral, and Cabildo (you can skip the interior of Cabildo, imho). If on a weekend, visit the Casa Rosada (free, I think 10-16, English and Spanish guided tour). Start walking toward San Telmo. Lunch in San Telmo. From there, haul a taxi and tell the driver to take you to El caminito and to give you a tour around la Bombonera (the Boca Stadium). DO NOT do this tour by foot.
Wander through the Caminito before dark, then take another taxi and ask the driver to give you a tour of puerto madero. You can have an aperitivo or dinner in Puerto Madero, but it is on the expensive side.

If you still have time, attend a tango show at Centro Cultural Borges at 8PM (around ARS 250/person), near Retiro and Puerto Madero.
Have dinner somewhere and go to sleep.

Day 2: Go to Recoleta and walk past Hotel Alvear, visit the cemetery and the sanctuary (enter the paid exhibit). Walk through the Centro Cultural de la Recoleta, cross the Av. Libertador, take a sight of the Floralis Generica and visit the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (free). From there, take a taxi and ask to be taken to the Japanese Gardens. Visit the gardens and then go to Rosedal and walk through the rose bushes (note: not sure if they are blossoming right now). Take another taxi and ask to go to Plaza Dorrego to wander in Palermo and have a nice dinner out.

Day 3: Go to Olivos and take the Tren de La Costa all the way to Tigre. Take a speedboat and have a tour of the Delta del Tigre, maybe have lunch on one of the islands. On your way back, board the other train (linea Mitre) and get off in San Isidro. Wander through the casco historico, near the Catedral, and admire the mansions of the bajo of San Isidro. Take again the linea Mitre and go back downtown for the evening. Maybe go to a Milonga or something.



Or follow the 48-hour tour of Buenos Aires guide of the Tourism Office.

 

[che]

Serafina pretty good with few edits:

Day 1 - From Congresso to Plaza del Mayo stop at Dante Building and more important stop at the CLASSIC Cafe Tortoni to feel the story of the Portena... the singers, poets, artistas, and musicians of the Tango. Have a churros y chocolate or to my taste a whiskey. Nothing better than a mid-morning morning Whiskey to settle into a day of touring.

Lunch in San Telmo La Brigada but we also like Desnuvel or Don Ernesto or Amici Mei or Il Sorpasso (last one hit or miss lately but classic decor - maybe just an espresso...). Or even better lunch if you are headed to Boca by taxi of course then stop at Il Matterello for nice delicious authentic Italian lunch...

After lunch quick drive by stadium then in Boca/Caminito add quick visit to Quinquela Martin museum, the Rio de La Plata artist who captured from his window the daily life of the workers of La Boca, the ships,etc.

For evening maybe apertif in Puerto Madero but then for tango Borges is OK but better and more authentic is head to Palermo for early Tango / Milonga at Salon Canning (depending on day starts as early as 3P). Then on to La Cabrera for a real Argentine steak. Then if you still have legs La Viruta at 10PM for a tango lesson... fun show at start with more energy than Borges.

Day 2 - In Recoleta add Palacio Duhau, the Hyatt, to see the art, have a drink at the Vinoteca. After Belle Artes add MALBA and eat lunch there. Then Japanese Garden and Rosedal. Then walk / taxi to Botanico neighborhood to Evita Museum. Probably can't get all this done in one day,... Dinner night 2 El Establo downtown for classic cantina dinner. Save desert for... Avenida Corrientes to visit the bookstores and enjoy the night lights and night life...Maybe even take in the theater on the Broadway of the south. While there take another picture of Obelisko. Have a pizza slice dessert at Guerrin.... only 3 days BsAs do it now or forever remiss!

Day 3 - Only 3 days in Buenos Aires forget Tigre and San Isidro... IMHO too far and waste of time with 3 days. But if you go to Tigre make sure to bring the OFF to keep the mosquitos away! Day 3 better idea is to fill in what you could do on day 2.

Like... Corrientes early Gato Negro tea time. Or looking for breakfast in gorgeous authentic BsAs confiteria make way to Las Violetas... plus shop/stroll around Palermo...

and depending on day maybe the fair is on in Recoleta or San Telmo or Palermo... in which case all these days need to be adjusted to make way to visit the cultural hippies that is modern day BsAs culture and organize the time the best.

There is also Barrio Norte, Calle Arroyo, Galleria Pacifico and Bulrich, and Belgrano all to be strolled to get to know BsAs better. Full of stores, restaurants to be visited. Need some time to buy leather at Charles Calfun on Posadas. Down the street from Calfun for a mouth-watering lomo sandwich on Posadas is La Rambla. Or in the evening Mancini on Libertad. Then last night Carlos Gardel late night show or back to Salon Canning or back to La Viruda ...

Departing eyes tear up... only 3 days in Buenos Aires.... too short.

Link to some restaurant ideas:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zusieHaRmNGM.kYU5FkePcaBI&usp=sharing

Buon viaggio!

 

[D.B. Cooper]

The San Telmo flea market on Sunday is a must. It's got everything.
The street is closed off to traffic & it becomes a huge street party.
Highly recommended. Only on Sunday.

https://www.youtube....h?v=qE5Oo5NUMak

https://www.youtube....h?v=ApKLfZwzEag

https://www.youtube....h?v=2_zCMnASBik

 

[Girino]

Serafina pretty good with few edits:

Your day 1 is too crowded, you can't possibly visit all of those places! Museums in BsAs open late and close early (at least in my opinion), if you start sitting at every historical place you'll never get it done.
I thought we agreed on the fact that Tortoni is now an overpriced tourist trap, but to be honest I have never been there. What's the atmosphere and the charme when you step a foot out of the place and you are walking through litter? It is not like the Sacher hotel or Demel in Wien - there you have the atmosphere.
Also, don't waste time trying to have authentic Italian food in Buenos Aires. I know Matterello has a nice reputation, but in Buenos Aires, I would look for something Argentine. There is the rest of the world to try Italian food!

In my opinion, MALBA can be skipped. Apart from a self-portrait by Frida Kahlo, if people have been in modern art museums of the US or EU, they won't be impressed.
Las Violetas is nice, but it is too far away, you basically have to go there on purpose and then come back. Too much of a waste of time, and the surroundings are not worth it.
Museo Evita for me is just glitter, there is zero substance. I mean, yeah, nice pictures and memorabilia, but it doesn't explain what she did and why she is so beloved, just who she married and that she was pretty. My guests were confused after the visit.

About Guerrin, I don't really know why people like it. I suppose it is just fame (like anything in Buenos Aires.... have been disappointed too many times now), just like El cuartito.
I had a nice fugazzeta at Banchero (very close to Guerrin) and good pizza at Las Cuartetas (in front of Teatro Gran Rex), but I still have to find a place I would say "you can't miss" for pizza. (And yes, I have resigned to the idea that if it is not 50% queso muzzarela is not pizza.)

An alternative for Day 3 could be a day in an Estancia, but it depends on you visitors. Maybe they are just spending 3 days in BsAs and they heading somewhere else in Argentina? Or maybe they live on the Mississippi and couldn't bother to see yet another river (Delta del Tigre), or they are Texas farmers and won't be impressed by an estancia.


I'd say Day 3 should be kept to do something according to the personal taste / interests of your guests. For example, there are other museums worth visiting if they are interested in indigenous population (Museo etnografico, Moreno 350; Museo de Arte Hispanoamericana, Suipacha 1422) or if they are into architecture they could visit Museo Larreta (Juramento 2291) and Palacio Barolo, plus the antique mansions in the northern suburbs (Museo Pueyrredon, Quinta Los Ombues, Villa Ocampo).

My suggestion is to check the hours and opening days of each location, it is terribly complicated to arrange tours here. Some museums have hideous opening times and then there is the occasionally closed museum with no explanation.

 

[AmigoArtistico]

Serafina, Plaza Dorrego is in San Telmo. Are you thinking of some other place?

 

[Girino]

Serafina, Plaza Dorrego is in San Telmo. Are you thinking of some other place?

Ops sorry, I meant Plaza Guemes in Palermo. Thanks for catching this.

 

[che]

Your day 1 is too crowded, you can't possibly visit all of those places!

EXACTLY! ... therefore your original itinerary Day 3 Tigre is out for sure. And on my itinerary there is too much to do on Day 2 too! Which was my point of crowding it all in. Tigre is an absurd suggestion as is your revised idea to waste time looking at antique mansions or an Estancia. But to you Las Violetas is too far;-)

Las Violetas is far, true. But BsAs is far from the States so it's not that far to see/enjoy if planned correctly. The confiteria is an authentic piece of BsAs history and culture as Statue of Liberty is in NYC, which is also not convenient to visit but for many a must see... so since the confiteria is a must see it might as well be the best. Go early... or for tea time.

MALBA is a must see. It is an important piece of BsAs. Thankfully the cafe is good for lunch which justifies its place on the itinerary, IMO.

Evita Museum may not be interesting to you or some of your guests but obviously Evita to fans or not is an integral piece of BsAs and Argentine history which justifies its place on the itinerary. If the museum sucks maybe that also says something about Argentina and BsAs which the visitor will learn by visiting... Or maybe the visitor will find the films interesting, the mood interesting, and leave a lasting impression of what is the Argentine culture and its history. Sometimes substance is deeper than just the glitz and glam. In fact, the glitz and glam often is meant to distract from the substance. And maybe that was the essence of Evita... maybe those who leave confused are falling for the trap. Maybe in there is the substance. Go back. Dig deeper.

Marterello demonstrates what is good Italian food in BsAs. When traveling you need restaurant choices and in BsAs you can't go to Parilla everyday. Pizza, pasta, parilla is a given... A restaurant with pasta is inevitable along the 3 days so it might as well be Marterello since you're headed to Boca anyway. Plus it's impossible to disconnect the Italian immigrant from BsAs and fortunately Marterello is good food. Not Rome. It's good authentic Argentina Italian food. Otherwise they'll end up in some other pasta joint that blows. And since you cannot disconnect boca and caminito from the italian immigrant it makes sense on that day... at that time. Understanding the history of the neighborhood through its food is always a good idea. Quinquela Martin's work will then speak even louder to the visitor after eating at Marterello in Boca. One has to ask why is this good restaurant is in this dumpy neighborhood... in fact I think you are missing the substance of this piece of the itinerary... IMO. I am simply suggesting go to a Italian restaurant as if it will match one on Rome, New York, or San Francisco... It is there b/c it works with that piece of the itinerary... dig deeper.

I don't eat at Guerrin either... or Cuartito. Although I think the decor at Cuartito speaks to the visitor. Obviously I'm half joking suggesting it after dinner for dessert but then again the fact is it is continually full of Argentines which gives the visitor further insight into the culture and its taste. Some experiences of being a tourist are subtle... for substance one has to feel the whole 3 days in its entirety. For sure one has to visit Corientes at night and visit the book stores regardless of if they like books or the book stores. Again its subtle experience of what is BsAs culture that the guide is providing the tourist. I'm surprised it's not on your itinerary. I'd even try to get into El Ateneo Grand Splendid to further demonstrate the BsAs culture and its reverence for physical books. Just like I'd try to get to Galleria Pacifica to point out the ceiling painting to demonstrate BsAs art history....

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Tortini is a crowded tourist trap. But if you get there early you'll beat the tourists. And people go there for a reason when they visit BsAs. Maybe you should visit it before you slam it. Just like 5th avenue is a tourist mass of people...

There is so much to do in BsAs why do you now change your day 3 from ridiculous Tigre to an Estancia? Day 3 is for more BsAs b/c there is already too much to do on Day 1 and Day 2, and we haven't even visited Teatro Colon yet, which was my subtle point in crowding Day 1 and Day 2 in my response to you... Argentina is big. BsAs is big. You can't do it all in 3 days and include an Estancia or Tigre. It is bad use. BsAs is full of substance that after three days will only become evident later upon reflection. Just like you cant visit Mendoza, Salta, Cafayate, Ushuia, Perito Moreno, Fitz Roy, Calafate, Patagonia etc.... you need more time or another trip. 3 days in BsAs is best spent with 3 days in BsAs, IMO.