Quick answer: For a 4-day trip to Buenos Aires, budget about EUR 55 per day (mid-range). Best time: March–May or September–November (spring/autumn). Visa: Visa-free for most EU/US/UK passports (90 days).
BA runs late — dinner at 10, tango at midnight. Four days across Palermo, San Telmo, La Boca and Recoleta, fueled by steak and malbec.
Best timeMarch–May or September–November (spring/autumn)
Budget / day~EUR 55
Suggested length4 days
VisaVisa-free for most EU/US/UK passports (90 days).
4-day Buenos Aires itinerary
- Day 1Palermo
bosques, street art, parrilla dinner.
- Day 2San Telmo Sunday market, Plaza de Mayo, milonga at night
- Day 3La Boca Caminito (day only), Puerto Madero walk
- Day 4Recoleta cemetery, El Ateneo bookshop, café tortoni
Where to stay: neighborhoods that make sense
- Palermo (Soho and Hollywood)leafy streets full of restaurants, cocktail bars and boutiques; the default place to stay
- San Telmocobblestones, tango bars and the huge Sunday antiques market on Defensa street; bohemian and slightly rough-edged
- Recoletagrand Parisian-style architecture, the famous cemetery and museums; elegant and safe but quieter at night
- La Bocathe painted houses of Caminito and Boca Juniors stadium; visit by day, do not wander beyond the tourist blocks
What to eat in Buenos Aires
- Bife de chorizo (sirloin) at a neighborhood parrillaa serious steak with fries runs 10-15 EUR; book weeks ahead for Don Julio
- Empanadasbaked beef or ham-and-cheese pockets, about 1 EUR each; order a mixed half dozen
- Choripángrilled chorizo sandwich with chimichurri from a parrilla stand, 2-3 EUR
- Helado at Rapa Nui or CadoreArgentine ice cream rivals Italy's; a cone with dulce de leche costs about 3 EUR
- Café con leche with medialunasthe standard breakfast in a historic cafe, about 3 EUR
Mistakes most first-timers make
- Changing money without checking rates firstpay by foreign card (which gets the favorable MEP rate) or compare the blue rate before exchanging cash; the official bank rate can cost you significantly
- Showing up for dinner at 7 pmrestaurants are empty or closed; locals eat from 9:30 pm and peak around 10:30 pm
- Keeping your phone out on the street or at sidewalk tablesopportunistic snatching is the most common crime; stay casual but discreet
- Treating La Boca like a normal neighborhoodstick to the Caminito blocks and take a taxi there and back rather than walking from San Telmo
Worth leaving the city for
- Tigre Delta (1 hour by train from Retiro, about 0.50 EUR)boat rides through the river islands and the Puerto de Frutos market
- Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay (1.25 hours by ferry)cobblestoned UNESCO old town for a two-country day; bring your passport
- San Antonio de Areco (about 2 hours by bus)gaucho country with estancias, leather workshops and an old-time pulpería
Getting around
From Ezeiza Airport take an official remis or app taxi to the center for 20-25 EUR (about 45 minutes) - avoid unofficial drivers in the arrivals hall. In town get a SUBE card: the subte and buses cost roughly 0.30-0.50 EUR per ride, and taxis are plentiful and cheap by European standards.
Why this plan won't send you to a closed café
Almawander is an AI travel planner that remembers you across trips - it learns your pace, budget, diet and taste, checks places are still open, and bakes in your passport's visa rules.