For the longest time, or at least since I learned about tango dancing, I’ve been obsessed with Buenos Aires. I dreamed of strolling down the colorful streets in my red flowing dress and listening to Latin music. Luckily, and unluckily, I got to go for work! On the plus side, almost everything is paid for. But the down side is that I’d be spending a full two weeks in this magical city and only getting to really spend 5 days exploring, well 5 days and 14 nights to be exact. Even so, I wanted to make the most of it and see as much as Buenos Aires as I could. Keep reading to see my travel guide for Buenos Aires and all the amazing things this city has to offer.

Where to stay:

On my trip, I learned two very important things about this city: 1) Each neighborhood is extremely unique and feels like a completely different city. 2) Getting around the city is a bitch, unless you walk. So I’m really glad that I stayed on two different parts of the city while I was there.

Palacio Duhau – Park Hyatt Buenos Aires

The Hyatt is in Recoleta, which mimics the French architecture and vibe. It also has most of the museums and parks, and is close to Palermo, the downtown/young hipster area. I decided to go down a couple days early to explore Buenos Aires before I had to be there for work. Since work wasn’t paying for this hotel, I just decided to use my Hyatt points. I love staying at Hyatt hotels at Park Hyatt is the creme-de-la-creme so I was so excited to get to stay at this ultra-luxury hotel. Checkout the blog post with more pictures and a full review of this hotel, here.

Hilton Buenos Aires

Then I stayed at the Hilton, which is over by the port. This area is a little more touresty and has all the amazing food. The San Telmo market is within walking distance, as is a couple of historical sites like the president house. Luckily, on my first two audits I’ve gotten to stay at Hilton properties, so I can accumulate points. And each time I stay with Hilton, I’m pleasantly surprised. This hotel was great and right on the bay!

Where to Eat:

Romario’s has the best pizza and is right outside of the Recoleta Cemetery!

Apparently Michelle Obama ate here when she was in town a couple years ago and WOW, it’s amazing. They have amazing red meets and the portions are huge!

Osaka has the most amazing sushi I’ve ever had!

Okay, side note, they have Doritos burgers at Burger King !!!!!!!! Amazing

What to do:

Bus tour around the city: This was set up through the hotel, they have tours, twice a day, every day. There were a couple other hotel stops that were picked up before us, so maybe there are a couple of large chain hotels that offer this. Anyways, we did it and it was awesome. It’s a 3 hour long bus tour that takes you to all the major spots in the city. What I liked most about it were, the places that you get to see while you’re driving, that you wouldn’t normally go to, like the soccer stadium. The tour takes you to the following places and only cost $35:

• Plaza de Mayo – where you get out and talk about the history

• La Boca – you have 20 minutes to walk around and that’s honestly all you need

• Palermo – driving through the major sites
• Recoleta – short cemetery tour and final stop. Technically, the tour will drop you off at the hotel, or you can stay in Recoleta and hang out. We stayed in Recoleta to eat lunch and shop. See more pics below!

Recoleta Cemetery: The Recoleta Cemetery is a beautiful cemetery and definitely worth a stop. I was sceptical because I thought it would be just like the cemetery on New Orleans. But this one is much more grand and larger. Make sure to check out Evita’s Crypt while you’re there, she’s essentially the Argentina version of Jackie Kennedy.

Museo de Bellas Arts

Floralis Generica is just across the street of the cemetery and on the way to the Museo de Bellas Artes. It’s a beautiful flower sculpture that was a gift from one of the university students.

Where to shop: 

There are multiple outdoor markets, or street fairs, in Buenos Aires. In my experience, each one has unique, handmade, and vintage things to sell. The best part is that most things are inexpensive, in comparison to prices in the US. My two favorite markets are San Telmo Sunday Fair and Feria de Recoleta.

Travel Tips:

Just like in Europe, they are known for their pick pocketing, so guard your valuables and keep your backpack on your front. Also, guard your cell phone with your life. Because of the tariffs cell phones are about 3x more expensive than they are in the US.

Always carry cash. Typically, you cannot tip on a credit card and most places will only take cash.

It’s not a scam, the wine is amazing.

Most people will not speak English, so brush up on your basic Spanish.