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7 best places to visit in Argentina for the trip of a lifetime

Argentina offers lively cities and tranquil wildernesses, majestic waterfalls and soaring mountains – not to mention wildlife-filled wetlands and glorious architecture. If you’re planning a trip to this marvelous country any time soon, here are some bucket list destinations you can’t miss:

Buenos Aires: South America’s Paris

A vibrant, cosmopolitan city with iconic monuments, historic landmarks, lovely parks, great art and delicious steak dishes, it is often described as an European looking city with a strong Latin vibe.

Immense boulevards, fantastic shopping opportunities, state-of-the-art buildings next to centuries-old colonial houses, gorgeous cafés and cobbled streets make Buenos Aires one of the best places to explore in Argentina.

Be sure to visit La Boca, Buenos Aires’ most colorful neighborhood and home to the quirky Caminito Street Museum, a splendid pedestrian zone and open-air museum popular for its brightly painted houses, amusing sculptures, cafés, music, and tango dancers in the streets.

Fashionable Recoleta is another must and is where you’ll find the Recoleta Cemetery, with its elaborate mausoleums containing the remains of such famous Argentines as Eva (Evita) Perón, along with numerous public gardens, museums, art galleries, cafés, and boutique shops.

Other districts to explore if time permits are Palermo and Belgrano with their wide boulevards and palatial mansions, and, in the downtown core, the delightful Plaza de Mayo.

Iguazú Falls: the most spectacular sights

Considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world, this stunning falls lie along Argentina’s border with Brazil, with Iguazu National Park on the Argentinian side and Iguaçu National Park on the Brazilian side ensuring their preservation as well as that of the rainforest surounding them.

Declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, these huge waterfalls are undoubtedly one of the most spectacular sights in South America.

Visitors can get quite close to these thundering falls thanks to a network of easily accessible walkways and viewing platforms designed to provide the best possible views, including some at the very bottom of the falls, an area known as the Devil’s Throat.

Iguazu is, in fact, made up of between 150 to 300 individual falls along its nearly three-kilometer edge, a number that changes depending on the season, varying in height between 60 to 82 meters, and each as spectacular as the next.

Served by an international airport in Argentina (and one in neighboring Brazil), it’s relatively easy to visit, particularly if flying from Buenos Aires.

Salta and the North West

The province of Salta is one of the most important ones in the North West Argentine region. One of the things you should definitely not miss while there is the chance to ride the “Tren de las Nubes” (Train to the clouds). It’s one of the highest altitude train rides in the world at over 4200 m elevation and goes through colorful highlands and a magical viaduct.

As you’re exploring the North West, why don’t you plan a road trip to the Quebrada de Humahuaca? Famous for its breathtaking rocky landscapes, deep blue skies and small adobe villages scattered here and there, its unique color palette will inspire the artist within you and you’ll definitely fall in love with the local people.

Located in the provinces of Salta and Jujuy in northwestern Argentina, Salinas Grandes is a vast white desert that stretches for more than 200 square kilometers into the horizon. Stunning and spectacular, Salinas Grandes is the third largest salt flat in the world and the largest in Argentina. Do not miss the chance to explore this breathtaking scenery!

Salta and the NW region are absolutely Instagram-worthy so don’t forget your camera or your well-charged mobile phone as you’ll have plenty of opportunities to take stunning pictures. This region is definitely one of the best to visit in Argentina.

Mendoza, the land of good wine

Located at the foot of the Andes, the province’s capital city (also called Mendoza) is a bustling yet laid-back metropolis. The kind of place that you find instantly appealing and keeps you for longer than expected.

About 75% of the country’s wine production originates here, so make sure you take some time to explore the local vineyards and wine cellars that are mostly located in Guaymallen, Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo.

Malbec is the top wine variety produced here and it’s really irresistible but there’s also Semillon, Tempranillo, Torrontes and Syrah.

Home to the highest peak of the western hemisphere (the Cerro Aconcagua), Mendoza is a great place for adventurous spirits. Skiing, horse riding, rafting and mountain climbing or trekking are just some of the many fun activities that adrenaline seekers can try there.

Perito Moreno Glacier

Patagonia is without a doubt one of the best places to go in Argentina. And within Patagonia, the Glaciers National Park shines brightest.

This is definitely one of the busiest and most popular attractions in Patagonia and ranks high with Iguazu in terms of sheer number of visitors.

Use the small city of El Calafate as your base. Glaciers National Park and  the internationally renowned Perito Moreno Glacier are about a twenty minute drive from here.

You don’t need too much time to see the glacier, whether you trek across the ice on the iconic Big Ice Trek or simply admire it from afar, it can easily be done in one day if you’re in a hurry.

If you have more time, there is plenty to do in El Calafate, from traditional ranches to horseback riding.

Continuing on in Patagonia from here? The two most common destinations to combine with El Calafate are Ushuaia (hop on a plane) and/or El Chalten (next up on this list).

El Chalten, a trekking lovers' paradise

El Chaltén is a delightful frontier town that was initially formed as an outpost in the late 70s in the Patagonian region of southern Argentina.

Small it may be, but Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torres – two of Patagonia’s most extraordinary peaks – have put this scenic little village on the map for hiking, mountain biking, and trekking adventures. In the summer months (November till March), you can expect to find the town heaving with tourists.

Overlooking the northern part of Los Glaciares National Park, the village of El Chaltén is the starting point for an abundance of hiking trails. The one you choose depends on your personal preference.

Popular hikes include the relatively easy trek to the isolated Lago del Desierto, the sunrise spot at Laguna Capri, and the longer, more challenging hike to Laguna de los Tres or Laguna Torre.

After a day on the trails, the village’s La Cerveceria local brewery is the go-to hotspot in town for a post-hike thirst-quencher.

Ushuaia: The End of the World

At the southern end of Argentina, Patagonia is famous for its spectacular landscapes: a dramatic mix of the Andes and long stretches of plains and plateaus. Most adventures here start in Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city.

Established as a penal colony in the early 20th century and now a popular jumping-off point for trips to Antarctica or around Cape Horn, this town on the shores of Beagle Channel is surrounded by a unique landscape of mountains, sea, glaciers, and woods on the edge of the Tierra del Fuego National Park, with its spectacular scenery and diverse flora and fauna.

Named after Darwin’s ship, the Beagle Channel cuts through the heart of the national park, and you can board a boat in Ushuaia to cruise through this historic waterway all the way to the Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse – also known as the End of the World Lighthouse – built in 1884 on the Isla de los Estados.

Other popular places to visit include the End of the World Museum, where you’ll find exhibits relating to the region’s natural history, aboriginal life, and early penal colonies; and  the Maritime Museum of Ushuaia, which is housed in the town’s notorious former military prison, and is worth visiting for its many maritime artifacts and scale models of famous ships such as Darwin’s Beagle.

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