SaveToRoam

Itineraries/Americas/Argentina

14 Days in Argentina

Iguazú Falls thundering into a jungle gorge, Perito Moreno glacier calving house-sized icebergs, the world's best steak for ten dollars, tango on cobbled San Telmo streets, and Patagonia's chocolate-box lake town framed by Andean peaks. Fourteen nights through Argentina's greatest-hits route — the country that gives you waterfalls, glaciers, wine, steak, and tango at a fraction of what you'd pay anywhere else.

14 nights
Family of 4
~A$13,345
4 stops
Buenos Aires4n
Iguazú Falls3n
El Calafate & Perito Moreno Glacier4n
Bariloche3n
Start with this itinerarySwap hotels, adjust dates, change stops any time

Your stop-by-stop itinerary

4 stops across 14 nights. Each one chosen so you experience a different side of Argentina.

1

Buenos Aires

4 nights
Fly into Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) from Sydney via Santiago or Auckland (16-20h total). Tienda León shuttle or taxi to Palermo ($20-30, 45 min). Buenos Aires is a walking + Subte (metro) city ($0.50/ride). Uber works everywhere.

Highlights

  • San Telmo Sunday Market — 10 blocks of antiques, tango dancers, street musicians, and street food every Sunday. Free to wander, empanadas $0.50 each, choripán (sausage sandwich) $2. The best family morning in Buenos Aires
  • La Boca + Caminito — the colourful tin-house neighbourhood, tango on the street, Boca Juniors stadium. Free to walk. Stay on the tourist streets (Caminito) and don''t wander into residential blocks
  • Tango dinner show — El Viejo Almacén or Café de los Angelitos. 3-course dinner + professional tango show ($60-90/person, kids welcome at dinner shows). Starts at 8:30pm, finishes 11pm
  • Recoleta Cemetery — ornate mausoleums of Argentina''s elite, including Eva Perón''s tomb. Free entry. Kids treat it as a treasure hunt for the most elaborate tombs
  • Palermo parks + zoo — Buenos Aires'' green lung, Japanese Garden ($3/person), MALBA modern art museum ($10/adult, free under 5), Palermo Soho boutique shopping
  • Asado cooking class — learn to grill the Argentine way, including chimichurri, provoleta, and multiple cuts. ($40-60/person, 3h, includes wine for parents). Or just eat at a parrilla (steakhouse) — steak dinner is $10-15/person

Local tips

  • 💡Argentina is extraordinary value right now — the peso has depreciated massively. A world-class steak dinner with wine is $10-15/person. Budget half what you would for European cities.
  • 💡Stay in Palermo (Soho or Hollywood) for the best family neighbourhood — parks, restaurants, safe streets, and a 15-min Subte ride to the centre. Recoleta is posher and closer to the cemetery/museums.
  • 💡Buenos Aires eats LATE — lunch at 1-2pm, dinner at 9-10pm. Adjust the kids'' schedule or eat at restaurants that open early (7-8pm) for foreigners. Most parillas are genuinely family-friendly.
Suggested stay: Family apartment or boutique hotel in Palermo or Recoleta
2

Iguazú Falls

3 nights
Fly Buenos Aires (AEP domestic airport) → Puerto Iguazú (IGR), 2h, $100-150/pp on Aerolíneas Argentinas. Taxi from airport to town ($10, 15 min). The National Park is 20 min from town by bus ($2/pp) or taxi ($15).

Highlights

  • Iguazú Falls Argentine side — 275 waterfalls across 2.7 km. Walk the upper and lower circuits on boardwalks over and beside the falls. Garganta del Diablo (Devil''s Throat) viewpoint is the centrepiece ($12/adult, free under 6). Plan a full day
  • Gran Aventura boat ride — speedboat INTO the base of the falls, everyone gets utterly drenched. The most exhilarating family activity on this trip ($35/person, 15 min ride + jungle drive). Dry bags provided for phones
  • Brazilian side day trip — cross the border for the panoramic view of the entire falls system from across the river. Different perspective, equally stunning ($15/adult entry, plus border bus). Passport required
  • Iguazú jungle hike — guided walk through Atlantic Forest spotting toucans, coatis (raccoon-like animals), butterflies. Coatis roam the park freely — they''ll steal your sandwich ($10-15/person for guided walk, or free self-guided)
  • Hito Tres Fronteras — viewpoint where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay meet at the junction of two rivers. Free. The three countries'' flags are visible simultaneously
  • La Aripuca — ecological park built from rescued wood, giant log structures, native tree nursery ($8/adult, $5/child). Good rainy-day alternative

Local tips

  • 💡Visit the Argentine side FIRST (full day) then the Brazilian side on Day 2 (half day). The Argentine side has the close-up walkways and boat rides; the Brazilian side has the panoramic money-shot view. Together they give the complete experience.
  • 💡The Gran Aventura boat ride is non-negotiable — yes, you get completely soaked. Bring a dry change of clothes, put phones in the provided dry bags, and embrace it. Kids rate it the trip highlight every time.
  • 💡Coatis (cute raccoon-like animals) are everywhere in the park — they will steal food from your hands. Don''t feed them, keep bags zipped, and hold snacks away from table edges. They''re bold and fast.
Suggested stay: Family hotel or lodge in Puerto Iguazú
3

El Calafate & Perito Moreno Glacier

4 nights
Fly Iguazú → El Calafate (FTE) via Buenos Aires (5-6h total with connection, $150-200/pp). El Calafate is a small town — taxis and tour pickups cover everything. The glacier is 80 km from town (1.5h drive, all tours include transfer).

Highlights

  • Perito Moreno Glacier — one of the only advancing glaciers on Earth. 5 km wide, 60m tall ice wall. Watch (and hear) chunks of ice the size of buildings calve into the lake. Boardwalk viewing platforms ($20/person park entry). The most dramatic natural sight in Patagonia
  • Glacier mini-trekking — strap on crampons and walk ON the glacier for 1.5 hours with a guide. Blue ice crevasses, meltwater streams, whisky-on-glacier-ice at the end ($100-130/person, age 10+). Book 1-2 days ahead
  • Nautika boat ride — 1-hour boat cruise to the south face of the glacier, approach within 200m of the ice wall ($35/person). Combine with boardwalk viewing for the full experience
  • Los Glaciares boat trip — full-day excursion to Upsala and Spegazzini glaciers via Lago Argentino. Bigger and more remote than Perito Moreno ($90-120/person, 8h including lunch)
  • Estancia day trip — visit a working Patagonian sheep ranch. Horseback riding, sheep shearing demonstration, lamb asado lunch ($60-85/person). Estancia Cristina or Nibepo Aike
  • El Calafate town — Glaciarium (glacier museum, $12/adult, $6/child, includes an ice bar with glasses made of glacier ice), chocolate shops, lakefront walk with flamingo sightings

Local tips

  • 💡Perito Moreno boardwalk + Nautika boat ride is the essential Day 1 combo. The boardwalk gives 5 different viewing angles of the ice wall; the boat gets you terrifyingly close to the calving face. Do the boat first (morning departures), then walk the boardwalks all afternoon.
  • 💡Mini-trekking on the glacier is the trip''s premium experience — walking ON a glacier is surreal and the guides are excellent. Age limit is 10 with most operators (Hielo & Aventura). Book online as soon as you know your El Calafate dates.
  • 💡El Calafate weather is wild — Patagonian wind can hit 80 km/h, temperatures swing 15°C in a day, and summer (Dec-Feb) daylight lasts until 10pm. Pack windproof layers, not just warm layers. The wind is the weather here, not the cold.
Suggested stay: Family hotel or cabin in El Calafate town centre
4

Bariloche

3 nights
Fly El Calafate → Bariloche (BRC), 2h direct, $80-120/pp on Aerolíneas. Rent a car in Bariloche ($40-50/day) — essential for the Circuito Chico scenic drive and lake access. Fly out Bariloche → Buenos Aires (2h) for Sydney connection.

Highlights

  • Circuito Chico — 60 km scenic loop drive past lakes, forests, and the iconic Llao Llao Hotel. Stop at every viewpoint, swim at hidden beaches, eat at lakeside restaurants. Free (just fuel), half-day drive with stops
  • Cerro Campanario chairlift — 20-minute chairlift to the summit for what National Geographic called ''the best view in the world''. Lakes, mountains, forests in every direction ($12/person). Go at sunset
  • Chocolate tour — Bariloche is Argentina''s ''chocolate capital''. Rapa Nui, Mamuschka, and Abuela Goye factories offer free tastings. Budget $15-25 for a family chocolate haul. Calle Mitre is chocolate-shop heaven
  • Isla Victoria + Arrayanes Forest — boat trip across Lake Nahuel Huapi to Victoria Island and the ancient Arrayanes (myrtle) forest that inspired Disney''s Bambi ($50/person, 4h)
  • Lago Gutiérrez kayaking — paddle on glassy lake water surrounded by Andean peaks ($40-60/person for 2h guided tour). Morning sessions have mirror-calm conditions
  • Cerro Catedral — Patagonia''s largest ski resort in winter (Jul-Sep). In summer, the chairlift runs for hiking and mountain biking at altitude ($15/person for lift access)

Local tips

  • 💡Rent a car and drive the Circuito Chico yourself — it''s the best self-drive scenic road in Argentina. Pack a picnic from the Bariloche supermarket, stop at Playa Bonita for a swim, and eat chocolate at Colonia Suiza for lunch.
  • 💡Bariloche is Argentina''s Lake District — it looks like Switzerland but costs a quarter of the price. Family cabañas (cabins) with lake views and kitchens rent for $60-120/night and are far better value than hotels.
  • 💡Three nights in Bariloche is the trip wind-down — after Iguazú and Patagonia glaciers, the chocolate shops, lake swims, and chairlift sunsets are the gentle ending the family needs. Don''t over-schedule.
Suggested stay: Family cabana or hotel on the Circuito Chico road near Llao Llao

Good to know

Estimated cost

The ~A$13,345 estimate covers accommodation across all 4 stops. Flights, daily spending, activities, and transport are additional — use SaveToRoam’s savings planner to track it all.

What’s included

When you use this template, SaveToRoam creates your trip with all 4 stops, estimated accommodation costs, and a personalised savings plan. You choose your dates and budget — we handle the maths.

Fully customisable

This itinerary is a starting point. Once it’s your trip, add stops, swap hotels, adjust nights — your savings target updates automatically.

Ready to start saving for Argentina?

Pick your departure date and we'll build a week-by-week savings plan that adjusts as you go.

Start with this itinerary

Swap hotels, adjust dates, and change stops any time