After traveling through Argentina for 4 months I often get asked for the best places to visit in Argentina. Therefore I put together this top 10 list covering the highlights from north to south and west to east of this beautiful country!
I was lucky enough to travel almost the complete country from Salta in the north to Ushuaia in the very south – I hiked, learned spanish, hitchhiked, had big nights out and enjoyed great food.
This article is part of a whole series of free guides for Backpacking in South America.
1) El Chaltén
El Chaltén is the trekking capital of Argentina and is surrounded by world famous mountains (Cerro Torre & Mt Fitz Roy), glaciers and lakes. Hiking in this area is unbelievably beautiful and should be very high up on your bucket list. I also wrote a hiking guide about it.
2) Ushuaia & Tierra del Fuego
The end of the world is more beautiful than it sounds – the rough coast along the Beagle Channel is impressive, offers great outdoors and is the destination for adventure seekers (antarctica expeditions start here).
3) Rosario
As you know I fell in love with this little gem located at the Parana river. The great location, the warm-hearted people and the fact that there are not so many tourists are perfect conditions for a get-away from the hectic capital!
Update 2024: Because of the increased crime rates I can't recommend visiting Rosario anymore!
4) Bariloche
The beautiful lake region around Bariloche is without any doubts one of the must places to visit in Argentina. Nowhere else you can find so much green landscape – perfect for hiking, biking or a road trip!
5) Iguazu Falls
At the northern border Argentina shares one of the worlds most impressive falls with Brazil. Due to the infrastructure and viewpoints the argentinean side near Puerto Iguazu is often called the better option to see the Iguazu falls – but I recommend to bring more time to checkout both sides 😉
6) El Calafate & Perito Moreno
With its glaciers patagonia made it high up on my overall list for regions to visit in South America. In the argentinean part the National Park Los Glaciares is awaiting you with the Perito Moreno. Due to the location of the glacier facing a small peninsula you're able to get up really close.
7) Buenos Aires
Everything comes together in the capital: history, tango, nightlife, good food, impressive architecture, great streetart…though Buenos Aires can be quite tough after a while, you shouldn't miss it!
8) Salta
In the north of the country you should visit the Valles Calchaquíes – perfect for a day trip from Salta or even multiple day hikes!
Check out the guide I wrote about the best things to do in the region of Salta & Jujuy!
9) Mendoza
Argentina is famous for its red wine, the most popular one is the Malbec. Mendoza is the wine region of the country, if you visit you should go on a wine tour – also the hostels are great here (most of them have swimming pools) and the nightlife is awesome.
10) El Bolson
This small Hippie-village is located to the south of Bariloche and offers a great landscape beside a very special atmosphere. If you go hiking the “Cabeza del Indio” is a nice little hike where you come to see the panorama above!
my complete eBook for Argentina
This is a clear and concise 100 page eBook based on my experience from 3 months traveling through Argentina.
The book includes travel guides for the several regions of Argentina as well as a tiny trekking guide for El Chaltén and Ushuaia. Checklists are included to help make sure you don’t forget anything.
This eBook is designed to save you a lot of time & make your trip much easier. Download it now and take it with you!
more information >>
Your favorite places to visit in Argentina?
Let me know in the comments which place is your favorite or if you think there is another which should be in the list!
