Private Guides in Buenos Aires

[hikergirl100]

Hi

We will Be coming into Buenos Aires on February 14th on the Grand. Unfortunately we missed signing up for some of the small groups and would like to start a new one. Wondering if anyone has some suggestions. We don't want to take a Princess tour.

Janice

[dr__dawggy]

Hi

We will Be coming into Buenos Aires on February 14th on the Grand. Unfortunately we missed signing up for some of the small groups and would like to start a new one. Wondering if anyone has some suggestions. We don't want to take a Princess tour.

Janice

 

I can recommend this organization:

 

http://www.eternautas.com/index.php?lang=en

 

Eternautas is well established, and has worked extensively with university study abroad programs and international corporations to provide employees with an introduction to the people and culture of Argentina. They offer a number of tours, or you are free to design your own. Per person fees are based on the number of people in your group.

 

I have been very pleased with their services, having used them over a period of five years for various tours for American students who were participants in a study abroad program I directed.

 

You may know this already, but the best place to recruit other cruisers for your group is on the Princess Roll Call for your date.

 

Enjoy Buenos Aires!

[MightyQuinn]

Well with a screen name of Hikergirl, maybe you'll be fine with a walking tour. If so, I can recommend Alan Patrick of Buenos Tours. We did an all-day walking tour with him and covered a tremendous amount, either on foot or using local transit. Our tour included City Centre; Plaza de Mayo; Casa Rosada; San Telmo; Monserrat; Plaza San Martin; Avenida 9 de Julio; Retiro; Avenida Hotel; and Recoleta Cemetery. We stopped for hot chocolate and churros at Café Tortoni, had lunch of empanadas and beer at El Sanjuanino and then took an ice cream break at Volta. We also rode the classic Line A Subway. We were overnite aboard ship in BsAs and Alan arranged an evening tango show for us at Café Tortoni. It was an exhausting but fun day and we'd happily go that route again.

[gannyvan]

I can recommend this organization:

 

http://www.eternautas.com/index.php?lang=en

 

Eternautas is well established, and has worked extensively with university study abroad programs and international corporations to provide employees with an introduction to the people and culture of Argentina. They offer a number of tours, or you are free to design your own. Per person fees are based on the number of people in your group.

 

I have been very pleased with their services, having used them over a period of five years for various tours for American students who were participants in a study abroad program I directed.

 

You may know this already, but the best place to recruit other cruisers for your group is on the Princess Roll Call for your date.

 

Enjoy Buenos Aires!

 

Hello Dr Dawggy,

 

We are UGA alums and bleed red and black also. We will be on the Grand Princess February 14, 2013 but arriving February 10. We have decided not to do the Iguazu Falls trip that we had planned for Feb 11 and 12 . We have contracted with Madi Lang for a full day tour of Buenos Aires for the 13th. At the present time we are planning to go to the Carlos Gardel Tango Show on the evening of the day we arrive. We also plan to go to Las Lilas or similar Argentinian steak house on the night of the 12th. I have enjoyed reading your knowledgeable posts and would appreciate any suggestions you might have on how to spend our newly open 2 days in Buenos Aires. We are considering one of the days going to San Antonio de Areco and an estancia. We are not sure what to do on the other free day. There are 4 of us and we will be staying in the Recoleta area . Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated .

Only 17 days until tailgating before games between the hedges !!!

[pmacher61]

We also plan to go to Las Lilas or similar Argentinian steak house on the night of the 12th.

I trust DR D will concur that you ought to find an alternative to Las Lilas. Mirasol de la Recova, La Cabrera, or a neighborhood spot like 1880 are preferable.

[gannyvan]

I trust DR D will concur that you ought to find an alternative to Las Lilas. Mirasol de la Recova, La Cabrera, or a neighborhood spot like 1880 are preferable.

 

Thanks so much for the recommendations . Is there one that is your favorite over the others ? We will certainly take your suggestions into serious consideration. CC posts have always been helpful.

[pmacher61]

Thanks so much for the recommendations . Is there one that is your favorite over the others ? We will certainly take your suggestions into serious consideration. CC posts have always been helpful.

First, here is a web site that will be helpful - www.guiaoleo.com.ar.

It's very similar to the Zagat surveys of restaurants in various cities wherein consumers rate restaurants on their food, service, and ambience.

 

Second, you should bring US$ cash with you to BA because there is an active and easily accessible black market for US$. The current "parallel" or "blue" rate of exchange is 6.37 Arg pesos per US$ whereas the official rate (that which you will get from an ATM) is 4.59 (minus fees). See http://ambito.com/economia/mercados/dolar.asp. That's a significant difference. The black market is so commonplace that many restaurants will offer 6 pesos to the US$ if payment is made in US$. That is also true of many retail stores. Some will advertise in the window the rate they will give.

 

For steakhouse dining when $ is no object I recommend the elegant Mirasol de la Recova in the corner of the Recoleta barrio known as la Recova. Expect to pay close to US$100 (+/-630 pesos) for two including a bottle of mid-range red wine (Norton DOC or La Linda Malbec are inexpensive good reds) and a shared dessert. You won't be able to eat one whole dessert each after the chorizo/ morcilla appetizer and a 400 grams ojo de bife steak or bife de chorizo steak main course. Reservations recommended.

 

You can spend $60 for the same meal at "1880", a true neighborhood spot in the 1600 block of San Telmo. Ask the asador, Catcho, if he has any good Patagonian lamb (cordero) and tell him that the gringo bicyclist recommended the place. Tip him 20 pesos when you leave. It ensures great food portions for you and especially me the next time I 'm there. Like many BA establishments it may close in Feb so call ahead. Reservations recommended in any case.

 

The most touristic steakhouse is La Cabrera, but the food and prices are sufficiently good that many locals go there, too. What made La Cabrera a really great value when I was last in town (couple of months ago) was that it had instituted a happy hour deal which offered 40% off the total bill (including wine and service charges) if you get there to be seated when the restaurant opens at 7pm. As that is not an especially early hour to sit down for many norteamericanos it can be a winning choice. If the happy hour still exists when you are in BA, I strongly recommend La Cabrera. At those prices you 'll be able to upgrade your wine choice. Don't order any side dishes - each steak is served with a vast array of small side dishes, eg. beans, potatoes, mushrooms, garlic, potato salad, veggies, apple sauce, etc etc. For up to 3 people I recommend a half portion of the chorizo sausage to start. A full portion will be too much even for 3 people. You get the idea.

p.s. Don't overlook the very Porteno lunch at an outdoor stand along the Costa Negra. If you walk through the reserva ecologica located near Puerto Madero you will find these stands all along the sidewalk in that area. For 10-20 pesos, you get an awfully good choripan or steak sandwich. And you can't beat the ambience.

[dr__dawggy]

Hello Dr Dawggy,

 

We are UGA alums and bleed red and black also. We will be on the Grand Princess February 14, 2013 but arriving February 10. We have decided not to do the Iguazu Falls trip that we had planned for Feb 11 and 12 . We have contracted with Madi Lang for a full day tour of Buenos Aires for the 13th. At the present time we are planning to go to the Carlos Gardel Tango Show on the evening of the day we arrive. We also plan to go to Las Lilas or similar Argentinian steak house on the night of the 12th. I have enjoyed reading your knowledgeable posts and would appreciate any suggestions you might have on how to spend our newly open 2 days in Buenos Aires. We are considering one of the days going to San Antonio de Areco and an estancia. We are not sure what to do on the other free day. There are 4 of us and we will be staying in the Recoleta area . Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated .

Only 17 days until tailgating before games between the hedges !!!

 

Go Dawgs!

 

Now, with that out of the way, let's talk about my other passion--Buenos Aires. Sorry to hear you are not able to make it to Iguazu, one of the most beautiful sites on earth. Still, there is much to do and see in BA.

 

I absolutely agree with pmacher about steak house recommendations. Las Lilas is overpriced, appealing to unsuspecting tourists and people on expense accounts. I also agree with his alternative suggestions: I wrote a Trip Advisor review of 1880 Parrilla back in 1976, based on positive experiences there on my own and with the UGA students enrolled in the study abroad program I directed in BA. La Cabrera is another great option, even though it is now overrun with tourists. In fact, all the steak houses mentioned by pmacher are among my favorites as well.

 

You asked about how to spend your time on your "free day." Contracting for a tour of the Delta on a private boat is a great experience. The Delta is a maze of islands and island waterways, filled with wild life and rich in vegetation. I don't know what you will see during your day with a private tour guide, so it is hard to know what else to tell you about additional activities in the city. There are several nice museums in BA...the MALBA (modern art) ad Bellas Artes are two of my favorites. The more specialized Evita Museum in Palermo is worth a look, and has a nice cafe for lunch. I enjoy exploring various neighborhoods in BA, especially those off the beaten path--Caballito (Barrio Ingles especially) or Boedo and Almagro for their connection to Tango. Various types of architecture around town also interest me, and the ethnic diversity found in the city---ethnic enclaves of Asians (barrio "china"), Bolivians, Jews (Barrio Once and the museum at Templo Libertad), and Muslims. A tour of the refurbished Teatro Colon is well worth a couple of hours. The Palacio Boralo tour is another enjoyable activity. You could also go downtown and take a tango dance lesson at Confiteria Ideal or someplace similar. I enjoy poking around town in search of historic bars and cafes....36 Billares for a game of pool, las Violetas for afternoon tea, and many others.

 

Let me know if you have other questions. I will try to check in on the South America board more often, knowing there are other Dawg fans on here. lol.

[ceba]

Hello Dr Dawggy,

 

We are UGA alums and bleed red and black also. We will be on the Grand Princess February 14, 2013 but arriving February 10. We have decided not to do the Iguazu Falls trip that we had planned for Feb 11 and 12 . We have contracted with Madi Lang for a full day tour of Buenos Aires for the 13th. At the present time we are planning to go to the Carlos Gardel Tango Show on the evening of the day we arrive. We also plan to go to Las Lilas or similar Argentinian steak house on the night of the 12th. I have enjoyed reading your knowledgeable posts and would appreciate any suggestions you might have on how to spend our newly open 2 days in Buenos Aires. We are considering one of the days going to San Antonio de Areco and an estancia. We are not sure what to do on the other free day. There are 4 of us and we will be staying in the Recoleta area . Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated .

Only 17 days until tailgating before games between the hedges !!!

 

Hello! We will be in Buenos Aires on January 14th and I have been researching tango shows. Would you mind telling me how you learned of the Carlos Gardel show? Its not one I had seen before. Are you going to purchase the tickets when you get there or on line? So many of the shows seem like tourist traps!.Any info you could share would be greatly appreciated.

[gannyvan]

Hello! We will be in Buenos Aires on January 14th and I have been researching tango shows. Would you mind telling me how you learned of the Carlos Gardel show? Its not one I had seen before. Are you going to purchase the tickets when you get there or on line? So many of the shows seem like tourist traps!.Any info you could share would be greatly appreciated.

 

We chose this one based on the recommendation of a friend who chose this one when we they went to Buenos Aires. When I mentioned it to Madi, our tour guide for Buenos Aires, she said this would be one of the ones she would recommend. She is going to buy our tickets for us and make arrangements for pickup from our hotel. We also received feedback from 4 other tour guides and this was the consensus.

[fisheswithbears]

To those who have freely given suggestions, information, and advice on this thread, I wanted to say Thank You. We are planning our first visit to BA as part of our pre-cruise adventure in January. You are all such a wonderful source for information, and all a person has to do is ask!

[ceba]

We chose this one based on the recommendation of a friend who chose this one when we they went to Buenos Aires. When I mentioned it to Madi, our tour guide for Buenos Aires, she said this would be one of the ones she would recommend. She is going to buy our tickets for us and make arrangements for pickup from our hotel. We also received feedback from 4 other tour guides and this was the consensus.

 

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I will look into this!!

[gannyvan]

Go Dawgs!

 

Now, with that out of the way, let's talk about my other passion--Buenos Aires. Sorry to hear you are not able to make it to Iguazu, one of the most beautiful sites on earth. Still, there is much to do and see in BA.

 

I absolutely agree with pmacher about steak house recommendations. Las Lilas is overpriced, appealing to unsuspecting tourists and people on expense accounts. I also agree with his alternative suggestions: I wrote a Trip Advisor review of 1880 Parrilla back in 1976, based on positive experiences there on my own and with the UGA students enrolled in the study abroad program I directed in BA. La Cabrera is another great option, even though it is now overrun with tourists. In fact, all the steak houses mentioned by pmacher are among my favorites as well.

 

You asked about how to spend your time on your "free day." Contracting for a tour of the Delta on a private boat is a great experience. The Delta is a maze of islands and island waterways, filled with wild life and rich in vegetation. I don't know what you will see during your day with a private tour guide, so it is hard to know what else to tell you about additional activities in the city. There are several nice museums in BA...the MALBA (modern art) ad Bellas Artes are two of my favorites. The more specialized Evita Museum in Palermo is worth a look, and has a nice cafe for lunch. I enjoy exploring various neighborhoods in BA, especially those off the beaten path--Caballito (Barrio Ingles especially) or Boedo and Almagro for their connection to Tango. Various types of architecture around town also interest me, and the ethnic diversity found in the city---ethnic enclaves of Asians (barrio "china"), Bolivians, Jews (Barrio Once and the museum at Templo Libertad), and Muslims. A tour of the refurbished Teatro Colon is well worth a couple of hours. The Palacio Boralo tour is another enjoyable activity. You could also go downtown and take a tango dance lesson at Confiteria Ideal or someplace similar. I enjoy poking around town in search of historic bars and cafes....36 Billares for a game of pool, las Violetas for afternoon tea, and many others.

 

Let me know if you have other questions. I will try to check in on the South America board more often, knowing there are other Dawg fans on here. lol.

 

Thanks so much for all the great information. We will definitely be changing our plans to one of your suggestions for a steak house. Researching some of your suggestions now for free time in Buenos Aires. Planning a Thanksgiving trip to Iceland for a week at the same time ( chasing the aurora borealis ) with friends, so I had to take a little break from South America. Now, back to South America. I may have more questions. Thanks again for the suggestions.

[gannyvan]

First, here is a web site that will be helpful - www.guiaoleo.com.ar.

It's very similar to the Zagat surveys of restaurants in various cities wherein consumers rate restaurants on their food, service, and ambience.

 

Second, you should bring US$ cash with you to BA because there is an active and easily accessible black market for US$. The current "parallel" or "blue" rate of exchange is 6.37 Arg pesos per US$ whereas the official rate (that which you will get from an ATM) is 4.59 (minus fees). See http://ambito.com/economia/mercados/dolar.asp. That's a significant difference. The black market is so commonplace that many restaurants will offer 6 pesos to the US$ if payment is made in US$. That is also true of many retail stores. Some will advertise in the window the rate they will give.

 

For steakhouse dining when $ is no object I recommend the elegant Mirasol de la Recova in the corner of the Recoleta barrio known as la Recova. Expect to pay close to US$100 (+/-630 pesos) for two including a bottle of mid-range red wine (Norton DOC or La Linda Malbec are inexpensive good reds) and a shared dessert. You won't be able to eat one whole dessert each after the chorizo/ morcilla appetizer and a 400 grams ojo de bife steak or bife de chorizo steak main course. Reservations recommended.

 

You can spend $60 for the same meal at "1880", a true neighborhood spot in the 1600 block of San Telmo. Ask the asador, Catcho, if he has any good Patagonian lamb (cordero) and tell him that the gringo bicyclist recommended the place. Tip him 20 pesos when you leave. It ensures great food portions for you and especially me the next time I 'm there. Like many BA establishments it may close in Feb so call ahead. Reservations recommended in any case.

 

The most touristic steakhouse is La Cabrera, but the food and prices are sufficiently good that many locals go there, too. What made La Cabrera a really great value when I was last in town (couple of months ago) was that it had instituted a happy hour deal which offered 40% off the total bill (including wine and service charges) if you get there to be seated when the restaurant opens at 7pm. As that is not an especially early hour to sit down for many norteamericanos it can be a winning choice. If the happy hour still exists when you are in BA, I strongly recommend La Cabrera. At those prices you 'll be able to upgrade your wine choice. Don't order any side dishes - each steak is served with a vast array of small side dishes, eg. beans, potatoes, mushrooms, garlic, potato salad, veggies, apple sauce, etc etc. For up to 3 people I recommend a half portion of the chorizo sausage to start. A full portion will be too much even for 3 people. You get the idea.

p.s. Don't overlook the very Porteno lunch at an outdoor stand along the Costa Negra. If you walk through the reserva ecologica located near Puerto Madero you will find these stands all along the sidewalk in that area. For 10-20 pesos, you get an awfully good choripan or steak sandwich. And you can't beat the ambience.

 

Thanks so much for the wonderful information. We will definitely be changing our plans in Buenos Aires based on your recommendations. I appreciate the info on the currency also. I had read a little about it, but glad to have a confirmation. Sorry to have taken so long to respond. I have been working on an itinerary for a week in Iceland with friends in November ( chasing the aurora borealis ) and that has taken most of our time renting a house, airfare, vehicle rental, mapping our routes etc. Now, back to South America planning. I may be requesting more suggestions when we coordinate our plans with our friends in Calif. Thanks again.

[pmacher61]

Thanks again.

You are welcome. Happy to help.

[commencemilo]

I have been quoted aprice for the Piazzolla Tango show with the dinner for $75 per person. Has anyone seen this show? Is this a good price?

 

Thanks,

 

Melodye

[commencemilo]

gannyvan

 

 

Do you have an e-mail for Madi Lang? I would like to getinfor on a half day or full day tourin BA in December.

 

Thanks.

[gannyvan]

gannyvan

 

 

Do you have an e-mail for Madi Lang? I would like to getinfor on a half day or full day tourin BA in December.

 

Thanks.

 

If you go to the contact tab on her website she will get right back to you. I have spoken to her on the phone at prearranged times. Start here:

http://baculturalconcierge.com/?page_id=13

We are really looking forward to our time with her in February. I have been so impressed with her enthusiasm, willingness to work with us, suggestions, etc.