Buenos Aires

[top of the world]

Going on the South America cruise February 2020, Buenos Aires to Santiago. How many days should we plan on spending in Buenos Aires before the cruise? Is there much to do there? What do you recommend for us to visit? Thanks for your suggestions!

[boom_boom]

We did 2 days in Feb. before our Eclipse cruise and I felt it was enough. There's lots of history in the city. We also did a Tigre Delta cruise/coach trip which took up most of 1 day.  In the city there is the whole Peon history and sights. We did a walking food and culture tour that was about 3 hours on the other day. Then just went shopping.

[Northern Aurora]

Without knowing anything about the OP's interests I find this question almost impossible to answer.  But in 2015 we spent five full days in Buenos Aires and thoroughly enjoyed our time there.  This last spring we returned prior to a cruise, and, because of time commitments at home, could only spend two full days in BA prior to boarding.  None of our activities this past spring were repeats of what we did or saw in 2015, and we easily could have spent more time in the city.

[dreamercruise]

9 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

Without knowing anything about the OP's interests I find this question almost impossible to answer.  But in 2015 we spent five full days in Buenos Aires and thoroughly enjoyed our time there.  This last spring we returned prior to a cruise, and, because of time commitments at home, could only spend two full days in BA prior to boarding.  None of our activities this past spring were repeats of what we did or saw in 2015, and we easily could have spent more time in the city.

What activities did you do in those two visits?  Please comment on how you like each?  I shall have a day in Buenos Aires before cruise.  Wonder what I can do that day and later when I revisit the place in future.

[Lunenburg]

Have a look here  - lots of ideas. The must see attractions are a place to start.

https://turismo.buenosaires.gob.ar/en

 

Also the Hop on Hop off bus gives a good look around town.

https://www.buenosairesbus.com/?lang=en

[dabear]

We spent 4 nights in BA but one full day we flew to/from Igusau falls. Great site and well worth seeing either in one long day or overnight.

Edited May 8, 2019 by dabear

[clo]

BA is considered "Paris of South America."

[Lunenburg]

Not as dirty and run down as Paris.  Did not see all the beggars on the street the last time there like we did in Paris.   To me, likening Buenos Aires to Paris is an insult.

[clo]

1 hour ago, Lunenburg said:

Not as dirty and run down as Paris.  Did not see all the beggars on the street the last time there like we did in Paris.   To me, likening Buenos Aires to Paris is an insult.

🙂 I didn't make this up 🙂

https://frenchly.us/buenos-aires-paris-south-america/

[Lunenburg]

36 minutes ago, clo said:

🙂 I didn't make this up 🙂

https://frenchly.us/buenos-aires-paris-south-america/

Yes,  I know, I  have heard it before.  It was not intended personally.

 

They also call Uruguay the Switzerland of S. America making some believe it has mountains. It only has a few small hills, most of it is completely flat.( It was a reference to the banking laws which don't apply anymore.)  

[lois1112]

does anyone have recommendations for a tour operator?  I'll be traveling by myself (January 2020) and don't want to do hop/on off

[Lunenburg]

We used https://www.bsas4u.com/en/  for a tango show when we were there overnight. They picked us up and returned us to the cruise port. They have quite a few options  to consider.

[iancal]

We spent six days in Uruguay and five nights in BA.  Enjoyed everything.  We took local transport to Tigre and did arranged our own tour to Igouazu.

 

Prior to starting our cruise we spent time in Santiago, then  flew to Montevideo, Uruguay.     Flights to Montevideo were much less expensive than flights to BA even though the cities are very close-separated by water.  We ferried to BA from Colonia, Uruguay.

[Trend]

We enjoyed 4 days prior to our cruise this past Dec./ Jan, just one simple rule NO Jewelry NO expensive watches.

We did a lot of walking with one day of a tour guide.

The opera house is amazing to tour see.

The Boca neighbourhood, the famous cafe Tetroni, some amazing meat restaurants (and I don’t like meat) the metal flower that opens with sunlight.

The Presidential Palace and of course the  Recollata cemetery.

[DanL]

On 7/23/2019 at 9:37 PM, Lunenburg said:

We used https://www.bsas4u.com/en/  for a tango show when we were there overnight. They picked us up and returned us to the cruise port. They have quite a few options  to consider.

We also used bsas4u for 3 tours-package deal. City tour, estancia, & tango show. Good tours and responsive service. PU & return to hotel if in city center as ours was.

Loved BA. There for 3 days and didn't see everything on our list. Taxis cheap, meat good.

Edited July 30, 2019 by DanL

[clo]

On 7/29/2019 at 5:39 AM, Trend said:

just one simple rule NO Jewelry NO expensive watches.

Curious why you mention this for BA.  I'm under the impression that it's a pretty safe city. No?  'The only place in the world where we had a problem was in Barcelona during the day on a quiet residential street.  We got simultaneously pickpocketed and didn't even know it.

[Trend]

Even the cab driver we used once turned to my husband who was wearing a gold med alert bracelet and told him take it off and hide it.

We had fun but we’re smart about what we wore and were we walked.

[clo]

13 hours ago, Trend said:

We had fun but we’re smart about what we wore and were we walked.

But more so than other parts of the world?  I just don't get it.  From what I've read BA is pretty darn safe.

[Trend]

No I am sure there are other parts in the world with warnings but the fact is this is one.

Be smart we enjoyed our time but heeded warnings, yes we walked by ourselves but in main areas of shopping and historic sites as well as main streets.

[scubacruiserx2]

40 cruises to major cities around the world and we never got a letter like this 

 

 

Our guide ( A mature native of BA ) told us do not walk anywhere at night . We went across the street from our hotel to take photos of our hotel and the English Tower when a young man told us not good with camera , not safe . We heeded his advice .

[dreamercruise]

Thanks for the info (letter) and advice, scubacruiserx2.

[Trend]

You reminded me that we had a similar letter upon boarding Aramara as it was returning to BA for two days at the end of the cruise.

In Rio our guide thanked us for not having a big showy camera as his last clients did and he has some scary situations.

 

[scubacruiserx2]

3 hours ago, dreamercruise said:

Thanks for the info (letter) and advice, scubacruiserx2.

 

You're welcome , forewarned is forearmed . I guess we didn't answer your question . We spend the night in BA usually  to connect flights to Santiago or Miami . On our cruise in January we had 2 days and overnight on the ship . We spent the day with a guide and driver and saw most of what we wanted to see in a day . The ship gave us 2 nights in a hotel and we wished that we would have stayed 1 night before our morning flight to Miami instead of the 2 . In our review we show where and what we did and we hope that it helps others .

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

1 hour ago, Trend said:

You reminded me that we had a similar letter upon boarding Aramara as it was returning to BA for two days at the end of the cruise.

In Rio our guide thanked us for not having a big showy camera as his last clients did and he has some scary situations.

 

 

We haven't been to Rio so thank you for the info if we do go . I do use a nice camera that I keep concealed until I need it . It will be on a strong wrist strap on my wrist before it leaves the case . I always check with the guide before using it . I also use a nice pocket camera which is what I had when I was warned by the young man across from our hotel . 

[Trend]

We certainly enjoyed our time in BA and would go again. We were there at Christmas and went to the opera house to see the Nutcracker Ballet.

Yes we had a guide for one day and saw all the great neighbourhoods but the two other days we went to a leather store the hotel recommended and they made me a jacket and the first day we relaxed by the pool after a long flight.