A backpacker pausing above the mountain scenery near El Chaltén.

Give the journey a shape

Good days. Room between.

Choose a route with time to enjoy it: Buenos Aires and Iguazú in a week, city life and Mendoza in ten days, or a fortnight reaching the glaciers and trails of southern Patagonia.

Compare the routes

A backpacker pausing above the mountain scenery near El Chaltén.

Argentina itineraries

Choose the days you want to remember.

Start with the part of Argentina that draws you most, then build the route around it. These itineraries keep the overnight bases and transfer days visible so that a beautiful sequence on a map also works as a holiday. The week-long route gives Buenos Aires one full day before the falls; ten days add a fuller city chapter and five nights in Mendoza; two weeks support a walking-focused journey through southern Patagonia. They are complete starting plans, with clear assumptions about arrival, departure and season. Use the destination guides to deepen a chosen stop instead of adding another region simply because its name is familiar.

01
Count the usable days
The national itineraries include arrival on Day 1 and departure on the final day. The Buenos Aires guide covers four full city days, with arrival and departure arranged around them. Match that distinction to the actual tickets.
02
Let the season choose the region
The southern Patagonia route depends on suitable conditions for walking. If your dates do not fit, choose another regional chapter rather than assuming that the same trail plan works throughout the year.
03
Change a chapter, not every night
A route becomes easier to adapt when several nights share one base. Replace the regional stay as a whole if your interests change; adding a third distant region usually takes time from the places already chosen.

A rainbow above Iguazú Falls and the surrounding forest.

01 · One week

City rhythm. Falling water.

Seven days work best with one clear contrast. Begin in Buenos Aires, fly to Puerto Iguazú for three nights and return to the capital before the international departure. The regional stay contains a full Argentine park day and a second day that can absorb weather, another park visit or a quieter outing. You get the scale of the falls without making them an airport stop between flights. The compromise is the city: there is one full day at the beginning, plus whatever the arrival and return days genuinely allow. Travellers whose main interests are architecture, food and neighbourhood life should consider staying in Buenos Aires for the week instead, using the four-day plan as a starting point and adding slower city or nearby days.

01
Seven days, six nights
Two nights in Buenos Aires, three in Puerto Iguazú and a final night back in Buenos Aires. Two domestic flight days remain part of the itinerary.
02
Choose it for
A first introduction to the capital and a substantial natural highlight. Leave Iberá, the Northwest and Patagonia for a longer journey rather than adding a third region.

See the seven-day itinerary

Wine barrels in the Salentein cellar in Mendoza.

02 · Ten days

City days. Time at the table.

Ten days allow Buenos Aires and Mendoza to feel like two proper stays. Spend three nights in the capital, then five in Mendoza before returning for the final night. The wine-country chapter separates Luján de Cuyo, the Uco Valley and Maipú instead of trying to cover their different landscapes in one day. A city day between outings brings Mendoza's plazas, park and market into the journey and gives the palate a rest. The plan suits travellers who enjoy food, architecture and a long lunch as much as a landmark. Choose a driver or arranged transport for tasting days; a car is useful only when its use fits the day, and driving after wine tasting does not belong in the plan.

01
Ten days, nine nights
Three Buenos Aires nights, five Mendoza nights, then one in Buenos Aires before departure. Both regional flight days are accounted for.
02
Choose it for
A relaxed two-region journey with cultural visits, winery appointments and time between them. A vineyard stay can replace a city night once its transport and meal arrangements are clear.

See the ten-day itinerary

The deep blue ice wall of Perito Moreno Glacier in Santa Cruz.

03 · Two weeks

From city stone to blue ice.

A fortnight makes room for southern Patagonia without reducing the mountains to a rushed detour. After three Buenos Aires nights, spend three in El Calafate and five in El Chaltén. The route gives Perito Moreno its own day and leaves several chances for walking near El Chaltén, including a shorter first outing and a recovery day. Return through El Calafate and Buenos Aires with an overnight stop in each before the final departure. This is a walking-oriented route for a suitable season, not a year-round promise of open high trails. Its strength is the time to respond to conditions. Its deliberate omission is another distant highlight: Ushuaia, Iguazú and Mendoza each deserve the days that adding them here would remove.

01
Fourteen days, thirteen nights
Three nights in Buenos Aires, three in El Calafate, five in El Chaltén, then one in El Calafate and one in Buenos Aires.
02
Choose it for
Glacier viewpoints and a substantial mountain stay. Longer walks remain choices based on fitness, preparation and current conditions, with shorter alternatives built into the route.

See the two-week itinerary

A couple performing tango on a Buenos Aires street.

Start with one city

Four days. Different Buenos Aires.

Architecture around Plaza de Mayo, market life in San Telmo, the stonework of Recoleta and the gardens and tables of Palermo. Group the neighbourhoods into days that leave room to notice what happens between the stops.

Follow the four-day city plan

From the journal