Argentina Solo Travel Guide – Tips & Places!

Is it safe to travel solo to Argentina?

Yes, Argentina is one of the safest countries in South America for solo female travel. In particular, the small towns in Patagonia and those in the north felt almost idyllically safe. Locals told me you can walk around Salta city, even at night.

Like many countries, the capital is where you’ll want to exercise the most caution, especially due to theft and phone snatching. The main area of BA that’s unsafe but popular with tourists is La Boca and you can take a free walking tour with a local for safety. Palermo is the safest area to stay; San Telmo is a close second.

The chance of experiencing crime in BA isn’t higher than in other cities like Paris or London where phone snatching also occurs. It’s like any big city.

It’s worth noting that, economically, it’s a tough time for Argentinians. When I visited in 2024, they’d seen hyperinflation on their currency in the last year without wages rising to match it. Understandably, financial hardship can result in an uptick in crime. Just be mindful and keep your valuables close; you should be fine.

See all my solo female travel safety tips

Is Argentina suitable for first-time solo travellers?

Generally, I wouldn’t point first time solo travellers towards anywhere in Latin America over places like Southeast Asia and Europe with better safety ratings and more people speaking English. (Tip, see my guides to solo female travel in Southeast Asia and Europe to plan a trip).

However, given that it’s safer than solo travel in Chile and Brazil (anyone will tell you it’s safer than Brazil and I will tell you I felt a lot safer than in Santiago and Valparaiso), I’d say it’s doable if you’re keen to visit. Brush up on your Spanish and stay in hostels to have a community around you.

Bad things about solo travel in Argentina

• Basic hostels – in my opinion, the hostels in South America got nuthin’ on Southeast Asia. Although they do the job, they’re basic and rarely have privacy curtains, individual chargers etc.
• Some safety concerns in BA – for example, theft isn’t uncommon, especially in La Boca neighbourhood
• Issues getting cash following the financial crash – when I visited in 2024, you needed to bring USD/Euro or send yourself money via the Western Union app (more about this later). Not a solo travel-specific problem but generally inconvenient.

Best time to visit Argentina

The weather changes a LOT so it’s worth giving some thought.

The summer (December-February) can be scorching: up to 40°C. A downside of summer is the mosquito season that comes with it.

On the flip side, winter (June-August) temperatures drop to 0°C even outside of Patagonia with rain to boot.

The shoulder seasons of autumn (late March to June) and spring (September to November) can be ideal. Locals often say October is the perfect month.

It also varies by region. The north (Salta, Jujuy, Iguazu) is typically warmer so can be visited early in spring and well into autumn, however tourist season in chilly Patagonia is wrapping up by the end of April.

My experience: I visited Patagonia in late April and had great luck with the weather given that the season was nearly over. The region was beautiful, covered in red leaves but not too cold (but I can’t promise this is always the case!).

Then, my luck ended as I explored the rest of the country in May. After a warm start in the north, the weather became cold and grey (often around 5°C) and miserable… Even for a Brit!

So, I’d recommend late spring or early autumn rather than going any closer to winter. But, to be honest, luck plays a big part especially as the climate becomes increasingly unpredictable.

How to get around Argentina

Where to start

Best places to travel solo in Argentina

Compared to the fact I only visited 5 places in Chile (Santiago, Valparaiso, 2 stops in Patagonia and the Atacama Desert), I made 9 stops in Argentina! I spent a month and could have happily stayed even longer. There’s so much to see and do!

Here’s where I went…

Things to do in Buenos Aires

• Tick a tango show off your bucket list – there are plenty of dinner shows including a meal or snacks and wine depending on the package.
• Take a street art tour – I enjoyed the Palermo one with BA Free Tours and I’ve also spotted one in lesser-visited areas with BA Street Art Tours.
• Spend a Sunday at San Telmo Antiques Market and head inside the food market (open 7 days) to try choripan and more.
• Explore historic La Boca neighbourhood known for tango and football. It may be an Insta dream with its Caminito colourful houses, but you should be careful snapping pics as it’s not the safest area. Solo travellers can take a free walking tour with a local guide for safety.
• Cruise through Tigre (a 45-minute drive from the centre) on a river cruise – best done in the summer. I got together with two other solo travellers at the hostel to split an Uber and have some company for the boat ride.
• Explore grand Recoleta & Retiro areas and go inside Recoleta Cemetery full of decadent tombs with captivating stories (I did the Recoleta free tour and the $10 Cemetery tour)
• Marvel at El Ateneo Grand Splendid voted one of the world’s most beautiful bookstores.
• Tour grand buildings like Teatro Colon (and catch a show if you can) and take a guided tour of Palacio Barolo based on Dante’s Divine Comedy.

Best food in Buenos Aires

• Pizzeria Guerrin – a historic restaurant serving pizza and empanadas since 1932. Rather than sit for a whole pizza, solo travellers can grab slices standing with the locals. I sampled the fugazza (white pizza with onions), anchovy pizza, and the especial with ham, olives and sweet peppers.
• Pizza Angelin – featured on Somebody Feel Phil on Netflix, the quality of the pizza makes up for the run-down aesthetics.
• La Choripaneria – this busy stand in San Telmo market is worth visiting on a weekday to avoid the crazy queues! There are so many combinations of choripan (chorizo in bread) from the classic with chimichurri to house specials with blue cheese.
• Coffee: Obredor de Panes – a beautiful, quirky cafe with speciality coffee and great cakes in San Telmo.
• Coffee: Confiteria Ideal – this grand cafe is worth visiting as a treat to admire the gold-laden decor and decadent ceiling. The cakes are out of this world!
• Heladeria Cadore – the best ice cream in the city. Get the pistachio or, if you have a sweet tooth, dulce de leche.
• Meat: some people will tell you to visit the famous Don Julio but locals will tell you it’s overpriced and overrated. I ate at La Brigada Parilla as a midrange option in San Telmo but there are endless options.
• Vegetarian food: I tried Naturaleza Sabia in San Telmo and Puerta in Palermo, both are fantastic!

Things to do in Salta city

• Take the free walking tour – led by an informative local at 6pm daily from the pink cathedral in the main plaza.
• Go up San Bernado’s Hill by foot or teleferico for panoramic views.
• See some of the world’s oldest mummies at the Museum of High Altitude.
• Enjoy live Peña, a type of folklore music played over dinner.

Do you HAVE to do a road trip? I was stressed at first because people in the Salta hostels were getting into groups to hire cars and commit to trips of up to 10 days: a long time to spend with strangers! I feel this could range from dangerous (are they safe drivers?) to annoying if you don’t like them and want to leave.

Sure, you can see and do more with a car and fit multiple attractions into one day. But I got by fine with public buses (booked on Platform10 or at stations), using the towns of Humahuaca and Tilcara as launching points. The only downside was visiting Salta 3 times to connect between Jujuy, Cafayate and Cachi.

My Jujuy & Salta public transport itinerary

• Humahuaca – 1 night (4.5 hours from Salta by bus): incl. a half-day trip to the Hornocal (14 Colour Mountain) by minibus tour booked at the central square. I stayed at cosy Hurma Hostel for $10 a night.
• Tilcara – 2 nights: incl. a day trip to Purmamarca town (home to the 7 Colour Mountain), 1 hour away by bus. Other things to do in Tilcara are the Garganta Del Diablo hike and the short mirador hike. Eat amazing pasta at Bienmesabe and stay at Antigua for $15 incl. buffet breakfast.
• Cafayate – 2 nights (after 1 night in Salta connecting from Jujuy): this relaxed town is surrounded by wineries and even a goat’s cheese farm, a pleasant hour’s walk from town. I paid $5 for a guided tour and platter of wine and cheese! Amalaya is another popular winery. Stay at Cierto Lindo (I liked the glamping pod) and eat at Casa de las Empanadas.
• Cachi day trip (after another 1 night connection in Salta): this colonial town is undeniably quaint but the sweeping scenery of the journey is the real highlight. From misty mountain passes to flat plains peppered with towering cacti, it’s incredible!

Note – a day tour to Cafayate from Salta is only $5 more than the public bus and includes wine tasting and scenic stops. I took the tour one way and stayed overnight in Cafayate to explore more. However, the tour company saved some of the scenic stops for the return journey meaning I missed them while taking the bus back to Salta.

If you don’t want to do a multi-day trip (by car or bus), you can see many of the top attractions in the region during day trips from Salta. These allow you to relax while someone else does the work, plus it’s a good way to meet others during solo travel in Argentina. Browse day tours from Salta.

Next, I took a flight from Salta (as it was the same price as the overnight bus) to…

Mendoza

If you’re a fan of wine, no Argentina solo travel itinerary is complete without a stop in the world-famous wine land of Mendoza. The city is far larger than the other wine town of Cafayate, plus there’s beautiful scenery surrounding it.

The two main wine regions are Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo.

Maipu: I took a guided tour via minibus from Mendoza city, visiting three wineries and an olive oil factory for delicious oil-infused snacks including hummus. Although I was thrilled to find my favourite orange wine at one winery, the speciality of the region is Malbec.

Lujan de Cuyo: I caught a local bus to the Baccus Bikes shop for a self-guided tour of wineries ($10 a day). I expected more of a countryside cycle but it was often along busy roads without a bike lane. So, keep your wits about you and maybe get together with other travellers at your hostel because it’s more fun as a group. Don’t miss Bodega Gieco (an affordable, family-run venue).

Where to stay in Mendoza: I liked Lagares Hostel because the owners were so friendly. It was great value at $11 a night including a hearty breakfast of eggs, croissants and coffee. For a party hostel, stay at Gorilla.

Iguazu Falls

1 month+ solo travel itinerary for Argentina

My route started in Patagonia as I crossed the border from Puerto Natales in Chile. Then, I crossed back, travelled through Chile and reentered via the Atacama – Salta bus. This won’t be everyone’s itinerary but you can easily rejig if starting in Buenos Aires by taking return flights to Patagonia.

• 2 nights El Calafate
• 3 nights El Chalten
• Then 3 weeks in Chile, reentering Argentina from the Atacama Desert
• 2 nights Salta
• 1 night Humahuaca
• 2 nights Tilcara (inc Purmamarca day trip)
• 1 night Salta
• 2 nights Cafayate
• 2 nights Salta (Cachi day trip in middle)
• 6 nights Mendoza (including a couple of rest days)
• 10 nights Buenos Aires
• 2 nights Iguazu.

With less time you could cut back on Buenos Aires especially if you’re not a city person. If you’re pushed for time in the north, stay in Salta and take day trips rather than staying overnight in Tilcara, Cafayate etc. Travelling by car also saves time as you don’t have to connect in Salta between trips.

Depending how much of Patagonia you want to see, add extra time for Bariloche and Ushuaia.

Given the financial crash in recent years, money is a tricky topic. In this post, I’ve not listed things in Argentine pesos because prices change so quickly.

During my trip (2024), when I’d go to restaurants and see photos of old menus on Google, I’d notice dishes costing 3,000 pesos were priced at 300 pesos just a year ago. It’s chaos, especially for locals whose wages haven’t hyperinflated like the prices.

Here are a few average prices (in USD) as of 2024:

• Hostel dorms from $10 inc breakfast
• Apartments on Airbnb – $30+ a night
• Internal flights – from $40
• Cross-country bus – $10-50.
• Intercity bus – 50 cents.
• Speciality coffee – $3
• Meal in a restaurant – $5+.

How to get cash? Withdrawing from ATMs isn’t recommended because you can only get a maximum of $20 with an $8 fee. Instead, bring Euros or USD (crisp $100 bills are best) for exchange.

Alternatively, download the Western Union app. Send money from your bank account and withdraw it from any branch (bring your passport).