2 days in Buenos Aires

Day by day

1. Day 1: Recoleta Cemetery and Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes

   Recoleta Cemetery, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, El Ateneo Grand Splendid and Floralis Genérica, then Teatro Colón in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Recoleta Cemetery

      Most visitors look for Eva Perón in the Duarte family tomb, but the architecture and the stories of presidents, writers and boxers buried here reward a slow walk.

   2. Late morning

      Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes

      It sits on Avenida del Libertador a few minutes' walk from Recoleta Cemetery.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Asado and bife de chorizo

      Parrillas in every barrio, from neighbourhood grills to celebrated Palermo restaurants such as Don Julio; families grill their own asado on Sundays.

   4. Afternoon

      El Ateneo Grand Splendid

      The old stage is now a café.

   5. Late afternoon

      Floralis Genérica

      Its petals mirror the sky and the surrounding parks, and the sculpture is lit after dark.

   6. Evening

      Teatro Colón

      If your dates allow, see a performance rather than only touring; upper-tier seats still give the full experience of the hall.

2. Day 2: Plaza de Mayo and Casa Rosada and Palacio Barolo

   Plaza de Mayo and Casa Rosada, Palacio Barolo, Café Tortoni and Caminito, La Boca, then Obelisco and Avenida 9 de Julio in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Plaza de Mayo and Casa Rosada

      The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo have walked around the square on Thursday afternoons since 1977 in memory of the disappeared.

   2. Late morning

      Palacio Barolo

      Guided tours climb to the dome for views over the Congress and the city.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Empanadas

      Empanada shops and pizzerias everywhere, sold by the unit or the dozen for takeaway.

   4. Afternoon

      Café Tortoni

      It also stages tango shows in a room at the back.

   5. Late afternoon

      Caminito, La Boca

      Tango dancers perform for tips outside the cafés, and the Fundación Proa contemporary art centre and the Benito Quinquela Martín museum are a few blocks away.

   6. Evening

      Obelisco and Avenida 9 de Julio

      Photograph it from the central reservation of 9 de Julio, then walk along Corrientes for pizza at one of the old pizzerias.

Before you go

• Teatro Colón: Tours often sell out at busy times; book a slot online a few days ahead.
• Palacio Barolo: Visits are by guided tour only; reserve online, especially for sunset and evening slots.

If it rains

• Swap in MALBA (Palermo): Combine it with the Palermo parks and Floralis Genérica, a short walk along Figueroa Alcorta.
• Swap in Museo Evita (Palermo): Pair it with Recoleta Cemetery, where she is buried, for the fullest picture of her life.
• Swap in Galileo Galilei Planetarium (Palermo): Check the show schedule online; many sessions are in Spanish, but the dome visuals work in any language.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 9–12 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.8 hours in June to 14.5 hours in December, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Metro. The Subte has six lines (A–E and H) radiating from the centre; Line D runs under Avenida Santa Fe to Palermo and Belgrano, and Line A, opened in 1913, was the first underground line in Latin America.

More or fewer days

• One day in Buenos Aires
• 3 days in Buenos Aires
• 4 days in Buenos Aires
• 5 days in Buenos Aires
• 7 days in Buenos Aires

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