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Things to do in Buenos Aires on a budget

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Things to do in Buenos Aires on a budget

Welcome to the ultimate guide for budget travellers looking to explore Buenos Aires, one of South America’s most vibrant cities. With its rich culture, delicious food, and stunning architecture, Buenos Aires is a must-visit destination. But as a budget traveller, you might be wondering how to experience all that the city has to offer without breaking the bank. Well, you’re in luck! In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the top things to do in Buenos Aires on a budget.

From street markets to parks, museums to street art, we’ve got you covered with a range of options that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. So, whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveller, read on to discover how you can have an unforgettable time in Buenos Aires without spending a fortune.

Things to do in Buenos Aires on a budget

Buenos Aires is a city that offers a wealth of opportunities for budget-conscious travellers. Despite its reputation as a cosmopolitan city, there are actually many things to do in Buenos Aires for free that allow visitors to experience the city’s rich culture, history, and art.

For example, taking a stroll through the historic neighbourhoods of San Telmo and La Boca, known for their colourful street art and architecture, is a great way to immerse yourself in the city’s history and culture.

Additionally, the city’s many parks and public spaces, such as the Palermo parks, offer a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and are a great place to relax, people-watch, or take a picnic.

And for those who love music and dance, Buenos Aires’ many public squares and plazas often host free concerts and festivals throughout the year, offering a chance to experience the city’s vibrant music and dance scene.

These are just a few examples of the many things to do in Buenos Aires for free, continue reading this article to find more cheap and free things to easily experience the city’s rich history and culture without spending a lot of money

1. Take a Free walking tour

Taking a free or paid walking tour is the best way to get your bearings around this big city. There are a few companies that organise free walking tours in Buenos Aires. We would recommend the morning tour offered by “FreeWalks” which takes the visitors from the Theater Colon to the Recoleta cemetery in about 3.5 hours. You will learn about the foundation of Buenos Aires, its aristocracy, the architecture, the Jewish community and the Malvinas war.

Tip: If you can, join on a Sunday. The city is a lot less busy and it is more enjoyable to walk around without the crowds.

With the same company, you can also join the La Boca Walking Tour (paid tour) and we can assure you, you won’t regret your choice. For both tours, the guides are great, funny and knowledgeable. They share local anecdotes with funny twists and a lot of passion!

Cost:
– 3.5-hour Walking tour of Buenos Aires: FREE (or whatever tip you leave)
– a 2-hour tour of La Boca: 400 ARS (€9)

2. San Telmo – the antique’s market

During the week, the indoor market displays fruit and veg stalls but also antique shops selling vintage advertising posters, photography, dolls or even army clothing. Whether you are an aficionado of antics or not, you will enjoy finding a few creepy stuff or spending time looking over vinyl and old film camera collections.

Make sure to go on a Sunday in order to couple the visit with the San Telmo flea market. Situated just outside the indoor market, on the Plaza Dorrego, the market is filled with buskers, tango dancers and painters. It is open every Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.

Cost: Free

3. Drink Great Speciality Coffee

Since you are at the San Telmo Market, don’t miss out on a great cup of coffee from the kiosk “Coffee Town”. As the First speciality coffee café and roaster in Argentina, Coffee town is an institution in Buenos Aires.

If like us you are heading south and travelling with a french press or V60, we can only recommend bringing some beans to brew with you. Every single trekker in Patagonia will for sure envy your delicious morning treat! Because, what’s better than waking up on a frosty morning, hopping out of your tent and making an excellent coffee?

Coffee TownBolivar 976, Mercado de San Telmo, Buenos Aires

Cost: €2 to €4 for a good cup of coffee (Chemex or Dripper)

4. French-Italian-inspired architecture

Walk around the small streets on the right of the Plaza San Martin and you will be amazed by the European architectural style of the monuments. Some are even exact replicas of existing Parisian and Italian buildings!

For architecture aficionados, this is probably what you would expect from a city built by European immigrants. Most of those buildings, mainly palaces, were built for opulent families end of the 19th – early 20th centuries in belle-epoque or neoclassical style. A stroll in these streets is a great way to find shade and discover another part of Buenos Aires’ heritage.

Cost: Free

5. The famous Recoleta cemetery

At the end of the 18th century, right after an intense Yellow fever epidemic, high-class families moved to the neighbourhood of Recoleta. The cemetery initially public became the last resting place of powerful families giving it its glory.

The street-like alleys topped by massive mausoleums can today be considered as an outdoor art gallery. It displays different types of architecture and hosts presidents, celebrities, war heroes, and artists along with Argentinian aristocrats and the general public (the grandmother and aunt of our host in Buenos Aires are buried in this cemetery).

No surprise it was ranked among the 10th most beautiful cemetery in the world.

Cost: Free

6. Flea market and graffiti in Palermo Soho

Palermo Soho is the Bohemian sub-barrio of Palermo Viejo. Its cobblestones streets are highlighted by numerous colourful graffiti and new businesses.

On the weekend, it’s customary to be seen drinking a “cortado”, eating a “helado” at a table in the hip cafés/restaurants or browsing some new fashion clothing at the market stalls. The area hosts most of the best hostels in town and is renowned for its nightlife.

The area is pretty laid-back where it is nice to chill and stroll with friends and lovers.

Cost: Free

7. Buy Ice-cream per kilo!

Argentina is the Italia of South America. The millions of Italian migrants who arrived in Buenos Aires through the area “La Boca” (see #8) brought with them a Gelato culture.

What a delight to eat ice cream almost as good as in Italy. Though, here, in Argentina, Ice-creams are not singular pleasures that last a couple of minutes. Argentinians buy their ice cream from 1/4, 1/2 or kilo… we are absolutely amazed by this.

Cost: 100 ARS per 1/4 kg

8. Learn about immigration in la Boca

La Boca district of Buenos Aires used to be the heart of the city where the migrants settled early 19th century and started building the capital. Nowadays it is a very touristy area, well-known for its colourful houses and street tango. By joining a walking tour, we managed to overpass this money-making appearance and got to learn about the place and like it for its true self.

Behind the famous colourful houses and the story of the painter, Quinquela Martín, who gave La Boca its glory back, remains the story of migrants painting their houses with whatever colour was left out at the harbour that day. Behind the houses filled with China-made souvenirs, remains the history of dozens of migrants leaving together in 20m² rooms. Finally, behind the gorgeous tango dancers inviting the tourists for a picture, remain the true story of how Tango really started, a battle between men disguised under the shape of dance.

Going to La Boca is not only trying to replicate the world-famous picture of the Caminito but understanding the History of Buenos Aires, and its population. La Boca is also home to the Boca Juniors Football Club, more on that in #16.

Cost: Free

9. Visit the Tigre delta by boat

One of the best day trips from Buenos Aires is to take a train to Tigre. This city is quite touristy as the main attraction is to hop on a boat tour of the delta river. There are different routes that bring you to different parts, but all in all, what you want is to chill and see the gorgeous houses built on the little islands of the delta. Some can be visited and others host you for the night!

After the boat tour, head to the huge craft and souvenir market or to the “Chinatown” building to eat some Chinese food. If you are travelling with kids, there is also a fair and a water park that seems to be quite fun!

Cost: 300 ARS (€6.65)

10. The best beef you’ll eat: Bife de Chorizo

At least for us, it was! On our first night, our host bought lots of meat: Bife de Chorizo, Lomo, Chorizo and cooked it on the Parilla (see 14). We were delighted. For an amazing gastro experience, add some “Chimichurri” and your taste buds will thank you! You will find “Parilla” restaurant everywhere in Buenos Aires or if you are on a budget, buy your piece of meat at a butcher and cook it the way you like it in your accommodation’s kitchen. You can find Chimichurri in any shop next to bbq and ketchup sauces.

Cost:€10 to €15 in a restaurant – €4 at the butcher for 2 steaks!

11. Pizza far from Italy

Another thing Argentinians owe to their Italian ancestors… Pizza! And they are really good but you just need to find the right place. Another way to eat pizza in Argentina is once again on the Parrilla. It is very strange that’s the way most Argentinian cook their homemade pizzas.

We would recommend the restaurants Cosi Mi Piace, La Mezzetta and El Cuartito…

12. Empanadas, a cheap snack

The empanada is a stuffed pastry baked in the oven (at least in Argentina, in Chile they fry them). They can be filled with ham and cheese (Jamon y queso), Vegetables (Verdura), Chicken (Pollo “pochhhho”), Meat (Carne) or Spinach and ricotta (very Italian).

In the end, it is like a small calzone, easy to eat on the go and quite cheap. We usually bought them in the street or in a bakery but we also learnt how to make them ourselves or ordered delivery from the nearest pizza shop…

Cost: €1.50 for a couple of empañadas to go

13. The local barbecue: Parrilla

A Parrilla (don’t forget the chhhh) is a barbecue. It is a speciality that is served in many restaurants across Argentina and Uruguay but the best is the one that is made on Sunday by local families.

As described quickly on topic number 12, Argentinians cook the amazing Bife de Chorizo and Lomo (or whatever the butcher has), Chorizo (sausages) but also black pudding (morcilla), thymus glands (Mojellas) and small intestines (Chinchulin). It is surely the best BBQ you will ever have.

Cost: €10 pp – ofter min. 2 or 3 persons

14. La Boca Junior football club

The world-famous Boca Juniors football team’s history was explained passionately to us by our guide during our tour of La Boca. In 1906, Boca played a rival team, both teams wore so similar shirts so the match was played to decide which team would get to keep it. Boca lost and decided to adopt the colours of the flag of the first boat to sail into the port at La Boca. This proved to be a Swedish ship, therefore the yellow and blue of the Swedish flag were adopted as the new team colours. It is also thought that the colours were also chosen by an Irish priest from Tipperary who helped with coaching.

It is well-known that gentlemen walk into the stadium and as soon as the first whistle is blown they turn into animals. spitting, throwing bottles and consistent jumping owes to the Colosseum atmosphere that the stadium is known for. However, this proved to be fear, as architects thought that the stadium would eventually collapse under the pressure of constant jumping. So innovative methods were used to ensure safety and allow the animals to continue with their chants.

La Boca famously turned down sponsorship from Coca-Cola as the red and black colours are the colours of their main rivals, so deep is their hatred.

15. Take a tango class at “La Viruta”

Our first dance class as a couple was laborious. We learnt a couple of tango moves (that we have now forgotten) and really enjoyed our night out at “La Viruta”.

This very welcoming Milonga is a perfect place for beginners like us but also for all-level dancers. While not learning or practising, we enjoyed watching the more experimented tango dancers whirling (and flirting) around the spacious dance floor.

Our class was in English and lasted about 1 hour – Location: Armenia 1366, Buenos Aires – open from 8 pm.

Cost: Free entrance

16. The Library El Ateneo

This bookshop located on Santa Fe Avenue is probably one of the most beautiful bookshops in the world. Why is that? Probably because it is in a former theatre where shelves of books have replaced the seats and the stage by a coffee shop. It is a very special place.

Cost: Free entrance

17. Murgas in the streets

A “Murga” is a percussion-based rhythm from Argentina and Uruguay played during the carnival month (February). In Argentina, Murga’s are found live in the streets. The lyrics usually criticise corrupt politicians and are used as a popular resistance.

Cost: Free – Murgas are in the streets but often in the suburbs

18. drink Yerba mate

Mate is very important in Argentina and Uruguay. Unlike his Paraguayan cousin, the Terere which is drunk cold, the Yerba mate is served hot. Preferably in a calabash with a bombilla (metallic straw). Sometimes the Argentinians add orange juice in case of a heatwave. The drink can be sweet, but most Argentinians prefer it bitter.

The mate should be shared… When a person fills a calabash with hot water, it is customary that he or she sips the liquid completely before passing it to his or her neighbour, who will typically do the same. Mate is an excellent way to integrate.

Cost: €2 in a cafe. Free to share with local friends!

In conclusion, Buenos Aires is a city that offers endless opportunities for budget-friendly exploration and discovery. From the historic neighbourhoods and street markets to the parks, museums, and street art, there’s something for everyone in this vibrant South American city. With a little bit of planning and research, you can easily experience the best that Buenos Aires has to offer without breaking the bank. So, whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveller, be sure to add Buenos Aires to your travel itinerary and discover all that this amazing city has to offer on a budget.

More things to do and see in Argentina

Pin It - Our Top 20 Things To Do in Buenos Aires. Check it out on the blog talesfromthelens.com

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jen – Owner, writer & photographer – has lived for the past 10 years across Oceania and Ireland while also travelling long-term in Latin America, North America and Europe. She has visited more than 60 countries and set foot on every continent in the world!

>> Favourite countries: New Zealand, Bolivia, Iceland.
>> Wishlist: Svalbard, Japan, Botswana, Alaska.
>> Philosophy: “We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.

Jen is a coffee nerd, passionate about photographywildlife and outdoor activities. Her organisation and curiosity make her a great travel companion always looking for DIY and off-the-grid adventures. For more info, check out the About page.

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4 thoughts on “Things to do in Buenos Aires on a budget”

  1. We fry empanadas also in Argentina, however most place just sell them baked, which is a shame because fried empanadas are the best! Aren’t they?

  2. We agree ! we loved them fried but as far as we are conserned we found those mainly in Chile. If you have a good adresse in Buenos Aires where to eat great fried one, that could be a great reason for us to go back

  3. Hi there! Sounds like you really enjoyed BA! It is a wonderful city, right? I have been living here for now more than a year, and can’t complain 😉 I’m so pleased to read that you focus more on the real stories about La Boca instead of the tourist traps…. I only went twice, and even though I know the stories, it is just too much money machine for my taste..

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