Buenos Aires Travel Guide
Buenos Aires for First-Timers
What to know before you land in 2026 — how paying by card and cash now works, which sights to book, the late eating hours, staying safe in busy areas and La Boca, getting around, tipping and the small courtesies that make porteños warm to you.
Buenos Aires is one of the most enjoyable big cities in the world for visitors: sociable, cultured, delicious and still good value compared with Europe or North America. It also runs on its own clock and has its own quirks, especially around money. A little preparation makes the trip far easier. These are the essentials for 2026.
Money: how it works now. For years, visitors to Argentina were told to bring piles of US dollars and change them on the informal market, because the official exchange rate was far worse than the street rate, the famous blue dollar. That era has largely ended. With the gradual removal of currency controls, card payments by foreigners now settle at a rate close to the official one, and the gap between the official and blue rates has shrunk to the point where informal exchange offers little advantage and real risks, from counterfeit notes to short-changing. The practical advice today: use a card with no foreign transaction fees for most payments, carry some pesos in cash for taxis, small shops, markets and tips, and avoid street money changers. ATMs work with foreign cards but often have low withdrawal limits and high fixed fees, so make fewer, larger withdrawals. US dollars in clean, newer-series notes can be exchanged at licensed exchange houses with your passport. Prices can change quickly, so expect some variation from what you read.
Tax and tipping. Foreign visitors who pay for hotel accommodation with a foreign card or transfer are generally exempt from Argentine VAT on the room, so check whether your rate includes it and show your passport at check-in. In restaurants, a tip of around ten percent is customary and is usually left in cash even if you pay the bill by card. Some places add a cubierto, a small cover charge for bread and service, which is normal. Card surcharges are legal but should be disclosed before you pay.
What to book ahead. The Teatro Colón guided tour (English departures fill up), any performance you want to see, a Casa Rosada weekend palace tour, tango shows, popular parrillas on weekend nights and ferries or tours to Colonia del Sacramento. Most museums and sights, including Recoleta Cemetery, MALBA and the free Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, can be done on the day.
Know the closing days. MALBA closes on Tuesdays and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes on Mondays. The San Telmo fair is a Sunday affair, though the barrio's antique shops open during the week. Casa Rosada palace tours run on weekends and holidays. Many restaurants close on Sunday evening or Monday, and the city empties somewhat in January, when locals head to the beach.
The late-night rhythm. Breakfast is light: coffee with medialunas, small sweet croissants. Lunch runs from one to three. In the early evening comes the merienda, a snack of coffee and pastries. Dinner rarely starts before nine and is often at ten or later; a restaurant that is full at eight is full of visitors. Bars fill from midnight, milongas peak after midnight and clubs open in earnest around two. Pace yourself with a siesta and you will enjoy the city far more.
Staying safe. Buenos Aires is generally safe for visitors, but petty crime is real. Phone snatching is the most common problem, so keep your phone off café tables and away from the kerb, and use it in doorways rather than on the street edge. Pickpockets work crowded places: the Subte, the San Telmo fair, Florida street, Plaza de Mayo and Caminito. In La Boca, stay within the small tourist area around Caminito, Fundación Proa and the riverside, go by day and arrive and leave by taxi or on a tour. Use registered taxis or ride-hailing apps at night. Recoleta, Palermo and Puerto Madero are the most relaxed areas for evening walks. Demonstrations are common and usually peaceful, but avoid large ones.
Getting around. Buy a SUBE card for the Subte and buses, or use contactless bank cards where accepted. The Subte is the quickest way between the centre, Recoleta and Palermo; buses fill the gaps. Taxis are black and yellow and inexpensive, and ride-hailing apps are widely used. From Ezeiza International Airport, about forty-five minutes to an hour from the centre, use an official airport taxi or transfer, an app or the airport bus. Aeroparque, the domestic airport, is close to Palermo.
When to go. Spring, from September to November, brings jacarandas in bloom, pleasant temperatures and the Rosedal at its best. Autumn, from March to May, is mild and golden. Summer is hot and humid and quieter in January; winter is cool, crisp and often sunny, and August brings the Tango Buenos Aires Festival and World Championship.
Being a welcome guest. Porteños greet with a single kiss on the right cheek, even among new acquaintances, though a handshake is fine for visitors. A few words of Spanish go a long way, and note that Argentines use vos instead of tú and pronounce ll and y as a soft sh. If you are offered mate, the shared herbal tea, take it: the host prepares and passes the gourd, you drink it all and pass it back, and you only say thank you when you want no more. Be patient, be curious, and stay up late — the city rewards it.