Argentina: An Introduction
for North Americans
Janet and I have a rule about selling travel: you sell what you've seen. There is no substitute for firsthand experience, and when a client asks "what was your favorite part?" the answer should come from memory, not a brochure. By that standard, Argentina is a gap in our portfolio. Neither of us has been, and we're honest about that. But every now and then in the course of research you run across a destination so compelling that you have to share it before you've had the chance to go yourself. Argentina is one of those destinations.
The Europeans discovered this a long time ago. Argentina has been their playground for decades, and tourism accounts for a meaningful share of the country's economy. For North Americans, it remains largely off the radar — which, depending on your perspective, is either a problem or an opportunity. I'd call it an opportunity. The country holds genuine bargains for U.S. travelers, and the crowds that descend on the obvious European capitals have not yet found their way here in the same numbers.
Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world and the second largest in South America. The distance from the northern tip to Tierra del Fuego in the south runs over 2,200 miles — roughly the distance from Miami to Minneapolis. That scope matters when you're planning a trip, because Argentina is not a place you see in a single visit. You can cover a lot of ground, but you'll leave knowing there's more.
Buenos Aires
Most visitors arrive in Buenos Aires, and it earns its reputation. The city is a sophisticated blend of South American energy and European sensibility — wide boulevards, serious architecture, and a food and nightlife culture that runs late by any standard. Over a third of Argentina's population lives in the greater Buenos Aires region, and the city has the cultural weight to match.
If you go, plan on tango lessons — but know what you're getting into. The Argentine tango and the ballroom tango are entirely different animals. Challenge a Buenos Aires street dancer to a throw-down and you are likely to be laughed out of the country.
Your Arthur Murray training will not help you here.
Iguazú Falls
At the triple border of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, the Iguazú and Paraná rivers converge in what is arguably the most spectacular waterfall system in the world. Calling it Argentina's version of Niagara Falls undersells it considerably. If you want to see the falls from the Brazilian side — and you probably do, the view is different and worth it — come prepared: Brazil has visa requirements and, depending on your itinerary, may require a yellow fever vaccination. Argentina requires neither, but Brazil is Brazil.
The Lake District & Mendoza Wine Country
Argentina's Lake District is what the Pacific Northwest would look like if it were backed by the Andes and no one had built an interstate through it. Glacier-sourced lakes, snow-capped peaks, waterfalls, and forest. It is genuinely beautiful country.
If you drink wine — and I'm told most people do — Mendoza belongs on your itinerary. The Malbec from this region has earned its place among the world's serious wines, and the setting at the foot of the Andes is the kind of thing that makes you want to stay longer than you planned. A number of spas have opened in the area, which gives the non-wine-drinker in your party something to do while you work through the tasting list.
The Andes & Patagonia
Aconcagua, the highest peak on the continent, attracts accomplished mountaineers from around the world. When I visit, my plan is to skip the climb and enjoy the Malbec and a good cheese plate while appreciating it from a distance. This is a perfectly valid approach.
Further south, the Andes give way to Patagonia — jagged peaks, ancient glaciers, and some of the most dramatic scenery on the planet. Los Glaciares National Park is a visual spectacle on a scale that photographs don't capture. At the very tip of the continent, separated from the mainland by the Strait of Magellan, sits Tierra del Fuego — literally, the land of fire. We cover Patagonia in its own destination review, and it warrants the separate treatment.
A Note on Climate
Argentina's climate ranges from subtropical in the north to subpolar in the south. Remember that being in the southern hemisphere means the seasons run opposite to ours: their summer is our winter, and their "deep south" is genuinely cold. Plan accordingly. The Mendoza wine country and Buenos Aires travel well in their spring and fall — our fall and spring. Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego are best in their summer months, which means we travel there between November and March.
How to Get There
Argentina works as both a land tour and a cruise itinerary. Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and Tierra del Fuego are all popular ports of call on South American cruise itineraries, and we can help you build a complete shore excursion plan around any of them. For those who want to go deeper, our land tour partners offer itineraries that move through the country's major regions with the kind of local knowledge you can't replicate on your own.
We haven't been yet — we're being transparent about that. But that changes in 2027. We're going to Argentina as part of our Antarctica expedition, spending a few days in Buenos Aires before we depart and a full day in Ushuaia on the way back. If you know us, a tango lesson is already on the itinerary. Argentine tango — not that Dancing With the Stars business.
As for Ushuaia, I'm told there's not much to it. I suspect I'll find a few hidden gems worth sharing.
If Argentina is on your list — or if this just put it there — call us. We'll get you there.