When people think about traveling to Argentina, they are usually planning to visit three or four key places:

1. Buenos Aires

2. Iguazu Falls

3. Mendoza and the Wine Region

4. Patagonia

While we’d love to squeeze all of those into one trip, doing so—especially when traveling with kids—is incredibly challenging unless you have a minimum of three to four weeks.

Travel within Argentina requires planning because the country is massive. There are no direct passenger trains connecting the major tourist hubs, so you’ll mostly rely on domestic flights to get from one region to another. While flights are generally inexpensive, flying four or five times during a single vacation can be exhausting.

Why We Chose a Northern Argentina Itinerary

Knowing the logistics of getting around, we had to be highly strategic when planning our two weeks in Argentina. We decided to focus on Northern Argentina to maximize our time exploring and minimize our time navigating airports.

While we would have loved to visit Patagonia, we felt it truly deserves its own dedicated trip. (Tip: If you do plan a Patagonia trip, all international flights will still go through Buenos Aires. I highly recommend spending 3-4 days in the capital on either end of your trip before flying south!)

Fortunately, Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls are relatively close by via a short flight, so those were immediate must-dos for us.

The majority of Marcelo’s family resides in Tucumán—a densely populated, industrial region of Argentina that doesn’t typically see much international tourism. We knew we wanted to spend at least five days there, which led us to look at what else was nearby. This research pointed us directly to Salta and Cafayate. These beautiful Northern towns are highly worthy of their own stop.

If you are limited on time, a Northern Argentina route covering Buenos Aires, Iguazu, Salta, and Cafayate is extremely doable in 10 to 14 days.

Our Suggested 10-Day Argentina Itinerary

Because we spent extended time visiting family in Tucumán, our exact route was a bit longer. However, if you are planning a standard vacation, here is how I recommend breaking down a 10-day trip:

• 3 Days: Buenos Aires

• 2 Days: Iguazu Falls (Add an optional 3rd day if you want to explore the Brazilian side)

• 2 Days: Salta

• 2 Days: Cafayate

• 1 Day: Return to Buenos Aires for a buffer night before your international flight home.

Have a few extra nights to spare?

• Add an extra night in Buenos Aires on either the front or back end of your trip.

• Spend an extra night in Cafayate for more wine tasting.

• Add 1-2 nights in Salta to book day tours outside of the city.

How to Get Around Argentina

There are two main airlines for domestic flights within Argentina: Aerolíneas Argentinas and FlyBondi.

FlyBondi is a budget airline, so their base fares are often cheaper. However, we heard from local family members that they experience frequent last-minute cancellations. Because we were traveling with kids, we wanted to minimize travel headaches and booked exclusively with Aerolíneas Argentinas.

We had a fantastic experience with their customer service. Only one of our three flights was delayed (by just 20 minutes). They even upgraded our seats at no charge because we were traveling with children, and they waived the fees for our slightly overweight luggage.

Check flights for your dates:

Do You Need to Rent a Car in Argentina?

The short answer: No.

• Buenos Aires & Iguazu: You absolutely will not need a rental car here. Public transportation, Ubers, and taxis are plentiful and easy to use.

• Salta: The city itself is quite walkable, and taxis are easy to flag down. There is a lot to see within a few hours’ drive of the city, but the mountain roads can be a little difficult to navigate. For that reason, I highly recommend booking guided tours or hiring a driver for your day trips.

• Cafayate: This is a smaller town and generally very walkable in the main center. When you want to head further out to the wineries, you can easily find taxis waiting in the main square.

• Long Distances: To get from Salta to Cafayate, we booked a Remis (a privately booked, long-distance taxi) rather than driving ourselves. It was about a 4 hour drive. You’ll have to make the trip back for your flight back to Buenos Aires, as there are no airports in Cafayate.

  • You can also book dedicated private tours for day trips all around Salta

Top Destination Highlights

Here is a quick breakdown of our favorite things to do in each region.

Buenos Aires

1. Stroll through Tres de Febrero Park

   • Visit the rose garden, the Japanese garden, botanical gardens, planetarium and more! This park is massive with so many things to do and see

2. Explore the colorful La Boca Neighborhood

3. Take in a traditional Tango Show

4. Visit El Ateneo Grand Splendid (one of the world’s most beautiful bookstores)

5. Shop and eat at the San Telmo Market

   • Bonus if you can go on Sunday and walk the huge street flea market in the area

6. Browse the Museo de Bellas Artes

Want a full itinerary? Check our our guide on Buenos Aires.

Iguazu Falls

1. Hike the Upper and Lower deck trails for incredible views

2. Enjoy a spa or relaxation day at the Gran Meliá Hotel

Want a full itinerary? Check our our guide on Iguazu Falls.

Salta

1. Relax in Plaza 9 de Julio

2. Visit the Museo Arqueológico de Alta Montaña (MAAM)

   • AKA Museum of High Altitude Archaeology
   • Renowned for preserving the Children of Llullaillaco—three perfectly preserved Incan child mummies found near the top of the Llullaillaco volcano. We thought our daughter might be a little scared, but she was actually super interested in this!

3. See the Basílica y Convento de San Francisco

   • Features a 54 meter tall bell tower, one of the tallest in South America

4. Eat authentic Empanadas Salteñas

   • Often said to be the best in the country

5. Ride the Teleférico San Bernardo for city views

6. Experience a traditional Peña Salteña (we loved La Vieja Estación)

   • This a live music and folk dance performance, typically with communal dining enjoying traditional local specialty dishes like empanadas, locro and humita.

7. Take a day trip to Hornocal (Purmamarca), the Solar Train (Tren a las Nubes), or Salinas Grandes

   • Hornocal: A beautiful 14-colored mountain range in Jujuy, about a 4-5 hour drive from Salta. Warning — also an increase in elevation of about 4300 meters!
   • The Solar Train: One of the highest train routes in the world at over 13,000 meters high! Around a 3 hour drive from Salta
   • Salinas Grandes: High altitude salt flat, about a 4 hour drive from Salta

Cafayate

1. Drive the scenic route from Salta, stopping at Garganta Del Diablo, El Anfiteatro, El Sapo, and El Obelisco (beautiful red rock formations along the route)

2. Visit Cabras de Cafayate

   • A working goat farm making delicious goat cheeses
   • They have a cute playground on site made of recycled wine barrels
   • The kids will love petting the goats and tasting the cheeses

3. Take a Torrontés wine tasting tour

   • There are so many wineries in the area, so you’ll have plenty of options.
   • We opted out since we had both kiddos tagging along

Is 10 Days in Northern Argentina Enough?

If you structure your flights well and stick to this Northern route, 10 days is the perfect amount of time to experience the hustle and bustle of Buenos Aires, the jungle of Iguazu, and the high-altitude deserts of Salta and Cafayate. It keeps the travel days manageable, which is an important win when exploring with kids.

Be sure to bookmark this page for your planning, check out the linked city guides above for our exact daily routes, and leave a comment below if you need any help planning out your own Argentina adventure!