Introduction

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We flew into Buenos Aires on a direct flight from Dallas, arriving early in the morning and ready to explore. If you are wondering if a family trip to Buenos Aires is a good idea, the answer is a resounding yes! The city is vibrant, incredibly welcoming to families, full of beautiful green spaces, and surprisingly easy to navigate with children.

However, if you are traveling from the US or Europe, one crucial thing to keep in mind is that Argentina is in the Southern Hemisphere. This means you will be traveling into the opposite season! We visited in late fall/early winter, and did experience a bit of rain. Because of this, we highly recommend packing a compact travel umbrella and a light rain jacket just in case the weather turns. If you need more guidance on packing, check out our carry-on packing checklist.

Where to Stay in Buenos Aires with Kids: Best Neighborhoods

For our trip, we actually split our stay between two different areas to get a feel for the city’s diverse vibes.

For the first portion of our stay, we opted for Puerto Madero and stayed specifically at the Holiday Inn Express Puerto Madero. This hotel was an absolute win for the first few days—not only did it include a daily breakfast (saving us a lot of morning meal planning with the kids!), but it also gave us easy walking access to some of the city’s most iconic central sites and placed us in a great spot for exploring nearby historic neighborhoods.

For the second part of our trip, we moved over to Palermo. It was a beautiful, quieter neighborhood that felt distinct from the bustling center, packed to the brim with upscale restaurants, charming cafes, and lovely bookshops.

Insider Tip: There are so many adorable apartments in the area of Palermo! We loved the one we booked, as it had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, balcony, and living area — giving us plenty of room to relax, breathe and not feel cramped up into one room. Highly recommend this option if you are staying with kids!!

If you need guidance on choosing between a rental versus a hotel or general sleep logistics questions check out our guide on how to choose the best place to stay with kids every time!

Our Day-by-Day Buenos Aires Family Itinerary

Day 1: Central Sights and Playground Time

The first day of international trips is always kept very low key. We all need time to adjust, catch up on sleep, and get our bearings. Staying in Puerto Madero initially was a huge win for our first couple of days. We were able to easily walk to major landmarks like the Casa Rosada, Plaza de Mayo, and the famous Puente de la Mujer (Women’s Bridge) without feeling overwhelmed. 

A fabulous playground that we loved in Puerto Madero was located in the Raquel Forner Park. It had a huge pretend pirate ship playground that both kids loved to get some fresh air after being on the plane for 10 hours.

Day 2: San Telmo Market and Children’s Museum

Because of our location, we were also closer to the historic San Telmo neighborhood. We hopped on the subway (Subte) to explore the famous Sunday San Telmo Feria (Street Fair).

Insider Note: Keep in mind that the large, iconic flea market is only on Sundays.

The street fair was incredibly fun—we found tons of artisan gifts and trinkets, and we even caught some live tango performances right on the street. For lunch, we grabbed empanadas inside the indoor San Telmo Market, surrounded by the amazing aroma of sizzling, delicious choripans (traditional Argentine chorizo sandwiches).

After a nap, we headed out on the Subte to visit the fabulous Children’s Museum (Museo de los Niños) located inside the Abasto mall. This was incredibly easy to get to because the subway has a stop that lets you out directly inside the mall! At only about $5 per person ($12 for kids 2-12, $3.50 for 13 and up, free under 2), it was an absolute steal. I loved that the interactive exhibits included scaled-down soccer stadiums and grocery stores stocked with local Argentine products. It was a brilliant, hands-on way to expose the kids to the local culture while letting them play.

Day 3: City Sightseeing and La Boca via the Yellow Bus

To explore some of the sights around the city that were a bit further out, we opted for the official Buenos Aires Yellow Hop-On Hop-Off Bus. We used it to see/explore the colorful La Boca neighborhood, the famous Ateneo bookstore, el obelisko and the Teatro Colon, amongst others. 

While the bus stop closest to El Ateneo Grand Splendid was still a bit of a walk away, it was still worth it to not have to deal with the uber/car seat situation. It is widely considered one of the world’s most beautiful bookstores, built inside an old grand theater, and the largest bookstore in South America. It is an absolute must-visit and we did not want to miss seeing it. 

The colorful La Boca neighborhood and see some of the city’s further-out sights, we decided to buy tickets for the official Buenos Aires Yellow Hop-On Hop-Off Bus. This turned out to be a brilliant hack for traveling with kids—it loops around the entire city, allowing us to see iconic landmarks like El Obelisco and pass by the famous opera house (Teatro Colón) safely without the hassle of hauling a heavy car seat into an Uber.

Once in La Boca, we explored the famous, brightly colored streets and treated ourselves to a long, relaxing lunch accompanied by a live tango show at Caminito Tango Show.

After a much needed nap, we had a nice dinner in Palermo at an Armenian restaurant for a change of pace and ice cream at Rapanui of course (more on those later).

Day 4-5: Exploring Palermo

Our last 2 days were spent in the Palermo neighborhood and we really just relaxed and explored on foot. We absolutely loved the playgrounds and parks near here (our top 3 favorites listed below)! The gorgeous street art and murals and amazing coffee/cafe scene make it a great walkable area to relax in.

The hit of this area with the kids was definitely the Plaza de los Inmigrantes de Armenia. The playground blows most of ours back home out of the water, and it’s hard to beat the excitement of a carousel with young kids.

Top Things to Do in Buenos Aires with Kids (Our Favorites)

While the museums and markets were great, we absolutely loved all the green spaces. Buenos Aires has phenomenal playgrounds! If you are compiling your hit list, here are our Top 3 Playgrounds in Buenos Aires:

1. Parque de las Ciencias: A fantastic, science-themed park that keeps kids curious, located just outside the Centro Cultural de la Ciencia in the Palermo neighborhood

   

   

   
   

2. Plaza de los Inmigrantes de Armenia: Located in Palermo Soho, this large playground features a wonderful carousel alongside its climbing structures.

   

   

   
   

3. Parque Centenario: A massive park that boasts multiple excellent playgrounds to choose from. Walkable from Palermo Soho neighborhood.

What and Where to Eat: Family-Friendly Restaurants in Buenos Aires

Fortunately, Buenos Aires is an incredibly easy city for picky eaters. Kid-friendly staples like pizza, pasta, and ham and cheese empanadas are readily available at almost every restaurant. If you’re planning your food itinerary, here are the spots we highly recommend:

Breakfast & Local Pastries (Facturas)

Because our first hotel included breakfast, we didn’t have to seek out morning meals every single day. However, we still made it a priority to experience Argentina’s amazing pastry culture! We fell in love with the delicious facturas (traditional Argentine sweet pastries) at Parador Atalaya, a great spot with multiple locations throughout the city. If you are visiting Buenos Aires, you absolutely must try a medialuna (a small, sweet croissant) paired with a café con leche for breakfast. And a pro-tip for your sweet tooth: if you can find them stuffed with dulce de leche, it’s even better!

Traditional Parrilla (Steakhouse)

You can’t leave Argentina without trying a traditional steakhouse. We loved Juan Bautista Parrilla Gaucho right in Puerto Madero (note they do have a second location inside the San Telmo Market). It offered an authentic, delicious steak experience that was still incredibly welcoming and accommodating to families.

The Famous Buenos Aires Pizza

Trying the local pizza is a must. Buenos Aires pizza is unique, famous for its thick crust and massive amounts of cheese—especially the fugazzeta (stuffed pizza with onions).

• Picsa: We tried this spot and thought it was a quick, delicious, and highly convenient option. It spared us the long lines and standing-room-only crowds of the ultra-famous tourist spots.

• La Porta Nera: If your family prefers a lighter, Neapolitan-style crust, this spot in the Palermo region was excellent. Reservations are recommended here – it’s a little on the fancier side but still incredibly accommodating for kids with a high chair and some coloring items.

A Break from Argentine Food

If you want to switch things up, we highly recommend an Armenian restaurant called Sarkis in Palermo. If your kids love hummus, pita bread, and rice as much as ours do, they will be thrilled here. Make sure to order the empanadas árabes—our kids absolutely loved them.

Best Ice Cream in Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is a massive ice cream city for anyone with a sweet tooth. For the ultimate treat, Rapanui is an absolute, non-negotiable must. It might honestly be the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted. Make sure to order a flavor mixed with dulce de leche and try their chocolates too (they actually began as a chocolatier). Full disclosure: we loved it so much we visited three times in just five days! 

Tip: You have to pay for your ice cream at the cashier first, then take your ticket to the ice cream counter (in the back of the store at the Palermo location) and order your flavors there. 

Next Time: What’s On Our Radar for the Future

There is SO much to do in this amazing city, including countless museums, neighborhood tours, professional tango shows, and even riverboat tours. Because we were traveling with younger kids on this trip, those weren’t quite on our radar, but we already have a wishlist for our next visit!

The rainy late-fall weather discouraged us from doing too many outdoor activities on certain days, but if you have clear skies, you should definitely add these to your itinerary:

• Tres de Febrero Park: This massive park system in Palermo includes the beautiful Jardin Japonés (Japanese Garden), a stunning rose garden, and the local zoo.

• The Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur: A massive nature reserve right on the edge of Puerto Madero, perfect for a family walk or bike ride.

• Centro Cultural de la Ciencia (Science Museum): We simply ran out of time to explore this one, but it’s a great indoor backup option for Saturdays or Sundays (only open on weekend from 12-7 PM) and it’s free! From what we read, reservations are recommended online. The attached playground/park just outside is open daily and was one of our favorite playgrounds while we were there!

Essential Tips for Traveling to Buenos Aires with Children

Navigating Public Transportation (Without a Car)

We decided not to rent a car for this trip, and honestly, you don’t need one. The city’s subway system, the Subte, was incredibly easy to navigate. Best of all, we were able to tap and pay for each ride using Apple Pay on our phones, making the turnstiles a breeze to get through with kids in tow.

• Ubers and Car Seats: Full disclosure—my husband Marcelo has a cousin living in Buenos Aires who kindly drove us around a bit. However, when we did need to call an Uber on our own, we found the drivers to be very amenable and patient with us installing our own car seat.

Final Thoughts

Whether you are exploring the interactive exhibits at the Museo de los ninos, eating your weight in dulce de leche ice cream at Rapanui, or hopping on the yellow bus to take in the architecture, Buenos Aires makes family travel feel entirely stress-free. Happy traveling!