Buenos Aires
Your first stop is Buenos Aires, which alone is worth the long flight. Even though there are only a few traditional sights here, you’ll still be enchanted by the colourful, lively metropolis. This famous city has a captivating art scene, a vibrant nightlife and fantastic restaurants where you can enjoy traditional Argentinian steak – among other things.
Watch a tango show in the San Telmo district, walk along the Avenida del Libertador and visit the impressive 20-lane Avenida 9 de Julio. The Puerto Madero and the football stadium in La Boca are also worth seeing.
Stay overnight in a hostel in a six-bed dorm for €14 per night.
Iguazú
From Buenos Aires, catch a flight for around €70 to Iguazú, which means “big water” in the Tupi or Guarani languages.
Check out some of the world’s largest waterfalls, the Iguazú Falls, where Brazil and Argentina meet. Comprised of some 275 separate waterfalls and cataracts, the falls extend over more than 2.5 kilometres.
You can get closest to the waterfalls on the Argentinean side and have the opportunity to explore the Iguazú National Park on various circular walks. Don’t miss the main attraction, Garganta del Diablo (the Devil's Throat), and the incredible power of this 80-metre-high natural spectacle.
Watch coatis and many other indigenous species in the thick jungle or take a refreshing swim in one of the many smaller waterfalls along the way.
Stay in a hostel near the national park in a six-bed dorm for €12 per night.
Salta
Continue your trip into the northwest of the country by bus for about €80 to Salta.
The city is embedded in the Andes Mountains, making it an ideal starting point for excursions into the breathtaking mountain landscape.
Purmamarca, a picturesque mountain village at the foot of Cerro de los Siete Colores (Seven Colours Hill), is a popular destination in the area, and is particularly known for its arts and crafts. The hill gets its name from the different coloured layers formed over centuries by geological processes, which makes it one of Argentina’s most popular sights.
Be sure to visit Salinas Grandes, one of the world’s largest salt deserts, stretching over 200 square kilometres. Stop and admire the beautiful, endless white landscape – you won’t regret it.
A tour of the area around Salta, visits to the handicraft market in Purmamarca, the seven-coloured hill and Salinas Grandes also includes hostel pick up/drop off in Salta, transport and entrance fees, for only cost €60 per person.
Salta's charming old town offers great accommodation for €10 per night in a four-bed dorm
Córdoba
For around €70, you can take the bus from Salta to Córdoba, located a little further inland.
With 1.3 million inhabitants, Córdoba is the second largest city in Argentina. Located east of the Sierras de Córdoba mountain range, it attracts travellers from all around the world with its rich history and culture.
Colonial buildings from the 17th and 18th century characterize this student city, which is full of educational institutions. Visit the lively central district of Nueva Córdoba, plunge into the nightlife and dance to traditional Cuarteto music. Plaza San Martín, Iglesia Sagrado Corazón and Las Tejas Park are also worth seeing.
Sleep at a centrally located hostel in an eight-bed dorm for €11 per night.
El Calafate
Jump on a flight (starting from €180) from Córdoba to El Calafate – the starting point for excursions to Los Glaciares National Park.
The park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to the Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the “liveliest” ice surfaces in the world. An excursion to the glacier is best done on a guided tour and is sure to be a trip highlight.
The 30-kilometre long and five-kilometre-wide glacier is one of the few glaciers on our planet that is growing – up to two meters per day! Under a tour guide’s supervision, you can even walk on the glacier and take in the magnificent view of the surrounding landscape from a height of up to 60 metres. The day tour includes hostel pick up/drop off, transfer and guide from €50 per person.
You can find good accommodation in El Calafate for €22 per night in a four-bed dorm.
Puerto Natales
Continue by bus (for about €30) to get to Puerto Natales. This city in the western part of Patagonia is actually located in Chile and is the starting point for excursions to the Torres del Paine National Park.
The park, which is the most famous in the region, has everything imaginable – from crystal clear rivers, granite rocks, grasslands, and glaciers to mountain lakes and swamps. Take a guided day hike and explore its incredible nature.
The most popular route leads up to the foot of the Torres del Paine. It also passes El Chileno Mountain Lodge, where you have a fantastic view of Nordenskjöld Lake and Almirante Nieto. The ascent to Torres del Paine, which means “Blue Towers,” begins through the Millennial Lenga forest.
This hike is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and leads to the most beautiful places in the huge national park. This guided experience includes hostel pickup/drop-off, trekking equipment and lunch from €128 per person.
An overnight stay at a hostel in Puerto Natales in a four-bed dorm is just €19 per night.
Ushuaia
Catch a bus for around €43 and travel even further to the south of Argentina. Ushuaia is located on the Beagle Channel and is considered the southernmost city in the world.
The city is surrounded by snow-covered mountains and is a popular winter sports area. However, the region’s highlight is not ski slopes, but the nearby Tierra del Fuego Park. The best way to get there is by boat from Ushuaia’s port.
Tierra del Fuego, the country’s only coastal national park, is home to quite an impressive landscape and feels like New Zealand or Norway with its icy glaciers, snow-covered mountains, turquoise-blue lakes, deep canyons and dense forests landscapes.
So why not go to Tierra del Fuego and experience the unique end-of-the-earth feeling at South America’s southernmost tip – the last stop before Antarctica?
Stay overnight in Ushuaia in a six-bed dorm for €21.
Buenos Aires
From Ushuaia, return to Buenos Aires. Domestic flights to the capital start from €180.
There is no better place to end your trip than in the country’s industrial and cultural centre. Visit the markets and shopping malls to buy some last-minute souvenirs, take a stroll through the colourful streets, enjoy the city’s vibrant atmosphere and end your trip with a relaxed restaurant visit or a wild night on the town.
Stay in a six-bed dorm at a hostel in Palermo for €14 per night. From Buenos Aires, fly back home with your luggage full to the brim with memories of your adventures in South America.