Argentina - Top Destination To Visit In 2019 Itinerary With Photos

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My journey through the rainforest of Iguazu to glacier Perito Moreno. The trip to Argentina was just not how I would plan a holiday. I can't imagine I didn't wake up to do the early morning hike, I didn't venture to catch the sunrise in Iguazu, I didn't even want to lug my camera around in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires. Since my pre-planned itinerary didn't work out due to last minute cancellations, work, terrible health etc etc. It allowed me to take a pause from everything. Sitting by the window, I enjoyed the rainfall, sound of the jungle, petrichor, the humidity, water sprinkling my face. Doing absolutely "nothing" led me to something I can now look back and stay inspired.

Note to self: You love rainforests, hot and humid weather. Iguazu was no where adventurous like my Peruvian Amazon trip but it was perfect to unwind and do nothing.

The 8 day trip looked something like this:

Day 1 - SFO - Houston- Buenos Aires

Day 2 - Stay overnight in downtown Buenos Aires

Day 3 - Buenos Aires - El Calafate - Perito Moreno. Hired a taxi to take us to Perito Moreno for about 4 hours return day trip. Returned to the hotel in El Calafate for over night stay.

Day 4 - El Calafate to Peurto Iguazu. Stayed at the Melia, the only hotel inside the national park to make the most of our short trip. It was certainly expensive but worth it.

Day 5 - Explore the jungle. The only time we could venture in to the forest was early morning as it was extremely hot and humid. The evenings were extremely pleasant and an excellent way to soak in the jungle vibe.

Day 6 - Early morning stroll after breakfast to the lower circuit before heading back to Buenos Aires.

Day 6 & 7 - Walked the town of Argentina’s capital. Art gallery near french quarters, the old town, La Boca were the highlights.

Day 8 - B A - SFO via houston.

You can view my 15 days trip to Chile - Argentina and see how you can get started in planning yours. Just to be clear, we couldn’t do our w-trek in Chile but I left the details in the Travefy for future bookings.

Must do things:

Glacier walk - We couldn’t do it because of limited time but it’s a must.
Viewing the glacier from the boat - Yes, absolutely.
Stay at ACA Hotel in El Calafate.
Book a taxi from your hotel if you want the luxury of being on your own while visiting Perito Moreno.
Order the vegetarian beetroot sandwich at the lodge before you embark on ferry for Perito Moreno.
Argentina is a meat eating country so if you are a preferred vegetarian, then your go - to place should be Sparaw near Recoleta & french quarters in Buenos Aires. Address is Rodríguez Peña 1714, C1021 CABA, Argentina.
Visit Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar if you don’t like the idea of going to Recoleta cemetery. Although it was very beautiful but I was freaking out the moment I saw open coffins in public view. Something really creepy and I just walked out.
La Boca - From Tango beats to bustling neighborhood brimming with restaurants and colourful walls, La Boca is a must visit when you want it all. It reminded me of Camden market in London just a little more rustic.
Stay at Melia Iguazu as that’s the only hotel inside the park. For reference, you can no longer access the trails early morning before it opens to the tourists as it’s strictly regulated for safety reasons by park rangers.
Don’t bother with waterfall viewing room at Melia as they give you access to the terrace anyways. The room overlooking the rainforest is equally majestic.
Look for last minute upgrade options to Business class. We got $650 one way upgrade from Houston - BA and access to United polaris Lounge.

Mistakes to Avoid:

Don’t over eat in the polaris lounge just because there are so many amazing options. You will land up sick and ruin your trip like me.
Don’t book United flight with 3 hour gap to Houston. Most likely it will be delayed and you will be stuck in Houston as there is only one flight from Houston to BA. Book an early morning flight and ensure you have at least 5 - 6 hours gap for your connection from Houston.
Don’t do a hectic trip like I did as Argentina is a big country and most of the time goes in flying. Iguazu is a great destination year around so you can skip Southern hemisphere summer time and pick spring or autumn for pleasant weather.
Don’t go for pre-booked cabs as they turn out to be expensive than metered cabs. Apparently the taxi union doesn’t approve of uber/ lyft so hail a local cab and ask the driver to start the meter.
Don’t carry drone to Glaciers or falls. It’s not allowed at tourist spots but may be if you are doing the back country trekking. But again the winds are gusty so don’t risk it.