Help with a holiday in Argentina, please!

[BIWI]

DH and I are talking about where we want to go on holiday this year. Totally out of the blue he’s said he’d like to go to Argentina. We’ll obviously Google/research it, etc, but wondered if anyone here has any recommendations - either for thing to do or to avoid.

We’re not restricted to when we can go, and it will just be the two of us. We’re not especially adventurous - more tourists than travellers, IYKWIM. Not interested in hiking or watersport-type holidays. General sight-seeing, eating nice food and drinking lovely wine is more our thing!

I prefer warm weather, and I know that June/July/August are the colder months, so it would either be early or later in the year.

I have to say I’m not especially convinced, but happy to be persuaded!

Buenos Aires is great - head to a tango show, and one of the brilliant walking tours. We also went on a food tour with a private guide - he was so interesting, and we were with him for 4-5 hours - so much great food and wine.

we also took a trip down to El Calafate, and visited glaciers and the local area. Also really great, and worth the side trip.

i know some people do a trip to Uruguay from BA too. We were on honeymoon, and also spent (much more) time in Peru.

We loved Buenos Aries. Go to the cemetery - it’s quite an experience and you can see Evita’s tomb. On a Sunday there is a craft market outside. We bought 24 hour tickets for the hop on / off bus. Went right round once and then used it the next day to get us to the cemetery.

You can travel around Argentina on their busses and they are like first class planes! Lie down beds food served it's grear! Travel up to iguana falls which is incredible and go west to Cordoba...I went to BA about 20 years ago and would love to return and travel around!

Amazing country - you could spend months there and not see it all. I went 20 years ago so dont know about the current political/financial situation but research and take your pick - Buenos Aires, Igacu Falls, Salta, Cordoba, Mendoza, Bariloche, Patagonia (Perito Moreno glacier), Puerto Madryn. Amazing wine, incredible steak and seafood, diverse and unbelievable scenery and culture. Long distance coaches are a really great way to travel but it is a huge country so you could fly to save time. Would wholeheartedly recommend.

It’s a gorgeous country mostly! Out of all of it (we went for a month and travelled around), my highlight was Iguazu falls and seeing close up a Toucan just there in the tree. Breathtaking!

What's your budget? And how long would you be planning to spend there?

It's a good choice for someone who likes nice food and drinking wine on holiday tbh. Mendoza would usually be the first choice for wine tours in Argentina.

Iguazu Falls is worth the visit, although you'd need to spend a few days there to make it worthwhile. You could cross the border into Brazil to see the Brazilian side of the waterfalls. If you went to Argentina without going to Iguazu it would be almost criminal. It's so much more impressive than Niagara.

Uruguay is also an easy trip from Buenos Aires by ferry.

Staying within Argentina, El Calafate (glacier), Ushuaia (the last city before Antarctica) and Patagonia more broadly are beautiful and worth visiting.

There are so many different itineraries you could plan for a trip like this that it's hard to know where to begin. You wouldn't be able to do everything I've listed here in one trip unless you had lots of time and a budget for internal flights.

As a pp has said the longer distance buses are much superior to anything in the UK, but some of the journeys are very long because it's a big country - so if you have the budget for some short internal flights that can give you more time to spend on holidaying.

The only mild caution I would say is not to wear any clothes with the number 82 on them and be respectful if you go near/to the Malvinas Memorial. The Falklands War is still more sensitive/raw and more remembered than it is here, so you may find the occasional person being hostile (especially if you rock up as a British person at the Malvinas Memorial wearing a t-shirt with an 82 emblazoned on it) but most people will be welcoming. Also, avoid any protests (but I'd say that about any destination).

Haven’t really worked out a budget yet - I have enough Avios for flights so it would just be accommodation and food etc. Probably 2 weeks, might be able to stretch DH to 3.

If you like wine and good steak then you will love Argentina. They have delicious desserts inspired by dulce de leche and the ice cream is great (lots of Italian immigrants so their ice cream game is strong). Asado or grilled meats is huge and if you can find places which give you a mini bbq on the table they're great.
I agree with everyone else about Iguazu Falls. They're incredible. I have also seen Niagara several times but they are nothing in comparison. As others have said you can cross into Brazil to view from both sides but it's not necessary in my opinion.
Buenos Aires is great. The tango is immense - do try and see a show or even have some lessons. San Telmo market is great and the Palmero District is really nice - great steak place called La Cabrera. Also definitely head to Recoleta cemetery for the obligatory stop by Eva Perons family grave.
I really liked Argentina. Places like Mendoza are the best wine areas. Bariloche is gorgeous for the mountains. A very varied country.

Thank you everyone - some really inspiring suggestions, and definitely got me more interested! I like the sound of the buses, but totally understand the point about it being a big country and therefore long journeys.

@BIWI if you're using BA Avios and voucher consider the Iberia flight. We thought it much better than BA business to Tokyo. The lounge in Madrid is nice and I had a quick snooze in one of the sleeping room while DH had a good shower before we caught our onwards flight.

We caught the bus up to Iguazu and flew back to BA, but the bus was far more fun and we both slept right through the night (and splurged on the Melia park hotel as a reward!). We would have loved to get buses down the coast but we had to get to Ushuai on a deadline and didn't have time.

Good tips - thank you @Specialnameforanoutingthread

Speaking of the coast that reminds me that whale watching is also an option depending on time of year and itinerary.

Loved Argentina! Perfect place for foodies and wine lovers. Finca Adagisa in Mendoza was my fave spot to stay. Gorgeous. Massage in the vineyards was a highlight!