Family Traveller | Family holidays to Argentina

Why go on holiday in Argentina

UNESCO World Heritage sites

Argentina has ten UNESCO World Heritage sites including Los Glaciares and Iguazú National Parks.

Accommodation choices

There’s a wide choice of hotels in Buenos Aires and the provincial cities. But think about staying in Estancias and Hosteria in Argentina for a more local experience of the country – more affordable too.

Direct flights

Direct flights to Buenos Aires from the UK take approximately 14 hours. Direct flights from Buenos Aires to provincial airports make even the most remote areas of this enormous country accessible for family holidays.

Beaches

Costa Verde seaside towns like Pinamar, Cariló and Mar de Las Pampas have huge beaches three hours’ drive from Buenos Aires.

Natural wonders

Argentina has ten mountain ranges including the Frontal Cordillera stretch of the Andes along the country’s western border with Chile, and the 250km² Perito Moreno glacier in Southern Patagonia is one of the few on Earth accessible by land.

Buenos Aires

Argentina’s capital is just as colourful, exotic and intriguing as you imagine it would be. What you might not expect is effortlessly cool street style, incredible restaurants, elegant Parisian style architecture, gorgeous city parks, the Rio de la Plata waterfront and masses of child-size entertainment.

Buenos Aires is a big city and always busy. Get a street map, divide into barrio and start exploring at Plaza Italia, right in the centre: hub of museums, galleries, shops, restaurants and the city’s transport network.
Barrio Palermo is the city’s largest district and good for international hotels, holiday apartments and Airbnb.
Don’t miss: Bioparque Temaiken; Museo de los Ninos; Parque Lezama; Bosque de los Rosedales; Delta del Parana boat cruises; Puerto de Frutas Sunday markets; Parque de la Costa, the biggest amusement park in South America.
Buenos Aires has direct flights to La Pampa, north and south Patagonia, Córdoba, Santiago.
Visit during summer (November to March) for temperatures between 25˚ and 30˚. The city can be very humid in high summer, so at weekends locals head to beach resorts like Mar del Plata, two hour’s drive south on the Atlantic coast.

El Calafate and Los Glaciares National Park, Patagonia

Between September and May, the town of El Calafate in Santa Cruz Province becomes one of Argentina’s most popular destinations. It’s the gateway to Los Glaciares National Park and the Perito Moreno Glacier: a 250km² ice-field and one of the very few glaciers in the world accessible by land.

El Calafate’s almost solely focused on tourism and has a good range of hotels from basic two and three star to luxurious international five-star resorts.
The town’s ‘hosteria’ are cosy, local guesthouses, wonderfully welcoming to families and a good alternative to hotels in this extraordinary part of the world.
The Fitz Roy and Chalténand Torre mountains are also in Los Glaciares. They’re considered to be the country’s most challenging climbs, but guided treks and hikes in the foothills are fun with older kids.
Activities, tours and experiences can all be arranged through registered operators in El Calafate. Several UK companies also specialise in Argentina adventure packages for families, which include Southern Patagonia.
El Calafate’s a bustling, modern town with good shops, restaurants and places to stay. But the surrounding environment, climate and outdoor activities are most suited to holidays with older kids and teenagers.
Top outdoor activities for families include: trekking on Perito Moreno; Fitz Roy and Chalténand Torre mountain hikes; guided tours of Balcón del Calafate and the Petrified Forest; ziplining, horse riding, sailing, hiking, camping and walking in Los Glaciares.
Closer to Antarctica than Buenos Aires, El Calafate has temperatures between 10˚ and 16˚ from September to March, dropping to daytime lows of -7˚ in June, July and August.

Córdoba, Central Argentina

Argentina’s second city, Córdoba’s at the heart of the country and a good family holiday base for exploring historic Córdoba Province. Considerably more temperate climate-wise than Buenos Aires, summer temperatures seldom rise above 24˚ and winter lows sit at about 11˚.

Córdoba’s one of the loveliest Colonial cities in South America and immersed in history thanks to its pole position on the ancient Royal Road. Good choice of affordable four-star hotels and aparthotels in the city centre.
Set in a valley surrounded by mountains, Córdoba’s sierra are packed with outdoor activities from trekking and horse riding to mountain biking, climbing and heritage tours – they’re also the best place to see Condors in flight.
Don’t miss: Quebrada del Condorito National Park; the flamingos at Mar Chiquita Lagoon; World Heritage Jesuit Square; Córdoba Cathedral; Córdoba Art Market; January’s ‘Festival of Taming’ for astounding riding displays; folklore and beaches at Cosquin.
Best time to visit is spring and summer (September to March), weather is warm, sunny but not too hot and low humidity.

Misiones Province, North East Argentina

Tucked between Paraguay and southern Brazil, Misiones is famous for waterfalls, miraculous rivers and rainforest adventures in complete contrast to the glacial wonders of Patagonia’s far south.

Sub-tropical Posadas is a romantic coastal city, capital of the Province and historic gateway to Misiones’ spectacular natural phenomena. Another Jesuit stronghold, it’s awash with historic buildings, museums, galleries and gorgeous squares. Good base for touring the province.
Puerto Iguazú is the closest city to Iguazú National Park for guided tours and a wide range of four-star family hotels.
Don’t miss: Iguazú National Park; Moconá Falls; World Heritage San Ignacio Ruins; Paraná Waterfront; El Soberbio; Route 12 for mission cities like Eldorado, Montecarlo and Jardin América.

Best time to visit is spring (September to December) when temperatures are between 20˚ and 25˚ and humidity’s low.

Educational value for kids

Santa Cruz Province is where to see the Hands’ Cave in the Rio de las Pinturas Canyon. The cave’s almost 600m deep and its walls are covered in handprints and paintings dating back as far as 13,000 years BC.

Iconic Route 40 covers over 5000km from El Calafate in Southern Patagonia along the western Andean ridge to the border of Bolivia, even the shortest drive’s unforgettable.

Argentina’s Estancias (farms and estates) range from working cattle ranches to grand English-style country parks. They’re wonderful places to stay with kids from the awe-inspiring La Pampa grasslands to the outskirts of cities like Buenos Aires and Córdoba, the Andes Mountains and Southern Patagonia.

Argentina is famous for magnificent rail journeys and beautiful steam trains. La Trochita across the Patagonian Steppes from Esquel on the Old Patagonian Express is an amazing adventure with kids.

Getting around with kids in Argentina

Route 40 crosses Argentina from end to end and stretches for 5000km, so it is possible to drive around if you have plenty of time to spare. But using the country’s network of trains, buses and planes is a much easier way to get about with kids. If you’re thinking about combining more than one province or experience in your Argentinian holiday, several UK companies specialise in multi-centre tours. Being aware of the distances and relative remoteness of many areas is essential for independent travellers, pay particular attention to weather variations across the country too: temperatures in the south drop dramatically between May and August.