Argentina Tours: Costs, Durations and How to Choose
Argentina Tours: Costs, Durations and How to Choose
Argentina tours divide by geography before anything else. The country is the eighth largest on earth and its three signature landscapes — subtropical rainforest in the north-east, Patagonian ice in the far south, a European capital on the river between — are separated by distances that decide how long a trip has to be and what it costs. This page sets out the real numbers, the routes that work, and how to pick between them.
Argentina tours at a glance
| Typical range | |
|---|---|
| Trip length | 8 to 15 days; 12 is the common choice |
| Land-only cost | US$330–450 per person per day, private |
| Domestic flights | 2–3 sectors, US$120–250 each, quoted separately |
| Best months | November–March for Patagonia; February–April for Iguazu |
| Altitude | None on the classic route — the highest point is a walking trail |
| Departures | Private, any date — there are no fixed group departures |
What Argentina tours cost per day
The land-only figure for a private, guided trip in four-star accommodation sits between US$330 and US$450 per person per day, falling as the group grows because the vehicle and guide are shared. Our own twelve-day programme works out at US$383 per day for two travellers and US$333 for four or more.
Two things move that number more than anything else. The first is Patagonia: hotels in El Calafate and El Chalten run well above the national average in high season, and lodges inside the national parks higher still. The second is the flights. Buenos Aires to Iguazu and Buenos Aires to El Calafate are not optional on a trip of this shape — the road alternatives are three days each — and operators who quote a low headline figure have usually left them out. We quote them separately so the total is visible rather than hidden.
By trip length: how many days Argentina needs
| Days | What fits | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| 8 days | Buenos Aires and one other region — usually Iguazu or El Calafate, not both | Travellers adding Argentina to a wider South America trip |
| 12 days | Buenos Aires, Iguazu and the Santa Cruz glaciers, unhurried | The standard first visit, and the one we recommend |
| 15–18 days | The above plus Mendoza and the wine country, or Ushuaia, or the crossing into Chilean Patagonia | Second visits, and anyone with the time to do Patagonia properly |
Below eight days the flights start eating the trip. Above fifteen, most travellers are better served by crossing a border than by adding a fourth Argentine region — which is why our twelve-day programme is built to connect at El Calafate.
By route: where Argentina tours actually go
Buenos Aires, Iguazu and the glaciers — the classic
The three-corner route: the capital, the falls in the north-east, and the ice in Santa Cruz. It is the most common shape for a first visit because it covers the three things the country is known for, and because the flights that link them are short and frequent. This is our twelve-day Argentina programme.
Patagonia only
El Calafate, El Chalten and often the crossing to Torres del Paine in Chile. It suits walkers and second visits, and it pairs naturally with our Chile programme, which starts five hours overland from where the Argentine side ends.
The Northwest
Salta, Jujuy and the Puna, crossing to the Atacama through the Paso de Jama at 4,400 m. It is the least-visited of the three and the only one that works overland end to end. We build it on request rather than as a fixed programme.
Which option fits your trip
- You have ten days or fewer — pick two regions, not three. Buenos Aires plus Patagonia is the stronger pair; Iguazu is the one to drop.
- You want the falls at their fullest — travel February to April, after the summer rains. In a dry September the flow drops noticeably.
- You want Patagonia at its best — November to March. Outside that window El Chalten largely closes.
- You are combining with Chile — end in El Calafate, not Buenos Aires. The border crossing to Puerto Natales is five hours.
- You cannot manage altitude — this is the South American country for you. There is none on the classic route.
Before you book: timing, flights and the peso
Seasons run opposite at the two ends. Patagonia peaks November to March; Iguazu is best February to April; Buenos Aires is pleasant in spring and autumn and empties in January. The window that suits everything is late October to early December, or March.
Book Patagonia early. El Calafate and El Chalten have limited beds and they fill months ahead for the high season. Sixty days is a comfortable margin; inside thirty the choice narrows sharply.
The Brazilian side of Iguazu is another country. Some nationalities need a Brazilian visa for it, arranged in advance — it cannot be sorted at the border. The Argentine park holds about eighty per cent of the falls, so nothing essential is lost by staying on one side.
On money: Argentina’s currency situation moves faster than any guide can track. Bring some US dollars in cash, pay by card where the rate favours it, and ask us at the time of travel rather than relying on anything written months earlier.
Common questions, answered
Do you run fixed departures?
No. Every trip is built to order for your own party, on the dates that suit you. There is no group to join and no departure calendar to work around.
Are the domestic flights included?
They are quoted separately, not bundled. Their cost swings with season and booking window, and including them would hide that. If you prefer to travel overland we will rebuild the itinerary around it — it adds roughly six days.
Can Argentina be combined with Chile?
Easily, and it is the most common extension. El Calafate to Puerto Natales is about five hours overland across the border, which puts Torres del Paine within reach of an Argentine trip.
Is Argentina expensive?
Less than Chile and more than Colombia, on our own quoted programmes. The land cost is comparable to Peru; what raises the total is Patagonian accommodation in high season and the internal flying that the country’s size makes unavoidable.
The bottom line on Argentina tours
Twelve days, private, land cost from US$4,600 per person, flights on top and quoted openly. If you have less time, drop Iguazu rather than Patagonia. If you have more, cross into Chile rather than adding a fourth Argentine region.
The full itinerary is here: Argentina in 12 days: Buenos Aires, Iguazu and Patagonia. For background reading, our guides cover planning an Argentina itinerary, the Iguazu falls, El Calafate and the glaciers, Patagonia route by route, Buenos Aires and when to go.
Full day-by-day itinerary, prices by group size and what is included: Argentina in 12 days: Buenos Aires, Iguazu and Patagonia. It is a suggested route, not a fixed departure — tell us your dates and we rebuild it around them.