From Buenos Aires to Ushuaia and from Iguazú to the Quebrada de Humahuaca: hand-picked hostels in every destination, with the practical information all in one place —buses, flights, distances, money and seasons— so you can plan your trip without opening twenty tabs.
Argentina offers backpackers a variety that's hard to match: trails that start on foot from the village in El Chaltén, mountain huts (refugios) around Bariloche, the Perito Moreno Glacier in El Calafate, colourful high-altitude hills in the Quebrada de Humahuaca, wineries by bike in Mendoza, the Iguazú rainforest and a capital you can get around by metro (subte) and on foot. Almost every destination has hostels with a shared kitchen, the simplest way to keep your daily spend down.
Distances are what shape the trip most. Buenos Aires to Bariloche is about 1,570 km by road and more than 21 hours by bus; there's no direct bus to El Calafate and the journey takes almost two days with changes, against ≈ 3 h 20 by plane. Long-distance buses leave for almost every corner of the country from the Retiro bus station and work well for one-night legs, but to cross from Patagonia to the north or to Iguazú, flying saves you whole days. Domestic flights are run by Aerolíneas Argentinas and JetSMART.
The guide is organised by destination. In each one you'll find the selected hostels with honest pros and cons, how to get there from the airport and the bus station, the bus routes with journey times and companies, what to do on your own and when it's best to go. Below you'll find the legs between destinations, three ready-made itineraries, what you need to know about money and the seasons by region.
Buenos AiresBeds from ≈ US$ 14The gateway for almost every trip and the starting point for buses to Patagonia, the north and Cuyo. Hostels in Palermo, San Telmo, the centre and Recoleta, with the metro (subte) going everywhere.
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BarilocheBeds from ≈ US$ 12The backpacker base of northern Patagonia, on the shores of Lake Nahuel Huapi: city buses take you to the trails to Refugio Frey, Laguna Jakob or Cerro Campanario, and in winter to Cerro Catedral.
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El CalafateBeds from ≈ US$ 10The gateway to the Perito Moreno Glacier, with direct flights from Buenos Aires and buses to El Chaltén and Puerto Natales (Torres del Paine). A small, walkable town that's expensive for Argentina.
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El ChalténBeds from ≈ US$ 16Argentina's National Trekking Capital: the trails to Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Torre start on foot from the village. It has just one ATM, and in winter much of the village shuts down.
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UshuaiaBeds from ≈ US$ 20The city at the end of the world, between the Fuegian Andes and the Beagle Channel: Tierra del Fuego National Park, the Martial Glacier and Laguna Esmeralda are close by. Sleeping and eating cost more than in the north.
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MendozaBeds from ≈ US$ 10The wine capital and the gateway to the highest mountains in the Americas: Maipú wineries by bike, Aconcagua Provincial Park and buses to Santiago de Chile over the Cristo Redentor Pass.
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SaltaBeds from ≈ US$ 8The big base for the Northwest: a colonial old town, folk music bars (peñas) on Calle Balcarce and buses to Cafayate, Cachi, the Quebrada de Humahuaca and San Pedro de Atacama, in Chile.
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Quebrada de HumahuacaBeds from ≈ US$ 10Colourful hills and small villages between 2,300 and 3,000 m, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Based in Tilcara, the buses along Route 9 (RN 9) drop you in Purmamarca or Humahuaca in under an hour.
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Puerto IguazúBeds from ≈ US$ 11The base for the Iguazú Falls: the National Park entrance is about 17 km away and you can cross to the Brazilian side as a day trip. Many hostels have a pool, which is key in the jungle heat.
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Córdoba and Capilla del MonteBeds from ≈ US$ 10A university city with the Jesuit Block and the nightlife of Güemes and Nueva Córdoba; about 2 h 40 away by bus, quiet and cheap Capilla del Monte sits at the foot of Cerro Uritorco.
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San Martín de los AndesBeds from ≈ US$ 22A small town on the shores of Lake Lácar, at the northern end of the Seven Lakes Route: beaches and a boat to Quila Quina in summer, skiing at Cerro Chapelco in winter and buses to Pucón (Chile).
See hostels and how to get there →Tap a destination to go to its guide.
| Leg | Km | By bus | By plane |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buenos Aires → Córdoba | 697 | 8 h 15-9 h 45 · Flechabus, General Urquiza, Chevallier and others · ≈ US$ 29-56 | ≈ 1 h 30 · Aerolíneas and JetSMART |
| Buenos Aires → Mendoza | 1,045 | 13 h 25-17 h · Andesmar, CATA, Chevallier and others · ≈ US$ 84-118 | ≈ 2 h · Aerolíneas and JetSMART |
| Buenos Aires → Salta | 1,447 | 21 h 30-25 h · La Veloz del Norte, Flechabus, Balut and others · ≈ US$ 68-103 | ≈ 2 h 15 · Aerolíneas and JetSMART |
| Buenos Aires → Puerto Iguazú | 1,274 | 17-18 h 45 · Crucero del Norte, Río Uruguay and La 20 de Junio · ≈ US$ 31-107 | ≈ 1 h 55 · Aerolíneas and JetSMART |
| Buenos Aires → Bariloche | 1,570 | 21-25 h · Chevallier, Vía Bariloche and Vía TAC · ≈ US$ 106-163 | ≈ 2 h 25 · Aerolíneas and JetSMART |
| Buenos Aires → El Calafate | 2,551 | no direct bus: ≈ 42-44 h with changes | ≈ 3 h 20 · Aerolíneas and JetSMART |
| Buenos Aires → Ushuaia | ≈ 3,045 | no direct bus | ≈ 3 h 40 · Aerolíneas and JetSMART |
| Bariloche → San Martín de los Andes | 158-188 | ≈ 3 h 40-3 h 55 · Albus and Vía TAC · ≈ US$ 20-36 | — |
| Bariloche → Mendoza | 1,209-1,241 | ≈ 18 h 30-19 h · Andesmar, CATA and Flecha Bus · ≈ US$ 52-114 | Aerolíneas and JetSMART |
| El Calafate → El Chaltén | 215 | ≈ 3 h · Cal-Tur, Chaltén Travel and TAQSA · ≈ US$ 32-38 | — |
| Ushuaia → El Calafate | ≈ 907 | ≈ 17 h 30 with a change in Río Gallegos · Taqsa/Marga · ≈ US$ 114 | 1 h 20-1 h 45 · Aerolíneas |
| Mendoza → Salta | 1,251-1,290 | ≈ 18-20 h · Andesmar, CATA, Flecha Bus, 20 de Junio and others | Aerolíneas and JetSMART |
| Salta → Tilcara (Quebrada) | 175-200 | ≈ 3 h 45 · Balut and Andesmar | — |
| Córdoba → Salta | 850-866 | 12 h 30-14 h · Andesmar, 20 de Junio, Balut, La Veloz del Norte and others · from ≈ US$ 37 | Aerolíneas and JetSMART |
Fly to Salta (≈ 2 h 15 from Buenos Aires) and give it 4 or 5 days: the city, Cafayate via the Quebrada de las Conchas and Cachi via the Cuesta del Obispo. Carry on by bus to Tilcara (≈ 3 h 45 with Balut or Andesmar) and base yourself there for 4 days: the buses along Route 9 take you to Purmamarca and Humahuaca, and you acclimatise along the way before going up to the Hornocal. Head back to Salta and cross to Mendoza by bus (≈ 18-20 h) or by plane for 3 or 4 days of wineries by bike and mountains; from there it's ≈ 2 h by plane or 13-17 h by bus to Buenos Aires.
Fly from Buenos Aires to El Calafate (≈ 3 h 20) and catch the bus to El Chaltén right at the airport: every departure stops there. Stay 4 days in El Chaltén to leave room for the clouds over Fitz Roy, go back to El Calafate (≈ 3 h) and spend 3 days on the Perito Moreno Glacier. From there, fly to Ushuaia (1 h 20-1 h 45 with Aerolíneas) for 3 or 4 days of the National Park and the Beagle Channel, and fly back to Buenos Aires in ≈ 3 h 40.
Start with 4 days in Buenos Aires and take the overnight bus to Puerto Iguazú (17-18 h 45) or the ≈ 1 h 55 flight. 2 or 3 days are enough for the falls: if you go back to the park the next day, the second entry is half price, and you can cross to the Brazilian side as a day trip. Return to Buenos Aires and fly to Bariloche (≈ 2 h 25) for 5 or 6 days of lakes and trails; carry on by bus to San Martín de los Andes (≈ 3 h 40-3 h 55), stay 2 or 3 days and fly back to Buenos Aires from Chapelco airport.
These days the official dollar, the MEP rate and the blue rate are within 1 % of each other, so changing money «at the blue rate» no longer gives you an edge. This guide converts at AR$ 1,540 = US$ 1. Avoid the street money changers («arbolitos») on Calle Florida because of the risk of fake notes: change money at banks or exchange offices.
Purchases with a card issued abroad are settled at the MEP exchange rate, practically the same as the official one; this doesn't apply to ATM withdrawals. Some hostels add a surcharge if you pay by card or only take cash: check the final price and the currency before you pay.
Foreign tourists don't pay the 21 % VAT on accommodation, including at registered hostels, if they show their passport and the immigration entry record and pay with a foreign card or a transfer from abroad. It doesn't apply if you pay in pesos or with an Argentine card: ask the hostel how they apply it before you pay.
Many hostels outside Buenos Aires only take cash, for example in San Martín de los Andes, Salta, Córdoba, Ushuaia and El Calafate. ATMs charge foreign cards up to ≈ US$ 10 per withdrawal, with low limits, and they're scarce: El Chaltén has just one, which runs out of notes in high season; the same happens in El Calafate, and in the Quebrada they empty out on long weekends.
One alternative is to send money to yourself and collect it in pesos at a branch: there are agents in Bariloche, El Calafate and Puerto Iguazú, among others. Factor the fee into your sums and don't change money at the Ezeiza and Aeroparque offices, where the rate is less favourable.
The SUBE card works on buses and the metro (subte) in Buenos Aires and in several other cities; in Bariloche the buses don't take cash. On the Buenos Aires metro, and in Mendoza, Córdoba and San Martín de los Andes, you can also pay by contactless card, and Salta uses its own card, SAETA. In Buenos Aires the metro costs ≈ US$ 1.20 with a registered SUBE card and ≈ US$ 1.65 with an unregistered one.
The British and Canadian governments advise care in Buenos Aires with phone snatching, thieves on motorbikes (motochorros) and the «mustard stain» trick, especially at the Retiro bus station, Calle Florida, San Telmo, Palermo and La Boca, where it's best not to stray from Caminito. At Ezeiza, only take official taxis and, in the city, use a radio taxi rather than hailing one on the street.
In the big cities (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza, Salta and Bariloche) ride-hailing apps work and usually come out cheaper than the airport taxi; in southern Patagonia, the Quebrada, Iguazú and San Martín de los Andes there are hardly any, and there people use a remís (minicab), a taxi or the bus. These are the apps that work in Argentina, with their official links.
The most widely used in the country: Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza, Salta and Bariloche. It takes card, cash and Mercado Pago, and the same account you use at home works here.
Strong in Buenos Aires; also in Córdoba, Mendoza and Bariloche. Cash only in Buenos Aires, Rosario, Mendoza and Córdoba; to create an account it asks for a phone number and email address.
Works in Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Salta, Bariloche and other cities (not in Mendoza). You pay by card or in cash.
The official app for taxis in the City of Buenos Aires: it estimates the fare using the official rate table, shows the number plate and the driver, and you pay by card or Mercado Pago. It works within the capital (including Aeroparque, not Ezeiza).
The apps show the price in Argentine pesos. If, when paying with a foreign card, you're offered the charge in your own currency, travel guides recommend choosing pesos.
To request a car you need internet: a prepaid SIM from Personal, Claro or Movistar (activated with your passport) or an eSIM. Cabify asks for a phone number and email address to create the account.
Uber and DiDi accept cash in Argentina; Cabify, only in Buenos Aires, Rosario, Mendoza and Córdoba (and never for advance reservations).
Before getting in, check the number plate, model and driver's photo. All three apps let you share the trip live and have an emergency button; Cabify adds a 4-digit PIN.
Cabify picks up at gate I, at the far end of the former terminal A; Uber and DiDi, at the bay opposite, across the road. Uber reports an average of ≈ US$ 20 to the city; the official taxi charges ≈ US$ 32 at the desk (≈ US$ 23 reserving on its website).
In El Calafate, El Chaltén, Ushuaia, the Quebrada, Iguazú and San Martín de los Andes the apps don't operate or aren't authorised: count on the airport remís or taxi, shuttles or the bus (each guide explains how).
| Region | Best time | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Patagonia (El Calafate, El Chaltén, Ushuaia) | Nov-Mar | This is when there are the most buses and flights, with 16 to 17 hours of daylight; hostels and buses fill up, so it's worth reserving ahead. The wind blows hard from October to February. From May to September most businesses in El Chaltén close and buses from El Calafate drop to about 2 a day; Ushuaia has a second season in winter, with skiing at Cerro Castor. |
| Northern Patagonia (Bariloche, San Martín de los Andes) | Dec-Mar and Jul-Aug | There are two high seasons: trekking season, with the Frey and Otto Meiling refugios open from December to April and the driest weather of the year, and snow season, with Cerro Catedral and Chapelco. May and June are the wettest months. In winter the Seven Lakes Route can be closed by snowfall and require chains, and from June to January Argentine school-leavers' trips fill the centre of Bariloche. |
| Cuyo (Mendoza) | Apr-May and Oct-Nov | These months are mild with little rain; from December to February highs are around 31-33 °C and hostels open their pools. The day trek to Confluencia, on Aconcagua, runs from 15/11 to 10/4. In winter the Cristo Redentor Pass to Chile has reduced hours and closes for snow or ice. |
| Northwest (Salta and the Quebrada de Humahuaca) | Apr-May and Sep-Oct | Dry with mild days: the best time for the Puna, the Hornocal and hiking. From December to March it rains heavily (197 mm in January in Salta), although that's when the Tilcara Carnival takes place, with hostels filling up and raising prices. July, with the winter school holidays, brings heavy demand for buses and sub-zero nights in Humahuaca. |
| Litoral (Puerto Iguazú) | Mar-May and Sep-Nov | More bearable temperatures (highs of 24-30 °C), although October is the wettest month. In summer it's 31-32 °C and very humid, and the falls carry more water; July, January, February and long weekends are high season. The park is open every day of the year, but floods can close the Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diablo), as happened in August and September 2026. |
| Buenos Aires and Córdoba | Mar-May and Sep-Nov | In Buenos Aires summer is hot (highs of 29-30 °C) and winter is cool (15-16 °C); autumn and spring are mild for walking around the city. In the Córdoba hills, January and February are high season and the wettest, with storms; May to August is dry with cold nights. For hiking in Capilla del Monte, March-April and September-November are best. |
Boat trips in front of the glaciers, the Iguazú Falls, wineries by bike and the Quebrada: the most booked activities in the country.