What is the ideal itinerary through Argentina with kids? Argentina is a beautiful country with many different types of landscapes. You have beautiful nature here, beautiful cities and also fun children’s activities you can do in the country. The ideal itinerary in Argentina for families also depends a bit on how many weeks you have time for the country and what your preferences are as a family. In this blog, we list all the information you need to put together a great itinerary through Argentina with the family.
Best travel time Argentina with kids
It is difficult to determine the best time to travel in Argentina with kids. Argentina is a large country, so different travel times are better for different parts of the country. In general, you can distinguish between northern/central Argentina and southern Argentina. In fact, the best travel time in the south is during the Argentine summer and this is from December through February.
Then Patagonia has the best weather and is not super cold or has a lot of snow. On the contrary, for the other parts of the country, it can be quite warm during this period, which is why Argentines themselves often head for the places in the south during this vacation period.
For central and northern Argentina, the best travel time to visit with the family is the months of April, May, September and October. During these months it is not high season in Argentina and temperatures are generally good!
Transportation in Argentina
Argentina is a very large country and if you want to travel the entire country by road, you will really be on the road for many weeks. Therefore, a domestic flight can occasionally be nice to save some time. Most major cities have airports, and domestic flights are generally not super expensive.
Of course, you can also travel between cities by public transport (especially buses), but that’s a lot less ideal with kids and you’re also a lot less flexible. We ourselves have traveled several times by bus in Argentina without our daughter, and the buses are certainly luxurious, but you are so more than ten hours on the bus.
At most airports of these Argentine cities, you can rent a car through Sunny Cars. We are always fans of this rental company, because they just offer a super good package with all the insurances and also often the deductible in this package. As a result, we never have to take out additional insurance on the spot, and we always go abroad with peace of mind in the rental car.
For the different cities in Argentina to rent a car through Sunny Cars, take a look here.
Argentina travel itinerary with kids: 1 week
Buenos Aires
Almost every family going on a tour of Argentina will start in the capital Buenos Aires. Buenos Aires is also a really nice city to visit and we think it is one of the nicest cities in South America. It’s fine to stay here for 3 nights to recover a bit from the plane ride anyway and also because there is plenty to do in Buenos Aires.
The city center is fun to visit and you have several cool neighborhoods here like La Boca and San Telmo that are worth visiting. In addition, in Buenos Aires you can take the family to the zoo, visit an amusement park and the city has several nice city parks you can visit with the family.
For example, in Parque de los Ninos you have a fun water playground that you can go to with kids. We wrote about this city the blog Buenos Aires with kids, in which we listed all the city’s children’s activities. If you are looking for a nice accommodation in Buenos Aires, the options below are a great choice.
Budget accommodation: Hotel Quito
Mid-range accommodation: El Misti Hotel Buenos Aires Centro
Luxury Accommodation: Regal Pacific Puerto Madero
For a full list of all family-friendly accommodations in Buenos Aires, take a look here.
Iguazu Falls
A second destination that almost everyone includes in their itinerary through Argentina are the waterfalls of Iguazu. We found these waterfalls to be a real highlight of our trip through South America, which is why it is definitely fun to visit them with kids. Since you can see the falls from two sides (from the Argentine side and the Brazilian side) you will definitely need 2 days.
In fact, both sides are really different and therefore it is advisable to set aside a day for both sides. By bus from Buenos Aires to Puerto Iguazu will take about 17 hours, and by plane you will reach your destination in 2 hours. You can rent a car from the airport and to rent a car in Iguazu, take a look here.
Besides being able to see the impressive waterfalls, it is also possible to take kids to a bird park and a water park. This makes it best to stay at the falls with kids for about 3 to 4 days. You also don’t want to rush everywhere with kids, and especially since you’re probably going to fly, you also need to factor in travel days. We write about the falls the travel blog Iguazu with kids.
Spending the night on the Argentine side of the falls? These are good family-friendly accommodations.
Budget accommodation: Pirayu Hotel & Resort
Middle Class Accommodation: ISONDU Suites & Breakfast
Luxury Accommodation: Loi Suites Iguazu Hotel
For the entire list of family-friendly accommodation in Puerto Iguazu, take a look here.
Argentina travel itinerary with kids: 2 weeks
Ushuaia
You are now about a week on the road in Argentina and then it becomes a matter of making choices. Will you explore another part of Patagonia or visit some other cities in Argentina. This also depends a bit on the period you are visiting Argentina. As we mentioned earlier, visiting Patagonia is especially ideal during the Argentine summer from December to February.
From the falls you can fly to Ushuaia which is located at the southernmost tip of Argentina. It is fun to visit Tierra del Fuego National Park here with kids. You can take beautiful walks with the family here. You also have several lakes to visit in Ushuaia, among which Laguna Esmeralda is one of the more beautiful lakes in this region.
It is also possible to visit a glacier. In Ushuaia, kids can also spot penguins in the wild. For more information about this place, read the blog Ushuaia withkids.
Family-friendly lodging options in Ushuaia include the following:
Budget hotel: Departamentos Ahnen
Mid-range hotel: Del Bosque Apart Hotel
Luxury hotel: Hotel Albatros
For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in Ushuaia, take a look here.
El Calafate
Another highlight of Argentina that you really shouldn’t skip with kids is a visit to the huge glacier Perito Moreno. You can visit this glacier from the town of El Calafate. You can also fly to this destination and then rent a car to explore the area. For more information on renting a car at El Calafate airport, take a look here.
We really did find the Perito Moreno glacier to be one of the highlights of our trip through Patagonia. You can choose to see the glacier up close by boat or just from the viewpoint. The latter is impressive enough, and it makes a huge noise when a piece of ice falls from the glacier into the water.
Besides the Perito Moreno glacier, there are other things you can do with kids in the El Calafate area. For example, you have Lake Lago Argentino that you can visit by boat, you can visit a natural park with different mountains and there is also a museum that you can visit with kids that is all about glaciers.
If you as a family love the mountains, you can also visit the town of El Chalten. This mountain village is a 3-hour drive from El Calafate and the most famous mountain located in this region is Fitz Roy. Here you can take very nice walks with the family, as well as go horseback riding, kayaking and biking. In the blog El Calafate with kids, we give you more family-friendly information about this destination.
If you are looking for family-friendly accommodation in El Calafate, the following options are interesting.
Budget accommodation: Apart Haiken
Mid-range accommodation: South Apartments
Luxury Accommodation: Mirador del Lago Hotel
For the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in El Calafate, take a look here.
Argentina travel itinerary with kids: 3 to 4 weeks
With the above four destinations in Argentina, you will soon be on the road in Argentina for 2 weeks and if you are lucky enough to be able to spend even longer in this country, there are certainly some very nice destinations in the country that you can visit. We list them below.
Puerto Madryn
If you want to see much more of beautiful Patagonia, then a visit to Puerto Madryn is a nice option. We found it a nice stopover during our trip through Argentina. A visit to the beautiful Insula Valdes is especially recommended with kids. You can spot different animals in this nature reserve such as penguins, whales, foxes and dolphins.
A visit to Punta Tombo is also fun because there is a huge colony of penguins here, which you can get very close to. In addition, you have several beaches where you can get a breath of fresh air and where there are several playgrounds for the kids. We wrote the blog Puerto Madryn with kids about this destination.
Families can stay overnight at the following family-friendly accommodations:
Budget accommodation: Perlas del Mar
Middle class accommodation: La Tosca Hostel
Luxury accommodation: Hotel Territorio
For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in Puerto Madryn, take a look here.
Bariloche
Another cool destination in Patagonia is Bariloche which is known for its many lakes you can visit here with kids. The town itself is a bit like a ski village in Switzerland or Austria. You can take a boat trip on several lakes and it is also fun to take the chairlift up the mountain in Bariloche on the outskirts of the village and then go down the toboggan run. Especially with kids, this is a fun kids’ activity.
There are several ways to visit the various lakes. Thus, you have organized tours, but you can also explore the area on your own by mountain bike. About Bariloche we wrote the blog Bariloche with kids, in which we write extensively about this destination.
The following family-friendly accommodations in Bariloche are recommended:
Budget accommodation: Posada del Ñireco
Mid-range accommodation: Belgrano Decks
Luxury accommodation: Huinid Bustillo Hotel & Spa
For a list of all family-friendly accommodations in Bariloche, take a look here.
Mendoza
This destination in central Argentina may not be the first destination you think of when planning a trip with kids, as it is known for the vineyards surrounding the city. Indeed, most tourists here go on wine tours in this area, but for families with kids, there aren’t really many suitable tours around these wine bodegas. Yet you can do very different things here with kids.
For example, it is possible to go rafting with kids in the area and you have a nice water park in the area of Mendoza where you can go with kids during the hot summer months. In winter, you can also go skiing with your family at this destination, making it a year-round destination. For more information read our blog Mendoza with kids.
If you want to spend a few nights in the city, these are good family-friendly options.
Budget accommodation: Alto Unimev
Mid-range accommodation: La Magdalena
Luxury accommodation: Tanino Guest House
For the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Mendoza, take a look here.
Cordoba
Cordoba is Argentina’s second largest city after Buenos Aires and has a lively center that you can visit. This big city doesn’t have super many family-friendly activities, which means you can also skip the city just fine if you have to make choices. You can go boating on the lake in Parque Sarmiento in the city with kids, and you also have another beautiful nature reserve in the Cordoba area.
You can take beautiful walks here in the vicinity of Mount Los Gigantos. We wrote about the city the blog Cordoba with kids and if you want to stay overnight in this great city, these are some good options.
Budget accommodation: Güemes Hostel Cordoba
Mid-range accommodation: AT Suites
Luxury accommodation: THE HOTEL
For the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Cordoba, take a look here.
Salta
The last city to visit during a tour of Argentina with kids is Salta. This city is located in the very north of Argentina and you can go here to explore the salt flats with kids. It is also possible to go ziplining in the Salta area with older kids in this area.
The center of Salta is definitely worth a visit and we wrote about this city the blog Salta with kids, in which we listed all the fun kids’ activities of the city. If you’re looking for a nice family-friendly accommodation in the city, you have some great options here.
Budget accommodation: LEAD Pods Hostel
Mid-range accommodation: Posada La Casona
Luxury Accommodation: Kkala Boutique Hotel
For the entire list of family-friendly accommodations in Salta, take a look here.
As you can see, you have a lot of different destinations in Argentina that you can visit with the family and the different parts of the country are very diverse. First, see which sights you all want to see and then take a good look at which period is most suitable to go.
Then you can start putting the logistical puzzle together and you can see how you arrange everything in terms of transportation. We spent about 6 weeks in the country ourselves and found it a very cool country to visit.
