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Argentina’s main draws are its landscapes and natural spectacles (ranging from the enormous Perito Moreno Glacier to Iguazú Falls), its wildlife, wine, and its distinct cultural identity. Palatial and quasi-Parisian architecture, football, tango, late-night dining, and an effervescent energy combine to make Buenos Aires one of the world’s most beguiling cities, well worth a visit of at least several days. From here you could travel into the pampas to stay on an estancia, a traditional ranch, to go horse riding and taste a little of the Argentinian gaucho lifestyle. Further south lie the icy mountains, glaciers, and sprawling wilderness of Patagonia, where you can do everything from whale watching to hiking. The green, alpine-like Lake District is also a hub of outdoor activities, while in the north, you can go wildlife watching on serene canoe trips in the Iberá Wetlands. See our highlights guide for more ideas on what to experience in Argentina.

Buenos Aires is the starting point for most people, where you can tour the city’s historic quarters, sample its food scene, and even learn tango. Wildlife aficionados have the pick of several areas, from the wild coastline of the Península Valdés where you can spot whales, penguins, and albatrosses, to the Iberá Wetlands, rich in caimans, capybaras, and all kinds of birdlife. You can see the world’s longest waterfall, the Iguazú Falls, on the border with Brazil. And in the far south, there are the glaciers, icefields, mountains, and wild pampas of Patagonia. Ultimately, the best places to go in Argentina will depend on your interests, and our specialists can draw on their experience to help you decide.

Argentina has the whole gamut of accommodation, from wilderness ecolodges to boutique city hotels. In the winelands of Mendoza, you can stay in elegant retreats with swimming pools, while in the Lake District, you can choose alpine chalet-like hosterías, from the upmarket to the more family-run and rustic. The most distinctly Argentinian style of property is probably the estancia, traditional gaucho ranches where you can go riding and dine under the stars on asado (traditional Argentinian barbecue). Our specialists have tried and tested each property to find the best of the best to add to our collection.

You can fly directly from London to Buenos Aires in under 14 hours, on average.

The time zone for Argentina is GMT -3, so it’s four hours behind the UK.

Given Argentina’s size, internal flights are necessary if you’d like to explore several parts of the country in one trip, but we’ll always help you choose the most time-saving routes. Shared or private road transfers are the norm in most parts of Argentina, but you can also get behind the wheel yourself in several regions of the country — for example, in the Lake District and parts of Argentinian Patagonia. You can even road-trip the lesser-visited northwest of Argentina, driving from the city of Salta to the wine region of Mendoza — and we’ll show you how.

Use our travel tool to find up-to-date visa and passport requirements for Argentina. Enter where you’re travelling to and from (including any stopover destinations en route or flight layovers), along with your intended travel dates and passport details, for a full list of requirements.

• Entry requirements travel tool

Your doctor can provide you with immunisation advice for Argentina, but you should at least be up to date with the recommended vaccinations for your home country. You can also check the recommended vaccinations for Argentina by visiting the .