Buenos Aires is an affordable destination and increasingly popular for digital nomads. Not only is there a lot of great stuff going on, there are tons of free things to do in Buenos Aires! Here’s my list of the best stuff you can do for free, and I’ve included a map of where to find them.
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Things to do in Buenos Aires that are completely FREE
These are some of the best things to do in Buenos Aires, and they’re all free! The city is already pretty affordable, but the fact that you can do all this without spending a dime amazes me.
Markets
Palermo hosts an outdoor market every Saturday and Sunday afternoon. And this is already a lively area of the city, so visiting the markets is a good opportunity to explore the rest of the neighbourhood too. Even if your budget or suitcase won’t allow for any purchases, it’s fun to peruse the handmade goods! Stop nearby for a beer and do some people-watching from a patio.
The San Telmo Fair is a highlight for any market enthusiast. The area closes down every Sunday (and only Sunday!) from 9am to 6pm to create a pedestrian-only area full of market stalls. Make sure you grab a freshly squeezed orange juice from one of the old-fashioned carts.
If you’re not around on a Sunday, you can still visit the regular San Telmo Market every day of the week from 10am to 8pm, but it sells mostly antiques and will be much quieter.
Soooo bargaining is not really a thing in Argentina
I learned this the *awkward* way when I tried to haggle with a guy in Palermo. He sort of accepted it, but looked at me like I was crazy. I later asked our Argentine friends who said I shouldn’t be doing this. Whoopsie!
Bookstores
Buenos Aires is famous for its books. They have the most book stores per capita! Who measures things like this? I’m not sure, but after spending a month in Argentina, the metric was easy to believe.
El Ateneo Grande Splendid has transformed from a historic theatre into the most incredible bookstore you’ll ever see. There isn’t a lot for you to buy unless you speak Spanish, but hey… that’s what makes it a free activity! If you’re interested in learning the local language, a kid’s book can help you pick up some basic phrases.
Libros de Pasaje has cozy reading spots and an adorable cafe with reliable wi-fi. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, so it’s a true hidden gem! Obviously, this doesn’t qualify as a free activity if you stop for a coffee but the Insta-worthy pics are free!
And then there’s the suite of nameless bookstores. You can find stalls packed full of new and used books all over the city on random streets. And sometimes, even in the little meridians between major roads!
Parks and gardens
The Jardin Botanico, or the botanical gardens, en ingles, are nice to visit on a scorching summer afternoon. It’s perfect when you want to soak up a bit of sun but enjoy the relief of shade when you need it. They’ve planted species of trees from all over the world, including Canada and New Zealand!
We visited on a Sunday, and there was a teeny tiny market near the entrance with stalls selling fresh fruit juice, cakes, and sandwiches.
The Reserva Ecologica is a short walk from Puerto Madero and a perfect spot for birdwatchers, joggers, cyclists, and those who love to picnic in the park. But I want to keep your expectations at bay. It’s not a dense forest with rugged trails, it’s very well trodden and has a lot of open spaces. It isn’t my favourite place in Buenos Aires, but it’s nice for a walk on a sunny day.
Jardin Botanico
Reserva Ecologica
Eco Park
I’ve included this separately from the parks above because I love it so much.
You can visit this strange zoo-meets-park, just across the street from Jardin Botanico, every day from 10 am to 5 pm. Prepare to see loose peacocks and maras (picture giant rabbits or mini capybaras) running around. What’s wild to me is that there’s nothing to keep them from escaping, but they stick around for the food, I guess?
This park used to be a zoo, but they’re slowly scaling it down. Like, there are still monkeys running around, which is not ideal, but I think it’s way cooler than keeping animals in a bunch of cages! I did also see an elephant off in the distance in an enclosure, but it wasn’t accessible to people, so I think he was likely off to a new home.
La Boca - one of the essential free things to do in Buenos Aires
This is a must-see tourist hot spot where you’ll find all the colourful buildings you’ve seen on the postcards. You can also catch live tango shows, and stroll down the famous Caminito.
Just keep in mind when I say tourist hot spot, I mean it. Walking around is free, but everything else will come with a tourist price tag.
Recoleta Cemetery
This is for sure one of the creepiest things to do in Buenos Aires. Like it’s just a big collection of extravagant mausoleums. Some of the most famous people in Argentina are at rest here, including former presidents, Eva Perón, and Napoleon’s granddaughter. It’s been around since the 1880s and many gravesites have been abandoned, robbed, or are crumbling away.
This is just around the corner from the El Ateneo Grand Splendid bookstore, so you can check both these things to do in Buenos Aires off your list in one day.
Get your Yellow Fever shot
Is this an adrenaline-filled bucket list activity? Certainly not. But this can cost upwards of $80 in Canada, $120 in New Zealand, or a whopping $400 in the USA. (Sorry ’bout your Health Care system.) In Buenos Aires, you can get it for free! And it’s valid for 10 years.
Yellow Fever is an issue in several South American countries. So if you’re planning to visit Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, or Venezuela, you’ll definitely want the shot. In fact, you may even need it if you want to travel around the continent and come back to Argentina, because sometimes they check at the border. We got the Yellow Fever vaccine before spontaneously deciding to go to Peru, and they didn’t ask for it when we got back, but it gave us some peace of mind.
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- Find a clinic and make an appointment.
- Get the shot at least 10 days before you plan to leave the country.
- We went to Sanidad de Fronteras (Border Health) on the corner of Avenida Pedro de Mendoza & 20 de Septiembre.
Street tango
Porteños (the nickname for Buenos Aires locals) love to tango. Maybe that’s how everyone stays thin after consistently eating giant slabs of steak and bread for dinner. Seriously, it’s hard to find vegetables here.
If you can’t afford a top tier malonga show or personalized tango lessons, you can look for impromptu performances on the streets. Especially in the tourist areas like La Boca, Recoleta, and Puerto Madero! Tango partners will put on a show for free, but of course it’s nice to toss some pesos their way if you enjoyed the performance.
I really loved these little step-by-step instructions embeded in the sidewalk.
Street art - my favourite of the free things to do in Buenos Aires
I love a colourful city! And this is definitely one of them. In some of the cooler, younger neighbourhoods there is street art to be found around every corner. So on a sunny day take a stroll down some of the smaller side streets and see what you can find. Why can’t all cities be like this?! There’s lots to see in neighbourhoods like Palermo, Villa Crespo, & San Telmo.
Walking tours
I know everyone has included this as a free activity on every travel blog ever, but it is free. Buenos Aires is very walkable on your own, but it’s nice to have a guide to point you in the right direction and help you find your bearings. They’re often available for free, but obviously tipping is polite.
You can sometimes find walking tours dedicated to specific topics like history or street art. In some of the cooler, younger neighbourhoods there’s street art around every corner. Especially in neighbourhoods like Palermo, Villa Crespo, and San Telmo.
Paid things to do in Buenos Aires
Yes, the best things in life are free. But sometimes, the best things to do in Buenos Aires… cost money. Here are some activities to check out in Argentina’s coolest city.
Not free, but affordable things to do in Buenos Aires
Here are some fun things to do in Buenos Aires that don’t meet the parameters of “free,” but are still cheap enough to include in your itinerary!
Listen to local live music
If you’re willing to spend some money on an official performance and want to see something unique, you have to check out CAFF (Club Atletico Fernandez Fierro). A local pal recommended this to us and we were not disappointed! Note: they only play on Wednesday nights, with the occasional Saturday thrown in too. You can find out more on their website.
Be sure to call and book a table in advance. If you show up before 11 pm, you can catch the amateur tango lessons and join in if you’re feeling brave. After the dancing, prepare for a modern, badass, live orchestra performance. All I can say is that it’s best to go in with no expectations.
Eat affordable parrillas - yes, food is one of the things to do in Buenos Aires!
Eating parrillas is one of the non-negotiable things to do in Buenos Aires. And I can’t recommend Don Niceto enough. Visually, it’s a shabby little hole in the wall, but that’s part of what makes it great! If you arrive at 8:30 pm (breakfast time for locals, who usually eat at 10 pm or later). This way, you’ll get a bar seat and can watch the chef grill meat as he shovels coals to keep the barbecue going.
He’ll flick you different plates when it’s ready because the dishes don’t come all at once. You can order a cheap bottle of wine for a few bucks to pair perfectly with your bife de chorizo (normal steak). It’s extremely important to me that you order the provoleta, which is like, a slab of cheese grilled as if it’s a steak, sprinkled with oregano. Heaven. If I were you, I’d avoid riñons (kidneys) chichulines (intestines), though I guess they’re worth trying once just to say you have.
This is a hella cheap and engaging way to eat parrillas, and we ate here three times because we loved it so much!
Find the best happy hours
Virtually every bar in the city offers a good happy hour special! Most start around 6 pm, and deals include cervezas artisanals (craft beer), not just their boring house lager. Also, “happy hour” is never just 1 hour, usually more like 3 hours +.
You have to check out El Gapon between 6—9 pm and 12 pm—1 am in Palermo, or one of its other locations. They did a 2-for-1 special on their extensive range of craft beers and have a cool atmosphere! I can’t guarantee they’ll still have this on offer when you go, but I love the Scottish and honey ales.
Where to find all the free things to do in Buenos Aires
Here’s a helpful Google Map with every location so you can find all the free things to do in Buenos Aires more easily.