Best time to visit ArgentinaOptimal Travel Seasons for Exploring Argentina with On The Go Tours

Argentina at a Glance: Best Time to Visit

Recommended time to visit: With four distinct seasons, Argentina is a year round destination, but the climate varies across the country. If visiting Patagonia, then December - March is considered the best time to visit, whilst the cooler months of April - October are best suited to exploring Buenos Aires.

Less popular time to visit: There really isn't a bad time to visit Argentina. But the coldest months are during winter from June - August. In terms of rainfall, it depends where you're travelling. Bariloche is wettest from May - August and Buenos Aires from October - March. Iguazu sees heavy rainfall all year round, whilst Patagonia rarely sees a shower!

Best time for wine: Autumn (March - May) is a great time to visit the Mendoza winelands, with thinner crowds and stunning scenery as the colours of the trees begin to change.

Best time to explore Patagonia: Patagonia is at its warmest and most beautiful during the summer months of December - March, especially Bariloche and El Calafate.

Best time to visit Iguazu: The mighty falls are impressive year round, but to see them at their fullest, December is the month to visit.

Best time to visit Iguazu Falls in Argentina

Given its location close to the equator, there is never really a bad time to visit the Iguazu Falls when it comes to the weather. While the temperature does fluctuate throughout the year, it rarely drops below 10 degrees Celsius. What really determines the best time to visit the falls depends on what you want to get out of your experience. Argentineans are on holiday from January to February, making this one of the busiest times to visit the falls along with Easter. If you want to skip the crowds then you should avoid travelling during this time.

The rainy season, from December to March, sees higher temperatures, a lot of humidity and high water levels, making the falls seem all the more powerful. On the downside, high water levels might make San Martin Island inaccessible and sometimes the heat can be a bit overbearing. From April through to October, blue skies prevail, making for the best photo opportunities, and the weather is much milder. However, during this time the low water levels might detract from the magnificence of the falls. Visiting the Argentinean side of the falls is all about getting up close and personal with the cascades so visiting when they are in full flow is a great way to experience them. Generally, people agree that the shoulder months of March, April and September are the best times to go as the water levels are still reasonably high and it isn’t too hot.

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Festivals and Events

Brimming with colour and history, it should come as little surprise that Argentina plays host to a number of exciting festivals throughout the year. With tango performances, live music, religious ceremonies and all kinds of seasonal snacks and beverages, Argentina’s myriad festivals have something to suit every taste.

What is the Gualeguaychu Carnival?

Running every Saturday throughout the majority of January and February, the Gualeguaychu Carnival is one of Argentina’s most popular and highly anticipated festivals of the year. Comparsas - local dance groups - take to the streets, colourful and sequinned, to show off their choreography and synchronicity as audience members cheer and shout. This is the ultimate festival for anyone looking to blow off some steam and let go of their inhibitions.

What is the Tango Buenos Aires Festival y Mundial?

No Argentinean export has quite the same global reputation as tango. One of the most sensual and passionate dances in existence, tango is treated to its own fortnight-long festival, which consists of a dance showcase as well as a world cup. Thousands of dancers from around the world flock to Argentina’s bustling capital to compete for the title of ‘world champion’. Expect flamboyant costumes and jaw-dropping performances.

What is Argentina's Oktoberfest?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could take all the best bits of Oktoberfest and transport them away from Germany to a country with better weather? Welcome to Argentina’s National Beer Festival. Steins of beer and lederhosen speckle the town of Cordoba as Argentina pays homage to one of the world’s booziest festivals. When you need to take a break from drinking, head over to one of the many food stands and pick up some traditional wurst or apfelstrudel.

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Highlights of Argentina

Buenos Aires

Capital city of the land that gave us tango and steak, Buenos Aires is a modern metropolis filled with European-style architecture and a distinctly Latin charm, which is utterly unforgettable. Visitors should explore Buenos Aires on a walking tour in order to make the most of everything it has to offer, including the historical Obelisco in the Plaza de la Republica.

Iguazu National Park

Home to the majestic Iguazu Falls, which stretch out through Argentina and Brazil, Iguazu National Park should not be missed by anyone passing through the region. Few places on earth can compete with Iguazu Falls with regards to showing what Mother Nature is capable of. There are plenty of lookout points from which visitors can get the perfect shot of the cascades, and the falls can also be viewed by helicopter.

Tierra del Fuego

Literally translated as ‘Land of the Fire’, Tierra del Fuego spans Argentina and Chile and is an archipelago at the southernmost tip of Patagonia. In 1960 a portion of the area was declared a national park and now has several different paths and trails, varying in difficulty, which visitors can follow in order to explore the natural beauty and rugged landscape in more depth. Most who choose to visit this region base themselves in nearby Ushuaia.

El Calafate

Nestled on the southern shore of Lago Argentino, the largest of Argentina’s lakes, the natural attractions around El Calafate are numerous. El Calafate is also the base for visits to the spectacular Glaciar Perito Moreno, a hulking mass of ice and the world’s third largest reserve of fresh water. Situated in the south of the Parque Nactional Los Glaciares, the Perito Moreno features jagged edges of razor-sharp crevasses and seracs display colours ranging from the purest of whites to the most startling of blues.

Salta

Salta is an attractive combination of lively atmosphere, handsome colonial architecture, and a rugged mountainous backdrop. Sophisticated with engaging museums displaying everything from contemporary art to some of the country's most important archaeological discoveries, Salta is one of the few places in the region that draws visitors for its city attractions, rather than just the surrounding landscape and natural beauty.

Ushuaia

Ushuaia is the most southern city in the world and the gateway to nearby Tierra del Fuego. It is also the starting point for our Antarctic expedition cruisesto South Georgia and beyond. The town itself is a unique place to explore, and there is plenty of great scenery to delve into on foot, bicycle, boat, or horseback. The Museum of the Prison of Ushuaia is also worth visiting - formerly a high-security prison, it is now a fascinating museum.

Bariloche

The chocolate capital of Argentina is spread along the shoreline of Lago Nahuel Huapi with the soaring, jagged crests of the Cerro Catedral massif encircling the town, Bariloche is picture-perfect in every direction. In the warmer months travellers flock to Bariloche to hike in the surrounding hills, mountain-climb, fish and more. Whilst in the winter months when the mountain of Cerro Catedral is blanketed in thick, white snow, it becomes a magnet for skiers and snowboarders.

Mendoza

Argentina's wine capital, Mendoza draws in visitors from all over the world. However, this vineyard-filled region has a lot more to offer than just Malbec, with fly fishing, horseback tours and excursions sampling the local gourmet cuisine just a few of the activities available to those who venture here. With snow-capped mountains in the background and colourful fields on the outskirts, it’s hard to find a reason not to visit Mendoza.

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