7 Days of Nature Adventures in Buenos Aires & Mendoza — Self-Launched
7 days · Argentina
Signature DMC charges £925
No-markup version: ~£742 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Signature DMC's 7-day Buenos Aires & Mendoza nature tour: bike the parks of Recoleta and Palermo, catch a tango show in San Telmo or Abasto, day-trip to the Tigre Delta, then fly west to Mendoza for a sunset horseback ride beneath the Andes and a self-guided winery-and-olive-oil cycling day in Maipú. You'll stay in well-located hostels or budget guesthouses instead of 4-star hotels, use the Subte and public buses in Buenos Aires, and book the tango show, horseriding and winery visits directly — for roughly half the group-tour price.
Day-by-day
Arrive Buenos Aires — settle into Palermo or San Telmo
Buenos Aires
Land at Ezeise (EZE) and take the public bus 8 or the Tienda León shuttle to the city centre (bus ~£1, shuttle ~£8). Check into a hostel dorm or private twin in Palermo Soho or San Telmo. Spend the afternoon walking the historic streets, grabbing a coffee and a medialuna, and orientating yourself on the Subte. In the evening, eat at a neighbourhood parrilla — a bife de chorizo with salad and a glass of Malbec runs ~£10-12 — and take an evening stroll through the plazas. Book your Tigre and tango tickets online tonight so you're set for the week.
🚌EZE airport → city: public bus 8 (~£1) or Tienda León shuttle (~£8). Subte card (SUBE) ~£1 top-up.
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, Palermo Soho or San Telmo (~£18-24/night)
- →Self-guided walk of Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada and Caminito (La Boca)
- →Evening parrilla dinner in Palermo
Bike Recoleta & Palermo + tango dinner show
Buenos Aires
Rent a bike (~£8-10 for half a day from one of the Palermo rental shops) and ride the green cycle lanes through Recoleta's parks and squares — the Floralis Genérica, Plaza Francia and the Recoleta Cemetery (free entry, small optional donation) — then loop south through the Bosques de Palermo, the Japanese Garden and the Rose Garden. Break for an empanada lunch (~£4). In the evening, book a tango dinner show directly: San Telmo's El Viejo Almacén or the more budget-friendly La Ventana in Abasto both sell direct online tickets from ~£45-60 including a three-course dinner and wine. Cheaper still: a milonga class plus social dance at La Catedral Club (~£12).
🚌Bike rental ~£9; walking and Subte otherwise (~£1/ride)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, Palermo Soho or San Telmo
- →Self-guided bike loop: Recoleta Cemetery, Floralis Genérica, Bosques de Palermo, Japanese Garden
- →Tango dinner show (El Viejo Almacén or La Ventana, booked direct)
Tigre Delta day trip — boat through the islands
Tigre, Buenos Aires Province
Take the Mitre line train from Retiro to Tigre (~£1.50, 50-55 minutes) — a favourite budget day trip. Walk Victorica Avenue along the Luján River, visit the Tigre Art Museum (Museo de Arte de Tigre, ~£3) and the Deliberative Council gardens, then buy a ticket at the dock for a 1-2 hour lancha (motorboat) ride through the delta channels and island communities (~£10-15). Grab an empanada lunch at a riverside stall (~£4). Alternative for wine lovers: book a Gamboa winery tour and five-course pairing directly (~£55-70) — it's near Escobar, ~40 minutes by bus from Tigre. Return to Buenos Aires by train in the evening.
🚌Retiro–Tigre train ~£1.50 each way; delta lancha boat ~£12
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room, Palermo Soho or San Telmo
- →Tigre Art Museum and Deliberative Council gardens
- →2-hour delta boat ride through island channels
- →Optional Gamboa Winery tour and wine pairing (booked direct)
Fly Buenos Aires → Mendoza, explore the city
Mendoza
Catch an early flight from Aeroparque (AEP) or Ezeiza to Mendoza — JetSMART, Flybondi and Aerolíneas Argentinas all serve the route from ~£45-70 one way booked a few weeks ahead (20-hour overnight bus is the budget alternative at ~£25-30). From Mendoza's El Plumerillo airport, take the local bus 68 or a remis (~£6-8) into the city. Check into a hostel in the Fifth (Quinta) district or the centro. Spend the afternoon wandering Plaza Independencia, the Parque General San Martín and the tree-lined Sarmiento pedestrian street. Book your sunset horseback ride for tomorrow and arrange a Maipú bike-and-winery day for Day 6.
🚌Domestic flight AEP/EZE → MDZ ~£55 one way; airport bus ~£2
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room in Mendoza centro or Quinta (~£16-22/night)
- →Plaza Independencia and Parque General San Martín
- →Sarmiento pedestrian street and local wine bar in the evening
Sunset horseback ride beneath the Andes
Andes foothills, Mendoza
Book a half-day or sunset horseback excursion direct with one of the local estancias or outfitters around Potrerillos, Cacheuta or Uspallata (~£45-60 including transfers, guide and an asado dinner). Trails climb through mountain scrub where you'll spot condors and black eagles, with natural springs along the way and a local guide explaining the flora and fauna. Ride finishes with a traditional asado — grilled beef, chorizo and Malbec — under the mountains. The rest of the day is yours: a slow morning, a supermarket picnic, or a wander through the Parque San Martín.
🚌Shared transfer to trailhead included in the horseback excursion (~£50 total)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room in Mendoza
- →Sunset horseback ride through Andes foothills
- →Wildlife spotting: condors, black eagles, foxes
- →Traditional asado dinner at the estancia
Self-guided Maipú winery and olive-oil cycling day
Maipú, Mendoza
Rent a bike in Maipú (~£12-15/day from one of the rental outfits near the Metrotranvía stop; take the Metrotranvía from Mendoza centro, ~£1) and ride the quiet vineyard lanes yourself. Entry-level tastings at wineries like Bodega López or Viña el Cerno are £5-10 each; add an olive oil factory tour (Olivícola Laur or Pasrai, ~£5) with oil and balsamic samples. Two wineries plus an olive grove and a picnic lunch keeps the day at a sensible budget. Alternatively, a guided small-group winery bike tour booked on GetYourGuide runs ~£30-40 and includes tastings and lunch — still far cheaper than a private operator tour.
🚌Metrotranvía to Maipú ~£1; bike rental ~£13
🛏Hostel dorm or budget private room in Mendoza
- →Self-guided bike ride along Maipú vineyard lanes
- →Wine tastings at two wineries (~£8 each)
- →Olive oil factory tour and tasting
Mendoza → Buenos Aires, depart
Buenos Aires
Morning flight back to Buenos Aires (~£45-70, 1h40). If your onward flight is late, store bags at the hostel or the airport and squeeze in a final coffee and churros con dulce de leche before heading to EZE for departure. Remember Argentine departures often need 3 hours at the airport for international flights, and factor in the ~45-60 minute transfer from the city.
🚌MDZ → AEP/EZE domestic flight ~£55; airport transfer ~£5-8
🛏None (departure day)
- →Final Buenos Aires coffee stop and souvenir shopping
Self-launched vs. Signature DMC
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Signature DMC | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£742 | £925 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £183 per person (20%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Signature DMC-style trips? Check them out here.~£742
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does 7 Days of Nature Adventures in Buenos Aires & Mendoza — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £742 per person for 7 days in Argentina. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Signature DMC?+
Yes — Signature DMC charges around £925 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £742 — a saving of roughly £183 (20%) per person.
How long is the Argentina trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Argentina.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, foodie trip through Argentina, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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