Exploring Argentina solo

How I spent 9 days in Argentina

The first time I visited South America, I chose to go to Argentina. It was in November and I had nine days to make this solo trip. I knew Argentina is a big country (8th largest in the world) and with nine days, I would need to focus on just a few sights. Nevertheless, I was thrilled to be able to go.

After doing my research, and based on my interests, I came up with the following rough itinerary:

• 3 nights in Buenos Aires to visit the capital city of Argentina
• 2 nights in Iguazu to visit Iguazu Falls
• 4 nights in Bariloche to visit the the Lake district and Nahuel Huapi National Park

The flight distance from Toronto to Buenos Aires is 8,926 km (5,547 miles). Iguazu Falls is about 1300 km (812 miles) north of Buenos Aires. Flying time is less than 2 hours. Bus ride would take approximately 16 hours. Bariloche is about 1590 km (990 miles) south west of Buenos Aires, and very close to Chile. Flying time is about 2 hours. Bus ride would take 18-20 hours. Train service in Argentina is limited, with fewer departure times and destinations than long distance bus service.

Due to my time constraint, I decided to take internal flights to Iguazu and Bariloche. All domestic flights would go through the capital city. I booked the following flight plans with Expedia:

• Return international flights Toronto- Buenos Aires with a stop over in Washington DC both ways (United Airlines)
• Return domestic flights Buenos Aires-Iguazu (Aerolineas Argentinas)
• Return domestic flights Buenos Aires-Bariloche (Aerolineas Argentinas)

Next, I booked three places for my stay by contacting the hotels directly. All three included breakfasts in their room rates:

• Hotel Ibis Buenos Aires Congreso
• Hosteria Los Helechos in Iguazu
• Costas del Nahuel in Bariloche

With the flights and hotel bookings done, I packed my essentials in a carry-on, went through my travel checklist and was ready for my trip. Buenos Aires here I come!