Walking your way around Buenos Aires is by far the best way to discover our great Metropolis.

Nowadays, the traffic in Buenos Aires is just horrible during the week. It is often blocked by people rallying or forming a “piquete”, and camping on Avenida de Mayo is not unheard of either (although it’s hardly what we call glamping!). So being stuck in a car that restricts your view, or travelling en-masse in a hot stuffy bus, struggling to hear your guide, is not the way to explore…

Buenos Aires Experience provides a number of Buenos Aires walking tours with expert guides to uncover the history of Buenos Aires and Argentina, as well as important national figures such as Eva Maria Duarte Peron (affectionately known as EVITA) and the city’s vibrant art history or modern art scene. Your wish is our command, and your interests will determine both the guide and the content of the tour.

One of our most popular walking tours is the Orientation Tour. In 4 hours our guide will take you to La Boca, San Telmo, Retiro, Plaza de Mayo, Plaza San Martin, and last but not least, Recoleta and its famous cemetery. On the way you will walk, take a colectivo, and try out the wooden subway. You will learn to get around on your own and to orientate yourself in the city. Our guide will walk you through the history of Buenos Aires and its people, giving you all the tips you need to better enjoy this fascinating and exotic South American city.

Our goal is to unearth the ‘real’ Buenos Aires tourists often miss!

Although we are predominantly a private tours company, recently, at the request of Buenos Aires Stay, we have run two group walking tours a week on Monday and Friday. These are restricted to ten guests and so get fully booked very quickly, especially now during high season. If you would like to do a group walking tour please call us in advance to avoid missing out.

To get a feel of the Buenos Aires known by the locals, we also make use of the city’s brilliant public transport system. There is always a bus or a train that leaves you minutes from your desired destination. The other day I went from my house to an island in the Delta using public transport and it took me half the time of going by car and private speed boat.

Our subway system dates back to 1913, the 3rd oldest in the world and the first of the Southern hemisphere. One can still travel on the first wooden subway cars and admire the old school craftsmanship and marvel at the porcelain lamps and leather straps.

Walking has always been a big part of my life. Ever since I can remember my dad would drag me and my brother out of bed for a “walk”. Rather than an enjoyable stroll, however, we would be forced into a marching marathon reminiscent of Mao’s Long March. Be it New York, La Paz or Paris, summer or winter, we walked for hours on end, hardly ever stopping. His favourite of all cities is Buenos Aires. Every corner holds a secret; every neighbourhood has a spectacular history. Everywhere in Buenos Aires has its own charm and personality, its own aroma (not always so charming, however).

The city boasts 750 different species of trees. From the beautiful purple flowered Jacarandas of Avenida Libertador, to the eucalyptus trees of the 3 de Febrero Park. There is nothing like the perfume of jasmines when passing by a flower stand, combined with the smell of freshly brewed coffee which lingers around the many cafes.

I was ten when I first wandered the streets of Buenos Aires. The city seemed endless, a never-ending labyrinth of streets and high-rise buildings, a huge urban creature. According to the United Nations ranking of urban agglomerations by population, Buenos Aires is the 11^th largest city in the world, ahead of Los Angeles, Rio de Janeiro and Beijing. It has more than 13 million inhabitants, almost a third of the whole countries population. To represent this uneven spread of the population here in Argentina we have a saying, “God is Argentine…and his office is Buenos Aires”.

It is no surprise, therefore, that Buenos Aires is truly the city that never sleeps. At any time, night or day, you can eat, drink, shop and party. On Avenida Corrientes people browse books at 2am. Hoards of cars circle the streets of Palermo Soho all through the night, far exceeding those in the Soho or Tribeca of NYC.

All this and more is missed sitting in a vehicle. As is the feeling of joining in with the locals and getting to know the colourful characters that roam our historical streets. So take advantage of our private and personalised walking tours to get to know what really interests you about Buenos Aires. Ask our guides to adapt the tours to your particular tastes, be it literature, architecture, nature or art. Alternatively join one of our group tours to have fun and explore the “real” Buenos Aires.

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People are often told to cross the River Plate and head for Uruguay’s Colonia de Sacramento to get a taste of the colonial period. Charming as it is, I would be tempted to say why bother? If it’s a colonial feel you’re after where could be better than the beautiful Argentine ‘barrio’ of San Isidro. Just outside the hustle and bustle of the city the leafy streets of San Isidro easily match Uruguay in colonial charm, whilst also being easily accessible.

The colonial delights of our journey start at Mitre Train Station in Retiro where the impressive glass and iron framework designed by four British nationals is reminiscent of the great stations of Europe. Dating back to the beginning of the nineteen hundreds, it was built to replace the Estacion Central which was sadly destroyed by a fire in 1897.

After six long years of construction the station, one of the biggest of its time, was inaugurated in August of 1915 by President Victorino de la Plaza. It was seen as a symbol of progress in the 1880s, a culmination of the railroad network connecting the Northern Provinces with the metropolis. Suddenly travel became possible and Buenos Aires city was flooded with immigrants and new and exciting products and services which before had not reached the city.

The daily wear and tear of almost a century of comings-and-goings lead to the gradual deterioration of the station. This was put right, however, after its recent restoration which recovered its former splendor.

We board the train and head north. As it leaves the capital and makes its way through the increasingly green and peaceful streets of the Buenos Aires’ province, there is a noticeable change in atmosphere. Life seems to slow down a few paces.

Before pulling into San Isidro station the train passes the President’s suburban pad complete with private golf course.

Not only does San Isidro boast some architecture equally as outstanding as that of Colonia, its history is also as impressive. San Isidro takes its name from a church established in 1706 called San Isidro Labrador. Having previously been conquered by Juan de Garay this area was controlled by the Guarani Indians to the north, and the querandies to the south, stretching out to what today is La Boca. On taking command of the land along the coast, Juan de Garay decided to split it up into 65 plots and share it out amongst his men, the first settlers, so they could use it to grow their crops and tend to their animals.

We start to walk east along Mitre until we hit Mitre Square. Those who love architecture can stop here to admire a breathtaking Neogothical cathedral built in 1898, as well as the eclectically designed Spanish-Moorish prep school. Others who are interested in Argentine handicrafts can browse the stalls and pick up a variety of quality items.

Just a brief walk to the west takes us to the Anchorena family’s Victorian summer mansion and Mariquita Sanchez de Thompson’s home, where figures such as Juan Martin de Pueyrredon and Jose de San Martin met under the shade of the historical cob tree to discuss the emancipation of South America.

Now we follow a zigzagging staircase to lower San Isidro and the coast. We stop for lunch at a beautiful wooden-clad restaurant, one of the many sailing clubs overlooking the river where one can watch kite and wind surfers dodging in and out of the billowing white yacht sails. People gather in groups on the grass to share mate and put the finishing touches to their suntans. We enjoy a wonderful grilled trout with a delicious Torrontes wine from the Cafayate region of Salta. The flavours and colours of the coast complement each other perfectly and we sit back, enjoying the experience.

So if a day spent walking the historical streets of the very Argentine San Isidro, sampling the atmosphere at the local yacht club and enjoying some good food and wine appeals to you, contact us for your very own San Isidro Experience.

We also have many other wonderful Buenos Aires Tours -

Tango Experience

City Experience

Evita Experience

Campo Experience

Please note that our day cruises on the delta with a BBQ (Asado) is getting very booked up for the rest of the year, please contact us now to avoid disappointment – I was recently asked by a very nice lady why I do not have more than one vessel – ‘well my dear….’.

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