Buenos Aires

Arrival notes: Subte A to Perú or Plaza de Mayo, a colectivo, or the yellow hop-on/hop-off — start here.

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The civic heart of the city. Casa Rosada, the Cabildo, and the Metropolitan Cathedral face the square where Argentine political life has played out since the May Revolution. Walk the edges, not just the middle: the buildings are the point. This is where I would begin any first visit.

How I got there: Walk — Walk west from Plaza de Mayo along Avenida de Mayo to Plaza del Congreso.

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The ceremonial spine between the Casa Rosada and Congress — Parisian-scale façades, old cafés, and the A-line running under your feet. At Avenida 9 de Julio you get the classic view of the Obelisk, on the spot where the Argentine flag was first hoisted in Buenos Aires. Keep going to Plaza del Congreso and the Congress building itself.

How I got there: Walk — Walk; it sits in the middle of Avenida 9 de Julio at Corrientes, where Avenida de Mayo meets the avenue.

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The city’s most characteristic monument — a white needle in the widest avenue in the world. You will see it from Avenida de Mayo; it is worth standing underneath once, if only to feel the scale of 9 de Julio.

How I got there: Walk — On Avenida de Mayo at 1370, between Plaza de Mayo and Congreso.

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Mario Palanti’s 1923 palace is a Dante-inspired tower — one of the most theatrical buildings on the avenue. Have something to eat at Salón 1923, the rooftop restaurant at the top. You need to reserve in advance.

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How I got there: Walk — A short walk from the Obelisk, on Cerrito.

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Go inside if you can — a performance if the dates work, otherwise the guided tour of about an hour. Book a few days ahead on the Colón site. It is one of the great opera houses in the world; the acoustics and the marble-and-gold interiors are the point, not just the façade.

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How I got there: Transit — Start the walk at Av. 9 de Julio and Av. Alvear, by the French Embassy, and go down toward Plaza San Martín de Tours.

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One of Buenos Aires’ high-end neighbourhoods. From the French Embassy walk toward Plaza San Martín de Tours: parks with century-old trees and palaces that look lifted out of Paris. Explore the streets first. Go into the cemetery only if you have time — Evita’s tomb is the pilgrimage, but the whole necropolis is the sight. The area is lively and full of bars, cafés, and restaurants.

How I got there: Walk — A short walk from Recoleta toward Avenida Callao and Santa Fe.

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An old theatre converted into a bookstore — a short but beautiful visit. It sits near Avenida Callao, which is usually blooming light-blue with jacarandás when they are in season.

How I got there: Transit — Bus or taxi from the centro or from San Telmo. Same day as San Telmo works well.

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Probably the most touristy neighbourhood in the city, and still absolutely worth it. Caminito is the postcard: painted conventillos, tango poses, Boca Juniors blue-and-gold everywhere. Go in daylight, stay on the well-walked streets, and treat it as a neighbourhood to see rather than to linger in after dark.

How I got there: Walk — Walk from La Boca, or south from Plaza de Mayo along Defensa.

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Not far from La Boca, so you can do both the same day. The market is the move: stalls, antiques, and a proper parrilla for lunch. San Telmo’s cobbles — and the Sunday fair if you hit a Sunday — are the old-city counterpoint to Palermo.

How I got there: Walk — Walk east from San Telmo or the centro across to the docks.

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The most modern, high-end neighbourhood: restored red-brick port buildings facing a line of glass towers, with the ecological reserve beyond if you want a longer walk. Best in the late afternoon, when the waterfront fills up.

How I got there: Transit — Subte D toward Palermo, then a short walk into Palermo Soho / Hollywood. Go in the evening.

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Explore this area at night. Plaza Serrano — officially Plaza Cortázar — is the outdoor living room: bars, design shops, and the crowd on the cobbles. Eat in the neighbourhood. If you can get a table at Don Julio, that is the reservation to fight for.

How I got there: Walk — Walk from Plaza Serrano. Reserve one to two weeks ahead.

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The most famous parrilla in the city. Book one to two weeks in advance. If you miss the table, Palermo still has excellent grills within a few blocks — but this is the one people plan a trip around.

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How I got there: Transit — Subte D to Plaza Italia, then into Parque Tres de Febrero and the lakes.

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A rose garden in the middle of a large park with lakes — the calmer Palermo, made for a walk. Nearby Avenida del Libertador is lined with elegant houses and embassies. The Japanese Garden is close if you want one more stop in the same green lung.

How I got there: Walk — Walk from El Rosedal / Avenida Casares.

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A proper Japanese garden inside the park — bridges, koi, a teahouse. Easy to pair with the Rosedal on the same morning or afternoon.

How I got there: Taxi / rideshare — Taxi or a short walk along the Puerto Madero waterfront.

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If you want the upscale tango-and-dinner version, this is the one. Book ahead at maderotango.com. Even if tango is not your thing, a show is worth one night.

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How I got there: Walk — Near Plaza Serrano, on Armenia. Walk from the Palermo evening.

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A traditional milonga where everyone can dance. Go for the 11pm show and stay afterward, or take a class before. More authentic and lively than the tourist dinner shows, and in the same neighbourhood as the Palermo night. Even if tango is not your thing, it is a real Buenos Aires evening.

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How I got there: Walk — Walk from Recoleta toward Plaza de las Naciones Unidas and Avenida Figueroa Alcorta.

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The steel flower and the Law Faculty are a short walk from Recoleta. From here you will also see Villa 31 up close — one of Buenos Aires’ villas. The park around Floralis is safe; do not enter the villa. Elsewhere in the city, ordinary precautions are enough.

How I got there: Transit — Subte D to José Hernández or a bus along Cabildo, then into Belgrano R toward Avenida de los Incas and Elcano.

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Belgrano R is one of the most beautiful residential corners of the city: tree-lined streets of majestic houses, many from the early twentieth century, with a quieter, almost suburban air compared with Palermo. Walk Avenida de los Incas and Elcano — the architecture is the point, not a single monument. Give it an unhurried hour.

How I got there: Walk — Walk or a short bus from Belgrano R / Barrancas to Arribeños at Juramento.

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Belgrano’s Chinatown is a few blocks of Arribeños around Juramento: gates, markets, bakeries, and restaurants. It is compact and lively, especially at weekends, and pairs naturally with a walk through Barrancas or Belgrano R.

How I got there: Walk — Walk from Barrio Chino or from Juramento; the square sits between La Pampa and Juramento.

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A sloping park of old trees — barrancas, the river bluffs — with the Belgrano station nearby and a weekend craft fair when it is on. One of the neighbourhood’s living rooms, and a good pause between the houses of Belgrano R and the Chinatown blocks.