The best time to visit Argentina

Argentina is a very interesting destination that is unique in a number of ways. There are plenty things you can do, depending on what season you are there, like fishing, horse ridding or trekking during the summer or maybe skiing during the winter. It all depends on you, what kind of person you are and what kind of vacation fits you the most.

When you decide what part of Argentina you would like to visit, then you can start thinking about other things like weather, accommodation or prices. Argentina is really big country so for starters decide do you want to go to the mountains, sea or country. Every part of Argentina is beautiful so what ever you choose, you won’t regret it.

The weather

Most people, when traveling, are worried about the weather. If the weather is bad there is no point of traveling there, right? It’s hard to talk about weather in Argentina generally, because it is covering more than 1 million square miles continental surface area. But, I will at least tell you what kind of weather you can expect on different seasons.

Argentina is placed on Southern Hemisphere so the seasons are reversed (for example, if you are from USA, your winter is summer in Argentina). The weather varies from north to south and from west to east and the closer to the Andes, ranging from subtropical in the north to humid and steamy in the centre, and cold in the temperate south. The Andes region has erratic rainfall, flash floods in summer, searing heat, snow at higher elevations, and the Zonda - a hot, dry wind. The lowlands receive sufficient rainfall to support swampy forests and upland savanna, but rainfall decreases from east to west; shallow summer flooding is common in the east.

Most of Argentina is visited year-round - the exception is the far south (Ushusaia and El Calafate-Lago Argentino) which have extreme winters and are not only unpleasant but many attractions are closed or not accessible and due to a drop in visitors, hotels at minimum staff or closed.

The winter dry season is pronounced, and the summer heat can be brutal. Patagonia is mild year-round in the east and glacial in the south. Weather in Patagonia can be very unpredictable, and can change drastically and unexpectedly.

Long story short – the summer last from December to March and that is the warmest time of the year. It can even very hot and humid, so maybe it’s not the most pleasant time of the year. The best time to go is on March and April or on September, October and November. If you like skiing on the south than the best time to go is winter, on June and July.

Less or more crowded?

Like on every other country the most crowded times are during the holidays. Argentina is not an exception. If you want to avoid crowds than don’t visit Argentina during the Christmas or Easter holidays; the same goes for spring break. Those times are the busiest and because everyone is on vacations it’s normal to be crowded.

Fun time in Argentina

The choice is yours because there are no things that you can not do in Argentina. Really, there is something for everyone. To help you get started, here are some things that you can do by season:

Autumn (Apr-May)
Patagonia - sightseeing, especially in the north part
Northwest - trekking, horse riding
Northeast - visiting Iguassu Falls

Winter (Jun-Aug)
North Patagonia/Mendoza - skiing
Northeast - Iguassu Falls
Northeast - visit the subtropical forest (yungas)

Spring (Sep-Nov)
Buenos Aires - the most beautiful season, especially in November with the jacarandas in blossom
Patagonia - The whales come to Peninsula Valdes
Cuyo - great weather to visit the vineyards and taste the wine
Pampas - Visit the estancias and taste great barbecues (asados)

Summer (Jan-Feb)
Patagonia - trekking, horse riding, sightseeing in general, fishing
Parana River - fishing
Beaches - do nothing
Andes - trekking, alpinism, horse riding
Cordoba - enjoying the hill country

The best and the cheapest

As you can probably assume, the highest prices are in the high season (December-February and July-August) because in that period the weather is great (it’s summer/winter) and there are lot’s of holidays (Christmas, New Year) and a ski season.

If you want to save some money then I recommend coming in low season, at September, or at April / June.

In the end…

Prepare yourself for a great vacation because in Argentina it can’t go wrong. Check out and find the most appropriate and the cheapest way of traveling and have fun. And hope that the weather will be great during your whole vacation.

Have a great trip!