10 Day Summer Guide to Buenos Aires for Travelers and Nomads

I am Gabriel, cofounder of WanderWallet, and someone who has spent the better part of the last few years living between Buenos Aires and Brazil. Every Summer when the heat arrives and the city shifts into its summer pace, incoming foreign friends ask me something like:

“I am coming to Buenos Aires for about X days. What should I actually do?”

This guide is an extended version of what my answer is, every time.

Buenos Aires in summer is a mix of long warm evenings, late dinners, easy mornings in cafés, shaded streets, outdoor wine bars, ferias and plenty of opportunities to enjoy the city at your own pace. It is also a surprisingly good place to work remotely if you balance your day right. Protip: do not go out in between 3 to 6 pm. Too hot.

Think of this as a flexible 10 day structure. Not a rigid itinerary, but a practical blueprint you can stretch, compress or rearrange depending on your style and energy levels.

Table of Contents

1. Quick Survival Basics in Summer
2. Where to Stay and Set Your Base
3. Apps You Will Actually Use in Buenos Aires
4. Creators and Resources to Learn Buenos Aires Before Arriving
5. Coffee, Brunch and Third Places to Survive Summer
6. Restaurants and Food: Classics and Hidden Gems
7. Things To Do on Your 10 Summer Days
8. Working Remotely While Enjoying Summer
9. Money, Payments and Surviving Inflation

Quick Survival Basics in Summer

Buenos Aires in December through February is unmistakably summer. Expect:

• Midday heat: 29°C to 34°C on average. There might be 40°C plus days.
• High UV index: Sunscreen is a must.
• Humidity spikes: Stay hydrated.
• Sudden evening storms that pass quickly but leave their mark. Do not go out during a heavy storm.

Weather survival basics

• Use sunscreen every single day.
• Stay hydrated. Any coffee shop/restaurant will refill your bottle for free.
• Wear breathable clothes and comfortable shoes.
• Avoid long uninterrupted walks between noon and 6 PM.
• Plan indoor activities during heat peaks (olas de calor)
• Subway, buses (colectivos) and trains usually have AC.

Safety without paranoia

• Apply common sense: avoid dark alleys, mind your phone, stay aware.
• Use Uber, Cabify or DiDi at night.
• Use indoor Red ATMs if you need cash. Most Carrefour markets have them. How to get money from ATMs in Buenos Aires.
• On stadium or concert days, stay with crowds and in fan areas.
• Do not flash valuables in crowded markets.

TL;DR:

This is not a place to be scared. Just be aware, like anywhere else.

Where to Stay and Set Your Base

Buenos Aires is big and each neighborhood hits differently in summer. Here is how the top picks feel:

Palermo (Soho and Hollywood)

The most walkable, café-heavy, nightlife-packed district. Full of nomads, foodies and long-stay visitors. Easy to settle into.

Villa Crespo

More local, calmer and with some of the best food options in the city. Still a quick walk to Palermo.

Colegiales

Pretty, residential, quiet and very comfortable in the summer heat. Ideal for remote workers.

Recoleta

Elegant, classic and central. Museums, parks and wide sidewalks. Great for first-timers.

Barrancas de Belgrano

Beautiful, residential, full of cafés and very peaceful. Perfect for a quieter pace.

For an external perspective, this article covers many of the same neighborhoods recommended here: Sol Salute neighborhood guide.

Apps You Will Actually Use in Buenos Aires

Transportation apps:

• Uber
• Cabify
• DiDi

Transit apps:

• Moovit
• BA Cómo Llego

Delivery apps:

• Rappi
• PedidosYa

Essentials:

• Google Maps offline
• WhatsApp

WanderWallet lets you pay any Mercado Pago/Modo QR code in Argentina without needing to carry cash or rely on foreign cards.

Creators and Resources to Learn Buenos Aires Before Arriving

These voices will help you understand the city before you land:

Sol Salute (Blog)

Clear and practical breakdowns of neighborhoods and BA life. See here.

Martijn Around The World (YouTube)

Watch his Buenos Aires vlog for a very realistic feel of the city, from a European perspective.

Official channels

VisitBUE, Turismo Buenos Aires: Both useful channels to stay on top of events and activities.

Coffee, Brunch and Third Places to Survive Summer

Buenos Aires cafés become natural workspaces in summer. Here are reliable spots to escape the heat:

• Cuervo Café (Palermo and Belgrano)
• Fruto Café (Soho and Hollywood)
• Cigaló (Palermo Hollywood)
• The Shelter (Belgrano)
• Ninina (Palermo)
• Ol Days (Palermo and Recoleta)
• Lattente (Palermo)

Restaurants and Food: Classics and Hidden Gems

Summer nights mean late dinners, wine, outdoor seating and a relaxed pace.

Classics

• Don Julio
• El Preferido de Palermo
• Niño Gordo
• Hierro

Hidden Gem Parrillas

• Lo de Jesús
• El Pobre Luis
• Sarkis

Pizza Gems

• Picsa
• ORNO

Wine Bars

• La Fuerza
• Pain et Vin
• Vina and Co

Pubs and Bars

• 3 Monos
• The Sullivan’s
• Temple Bar

Things To Do on Your 10 Summer Days

Days 1 to 3: Classic Highlights

• Recoleta Cemetery
• MALBA
• Neighborhood walks
• Wine bars and parrillas

Days 4 to 7: Neighborhood Life

• Chacarita and Colegiales
• Palermo Parks
• La Boca and the stadium tour

Days 8 to 10: Day Trips and Slow Days

• Tigre Delta
• Colonia del Sacramento
• San Isidro
• Reserva Ecológica

Working Remotely While Enjoying Summer

A typical work day might look like this:

• Morning deep work at Cuervo or LAB
• Lunch at bodegones
• Afternoon sessions in coworking
• Dinner and wine outside

Money, Payments and Surviving Inflation

Argentina is a digital-first economy in 2025. Locals pay many things via QR (Mercado Pago, Modo or bank QRs).

The good news: inflation is now far more stable than it was from 2019–2023. Prices no longer swing wildly week to week. Buenos Aires does feel more expensive compared to the old “blue dollar days,” but for anyone earning in USD or EUR it’s still very manageable, especially if you pay like locals do.

You can survive without cash, but it’s smart to carry a small amount of pesos for taxis, ferias, or backup situations.