Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour
Traveler rating
4.5/5
Based on 13 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour worth booking?
Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour is a 4-hour experience in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from $125 per person. It scores 59 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Worth a Look”, based on a 4.5/5 rating across 13 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 59 / 100
- Rating
- 4.5/5 (13)
- Duration
- 4 hours
- From
- $125 per person
The Outty verdict
It ranks #7 of the 7 similar experiences we compared in Buenos Aires, with an Outty Ranking of 59. At $125 it sits above the typical similar option ($71), so book it for what is included rather than price. Best for families and anyone who wants flexible plans.
Prices and availability checked
Discover fascinating Buenos Aires in close-up detail! You'll feel like you're witnessing and understanding how such a peculiar city and culture evolved along time in this walking tour through the city's historical areas, which takes you to more than 50 of Buenos Aires’ must-see attractions, including Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada, Metropolitan Cathedral (of Pope Francis fame), San Telmo (earliest neighbourhood), world-famous hyper-colourful La Boca neighbourhood and more! Learn about the history of Buenos Aires while seeing both its most famous highlights and also its lesser-known sights!
What you get
About this experience
Discover fascinating Buenos Aires in close-up detail! You'll feel like you're witnessing and understanding how such a peculiar city and culture evolved along time in this walking tour through the city's historical areas, which takes you to more than 50 of Buenos Aires’ must-see attractions, including Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada, Metropolitan Cathedral (of Pope Francis fame), San Telmo (earliest neighbourhood), world-famous hyper-colourful La Boca neighbourhood and more! Learn about the history of Buenos Aires while seeing both its most famous highlights and also its lesser-known sights!
What's included
Included
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Coffee break
Not included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
What you'll see and do
Obelisco
The Obelisco de Buenos Aires (Obelisk of Buenos Aires) is a national historic monument and icon of Buenos Aires (hear its fascinating stories!), located at the intersection of famous Corrientes and 9 de Julio (world's widest avenue) erected to commemorate the 400 centenary of the foundation of the city.
5 minutes here
Palacio de Tribunales
The often controversial Palace of Justice of the Argentine Nation (Spanish: Palacio de Justicia de la Nación Argentina, more often referred locally as Palacio de Justicia or Palacio de Tribunales), is a large building complex located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the seat of the Supreme Court and other lower courts.
5 minutes here
Teatro Colon
Opera house: The Teatro Colón (Spanish: Columbus Theatre) is the main opera house in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is considered one of the ten best opera houses in the world by National Geographic.
5 minutes here
Teatro Nacional Cervantes
The extremely beautiful Teatro Nacional Cervantes in Buenos Aires is the national stage and comedy theatre of Argentina and was donated by the kings of Spain to Argentina at the beginning of the 20th century. You would never guess where the stage is, but your guide will tell you.
5 minutes here
Calle Florida
World famous Florida St. is the flamboyant downtown pedestrian street, where Harrods built its only branch outside London, England and our National Anthem was sung for the first time and the amazing Galerias Pacifico mall (built by George Soros!) shows its amazing beauty, world famous ceiling murals and fascinating stores.
10 minutes here
Centro Naval
The astonishingly beautiful club founded by the hyper-wealthy Argentine naval officers in 1882 has a most amazing art nouveau entrance made in bronze obtained from melted down canons that were used in Argentina's battle for independence.
5 minutes here
Galerias Pacifico
This amazingly beautiful mall was built as a Beaux Arts building and was designed by french architects in 1889 to accommodate a shop called the Argentine Bon Marché, modelled on the Le Bon Marché in Paris and revamped to our poshest downtown mall by George Soros in 1990.
10 minutes here
Plaza De Mayo
Plaza de Mayo is both the foundational place of the city, where the presidential Casa Rosada is located and the place where all important historical and political events have happened. We will explain it all, including "The mothers of the Disappeared" and the Metropolitan Cathedral where Pope Francis used to be the Bishop of, and much, much more!
30 minutes here
Catedral Primada
This is the Metropolitan Cathedral where Pope Francis used to be the Bishop of, our main hero, General Jose de San Martin is buried and much, much more!
15 minutes here
Piramide de Mayo (May Pyramid)
The Pirámide de Mayo located at the hub of the Plaza de Mayo, is the oldest national monument in the City of Buenos Aires. We will explain its history and meaning.
5 minutes here
Mausoleo del General Jose de San Martin
Our liberator and hero is buried in a beautiful tomb, but it has the strangest story: hear everything about it and him.
10 minutes here
Puerto Madero
In 1882 the national government contracted the local businessman Eduardo Madero to take charge of the construction of a new port. It was a big failure, but in recent years it has revamped, became ultra-fashionable and represents the latest architectural trends. We willl explain it all.
10 minutes here
Casa Rosada
The Casa Rosada (English: Pink House) is the office of the president of Argentina. The palatial mansion is known officially as Casa de Gobierno ("Government House"). The characteristic color of the Casa Rosada is baby pink, and is considered one of the most emblematic buildings in Buenos Aires. The building also houses a museum, which contains objects relating to former presidents of Argentina. It has been declared a National Historic Monument of Argentina.
10 minutes here
Casa Minima
The narrowest colonial house in Buenos Aires, built by freedmen following the 1812 abolition of slavery in Argentina.
5 minutes here
Plaza Dorrego
In the past it was referred to as Hueco del Alto or Alto de la carretas as it was the place where wagons would stop before crossing the Tercero del Sur stream (today called Pasaje San Lorenzo) on their way downtown. The name had been Alto de San Pedro and later changed to Plaza del Comercio in 1822. In 1905, the name was changed once again to its current form. It is the core of the San Telmo "antique" trade (and fair).
10 minutes here
Calle Defensa
This is the key, history-full street that links downtown with picturesque, historical San Telmo neighbourhood, oldest in town and where the world-famous San Telmo fair takes place.
30 minutes here
Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de Belen - Parroquia de San Pedro Telmo
The beautiful colonial church built on behalf of Our Lady of Belen and annexed to an armory (later the jail for women) that belonged to the Jesuits before they were expelled in 1767. It was the church of the sailormen and had an important role during the first British invasion of 1806.
10 minutes here
Pasaje de la Defensa
The 1980 restoration of the former Ezeiza family mansion into the Pasaje de la Defensa ("Defensa Street Promenade"), moreover, has led to the refurbishment of numerous such structures, many of which had been conventillos (tenements) since the 1870s. As most of San Telmo's 19th century architecture and cobblestone streets remain, it has also become an important tourist attraction.
10 minutes here
Parque Lezama
Where the country started: Historians believe the park's eastern slope to have been the site of Spanish Conquistador Pedro de Mendoza's landing on what became the first, failed attempt to establish Buenos Aires in 1536. We will explain the beautiful monument and much more.
5 minutes here
La Boca
La Boca is a popular destination for tourists visiting Argentina, with its colourful houses and pedestrian street, the Caminito, where tango artists perform and tango-related memorabilia is sold. Other attractions include the La Ribera theatre, many tango clubs and Italian taverns
45 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
Buenos Aires
This emblematic cafe is located on 505 Libertad St. corner with both Lavalle St. and the Diagonal Ave. just a block away from the city Obelisk and just across the Law Courts building
Hotel pickup
Pickup is available for selected locations.
Ends at
Interesting Plaza Dorrego is the site of the famous San Telmo Antiques Market and a place with many interesting cafes and antique stores.
Options you can book
Buenos Aires Historical Walking Tour
Pickup included
Historical Tour in French
French Speaking Guide: Buenos Aires Historical Walking Tour with French speaking guide
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en, fr, es
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 15 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Buenos Aires Walking Tours
Know before you go
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children under the age of 8 are free of charge when accompanied by an adult
- Minimum number of 2 passengers required for tour to operate
- Note: tour operates rain or shine
- Coverage of full itinerary may depend on weather, city-dynamics (riots, strikes, repairs), timing and other circumstances at time of tour.
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 13 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
Knowledge and storytelling
7 mentionsReviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
The guide
4 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Traveler reviews
13 verified traveler reviews for Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
getting to know Buenos Aires!
joaquin was great. Very knowledgeable about history, facts and present day issues for Buenos Aires. Great walk through the city.
Response from the operator: Thank you Dennis, our pleasure to let you discover our amazing city
via Viator
Walking tour of significant Buenos Aires neighborhoods.
The walking tour has a lot of information on history of the country and was paced well to allow us have time for pictures and viewing the areas. The tour guide is knowledgeable and have a pleasant personality. We enjoyed the tour very much.
Response from the operator: Thank you Janet, hope to be able to show you the rest of our amazing city in a near future. Cheers
via Tripadvisor
Great Private Walking Tour
We did the Recoleta and the downtown tour with Rosty and Joaquin respectively. It was so nice being on a private tour just with the family. We got so much information about Argentina and so many fun facts and got to see so many different places. Highly highly recommended. If we come back we would do another walking tour!
Response from the operator: It was a pleasure to show our amazing city, its culture, architecture, and history (as well as historical gossips) and we are very happy you've enjoyed it. As told you in advance, our guides are the best!!!
via Tripadvisor
Fascinating tour
A very interesting tour covering history politics architecture and much more -l if you have time add on the La Boca extension
Response from the operator: Glad to hear you've enjoyed our basic tour and La Boca extension. Hope to have you back soon in Buenos Aires to show you other landmarks in our amazing city
via Tripadvisor
This was the perfect way to begin...
<p>This was the perfect way to begin our trip to Argentina with a lovely walk through the city center learning about the fascinating history of Buenos Aires. Our guide was personable and intelligent to a fault, commenting on the role of certain places in the national history while pointing out details of architecture and design and offering a running commentary on Argentina today compared to yesteryear. We visited noteworthy churches, plazas, public buildings, as well as hidden spots, and had a cortado break in one of the older, time-honored cafes. The group was small, allowing us to bond with each other. The time spent was memorable, indeed it went by too quickly, and we went away with our heads filled with ideas for the rest of our time in Buenos Aires.</p>
via Viator
Good to know
- Duration
- 4 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Price range
- $125 to $160
- Hotel pickup
- Available for selected locations
- Booked in 30 days
- 5
- Verdict
- Worth a Look
Why this scores 59
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Buenos Aires.
How does Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour compare to similar tours in Buenos Aires?
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It ranks #7 of the 7 similar experiences we compared in Buenos Aires, with an Outty Ranking of 59. At $125 it sits above the typical similar option ($71), so book it for what is included rather than price. Best for families and anyone who wants flexible plans.
Who is Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour best for?
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It suits families and anyone who wants flexible plans best, based on its 4-hour length, all-ages access and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Is Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour good value?
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It is a premium pick. It starts at $125, above the $71 typical for similar experiences in Buenos Aires.
How much does Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour cost?
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Prices start at $125 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Buenos Aires usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour take?
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Plan for about 4 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Buenos Aires is not rushed.
Is Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour worth it?
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It holds an Outty Ranking of 59 out of 100, which we label "Worth a Look". That score blends traveler sentiment (4.5/5 across 13 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Buenos Aires, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour?
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Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour suitable for kids and families?
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Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 4-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour?
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Around 5 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Buenos Aires can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
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Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Buenos Aires and add a light layer if any part of the 4-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour start and how do I get there?
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The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Buenos Aires within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Buenos Aires?
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On Outty we rank every Buenos Aires experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Historical Sherpa Food Tour of San Telmo with Street Food, Drinks, Cooking Class with Empanadas Steak & Flan by Argentine Experience, Local Foodie Adventure in Buenos Aires with Sherpa Food Tours. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Buenos Aires?
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Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Buenos Aires?
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Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
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Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
What is included in Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour?
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Included: Professional English-speaking guide; and Coffee break. Not included: Hotel pickup and drop-off; Gratuities; and Food and drinks. Always check the voucher for the final list before you travel.
Does Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour include hotel pickup?
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Yes, pickup is offered, or you can meet at the start point instead from 385 listed pickup locations in and around Buenos Aires. You can also enter a custom pickup address when booking.
What languages is Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour offered in?
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It is offered in English, French and Spanish. Pick your language when choosing a date and time, as not every departure runs in every language.
Will I get instant confirmation and a mobile ticket for Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour?
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Confirmation is sent by the operator after booking, usually within 48 hours; if it is not confirmed you are not charged. Mobile tickets are accepted, so you can show the voucher on your phone.
What happens to Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour if the weather is bad?
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It generally runs rain or shine, so dress for the forecast in Buenos Aires. Standard cancellation terms apply: free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.
What do travelers say about Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour?
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Across 13 reviews averaging 4.5 out of 5, recurring themes include knowledge and storytelling, the guide. Reviewers describe the commentary as informative rather than scripted.
What booking options are available for Buenos Aires Private Historical Downtown, San Telmo and La Boca Walking Tour?
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There are 2 options to choose from, including Buenos Aires Historical Walking Tour, Historical Tour in French. Prices and start times differ by option, so compare them on the booking screen.
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