The Hop-on Hop-off bus is a great option to view the most important attractions in the city of Buenos Aires.
There are two bus services in the city:
Gray Line Buenos Aires
Gray Line is known worldwide for being one of the largest excursion and city tour operators. The tour begins at the historic city center, and you will have 22 stops all over the city.
You will stop at Plaza de Mayo, where you will visit the Casa Rosada, the presidential palace, and the magnificent Metropolitan Cathedral, with its incredible neoclassical facade, and mausoleum of national hero, General San Martin.
You will also visit squares such as San Martin, Alvear and Plaza del Congreso. Important avenues like Corrientes, Av. De Mayo, among others. Important areas of the city like La Boca, San Telmo, Palermo, Recoleta and the most modern: Puerto Madero among others.
The first service starts at 9:00 AM from the first stop on Avenida Presidente Roque Sáenz Peña, and after that buses run every 20 minutes. The last bus starts from the first stop at 5:30 PM with an approximate time of arrival at the last stop at 8:30 PM.
You can book your tour here:
Buenos Aires Bus
The tour begins in the neighborhood of La Recoleta, a few meters from the famous café La Biela, with panoramic views you will be able to appreciate historical places, cultural spaces, and unique neighborhoods full of Argentine culture.
The buses pass every 20 and 30 minutes, depending on the circuit and the ride within the city, and it lasts 3 hours 20 minutes providing a Hop On / Hop Off service so that you can get on and off the bus as many times as you want.
The bus currently costs 6,000 pesos for foreign people and 3,000 for Argentinians. You can only pay in cash on the bus at any stop or pay with your card online.
They operate EVERY day from stop 00 “Recoleta”, at Av. Presidente Manuel Quintana 591, from 9 am to 5 pm when the last bus leaves.
You can book your tour here:
Other places to book your tour are:
- Recoleta. Av Pres. Manuel Quintana 591 (Frente a La Biela)
- Av. Córdoba 466 (Ref: Galerías Pacifico)
- Onboard on the buses with a guide (depending on availability)
Our experience on the bus
- We left our Airbnb on Saturday at 9 am and had breakfast (café con leche, medialunas, and facturas). Check out for breakfast promotions!
- Got on the bus at the stop in La Rural, Palermo. We bought the tickets on the bus, cash only (on the bus you can’t pay by card)
- Got off at Galería Pacífico for lunch and a walk around the shopping mall.
- Got on the bus again, and went back home!
Tips for taking the City Bus Tour
✔️ Bear in mind that there are some stops that are more popular, like Recoleta, San Telmo and La Boca.
✔️ It’s always better to plan ahead where you’d like to get off and what you can see there to make the most of the tour.
✔️ It’s a good idea to set off in the morning so you can get an almost empty bus and you can choose where to seat.
✔️ Have a look at the map and see which place is not around your accommodation so you get off in that area.
✔️ Some buildings and monuments might be under reconstruction, so you won’t be able to see them.
✔️ Sometimes there might be pickets or protests, so the bus routes will have to change if the road is blocked. I don’t recommend getting off at these stops.
5 Recommended Bus stops to get off
In Palermo:
If you want to go shopping and have something to eat from the food trucks, you can get off at Distrito Arcos. Then walk towards Plaza Italia and visit the Ecoparque. Ideal for families. Here you’ll find more things to do in Palermo!
In downtown Buenos Aires:
Get off where we did, at Galerías Pacífico. It’s worth visiting this shopping mall (even if you’re not buying anything!) and maybe grabbing something to eat. You can then walk along Florida street, it’s a popular shopping street.
In Puerto Madero:
Get off at Reserva Ecológica, here you can choose one of the walking trails (one-hour minimum walking), then walk around Puerto Madero. There are plenty of things to do here!
In La Boca:
If you haven’t visited Caminito in La Boca, this is your chance! Walk around the colorful neighborhood or visit La Bombonera stadium and museum. Depending on the day, you might even see a tango street show!
At Av. de Mayo:
This is one of the biggest and most important areas of the city. You can walk outside the Pink House (when I asked they told me there are no tours for visitors). You can either wait for another bus or walk for 15 mins and you’ll get to Colón Theatre, near Café Tortoni, another popular attraction worth visiting.
Be warned that you’ll probably have to wait in the queue to get a table at Café Tortoni since it’s very popular with tourists and locals alike.
Are you looking for things to do in Buenos Aires? Check out these Guides! 👇
🗺️ Things to do in Palermo Soho + map