Ahhhh Buenos Aires, the city that completely surprised me in so many ways. I knew that it was going to be great, because a friend we traveled with was visiting for the third time, and we had heard how amazing it was for years. But still, even with all of the stories and high expectations, this city really blew me away. I have so much to share from my week in Buenos Aires, but I wanted to start with these three experiences as they were some of the highlights of our trip. These are listed in no particular order, because they were all amazing experiences so I refuse to rank them!
Here are the experiences if you don’t want to learn more about them and just want to book them immediately:
- Pachamama Argentine Cooking Experience
- Argentina Polo Day
- Private Tango Lessons with Christian Milano
Pachamama Argentine Cooking Experience
Length: 4 hours
Cost: $50 per person
If you’ve been following me for a bit, you know it’s quite rare I go somewhere new without doing a cooking class, especially when I’m traveling with my husband. It has become a tradition of ours, and an activity we really look forward to on our trips. I typically check Airbnb Experiences first because I have found so many wonderful experiences this way. I was thrilled when I searched for cooking classes in Palermo and Pachamama: Argentine Cooking Experience in Palermo came up! Keep scrolling to learn more about this fun and delicious cooking experience.
First and foremost, we absolutely loved this experience with Fran. We went for a couple’s date day with friends and had a blast. The kitchen is newly renovated, the food was AMAZING, and Fran did an awesome job teaching us so much about the history, food, and culture of Argentina. I loved the detail that went into to everything Fran did and I am drooling over my keyboard as I reminisce on how great the food was.
The four hour experience starts with “picadas” which were delicious appetizers and then Fran gave a brief and interesting history lesson on Argentine cuisine. Then, you spend the next few hours preparing a four course meal and enjoying all of your hard work (by eating said deliciousness) throughout the day. I especially love these cooking experiences, because you don’t just learn about and eat the food, you get to use your own hands to create these awesome dishes.
The four things that you will make are a chipá (Snack) which were delicious cheese-balls, meat empanadas with homemade dough and chimichurri, humita stew gratin, and flamed dulce de leche crepes. Everything was so good and so fun to make! I loved Fran’s teaching style as he broke everything down into small steps. I always thought empanadas would be hard to make, but he made it feel easy and I really enjoyed it.
It was a bonus that we had a really fun and cool group with people from all over the world excited to experience Argentine cooking.
Overall, I couldn’t recommend this experience more. Fran was an incredible host and we had such a blast learning about and how to cook Argentine cuisine. Click this link if you are interested in learning more or want to sign up for this experience.
Argentina Polo Day
Length: A Full Day (10am-7pm)
Cost: $185 Per Person
This was such a cool experience that my friend Chris found and I am so glad he asked us if we wanted to do it while we were visiting Buenos Aires. This is an all day event, so keep this in mind if your time in Buenos Aires is short. This experience is designed for you to feel like an Argentine polo player for a day and although playing was insanely difficult, the entire experience was so rewarding and fun.
Apparently Fran is a very common name in Buenos Aires because our guide for this experience was also named Fran! He picked us up from our place in Palermo and was with us the whole day to teach us about polo, Argentina in general, and made sure our stomachs were full and our hands were never without a glass of wine! The property reminded me of country clubs in the US, but cooler. There was so much history and everything was so beautiful.
When we arrived we were given a tour of the grounds and enjoyed delicious empanadas and Argentine wine. Then, we were off to visit the horses, learn more about them, and watch the polo match. I love how immersive they made this experience, we got to ring the bell to end the chukkers (periods) and also throw the ball in when it was time to start a new one. As a bonus we got to try matcha as we watched. I have never watched a polo match in real life so it was so cool to experience it.
After we watched the polo game, we made our way back to the ranch to enjoy lunch. The setting was so beautiful!
Lunch was a complete asado (barbecue) and let me tell you it had every meat you’ve ever dreamed of! These were all cooked using an open fire or a grill, called a parrilla which is very common in Argentina. There were also so many fresh and tasty sides. My favorite part is that some of the polo players joined us for lunch so we got to chat with them and learn more about their love for polo and Argentina!
*They offer vegetarian options if you need them, just let them know ahead of time.*
After lunch we got fitted for our polo match and enjoyed a walk through their grounds. Then we took a polo class where we learned how to ride the horse, take the polo cue, and aim at the ball. We then played the world’s slowest most hilarious mini game of polo.
They advertise this experience as one that will “make you feel like a professional player.” In all honesty, this was one of the funniest and hardest things I’ve ever had to do and I didn’t feel like a professional at all, but it made me think back to the polo match and how easy they made it look. It was so impressive! I am including a photo of my friend Chris because he actually looked like a professional when he was playing. Or at least the photo sure makes it look like he was!
After the mini game of polo, we took a relaxed ride on their trails. Then we enjoyed some time at their pool with a glass of wine, of course.
A few things to note: This may seem expensive, but for the value it is SO worth it. It is not necessary to know how to ride a horse. You also don’t have to have previous experience in polo, they will teach you everything you need to know. Bring an appetite! There was sooooo much food. This was such a unique experience and I couldn’t recommend it more! Click the link to learn more and book your experience with Argentina Polo Day.
Private Tango Lessons With Christian Milano
Length: 1 hour
Cost: $75 per couple
This was the activity I was most excited for on our trip as I have always wanted to take private dance lessons. Well, this ended up being so damn hard for me! Even harder than riding a horse and trying to play polo! I realized my control freak self isn’t great at being a follower, but it was so fun and by the end of the hour I really felt like I was starting to get the hang of it.
I loved our instructors as they moved in such a beautiful way and were kind and direct with us. The tango is such a beautiful dance, and although we looked like robots in our first class I know if we practiced, this would become something we’d really enjoy.
Although the first 30 minutes felt impossible for me, it was such a fun and unique way to connect with my husband.
Finally getting the hang of it in our last 10 minutes of class!
Random fact: I assumed everyone in Argentina knew how to Tango, but that’s not the case. When we talked to our tour guide at the Polo Day experience, he said that young people think it’s lame and it’s becoming a lost art in Buenos Aires. I sure hope this changes because it was so beautiful and fun to watch when we were down there. Click here to book private tango lessons with Christian Milano.
And there you have it! The three activities you can’t miss in Buenos Aires, Argentina. FYI, we did all of these experiences with our cutie friends. It was so fun to do together, but you can always book all of these experiences for a single person or for larger groups as well!
Thanks so much for reading along! What experience sounds the best to you? Have you been to Buenos Aires? What was your favorite thing you did there? I absolutely fell in love with this city and would love to go back someday! Especially for the energy and the food! Click here to read my other blog posts, and keep and eye out for future posts about my time in Argentina.
