Buenos Aires: Dynamic and bustling, a city which seems never to sleep, Buenos Aires is one of the most exciting cities in Latin America. Tango was born here, restaurants serve an all manner of world cuisine, bars play the latest music, cafés spill on to the streets and nightclubs allow dancing throughout the night. Cultural hub of a society which traces its roots to European immigration, it is famous throughout South America for its theatres, museums and galleries. Gucci, Armani, Prada, to name a few, line the boulevards catering for the fashion conscious porteños, their offerings as stylish as anything found in the cities in Europe or North America. Striking are its fashion-conscious people, café culture and street life. The contrast between this metropolis and other parts of Argentina is stark; if you want to understand Argentina you should visit Buenos Aires. Situated on the west side of the Rio de la Plata estaury separating Argentina from Uruguay, Buenos Aires sprawls inland. The city has a population of 10 million people - about a third of the total population of Argentina.
Sightseeing: Buenos Aires is a city of multiple artistic expressions: from the great variety of impressive sculptures, monuments, buildings to streets and squares that surprise us with their murals and wall paintings. To name a few worth a visit are: La Casa Rosada and Museo de los Presidentes (the Presidential Palace and Museum containing memorabilia of former Presidents), the Cathedral, Town Hall, the Plaza de la Republica (where there is the famous 67m obelisk comemorating the 400th anniversary of the city's founding).
San Telmo district - San Telmo is an artistic centre to the south of the city, with plenty of cafés and antique shops. Many of the Tango dance halls can be found here. Formerly one of the wealthiest areas of the city, it was abandoned by the rich after the outbreak of yellow fever in 1871. Famous is this area is 'Caminito' - a short pedestrianized street used for theatre and art market.
Evita Peron - Eva is world famous and icon of the twentieth century. Within Argentina, opinion is divided over her - she is regarded both as a saint and upstart. Politically she and her husband Peron were at times inconsistent playing to both the left and right. The Evita Museum (opened in 2002) is worth a visit.
- Return flights from London
- Return airport transfers
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Nine nights' accommodation and breakfast in the 3* Sarmiento Palace Hotel
- Nine 1.5 hour tango classes suitable for beginner and improver dancers
- Nightly escorted milonga visits (entrance fees payable locally)
- City tour
- Sightseeing in and around Buenos Aires, including some of the city's "hidden gems" off the main tourist trail
- Full evening programme including organised dinners (payable locally)
- Welcome reception with drink
- Full hosting
- Optional extensions to Iguacu Falls and more
We bring you the best way to dance Tango in Argentina - in a like-minded social group with local experts to ensure you get a real "insiders" tango experience.
Our course directors Alejandro and Erzsebet teach traditional milonguero-style tango emphasising elegance, musicality and strong connection, permitting an authentic Argentine Tango experience for beginner and improver dancers. Accommodation is in the well-located 3 star Sarmiento Palace Hotel and our private dance studios are just a short walk away, as well as being close to some of the city's best milongas.
We include nine 1.5 hour tango classes as well as nightly milonga visits, a city tour, sight-seeing suggestions, group dinners and full hosting.
Buenos Aires: Buenos Aires is a city of contrasts, a contemporary, energetic metropolis that maintains old traditions, wide boulevards and narrow cobblestone streets. It is a romantic, elegant city with a European identity and heritage, visible in its architecture and design. Experience its charm, excitement and sophistication.
Why not extend your stay with a visit to the world-famous Iguacu Falls, Patagonia or Mendoza wine region?
In order to get the most out of your milonga experience, we strongly recommend that you hire a taxi dancer for at least some of the evenings. We can pre-book this for you at £35 per evening. Note that you will also need to cover the dancer's milonga entry fee, transportation and soft drink.
'Just to say that we had a wonderful vacation. Buenos Aires is tremendous and our dancing has improved by leaps and bounds. The tour host was an excellent host and looked after us well.'
'Brilliant.'
Just a note to thank you for sorting out the holiday. Our tour host was fantastic and a very warm lady to deal with and made everyone feel as if they were VIPs. At all the Milongas and dinners we seemed to get the best seats in the house and I did feel as if I was some kind of visiting diplomat. The people were very friendly. I learnt a lot about tango that I simply haven’t been taught here in the UK. Overall it was a great time. Thank you once again for sorting things out.'
'Perfect organisation. Excellent value for money. Intense, serious and stimulating tuition. Iguacu was a knockout.'
This trip is suitable for both complete beginner dancers and those who have had some lessons, known as "improvers". You've been bitten by the tango bug and want to experience the culture and emotion of tango in Buenos Aires, as well as explore one of the world's most fascinating cities. And for a relatively small supplement you can add on an extension to the world-famous Iguazu Falls, Mendoza wine region or Patagonia.
Note that the milongas in Buenos Aires are a unique experience; there are rules and etiquette and the art of tango is taken very seriously. You may find that, as a non-local, you don't get asked to dance as much as you would like so we strongly recommend hiring a taxi dancer. We will visit a combination of the "serious" milongas and more light-hearted tourist milongas to give you the opportunity to experience both.
Sample Itinerary
This is a provisional itinerary aiming to give you an idea of what your holiday will look like. There will be some elements which will change:
DAY 1
Depart London Heathrow on the overnight flight to Buenos Aires (Via Rome or Madrid)
DAY 2
Morning - Arrival and check in. Buffet breakfast and time to relax and recover from the flight
Afternoon - Welcome drink and meeting with Alejandro and Erzsebet followed by a 1.5 hour tango class.
Evening - Optional group dinner followed by escorted milonga visit
DAY 3
Morning - 1.5 hour tango class
Afternoon - Buenos Aires sight-seeing tour including the Avenue 9th of July, Congress, Government House, Cathedral, Avenue de Mayo as well as the old city and the elegant neighbourhoods of San Martin Park and Florida Street. Finally Puerto Madero and the historical areas of San Telmo and La Boca.
Evening - Optional group dinner followed by escorted milonga visit
DAY 4
Morning - 1.5 hour tango class
Afternoon - Sight-seeing suggestions (see below)
Evening - Optional group dinner followed by escorted milonga visit
DAY 5
Morning - 1.5 hour tango class
Afternoon - Sight-seeing suggestions (see below)
Evening - Optional group dinner followed by escorted milonga visit
DAY 6
Morning - 1.5 hour tango class
Afternoon - Sight-seeing suggestions (see below)
Evening - Optional group dinner followed by escorted milonga visit
DAY 7
Morning - 1.5 hour tango class
Excursion to an Estancia, or ranch outside Buenos Aires for a "Fiesta Gaucha" with BBQ (OP) OR check out a football match at La Bombonera Stadium. You'll be as impressed by the stadium as you will be by the passion of the fans in it. Ask us on booking and we'll pre-book tickets for you, subject to availability and match schedules.
Evening - Optional group dinner followed by escorted milonga visit
DAY 8
Morning - 1.5 hour tango class
Afternoon - Sight-seeing suggestions (see below)
Evening - Optional group dinner followed by escorted milonga visit
DAY 9
Morning - 1.5 hour tango class
Afternoon - Sight-seeing suggestions (see below)
Evening - Optional group dinner followed by escorted milonga visit
DAY 10
Morning - 1.5 hour tango class
Afternoon - Sight-seeing suggestions (see below)
Evening - Optional group dinner followed by escorted milonga visit
DAY 11
Depart for the airport and your return flight (overnight via Rome or Madrid)
DAY 12
Arrive in the UK.
Alejandro and Erzsebet will advise daily on sight-seeing suggestions, with options suitable for specific days of the week. Some activities include:
- Visit Libreria el Ateneo, Buenos Aires' most famous bookshop. Regal in size, operatic in feeling, the ornate Librería El Ateneo Grand Splendid draws in bookstore patrons as much for its setting in a 1920s theatre as for its amazing range of books which can be perused over a coffee before you buy.
- Visit one of Buenos Aires' lively street markets, including Palermo where young designers present their original clothes inside bars and restaurants. Your tour host will be happy to advise you on directions and / or public transport.
- Visit another of Buenos Aires' lively street markets featuring impromptu Tango performances, including San Telmo and La Boca. Your tour host will be happy to advise you on directions and / or public transport.
- Visit La Recoleta cemetery, a sprawling maze of narrow lanes home to 4,800 extravagant tombs, including some of the country's best known figures such as Eva Peron. Your tour host will be happy to advise you on directions and / or public transport.