Buenos Aires & Iguazú Falls on a Budget — Self-Launched (8 Days)

Land at Ezeiza (EZE) and get into the city the cheap way: take the Tienda León shuttle bus (~ARS 30,000–40,000 / £20–25) or the public bus 8 if you're travelling very light. Avoid unlicensed taxis. Check into a hostel in San Telmo or Palermo — hostels here run roughly £12–20 for a dorm bed, £30–45 for a private double. Spend the evening walking Plaza de Mayo and grabbing an empanada-and-pizza dinner in San Telmo (£8–10). Pick up a SUBE card at a kiosk for city buses and the Subte (~£1 per ride).

🚌Tienda León airport shuttle ~£22

🛏Hostel dorm in San Telmo or Palermo (~£15)

• →Evening stroll around Plaza de Mayo
• →San Telmo dinner and orientation walk

Cover the same circuit as the operator's 3-hour city tour, either on a free walking tour or a paid small-group tour booked via GetYourGuide (~£15–25). Walk the Plaza de Mayo, the Metropolitan Cathedral, Casa Rosada, the Cabildo and the National Congress, peek at the Colón Theatre facade, wander San Telmo and the colourful Caminito in La Boca, then finish in Palermo and Recoleta where you can visit the Recoleta Cemetery (£8 entry). For a change of pace, rent a bike (~£10 for a few hours) and ride the Ecobici-style routes or a guided Palermo bike loop.

🚌Subte and bus day pass ~£2

🛏Same hostel

• →Free/small-group Buenos Aires walking tour
• →La Boca and Caminito
• →Recoleta Cemetery

Spend the day on your own terms — San Telmo Sunday antiques market if it's a Sunday, the MALBA or Bellas Artes museum (~£5–8), or a cheap steak at a parrilla in Palermo. In the evening book a tango dinner show directly or through GetYourGuide in Puerto Madero or San Telmo. Budget ~£45–65 for a three-course dinner with wine and a decent seat (the operator's version includes roundtrip transfer; you can just take a taxi/rideshare for ~£4 each way or walk from San Telmo). Book online ahead — the premium venues sell out.

🚌Taxi/rideshare to Puerto Madero ~£8 return

🛏Same hostel

• →Museums or San Telmo market
• →Tango dinner show in Puerto Madero

Two options. Cheapest: the overnight long-distance bus from Retiro (e.g. Crucero del Norte, Expreso Singer) — roughly 17–18 hours, ~£30–45 for semi-cama, leaving in the evening and arriving the next morning; book online or at Retiro bus terminal. Faster: a domestic flight from Aeroparque (AEP) to Puerto Iguazú (IGR) with Aerolíneas Argentinas, Flybondi or JetSMART — fares as low as £40–70 if booked a few weeks out, ~1h50. If you fly, use the same day to settle in and walk the three-frontiers viewpoint where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay meet.

🚌Overnight bus ~£40 (or flight ~£55)

🛏Overnight bus, or hostel in Puerto Iguazú (~£12–18)

• →Retiro bus terminal
• →Three Frontiers landmark (if flying)

Arrive and check into a hostel in Puerto Iguazú (Hostel Inn, Poramba or similar, ~£12–18 dorm, £30–40 private). The local bus (Rio Uruguay line) runs from the town bus terminal to Iguazú National Park for a few pesos — no need for a tour transfer. Spend the afternoon swimming, sorting park tickets online (Argentina's Iguazú National Park entry ~£18–22 for foreigners, buy ahead on the official site to skip queues), and arranging your Brazilian-side transfer for Day 7. Cheap dinner at a local parrilla or the hostel kitchen.

🚌Local bus from terminal ~£2

🛏Hostel in Puerto Iguazú

• →Town orientation
• →Book park tickets online

Get to the park at opening (8am) using the local bus or a shared taxi (~£3–5). Do it independently: ride the ecological Jungle Train to Devil's Throat station, walk the 1,100m catwalk to Garganta del Diablo, then the Upper Circuit (San Martín Fall, panoramic Brazilian falls views) and Lower Circuit (Dos Hermanas, Bossetti, Hidden and San Martín falls, San Martín Island boat if running). Bring your own lunch and plenty of water — park food is pricey. Optional: the Gran Aventura boat into the falls (~£35–45, book on site or GetYourGuide) for a soaked, unforgettable close-up.

🚌Local bus to park ~£3

🛏Same hostel

• →Devil's Throat catwalk via Jungle Train
• →Upper and Lower Circuits
• →Optional Gran Aventura boat ride

Cross the border to Brazil — either a public bus (line from Puerto Iguazú terminal to Foz do Iguaçu, ~£3–5 including border stops) or a shared transfer (~£10–15). Enter Iguaçu National Park (Brazil) — entry ~£16–20 — and walk the panoramic trail past Floriano, Deodoro, Benjamin and Santa Maria falls, ending on the walkway over the Devil's Throat with the best wide-angle views of the Argentine side. Half a day is plenty; many travellers rate this side higher. Return to Puerto Iguazú for the night, or stay in Foz if you're flying out of Foz do Iguaçu (IGU) instead.

🚌Border bus or shared transfer ~£8 return

🛏Same hostel

• →Brazilian-side panoramic falls trail
• →Devil's Throat walkway
• →Border crossing into Brazil

Breakfast at the hostel, then take the local bus to Iguazú airport (IGR) for your flight, or board the overnight bus back to Buenos Aires (~£40) if you're looping back. If you have a late flight, squeeze in a morning at the Güira Oga wildlife refuge (~£10) or the Hito Tres Fronteras. Note Argentina and Brazil both charge foreigner park fees and some airlines offer cheaper fares from Foz do Iguaçu (IGU) in Brazil — compare before booking onward flights.

🚌Local bus to IGR ~£3

🛏None (departure day)

• →Optional Güira Oga wildlife refuge
• →Hito Tres Fronteras viewpoint