10 Bus lines in Buenos Aires to explore the city in depth

This bus takes you from Boulogne, in the northern part of Buenos Aires Province, to the neighborhood of La Boca in the Federal Capital. It mostly travels in a straight line and along the way, you’ll pass through the Vicente López area in Buenos Aires Province, crossing through the Belgrano neighborhood. If you take Branch A, you can enjoy the Palermo Woods. The route continues past the Faculty of Law, the Casa Rosada, Puerto Madero, and San Telmo, ending in La Boca.

If you enjoy a mix of nature and history, you can get off in Vicente López and visit the Municipal Ecological Reserve, which is fantastic. Even though you’re in the middle of the city, it feels like you’re in the countryside, as you only hear the sounds of animals. After exploring the reserve, hop back on the bus and head straight to the Casa Rosada. Get off at this historical site to take the guided tour. You can book it for free at the following link: visitas.casarosada.gob.ar.

Tip: The bus stops near River Plate Stadium, which is the perfect opportunity to explore the residential area surrounding the Monumental Stadium in Núñez. However, before planning your trip, make sure River Plate isn’t playing a home game, as the bus might get stuck in traffic, disrupting your visit.

This bus route begins in the heart of Bajo Belgrano. Right there, you’ll find a piece of Chinatown, which started to develop in the 1980s when many Asian immigrant families settled in the area. The best way to start is by entering through the main arch located at Juramento and Arribeños. On both sides, you’ll see shops filled with typical oriental products, including food, decorations, and many manga and anime figures (Japanese comics and cartoons).

After exploring the area, which might take hours as it’s so interesting, hop back on the bus and head straight to La Boca to visit Caminito. This is one of the city’s most iconic spots; if you’ve never been, now’s the time. With its colorful tin houses, it’s often described as an “open-air museum” nearly 150 meters long.

Tip: The creator of Caminito was artist Benito Quinquela Martín, who described it as follows: “One day I had the idea of turning that vacant lot into a joyful street.” And he certainly achieved his goal…

With this bus, you’ll pass just 100 meters from the Recoleta Cemetery, so we recommend getting off and exploring it. It’s worth a visit because this iconic site houses the tombs of many of Argentina’s most important figures. Plus, it has great architectural value: it reflects the era when the country was economically emerging, with families competing to build the most impressive and extravagant mausoleums.

After finishing the tour, hop back on the 67 and head to Avenida 9 de Julio, right where the Obelisk is. Maybe you’ve been there a thousand times (like on December 18th when we became World Cup champions), but have you ever seen it up close? There’s a door that leads to a viewing platform, but access is only allowed on special occasions, so you’ll have to wait for one of those. Don’t miss standing near the Obelisk to appreciate the city in all its glory.

Tip: Inside the Obelisk, there’s a staircase with 206 steps and seven landings. At the top, there’s a viewing platform with four windows and a lightning rod that can’t be seen from the street.

Get off at Superí and La Pampa, walk a block, and enter one of the city’s most emblematic and picturesque streets: Avenida Melián. With cobblestone streets, grand residences, and an impressive canopy of trees, it’s unique. Between numbers 1800 and 2300, you’ll enjoy this “tunnel of trees” and feel like you’re in a movie.

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Afterward, we recommend hopping back on the bus and heading to Carlos Villate Street and Avenida Maipú in Olivos. We suggest taking a stroll there to visit the Quinta de Olivos. It’s probably a place you’ve heard about a thousand times, but never seen up close. Now’s your chance.

Tip: Built in 1854, the Quinta de Olivos was known as "the aviary" due to its large windows and resemblance to the dovecotes of that era.

It starts in Villa Adelina, Buenos Aires Province, and one of the first sights from this bus is the Ader Tower, a historic building in Vicente López. Then, the bus heads into the city of Buenos Aires, where we recommend visiting the Ecopark, located where the old zoo was. Here, you’ll see many endangered native species, as the Ecopark aims to promote environmental education. In the middle of Palermo, you have almost 17 hectares with various attractions: guided tours, a water plaza, a carousel, and of course, many animals.

Another destination worth visiting with this bus is the National Library. Besides housing an immense collection of books, it’s one of the few buildings in the city with brutalist architecture, making it a must-see.

Tip: Renowned writer Jorge Luis Borges was the director of the National Library from 1955 to 1973.

This line is ideal for getting to San Telmo and Puerto Madero without too many twists and turns. The San Telmo neighborhood is one of the city’s gems, with its cobblestone streets, low houses, and calm neighborhood vibe. On Sundays, it hosts the antique fair at Plaza Dorrego, which is a must-see.

With a completely different style, Puerto Madero is just a few blocks away. It’s one of the trendiest and youngest neighborhoods in Buenos Aires. The best thing is to take a stroll, sit at a bar to enjoy the view, and, of course, cross the Woman’s Bridge. The area was built from original docks that were once part of Puerto Madero’s industrial zone, now repurposed as restaurants, the Catholic University of Argentina (UCA), and various shops.

Tip: If you love Mafalda and other iconic Argentine cartoons, you have to take a photo with all of them on Defensa Street, the oldest street in the city.

It starts at Ciudad Universitaria campus, allowing you to witness the hustle and bustle of the thousands of students attending the University of Buenos Aires’ faculties of Architecture and Design, Exact Sciences, the Institute of Astronomy and Space Physics, and the Institute of Geochronology and Isotopic Geology.

With this bus, you can also enjoy the Costanera Norte. The Río de la Plata is right next to you as you travel peacefully, exploring the city. We recommend getting off at the Galileo Galilei Planetarium. While its surroundings are beautiful, we suggest going inside for the guided tour, which is free and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tip: If you like planes, this bus passes by Aeroparque, which serves domestic and international flights.

If your goal is to explore Recoleta, this is the bus for you. In this neighborhood, you’ll find a tourist area near the cemetery, full of trendy bars and various attractions. There’s also the Recoleta Mall, with clothing stores. At the corner of Avenida Las Heras and Pueyrredón, you’ll find the Faculty of Engineering, a building with a Gothic style that no one would ever guess is a university.

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Tip: A few steps away, there’s the Island, a small area within the Recoleta neighborhood characterized by passages with staircases and exclusive residences. This is where part of the city’s upper class lives.

If you’re interested in seeing the iconic Teatro Colón, this is your bus. Due to its size, acoustics, and history, it’s considered one of the best opera houses in the world. The main hall seats 2,487 spectators, with a total capacity exceeding 3,000 when including standing areas. Guided tours are available every day.

After visiting, we recommend hopping back on the 39 and heading to the Mercado de las Pulgas. Get off at Avenida Córdoba and Arévalo and take a walk. In this wonderful warehouse, you’ll find all sorts of curiosities: artworks, vintage furniture, sculptures, clothing, jewelry, glassware, and thousands of other items. It’s open from Tuesday to Sunday, 11:30 am to 6 pm.

Tip: We suggest dedicating plenty of time to the Mercado de las Pulgas because it’s huge and has everything.

It takes you from Avenida de Mayo to Tecnópolis, non-stop. Well, to be honest, there are plenty of stops along the way, like Plaza de Mayo. You probably know it, but have you really visited and explored it? Or did you just walk past it? This time, we invite you to explore it in detail and enter the Cabildo of Buenos Aires. From Wednesday to Sunday, from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, the museum is free, and so are the guided tours!

After that, we suggest heading to Tecnópolis, a site of over 50 hectares with free entry, offering various exhibitions, interactive and playful experiences on art, science, and technology. From July to October every year, Tecnópolis launches a new edition with a specific theme, filled with new activities and experiences. The rest of the year, it’s closed to the general public as special events related to sports, science, culture, and more take place.

Tip: they’re still preparing the agenda for 2024. Let’s see what surprises they have in store for us this year.