10 Things to Do in Buenos Aires at Christmas

If you are planning to visit Buenos Aires during Christmas you should know that it is considered one of the most important celebrations in Argentina, so you will find many related activities that will allow you to discover the city and its Christmas spirit.

Some of the best things to see and do in Buenos Aires during Christmas include enjoying a Christmas show at the Colón Theatre, spending Christmas Eve dinner at a restaurant, going on a shopping tour along the popular Florida Street, visiting the Mataderos Fair flea market and enjoying the fireworks.

The Teatro Colón is one of the most emblematic theatres in Buenos Aires and, during the Christmas season, it offers a wide variety of shows for all tastes and ages. So, if you are looking for a way to enjoy the Christmas spirit in the city, attending a play is an excellent option.

This theatre is famous for its acoustics and its imposing architecture. The Christmas programme at the Teatro Colón includes operas, concerts and ballets, all of which are holiday-themed. But you can also opt to book tickets for a guided tour of the Teatro Colón.

Two of the highlights of the Teatro Colón's Christmas season are the Nutcracker ballet and Messiah, but the Christmas concert, which includes a selection of Christmas carols and songs performed by the Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra, is also a classic.

If you are looking for an exciting activity, booking a guided tour of Buenos Aires that includes Florida Street is an excellent option. This famous pedestrian artery is full of shops, boutiques and shops of all kinds that offer a unique shopping experience in the city.

During the Christmas eve, shops offer discounts and promotions, being an interesting place to visit in December in Buenos Aires. Florida Street is one of the most popular shopping destinations in Buenos Aires, being included in the best tours of the city.

In addition, Florida Street is also home to some of the most famous department stores. If you are interested in fashion, Florida Street is the place for you. Here you will find the main clothing shops, both for men and women, as well as local designer stores and international brands.

If you are looking for a quintessential Christmas activity in Buenos Aires, taking a picture with the giant Christmas tree in Plaza de Mayo could be a very interesting proposal. This tree is one of the major symbols of the festive season in the city and attracts thousands of visitors every year.

The Plaza de Mayo Christmas tree is a large illuminated structure that stands in the centre of the square. With a height of over 20 metres, it is decorated with hundreds of lights, ornaments and garlands. It can be visited on foot or by booking the Buenos Aires tourist bus, which passes through it.

Furthermore, Plaza de Mayo is one of the most important and emblematic places in Buenos Aires. In the past, the square was the scene of important historical and political events and is located in front of the Casa Rosada, the residence of the president of Argentina, which is also one of the main buildings of the city.

Christmas is one of the most important festivities of the year for the Catholic community and one of the most deeply rooted traditions in Argentina is to attend the Christmas mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Buenos Aires.

This majestic church is an emblematic and symbolic place for porteños and tourists alike and is often included in the itinerary when booking a guided tour of Buenos Aires. The Metropolitan Cathedral is one of the largest churches in Latin America and is known for its impressive architecture and decoration.

During Christmas, the church is filled with Christmas decorations and lights, creating a cosy and warm atmosphere. Christmas mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral is attended by choirs and musicians who perform hymns and carols. The faithful also have the opportunity to participate in the Eucharist and receive communion.

Waiting for Christmas in a country estancia outside the Argentine capital is a very interesting experience that will offer you the opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty as well as the Argentine traditions of the season.

Estancias de campo are rural properties within easy reach of Buenos Aires that offer an authentic experience of life in the interior of the country. During the Christmas season, these places are often decorated with seasonal lights and decorations.

These estancias offer tranquillity, as well as the hospitality and friendliness of the traditional country people, making them one of the best alternatives for full-day activities from the Argentine capital. Visitors can also:

• Take cooking classes and enjoy live music and dancing. Although, if you prefer, this can also be done in the capital by, for example, booking an Argentinean empanada cooking class.
• Doing various outdoor activities, such as horseback riding, country walks, fishing, cycling, and other country-related activities.
• Take excursions to nearby villages, where you can learn about the traditions and culture of the region.

Christmas Eve dinner is one of the most important celebrations in Argentina and, as in many places around the world, it is an occasion when family and friends come together to enjoy a festive meal. In Buenos Aires, a tradition that has gained popularity in recent years is to spend Christmas Eve dinner in a restaurant.

Dining in a restaurant allows family members to enjoy a meal together without worrying about the clean-up and preparations that home celebrations usually require, as well as enjoying an interesting dining experience in Buenos Aires.

Another reason why Christmas Eve dinner in a restaurant is becoming increasingly popular in Buenos Aires is because of the wide variety of options it offers. In addition, Christmas Eve dinner in a restaurant can be an opportunity to try new dishes and different culinary experiences.

If you want to get to know a less touristy area in Buenos Aires, visiting the Mataderos Fair Christmas market can be a good alternative, as this market is one of the biggest and most traditional in the city, offering a wide variety of Christmas products and gifts for all ages during the eve of Christmas.

This fair is actually an open-air market held every Sunday in the Mataderos neighbourhood, and is also a celebration of Argentinean culture, offering a wide variety of handcrafted goods, food, music and dance.

During the Christmas season, the Mataderos Fair becomes an ideal place to visit Buenos Aires with children.

Buenos Aires is a city full of life and energy, especially during the Christmas and New Year celebrations. One of the most awaited shows in the city are the fireworks that light up the sky on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

Fireworks in Buenos Aires take place in different neighbourhoods of the city, but one of the most popular is at the Costanera Sur, in the area of Puerto Madero. From early in the morning, the streets and squares nearby begin to fill with people looking for a good place to enjoy the show. Nearby restaurants and bars also offer special dinners for the occasion, with privileged views.

Besides the Costanera Sur, other places where fireworks shows are held in Buenos Aires are the Plaza de Mayo, the Galileo Galilei Planetarium and the Sarmiento Park.

Traveller Tip

If you want to enjoy the fireworks shows in Buenos Aires, I recommend you to wear warm clothes, as the night can be cool, and to avoid carrying valuables or large sums of money.

One of the most beautiful ways to experience the magic of Christmas is to walk around the Christmas lights in Plaza San Martin. This square is one of the oldest and most elegant in Buenos Aires and in December it is filled with lights and colours thanks to its dazzling Christmas light decorations.

The light tour of the square starts at Santa Fe Avenue, where the shops and buildings are decorated with lights that shine at night. When you reach the square, you can admire a large Christmas tree decorated with coloured lights, which is located in the centre of the square.

From there, you can continue the tour towards Florida Street. Walking along this area is one of the best things to do in Buenos Aires at night.

Christmas time in Buenos Aires is a magical time full of surprises. One of the most fun and unforgettable experiences you can have during this season is to live a night out with Father Christmas. Yes, you read that right , Father Christmas is ready to come out to the streets to celebrate the arrival of Christmas with you.

In Buenos Aires there are several options to live a night out with the main protagonist of the season. One of the most popular is to participate in a Santa Crawl. It is a kind of pub crawl where participants dress up as Father Christmas and visit different bars and discos, especially in the Palermo area.

On the other hand, many bars and clubs in the city organise Christmas themed parties where attendees can dance and enjoy the music in the company of the main Christmas characters. Some of these parties even offer discounts and promotions for those who attend in Christmas-themed attire.