This guide is for you if you want half a day out of Buenos Aires by the water: the old riverside suburb of San Isidro, then Tigre, its market and a boat into the delta. It covers the choices to make before you book: morning or afternoon, whether to take the boat, how to do it by train instead, and who the day suits.
Morning or afternoon
You choose a 07:00 or a 13:00 pick-up, and here the choice matters. The Puerto de Frutos market opens daily from 10:00 to 18:00. On the morning slot the plan reaches it at about 09:30, before the stalls open.
The afternoon slot puts you there at about 15:30, with time to walk the market and take a boat while it is all running. If you prefer the morning, the order can change on the day. Your driver can spend longer in San Isidro and on the riverside walk first, so you reach the market once it has opened.
Check opening hours for the market and the art museum on their official sites before you go, as they can change.
When in the year
Tigre's climate is much like the city's. Summers, from December to March, are more humid. Winters, from June to September, are colder. Spring, from September to December, is the season Argentina's tourism board picks out for boat rides and picnics on the delta.
In the city, the official tourism office notes that spring and autumn are the wettest seasons, though the rain is usually light, and that a storm known as the Tormenta de Santa Rosa often arrives around 30 August. On a wet day, the art museum and the market give you somewhere to be under cover.
How the half day fits together
Tigre is about 30 km north of the centre. The first stop, about an hour after pick-up, is San Isidro. Then comes Tigre itself: the riverside walk along Paseo Victorica and the art museum, then the Puerto de Frutos and the boats. The way back follows the river or the motorway, whichever the traffic favours.
San Isidro
The town's story starts in 1706, when Domingo de Acassuso gave land on the riverside bluff for a chapel to San Isidro Labrador. The cathedral on that spot was built between 1895 and 1898 in neo-Gothic style, with European stained glass and a tower of almost 70 metres. Plaza Mitre in front of it has had a flower clock since 1913.
A little way off the route is the Museo Pueyrredón, a house from around 1790 and one of the largest surviving colonial country houses of the River Plate. Tradition says Juan Martín de Pueyrredón and José de San Martín discussed the liberation campaign under the carob tree in its garden. It is not a stop on the tour. If you want it, tell us when you book and we will tell you whether it fits.
The Tigre Art Museum
The building on Paseo Victorica opened on 13 January 1912 as the Tigre Club, a social club for wealthy visitors, designed by the French architects Paul Pater and Luis Dubois. It had a casino from 1927 to 1933, until a law moved casinos away from Buenos Aires. It was declared a National Historic Monument in 1979 and opened as the municipal art museum in 2006. The entrance is not included in the tour.
The boat
The boat is the part you decide. Launches and tour boats leave from Tigre into the channels of the delta, and a ride of about an hour takes you past the small islands. The ticket is not included. A one-hour trip fits into the half day, and your driver waits for you.
If you want longer on the water, a longer trip makes the tour longer. Message us before the day and we will price the extra time.
By train, or with a car and driver
Tigre is easy to reach by public transport, and it is fair to say so. Trains on the Mitre line leave Retiro station for Tigre, the last stop on the branch. There is a second route: take the Mitre line's other branch to its last stop, Mitre, cross the bridge over Avenida Maipú, and ride the Tren de la Costa to Delta station in Tigre. Bus line 60 runs from Constitución and takes between an hour and a half and two hours. By car, the run on the Panamericana takes about 40 minutes.
The train is the simple answer if you only want Tigre and the boats. What it does not give you is San Isidro on the way, a door-to-door start, and a car to sit in between stops. The price of the private tour depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
What to bring
- Local cash for the boat ticket, the market and a coffee. Boat trips, museum entrances, food and drinks are not included.
- A light jacket for the boat, even on a warm day.
- Sun cream and a hat in summer.
- Room in your bag, or a plan for it, if you are tempted by the wicker and wood in the market.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
It suits anyone who has seen the centre and wants a green, slower half day, and families who would enjoy a boat ride more than another museum. It works as a second outing after the full-day city tour.
- You want the city too on the same day. Ask us for a full day with Tigre in the morning and Recoleta or Palermo after lunch.
- Someone gets seasick. Skip the boat if in doubt. The market and the riverside walk still make the trip.
- You are more than 16. Two vehicles travel together on one booking. Message us with your numbers.
Questions people ask
Do we need to book the boat in advance?
The boat is not part of the tour, so it is up to you. If you have booked a particular trip, or want a longer one, tell us and we will plan the timing around it.
Can we stop for lunch?
Yes. Lunch is not included, but you can eat in Tigre or ask to be dropped at a restaurant in the city at the end.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. See our cancellation page.
Booking the half day
Choose the afternoon slot for the market, keep cash for the boat, and bring a jacket for the water. Our guide to day trips from Buenos Aires compares this with our other days. The details are on the Tigre Delta and San Isidro private tour page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
