Another country for the day. The fast ferry leaves the port of Buenos Aires in the morning and docks in Montevideo a little over two hours later; a guided tour takes you through the capital of Uruguay, from the Portuguese and Spanish streets of the Ciudad Vieja to the beaches of Pocitos and Carrasco; and the evening ferry brings you back. Tickets, transfers in Montevideo and the guide included.
From the port of Buenos Aires. Check-in at the ferry terminal in the morning, passport in hand, and the direct crossing to Montevideo: a little over two hours on a river so wide that it looks like the sea. When you dock, our guide is waiting at the terminal to start the tour.
City tour, part one. The old town first: Plaza Matriz with the Cathedral and the Cabildo, the Mercado del Puerto with its parrillas under the iron roof, and Plaza Independencia, where the citadel gate, the mausoleum of Artigas and the Palacio Salvo meet. Then the Palacio Legislativo, one of the finest parliament buildings in the Americas, and the Prado, the oldest park in the city, with its rose garden and monuments.
Free time for lunch in the Mercado del Puerto or the centre, where the grills have been serving Uruguayan beef since 1868.
City tour, part two. Along the Rambla, the promenade that follows the river for the whole length of the city, through the residential neighbourhoods of Pocitos, Punta Gorda and Carrasco, with their beaches, summer houses and the great Hotel Casino Carrasco on the shore. Time for a walk or a coffee by the water before the drive back to the port.
The evening ferry. Transfer to the port of Montevideo and the crossing back to Buenos Aires, with the lights of the city coming up over the river at the end of the day.
Regular service as described; it can also be quoted private, and tailored to your dates, interests and budget.
Tell us your travel dates and how many of you there are. We send a free, no-obligation quote within 24 hours.
You go to the ferry terminal in Buenos Aires in the morning with your passport, cross to Montevideo in a little over two hours, spend the day with our guide and come back on the evening ferry. We send you the departure times for your date with the confirmation.
The city tour runs as a regular service shared with other travellers, which keeps the price sensible; we can also quote it private, with your own guide and vehicle for the day. The ferry is the same either way.
You cross an international border, so bring your passport. Most nationalities need no visa for Uruguay; tell us where you are from when you write and we tell you what we know.
No, and on purpose: the free time falls at the Mercado del Puerto, where the grills are the best lunch in the city, and most travellers prefer to choose their own. The guide recommends.
For a first look, yes: the tour covers the old town, the centre and the coast. If you want more, the four-day Best of Uruguay tour adds Colonia, Punta del Este and three nights, and the optional tours in Montevideo add the stadium, the city by bike and a night of tango and candombe.
Colonia is closer, an hour by ferry, and is a small colonial town to walk; Montevideo is a capital city with a longer crossing and more to see. Travellers with one day who want history and a slow pace choose Colonia; those who want a city choose Montevideo. Many do both on different days.
Montevideo is the quietest capital in South America and the one closest to Buenos Aires, but it is a different country in more than the passport stamp: the pace is slower, the mate goes everywhere, the old town is Portuguese and Spanish at once, and the Rambla is the longest waterfront promenade on the continent.
The day trip gives you the whole of it in outline, with a guide who knows which corner to stop at: the Mercado del Puerto for lunch, Plaza Independencia for the Palacio Salvo, the Prado for the gardens, Pocitos and Carrasco for the beaches. Tell us your date and how many of you are travelling, and we confirm the ferry times and quote the day as one figure.
Montevideo, Colonia and Punta del Este with Casapueblo, by ferry from Buenos Aires, with three nights.
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An hour by ferry to the Portuguese old town, with a guided tour and lunch included.
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The Gran Parque Central stadium, the city by electric bike and a night at El Milongon, to add to any stay.
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