Private Recoleta & Retiro Tour: Recoleta Cemetery & palaces

Evita Perón and Argentina's most powerful are buried in ornate mausoleums you walk past on this tour.

A private guided tour of Buenos Aires' upscale Recoleta and Retiro neighborhoods, including entry to Recoleta Cemetery and the Torre Monumental, with an English-speaking guide. The cemetery holds the mausoleums of presidents, businessmen and historical figures including Evita Perón, while the neighborhoods showcase 19th-century French-inspired palaces, designer avenues and landmark buildings. The tour covers roughly 4 kilometers on foot over 4 hours, taking in San Martín Square, the Anchorena Palace, the Basilica of the Holy Sacrament, the Kavanagh building and Floralis Genérica.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Recoleta and Retiro neighborhoods

• Visit Recoleta Cemetery mausoleums
• Learn about Evita Perón and elites
• Explore Recoleta's manors and monuments
• Walk San Martín Square and landmarks
• Visit Holy Sacrament Basilica
• Climb Monumental Tower for views

The Experience

What makes Recoleta and Retiro worth a full morning or afternoon? These are the neighborhoods where Argentina's wealthiest built their vision of Paris in South America—60-room French palaces, ornate churches, and tree-lined avenues lined with designer shops. A private guide walks you through both, starting with the Recoleta Cemetery, where you'll see the elaborate mausoleums of presidents, businessmen and the most famous woman in Argentine history, Evita Perón. The cemetery itself is a display of artistry and architecture: stained glass, sculpture, and the stories of the drama these elites lived through.

From there, the tour moves through Recoleta's grand manors and monuments, then into Retiro, where you'll explore San Martín Square, the San Martín Palace, the Kavanagh building—a structure born, the guide will tell you, from a broken heart—and the Basilica of the Holy Sacrament. You'll walk Arroyo Street and Alvear Avenue, home to Argentina's grandest palaces. The guide covers Argentina's golden age, San Martín's liberation campaigns, and Peronism, grounding the architecture in the history that built it.

The tour ends at the Torre Monumental, the British Tower, where you climb for views across the new port of Puerto Madero, the river and the Retiro area below. Entry to both the cemetery and the tower are included, as is your English-speaking guide. The walk covers roughly 4 kilometers over the course of 4 hours, so comfortable shoes and a moderate level of fitness make the day easier.

What’s included

Entry to Recoleta Cemetery and the Torre Monumental; an experienced English-speaking guide for the full 4 hours.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Lunfarda Travel

Is this one for you?Four hours is long enough to move through both neighborhoods without rushing, but short enough to leave your afternoon or evening free. If you want to spend the rest of the day in a café or exploring another part of the city, this tour fits that rhythm.

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Top questions

What is actually inside the Recoleta Cemetery that makes it worth visiting?

Recoleta Cemetery holds the mausoleums of Argentina's presidents, businessmen, dictators and politicians, including Evita Perón. The tombs feature ornate displays of artistry, architecture, sculpture and stained glass, and the guide explains the funerary rites and the lives of those buried there.

Can I actually go inside the Torre Monumental, or just see it from outside?

The Torre Monumental, also called the British Tower, is included in the tour, and you climb to the top for views across Puerto Madero, the river and the Retiro neighborhood.

How much walking is involved in this tour?

The tour covers roughly 4 kilometers on foot over 4 hours, moving between the cemetery, the neighborhoods and the tower. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended.

What neighborhoods does this tour actually cover?

The tour explores Recoleta and Retiro, two upscale Buenos Aires neighborhoods. You'll walk San Martín Square, see the Anchorena Palace, the Basilica of the Holy Sacrament, the Kavanagh building, and Arroyo and Alvear Avenues, ending at Floralis Genérica.

Is this tour private, or will I be with other travelers?

This is a private tour, so it's just you and your guide. The guide is an experienced English speaker who leads you through both neighborhoods at your own pace.