10 Colonia & Montevideo Day Trips from Buenos Aires Worth Booking

1.Colonia Premium Day Tour From Buenos Aires

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 137 reviews · 11 to 12 hours (approx.) · from $195Our pick

Cross the Río de la Plata by fast ferry, then explore Colonia del Sacramento with a bilingual guide. The tour includes central Buenos Aires hotel transfers, ferry tickets, and a walking tour of the UNESCO-listed old town. Guides such as Lourdes and Fernando have led the Colonia visit, followed by free time for lunch, shops, and the lighthouse.

“Travel and transittime is about 6 hour of the days activities. Colonia is super nice with a rich history”

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2.Premium Day Tour to Colonia del Sacramento

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 86 reviews · 11 hours (approx.) · from $118

Cross the Río de la Plata from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento by Colonia Express, then explore Uruguay’s old quarter on a bilingual walking tour. The package includes lunch at Mesón de la Plaza, with guides such as Nataly and Lubys praised for clear historical commentary. Expect an 11-hour day and a fixed return ferry.

“Colonia Express did not have good signs at the Colonia terminal , on arrival we did not know who and where to go for the tour. Going back to Buenos Aires, the immigration process was chaotic, with Uruguay and Argentina officers next to each other, no signs to explain, passengers are clearing both immigration at same spot was confusing to many”

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3.TRU KAYAK – Navigating the Uruguay River

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 60 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $100Top rated

TRU Kayak takes you onto the Uruguay River from Plumerillo and Tala in Entre Ríos. Juan Pablo and Laura provide rowing and safety instruction, guide you in single or double touring kayaks, and share stories about the river, flora, fauna, and local history. The route is gentle, private, and suitable for beginners, with minors accompanied by an adult.

“Excellent experience the guys and the super warm crossing. Nice experience. We will be back as soon as we can!!Auto-translated”

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4.TRU KAYAK – Cruise along the majestic Uruguay River

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 49 reviews · from $200

TRU Kayak takes you onto the Uruguay River near San José, Argentina, for an easygoing day of paddling, nature watching, and quiet river scenery. Juan Pablo and Laura provide instruction, safety gear, single or double touring kayaks, and a route adjusted to your group. The outing starts at 10 a.m., lasts about eight hours, and includes a riverside break.

“Walk from San José to Leibig, they taught us how to paddle a cross-country kayak and we paddled for approximately two hours. They brought everything very delicious to rest on a beach in the middle, some bosses!”

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5.Colonia del Sacramento: Small-Group Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 48 reviews · 12 hours · from $315

You’ll cross the Rio de la Plata by ferry, then explore Colonia’s UNESCO-listed Old Town with a guide such as Alejandra. Expect Calle de los Suspiros, the city gate, lighthouse, basilica, convent ruins, and free time for lunch or wandering. Hotel pickup and ferry tickets simplify the day, but the $315 price is high for a two-hour guided walk.

“The guide was great - very knowledgeable - she was entertaining, fun and relaxed. The tour was about 2 hours in total. The price of the whole experience was quite high. It included ferry tickets, transport to and from the hotel. It would be better to just purchase the tickets separately at £30 each and pay for Ubers to and from the hotel. The cost of the guide your guide tour was £260 … essentially this means I paid £200 for the 2 hour tour.”

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6.Chico Circuit & Colonia Suiza Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 35 reviews · 7 hours · from $66Best value

Spend about seven hours exploring Bariloche’s mountain roads, Cerro Campanario, Puerto Pañuelo, Colonia Suiza, and the Seven Lakes route. You’ll see Villa La Angostura and may continue toward San Martín de los Andes, with Spanish or Portuguese guidance, hotel pickup, insurance, and free time for food and photos. Confirm the exact route when booking.

“Richard was a great guide and quite accommodating and the driver was very professional. The tour was nice although we expected more from the Swiss Colony. Found the food offering quite poor and facilities too rustic.”

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7.Premium Day Trip to Colonia del Sacramento

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $248

Travel from Buenos Aires to Uruguay by fast ferry, then explore Colonia del Sacramento with a local guide such as Lily or Alejandra. You’ll walk the cobbled old town, see the city gate, lighthouse, basilica, and Calle de los Suspiros, then have time for lunch and independent exploring before returning by ferry and hotel transfer.

“If you are looking for a day trip out of Buenos Aires and want to learn about Uruguay, this is a good trip. The best part of it was the guide, Alejandra. She taught us a lot about Colonia and also Uruguayan history and culture. We liked the business class ferry ticket, and the driver Jesus was nice. One thing to mention is that we went in the mid-week on the low season (a Wednesday in June), and several businesses were closed. One of the shop owners told me that some people take off mid- week because they work weekends. You also need Uruguayan currency for the museum; there is…”

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8.Montevideo Private Full Day Tour from Buenos Aires

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 31 reviews · 18 hours (approx.) · from $545

Leave Buenos Aires early, cross the Río de la Plata by ferry, and spend a private day touring Montevideo with a guide and driver. See the Rambla, Ciudad Vieja, Carrasco, Palacio Legislativo, Mercado Agrícola, and city viewpoints. Guides such as Beatriz, Lorenzo, Pilar, and Brigitte have been praised for clear history, humor, and personal service.

“Very nice day spent in Montevideo. 6AM our pick up was waiting and drove us to port. After less then 3 hours of ferry ride we were in Montevideo. Private tour as a couple was great as Bea showed us every important place in the city and also answered to our questions (we had a lot of questions..). Very appreciated we had chance to have small stop to buy Tshirts in Hard Rock Cafe, as we are collectors. Absolutely great approach we recommend to everyone. Weather was also great, which is a big bonus. 10/10”

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9.Private Fullday Trip to Montevideo from Buenos Aires

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 16 reviews · 16 hours · from $749

Spend 16 hours traveling from Buenos Aires to Montevideo by ferry and private vehicle. A local guide leads you through Ciudad Vieja, the Rambla, Carrasco, Parque Batlle, the Legislative Palace, and Mercado Agrícola. Guides have included Beatriz, Brigitte, Patricia, and Agusto. Lunch is extra, and you must bring your passport.

“wycieczka była fenomenalna. Wszystko odbyło nie w terminie. Przewodniczka była fantastyczna. Dziękuję Pani za wspólnie spędzony czas. pozdrawiam”

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10.Wine Tour Privado a Colonia Caroya – Día completo

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 6 reviews · 8 hours · from $220

Travel one hour north of Córdoba with a bilingual wine guide, possibly Mariano, to visit two Colonia Caroya wineries. Walk through vineyards, learn about local grapes and winemaking, taste several wines, and enjoy a three-course lunch paired with Córdoba wines. The private-style tour runs Wednesday through Sunday for groups of two to seven.

“Un guide expérimenté, qui nous en a appris beaucoup sur l'histoire de la viticulture dans la région de Cordoba. Et une visite intéressante de deux vignobles fort différents.”

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