Iguazu Falls | Our guide to visiting this incredible force of nature from the Argentinian side

Iguazu falls are an amazing sight and a must visit on any Brazilian itinerary.  However have you thought of visiting them from Argentinian side?  You may as well, you’ve come this far and it would be a shame to miss.  It’s a very different experience seen from a different angle.

If you’re already in Argentina it’s quite straight forward but if you’re in Foz do Iguazu on the Brazilian side it needs a little more effort and a border crossing to visit but we assure you it’s well worth it even though when we were there the main attraction at the falls was shut due to storm damage the previous month. 

Iguazu falls Argentina
Iguazu falls Argentina

How to get to the falls from Foz do Iguazu

If you’re on the Brazilian side of the falls in the town of Foz do Iguazu and want to visit the falls from Argentina you will need to do a border crossing.  This can be done in two ways, you can book a tour either private or shared or you can do it by public transport.  The first option takes all the work out of it and is quicker but costs a lot more and in or opinion is not as much fun.

The second, which we will concentrate on here in this post, takes a little bit more time and effort but is lot cheaper and also feels like something of an adventure. The simplest first step is to get yourselves to the local bus terminal.  This time instead of going in look behind for the international bus stop.  If you can’t find it ask, or better still ask in your accommodation as the bus stops quite often along the route and there may be a stop close by.  The bus takes approx 30 mins to get to the border control station and its not expensive at all. 

There are two bus companies that run the route and between them they alternate every half hour.  When you get on the bus you need to ask the bus driver to stop at the Brazilian border as the locals don’t seem to need to get stamped out but foreigners do.  The bus driver probably won’t wait so after you have got stamped out you will need to wait for the next bus right where you got dropped off.

Doing it like this means paying twice as the two bus companies will not except each others tickets. If you save your ticket and are prepared to wait you can catch the bus from the same company for free.  We would advise getting the first bus that comes along and paying again as it’s quite cheap and time is short.  

The second bus will take you to the bus terminal in Puerto Iguazu via the Argentinian border.  This time the bus will wait for you, as everyone on the bus needs to go though this border and sometimes the driver even goes in with you to make sure all his passengers get through ok.  After the border the bus drops you off at the bus terminal where you will now need to get another bus which will take you down to the entrance to the park where the falls are located.  The whole journey from start to finish takes about two hours so try and get an early bus as you will need plenty of time to explore the falls.

Iguazu Falls Argentina
Lynne on the walkway

What to expect & what to do

When you arrive at the entrance you will be faced with a much less organised process to enter than on the Brazilian side.  The first thing to take into account is the fact that you can only enter with cash, they would not except card when we were there and there’s nowhere to get cash or exchange cash at the entrance so make sure you take plenty.  The cost of the entrance is 4000 ARS per person.  

We had cash left over at the blue dollar rate from our time in Buenas Aries so it wasn’t an issue for us.  If you need to get money changed the guys at the ticket booth in the bus station on the Argentinian side will do it but at a much less advantageous rate.  Remember that you will also need Argentinian money to get the bus back to Foz so make sure you exchange enough. 

Once you inside there are two options to get to the start of the trails.  You can book at time slot on the little train or you can take the path and walk the fifteen minutes to get to where all the action starts. There are four trails to choose from, when we were there the trail that takes you over the devils throat was closed indefinitely due to storm damage and part of the lower path looks like it’s been closed for some time.  

What remains is very much worth the effort of getting there, the paths take you very close to the edge of the falls and in places you can look down into the abyss. There is also the option of doing the speed boat trip here but we would advise you to do it from the Brazilian side.  Same with souvenirs if you want the T-shirt buy it in Brazil, there a lot more choice and the price will not blow your stash to the same extent. 

Getting back to Foz do Iguazu

The trip back across is the exact same as the one you took to get there but in reverse and take more or less the same amount of time. So your total travelling time is four hours there and back.  You, of course, have the option to stay on the Argentinian side over night and come back the next day but this makes it a very expensive day out.

Where to stay in Foz do Iguazu

If you want to see our advice on where to stay in Foz do Iguazu and find out about our visit to the Brazilian side of the falls please take a look at our post.  As we do advise you to take in both sides of the falls if you have the time on your trip. They both give very different views of this wonderful force of nature.
Iguazu Falls Argentina
Train Iguazu Falls

Our view

Our view is quite simple really, if you have the time visit both sides of the falls but if you’re short on time we would say to just do the falls from Brazil.  If your interested in visiting Paraguy while you’re in the area the hydroelectric plant and the Itapu Dam give a good excuse to get that stamp in you’re passport.  It’s no that difficult a trip on public transport and we found it quite interesting .

Booking resources for your stay in Foz do Iguazu 

Flights

You can compare cheap flights on the Expedia platform or here on the Aviasales website.  Both will give you a good idea of how much its going to cost you to get to your chosen destination.

Accommodation

We have always tended to use Booking.com having said that if your on a tight budget another good site to try as a comparison is Hostelworld, If your looking to compare different sites you can do that on Hotellook, we tend to look on here first to make sure we are getting the best deal.

Tours & Tickets

You can book your visits as you go at the entrance to your chosen attraction or site.  Or you could use the following links to book in advance or just to find out what your choices are in the area. GetYourGuide and Tiqets are our go to choices you could try Viator to see how they compare.

For a full list check out our resources page. Don’t forget always shop around to find the best deal for you. What works for us should be good for you but it’s always reassuring to check.

Some of the links on this page contain affiliate marketing links, which means we may get paid commission on sales of those products or services we write about. You will never be charged a fee for shopping through one of our affiliate links. You may even get a discounted rate and we will make a small commission. Our editorial content is not influenced by advertisers or affiliate partnerships.

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