Walking Tour Safety and Preparation in Buenos Aires
Last Updated on September 25, 2026 by Alan Seabright
For a comfortable walking tour, wear supportive shoes, dress for the forecast, carry only what you need and keep your phone and bag secure. Please share this page with everyone in your party before the tour.
Buenos Aires is an enjoyable city to explore on foot, and a little preparation will help everyone relax and enjoy the day. Your guide will manage the route, timing and local decisions. Please keep an eye on your footing and belongings, and tell us before the tour if someone in your group has a mobility, balance or health concern that may affect the day.
Essential checklist
- Supportive shoes
- Weather-appropriate clothing
- Sun or rain protection as needed
- Charged phone with the meeting point saved offline
- Small zipped bag
- One card and modest cash
- Essential medication
- Mobility or health needs shared with BuenosTours
Before leaving your accommodation
- Check the latest message and meeting instructions in your booking confirmation.
- Save the meeting point and your guide or BuenosTours contact details offline.
- Charge your phone and make sure it can receive messages in Argentina.
- Check the forecast and bring the appropriate sun or rain protection.
- Eat something suitable beforehand and take any medication you may need.
- Allow extra travel time for traffic, public-transport delays or demonstrations.
If you are delayed, contact us using the details in your confirmation as soon as you can. Do not take a risky shortcut or rush across traffic to make up time.
Wear comfortable, secure shoes
Buenos Aires has uneven paving, raised curbs, tree roots, construction and cobblestones. Wear broken-in shoes with a secure fit and good grip. Trainers or sneakers are entirely appropriate. Avoid footwear that slips, rubs or makes you look down at every step.
Watch the surface in front of you, especially when stepping off a curb or moving between pavement and cobblestones. Use a handrail where one is available. If you need a slower pace or a brief pause, tell your guide early.
Dress for the forecast
For sun and heat, use sunscreen, consider a hat and arrive hydrated. In cooler weather, bring a light layer. If rain is possible, a compact rain jacket is usually easier to manage while walking than a large umbrella.
Weather can change the route or pace. Follow any message from BuenosTours rather than assuming the tour is canceled. If you feel dizzy, overheated, unusually cold or unwell during the tour, tell your guide immediately.
Our Buenos Aires packing guide has broader seasonal clothing advice.
Bring only what you need
A small bag that closes properly is better than a large open bag. Bring one payment card, a modest amount of cash, essential medication and anything specifically mentioned in your confirmation. There is rarely a reason to carry your passport, laptop, every card or expensive jewelry on a city walking tour.
Keep a copy or photograph of your passport identification page available, but leave the original secured at your accommodation unless you need it for another purpose that day.
Keep phones, cameras and bags secure
Keep your bag zipped and where you can see it. In a crowded station, train, bus or market, move a backpack to your front. Do not hang a bag on the back of a chair during a stop.
Photos are welcome, but stop in a secure place before taking one. Do not walk backward into a road or bicycle lane while framing a shot. Near the curb and on public transport, hold your phone firmly and put it away when the doors open.
For broader advice about distraction scams, nightlife and what to do after a theft, read our general Buenos Aires safety guide.
Cross streets with the guide
Do not assume that a driver, bus, motorbike or cyclist has seen you or will yield. Cross with the group at the point chosen by your guide, obey the signal and look in every relevant direction. Buenos Aires has many bicycle lanes, including lanes that run beside pavements and across corners.
If part of the group crosses and the signal changes, wait safely on the pavement. Do not run into the road to catch up. The guide will regroup on the other side.
On the Subte or bus
Before boarding, listen to the guide’s instructions and agree on what the group will do if anyone becomes separated. Your guide will explain where the group is going and when to board or leave. Stay close enough to hear, but do not block doors or station traffic. Keep bags closed and in front of you in a crowd, and have a free hand for stairs or a handrail.
If the group becomes separated as doors close, do not force them open or make an unsafe move. Stay calm, follow the procedure agreed with the guide before boarding and use the saved contact details if needed.
Pace, breaks and accessibility
The pace is conversational and includes regular stops, but a walking tour still involves time on your feet and changing surfaces. If your booked route or duration may not suit someone in your group, contact us in advance so we can explain the practical options. If you have not booked yet and need a route planned around particular mobility or pacing needs, you can also ask about a private tour.
Do not wait until discomfort becomes an injury. Tell your guide about pain, fatigue, a blister, dizziness or a bathroom need while there is time to adjust the plan.
If you become separated or need help
- Before any group journey on the Subte or a bus, agree on the separation procedure with the guide.
- If you become separated, follow that agreed procedure rather than guessing where the group went.
- Use the contact details saved from your confirmation to call or message the guide or BuenosTours.
- For an immediate general emergency, call 911. For urgent medical assistance, call 107.
Your booking confirmation remains the place to check the exact meeting point, start time and contact details. If you found this page before booking, you can also compare the small-group Buenos Aires Essentials Tour options.