Argentinian Side of Iguazu Falls: Full Day Guide With Boat Tour

Our day exploring the Argentinian side of Iguazu Falls was more amazing than we could have ever imagined! Even if you’ve seen the photos or videos that show the powerful Devil’s Throat, nothing is the same as standing in front of the endless waterfalls at Iguazu Falls National Park. After our day trip to Brazil we were ready to take on Iguazu falls in Argentina and explore as much as we could. Here’s what to know about Puerto Iguazu, our favorite walking circuit, and taking an incredible Iguazu Falls boat ride!

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Argentinian Side of Iguazu Falls With An Epic Boat Ride Travel Guide

Guide to the Argentinian Side of Iguazu Falls With An Epic Boat Ride

Travel Guide to the Argentinian Side of Iguazu Falls With An Epic Boat Ride

Argentina Travel Inspiration

Argentinian Side of Iguazu Falls from Puerto Iguazu

Taxi: (700 pesos each way) This can be booked with your hotel and is the most direct way to the falls from Puerto Iguazu. You can also set a pickup time for the way back, or use one of the taxis lined up at the park exit. It’s slightly faster than the bus and shouldn’t take no longer than 30 minutes door to door.

Local Bus: (180 pesos each way) Starting at 7am the bus runs every 20 minutes from Puerto Iguazu Bus Station. The journey takes about 40 minutes with the bus stopping a few quick times to pick up more passengers. Check out the bottom of this post for our recommended hotels in Puerto Iguazu!

Iguazu Falls National Park General Info

Hours: 8am-6pm

Website: Iguazu Argentina

Cost: Adults cost AR $800 while kids from 6-12 years old are only $200 Pesos.

Money: Make sure to have your credit card available when visiting the Argentinian side of Iguazu Falls. Tickets, trinkets, and food can all be paid by card, and you won’t be able to exchange cash at the park. Remember you must have a photo ID on you to pay for anything with a credit card in Argentina. We left our passports in the hotel so they would not get wet and used our drivers licenses without a problem.

Packing Food vs. Lunch Buffett: You are allowed to bring a packed lunch, but it’s best to eat it in the food courts to avoid the animals. There is fast food as well as a large lunch buffet to enjoy. The popular choice is empanadas which are sold everywhere for around 70 Pesos each.

Spotting Animals: Coatis, jaguars, and toucans all call the Iguazu Falls in Argentina home. Coatis are raccoon-like creatures that roam freely through the park. Beware they are pros at snatching bags and food!

Staying Sun and Insect Safe: Your packing list for the day should start with a passport, credit card, sunblock, and insect repellent. The sun is extremely powerful even on cloudy days. The jungle bugs that are found in Iguazu Falls National Park are not ones you want to mess around with either!

Iguazu Falls Boat Ride: One of the most popular park adventures is the Iguazu Falls Boat Ride. Unfortunately, this is not included in your park admission ticket. You can read all about our experience and if it’s worth the extra money below!

Arriving at Iguazu Falls in Argentina

Once you have your tickets jump into line before the park opens up. Make sure to grab a map as soon as you get inside the park! If you haven’t pre-booked your Iguazu Falls boat ride with Iguazu Jungle you can do so next to the main ticket counter upon entry.

There is a “tourist train” that runs through the park stopping at three points. Instead of standing in line and taking the train to the first station you can take the 10 minute “green trail” which will be faster. You will however have to take the train to the Devil’s Throat and back.

Each time you use the train you need to go to the ticket counter and have them print you one. It’s free and included in your park entrance fee. Here are the three major train stops at Iguazu falls in Argentina.

The Main Park Entrance
Cataratas Station
Devil’s Throat

Start your day with the Lower Circuit for an up close look at the falls. To really get a jump on the day and beat the crowds you can stay at the ultra luxury hotel Gran Meliá Iguazú. If you can afford it, this is one of the only hotels inside the Iguazu Falls National Park!

Planning Your Day At Iguazu Falls National Park

Lower Circuit: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
Upper Circuit: 45 Minutes
Iguazu Falls Boat Ride: 2 Hours
Devil’s Throat: 2 Hours with Train

To explain a little more in detail let us take you through our day exploring the Argentinian side of Iguazu Falls! We unfortunately didn’t pre-book our Iguazu Falls boat ride so we jumped on the first opening at 10:15am.

This meant that we had a little over two hours to walk around before taking to the river. As we mentioned above, the park is broken into three main destinations. The lower circuit, upper circuit, and Devil’s Throat which are all included in your admission ticket.

Morning Stroll Along the Lower Circuit

We started our day on one of the many planked steel walkways that circle the Argentinian side of Iguazu Falls. The plank system was awesome because it gave the feeling of walking directly through the jungle without having to worry about stepping on any unfriendly critters. The Lower Circuit is said to take an hour and twenty minutes including time for lots of stops and photos.

We completed it in about an hour, and looking back on the day it was our favorite circuit! Walking directly along and underneath the water gives you an up close and personal look at Iguazu Falls National Park. This circuit is magical and we highly recommend doing it first!

With how the sun is positioned you’ll be covered in the cool morning jungle shade with the bright day lighting up the falls before you. Towards the end of the walk you come to the Salto Bosetti waterfall. This is the closest you’ll get to the streaming water unless you do the Iguazu Falls boat ride. It also makes for some epic photos!!

Lower Circuit Argentinian side of Iguazu Falls

Nothing Familiar Travel Iguazu Falls National Park

Rushing Through the Upper Circuit

After we completed the Lower Circuit we still had an hour before our Iguazu Falls boat ride. Not wanting to complete the 45 minute upper circuit in the middle of the afternoon when it was going to be 100℉ / 37°C, we decided to go for it!

The upper circuit is shorter than the lower, but beautiful in a different way. It takes you on the same steel catwalk above the top of the waterfall as you look out across the Argentinian side of Iguazu Falls into Brazil.

The walk out to the last viewpoint is very nice, yet you should take your time if you can. On the way back you loop through the inside of the park where there are no views of the waterfalls. It’s still cool to see but expect to walk this part a little quicker.

→ 12 Facts About Iguazu Falls That Will Inspire Your Wanderlust

Epic Iguazu Falls Boat Ride

Just before 10:15am we arrived at the loading dock for our Iguazu Falls boat ride. Coming in at $2,500 Pesos ($43 USD) it is almost three times as expensive as the park ticket.

Still, after fully exploring the park we highly recommend this tour! To go for an epic speed boat tour into the falls is more than worth it.

On the way down to the river we were loaded into a large open air tour bus and the guide explained the history and info on the park. About 20 minutes later we were dropped off at the river and made the long steep walk down to the boat.

We were each given large dry bags and vests and took two open seats on the boat. You can leave your camera and phone out as the boat crew will let you know when to put them away.

Full Speed Ahead!

The large powerboat sped up the river, gliding over the rapids as it moved towards the falls. The first part is all about the views. No matter how gorgeous you think the park is nothing quite compares to sitting below the streaming waterfalls and taking it all in.

Once the boat stopped everyone jumped up and took photos before going to the second viewpoint. On our boat the driver stopped and the crew helped to take photos for everyone. At one point we were told to sit down and seal up our dry bag.

Just as a warning, you have about a minute to get everything in order. Next the boat pivots and heads directly into the massive tries amigos waterfall. Prepare to get wet!!

Iguazu Falls Boat Ride Information and Tips

How Soaked Will I Get?

When our boat drove straight into the falls it was like a complete whiteout. Think of the heaviest rain you have ever felt in your life. Now think of more rain, more water, and 100x more powerful! Going into the waterfall was one of the wildest things we’ve ever done.

So how wet do you get? The guys running the tour moments before put on full torrential rain gear. Hats, jackets, and even pants. There was water everywhere around us and we were in the falls just long enough to let out a big scream of excitement. When the boat emerged a few moments later we were soaked…

Every inch looked like we just took an hour long shower with our clothing on. Our whole boat yelled for the driver to do it again and he happily obliged before heading back to the dock. At least we can say with confidence that the dry bags really work!

More Iguazu Falls Boat Ride Tips

Pre-book your tickets online.
You get a refund if your boat is not running because of bad weather.
No admittance if you’re pregnant or under 12 years old.
You get drenched from head to toe!
They provide dry bags that stay with you. We had wallets and cameras among other things and nothing got wet in the dry bags.
There is literally no point in wearing a rain jacket. It will not matter one bit!
They give you an extra dry bag for shoes, and you should take them off when you get on the boat.

*If you have any more questions ask away in the comments below. You can also head to the Iguazu Jungle official website here!

Devil’s Throat at Iguazu Falls National Park

After eating a quick lunch we hopped on the tourist train and made the trip to the furthest point in the park. A long walkway takes you out over the water for a 15 minute stroll to the largest waterfall at Iguazu. Be warned there is little to no shade on this walk, and in the hot afternoon sun it can be brutal.

With a name like the Devil’s Throat we expected something massive, but nothing quite prepared us for the view! The viewpoint on the Argentinian Side of Iguazu Falls sits right at the edge allowing you to look directly into it.

This view was an amazing end to our time exploring Iguazu falls from both Argentina and Brazil. After this we took the train to the main station and hopped on a bus back to town.

The ONLY thing we didn’t do that would have made our time more amazing was a helicopter ride. For around $250 USD you can take a ten minute ride over the falls. That price was a little too steep for us, but we know others who have done it and said it was the highlight of their trip!

→ Complete Two Day Iguazu Falls Itinerary Visiting Argentina & Brazil

Have any questions about our visit to Iguazu falls in Argentina? How about your own tips for the park? Let us know in the comments below!

Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake

Where in the world are we? Follow our daily adventures on Instagram @nothingfamiliar!
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Where To Stay in Puerto Iguazu

Ultra Luxury – Gran Meliá Iguazú – As the only hotel set inside Iguaza Falls National Park in Argentina, this 5 star property is the perfect place to stay to experience luxury. It’s complete with a swimming pool overlooking the falls and everything else you need to enjoy your stay.

Fun Vacation – O2 Hotel Iguazu – This brand new hotel in the heart of the Puerto Iguazu is one of the nicest places to stay in town. In addition to large spacious rooms and a rooftop pool, you’ll be within walking distance to all the best bars and restaurants!

Budget Travel – Marín Apartments – Nice apartments in the center of town with kitchens and balconies overlooking the street. The owner is very helpful and will even provide a map of Puerto Iguazu and the falls for you.

For more places to stay in Puerto Iguazu you can explore the latest prices here!

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Argentina Travel Planning

Flights: We always find the best flights using Skyscanner. Remember that a lot of the time it’s cheaper to fly between cities in Argentina than driving or taking the bus!

Accommodation: Compare multiple sites such as Booking.com and Agoda. Also, Hostelworld should be your go-to source if you’re traveling on a budget.

Rental Car: We use Discover Cars to explore when traveling in Argentina. It is especially fun to have a car in scenic regions like Patagonia.

Tours: Check out Get Your Guide for activities all over Argentina. Attend a tango show in Buenos Aires, visit Iguazu Falls with an epic boat tour, or go glacier trekking in El Calafate!

Travel Insurance: Never travel abroad without being covered. We’ve been using SafetyWing for the last few years on the road and they are there when we need them.

Packing Lists: Here’s all the inspiration you need with our Amazon packing lists. Including electronics and camera gear, must-have medical items, and long flight essentials!