Buenos Aires is a city of long days and sit-down spaces, which suits one person well: a historic cafe where a table for one is ordinary, a national library that stays open into the evening, and museums and cultural centres with their own cinemas and programmes. Plan around those places first and the rest of the day follows.
Last checked 2026-11-01. Official pages are in Spanish; the details below are translated from them.
Sit down first: cafe and library
Café Tortoni, Monserrat. Founded in 1858, it calls itself the oldest cafe in Buenos Aires and is on Av. de Mayo 825. It is open every day from 08:00 to 21:00, and its site also lists cultural activities and a "Peña" section (Café Tortoni, checked 2026-11-01). Going at a quiet hour with a book makes this an easy first meal alone; see how to eat alone in public.
Biblioteca Nacional Mariano Moreno, Recoleta. The national library at Agüero 2502 lists in-person services Monday to Friday 09:00 to 21:00 without a prior appointment, and Saturday and Sunday 12:00 to 19:00 (Biblioteca Nacional, checked 2026-11-01). The same site lists exhibitions, a cultural agenda and workshops. A reading room is a rare place where sitting alone for two hours is exactly what everyone else is doing.
Evenings with a programme
MALBA, Palermo. The Latin American art museum (Av. Figueroa Alcorta 3415) is open Thursday to Monday 12:00 to 20:00 and Wednesday 11:00 to 20:00, and closed Tuesday. General admission is listed at ARS 14,000, with a Wednesday general ticket of ARS 7,000. The first-floor cafe runs during museum hours, and the cinema screens films Thursday to Sunday from 18:00 or 19:00 depending on the day (MALBA, checked 2026-11-01). A film is a social event with no conversation required; more ideas in going to the cinema alone.
Usina del Arte, La Boca. A multidisciplinary cultural centre in the city's culture ministry network, with music, visual arts, dance and food on its programme. It is open Tuesday to Thursday 12:00 to 20:00 and Friday, Saturday, Sunday and holidays 11:00 to 20:00 (City of Buenos Aires: Usina del Arte, checked 2026-11-01).
Centro Cultural de la Cooperación, Av. Corrientes 1543. Exhibitions, theatre, music, dance, talks and a library under one roof. Its agenda lists exhibition visits Monday to Friday 12:00 to 20:00 and Saturday and Sunday 14:00 to 22:00 (CCC, checked 2026-11-01). Its "Un Libro y un Café" and talks series are listed on the same page.
Museo de Arte Moderno, San Telmo. The city's modern and contemporary art museum lists Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 11:00 to 19:00 and Saturday and Sunday 11:00 to 20:00. Guided visits run Wednesday to Monday at 16:00 without a prior reservation, and it lists free entry on Wednesdays and on the last Sunday of the month. It is closed on 1 January, 24, 25 and 31 December (City of Buenos Aires: Museo Moderno, checked 2026-11-01).
Museo Sívori, Av. Infanta Isabel 555. A municipal museum of Argentine art of the 20th and 21st centuries with a collection of more than 4,000 pieces. It is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 11:00 to 19:00 and Saturday, Sunday and holidays 11:00 to 20:00, closed Tuesday; guided visits for the general public run on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at 17:30 without a prior reservation (City of Buenos Aires: Museo Sívori, checked 2026-11-01). The city lists Wednesday as free entry for Argentine residents only.
Museo Benito Quinquela Martín, La Boca. On Av. Don Pedro de Mendoza 1835, the museum is open Monday 11:00 to 16:00 and Wednesday to Sunday 11:00 to 18:00, and closed Tuesday (City of Buenos Aires: Museo Quinquela Martín, checked 2026-11-01). It sits in the same neighbourhood as the Usina del Arte, so the La Boca advice below applies.
A theatre tour for one
Teatro Colón. The guided visit runs about 50 minutes through the main hall, the foyer, the Gallery of Busts and the Golden Room. The page lists departures every 15 minutes from 10:00 to 16:45 in Spanish, with English at 11:00, 12:00, 13:00 and 15:00 and Portuguese at 11:45 and 16:00; it lists closures on 1 May, 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January (Teatro Colón, checked 2026-11-01). The route can change for performances and rehearsals, so confirm the timetable before you buy. A fixed-time group tour is easy alone because nobody expects you to bring a companion.
Quiet outside
Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur, Puerto Madero. A 350-hectare reserve described by the city as holding the most biodiversity inside Buenos Aires. Summer hours (November to March) are Tuesday to Sunday and holidays 08:00 to 19:00; winter hours (April to October) are 08:00 to 18:00. Entrances are at Av. Tristán Achával Rodríguez 1550 and Av. Int. Hernán M. Giralt 70 (City of Buenos Aires, checked 2026-11-01). It is closed on Monday.
Cementerio de la Recoleta. The city's first public cemetery, built in 1822 on five hectares of mausoleums and vaults. Visits are listed Monday to Sunday 07:00 to 18:00, and tourist visits Monday to Sunday 09:00 to 17:00 (City of Buenos Aires, checked 2026-11-01). Walking slowly alone here is unremarkable.
Jardín Japonés, Av. Casares 3500. The Japanese Garden is open every day from 10:00 to 18:45, including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays; the ticket office closes at 18:30, and the garden stays open when it rains. Its rules ban picnics, loudspeakers and drones (Jardín Japonés, checked 2026-11-01). Its site also lists cultural activities and a culinary arts space. A slow loop round a garden is an easy hour for one.
Getting around and staying alert
The city's Subte page links line status, timetables, fares and passes, and a network map (Subte). The national SUBE page covers the transit card and the app (SUBE). Check line status on the Subte page before you leave.
Both governments warn about theft. The UK Foreign Office says thieves and pickpockets operate on public transport and at terminals, that thieves can cut handbags open and snatch phones used in the street, and that motorbike thieves snatch bags. It describes a "mustard scam" reported in Buenos Aires, where an accomplice offers to help clean you while another takes your bag; its advice is to refuse politely but firmly and walk away (FCDO). The Government of Canada asks travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Greater Buenos Aires because of crime, including petty crime and muggings, and notes that thieves on foot work with motorbike thieves, sometimes even from a taxi. For La Boca, where the Usina del Arte is, it advises staying on Caminito Street, says violent thefts often occur on neighbouring streets, and advises avoiding the area after dark (Canada). In practice: take photos, then put the phone away.
First solo outings
- Easy: a morning at the Biblioteca Nacional, then coffee at Café Tortoni.
- Medium: MALBA on a Wednesday for a gallery visit, then an evening film; leave the phone out of your hand on the walk back.
- Bolder: the Teatro Colón tour in the morning, then the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur on a Tuesday to Sunday afternoon.
A slower day: the Jardín Japonés in the morning, then the Museo Sívori guided visit at 17:30 on a Saturday or Sunday.
Solo Era for iPhone
Try it with Solo Era
Solo Era is an iPhone app of missions for practising time alone. A fitting one for MALBA or a cafe corner is "Spend twenty minutes in front of a single painting or object." (culture, level 1, the gentlest of five levels). Free to download. A subscription is required to start missions. Prices and any free trial are shown in the app and depend on the offer and eligibility.
FAQ
Is Café Tortoni open every day?
Its site lists Monday to Sunday 08:00 to 21:00.
Can I use the Biblioteca Nacional without an appointment?
The library lists in-person public services without a prior appointment on weekdays 09:00 to 21:00; weekends are 12:00 to 19:00.
When is the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur open?
The city lists Tuesday to Sunday and holidays, 08:00 to 19:00 from November to March.
Are there English-language tours at the Teatro Colón?
The tour page lists English departures at 11:00, 12:00, 13:00 and 15:00. Departures can change for performances and rehearsals.
Is Buenos Aires safe to explore alone?
The UK and Canadian governments both flag petty theft and phone or bag snatching; read their pages linked above before you go.
More cities and guides
Browse every guide in things to do alone in cities, or start with things to do alone in a new city. For planning, see the solo travel guide and the museum notes in going to a museum alone. Another Spanish-language capital: Mexico City; or compare with Madrid.
Sources (checked 2026-11-01)
- Café Tortoni
- Biblioteca Nacional: horarios
- Biblioteca Nacional
- MALBA: visitar
- City of Buenos Aires: Usina del Arte
- Centro Cultural de la Cooperación
- Teatro Colón: visitas guiadas
- City of Buenos Aires: Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur
- City of Buenos Aires: Cementerio de la Recoleta
- City of Buenos Aires: Museo de Arte Moderno
- City of Buenos Aires: Museo Sívori
- City of Buenos Aires: Museo Benito Quinquela Martín
- Jardín Japonés
- City of Buenos Aires: Subte
- Argentina.gob.ar: SUBE
- UK FCDO: Argentina safety and security
- Government of Canada: Argentina
Details change; check the venue before you go.
Solo Era for iPhone
Try it with Solo Era
Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.
