SUMMER · DECEMBER TO FEBRUARY · 2026-27
Long evenings, sunsets after eight, a city that goes quiet in January and dances in February: what the Buenos Aires summer is really like, month by month.
It is past eight on a January evening and the sun has only just gone down. The pavements are still giving back the heat of the afternoon, the café tables are out on the street and nobody is in a hurry to go inside. That is the Buenos Aires summer at its best. At Buenos Aires Transfers we drive visitors in and out of the city all year, and before every summer we get the same four questions: is it too hot, will it rain, what happens at Christmas, and is January dead?
Here are the honest answers, month by month, with the official weather numbers and the dates worth planning around.
What is the weather like in Buenos Aires in summer?
Summer in Buenos Aires runs from December to February, the reverse of the northern calendar. On paper it is warm rather than scorching. These are the city's averages for 1991 to 2020 from the Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN), Argentina's weather service:
| Month | Average high | Average low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| December | 29.0 °C (84 °F) | 18.5 °C (65 °F) | 123 mm (4.8 in) |
| January | 30.1 °C (86 °F) | 20.2 °C (68 °F) | 134 mm (5.3 in) |
| February | 28.9 °C (84 °F) | 19.4 °C (67 °F) | 129 mm (5.1 in) |
January is the warmest month of the year. These are averages, though: hot spells go above them, and when they do the SMN issues the heat alerts explained further down.
Summer is also one of the wettest times of the year, with more than 120 mm (nearly five inches) of rain in each of the three months. Pack a light rain jacket and keep a plan B: our list of things to do on a rainy day in Buenos Aires is a good start.
The reward is the light. Summer is the season of long evenings outdoors, and of the city's best sunset spots.
On 21 December, the longest day of the year, the sun rises at 5:37am and sets at 8:06pm: almost fourteen and a half hours of daylight. Until the end of January it never sets before 8pm.
Summer 2026-27 at a glance
The dates worth planning around, in order.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Until 12 December | Argentine Open polo, Palermo |
| 5 to 8 December | Four-day holiday weekend |
| 10 December to 4 March | MSC Seaview cruises from Buenos Aires |
| 24 December | Christmas Eve, the main celebration |
| 25 December and 1 January | Public holidays |
| 6 to 14 February | IEB+ Argentina Open tennis, Palermo |
| 8 and 9 February | Carnival holidays |
| February weekends | Carnaval Porteño street parades (2027 programme to be announced) |
| 12 to 14 March | Lollapalooza Argentina, San Isidro |
Buenos Aires in December
Polo, a four-day weekend and Christmas at midnight.
Polo. The Argentine Open, the last tournament of the polo Triple Crown, is played at the Campo Argentino de Polo in Palermo, known as the Cathedral of Polo. In 2026 it runs until 12 December. Our guide to polo in Buenos Aires covers the grounds and how to get there.
A four-day weekend. Monday 7 December 2026 is a bridge day (officially a non-working day for tourism) and Tuesday 8 December, the Immaculate Conception, is a public holiday, so many people take four days off, from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8. If you need a restaurant table, a tour or a car on those days, book ahead.
Cruises. This summer MSC Seaview is based in Buenos Aires for the first time, with thirteen seven-night cruises between 10 December 2026 and 4 March 2027. If you are sailing, here is how the cruise port works.
Christmas. Argentines celebrate on the night of the 24th. Because of the heat, the table is mostly cold dishes, such as vitel toné (cold beef in a tuna sauce), followed by pan dulce, a sweet bread with raisins and candied fruit. At midnight glasses are raised, fireworks go up and the presents are opened, and the party carries on into the small hours. The 25th is a public holiday.
New Year's Eve. The 31st follows the same rhythm: a long dinner, a toast with cider or champagne at midnight, and then the younger crowd heads out to parties. 1 January is a public holiday too.
Buenos Aires in January
The quiet month, and the hottest.
January is the month the city exhales. Time Out Buenos Aires calls it the time when the city empties out and turns into a quiet refuge, plazas included. For a visitor that is good news: fewer people on the pavements, some of the latest sunsets of the year and a slower city to walk around.
It is also the hottest month, so let the heat shape the day. Walk early, under the old trees of the Palermo Woods for example. Keep the middle of the day for a museum, a long lunch indoors or the hotel pool, and go back out after five, once the worst of the sun is over.
Buenos Aires in February
Carnival, tennis and a second round of purple.
Carnival. Carnival Monday and Tuesday are national holidays in Argentina and move with Easter: in 2027 they fall on 8 and 9 February. In the city, the Carnaval Porteño takes over neighbourhood streets on February weekends with corsos, street parades led by murgas, the neighbourhood troupes of drummers and dancers. In 2026 it ran for four weekends from 7 February. The 2027 programme had not been announced at the time of writing.
A murga at the Carnaval Porteño, February 2020. Photo: Gustavo Correa / Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5 AR).
Tennis. The IEB+ Argentina Open is played from 6 to 14 February 2027 at the Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club in Palermo. Here is how to get there.
A second purple. The jacarandas have a second, smaller flowering in February or March. It is much lighter than November's, but the jacaranda streets are worth a look if you are in town.
And just as summer winds down, Lollapalooza Argentina takes over the Hipódromo de San Isidro on 12, 13 and 14 March 2027. It needs a plan for getting there and back.
How to handle the heat in Buenos Aires
The SMN runs an early warning system for extreme heat with four colour levels. On hot days, check it at smn.gob.ar:
| Alert | Effect on health |
|---|---|
| Green | None |
| Yellow | Mild to moderate. Dangerous for people at risk: young children, people over 65 and people with chronic illness |
| Orange | Moderate to high |
| Red | High to extreme. It can affect everyone, even healthy people |
Argentina's Ministry of Health keeps its advice for hot days simple:
- Drink water often, even when you are not thirsty.
- Avoid drinks with caffeine or a lot of sugar.
- Stay out of direct sun between 10am and 4pm.
- Wear loose, light, light-coloured cotton clothes.
- Skip intense exercise.
- Eat light, with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
To that we would add sunscreen, a hat and mosquito repellent for the evenings and for any day by the river.
A hot afternoon is the wrong time for a long walk between neighbourhoods, so on those days a car makes sense even for short hops. Ours are air-conditioned, and with a car and driver by the hour the driver waits at each stop while you go in, with your bags kept in the car.
Escaping the heat: the river and Uruguay
When the city is hot, the best answer is the water.
Tigre and the Delta. Tigre is about 30 km north of Buenos Aires, a 40 to 60 minute drive depending on traffic, and from there the Delta opens into a maze of river channels. Our private Tigre and Delta day trip picks you up at your hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle, with a guide, a driver and a boat ride through the channels, in five or seven hours. If you would rather go on your own, our complete Tigre day trip guide covers every option.
Colonia del Sacramento. Across the Río de la Plata, the old town of Colonia, in Uruguay, is a ferry ride away and an easy day trip. Read our Colonia day trip guide, and if you want the early boat without the early taxi hunt, we can take you to the Buquebus or Colonia Express terminal and be waiting when you come back.
For more ideas, see our best day trips from Buenos Aires.
Arriving in Buenos Aires in summer
If you fly in, a private airport transfer means a driver who tracks your flight and waits at arrivals with your name on a sign, at Ezeiza or at Aeroparque. Coming off a cruise ship works the same way at the port. Sixty minutes of waiting are included at the airports and the port, the car is air-conditioned, the price is fixed and the same day or night, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
Before you book: we do not run transfers or tours on 24, 25 and 31 December or 1 January. If you land on one of those days, arrange a car through your hotel in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions about Buenos Aires in Summer
Is summer a good time to visit Buenos Aires?
Yes, if you like long days and warm evenings. It is hot, with average highs of 29 to 30 °C (84 to 86 °F), and it is one of the wettest times of the year, but the light lasts until after 8pm and January brings a quieter city.
How hot is Buenos Aires in January?
January is the warmest month, with an average high of 30.1 °C (86 °F) and an average low of 20.2 °C (68 °F) according to the SMN's 1991-2020 averages. Hot spells go higher, and the SMN issues yellow, orange or red heat alerts when they do.
Does it rain a lot in Buenos Aires in summer?
December, January and February each average more than 120 mm (nearly five inches) of rain, which puts them among the wettest months of the year. Pack a light rain jacket and keep an indoor plan.
What should I pack for Buenos Aires in summer?
Loose, light, light-coloured clothes, a hat, sunscreen, a light rain jacket and mosquito repellent. Comfortable shoes matter more than anything: the best hours for walking are early in the morning and after five.
How is Christmas celebrated in Buenos Aires?
On the night of the 24th, with a late dinner of mostly cold dishes, toasts and fireworks at midnight and presents opened at twelve. The 25th is a public holiday.
When is Carnival in Buenos Aires in 2027?
The Carnival holidays fall on Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 February 2027. The city's Carnaval Porteño, with its neighbourhood parades, is held on February weekends.
Your summer, sorted from the airport
Summer in Buenos Aires rewards the people who plan around the heat and leave the evenings open. Send us your flight, your hotel and your dates on WhatsApp at +54 9 11 2404-0448 and we will quote your transfer, a day on the Delta or a car by the hour. We will be at arrivals with your name on the sign.