Buenos Aires Colonia Tickets | Best Ferry Tours

When visiting Argentina, you may be offered a Buenos Aires to Uruguay day trip. This is a chance to visit an Uruguayan town called Colonia del Sacramento. The UNESCO Heritage site sits just a short way across the water from Argentina by ferry. This ferry and tour ticket for which makes a wonderful day trip from Buenos Aires. Here’s what you need to know about taking a delightful ferry ride and tour for the day (or for longer).

Tip: While you’re in Argentina, you might also be interested in an Iguaza Falls Tour. And if you want to see a vibrant and intense Tango Show, then there’s no better way to see it than in its birthplace.

Buying ferry tickets for the trip between Colonia and Buenos Aires is not complicated, and you actually have a few choices. However, one thing worth noting is that if you buy a ticket directly from the ferry service providers, they get more expensive the later you book. This is much like booking plane tickets.

There are three ferry providers: Buquebus, Seacat and Colonia Express. The Colonia Express ferry runs the most frequently at three times per day. However, one way of being fairly certain of a price is to look into a professional guide that includes a ferry ticket.

Many of the tour packages listed here will include a guide who takes you around the historic quarter of Colonia. This intriguing town and its colonial history are rich and overflowing with superb cultural significance and heritage. As mentioned, the historic centre of the town is a UNESCO Heritage Site, and the 19th-century lighthouse rises above it like a watchful protector.

Buenos Aires to Colonia Ferry Ticket Prices 2024

Ferry tours from Buenos Aires to Uruguay usually cost between $135 (17 500 ARS) – $20 2 (28, 500 ARS), with the ferry price taking around $50 (6,500 ARS) to $100 (13 000 ARS) of that cost, depending on the booking factors explained above. As a rough guide, typical morning or daytime ferry tickets cost from $50 for adults and $7 (900 ARS) for infants. Tour prices to Colina del Sacramento do vary considerably, so consider the options below.

Buenos Aires to Uruguay Ferry Times

It’s good to be aware that the times for ferries may sometimes change due to unforeseen reasons, but in general, these times are the ballpark departures and returns:

Leaving for Colonia from Buenos Aires at 8 am, noon and 6 pm.

Returning to Buenos Aires from Colonia at 10 am, 4 pm and 9 pm.

Most of the tours will arrange to meet you at some point before these times to make sure everyone is on time and where they need to be.

The ferry trips take between 1 hour 15 minutes and 3 hours for more leisurely cruises. In addition, various guided tours around Colonia can take anywhere from 1 hour to 3, with additional time added at your leisure.

Best Time to Go on a Buenos Aires ferry to Uruguay

Summer is the best time to visit the town of Colonia, as much more seems to be happening. Some establishments may close early during winter, or even entirely, some reports suggest.

Other Buenos Aires to Uruguay Day Trip Options

Suppose the idea of walking around on a boat is not your preferred option, or you get a little seasick. It’s worth knowing that alternatives do exist. You can also get from Buenos Aires to Colonia by car or bus, as the two locations sit within the same peninsula.

The bus may also travel by ferry (the ferry from Buenos Aires to Uruguay does accommodate vehicles). If you opt to go the long way around by car, you will commit to a six-hour drive and probably end up spending just over a day in Uruguay.

Buenos Aires Colonia Tour Options

The ferry between Colonia and Argentina can be taken in the morning or afternoon. It all depends on how much time you want to spend in Colonia. The ferry trip takes between 90 minutes and three hours.

A small bit of the Atlantic Ocean divides the two countries at this geographic point. An interesting side fact, the “bay” eventually becomes a river that divides the countries further inland, exactly halfway across which lies the border.

Full Day: Premium Day Tour To Colonia From Buenos Aires

In all fairness, you’re going to a whole other country, so why not make the most of it and commit the entire day to it?

The guide takes you on a tour of the historic centre of Colonia, with special interest paid to the Calle de Los Suspiros, Colonia Lighthouse, and the Basilica Del Santisimo Sacramento. The aforementioned beautiful lighthouse stands tall and glistening white in the sunshine above the town.

You can also opt to stop for a taste of the local cuisine and drink (at your own expense), as there’s plenty of time to make a leisurely, relaxing day of the visit.

You should be ready for pickup from as early as 6:30 am. If you choose to meet at the port instead, you can go to port door #12. But why not take advantage of the central hotel pickup points if you can?

Private Tour: Colonia del Sacramento Day Trip from Buenos Aires

If you’re looking for a slightly longer and more detailed guided element to your tour, this may be a better option. Among the additional landmarks on this private guided tour are the Portuguese Museum,  Nacarello´s House, and the Basilica of the Holy Sacrament.

Although a notable landmark, Nicorello’s house is a tiny stone home that seemed preserved in time from the 18th century. It offers some insight into the lives of the settlers back then. Tip: it is one of eight museums in the town that you can buy a single ticket for, for around $2 (260 ARS)

As with most tours of this nature, pickup from your hotel is included and, provided you are on time – you won’t miss a thing.