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Buenos Aires Dirty War Tour: Historical Journey through Argentina's Dark Years
4.6
12 Ratings
Buenos Aires
Embark on a historical journey through Argentina’s dark years with the Buenos Aires Dirty War Tour. Explore the park of memory, the infamous ESMA center, Recoleta cemetery, Plaza de Mayo, and end with a visit to Caminito in La Boca.
Embark on a historical journey through Argentina’s dark years with the Buenos Aires Dirty War Tour. Explore the park of memory, the infamous ESMA center, Recoleta cemetery, Plaza de Mayo, and end with a visit to Caminito in La Boca.
Duration:
5 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Parque de la Memoria - This park is a tribute to the thousands of individuals who were killed by the dictatorship during the Dirty War. I will guide you through the history of this somber period.
- Espacio Memoria y Derechos Humanos ex Esma - This former navy training school was a site where thousands were tortured and killed. We will explore…
- Parque de la Memoria - This park is a tribute to the thousands of individuals who were killed by the dictatorship during the Dirty War. I will guide you through the history of this somber period.
- Espacio Memoria y Derechos Humanos ex Esma - This former navy training school was a site where thousands were tortured and killed. We will explore where prisoners were held and tortured before being drugged and thrown to their deaths from military aircraft.
- Plaza de Mayo - Located in the heart of the city, we will visit Plaza de Mayo. Here, the mothers of the Plaza de Mayo gather weekly to remember their children who went missing in the 70s and 80s.
- Espacio para la Memoria ex CCD “Club Atlético” - This former clandestine center operated in the basement of what was once the Federal Police supply service. Over 1,500 people were kidnapped and tortured here. The original building was demolished to make way for a motorway.
- Monumento a Combatientes de Malvinas - A memorial dedicated to the soldiers who lost their lives in the Falklands War in 1982.
What's Included
- TripAdvisor Experiences brokerage fee
- Local taxes
- TripAdvisor Experiences brokerage fee
- Local taxes
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Discover Argentina’s history with an English-speaking guide who will lead you through this somber chapter of the nation’s past. Explore the Park of Memory to learn about the thousands who vanished during the harsh dictatorship of the 1970s and 80s.
Visit the ESMA center, once operated by the navy, known as one of the most infamous sites for torture and…
Discover Argentina’s history with an English-speaking guide who will lead you through this somber chapter of the nation’s past. Explore the Park of Memory to learn about the thousands who vanished during the harsh dictatorship of the 1970s and 80s.
Visit the ESMA center, once operated by the navy, known as one of the most infamous sites for torture and disappearances.
We will also stop by the Plaza de Mayo, where the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo have held marches every Thursday since 1977. Additionally, we will visit the Falklands War Memorial at Plaza San Martin.
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- Dress code is smart casual
Location
Parque de la Memoria
Avenida Costanera Norte Rafael Obligado 6745,
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(12 Ratings)
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1 star
Sharon_c
Feb 1, 2026
Historical Tour - If you like history, Howard has a lot of knowledge to share. We learned so much and saw many important historical sites. We would have missed a lot of information had we gone without a guide. Thanks for a great day.
Review provided by Viator
Bayley_g
Jun 25, 2024
An emotionally-heavy and perspective-altering day - My mom and I took this tour together, and Howard was an excellent guide! This tour is great for anyone interested in learning more about the Dirty War and the historical, political, and economic context in which it took place. Visiting the ESMA museum is a life-changing and emotive experience that we likely would have missed otherwise, and Howard re-formatted other parts of the tour based on what we had already done in Buenos Aires and what we wanted to do. He was thorough in answering our questions, and created a helpful background on the topic. We were so happy to have had this opportunity!
Review provided by Viator
Samantha_p
Mar 12, 2024
brilliant, haunting - I would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in Latin American history, U.S. history, the Cold War, fascism--or just Buenos Aires. We learned so much and Howard was a very engaging and informative guide. He took us to sites that we would have missed on our own, including the ESMA prison and the memorial to the desaparecidos in the northern part of BA. I will never forget this tour --thank you for a very special and unforgettable day!
Review provided by Viator
Laurie_w
Nov 21, 2023
Above and Beyond! - Howard is an amazing guide! We booked this tour on a holiday so the main museum was closed. Somehow, Howard’s explanations made us feel like we were there. Because we couldn’t visit the main museum, we visited other sites. The tour was based on our wants and needs. Plus, I was traveling with my elderly mother. Howard went above and beyond to accommodate her physical limitations. Based on our experience with Howard, I would recommend this tour and company to everyone!
Review provided by Viator
Christina
Jan 8, 2023
Excellent tour of Argentine history and culture! - We had an excellent time with our guide, Duchan, who was very knowledgeable. He took us around in his comfortable car and was a good driver. He offered to let me borrow a hat because it was a very sunny dqy in BA. Having a private tour focusing on this specific niche of history very informative, yet we also got to visit a wide range of culturally significant sites. We didn't have a long visit in town, but we got to see all the historical highlights. Thanks, Duchan!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Candace
Sep 5, 2022
An Experience Which Shines Light on Argentine History - Howard provided an excellent tour. He is very knowledgeable about Argentine history and he is a native English speaker.
I particularly enjoyed the tour of the Memorial Park, but the visit to Ricoletto Cemetery was also filled with narratives about the way the wealthy or notable citizens lived. It is intriguing in terms of what it reflects in the culture.
Finally, Howard provides auto transportation, a welcome relief to the tours of scouting out a guide at a street corner.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tonya_s
Jul 6, 2022
It was a very meaningful... - It was a very meaningful and informative tour. We were able to see many places in Buenos Aries and learn about the history. Howard was a very attentive and friendly guide. We not only learned about the Dirty War period but also talked about other current cultural topics. I took this tour with my teenage daughter and we would both recommend it!
Review provided by Viator
758howard
Oct 5, 2021
great experience - a few of my students did this tour and were amazed,thankyou so much,they learnt so much,they want to recommend to anyone who loves history and culture
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dedavidson01
Jan 27, 2026
Howard was a good and... - Howard was a good and informative guide and these sites are important, disturbing and deeply emotional experiences However, the ESMA and Maldeves Museums were regularly CLOSED when we visited. This was a huge disappointment as it was an key part of of the tour and something we very much were looking forward to. The guide and/or Viator should have notified us in advance. Not excusable.
Review provided by Viator
Van-annb
Feb 1, 2026
Disappointing and Incomplete Historical Tour of Argentina's Dirty War - Based on the reviews, we were excited about getting a better, more in-depth understanding of the history and impact of the dictatorship years in Argentina. Having just had a similar experience of tours in Chile with native tour guides who were able to share with us a balanced perspective of the different sides, and in a way that was empathetic to both, we had hoped that this experience would provide the same but felt that, rather than receiving a cohesive tour with personal or historic stories, our guide largely functioned as a chauffeur who drove us to the historical sites and merely pointed out or left us to read the descriptions on signs at those sites - with only very cursory (and seemingly biased) explanations.
When Howard did speak about the history, his knowledge appeared limited and, at times, factually incorrect, with misinformation repeated rather than clarified. Given the gravity and sensitivity of this period in Argentina’s history, this lack of accuracy and preparation was especially troubling and undermined the purpose of the tour entirely.
Additionally, the tour was advertised as a four-hour experience, yet it concluded after approximately two hours. This shortened duration seemed to be a direct result of the absence of guided content; there simply was not enough substance to justify the promised timeframe. For the price charged for this tour (~$440), we expected a lot more.
We have requested a refund since this experience did not meet expectations in terms of depth, accuracy, or value, particularly for such an important historical subject.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
