Javier Milei, armed with a chainsaw and a promise to tear down Argentina’s political and economic establishment, stunned the world when he swept into office in 2023. His mission was clear: end decades of chronic inflation, reduce the size of the state, and restore confidence in an economy that had lurched from crisis to crisis for much of the past half century. Four years later, as Argentines prepare to vote again, the results remain fiercely contested. Inflation has fallen dramatically, foreign investment is returning, and sectors such as mining, agriculture and energy are experiencing renewed optimism. Yet austerity, job losses, declining manufacturing output and growing social pressures have left many questioning who is benefiting from the new economic model.
Our Argentina Tour in 2027 examines Argentina at a pivotal moment. Beginning in Mendoza and the Andes, we explore the industries that could define the country’s future. We visit vineyards and agricultural exporters benefiting from greater economic stability and examine the copper boom that supporters believe could transform Argentina into a major supplier of critical minerals. In Uspallata, we investigate the fierce debate surrounding new mining projects, where promises of jobs and investment collide with concerns about water, the environment and local livelihoods.
We then travel to Buenos Aires, where a different side of Milei’s Argentina comes into view. Here we meet trade unionists, community leaders, journalists, politicians and business figures to explore the social and political consequences of reform. We examine the challenges facing manufacturers struggling to compete in a more open economy and follow the final days of a hard-fought election campaign. Along the way we explore the rival political traditions, regional identities and economic interests that continue to shape one of Latin America’s most fascinating and turbulent democracies.
With access to leading journalists, analysts, campaign insiders and local voices, this tour offers a rare opportunity to understand not only the election itself, but the larger question facing Argentina: whether Milei’s economic revolution has laid the foundations for long-term prosperity, or created new divisions that will define the country’s future for years to come.
Argentina Tour: Background
Modern Argentina’s political history has been shaped by cycles of populism, military rule, and economic crisis. The dominant force since the mid-20th century has been Peronism, the broad political movement founded by Juan Perón in the 1940s. Peronism combined nationalism, labor rights, and strong state intervention, building a durable political machine tied to unions, provincial governors, and patronage networks.
In the 2000s, Kirchnerism became the dominant wing of Peronism under Néstor Kirchner and later Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. The Kirchnerist machine emphasized welfare spending, subsidies, protectionism, and strong executive power, while critics blamed it for corruption, inflation, capital controls, and deepening economic instability. By the early 2020s, Argentina was facing triple-digit inflation, rising poverty, currency collapse, and widespread distrust of the political establishment.
That environment helped propel Javier Milei to the presidency in 2023. A libertarian economist and anti-establishment figure, Milei campaigned against what he called the entrenched “political caste,” especially the Peronist and Kirchnerist machines that had dominated Argentine politics for years.
Since taking office, he has pursued aggressive austerity measures, deregulation, spending cuts, and market-oriented reforms aimed at stabilizing inflation and shrinking the state. He has also cultivated close ties with the political right in the United States, memorably embracing Elon Musk. His supporters view him as a necessary disruptor after decades of economic decline, while critics argue his policies are worsening inequality and social hardship in the short term. Notably, inflation – long the bane of Argentina’s economic growth – remains high. The 2027 election will be a referendum on Milei’s policy agenda and a broader inflection point for a country struggling to break out of a decades-long cycle of economic instability that has hampered its economic growth.
Argentina Tour: Reading List
“And the Money Kept Rolling In (and Out),” Paul Blustein
“Juan Perón: The Life of the People’s Colonel,” by Jill Hedges
Argentina, 1985 [Movie]
“Argentina’s Struggle for Stability“, Council on Foreign Relations
Itinerary
Guests arrive into Mendoza, one of Argentina’s most prosperous provinces and the centre of its world-renowned wine industry. In recent years Mendoza has found itself at the heart of a national debate over economic development, foreign investment and the future of mining. The group gathers in the evening for dinner and a briefing on the political context ahead of election weekend.
Overnight Mendoza
We explore Mendoza’s agricultural economy, visiting vineyards and wineries that have helped make the province one of Argentina’s leading export success stories. Meetings with producers, economists and business leaders examine how inflation, exchange rates and Javier Milei’s reforms are affecting businesses that compete on global markets. This day provides an introduction to one of the sectors that stands to benefit most from a more open economy.
Overnight Mendoza
We travel into the Andes to Uspallata, a small mountain town that has become the focal point of one of Argentina’s most important economic debates. Meetings with local residents, environmental campaigners and mining advocates explore the proposed San Jorge copper project and the competing visions for Mendoza’s future. Discussions focus on jobs, investment, water resources and the role of mining in Argentina’s economic transformation.
Overnight Mendoza
Further meetings examine Argentina’s emerging copper boom and the growing global demand for critical minerals needed for electric vehicles, renewable energy and modern infrastructure. We meet experts, business leaders and policymakers to discuss whether mining can become a new engine of growth for Argentina. In the evening we enjoy a farewell dinner in Mendoza wine country.
Overnight Mendoza
We take a morning flight to Buenos Aires and begin our programme in the capital. Visits to La Boca and surrounding districts explore the social impact of economic reform on working-class communities, with meetings involving trade union representatives, community leaders and local analysts. This provides a direct contrast to the export-oriented sectors encountered in Mendoza.
Overnight Buenos Aires
Today we examine one of the most contentious questions facing Argentina: can the country prosper while parts of its manufacturing sector decline? Meetings with business associations, industrialists, economists and labour representatives explore the pressures created by cheaper imports, deregulation and economic restructuring. Discussions focus on the winners and losers of Milei’s reforms and what they mean for Argentina’s future.
Overnight Buenos Aires
Meetings with legislators, political advisers and analysts explore the institutional side of Argentine politics, including Congress, party alliances and the country’s evolving political landscape. Visits to major media organisations provide insight into election coverage and Argentina’s highly polarised public debate. Evening attendance at campaign events or rallies where possible.
Overnight Buenos Aires
The last full day before the vote captures the intensity of Argentina’s campaign culture, with rallies, public appearances and grassroots mobilisation across the city. We observe how different parties make their final appeals to voters in a highly charged atmosphere. Final briefing ahead of election day.
Overnight Buenos Aires
We follow voting as it takes place across Buenos Aires, visiting polling stations and speaking with observers and local participants. Throughout the day, experts provide context on turnout, key regions and emerging trends. In the evening, we gather to watch results come in and assess the immediate political implications.
Overnight Buenos Aires
A full day of debriefing with political analysts, journalists and campaign insiders to interpret the election outcome. We examine what the results mean for Argentina’s economic direction, political stability and international position. Time for final discussions and reflections on the tour.
Overnight Buenos Aires
Tour concludes after breakfast, with departures throughout the day
Ciara Nugent is the Southern Cone correspondent for the Financial Times, based in Buenos Aires, where she covers politics, economics and society across Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay. One of the newspaper’s leading correspondents in Latin America, she reports on the profound political and economic changes reshaping the region, from Argentina’s radical free-market reforms under Javier Milei to elections, social movements and economic challenges across the Southern Cone.
Before joining the Financial Times in 2023, Nugent was a staff writer at TIME magazine, where she covered climate change, environmental policy and Latin American affairs. Her reporting has ranged from South America’s lithium boom and energy transition to migration, democratic politics and the social consequences of economic change.
From her base in Buenos Aires, she has closely followed Argentina’s battle against inflation, its relationship with the IMF, the country’s recurring debt crises and the political transformation brought about by Milei’s presidency. Her reporting combines economic analysis with on-the-ground observation, helping international audiences understand how major political and financial decisions affect everyday life. She has also reported extensively from Chile, including the country’s recent presidential election campaigns and the rise of new right-wing political forces.
The average daily temperature in Argentina in October ranges from 13-22°C during the day.
The maximum size of our Argentina Tour is 14 people, ensuring the small-group experience.
We provide genuine learning experiences through the eyes and ears of an expert, politician, or journalist.
Accommodation, meals (breakfast, lunch, and most dinners), and water are all included in tour package.
Our tour starts in Córdoba and ends in Buenos Aires. We arrange minibuses for the duration of the tour.
The Argentinian Peso is the currency of Argentina.
What’s Included
In your Argentina Tour, all of your accommodation is included, as well as local transport (except during your free time).
Flights are not included in the price and need to be arranged by customers themselves or with an agent.
Following the news
Like all our tours the itinerary is focused on current affairs. Events on the ground may change and the final schedule may be adjusted accordingly.
Group size
For your bespoke tour, groups range from individuals to families, as well as small groups of friends. The tour is tailor made for you and your group.
On any of our expert-led tours the groups are deliberately small and will not exceed 14 people. Frequently we travel with 10-12 people. Limited spaces are available.
FCO Website – Travel Advice
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office publishes regularly updated travel information on its website travelaware.campaign.gov.uk which you are recommended to consult before booking and in good time before departure. Where it considers it appropriate to do so, the FCO may advise against all travel or all but essential travel to particular countries or parts of particular countries. Similarly, the FCO may withdraw any such previously given advice. Where the FCO issues such advice, we may as a result cancel your tour or make changes so as to avoid the area concerned (see clause 10). Alternatively, we may ask you to sign a form confirming you wish to proceed with the tour notwithstanding the FCO advice. It is in the nature of the itineraries we offer that the FCO may have issued such advice in relation to the country or parts of the country we are intending to visit prior to confirmation of your booking. In this case, you will be asked to sign the above form before we confirm your booking.
Medical Requirements
Advice on health requirements may be obtained from your GP, or alternatively from the Department of Health leaflet Advice on Health for Travelers, or the Department of Health in the UK. For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention you should visit hthttps://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/travel-health/travel-health-and-vaccinations/
Currency
The Argentine Peso is the currency of Argentina. Most vendors accept major Western credit cards.
What to wear
Dress is casual and comfortable. Shoes suitable for walking over cobbles are recommended. Layers are recommended as it is cooler in the evenings.
Some of the hotels have swimming pools. You may want to pack a swimming costume.
Men: Will need a jacket and tie for some of the meetings.
Women: You will need smarter dress for one or two meetings.
Electricity
Argentina uses Type I (three flat pins in a triangular pattern) and Type C (two round pins) outlets.
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