Last Updated: March 2026

Read on to find out how to get from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay. This charming historical town is close enough for the perfect day trip from the Argentine capital.

If you’re reading this, you’re already planning to visit Colonia del Sacramento from Buenos Aires. This small town on the other side of the Rio de la Plata deserves a visit no matter how many days you’re spending in Buenos Aires.

Traveling between both cities is easy and fast. Despite the short distance, ticket prices are fairly steep, if compared to overland travel around Argentina.

Why Visit Colonia del Sacramento?

The small town of Colonia del Sacramento was founded by Portuguese settlers and changed hands several times between the Portuguese and Spanish over the centuries.

Colonia was the first place in Uruguay to be declared a UNESCO heritage site. Its well-preserved historical quarter attracts tourists from all over the world, many of them coming on day trips from Buenos Aires.

While most visitors just visit Colonia for the day, it’s worth staying overnight, so you can enjoy the city after sunset. If that’s the case, you can see this post with some of the best hotels in Colonia del Sacramento.

Its cobbled streets, quaint feel, beautiful architecture as well as good restaurants make the town a great place to visit from Buenos Aires. Not to mention that you’ll be adding a new country to your list – even if you’ll just have a feel for it.

How To Get From Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento

If you look on a map, you’ll see that both cities are quite close, with only 61 kilometers (38 miles) separating Colonia del Sacramento from Buenos Aires.

With that in mind, the only logical option is taking a ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento. Depending on the service you choose, the travel time can vary between 50 minutes and 3 hours.

Even the slowest ferry is better than driving, which would take around 5 hours to go around the estuary.

There are several daily ferries running between both cities throughout the day. The main companies on this route are Colonia Express and Buquebus.

I have personally used all of them over the years and they are fairly similar in terms of service and price.

Having said that, the slow services won’t necessarily save you much money, so most of the time you’re better off taking the fast services from any of the companies.

If you’re going to Colonia on a day trip, you can book it in advance here. This ticket also gives you a tour in town and can be canceled up to 24 hours before boarding.

Ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento

Buquebus Ferries

Most ferries from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento are run by a company called Buquebus. It’s by far the most popular company doing the crossing and the one I used on my trips most of the time.

They also have direct ferries from Buenos Aires to Montevideo (3 hours), or you may choose to take one of the company’s connecting buses from Colonia. This service doesn’t allow you time to enjoy the town, though.

The fastest Buenos Aires-Colonia ferry with Buquebus takes 1h15m, and the slow service takes three hours. The ferries themselves are comfortable and have a duty-free shop and a small snack bar onboard.

Seats are not assigned, so you can choose to sit wherever you please. If you want to use this time to charge your camera, phone or laptop, do choose one of the corner seats on the last row, by the wall. Electric plugs are few, and make sure you have an adaptor.

The Buquebus ferries depart from their own terminal in Puerto Madero.

Buquebus Ferry Times

At the moment, Buquebus has three daily services from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento and vice-versa.

6:45pm, arriving in Colonia at 8pm

8:31pm, arriving in Buenos Aires at 9:46pm

You must arrive at least 30 minutes in before your departure time, since you’ll be clearing Argentinean customs and immigration, which includes taking fingerprints.

Book Your City Tour of Colonia del Sacramento Here.

Colonia Express Ferries

Another fast ferry to Colonia del Sacramento is with a company called Colonia Express. The ferries depart from the Terminal Internacional de Cruceros on Ave. Inmigrantes in Buenos Aires.

Nowadays, it’s the company offering more frequent ferries, with five daily services.

Colonia Express ferries have more competitive prices than Buquebus. But to take advantage of the (small) price difference, you must book way in advance – around 14 days prior to your trip, at least.

Colonia Express Ferry Times

Colonia Express offers five daily services from Buenos Aires to Colonia and vice-versa.

8:30pm, arriving in Colonia at 9:45pm