Montevideo in 6 Days on a Budget (Daily Costs)
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Honest talk: 6 days in Montevideo means 3 city days and 3 day trips
Montevideo itself is genuinely a relaxed 2-3 day city, so a 6-day trip only works well if you lean on day trips for the rest, which is exactly what this itinerary does. It’s a real, honest way to spend a week here, not padding, since Colonia, Canelones, and Punta del Este are all worth the bus fare. Budget roughly $40-60 a day, more on the days you’re out at Punta del Este.
Book these before you go:
- Check Montevideo hotel rates on Booking.com : stay in Ciudad Vieja the whole week, it’s close to the Tres Cruces bus terminal you’ll use for three of these six days.
- Compare Uruguay day tour options on Viator if you’d rather not manage bus schedules to Colonia, Canelones, and Punta del Este yourself.
| Day | Focus | Rough daily spend |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Ciudad Vieja, Plaza Independencia, Mercado del Puerto lunch, Rambla sunset | roughly $35-45 |
| Day 2 | Estadio Centenario, a market, Pocitos beach, asado dinner | roughly $35-45 |
| Day 3 | Colonia del Sacramento day trip | roughly $40-50 |
| Day 4 | Punta del Este day trip | roughly $45-60 |
| Day 5 | Canelones wine country, Tristán Narvaja if it’s Sunday | roughly $35-50 |
| Day 6 | Parque Rodó, Punta Carretas, farewell Rambla walk | roughly $30-40 |
Day 1: Ciudad Vieja and the Rambla at Sunset
Walk Ciudad Vieja: Plaza Matriz, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Cabildo, Sarandí street, all free. See the Palacio Salvo at Plaza Independencia, tallest in South America when it opened in 1927, and the equestrian Artigas statue over his mausoleum. Lunch at Mercado del Puerto (El Palenque or Estancia del Puerto), then sunset on the Rambla.
Tip: get an STM bus card today, you’ll need it starting tomorrow.
Day 2: Football History, a Market, and Pocitos Beach
Estadio Centenario and the Museo del Fútbol, site of the 1930 World Cup’s first final, Uruguay 4-2 Argentina. Lunch at Mercado Agrícola (MAM), afternoon at Pocitos beach, dinner a proper wood-fired asado with a glass of Tannat.
Tip: tip about 10% and remember the “cubierto” cover charge isn’t the tip.
Day 3: Colonia del Sacramento
The honest #1 day trip: a 2-2.5 hour bus to this UNESCO-listed old town founded by the Portuguese in 1680. Walk the cobblestones, the lighthouse, and the fort ruins.
Tip: book your bus ticket a day ahead in peak season (December-March).
Day 4: Punta del Este
Another 2-2.5 hour bus, this time to Uruguay’s glam beach resort. It’s a long but doable day trip in shoulder season; in summer, it genuinely works better as an overnight if your schedule allows, since the town’s whole vibe is built around staying past sunset.
Tip: if you do stay overnight, check Punta del Este rates on Booking.com ahead, rooms fill fast in summer.
Day 5: Canelones Wine Country
A short 40-minute bus or transfer to Uruguay’s Tannat wine region. Bodega Bouza is the pioneer winery here, book a tasting ahead rather than showing up. If it’s a Sunday, swap this for the Feria de Tristán Narvaja flea market in Cordón instead, it only runs that one day and is worth prioritizing if the dates line up.
Tip: reserve your winery tasting slot before you leave Montevideo, not on arrival.
Day 6: Parque Rodó, Punta Carretas, and a Farewell Walk
Slow morning at Parque Rodó, then Punta Carretas: the 1876 lighthouse and the Punta Carretas Shopping mall, built from the former prison that held political prisoners, including a mass 1971 tunnel escape, a genuinely striking piece of history. Close the trip with one more sunset walk on the Rambla.
Tip: if you haven’t yet, use your last evening to try the foreign-card VAT trick on a nicer farewell dinner, restaurant tax drops from 22% to 9% automatically when you pay by card.
Prefer a lighter week?
Our 3-day itinerary covers just the city core plus Colonia, and our full day trips guide breaks down costs and timing for all five options beyond the ones used here.