Frente Basílica de Luján · Dario Alpern · CC BY-SA 3.0 · edited
Monday 9 November 2026 will be a national holiday in Argentina for Pope Leo XIV’s visit, Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva announced, creating a three-day weekend from Saturday 7 November. The pope is due in the country from 8 to 11 November, with open-air Masses in Buenos Aires and Córdoba and a final Mass at the Basilica of Luján, La Nación reported.
Córdoba province has also announced a holiday for Tuesday 10 November, when the pope celebrates Mass there. Whether Wednesday 11 November becomes a holiday in Buenos Aires is still being discussed, and the national holiday still has to be published in the Boletín Oficial to take formal effect.
The trip follows the pope’s visit to Paris this month, which brought transport closures across the city. See our report on Metro and RER closures for Pope Leo’s Paris visit.
- National holiday: Monday 9 November 2026, giving a long weekend from 7 to 9 November.
- Córdoba: provincial holiday on Tuesday 10 November.
- Buenos Aires on 11 November: not yet confirmed.
- Papal visit: Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Luján from 8 to 11 November, then Peru to 16 November.
- Status date: government announcement and Vatican agenda as reported 21 to 24 September 2026.
Pope Leo XIV in Argentina, Day by Day
Sunday 8 November. The pope lands at Ezeiza International Airport at 4:30 pm, is received by President Javier Milei at the Casa Rosada and meets civil society and diplomats at the Palacio Libertad, according to the Vatican agenda compiled by Chequeado.
Monday 9 November. A morning visit to the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione in Claypole, then Mass at 11:30 am at the Monumento a los Españoles in Palermo. In the afternoon he visits the Universidad Católica Argentina in Puerto Madero, with evening events at the Palacio San Martín and the Metropolitan Cathedral.
Tuesday 10 November. He flies from Aeroparque to Córdoba at 7:30 am for a 10 am Mass at the Escuela de Aviación Militar, returns to Buenos Aires in the afternoon and leads a youth vigil at the Monumento a los Españoles at 8:15 pm.
Wednesday 11 November. A morning visit to the Devoto federal prison, then a final Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján at 10 am. The departure ceremony is at 2 pm, and the pope flies on to Lima.
Palermo and Luján Will Draw the Biggest Crowds
The two open-air events at the Monumento a los Españoles, on the Monday morning and Tuesday night, are in Palermo, one of the city’s main hotel and restaurant districts. Luján, about 70 kilometres west of the capital, hosts the closing Mass. Street closures and transport plans for these events have not been announced yet.
Organisers need about 20,000 volunteers to help pilgrims, and Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva said around 14,000 had signed up when the holiday was announced. Registered volunteers will get free travel on the SUBE public transport network during the visit, ACI Prensa reported.
Who Gets the 9, 10 and 11 November Holidays
The 9 November holiday applies across the whole country, so banks, government offices and many businesses will close that Monday. The 10 November holiday covers Córdoba province only. For 11 November, Luján’s mayor Leonardo Boto said talks with provincial and national authorities were still under way, La Nación reported.
Peru Visit From 11 to 16 November
From Buenos Aires the pope travels to Peru, arriving in Lima on the evening of 11 November. His Peru programme runs to 16 November and includes Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa, according to the itinerary reported by Infobae. Peru’s government has said it is considering holidays but has not confirmed any.
| If you are | What to expect |
|---|---|
| In Buenos Aires on 7 to 9 November | A long weekend plus the papal Mass in Palermo on Monday morning. Book hotels and restaurants early. |
| Near Palermo on 9 and 10 November | Expect crowds around the Monumento a los Españoles. Closures not yet announced. |
| In Córdoba on 10 November | A provincial holiday and a morning Mass. |
| Visiting Luján on 11 November | The closing Mass at the basilica. Plan another day for a regular visit. |
| Travelling on to Lima | The pope’s Peru programme runs from 11 to 16 November. |
Long weekend. Monday 9 November is a national holiday.
Big crowds. Open-air Masses in Palermo, Córdoba and Luján from 9 to 11 November.
Details to come. Road closures and a Buenos Aires decision on 11 November are still pending.
Is 9 November 2026 a holiday in Argentina?
Yes. The government announced a national holiday on Monday 9 November for the papal visit. It still needs formal publication in the Boletín Oficial.
When is Pope Leo XIV in Buenos Aires?
From 8 to 11 November 2026, with a Mass at the Monumento a los Españoles in Palermo at 11:30 am on 9 November.
Is 10 November a holiday?
Only in Córdoba province, where the pope celebrates Mass that morning.
Where does the pope go after Argentina?
To Peru, arriving in Lima on 11 November and staying until 16 November.
