The full North West Argentina Tour

Our road trips are the very best way to see and do as much as possible during your time in North West Argentina and beyond.

We can customize our North West Argentina tour to give the very best experience to each and every customer.

Please fill in the contact form to the right for us to put together a specially customized tour for you!

 

Day 1.

Your North West Argentina tour begins as we depart from your hotel and travel out of the city of Salta to the west and the town known as the door to the Andes “Campo Quijano”. From this point onwards we follow the tracks of the train to the clouds up the Quebrada Del Toro which translates to “the Bull Ravine” named after the river that runs through it.

The road up the ravine is a spectacular one boasting many colorful views and some breathtaking scenery. The tracks of the train to the clouds have a few interesting features to it that we will look at on the way as well as many bridges that (used to) enable the train to make this taxing journey up into the longest mountain range in the world.

We continue up the road passing little villages and communities on the way until we reach the pre-Colombian site of Santa Rosa de Tastil where we will explore this mysterious and long-abandoned village. After climbing to one of the highest points of the journey at the dizzying height of 4100 meters above sea level we continue on to the mining town of San Antonio de los Cobres. From the town, we venture further into the mountain range to visit the Viaducto de polvorilla, the famous curved bridge that is one of the typical photos used to promote the famous train journey.

After having lunch in the town of San Antonio we travel on to the amazing Salta flats of Salinas Grandes. After exploring this otherworldly expanse we will continue on to the highest point of the trip at 4180 meters and then drop down the famous Questa Del Lipan to the quaint village of Purmamarca where we will spend the night at the foot of the hill of Seven colors.

Day 2.

After a traditional breakfast, we will leave Purmamarca and enter into the Quebrada de Humahuaca. The Humahuaca Ravine is a UNESCO world heritage site due to its Indian roots and cultural wealth. This is a great place to get a feel for the Andean culture that is still alive and well.

Once we arrive in the historical town of Humahuaca you will have the chance to walk through its cobbled streets and explore its small plaza and many stalls. An impressive monument to the Independence of Argentina is situated here due to the last battles that were fought during the struggle against the royalists. Once you have finished exploring we will slowly make our way back down the ravine to Tilcara stopping at different points of interest along the way.

Day 3.

After a good night’s sleep in the Village of Tilcara we will have the opportunity to visit the old Inca fortress or “Pucara” where we will observe the way that the local Indians lived throughout the occupation of the Inca up until the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. There is also an interesting museum to wander around before lunch. After lunch, we will make our way down, out of the ravine past the city of San Salvador de Jujuy and onto the cloud forest road where we will observe the beautiful dense foliage of this spectacular ecosystem.

We will drop you back at your hotel in Salta in the evening with lots of time to enjoy a night out on the town.

Day 4.

A well-deserved day of rest where you will be able to wander through the city of Salta and explore the various museums and points of interest at your leisure. If you would prefer we could arrange a day of horse riding or one of our culinary experiences. Please ask for more details.

Day 5.

After picking you up from your hotel we slowly make our way south through the traditional country villages and the sweet-smelling tobacco fields stopping at points of interest along the way. After stopping for a coffee break in the small town of El Carril we verge off through a small band of the cloud forest to the “Quebrada del escoipe” a ravine named after one of the villages that is nestled within it. We wind our way through the ravine observing the many colorful and cacti-covered hills before starting our climb up the famous Cuesta de Obispo or “the Bishops slope” a gravel road that climbs up to over 3000 meters above sea level.

Having made the journey up to the top of the Cuesta we carry on to the National park of “Los Cardones” along one of the many Inca roads in the area. Once we have passed through the park we will take a moment to appreciate the splendor of the” Nevado de Cachi” the snow-capped peak under which the small town of Cachi is situated.

Once in the town, you will have the chance to explore around the old cobbled streets and the local church and museums and have lunch in one of the many little restaurants or cafes the town has to offer.

From Cachi we make our way down the famous route 40 (the longest road in Argentina at 5194 km long) past the beautiful little settlements of the valley Calchaqui stopping at one of the highest vineyards in the world for a tantalizing wine tasting before carrying on to the small town of Molinos where you will stay in the Hacienda de Molinos a colonial hotel formerly the home of the last governor of Salta to be appointed by the king of Spain.

Day 6.

After a good breakfast, you will have the opportunity to go for a trek in the surrounding hills after which we will make our way south through the spectacular Quebrada de las fletchas and soak up the amazing ridges and rock formations. Once we have explored the Quebrada we will move on through the small village of San Carlos onto the beautiful town of Cafayate.

Once we have you settled in your hotel you will be free to wander around the plaza and explore the local church before enjoying a bottle of one of the excellent local wines with your dinner.

Day 7.

Having had a lie-in we will make our way down to the inspirational Pacha Mama museum and then back to Cafayate after visiting the Quilmes ruins the largest pre-Incan ruins in the area. We will then stop at one of the many beautiful vineyards with a restaurant for you to have a tour of the wine-making process followed by a leisurely lunch appreciating the spectacular view.

We will spend the afternoon making our way through the exceptionally colorful Quebrada de las Conchas stopping at all of the main areas of interest and making the most of the photographic opportunities along the way.

We will finish our tour back at your hotel or we can drop you off at the Airport for you to carry on your trip of a lifetime.

The above Itinerary is based on the 7-day trip which allows for lots of time to explore and a day of rest in Salta to break up the amount of time travelling. If you would like to forego the day of rest we can do the 6 days continually at no additional cost. Activities such as trekking and horse riding are not included in the price of the tour but if you would be interested we would be more than happy to arrange them for you.

This trip may be done in less time but this would signify a longer time in transit and a little less time to explore. The price for the 6/7 day trip starts at US$450 per person (a 4/5 day option is available from US$300 per person) this price does not include food, accommodation or additional activities though we are more than happy to arrange accommodation and any additional activities you would like to do.

Starting price is based on 4 people traveling together in a 4×4 truck. The price of the tour does not change depending on amout of people 6/7 day tour US$1800 / 4/5 day tour US$1200.