Suggested Itinerary
Day 1: Buenos Aires
Overnight: Mine Hotel
Upon arrival you will be met and driven to your hotel in the heart of Palermo Soho. The afternoon is left free to explore this welcoming neighborhood.
Day 2: Buenos Aires to Salta
Overnight: Legado Mitico Hotel
You will be collected by one of our expert and friendly Argentine guides for a four-hour tour of Buenos Aires. The guide will take you on- and off-the-beaten-track in this lively and beautiful city. You will have a car at your disposal, but we recommend getting out and walking for some of the tour. The tour will take in the main highlights, and we also encourage you to let our guide know what sorts of things you like to see, so they can tailor the tour for you. It could be that you want to see more of the main sites, or it could be that you want to stroll amongst the small local boutiques of Palermo Soho or San Telmo. This afternoon, you will be taken to the airport for your flight to Salta. On arrival, your guide for the next few days will be waiting to transport you to your hotel.
Day 3: Salta
Overnight: Legado Mitico Hotel
Enjoy a walking tour of Salta including a visit to the amazing MAAM museum, whose highlights are three frozen Incan mummies found immaculately preserved. Meet with local mountaineers involved in the National Geographic expedition in 1999. The afternoon is left free to explore the city. This evening we recommend a visit to a local Pena Club and would be happy to arrange a reservation and car, unless, of course, you prefer to walk.
Day 4: Salta to Molinos
Overnight: Hacienda de Molinos
After heading south from Salta until El Carril, you wind steadily up the Cuesta del Obispo – an amazing feat of road engineering – to the route’s highest point (3348 meters above sea level), known as the Piedra Del Molino. From here the road straightens out as you go through Los Cardones National Park, famous for the giant cacti that dot the hillside, ranging in color from dark green to deep red. Stop for lunch at a local restaurant in Payogasta, and then head to Seclantás to meet local weavers and see them work, before continuing to the delightful hamlet of Molinos.
Day 5: Trekking in Ascibi Gorge
Overnight: Hacienda de Molinos
Go for an excellent trek on old Inca trails, through the red rock canyons of, with a picnic lunch.
Day 6: Winery Tour and Cafayate
Overnight: Cafayate Wine Resort
This morning head 20km to Bodega Colomé, one of Argentina’s most renowned vineyards. Their wine producing vines are the highest in the world and the oldest in Argentina. You can also enjoy the modern art museum displaying the works of American artist, James Turnell. Bodega Colomé is an ethically-run vineyard as it is almost 100% self sufficient and is completely biodynamic. It is vital to the local community economically and socially.
Next, visit the wonderful winery at Bodega Tacuil, where you’ll enjoy lunch and a wine tasting before continuing the journey down the legendary Ruta 40 through the Calchaquies Valley. You’ll first reach the Valley of the Arrows – where the horizontal rock strata has been thrust up vertically to look like arrowheads. As the sun sets, the mountains change color, making for some of the most beautiful scenery of your vacation. After a long but exhilarating day, arrive in the sleepy town of Cafayate.
Day 7: Cafayate
Overnight: Cafayate Wine Resort
Spend the morning exploring the nearby Quilmes Ruins, the largest pre-Columbian settlement in Argentina. Return to Cafayate for wine tasting and lunch at Finca de la Nubes. If you still have any energy left this afternoon, take one of the bikes from the hotel to go exploring.
Day 8: Valley of the Shells
Overnight: Las Marias
Enjoy a full-day drive through the Quebrada de las Conchas to Salta, with a stop en route for an easy and spectacular two-three hour hike through red rock canyons with a picnic lunch. Then continue past Salta and on to Tilcara in the province of Jujuy.
Day 9: Purmamarca and the Salt Flats
Overnight: Las Marias
Enjoy a morning hike through the village of Purmamarca and the surrounding countryside to see the Seven Colored Hill. You’ll also visit a local community in the Puna, see shepherds work, and collect wood before preparing lunch together for an authentic meal. Visit the Salinas Grandes (salt flats) before heading back to Tilcara.
Day 10: The Humahuaca Valley
Overnight: Finca Valentina
Travel into the Quebrada de Humahuaca, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the traditions, music, art, and religious beliefs that have existed in the canyon for over 10,000 years and still thrive today throughout the region’s villages. You will do some hiking with the local Cacique of Uquia, getting to know the medicinal plants and history of the area and the local communities. Enjoy lunch at the house of a local woman, Dona Olga. This afternoon, you will be driven back to Salta.
Day 11: Salta
Overnight: Finca Valentina
Enjoy a free day to relax at Finca Valentina. The pool is very inviting, and the food is incredible!
Day 12: Salta to Buenos Aires
Overnight: Mine Hotel
Early this morning, travel to Salta Airport for your flight to Buenos Aires. The Mine Hotel is surrounded by interesting cafes and shops and is situated in a great neighborhood to spend an afternoon browsing. This evening we recommend a visit to a tango show or milonga club.
Day 13: Polo Club and Return Home
Provided that you have an evening flight home, today will be spent at Puesto Viejo Polo Estancia, which is conveniently located just 40 minutes from the airport. They have over 100 horses, most of which are polo horses, and some that are available for day rides. Spend the day riding across the pampas, taking a beginner’s polo lesson, or simply relaxing under a tree or by the pool with a good book. At the appropriate time, our driver will take you to the airport for your international flight.
