Itinerary Expand all Buenos Aires to Buenos Aires Day 1 Fly to Salta; transfer to your hotel; afternoon at leisure On arrival in Salta, you will be transferred to the hotel in a private vehicle. The rest of the day will be left free to explore this beautiful city and acclimatise. We recommend a visit to the High Mountain Archaeological Museum "MAAM", which includes mummified Inca remains found on a nearby mountaintop. We also recommend taking the cable car up to the Cerro San Bernardo, where you will have the best panoramic views of the city. This evening is free for you to choose one of the many delicious restaurants serving steaks and locally produced wine. Accommodation: Antiguo Convento Hotel or similar Standard Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 2 Salta to Cafayate Today is a long driving day as we start heading south into the province of Salta until we arrive at El Carril. From here we begin to climb the Cuesta del Obispo, a beautiful mountain road which snakes up the mountainside. At Piedra del Molino we reach 3.384 meters above sea level, the highest spot in our trip. We then cross Los Cardones National Park, famous for the tall cactus that gives the park its name. We stop for lunch (not included) in the delightful mountain village of Cachi, before continuing on to the hamlet of Molinos. In the late afternoon we continue driving through the imposing Valley of the Arrows before arriving into Cafayate, where we check into our hotel for the night. Tonight we recommend trying some of the town’s most renowned wine, a Torrontes or Syrah. Today's driving time is approx. 8-9 hours (300km) Accommodation: Hotel Killa or similar Standard Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 Cafayate back to Salta via Valley of the Shells After breakfast we visit a couple of wineries in town and get the opportunity to sample some of the regions famous Torrontes wine. We have some free time to have lunch before we begin our journey back to Salta. We take a different journey back to Salta using the route 68 which crosses the Valley of the Shells, where we will stop in order to photograph the most famous rock formations (The Amphitheater, Devil’s throat and The Toad, among others). We will arrive in Salta in the late afternoon. Today's driving time is approx. 3 hours (186km) Accommodation: Antiguo Convento Hotel or similar Standard Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 4 Drive to Purmamarca via Salinas Grandes Salt Flats After breakfast we head into the Andes following the tracks of the world famous train to the clouds. We will stop for lunch at San Antonio de los Cobres, where we will also have some free time to explore the town. We continue our trip along Route 40 crossing one of the most desertic and starkly beautiful areas of the country, before arriving in Salinas Grandes (The Great Salt Flat). We make a stop to learn about the mining process and take some pictures before continuing our drive to Purmamarca. On most days in the main plaza, there is a great local market, from where you can see the iconic Seven Colour Moutain which is famous throughout Argentina. Tonight we recommend eating at the restaurant Los Morteros for very good local food. Today's driving time is approx. 9-10 hours (418km) Accommodation: Hotel Refugio de Coquena or similar Standard Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 5 Morning at leisure; drive to Salta via Tilcara At 11am the tour bus from Salta will stop and collect you. We continue towards the town of Tilcara where we visit the ancient ruins and the Archaeological Museum. Afterwards we cross the Tropic of Capricorn, from where the colours of La Pollera del Coya Hill can be seen. We arrive in Humahuaca and will some free time for lunch (not included). After lunch we continue to San Salvador de Jujuy where we can see the Cathedral and the bustling town square. Finally, we return to Salta along the National Route N° 9 through abundant subtropical vegetation. Today's driving time is approx. 8-9 hours (280km) Accommodation: Antiguo Convento Hotel or similar Standard Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 6 Fly back to Buenos Aires; afternoon at leisure Depending on the flight time, we may have some free time at the hotel this morning before we transfer to the airport. We fly back to Buenos Aires and usually arrive in time to explore more of this fascinating city. Accommodation: Hotel Cyan Recoleta or similar Comfortable Hotel Meals included: Breakfast Day 7 End Buenos Aires Today you will be transferred back to the airport for your onward flight. Depending on the time of your flight you may have another chance to see more of Cosmopolitan Buenos Aires. Meals included: Breakfast
Classic Patagonia Treks 15 reviews Complete the famous W-Trek in Chile’s Torres del Paine N.P., and walk amidst spectacular scenery in Argentina’s Fitzroy region. Walking & Trekking Suitable for: Age 18+ Activity level: Challenging 11 Days from £3,449 Guided (Excl. Flights) View More Details
Patagonian Highlights 42 reviews Discover the spectacular wilderness of southern Chile and Argentina.. Culture Suitable for: Age 18+ Activity level: Moderate 13 Days from £3,649 Guided (Excl. Flights) View More Details
Argentina All nationalities require a full passport that must be valid for 6 months beyond the intended length of stay. No visa required for holders of British passport. If you are crossing the border into Argentina from Chile on your trip, we will need to know your profession in order to provide when entering Argentina. The Argentine government charges a reciprocity fee which applies to Australian citizens. The amounts are as follows: Australians - US$100 (multiple entry). This fee must be paid before you enter Argentina. For full details, and to make the payment, please visit: https://virtual.provinciapagos.com.ar/ArgentineTaxes
Argentina There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has updated the travel advice for Argentina with an update to the Health section – an outbreak of Hantavirus has been reported in Epuyén, Province of Chubut in southern Argentina; for more information and advice, visit the website of the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC). Bilharzia is known to occur in some of the lakes or rivers in Argentina, we therefore advise all to take advice from your guide or leader locally before venturing for a swim. Dengue fever is also a known risk in Argentina. It is a tropical viral disease spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for Dengue, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Due to a recent outbreak of Yellow Fever in the Misiones province of Argentina, vaccinations are strongly recommended if you intend to visit the Iguazu Falls. Zika fever is a mosquito‐borne viral disease and a known risk in places visited on this trip. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, we therefore strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.
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Reviewed March 2019 Brian Guest Trip: Salta Extension A rocky road; a wilderness of salt; and an ancient culture. Rocks; mummies; Routa 40; rocks; vineyards; rocks; cactus; salt flats; rocks; Inca ruins and more rocks! What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The heat and stark beauty of the Salinas Grandes salt flats What did you think of your group leader? We had a series of leaders over the week. The first was very helpful and acted a driver and guide. Later we were on minibus day tours with different leaders. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Don't put too much trust in LATAM's schedules. There were several flight amendments before our trip and finally a 12 hour change just days before we were due to fly to Salta. Further delays made us 14 hours late and we missed our first day in Salta. The trip notes and itineraries are liable to change. But this allows you to extend the tour by a few days. Spending a whole day in Purmamarca proved a really good option as it's a long day in a minibus. Your tour may be cut short or altered due to other travellers being late or preferring not to visit sites. We only had 30 minutes to visit the Inca ruins because we were running so far behind the schedule. Research beforehand. More options are available for your free days than may be advertised. Take a good camera with a wide angle lens as the landscapes are stunning. And it also pays get up early for the dawn light on the rocks at Purmamarca. ATM's in Argentina restrict you to 4,000 ARS and cost a lot to use. But Santander Rio have branches in all the towns we visited. If you have an account, it gives you a much better rate. Spend a few days in Buenos Aires if you have the chance. It's pretty safe and easy to get around. There's some lovely Art Nouveau architecture, a lively cafe culture, craft markets at the weekend, fine Opera and bookshops, tango dinner dances and lots of urban art. We recommend a 5-hour cycle trip: Hidden Graffiti And Urban Art Tour. Is there anything else you would like to add? The climate, food, scenery and culture of the indigenous people in the Salta region is very different from elsewhere in Argentina: and a real contrast from Patagonia and Buenos Aires. A holiday in itself.