Overview
With surreal landscapes that beckon the hiker, classic towns, and a proud cultural heritage, northern Argentina is utterly intriguing. We’ve woven together a journey that brings you from the beautifully preserved colonial city of Salta to the renowned Calchaquí Valley, home of the highest vineyards in the world, to dreamy Cachi and surreal salt flats. Our hikes and explorations lead to wind-sculpted canyons with towering multi-colored rock formations. Along the way we learn to make pottery in a village, savor an asado at a private estancia, sample elegant vintages with a winemaker, and enjoy the vibrant and welcoming culture of northern Argentina.
This trip was everything I want a WT trip to be—beautiful hikes I can’t find or access on my own, real cultural opportunities and interaction, expert local guiding and leadership. Just wonderful on all counts.
— Ken K., Philadelphia, PA
Itinerary at a Glance
Days 1-3
Salta / Vineyards of Calchaquí / Cafayate
In Salta, with its beautiful colonial architecture, we enjoy a private viewing of rare 14th century Inca mummies and a Welcome Dinner at an historic club. Heading north to the wine mecca of Cafayate, where snowy mountains rise above the vineyards, we walk (and sample wine!) with a geologist-winemaker, meet a potter in his studio, and hike amid the towering red-rock walls of the high desert.
Days 4-7
Quebrada de las Flechas / Cuevas de Acsibi / Cachi
Along the legendary Ruta 40 that runs the length of Argentina, we’ll walk in the spectacular Quebrada de las Flechas—canyon of the Arrows—where eons of wind have eroded the sandstone into fins that stretch for miles below the desert sky. Our hike to the Cuevas de Acsibi takes us through a spellbinding world of orange sandstone to a hidden cave illuminated by a single shaft of sunlight. Overnights are in the adobe village of Cachi, set below snow-capped Nevado de Cachi (20,931').
Days 8-10
Salt Flats / Purmamarca / Depart
We cross over the Cuesta del Obispo to our beautiful estancia, one of the oldest in Argentina. We’ll learn to make empanadas on the outdoor oven, and enjoy a traditional barbecue as we watch the equestrian skills of local gauchos. From Purmamarca, with its incredible setting right below the ‘Hill of Seven Colors’, we head up to the surreal ‘Salinas Grandes’ to walk on the shimmering salt flats. Depart on Day 10 via Salta or join our Iguazú Falls extension.
Adventures in Salta and Jujuy
Highlights
Highlights
Details
Moderate day hikes, 2-4 hours a day (one 5-6-hour hike), cultural exploration, altitudes between 3,700-8,300 feet
