Day 1 – Salta
After your arrival at Salta you will be met by a guide. There is much to be explored, so get ready for a city tour. First there is a visit to the city and its principal sites and monuments, such as the government house and the museum José Uriburu. The cathedral, the convent of San Bernardo, churches as San Francisco and Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Our Lady of Light) and the monument to Martín Miguel de Güemes will also be visited. Then, you climb hill San Bernardo, from where you can enjoy the view of the entire Lerma valley. Depending on the contracted tour, you are driven up to the hill, or you walk step by step on the extensive stairs upwards to the top. Finally you will visit the village of San Lorenzo which is very lively in summer. After crossing the rivers Vaqueros, Castellanos and Lesser, you return to the point of departure, to stay for a night at the hotel.

Day 2 – Salta (B)
Discover charming Andean villages and follow the traces of the antique Inca road. About two hours drive from Salta in a northern direction you will arrive at San Salvador de Jujuy settled in its lush green valley. In Jujuy city, capital of the province, you will visit the cathedral and its ornate golden altar and the surrounding areas. Continuing north you find the long and narrow Quebrada de Humahuaca (canyon) and its artistic palette of colour splashed on barren hillsides where Quechua peasants scratch a living from irrigated agriculture and scrawny livestock. On the western hillside of the canyon, the village Purmamarca shines with its polychrome “Cerro de los Siete Colores” (Hill of the Seven Colours). With no doubt, the village of Purmamarca is the most remarkable in this area with the chapel under the avocation of Santa Rosa de Lima and its melancholic aspect due to the native style of building with mud. Further north, at an elevation of 2,461m in a side valley, Tilcara features a classic Andean Pucará (a fortification). From there, you enjoy views of the Quebrada de Humahuaca in several directions. Nearly 3000m above sea level, Humahuaca is the largest settlement between Jujuy and the Bolivian border with a large Quechua Indian population and a very interesting craft market. During the entire excursion, the landscape is so colourful that it will remain in your mind forever.

Day 3 – Salta (B)
You will experience today a daytrip to the little town of Cafayate. After leaving Salta with its green main valley, the route enters one of its dry central valleys. In the distance you can see the high peaks of the Andes. In several areas, the rivers that descend from the Andes have carved deep “quebradas” (canyons) through these arid zones, exposing the multicoloured sedimentary strata, which underlay the surface soils. Many of these layers have eroded to strange formations with evocative names like Devil’s Throat, The Amphitheatre, The Toad, The Friar, The Obelisk, The Castles. There are some photo stops at many of these sites. Cafayate is widely regarded as the most beautiful spot in northern Argentina. Several major Argentinean vintners have vineyards near Cafayate whose warm, dry, and sunny climate makes it ideal for the cultivation of wine grapes. Tasting is a must. Return to the hotel in the evening.

Day 4 – Salta (B)
Transfer to the airport and continuation of your own program.

• all services, transfers and excursions detailed on the programme
• local English speaking guide during tours
• all nights accommodation in a 3* hotel
• meals detailed in the program included (B: buffet Breakfast; L: Lunch D: Dinner)
• taxes
• airconditioned car/minibus
  
• permanent English assistance by our Operations Department

• international and local airfare
• meals and services not detailed in the program
• tips
• insurance
• personal expenses
• optional excursions

• single supplement
• accommodation upgrade to 4* hotel

• Local flights with AR – luggage allowance 15 kg (plus hand luggage).
• Price per person (2 people in double / twin room).
• The program can be customized according to your requirements.
• The price is subject to availability and actual airfare cost.
• Difficulty level of this tour – moderate.
• Hotel rating may differ from the Australian standard.