Fourteen Colours & Cloud Forest
Trip Highlights
The perfect setting for Iruya
Seven Coloured Hill at Purmamarca
Los Colorados trek in the magic hour
See the Cloud Forest of Calilegua
Description
Hike Argentina’s Inca trail, linking two completely different eco-systems, the dry canyon of Humahuaca and the Cloud Forest of Calilegua.
We take a narrow mountain road which was only finally completed in October 2019, tracing the footsteps of Inca explorers of northwest Argentina from the 15th century.
This trip can be extended to include a visit to the gorgeous mountain town of Iruya and the historic settlement of Yavi on the Bolivian frontier.
Click here to view map route.
Tour info
Why take this tour?
We head north from Salta to San Salvador de Jujuy, following the old mountain road between these two historic cities, before climbing into the Quebrada de Humahuaca. This is the old Spanish supply route from Buenos Aires to Lima, and it's peppered with history from the past 1,000 years. The Inca adapted an 11th century indigenous hill settlement at Tilcara, in the middle of the Quebrada, and when the Spanish arrived they built churches, including Uquia’s San Francisco which has some rare and startling artwork. And a Spanish fort at Hornillos has been converted into a museum dedicated to the War of Independence, much of which was fought up and down the Quebrada de Humahuaca two centuries ago.
We explore the multi-coloured canyon of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, famous for the Seven Coloured Hill of Purmamarca, and cross the 4,200m peak of the Cuesta de Lipan to take in the spectacular Salinas Grandes salt flats on the road west to Chile. Then we climb out of the canyon to the Serranias de Hornocal, where a viewpoint at 4,350m altitude offers a spectacular view of the Hill of Fourteen Colours in the perfect afternoon light. Next we follow a winding mountain road with stunning views of the mountain range to the predominantly indigenous adobe village of Santa Ana.
This is the gateway to the Yungas of Calilegua Cloud Forest (“Yungas” means “Warm valley” in Quechua). After the dry, desert-like cactus-peppered landscape of Humahuaca canyon, now we gradually descend 2,000m in altitude into the lush, sub-tropical vegetation of the Cloud Forest, taking photos of the extraordinary change in scenery along the way.
For hikers, there is a stretch of the Inca trail here which is easily accessible and outstanding for its excellent condition. (Outside Peru, Argentina has the most identifiable remains of Inca trail in South America, with 119km.) There are also some great hiking trails in Calilegua Cloud Forest, home to 3,000 different varieties of plant, 300 different types of birds and 100 different species of mammal.
NEW CIRCUIT: available April to December (outside rainy season)
This trip can be combined with EXPEDITION to the CLOUD FOREST for more hiking
Included
Local Tour Guide
Own Private Vehicle
Excluded
Food
Water
Accommodation
Things to know
Your Budget
Argentina has a parallel economy in which the official rate of the dollar is roughly half its real value. What that means is you need to leave your bank cards for emergencies and bring US$ or euros in cash which we can change into pesos for your everyday expenses. You’ll find Salta city is a lo...
Argentina has a parallel economy in which the official rate of the dollar is roughly half its real value. What that means is you need to leave your bank cards for emergencies and bring US$ or euros in cash which we can change into pesos for your everyday expenses. You’ll find Salta city is a lot cheaper than Buenos Aires, and your holiday in Argentina is even better value once we take you on the road on one of our trips. Read our guide to the "Blue Dollar" here.
Accommodation & Food
Double rooms at the privately owned B&Bs and small hotels we work with start from US$50 per night. You can eat well in some of the simple rustic places we use where you will be rubbing shoulders with the locals for less than US$10 per person. And splashing out on a three-course meal with wine in ...
Double rooms at the privately owned B&Bs and small hotels we work with start from US$50 per night. You can eat well in some of the simple rustic places we use where you will be rubbing shoulders with the locals for less than US$10 per person. And splashing out on a three-course meal with wine in a smart restaurant is unlikely to set you back more than US$50 for a couple.
Pricing
Headline price based on four people travelling together in one of our 4x4s with an English-speaking driver/guide.
Below are our DAILY rates PER PERSON excluding food and accommodation: valid to end 2023.
One person - US$350
Two people - US$200
Three people- US$150
Four people (one vehicle) - US$125
Four people (two vehicles) - US$200
Headline price based on four people travelling together in one of our 4x4s with an English-speaking driver/guide.
Below are our DAILY rates PER PERSON excluding food and accommodation: valid to end 2023.
One person - US$350
Two people - US$200
Three people- US$150
Four people (one vehicle) - US$125
Four people (two vehicles) - US$200
Group Size
We operate with comfortable 4x4s which can accommodate up to four people, but if you’re travelling with a larger group, please contact us and we will see what we can arrange.
We operate with comfortable 4x4s which can accommodate up to four people, but if you’re travelling with a larger group, please contact us and we will see what we can arrange.
Check Availability
More Experiences
Essential Humahuaca
Combine the highlights of the colourful Quebrada de Humahuaca with the other-wordly Salinas Grandes salt flats in the Argentina Altiplano.
Rich in indigenous culture and colonial history, the old trade route from Buenos Aires to Lima features the Seven Coloured Hill of Purmamarca, and Hornocal's lesser known sierra of Fourteen Colours.
A side-trip to appreciate the immensity of the Salinas Grandes salt flats makes this one of the most diverse two day trips available from Salta or San Salvador de Jujuy.
Click here to view map route.
Footsteps of the Conquistadores
A high altitude 4x4 adventure along the old colonial mining route: bringing you into close contact with the Altiplano wildlife of vicuña, flamingoes, and rhea.
This tour combines the must-see highlights of the UNESCO-protected Quebrada de Humahuaca with little-explored sections of the Argentine mountain plateau, close to the border with Bolivia.
Click here to view map route.