Salta City Tour
Trip Highlights
Description
Salta is one of the best-preserved colonial cities in South America: with excellent museums, bars, restaurants, and nightlife.
We can organise a walking tour of three or four hours which will cover the main highlights of this pretty, laid-back city, starting in the classically Spanish colonial main square.
We also offer a longer tour in a car over four or five hours taking in the environs of Salta.
Tour info
We can pick you up direct from Salta airport or from your chosen hotel in the city.
Open in Google MapsWhy take this tour?
The best place to begin in most Spanish colonial cities is in the main square.
Apart from the fact that it’s the hub of daily life, with cafes, bars, and usually the old town hall and cathedral, everything you want to see in Salta radiates from here.
On the Plaza 9 de Julio, we’ll visit the Cathedral, and the old cabildo (town hall), and stroll a few blocks to the 17th century San Francisco church and the convent of San Bernardo. Along the way to the Guemes monument, commemorating the local hero from the War of Independence, we will point out some of our favourite shops selling artisan wares from all over north west Argentina. Apart from the leatherware and expertly crafted knives, typical of this part of Argentina are hand-weavings from llama wool, crafted carvings from cactus wood and religious icons which illustrate the blending of indigenous and Catholic belief.
There are two unmissable museums which you can visit in your own time: the MAAM High Altitude Mountain Museum and the Guemes museum just a couple of blocks away. We also offer a longer tour in a car over five or six hours taking in the environs of Salta including:
- The nearby leafy, sub-tropical summer retreat of San Lorenzo (an excellent spot for hiking)
- Campo Quijano: the gateway to the Andes, Campo Quijano developed in the 1920's as home to railway workers constructing the Tren a las Nubes or Train to the Clouds.
- La Caldera: see the imposing 18 metre high statue of Christ, visible for miles around: and explore the picturesque 18th century Jesuit church in this tranquil colonial town, which was once an important stop along the Camino Real (Royal road) from Lima to Buenos Aires.
For Salta city nightlife, Paseo Guemes has become the “Happy Hour” drinking venue: head there early (which in Argentina is 8pm!) to one of the many of the new pubs like Patagonia and La Birreria selling craft beer (cerveza artesenal): also in this street is one of our favourite steak houses, or parrilladas, El Charrúa.
When you tire of steak (if you ever do), try Ma Cuisine or Viracocha for a more global selection, and the high end Jose Balcarce, which offers Andean cuisine. Near the railway station is Balcarce street, which is still the best place to enjoy a traditional folk music peña.
And for a truly gourmet experience, we recommend the award-winning El Baqueano on top of San Bernardo hill: the previous incarnation in Buenos Aires was listed among the top 50 Latin American eating places for nine years running.
Included
English-speaking 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" .
Covid-19
Our tour company conforms to national guidelines on Covid-19. Social distancing of 1.5m is recommended, and the use of protective hand masks is mandatory in enclosed public areas. Within our vehicles (normally 4x4 pick-ups), we will provide masks and sanitizer, and temperature checks for travelle...
Our tour company conforms to national guidelines on Covid-19. Social distancing of 1.5m is recommended, and the use of protective hand masks is mandatory in enclosed public areas. Within our vehicles (normally 4x4 pick-ups), we will provide masks and sanitizer, and temperature checks for travellers during our trips. Transportation vehicles and all equipment are.
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
The City walking tour is US$50 per person.
The City walking tour is US$50 per person.