Salta City Tour

Name: Salta City Tour
Brand: Poncho Tours
Price: 50 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (4 reviews)

5 . 4 reviews verify

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Trip Highlights

Gourmet cuisine at El Baqueano

Salta city at nightfall

Salta's classic empanadas

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

Duration

3 hours

Group Size

1 to 4

Price starts at

$50

Languages

English, Spanish

Meeting Point

We can pick you up direct from Salta airport or from your chosen hotel in the city.

Dropoff location

Drop off at your hotel in Salta or directly at the airport.

Why 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.

Our 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, this town 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 Antares 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 Viracocha or Jose Balcarce, which offers Peruvian and 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

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$15 per person. And splashing out on a three-course meal with wine in ...

Pricing

The City walking tour is US$50 per person.

4 Reviews Verified

t h

26th April 2025

We travelled with Poncho Tours in northern Argentina to S. Pedro de Atacama. Nick was just the man we needed. He led us to all the highlights and also to insider places. He also responded very much to our wishes (before and during the tour) and designed a tailor-made route and also drove us everywhere with his large pick-up truck (we were 4 people and I was 2m tall). He knew an answer to everything and has us with Arg. Pesos helped out. Poncho Tours is highly recommended and if we come to this area again definitely again with Nick. Nick, thank you again. Many thanks also to your wife for the great city tour in Salta. The memory is still very much alive. Thomas

victoria N

14th March 2025

Ernst and Vicky, were looking for adventure in South America........ once a long journey! Argentina was special because we were very lucky to find Nick from Pancho Tours on the internet and Nick had time and understood what we wanted. A great tour around Salta up to the border to San Pedro the Atacama in Chile. This saved us from the e.g. T. nasty bus tours to Chile.Picked up at the airport we had a whole week exploring with Nick.Wonderful vineries with insider tips , Nick's favorite. We had no idea what to expect: From Cafayate, our first night, Colome (art and wine) Molinos, through Parque Nacional los Cardones, good wine and food, art, bad roads, most unpaved, much history of Nick about the area and geology. Continue the drive through forests of gigantic cacti and condors with a tea stop and student food Nick had with him until Salta. Salta sightseeing with Alica, Nick's lovely wife , great experience. The Museum of High Mountain Archaeology is a must.Then on to the mountains, colors, wine again, very friendly locals. At 4380 mtr. Altitude stayed at trucker camp, picnic in the desert (really something special) all organized by Nick. And the organization of crossing the border with Chile, complicated, we would never have managed like this. And at the end of this beautiful drive through the desert to San Pedro. We enjoyed every moment and thank God without rental car!!. It was like a trip with new friends. Danke Nick!Next time we have to go to Bolivia, of course with Nick and Pancho Tours.

Alexander P

22nd June 2015

При составлении планов и маршрутов Nick очень помог своими обширными знаниями об окрестностях и полезными сов...

При составлении планов и маршрутов Nick очень помог своими обширными знаниями об окрестностях и полезными советами,какие места особо выделить при осмотре достопримечательностей.

mintie46

24th April 2014

In March 2014 I spent 5 days touring the Salta region with Poncho Tours. I am a woman travelling alone and am in a wheelchair, unable to walk.Right from the initial contact with Nick nothing was any bother, and all my questions were instantly answered, the communication was friendly and professional all the way through.My guide was Jed who was like a good friend, kind, patient, knowledgeable and lots of fun to travel with - I felt totally comfortable right from the start. We had lots of laughs trying to work out the best way to get me around, and I am eternally grateful that he put up with a wheelybopper like me!I initially chose Poncho Tours because of the rave reviews on Tripadvisor, and I can only endorse what others have said - they are THE best company to book with. I highly recommend them.Many thanks to both Nick and Jed

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