Wine and Mountains
Trip Highlights
A 4WD Trip Into The Heart Of The Andean Mountain Plateau
How was the Cono de Arita pyramid created?
Visit The Largest Salt Flat In The Argentine Altiplano
Description
A 4WD safari tour of the heart of Argentina’s Andean mountain plateau, combined with the Valles Calchaquies wine region.
It’s combined with a tour of the Valles Calchaquies wine region, where the white grape of Torrontes finds its best expression, and apart from the classic Argentine Malbec, you can also sample Tannat, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Wine lovers should see our Classic Wine route or Salta to Mendoza trip for more details on the sacred grape: either of those trips can be combined with this one.
Click here to view map route.
Tour info
Why take this tour?
From Salta city, we head south into the Valles Calchaquies over one or two days, gradually acclimatizing with overnights at close to 2,000m altitude before climbing into the very southern edge of Argentina’s mountain plateau nr Hualfin, Catamarca, where we rise gradually to nearly 4,000m altitude.
There is a complete change of landscape as we transition from the valley to the Altiplano: we are rewarded with views of snow-topped mountains and lagoons speckled with wild vicuña, the cameloids of the high mountain plateau. We arrive in El Peñon, an oasis of a town set in the middle of the plain, and a strategic jumping-off spot to visit the extraordinary lunar landscape of the Piedra Pomez (pumice stone) fields at the very southern edge of the Altiplano.
We can visit Laguna Grande, home to thousands of flamingoes during the breeding season of September to March and the pukara (fort) of La Alumbrera, built by the Belen tribe, dating from 1,000AD. This vantage point offers some great views of the lagoons, the Puna town of Antofagasta de la Sierra, and the mountains beyond.
We will visit the oasis town of Antofalla, then head on to the Cono de Arita Salt Pyramid, set like an island in the ocean of the biggest salt flat in Argentina, the Salar of Arizaro: from here it’s a short journey north with some breathtaking close up views of the Andes mountain range, onto Tolar Grande.
This old railway town in the shadow of the volcano of Llullaillaco is set in an extraordinary red rock landscape.
We return to Salta through the Desierto del Diablo, via the viaduct of La Polvorilla where the Tren a las Nubes (Train to the Clouds) finishes its journey, and the Quebrada del Toro: another complete change of landscape, where we can visit the pre-Inca ruins of Tastil.
Included
Local Tour Guide
Private Own 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 three 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
Headline price based on three 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
Group Size
This trip covers some very rough roads in the mountain plateau, so for safety and comfort we take a maximum of three passengers per vehicle. If you're travelling with a larger group, please contact us and we can try to accommodate you in two 4x4s.
This trip covers some very rough roads in the mountain plateau, so for safety and comfort we take a maximum of three passengers per vehicle. If you're travelling with a larger group, please contact us and we can try to accommodate you in two 4x4s.
Check Availability
More Experiences
Salt & Seven Colours
This trip combines the historic UNESCO site of the Quebrada de Humahuaca with the Salinas Grandes salt flats of the Altiplano mountain plateau.
We can often combine this trip with our Classic Wine route by taking the mountain pass of Abra el Acay, the highest road crossing in the world outside the Himalayas, at just under 5,000m altitude.
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.