Name: Wine and Mountains
Brand: Poncho Tours
Price: 900 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.9 (9 reviews)

Trip Highlights

How was the Cono de Arita pyramid created?

Unwinding in Colome vineyard

Visit The Largest Salt Flat In The Argentine Altiplano

Description

A 4x4 safari tour into the heart of the most remote areas of Argentina’s Andean mountain plateau, combined with the Valles Calchaquies wine region.

This high altitude Altiplano tour also includes the best of Salta 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

Duration

6 days

Group Size

1 to 3

Price starts at

$900

Languages

English, Spanish

Why take this tour?

From Salta city, we head south into the Valles Calchaquies over one or two days, acclimatizing with overnights at close to 2,000m altitude before climbing into the very southern edge of Argentina’s mountain plateau, where we rise gradually to nearly 4,000m altitude.

You will witness 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

Bilingual tour guide
Private tailor-made tour
Vehicle and guide costs

Excluded

Food
Accommodation
Wine tasting fees

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 ...

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 a smart restaurant is unlikely to set you back more than US$40 per person.

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 2024.

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 2024.

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 in good time and we will do our best to accommodate you in two 4x4s.

9 Reviews Verified

Celine H

7th February 2020

[17:39, 31/1/2020] montessoriceline: A veces, parece que la vida te pone piedras en el camino… Pero tú decides si estas piedras son para crear un muro imposible de pasar o un puente para alcanzar t...

[17:39, 31/1/2020] montessoriceline: A veces, parece que la vida te pone piedras en el camino… Pero tú decides si estas piedras son para crear un muro imposible de pasar o un puente para alcanzar tus sueños… Otras veces, la vida te regala hasta “ angeles” que con sus manos, su sonrisa, su ayuda creas puentes color arco Iris. Conocer a Nick y su mujer de Poncho Tour y compartir con ellos el viaje hacia la base del LLullaihuaco fue uno de esos momentos dónde la vida parecía regalarme el Cielo y el paraíso a la vez. Desde que tuve la oportunidad de visitar el museo de arqueología de alta montaña de Salta y conocer personalmente a los niños del volcán sagrado, no pude dejar de pensar en ellos. Hasta escribí un cuento sobre ellos. Pero sentía en mi alma la necesidad de regalar el cuento a la casa de los niños el “ APU” La montaña. Ir hasta Tolar Grande en sí es un desafío. Pero llegar al volcán lo es todavía más. Es lejos, alto, la ruta necesita un vehículo preparado… Pero cuando debe ser ES. Nick y su mujer se propusieron en llevarme. Y sinceramente, siento que tengo ahora un gran favor que devolver al Universo. Tengo gravado en mi alma, los paisajes lunares, donde el cielo y la Tierra se mezclan en una paleta de colores dignos de los mejores pintores. La mezcla de acentos entre el guía cacique Chileno, Nick con su acento Inglés, mi propio acento Francés y las dos damas argentinas con su propio tono formando con la ayuda del viento la melodía perfecta para esta película del viaje hacia los ancestros. Fue como estar una burbuja de algodón, sin espacio ni tiempo… Viajando en otra dimensión. Los olores de la Tierra seca, de las plantas aromáticas, de los animales salvajes eran como pepitas de oro despertando todos nuestros sentidos. Fue un viaje diferente. Un viaje sanador para el alma. Donde la calma de Nick, con la alegría de su mujer y las experiencia de nuestra amiga transformaron esos dos días de viaje en un tesoro que recordaré para siempre. Gracias PonchoTour por ayudarme a cumplir mi sueño.

ipuccis

25th August 2019

Mia moglie ed io lo scorso luglio abbiamo fatto un tour privato di 10 giorni attraverso la Puna con Poncho tours. Il tour, con un focus principalmente fotografico, è stato concordato inizialmente con...

Mia moglie ed io lo scorso luglio abbiamo fatto un tour privato di 10 giorni attraverso la Puna con Poncho tours. Il tour, con un focus principalmente fotografico, è stato concordato inizialmente con Nick. Tra le necessità espresse a Nick, c'era anche la possibilità di organizzare in diverse location delle sessioni notturne per effettuare delle foto delle stelle. Nick è stato estremamente disponibile venendo incontro alle nostre richieste nonostante le proibitive temperature che possono essere raggiunte di notte nella Puna.Mariano é stata la nostra guida, e non possiamo trovare delle parole sufficientemente adeguate per descrivere quanto sia stato superlativo. Viaggiamo molto, ma possiamo tranquillamente affermare che Mariano sia stato la migliore guida che abbiamo mai avuto: inglese perfetto, sempre preciso, gentile, con una grande conoscenza del posto, super disponibile (anche quando eravamo di notte, nel mezzo del nulla a -16 gradi a scattare foto delle stelle!). Insomma, Mariano non è stato solo una guida, ma anche un indimenticabile compagno di viaggio.In merito ai panorami, la Puna é veramente spettacolare ed estremamente selvaggia (molto meno turistica ad es. rispetto alla zona di San Pedro de Atacama e del salar de Uyuni che abbiamo visitato in precedenza): incredibili formazioni rocciose, gigantesche dune di sabbia a quasi 4000 metri, montagne dalle forme e dai colori assurdi, vulcani, passi a oltre 5000 metri, lama, alpaca, vigogna, lagune di splendidi colori e molto altro.Come accennato sopra, le temperature di notte possono essere molto rigide, ma durante il giorno, a quelle altitudini, il sole è molto forte e quindi la temperatura può essere più che gradevole.Le strutture / "alberghi" sono molto basiche e in alcuni posti può mancare l'elettricità e l'acqua calda (si ghiacciano le tubature di notte!). Ma sono piccoli inconvenienti che vale sicuramente la pena sopportare.Insomma, super consigliato!

Silgi79

6th September 2018

Insieme a due fantastici compagni di viaggio, Kelly e Rob, abbiamo fatto un viaggio di 6 giorni esplorando i fantastici paesaggi della Puna in Catamarca, un posto davvero remoto e strabiliante.Nick ha...

Insieme a due fantastici compagni di viaggio, Kelly e Rob, abbiamo fatto un viaggio di 6 giorni esplorando i fantastici paesaggi della Puna in Catamarca, un posto davvero remoto e strabiliante.Nick ha fatto tutto il possibile perche il nostro viaggio ci permettesse di vedere più paesaggi possibili, entrando a contatto con la vera realtà del posto. Le sistemazioni per la notte, sulla Puna, sono molto semplici e spartane, e andando in inverno è bene partire preparati per affrontare il freddo sia fuori che dentro le case!è un viaggio di avventura, consigliato per chi può spendere qualche giorno in più nel NOA e vuole comprendere il legame con la TERRA e la PACHAMAMA della gente di questo posto, fuori dai circuiti tradizionali.

Kelhut

2nd September 2018

We did a 6 day tour starting at Colomé, then through the Puna starting in Huaflin, El Peñon, Antofagasta and finally Tolar Grande. We were lucky to have Sylvia join us so there were three of us and...

We did a 6 day tour starting at Colomé, then through the Puna starting in Huaflin, El Peñon, Antofagasta and finally Tolar Grande. We were lucky to have Sylvia join us so there were three of us and Nick. It was an amazing trip with so many different sceneries and experiences. If you can stretch the budget to stay at Colome I’d definitely recommend it as the accommodation was beautiful. The rest of the trip the accommodation is very cheap and actually exceeded our expectations. Most were family homes that they have turned into Bed and Breakfasts and they were lovely and homely. Our highlight was Campo de Piedra Pómez which looked like the moon. Due to the snow we didn’t get to see the Cono de Arita but I’m sure it’s amazing! There is so much to see though over the trip. We really enjoyed Ojos del Mar in Tolar Grande. We enjoyed our daily picnics and Nicks detailed information about each destination. Nick was very thoughtful with snacks, tea and sweets for the Car journey. We had a fantastic trip and would highly recommend to anyone thinking of going to the Salta area. There are so many different Tours you can do, not just the one we did, although I’d highly recommit it. Thank you Nick.

Anne De Cocker

21st January 2018

My husband and I made a beautiful 5 weeks trip to Argentina last November. But the highlight was definitely our "Southern Altiplano tour" (Puna – North Argentina). This extraordinary trip would not...

My husband and I made a beautiful 5 weeks trip to Argentina last November. But the highlight was definitely our "Southern Altiplano tour" (Puna – North Argentina). This extraordinary trip would not have been possible without the expertise, professionalism and passion of our guide Nick. Nick, not only a perfect guide with the best knowledge of history and culture, but also a pleasant travel companion and friend. He took us to the most beautiful spots, breathtaking views, stopped everywhere we wanted for the ultimate best picture or just stand outside on some ridge and enjoy the mind-blowing terrain. And all of this in a very relax, pleasant atmosphere. He was excellent company, knowledgeable on all subjects, knew the ropes, spoke Spanish and was very caring. We can’t speak highly enough of the way he looked after us. Travelling with him is like having a friend showing you around his own neighbourhood - no pressure, always cordial, relaxed, informative and thoroughly enjoyable. Despite the fact that he has already made this trip several times, Nick remains as enthusiastic about it and enjoyed it with us. When he finally dropped us off in our hotel in Salta, we were tired but happy to have met Nick and grateful to him for enriching the North West leg of our Argentinian holiday in so many ways. If you are looking for someone who is kind, gracious, professional, multi-talented, fluent and an all-around GREAT person, Nick is the person to contact. Especially if you are looking for a tailor made adventure. Thank you so much Nick for this amazing experience ! We were so lucky to be part of it. Definitely a 6 stars experience ! Anne & Chris

OurEpicAdventur... A

13th May 2014

Nick Evans, the owner of Poncho Tours, was our private guide and driver for an 8-day journey through the region. I would say he’s worth his weight in gold, but after so much time in salt fields, it ...

Nick Evans, the owner of Poncho Tours, was our private guide and driver for an 8-day journey through the region. I would say he’s worth his weight in gold, but after so much time in salt fields, it may be apropos to say he’s salt of the earth! Nick is a British expat who is a rare combination of being super laid-back, detail-oriented in his planning, knowledgeable, and very endearing. He and his wife have a tour company (Poncho Tours) and B&B (Poncho Huasi) outside of Salta. Their tour company offers private and highly customized tours of the region. Their services in and of themselves are expensive for here, but we are so grateful for them.During the tour, we slept in a different place each night and sometimes travelled 300 kilometers a day on unpaved roads, so the car became our home base. Nick’s services include the vehicle and guiding, so you pay for accommodations and food separately. He had a constant stream of snacks available, stopped whenever we wanted to appreciate a roadside vista, found excellent places for us to go for short (and long) walks or explore, and was full of information about the geology, wildlife, and history. But the real bonus of having a private guide was being able to go to places we never could have gone otherwise. Several days, we were in places with no towns or places to buy food so Nick planned picnic lunches.

Edmund F

8th March 2014

Vi hadde bare noen få dager i Salta. Derfor ønsket vi bare en dagstur. Fant ingen tur som passet for oss på web-siden deres, så jeg sendte en mail. Fikk raskt svar med fire alternativer, alle like...

Vi hadde bare noen få dager i Salta. Derfor ønsket vi bare en dagstur. Fant ingen tur som passet for oss på web-siden deres, så jeg sendte en mail. Fikk raskt svar med fire alternativer, alle like spennende. Vi valgte turen opp til La Polvorilla, det høyeste punktet på togruten "Tren a las Nubes".Nick hentet oss på flyplassen i Salta og kjørte oss til hotellet. De har gratis transfer for de som skal på to-dagers tur eller lengre. Neste morgen kl 7:30 hentet guiden vår, Jed, oss på hotellet. Jed er fra New Zealand og er, som de aller fleste fra New Zealand, veldig hyggelig. På veien opp til La Polvorilla stoppet vi ved et privat lite museum. Artig. Videre oppover til passet Abra Blanca på 4080 m.o.h. Traff på en liten flokk med lamaer rett etter passet. Undertegnede jogget etter dem for å få et bra bilde. Lite lurt, det er litt snaut med oksygen. Var innom San Antonio de Los Cobres (gruveby) før vi kom til La Polvorilla. Hadde lunsj der, og så var det samme veien tilbake. Var innom en pre-Inka bosetning med en veldig hyggelig guide. Guiden snakket kun spansk, men Jed oversatte fortløpende.Kan absolutt anbefale Poncho Tours. Fra vi sendte første mail til Jed satte oss av ved hotellet i Salta, opplevde vi dem som gjennomført dyktige og vennlige.

Xcott

8th October 2012

有些行程不是旅行團辦得到，也絕非背包客摸索的出來，尤其是Salta到Jujuy這一類的高原探索！很慶幸，一路上有Nick帶路。我們在仙人掌的聚落、印加古...

有些行程不是旅行團辦得到，也絕非背包客摸索的出來，尤其是Salta到Jujuy這一類的高原探索！很慶幸，一路上有Nick帶路。我們在仙人掌的聚落、印加古遺跡野餐。在黃昏的高原上，追著燃燒般的夕陽入住特色的民宿野店。驚人的鹽湖、牧人的LAMA，彷彿走入夢境的沙漠，高原天外天。一路上，Nick對景點、路線及天色的安排，事後回想覺得真的妥當佈局。我們幾乎享受到邊城高原最精華的山景水色，野生動物的巧遇、小鎮聚落的特色，火山、鹽湖、沙漠...還有一路上的驚奇，延續一輩子的愉快的回憶。Nick像朋友一樣的帶路，或許他算不是那種會把客戶伺候的賓至如歸的嚮導，不過卻是最真實而誠懇的帶路人。路上一次輪胎破掉，他也心平氣和的解決，以行程圓滿為主，不會影響到隨行的氣氛。回來台灣快一週了！每天早上還會不由自主的懷念Nick帶我們到小鎮的商家，買蔬果、起司、臘肉，準備午餐的經驗呢！有幸一訪阿根廷安地斯高原，有Poncho Private Day Tours團隊帶路，讓行程增色不少！

jiaotze

8th October 2012

We traveled with Nick in late September for the better part of a week on a route that took us from Salta to Molinos, Cachi, San Antonio de Los Cobres, and Susques, including the Salinas Grandes. We ha...

We traveled with Nick in late September for the better part of a week on a route that took us from Salta to Molinos, Cachi, San Antonio de Los Cobres, and Susques, including the Salinas Grandes. We had the time of our lives on this journey. Nick was prompt, courteous and forthcoming from our initial contact, patiently suggesting possible routes that best corresponded to our desires, and we gradually narrowed down a route that we were happy with. Nick picked us up at the airport and shuttled us to our hotel in Salta the day before we started our trip. The journey itself, which focused on a wide variety of landscapes, was stupendous, with Nick just as excited about the trip as we were, especially when we spotted wildlife. He was pleased to stop where we wanted along the way and suggested great side trips, such as rarely seen Incan ruins, and places to stop to have lunch and to take in the amazing terrain. He was a cautious driver and we always felt we were in safe hands with him. While the trip itself was unbelievably rewarding, it was somewhat tiring, due to the amount of territory covered, the altitude (don't underestimate this factor), and the unpaved roads in many areas. This, however, added to the adventure and there isn't a thing we would change. Over the course of the five days we felt we made a new friend, and we would wholeheartedly recommend Nick and Poncho. We hope to have the opportunity to travel back to the region and take another trip with him.

Wine and Mountains

Trip Highlights

How was the Cono de Arita pyramid created?

Unwinding in Colome vineyard

Visit The Largest Salt Flat In The Argentine Altiplano

Description

Tour info

Why take this tour?

Included

Bilingual tour guide

Private tailor-made tour

Vehicle and guide costs

Excluded

Food

Accommodation

Wine tasting fees

Things to know

Accommodation & Food

Pricing

Group Size

9 Reviews Verified

Celine H

ipuccis

Silgi79

Kelhut

Anne De Cocker

OurEpicAdventur... A

Edmund F

Xcott

jiaotze

Check Availability
4.9 . 9 reviews

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Salt & Seven Colours

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Wine and Mountains

Trip Highlights

How was the Cono de Arita pyramid created?

Unwinding in Colome vineyard

Visit The Largest Salt Flat In The Argentine Altiplano

Description

Tour info

Why take this tour?

Included

Bilingual tour guide

Private tailor-made tour

Vehicle and guide costs

Excluded

Food

Accommodation

Wine tasting fees

Things to know

Accommodation & Food

Pricing

Group Size

9 Reviews <img style=" width: 18px;" src="https://ponchotours.com/wp-content/themes/gondola-wp/resources/assets/images/verify.png" alt="verify"> Verified

Celine H

ipuccis

Silgi79

Kelhut

Anne De Cocker

OurEpicAdventur... A

Edmund F

Xcott

jiaotze

Check Availability 4.9 . 9 reviews<img style="width: 16px; margin-left: 5px;" src="https://ponchotours.com/wp-content/themes/gondola-wp/resources/assets/images/verify.png" alt="verify">

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Salt & Seven Colours

Footsteps of the Conquistadores

9 Reviews Verified

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4.9 . 9 reviews

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