Highlights of Northern Argentina

Day 6, Molinos – Cachi
Today you are heading for Cachi. There’s the option to stop en route for a cookery class at a traditional restaurant. First walk through the kitchen garden to pick herbs and vegetables before learning how to cook a traditional stew, a staple of the local diet.

From here, continue through tiny villages where they weave cloth from llama and vicunya wool until you reach the picturesque town of Cachi. The main plaza is full of beautifully tended flower beds, and small cobbled lanes are lined with craft shops selling textiles and other souvenirs. Behind it all sits the snow-capped mountains of Nevado de Cachi, an impressive massif that reaches 6,380m and provides a spectacular backdrop to the town.

Day 7, Cachi
A fabulous hike this morning, on a path through quiet farmland with herds of cows and sheep and dotted with ancient remains of pre-Incan settlements. There are spectacular views of the 9 summits of the Cachi Massif throughout. If you are feeling brave, you can take a dip in the pool at the base of the falls, but the water here is snow-melt so it’s very cold!

The afternoon is free to explore Cachi. This is the heartland of one of Argentina’s main wine-producing areas, and the area around here is home to many vineyards; pop into a bodega (winery) for a taste.

Day 8, Cachi – Salta
Visit the National Park los Cardones, famous for its giant cacti (cardons). This is a vast plain, stretching in all directions and dotted with the cacti. Many guanacos live in the area and you will often see a group feeding on the grasses on the side of the road. There’s a wonderful valley hidden from the main road which is well worth exploring; we will give you details!

From here, return to the city of Salta.

Day 9, Salta – Purmamarca
Today you are heading up into the foothills of the Andes, towards the borders with Chile and Bolivia. Take the scenic route, passing through an area of thick virgin rainforest before the mountains start to appear.

Your base tonight is the pretty town of Purmamarca. Wander the streets of this quaint adobe town with its stunning backdrop and explore the colourful artisan market, one of the most vibrant in Argentina. You may also like to stroll along the Paseo de los Colorados loop, passing lunar landscapes, rock formations and look out points over the valley and multi-coloured hill.

Day 10, Humahuaca Valley
A fabulous day today, as you enjoy some of the best scenery that this region has to offer. Start at Hornochal, a view point from which you can see the Mountain of 14 Colours. As the name suggests, this is a ‘rainbow’ mountain, where the sides of the mountain are a wonderful artist’s palette of colour, from yellow to pink to purple to red.

You may also want to have a wander around the town of Humahuaca with its attractive central square and pleasant cafes.

In the afternoon, take an incredible hike through a nearby valley, dotted with giant cacti. The views over the red rock, sculpted by the wind into weird and wonderful shapes is very striking. It gets even better when the trail passes through a narrow gorge, the side shearing up above you in wonderful hues of orange and pink.

Day 11, Salinas Grande
Enjoy a relaxing morning in Purmamarca.

Later, a magnificent drive takes you over a high mountain pass, the road snaking up through rocky steep-sided mountains, dotted with cacti. Once over the pass, you can see the salt flats of Salinas Grande in the distance, stretching across the barren plain towards Chile.

Your destination this afternoon is a wonderful camp in the middle of the salt flats, where you will stay in exquisite bubble tents. There are extraordinary views over the endless white of the salt flats, the crystals forming large hexagons on the plains. This is an almost lunar landscape and you can explore this afternoon by e-bike or on foot. Later, find a beautiful spot and enjoy a drink as the sun sets behind the mountains beyond, casting a pink glow over the surrounding landscape.

Day 12, Salinas Grande – Salta
Rise early to watch the sun rise over the salt flats. After a leisurely breakfast you will have time for another brief walk or bike ride, before leaving the camp and returning to Salta. This is one of the oldest cities to be established in Argentina by the Spanish conquistadors.

This afternoon, visit the Mummy Museum, home to the Llullaillaco mummies – three Incan children who were found buried, but immaculately preserved, on the summit of a nearby volcano.

Day 13, Salta – Iguazu
Transfer to Salta airport for a flight to Puerto Iguazu.

Straddling the border between Brazil and Argentina, Iguazu Falls are undoubtedly one of the world’s greatest natural spectacles. Nothing can prepare you for its extraordinary immensity, a huge series of cascades that stretch 2.7km wide and as much as 82m high. The water thunders down across several different levels, throwing up a huge spray that gently falls on the surrounding jungle, creating a unique eco-system that is home to monkeys, anteaters, huge numbers of birds and even the elusive jaguar.

Day 14, Iguazu
You have an exciting day today, visiting some of the most spectacular parts of the national park on the Argentinian side. Take a train through the jungle and follow the walkways over the vast expanse of river to the mighty Devil’s Throat. The roar of the water and the great clouds of mist warn that you are approaching, and the sight of the giant whirlpools and the torrents of water pouring through the narrow clefts in the rock is truly awe-inspiring. Prepare to get wet!

Another highlight is the ‘Great Adventure’, an adrenalin boost of a boat ride, as you roar upriver to the base of the falls, getting right up close to the cascades, and completely drenched in the spray and the curtains of water that are thrown up by the rapids. You will barely hear your shrieks over the thunder of the water!

Throughout the day, keep your eyes peeled for friendly coatis, racoon-like animals that dart along the trails, and brightly coloured birds and butterflies that flit through the forest.

Day 15, Iguazu – Buenos Aires
Spend the morning exploring the Brazilian side of the falls. Although Argentina is home to a larger section of the falls, Brazil is where you can really get a sense of their size and majesty. The walking trail hugs the edge of the river, and offers a truly breath-taking panorama of the falls, all the way from the giant roiling cauldron of water that is the Devil’s Throat, over dozens of other individual cascades, and down the length of the river valley beyond. Although the trail is only just over a kilometre long, it takes half the day to walk it as the views just constantly get better and better! Your hike finishes beneath a particularly dramatic cascade, where you really get an incredible sense of the volume of water passing over the falls every second. You’ll get soaked to the skin here!

Later, take a flight back to Buenos Aires and transfer to a beautiful local estancia in the countryside outside the city. This is your base for your final night.

Day 16, Buenos Aires
Transfer to the airport for your flight home.