Itinerary · 7 days
Seven days in Salta and Jujuy
The classic first trip to the Northwest — the Calchaquí Valleys loop, then north through the Quebrada de Humahuaca to the salt flats.
By Visit NOA Editors ·
Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0
This route works best with a rental car, starting and ending in Salta. Distances look short on the map, but mountain roads are slow and partly unpaved: the plan below leaves time to stop.
Day 1 — Salta
Arrive, settle in and walk the colonial centre around Plaza 9 de Julio. Visit the Museum of High Mountain Archaeology and finish at a peña.
Day 2 — Salta to Cachi
Drive Route 33 over the Cuesta del Obispo and through Los Cardones National Park. Spend the late afternoon in Cachi.
Day 3 — Cachi to Cafayate
Follow Route 40 south through the Calchaquí Valleys, a largely unpaved road past adobe hamlets and the Quebrada de las Flechas. Arrive in Cafayate for a late wine tasting.
Day 4 — Cafayate to Salta
Return north through the Quebrada de las Conchas in the morning light, then continue to Salta.
Day 5 — Salta to Purmamarca
Head north into Jujuy and the Quebrada de Humahuaca. See the Cerro de los Siete Colores at sunset.
Day 6 — Salinas Grandes and Tilcara
Cross the Cuesta de Lipán to Salinas Grandes in the morning, return to the Quebrada and continue to Tilcara.
Day 7 — Humahuaca and back
Visit Humahuaca, and if time allows the Hornocal viewpoint, before the drive back to Salta or Jujuy airport.