Most journeys to the Northwest fly into Salta and miss the country in between. This one comes overland from Chile, crossing the Andes under Aconcagua to Mendoza, and then follows the foot of the mountains north through a string of places few travellers see: the shrine of the Difunta Correa, the dinosaur country of Ischigualasto, the red canyon of Talampaya, the Inca ruins of Shincal, the citadel of Quilmes. Only then come the vineyards of Cafayate, the Calchaquí valleys and the Quebrada de Humahuaca, with Iguazú and Buenos Aires to close.
Day 1 · Santiago de Chile
Highlight · La Moneda, the Plaza de Armas and Santa Lucía hill, then across the river to Bellavista.
An afternoon tour of the historic and modern city: the Alameda, La Moneda palace, the Paseo Ahumada, the Plaza de Armas with its cathedral, Santa Lucía hill and, across the river, the artists' quarter of Bellavista.
Night · Santiago de Chile
Day 2 · Casablanca valley and Valparaíso
Highlight · The coloured houses of Valparaíso tumbling down the hills, and Neruda's La Sebastiana.
Forty-five minutes from Santiago, the Casablanca valley, one of Chile's great white-wine regions, for a visit and tasting at a family boutique winery. An hour on, Valparaíso, World Heritage port of coloured houses tumbling down the hills: the 21 de Mayo lookout, the Atkinson and Gervasoni promenades, the Alegre and Concepción hills, and La Sebastiana, one of Pablo Neruda's houses.
Night · Santiago de Chile
Day 3 · Across the Andes to Mendoza
Highlight · Aconcagua in view on the road over the Andes, then the rose garden of the San Martín park.
By road over the Andes, with Aconcagua in view, to Mendoza. In the afternoon, the city: the historic quarter, the San Francisco ruins, the San Martín park with its rose garden and lake, and the Cerro de la Gloria.
Night · Mendoza
Day 4 · Mendoza
Highlight · A winemaker's lesson in how to taste, in two wineries of the Mendoza oasis.
A morning with a winemaker in two wineries of the Mendoza oasis: the production, the cork, the glass, and how to taste.
Night · Mendoza
Day 5 · Vallecito and Valle Fértil
Highlight · The desert shrine of the Difunta Correa, credited by believers with miracles.
Drive · 408 km
North into San Juan. At Vallecito, the shrine of the Difunta Correa, the woman who died in the desert while her baby survived at her breast, and whom believers credit with miracles. Then on to San Agustín de Valle Fértil.
Night · Ischigualasto & Talampaya
Day 6 · Talampaya
Highlight · The narrow Shimpa canyon, 80 m deep and only 7 m wide.
The Talampaya national park, a UNESCO site: a canyon in the Sierra de los Tarjados with walls 150 m high and shapes named the Chimney, the Monk and the Cathedral, a botanical garden of carob, molle and chañar, and the narrow Shimpa canyon, 80 m deep and only 7 m wide. An afternoon at leisure in Villa Unión.
Night · Ischigualasto & Talampaya
Day 7 · Ischigualasto
Highlight · Condors over the top of Cerro Morado, above the white sandstone of the Valle de la Luna.
Walk · Submarine and Mushroom · 40 min · easy
Walk · Cerro Morado · 3 h
The white sandstone of Ischigualasto, the Valle de la Luna, the only place in Argentina where the Triassic is perfectly preserved: the visitor centre and its dinosaurs, an easy walk to the Submarine and the Mushroom, and a climb to the top of Cerro Morado, 1,748 m, with condors overhead.
Night · Ischigualasto & Talampaya
Day 8 · Cuesta de Miranda and El Shincal
Highlight · A square kilometre of Inca enclosures, lookouts, altars and platforms at El Shincal.
Over the Cuesta de Miranda to Chilecito in the Famatina valley, through vineyards and the old town of Londres, founded in 1558, to El Shincal, the largest Inca ruins in Argentina: a square kilometre of enclosures, lookouts, altars and platforms. The night is in Belén.
Night · Belén
Day 9 · The ruins of Quilmes and Cafayate
Highlight · The mountain fortress of the Quilmes, home to some 5,000 people around AD 1000.
North to the Quilmes, the people who resisted the Inca and held out against the Spanish: a mountain fortress of around AD 1000 that once housed some 5,000 people, with a museum at its foot. On to Cafayate.
Night · Cafayate
Day 10 · Quebrada de las Conchas and the wineries
Highlight · The Obelisk, the Window and the Castles, in layers of green, grey and red veined with gypsum.
The Quebrada de las Conchas, also called Yesera, with its Obelisk, Window and Castles in layers of green, grey and red, and white veins of gypsum. In the afternoon, the wineries of Cafayate.
Night · Cafayate
Day 11 · Quebrada de las Flechas to Cachi
Highlight · White sandstone blades folded almost vertical, up to 50 m high, in the natural monument of Angastaco.
Walk · Quebrada de las Flechas
Into the Calchaquí valley and a short walk among the white sandstone blades of the Quebrada de las Flechas, folded almost vertical and up to 50 m high, protected as the natural monument of Angastaco. Then Cachi, at the foot of the Nevado de Cachi.
Night · Cachi
Day 12 · Los Cardones and the Cuesta del Obispo to Salta
Highlight · Cactus up to 300 years old guarding the old Inca trail, then a thousand metres down to the Lerma valley.
Drive · 3 h
Walk · Los Cardones · 1 h 30
A walk at the edge of the Los Cardones national park, where cactus three metres tall and up to 300 years old guard the old Inca trail and the Valle Encantado, with views over the Cuesta del Obispo. Then down the gorge, a thousand metres of descent into the Lerma valley, and an afternoon walk through Salta, its squares, markets and colonial streets.
Night · Salta
Day 13 · The Quebrada de Humahuaca
Highlight · The Paleta del Pintor at Maimará, the Pucará of Tilcara and the church of Uquía.
An easy day on the road and long on culture: Purmamarca under the Cerro de los Siete Colores, the Paleta del Pintor at Maimará, the Pucará and museum of Tilcara, the Tropic of Capricorn, the church of Uquía, and Humahuaca with its craft market. Back to Salta.
Night · Salta
Day 14 · Salta to Iguazú
Highlight · The San Bernardo convent, the oldest building in Salta, and the cable car up the hill.
A morning walk through Salta: the main square, the church of San Francisco, the San Bernardo convent, the oldest building in the city, and the cable car up San Bernardo hill. Afternoon flight to Iguazú.
Night · Puerto Iguazú
Day 15 · The Argentine falls
Highlight · The walkway over the river to the Garganta del Diablo.
A full day on the Argentine side: the upper and lower trails, through the jungle and almost inside the falls, and the walkway over the river to the Garganta del Diablo.
Night · Puerto Iguazú
Day 16 · The Brazilian falls and Buenos Aires
Highlight · The panoramic walk on the Brazilian side, ending at the foot of the Garganta del Diablo.
Across the border for the panoramic walk on the Brazilian side, ending at the foot of the Garganta del Diablo, and a flight to Buenos Aires.
Night · Buenos Aires
Day 17 · Buenos Aires
Highlight · The neighbourhood milongas at night, away from the tourist circuit, where tango is danced for real.
The Plaza de Mayo and the Casa Rosada, the Avenida de Mayo and the Congress, La Boca and Recoleta, and in the evening, away from the tourist circuit, the neighbourhood milongas where tango is danced for real.
Night · Buenos Aires
Day 18 · Buenos Aires
Highlight · Departure from Buenos Aires at the end of the journey.
The journey ends in Buenos Aires.
