2-day Salta tour: Cachi, Los Cardones & Humahuaca Ravine

Two days crossing mountain passes, cardón forests and a World Heritage ravine

A 2-day tour from Salta covering the Cuesta del Obispo mountain pass, Los Cardones National Park and the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Day one heads west to Cachi through giant cardón cactus forests. Day two explores the ravine's towns of Purmamarca, Tilcara and Humahuaca. Hotel pickup both mornings, air-conditioned vehicle, and a live guide in English or Spanish are included. Meals and gratuities are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Cachi and Cardones National Park

• Pick up passengers from accommodation
• Breakfast and bathroom stop
• Photo stop at Bishop's slope
• Photo stop at St. Raphael Chapel and millstone
• Visit Los Cardones National Park
• Stop at famous speciero for seasonings
• Tour Cachi village and have lunch
• Technical stop for snacks and toilets
• Drop off passengers at accommodation in Salta

Day 2: Humahuaca and Surrounding Villages

• Pick up passengers from accommodation
• Breakfast and bathroom stop
• Visit Purmamarca village
• Visit Tilcara village
• Tour Humahuaca village and optional Hornocal climb
• Photo stop at Tropic of Capricorn
• Photo stop at painter's palette
• Bathroom stop
• Drop off passengers at accommodation

The experience

The first day starts with pickup from your accommodation around 7 am, heading toward Cachi along a route that climbs the Cuesta del Obispo. You'll stop for photos at the mountain pass itself, then at the St. Raphael Chapel before entering Los Cardones National Park, the second largest cardón cactus forest in the world. The landscape here is stark and sculptural: towering columnar cacti against bare rock. A stop at a local spice shop lets you see what grows and trades in the region before you arrive in Cachi itself, a small mountain village where you have time to walk around and eat lunch on your own.

Day two departs earlier, around 6:30 am, and moves east into the Quebrada de Humahuaca ravine. The route passes through Purmamarca and Tilcara, two towns built into the valley floor, with photo stops at the Tropic of Capricorn marker and the Paleta del Pintor (Painter's Palette), a hillside striped with mineral colors. You reach Humahuaca with free time to explore the town and have lunch. From there, climbing to Hornocal, the Hill of Fourteen Colors, is optional and on your own. The tour ends with a final bathroom stop before dropping you back at your accommodation.

Both days run on a fixed schedule that keeps the vehicle moving between sites, so you see the major stops without spending full hours at any one place. The guide speaks English or Spanish depending on the group. Breakfast and lunch are your responsibility, though the itinerary builds in time to find food in the towns you visit.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle for both days.
• live guide in English or Spanish.
• hotel pickup and drop-off each morning.
• photo stops at the Cuesta del Obispo, St. Raphael Chapel, Los Cardones National Park and the Painter's Palette.
• time to explore Cachi and Humahuaca on your own.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:30

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (under 12)

GroupUp to 23

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Parada Norte Travel

Is this one for you?Two days is long enough to cross two distinct landscapes (the cardón forests and the ravine), but short enough to fit into a longer Salta trip without committing to a week. The fixed schedule means you see the major sites without spending hours at any one place, though it also means you follow the group's pace and timing at each stop.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 12).

What is Los Cardones National Park like when you get there?

Los Cardones is the second largest cardón cactus forest in the world, covering a high-altitude plateau with towering columnar cacti rising from bare rock and sparse scrub. You stop to see it on day one as part of the drive to Cachi, taking in the scale and the otherworldly landscape without a long hike.

Can I climb Hornocal, the Hill of Fourteen Colors, on this tour?

Hornocal is optional and on your own time. You reach Humahuaca on day two with free time to explore the town and eat lunch, and the climb is available if you want to do it then, but it's not part of the guided itinerary and you'd need to arrange your own transport or hike from town.

Does the tour include meals?

Meals are not included. The itinerary builds in time to eat in Cachi on day one and in Humahuaca on day two, so you choose where and what to eat in those towns. Breakfast stops are technical stops only, though you can buy snacks.

What time does pickup happen each morning?

Day one pickup is around 7 am from your accommodation in Salta. Day two pickup is around 6:30 am. Both times are approximate and depend on where you're staying in the city.

Is the Cuesta del Obispo mountain pass difficult to drive?

The Cuesta del Obispo is a steep mountain pass that you cross on the way to Cachi, but you're riding in an air-conditioned vehicle, not driving or hiking it. The tour stops for photos at the pass itself so you can see the landscape and the road behind you.