3-Day Salta Tour: Cafayate, Humahuaca & Salinas Grandes

Wind-carved canyons, colonial towns and a salt flat the size of a small country

A 3-day tour from Salta through Argentina's northwest highlands, crossing the Quebrada de Humahuaca and the Calchaquí Valley to reach Cafayate, Purmamarca and Salinas Grandes. The itinerary includes the Quebrada de las Conchas with its natural formations (Devil's Throat, the Amphitheater, the Castles), a winery visit with wine tasting in Cafayate, the Hill of 7 Colors, Tilcara's Pucará fortress, and 45 minutes to an hour at the third-largest salt flat in Latin America. Air-conditioned vehicle, live guide in English or Spanish, and pickup from Salta are included. Lunch is your choice at each stop.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Tour Cafayate and Quebrada de las Conchas

• Travel Salta to Cafayate via Route 68
• Visit natural formations in Quebrada de las Conchas
• Tour winery and taste local wines
• Explore Cafayate city and have lunch
• Return to Salta with stops in Quebrada de las Conchas
• Technical stop at La Viña or Talapampa

Day 2: Explore Humahuaca and Surroundings

• Depart Salta to San Salvador de Jujuy
• Technical stops for bathroom and snacks
• Visit Hill of Seven Colors in Purmamarca
• Visit Tilcara and its Pucará fortress
• Visit village church and ceramics factory
• Photograph Painter's Palettes
• Photograph Tropic of Capricorn
• Two free hours in La Quebrada for lunch and tour
• Return to Salta with technical stops

Day 3: Visit Salinas Grandes and Purmamarca

• Depart Salta via RN 9 and RN 34 to Jujuy province
• Technical stop at Volcán
• Panoramic photo stop at Purmamarca
• Drive Cuesta de Lipán mountain road
• Explore Salinas Grandes salt flats
• Return to Purmamarca for free time and lunch
• Return to Salta with technical stops

The experience

The route starts in the Calchaquí Valley on the Wine Route, following National Road 68 south through the Quebrada de las Conchas. Wind and water erosion have carved more than ten named formations into the canyon walls: the Devil's Throat (a deep, narrow gorge), the Amphitheater (with natural acoustics), the Friar, the Obelisk, the Castles, each one a stop where you get out and walk among the colored rock. By afternoon you reach Cafayate, a town of single-story colonial and baroque houses built in the late 19th century, where you have two hours free to explore and eat lunch, then visit a winery to taste Torrontés, Malbec, Tannat or Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the surrounding vineyards. The return to Salta follows the same canyon road, stopping at any formations you missed on the way down.

Day two heads north from Salta into the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a ravine that cuts through the Andes. The first major stop is Purmamarca and the Hill of 7 Colors, a striped mountain that changes hue with the sun's angle. From there the tour moves to Tilcara to see the Pucará, a pre-Columbian fortress built high on a ridge, then to Uquia to visit a village church and a ceramics factory. Maimará offers a photographic stop at the Painter's Palettes, rock formations stained in layers of color. The town of Humahuaca itself, the largest settlement in the ravine, gets two free hours for lunch and walking its narrow, cobbled streets lined with adobe houses. You also pass the Tropic of Capricorn marker before heading back to Salta.

Day three takes you to Salinas Grandes, the third-largest salt flat in Latin America. The route climbs the Cuesta de Lipán, a winding high-altitude road that reaches 4,170 meters, where the landscape shifts to puna vegetation: green and brown scrub against bare rock. At Salinas Grandes you have 45 minutes to an hour to walk among the salt pools, pose for photos on the white expanse, and browse the salt restaurant. The return passes through Purmamarca again with two more hours to shop at the crafts market or rest before the drive back to Salta.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle for all three days.
• pickup from Salta.
• a live guide in English or Spanish.
• entrance to a winery with wine tasting in Cafayate.
• all fees and taxes.
• visits to Purmamarca, Tilcara's Pucará fortress, Uquia's ceramics factory, the Painter's Palettes in Maimará, the Tropic of Capricorn marker, and Salinas Grandes salt flat.
• two free hours in each town each day to have lunch and explore on your own.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

AgesAdult (4 and older) · Infant (under 4): free

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 6 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by La Quebrada Turismo

Is this one for you?Choose this three-day guided tour if you want to see the wine valley, highland towns, and salt flat in sequence without breaking the journey into separate trips.

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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: Infant (under 4): free.

What are the natural rock formations in the Quebrada de las Conchas that we'll see on day one?

The Quebrada de las Conchas holds more than ten named formations carved by wind and water erosion: the Devil's Throat (a deep, narrow canyon), the Amphitheater (with natural acoustics), the Friar, the Obelisk, the Castles, and others. Each is a stop where you get out and walk among the colored rock walls.

Do we visit a winery, and what wines are produced in Cafayate?

Yes, you visit a winery in Cafayate with a tasting included. The region is known for Torrontés, but also grows red grapes: Malbec, Tannat and Cabernet Sauvignon.

What is the Hill of 7 Colors in Purmamarca?

The Hill of 7 Colors is a striped mountain in Purmamarca whose colors shift with the sun's angle throughout the day. It's one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Quebrada de Humahuaca and you'll have time to photograph it and explore the town's cobbled streets and adobe houses.

How much time do we spend at Salinas Grandes, and what can we do there?

You have 45 minutes to an hour at Salinas Grandes, the third-largest salt flat in Latin America. You can walk among the salt pools, take photos on the white expanse, and visit the salt restaurant.

Is lunch included in the tour price?

Lunch is not included. At each town on each day, you have two free hours to choose where and what to eat, giving you flexibility to try local restaurants or pack your own food.