3-Day Tour from Salta: Cachi, Humahuaca & Salinas Grandes

Three days crossing high mountain passes and colonial towns in Argentina's northwest

A 3-day guided tour from Salta that loops through the Quebrada de Humahuaca, visiting the colonial town of Cachi, the landmark Hill of 7 Colors, Tilcara's Pucará fortress, and the vast Salinas Grandes salt flats. The tour includes entrance to Los Cardones National Park, air-conditioned transport, a live guide in English or Spanish, and pickup from your hotel. You have two free hours in each town to eat and explore on your own pace.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Visit Cachi and surrounding landscapes

• Depart Salta through Lerma Valley
• Stop at El Carril for break
• Visit Quebrada del Escoipe
• See Cuesta del Obispo and Valle Encantado
• Pass Piedra del Molino
• Cross Los Cardones National Park
• Visit grocers and pepper drying area
• Arrive in Cachi for lunch and tour
• Return to Salta with stop in Chicoana or El Carril

Day 2: Explore Humahuaca and nearby towns

• Depart Salta to San Salvador de Jujuy
• Technical stop for bathroom and snacks
• Visit Hill of 7 Colors in Purmamarca
• Visit Tilcara and Pucará fortress
• Visit village church and ceramics factory
• Free time in La Quebrada for lunch and tour
• Photograph Painter's Palettes
• Photograph Tropic of Capricorn
• Technical stop for bathroom and supplies
• Return to Salta with stops

Day 3: Discover Salinas Grandes and Purmamarca

• Depart Salta via RN 9 and RN 34
• Pass through Yala and Volcán with stop
• Stop for panoramic photo in Purmamarca
• Drive Cuesta de Lipán at 4,170 m
• Visit Salinas Grandes salt flats
• Return to Purmamarca for lunch and tour
• Return to Salta with stops

The experience

You leave Salta heading south through the Lerma Valley, then climb the Quebrada de Escoipe toward the Cuesta del Obispo: a steep, winding pass that rises to 3,400 meters. The road crosses Los Cardones National Park, where cardón cacti dot the mountainside, before dropping into the colonial town of Cachi. The town sits on narrow cobblestone streets lined with adobe houses and colonial facades. You get two hours free to walk the ten-by-ten-block center, eat regional food, and move at your own pace before the drive back to Salta.

Day two takes you northeast to the Humahuaca ravine, a long valley carved through the Andes that holds a string of small towns. Purmamarca sits below the Cerro de los Siete Colores, the Hill of 7 Colors, a striped mountain that shifts shade with the sun. Tilcara holds the Pucará, a high-altitude fortress built centuries ago. Uquia has a ceramics factory. The town of Humahuaca itself is the largest settlement in the ravine, and you have two free hours there to eat and wander before returning to Salta through the same mountain passes.

The third day heads to Salinas Grandes, the third-largest salt flat in Latin America. You climb the Cuesta de Lipán, a high mountain road that reaches 4,170 meters and opens onto the puna: the high plateau where the landscape turns sparse and vast. At Salinas Grandes you have 45 minutes to an hour to walk the salt pools, photograph the white expanse, and visit the salt restaurant. On the way back you stop in Purmamarca again for two hours, then drive south through the Quebrada de Humahuaca back to Salta. The guide speaks English or Spanish, and the vehicle is air-conditioned throughout.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned transport for all three days.
• entrance to Los Cardones National Park.
• a live guide in English or Spanish.
• hotel pickup in Salta.
• visits to Cachi, Purmamarca, Tilcara, Humahuaca, and Salinas Grandes.
• technical stops for restrooms and snacks along the way.

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

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by La Quebrada Turismo

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're arriving in Salta with three days to explore the mountains and want a guide to navigate the high passes and explain the towns. The fixed itinerary and shared group mean you travel with other visitors and follow a set schedule, which keeps the cost down and the logistics simple.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 4): free.

What is the Hill of 7 Colors in Purmamarca?

The Cerro de los Siete Colores is a striped mountain that overlooks the town of Purmamarca. Its colors shift throughout the day as the sun moves, and it is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Humahuaca ravine.

How much free time do I have to eat and explore in each town?

You get two free hours in Cachi on day one, two hours in Humahuaca on day two, and two hours in Purmamarca on day three to have lunch and walk around on your own. At Salinas Grandes you have 45 minutes to an hour to tour the salt flats.

What is Los Cardones National Park?

Los Cardones is a protected area of high desert crossed on the road to Cachi. It is named for the cardón cacti that grow there, and park entry is included in the tour.

Does the tour include meals?

Meals are not included, but you have free time in each town to choose where and what to eat. Lunch options are available in Cachi, Humahuaca, and Purmamarca.

What altitude will we reach?

The tour reaches 3,400 meters at Piedra del Molino on the way to Cachi, and 4,170 meters at the Cuesta de Lipán on the way to Salinas Grandes. The air-conditioned vehicle and frequent stops help with acclimatization.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes, pickup from your Salta hotel is included. The guide will confirm the time the day before departure.