Cafayate wine tour from Salta: Quebrada de las Conchas

Sedimentary cliffs 65 million years old, tasted in wine.

A full-day guided tour from Salta to Cafayate follows National Route 68 south through tobacco towns, stops at the Quebrada de las Conchas nature reserve to walk among Devil's Throat and other rock formations, visits a winery for tastings of regional Torrontes, and leaves two hours in Cafayate for lunch and exploring the town. The guide speaks English and Spanish, the vehicle is air-conditioned, and pickup from your accommodation is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day tour from Salta to Cafayate

• Depart from Salta city center
• Breakfast at alfajores factory
• Visit Devil's Throat
• See Amphitheater, Toad, and Plasterer formations
• Tour winery and taste wines
• Lunch and tour Cafayate town
• Return to Salta and drop off

The Experience

The tour departs from central Salta and heads south on Route 68, passing through four tobacco towns before the first stop in Talapampa, a quiet village where you can rest and use facilities. From there the route continues to Germany, a former railway settlement founded by German immigrants where only five families remain—a place so small and removed from the modern world that stepping into it feels like a detour into another era. The real landscape begins just beyond: the Quebrada de las Conchas nature reserve, where sedimentary rock formations stand 65 million years old, layered and striped in shades of red, ochre and grey.

Walking through the reserve, you see Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diablo), the Amphitheater, the Toad and the Plaster formations—each one a different shape carved by water and time into the cliff face. The reserve holds fossil remains scattered across its archaeological and historical layers, visible in the rock itself. After a thorough exploration, the tour moves to one of Cafayate's wineries, where you taste traditional wines produced in the region, including Torrontes, and see how they are made. The winery visit is a working stop, not a museum: you stand where the wine is actually produced.

The tour leaves you two hours in the town of Cafayate itself—one hour for lunch at a restaurant of your choice, one hour to walk the streets and shops. Then the group meets and returns to Salta, where the driver drops you at your accommodation. The entire day runs twelve hours from pickup to return.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle with a live guide in English or Spanish.
• pickup from your Salta accommodation.
• breakfast stop at an alfajores factory.
• entry to the Quebrada de las Conchas nature reserve.
• winery visit with wine tasting for adults over 18.
• two hours in Cafayate for lunch and exploring the town.
• return transport to your accommodation.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Parada Norte Travel

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want a full day out of Salta with a guide handling the route and the stops—the twelve-hour itinerary, the geological formations and the winery are all arranged, so you show up and follow the day as it unfolds. It suits travelers who prefer not to drive themselves through unfamiliar terrain or navigate between stops.

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Top questions

What exactly is the Quebrada de las Conchas and what do you see there?

The Quebrada de las Conchas is a nature reserve filled with sedimentary rock formations that are 65 million years old. You walk among named formations like Devil's Throat, the Amphitheater, the Toad and the Plaster, all shaped by water erosion into distinct geological features. The reserve also holds fossil remains visible in the rock layers.

How much time do you spend in Cafayate itself?

You have two hours in Cafayate: one hour for lunch at a restaurant you choose, and one hour to walk around the town and visit shops or sites on your own.

What wines do you taste and where?

You visit one of Cafayate's working wineries where you taste traditional regional wines, including Torrontes, and watch how the wines are produced. The tasting is at the winery itself, not a separate tasting room.

Does the tour include breakfast?

The tour stops at an alfajores factory for breakfast and bathroom facilities early in the day, before heading into the Quebrada de las Conchas.

What language does the guide speak?

The guide speaks both English and Spanish, so you can follow the tour in either language.

Is this tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the tour is wheelchair accessible. All areas and surfaces are accessible, the vehicle is air-conditioned, and specialized infant seats are available if needed. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels.