Tafí del Valle & Quilmes Ruins day tour from Tucumán

Spend a full day moving through 2,000 years of Andean history without arranging transport

A 10-hour day tour from San Miguel de Tucumán to Tafí del Valle and the Quilmes Ruins, with hotel pickup and a professional guide in Spanish or English. The route climbs through the Los Sosa River Gorge, stops at the Archaeological Reserve Los Menhires to see 50 types of standing stones dating back over 2,000 years, explores the Jesuit architecture of Tafí del Valle town, and ends at Quilmes: the last stronghold of indigenous resistance against Spanish conquest, which fell in 1667.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Tafí del Valle and Quilmes Ruins

• Hotel pick up in Tucumán
• Drive through Los Sosa River Gorge
• Visit Menhires Archaeological Reserve
• Explore Tafi del Valle city
• Visit Amaicha del Valle square
• Tour Quilmes Ruins with guide
• Return to Tucumán and hotel drop-off

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your Tucumán hotel and heads north on Route 307, climbing into the Los Sosa River Gorge as part of a natural reserve. Along the way you pass the monument El Indio, a landmark that signals the approach to the valley. The landscape shifts as you rise: the gorge opens into Tafí del Valle itself, where La Angostura Dam comes into view and the valley's green and brown slopes frame the route ahead.

At The Mollar, you walk the Archaeological Reserve Los Menhires: a collection of 50 different stone types carved and shaped over more than 2,000 years. The menhirs stand up to 3 meters high, carved with human faces, animal faces (mainly felines), geometric patterns and combinations of all three. After this stop, the tour moves into Tafí del Valle town itself, where Jesuit architecture from the first half of the eighteenth century still stands. You get free time here to walk at your own pace before the group continues south toward Amaicha del Valle and then to Quilmes.

Quilmes is the centerpiece: a sprawling pre-Hispanic complex where the last indigenous resistance to Spanish conquest held out until 1667. A guide walks you through the ruins and explains how 1,700 survivors were forced to walk to Buenos Aires after the final defeat, only 400 arrived. The Museo del Sitio, currently closed for restoration, normally displays artifacts from excavations on the site. The return to Tucumán follows the same route, with hotel drop-off concluding the day.

What’s included

• Professional guide in Spanish or English.
• hotel pickup from selected Tucumán hotels and return drop-off at the end of the day.

Options for this experience

2 options

Tafí and Quilmes tour in SpanishUp to 15 people · 08:00Spanish-speaking guide, pickup is included

Tafí and Quilmes tour in EnglishUp to 4 people · Guide in Spanish · 08:00English-speaking guide, pickup is included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to18h before

AgesAdult (7 and older) · Child (3 to 6 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 30

Live guideSpanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 7 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Tangol

Is this one for you?Choose the Spanish tour if your group speaks Spanish, or the English tour if you need interpretation: both cover the same sites and follow the same 10-hour route, so the language is your only decision point at checkout.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 6 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What are the Menhires at The Mollar and how old are they?

The Menhires are standing stones carved over more than 2,000 years ago, dating to the beginning of the Christian era. The Archaeological Reserve Los Menhires holds 50 different types of rock, each up to 3 meters high, carved with human faces, animal faces (mainly felines), geometric shapes and combinations of these designs.

What happened at Quilmes Ruins and why is it significant?

Quilmes was the last bastion of indigenous resistance against Spanish conquest in the region. The complex held out until 1667, when 1,700 survivors were forced to walk to Buenos Aires as prisoners: only 400 completed the journey. Your guide explains the site's role in this final chapter of pre-Hispanic resistance.

Does the tour include time to explore Tafí del Valle town on my own?

Yes, you have free time in Tafí del Valle to walk through the town at your own pace and see the well-preserved Jesuit architecture, with the oldest sections dating back to the first half of the eighteenth century.

What is the Los Sosa River Gorge and what will I see there?

The Los Sosa River Gorge is part of a natural reserve that the route climbs through on the way to Tafí del Valle. Along the drive through the gorge you'll see the landscape shift from the city into the valley, and you'll pass the monument El Indio as a landmark marking the approach.

How long is the full day tour and what time does it end?

The tour runs 10 hours total, including hotel pickup and drop-off in Tucumán. The itinerary covers the gorge drive, the Menhires stop, Tafí del Valle town, Amaicha del Valle and the Quilmes Ruins complex before returning to your hotel.