Day-by-day plans for 3, 5, and 7 days — organised to make the most of your time.
Four days covering the essential Northwest Argentina circuit — colonial city, rainbow mountains, and wine country.
Fly from Buenos Aires (2h). Afternoon: explore the Plaza 9 de Julio, the MAAM museum (Llullaillaco mummies), the colonial cathedral. Dinner at a traditional peña (folk music restaurant) with live music and empanadas saltenas — the region's distinctive cheese-and-potato filled pastry.
8am departure north on Ruta Nacional 9. First stop: Purmamarca village and the Cerro de los 7 Colores — the seven-colour mountain best seen in morning light. Continue to Tilcara for the Pucará de Tilcara pre-Columbian ruins. Lunch in Tilcara then continue to Humahuaca town — the colonial church and the Monumento a la Independencia. Return to Salta or overnight in Tilcara.
All-day circuit south of Salta along the spectacular Quebrada de las Conchas — 50km of red sandstone gorge with extraordinary rock formations (El Anfiteatro, El Sapo, Los Castillos) before arriving in Cafayate wine country. Visit 2–3 bodegas for Torrontés and Malbec tastings. Return along the same route at different light.
Full-day circuit via Ruta 52 over the Cuesta de Lipán mountain pass (4,170m) to the Salinas Grandes salt flat — striking white against the blue Altiplano sky. Return via Purmamarca. Afternoon flight back to Buenos Aires.