Northern Argentina, Chile & Uyuni Salt Flats Adventure

• 2-day trip through the Calchaquí Valleys

We’ll pick you up from your hotel in Salta and leave behind the Lerma Valley to visit Laures and Escoipe, the first two gorges of this 12-hour excursion. The landscapes will still remain green, but colors will definitely begin to change when we approach the Cuesta del Obispo, the windiest and most spectacular road in this area. We’ll climb up to 11,000 feet high—get prepared to see the world from above!

This is the connective road to get to the high valleys, where the Calchaqui Valley wine region sits. We’ll see enormous cacti while passing through Los Cardones National Park on our way to Cachi, a famous village where Spanish and native traditions combine to form the most beautiful architecture.

In the afternoon, continue with your exploration of the valleys and reach the towns of Molinos and Angastaco, just before visiting Las Flechas Gorge, a special rocky formation that creates a labyrinth of sharp, high peaks. After going down its mysterious passages, we’ll get to Cafayate where we’ll spend the night.

Cafayate is one of the most popular destinations of the Calchaqui Valley wine region. Cafayate wine is renowned in Argentina, especially because of the star product of the region: the Torrontes wine.

• Visit wineries in Cafayate

Enjoy the end of the day in this picturesque town while sipping on a drink at sunset in the main square, or maybe a Malbec ice cream from a traditional gelato shop. Since there are many surrounding wineries, we thought that a visit to one or two of them could be interesting for you… so we’ve already scheduled it! According to weather and timetables, you will be able to partake in this memorable tour either on your arrival day or the day after.  

• Calchaquí Valley Excursion – Night in Salta

On the second day of this Calchaqui Valley adventure, you’ll leave Cafayate and be directly immersed into the forbidding universe of Las Conchas Gorge, where erosion has carved mysterious red shapes into the rocks. Get prepared to visit this Natural Reserve for about 5 hours, and enjoy the views of its colorful hills while you go down its red-tinted promontories and discover the most prominent rocky highlights: the Frog, the Obelisk, and the Castles.

The highlight of the day will be the Amphitheater and the famous Devil’s Throat. The amphitheater is a natural semicircular formation (65 feet high) and is home to intimate concerts performed by local artists. Get inside and check out the amazing acoustics by singing your favorite tune! Nearby, the Devil’s Throat awaits at the end of Las Conchas Gorge. Going down this particular rocky formation, you’ll feel as though you’re right in the belly of a giant!

At the end of the day, we’ll take you back to Salta. Enjoy the evening by eating an empanada salteña, a special variation of this classic Argentine dish.

• Full-day visit to Humahuaca Gorge  – Night in Jujuy

We’ll pick you up early in the morning and take you on a 12-hour adventure to Humahuaca Gorge, a famous UNESCO Heritage Site, another natural highlight of your adventure travel itinerary to South America. Humahuaca Gorge is home to a bunch of amazing natural monuments like the Hill of Seven Colors, the Pucará de Tilcara (a ramshackle, yet well-restored native fortress), and the Paleta del Pintor (Painter’s Palette) in Maimará village, another impressive multi-colored mountain range.

On your way to Humahuaca, you’ll see some peculiar paintings of the colonial period (called Pinturas Cuzqueñas) at the little Uquía Church, and finally, pass by the famous Tropic of Capricorn milestone.  Wander among their traditional houses and streets, and get a feel for the old-world languor that still survives in this setting. 

At the end of the day, we’ll drive you to your hotel in the traditional village of Purmamarca.

• Day at leisure – Optional trek to Los Colorados

Purmamarca, located at the base of Jujuy’s famed Hill of Seven Colors, is one of the most peaceful places to visit in the North of Argentina. It’s really easy to get around on foot, and the downtown is quite quaint.

For your free day in Purmamarca, we recommend that you take the 2-mile trek called Los Colorados, which will allow you to explore the Hill of Seven Colors up close and personal. This is an easy trek that you can start just a few minutes outside of town.

You’ll discover… imposing red-striped hills, a wind tunnel (hold on to your hat, the wind is really intense!) and other-worldly rocky structures that have been carved out by the wind. Take your time on this adventure; this is a stress-free spot.

• Bus to San Pedro de Atacama (Chile)

Early in the morning, you will make your way to the bus station and take the bus to San Pedro de Atacama.

During this 12-hour journey, you will cross the Andes through the “Paso de Jama”, one of the highest-altitude international passes in the world. What will you see during the trip? The natural solitude of the Altiplano and the winding road dropping behind the mountains.

You’ll finally reach San Pedro de Atacama, a small city of little adobe houses, unpaved streets, and cozy restaurants, which is the base to begin exploring one of Chile’s most spectacular environments. Transportation will be waiting to drive to your hotel and start an adventurous journey that involves multicolored moon-type landscapes, incredible geysers, and massive volcanoes! 

Say Hueque Tips

• What to do in San Pedro de Atacama?

San Pedro de Atacama is also one of the best places to stargaze worldwide. You’ll see the clearest skies of your life. Make sure you don’t waste the opportunity… get out there and chase some starlight!

• Half-day Moon Valley tour

Today, we’ll pick you up from your hotel to depart on a 4-hour adventure in the Valle de la Luna (Moon Valley); an out-of-this-world place. Driving straight into the desert, we’ll start noticing mysterious forms of salt and clay as we get closer to the “Three Marias”. These statues are the female guardians of this cosmic desert, so don’t forget to bow and make a wish to them before you continue. The Atacama Desert is one of the world’s driest and most hostile zones.

After this first encounter, take a winding, hidden path to the Salt Caves, and discover the peculiar salt gemstones that have formed over centuries from the lack of humidity and the altitude of this zone. The highlight of your adventure will appear at sunset when all the colors of this incredible landscape change their palette.

The forbidding Licancabur Volcano will turn pink while the valley awaits the rise of its lunar mother. After the excursion, you will be dropped off in downtown Atacama, and from there you can make your way back to your hotel on your own.

• Half-day Tatio Geysers and Machuca 

This morning, you’ll visit another highlight of the Atacama region: Geysers del Tatio. First, you will travel to where the crevices of the Earth exhale their millenary breath. At about 4 a.m., we’ll pick you up to take you 60 miles away from San Pedro de Atacama into the Andes for an 8-hour trip to see the geothermal field of Geysers del Tatio (the highest in the world).

Here, you’ll see 40 geysers and 70 hot springs fighting against the super low temperatures of the first morning hours (their waters can reach up to 185 °F). Take the most impressive photos, swim in the Tatio Spring’s rich mineral waters, and enjoy a complete breakfast with this magnificent backdrop.

On your way back, visit the quaint village of Machuca (at 13,000 f.a.s.l), with barely 20 adobe houses and a traditional church that locals visit daily to ask the Virgin to give them water. This is the perfect opportunity to get closer to the mountain culture of the region, and to try one of the best sopaipillas in Chile (a fried tortilla)! 

At the end of the experience, we’ll drive you back to San Pedro de Atacama for lunchtime.

• 3-day tour to Bolivia – Uyuni Salt Flats 

Few people are prepared to live a true adventure in South America. During this 3-day trip to Uyuni Salt Flats, you will live more than one, guaranteed! The journey to Uyuni is different than anything you might have experienced before. Why? There are a few reasons; shimmering salt flats stretching as far as the eye can see, pink flamingos living in the highest lake on Earth, colossal volcanos, and multi-colored waters — see what we mean?

In the early morning, we’ll pick you up from your hotel to start a 10-hour trip in which you’ll cross borders and have your first glimpses of some jaw-dropping Bolivian landscapes. We’ll pass through Chile and Bolivia immigration offices and, once on the Bolivian side and at 14,435 feet above sea level, you will change transportation to a 4WD jeep with a maximum capacity of 6 people.

On the first day, you’ll visit the National Park Eduardo Avaroa and see the Bolivian high plain,  Laguna Verde, and Laguna Blanca (Green and White Lagoons), all lying at the base of the enormous Licancabur Volcano. The next stop will be the aptly named ‘Dali Desert’ (or Valley), a part of the larger Siloli Desert. If you thought nature was already surrealistic in Bolivia, get prepared for all of your expectations to be blown away. 

Locals named this valley after some of Salvador Dali’s masterpieces which picture similar landscapes: unexpectedly-shaped rocky formations isolated on a 15,600-foot sandy plain. What you must look out for in the Dali Desert is the Árbol de Piedra (Tree Stone), a volcanic rock formation that is an impressionable example of nature’s artwork.

You’ll be amazed by the thermal water pools (or “foreigners soup” as locals jokingly call it), and the Sol de Mañana geysers, which are intermittent explosions of underground water coming up at 194º F.

The journey ends at Laguna Colorada (Red Lagoon, named after the red algae that grow beneath the waters), the main nesting center for more than 30,000 flamingos of 3 different species, as well as alpacas which graze nearby. These places are located at an average height of  14,764 feet above sea level, and it is probable that you will spot native flora and fauna including flamingos, vicuñas, and other animals.

Say Hueque Tips

Things to take into account

• You’ll spend the night in a basic shelter, consisting of shared rooms for 6 people each. Please note, since you will be visiting a remote and less-developed area, the accommodation is simple. It is important that you bring a sleeping bag to spend the night, especially during the months of June, July, August, and September (they can also be rented upon arrival).

• This day you will be crossing the border between Chile and Bolivia. Please note that Bolivia requests the certificate of a yellow fever vaccine to enter the country and a visa for citizens of some countries.  Please, check if you need these requirements before traveling. You can apply for a travel visa at your home country’s Consulate

• Visit to Siloli Desert and the Salt Hotel

Welcome to the second day of your Bolivia adventure! You will have an 8-hour excursion to visit the Siloli Desert, surrounded by the great Uyuni Salt Flats and some colorful lagoons. Keep on exploring the rock formations carved by wind erosion and hit the next circuit of colored high plain lagoons, Laguna Honda and Cañapa, with their brackish and gleaming waters.

Take a moment to admire the particular vegetation of the coastline; its teal-colored waters where the great Caquena, Tapaquillcha, and Cañapa volcanoes reflect their images. You’ll be able to see flamingos here, but remember that they are very sensitive animals, so please don’t feed them, and try to take pictures from afar.

Afterward, we will continue to Chiguana salt flat, which is crossed by a railway that is still in use, and continue to the town of San Juan, a one-street village where little more than its adobe church and graveyard can be found. Sitting nearby is your special accommodation for the night, the Salt Hotel, and this is not just a symbolic name. In this hotel, most of the facilities are made of salt; salt tables, salt chairs, and salt couches. Enjoy a hot shower and a mineral-filled, restful sleep.

• Uyuni Salt Flats and transfer to the village of Villa Mar

Today we’ll take on the Bolivian highlight of this adventure travel itinerary to South America: the great Uyuni Salt Flats. We’ll depart bright and early in the morning to start our 6-hour outing. First, we’ll take a general tour around the widest (6,575 miles) and highest (11,975 feet above sea level) gleaming salt flats in the world. Come to grips with this open and endless space.

Challenge your eyes: sky and earth will seem to merge on the horizon during the rainy season (November-March) when the endless brackish desert floods. But don’t worry, the salt always glistens brilliantly during the dry season too — no matter the time of year, you’re sure to see a natural spectacle that’s hard to forget.

The expedition will continue towards Isla Incahuasi, the island amid salt flats, which is the perfect place to catch a spectacular sunrise. Then, it’s time to test out your modeling skills for the famous perspective photos every traveler comes to get. It’s always a funny and creative moment for everyone, and a good souvenir to take back home.

We’ll continue on our way towards the eyes of the salt flats (two perfectly round pools) before heading to the town of Colchani, located at the limits of the Uyuni Salt Flats,  where you can buy local handcrafts. The day will finish in a mystical place; a train cemetery. Covered in piles of abandoned train bodywork, this will be the best scenery for the final pictures of this adventurous journey. From here, you will head to the tranquil Uyuni City, where you will arrive in the late afternoon and have time to explore.

Say goodbye to Bolivia! We’ll drive you back across the border and after 4 hours we’ll reach Villa Mar, a small village where you’ll spend the night.

• Transfer from Villa Mar to San Pedro de Atacama – Day at leisure

Today, we’ll drive you back to San Pedro de Atacama, where you’ll arrive around midday and have the rest of the afternoon to relax. Enjoy the evening eating a pastel de choclo (a corn cake) at one of the classic restaurants on Caracoles Street (the main road), or maybe buy some artesanías (handcrafted souvenirs) at the market. Be bold in this secluded corner of the globe, and mingle with locals on the unpaved roads.

• Transfer to Calama airport

Today we’ll drive you to Calama airport for your flight to Santiago, the bustling capital of Chile. 

• Transfer from Santiago airport to your hotel – Day at leisure

Upon arrival, we’ll pick you up from the airport and take you to the city. Tour Santiago de Chile at your own pace!

Located between the Andes Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, this modern city offers all kinds of attractions for curious travelers. From different viewpoints in the city, you can see the natural beauty surrounding Santiago; the snow-capped mountains, and the beautiful Valle del Maipo, where the best Chilean wine is produced.

Santiago de Chile is known as the home of Pisco Sour, the beautiful Santa Lucia Hill, and the “Sanhattan” district, which is a stylish fusion between Manhattan and Santiago; heaven on earth for enthusiastic shoppers.  

Say Hueque Tips

• What can you do on your first day wandering Santiago?

Enjoy your first evening in the city by visiting a museum in the Bellavista district which used to be the home of Pablo Neruda, a famous Chilean writer, and then wander the streets of Bellavista, the most bohemian and colorful district in Santiago, passing by traditional cafes, restaurants and pubs.

• Transfer from your hotel to the airport

Time to go home, but not empty-handed! At the appropriate time, we’ll take you to the airport to take your flight back home.

Is there still a place that you missed visiting? Maybe a traditional dish you couldn’t taste, or a hill you couldn’t hike? Don’t fret… because we have many more travel itineraries that are ready for your next travel adventure in South America. Read about it all!