This was a fantastic trip that lived up fully to its billing, as we saw many spectacular and varied landscapes and we sampled many gorgeous wines. The guide Lucia was very knowledgeable and helpful throughout. My only observation is that it was a hard trip in terms of several very long days travelling of 8 or more hours - over 12 hours on one day - which meant we rarely had the chance to relax and/or enjoy the hotel facilities (e.g. pools in most hotels).
The Trip Notes highlighted this but even so, after more than a dozen Explore trips previously which we thought prepared us for a lot of time on the road , we were still surprised. Essentially the trip was 12 full days and we thought it could have been stretched to 14 to cover the same itinerary - maybe an extra day in Cafayate and in Cachi?
Why for example, did we travel from Mendoza to Aconcagua (a brilliant trip) but then back to Mendoza (3 hours each way) on one day, only to retrace our steps almost all the way back to Aconcagua on the next day, on the way to the next stop? This retracing of the same route wasted 6 hours, or almost a full day? Why did we not go from Aconcagua directly to the next stop, instead of back to Mendoza?
In summary, this is a great tour, but we recommend you review the itinerary and through better planning and some extra time make it a more relaxing tour spread over over one or two more days.
Explore the vibrant cities of Salta and Cafayate, traverse the diverse landscapes of the Puna region and delve into the cultural wonders of Quebrada de Humahuaca with our 10-day partially guided Northern Argentina and Chile Tour.
On this tour, you will have the chance to cross the majestic Andes and explore the arid expanse of the Atacama Desert in Chile, marvel at the famous multicolored hills, serene lagoons and surreal geological formations and discover the desert’s stark beauty and vast open spaces that offer a stark contrast to the lush valleys of Argentina.
Please see our itinerary for more details.