I sent an email to the tour operator only a couple weeks before arriving in Salta. Mateo from their company arranged 3 full day tours - even though one fell on a major holiday - the 200th anniversary of Argentina's independence!
He is clearly one of the most knowledgable travel agents we have ever used. The first day our tour took us to almost 14,000 feet - the viaduct where the train to the clouds travels. Being with him was so much better than a long bus ride and 20 km on the train!! He constantly checked on us to make sure we were not getting sick from the altitude. He adjusted our trip to stop and see everything, or just to take pictures. When we arrived back in Salta, he made sure we had great local food for dinner.
The second day, Mateo again arrived bright and early so that we could see all the little villages on our way to Cafayate. As we drove through the amazing views, Mariano knew exactly where to stop to avoid the crowds. He picked an amazing inn outside of the city for lunch, so that we would not fight the crowds. AND he was incredibly patient as we walked the mercado in search of a chess set!!
Our days in Salta and jujuy were wonderful and left us wanting more!!! We all highly recommend their travel agency, ask for Mateo and hold on for the ride!!!
Natural landmarks sightseeing
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Discover Salta and its surroundings from a whole new point of view! Experience the local flavors going on an exclusive wine tour to Cafayate. Then go for a 2 days excursion to Humahuaca and Iruya where you will have the best views of the Seven Colours Hill, while meeting the locals.
The Salta Deluxe package includes 4 night accommodation with breakfast in a 5-star hotel (3 nights in Salta & 1 in Iruya - 3 Star superior), and every transfers in/out and from/to the hotel
Natural landmarks sightseeing
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
A 10-Day trip in Argentina to discover not only the Capital City of Buenos Aires, but also the Northern cities of Puerto Iguazú and Salta. Start the trip visiting the beautiful city of Buenos Aires with its streets of European arqchitecture, fascinating culture and be captivated by some milonga or tango of the city
Waterfalls
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
1-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Buenos Aires, Puerto Iguazu, Igu
Buenos Aires, Puerto Iguazu, Iguazu Falls, Salta, Cafayate
The excursion to Cafayate consists on a full day trip to this incredible wine region, located in the middle of the Calchaquies Valleys. To get there, we will cross amazing mountain landscapes, which surprise by the curious rocky formations found there. The tour includes a visit to a winery
Explorer
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
If you love big landscapes, deserts, rock formations, volcanoes, geysers, remoteness and views that go on forever, then this is the trip for you. This was combined with very friendly people, local culture and good wine, making for one of the best trips I've ever had.
This was my first trip with Explore. (All the other members of the group had travelled multiple times with them). I would say the trip exceeded my expectations in every respect. Judging by the comments of the rest of the group, it was one of the best many of them had been on too. I have taken away memories that will last forever and met some wonderful people along the way.
There were six travellers in the group (all solo travellers) as well as Andres our guide, local guides and drivers. This was the first trip run on a new itinerary or at least one which Explore has not sold for a number of years. So in that respect our group were the guinea-pigs for the trip. I felt the group got on very well. I would say six was a good group size for the minibuses. It gave us room to spread out with our bags and snooze if needed on the longer journeys.
Itinerary:
The itinerary covers a lot of ground in a short space of time so is definitely full-on. However, overall, I thought it was well-paced with well-timed rest periods. Given that this was a new itinerary, there are a couple of "tweaks" I would make (mentioned below). However, they are minor changes only to what I found to be a well-rounded and balanced trip.
HIghlights for me included the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia. I loved the desert, lagoons, volcanoes, flamingoes, the salt hotel and of course, our meal with our wonderful Bolivian guides - which I'll never forget. Another highlight was the sunset and moonrise over the Atacama Desert near San Pedro. I felt the trip was a gift that kept on giving. Just when you had one experience which you thought could not be topped, along came another one. The trip was cleverly planned in that sense.
In terms of amendments, I would suggest the following:
HIgh altitude is a feature of this trip and perhaps needs to be emphasised and explained a little more fully in the trip notes so that travellers can take a view. However, for me, any discomfort was more than compensated for by the remoteness and beauty of the landscapes we saw.
I particularly loved Bolivia and perhaps Explore could consider adding that another day to this leg of the trip. This would allow more time to get to know this fantastic country and its people but would also allow more time to acclimatise.
We had a wonderful day in the wine region of Cafayate. Both wine and food were delicious and plentiful. However, I think we all felt the number of tours and tastings should be reduced a little to allow us to relax into one wine tour and the meal without worrying about time.
Guiding:
Andres was our Explore guide and I cannot speak highly enough of him. Most of the group had travelled extensively over the years with Explore and said that he was one of the best guides they had ever had. Andres was excellent in every respect - professional, knowledgeable, organised but relaxed and very person-centred, attending well to the different needs of the group. The trip ran very smoothly and to time. Andres paid close attention to detail, making small changes to the itinerary as needed, He found good places to eat, and timed visits to avoid any crowds in particularly popular places. As far as I am aware, there was one small logistical glitch during the whole trip. This was beyond Andres' control but he took it in his stride, dealt with it and it did not affect the group. Definitely 5* for Andres.
The local guides and drivers in each country were very friendly and efficient. I would say the guides in Argentina and Bolivia were particularly knowledgeable. The warmth and kindness shown to us was lovely. I would single out Wilbur in Bolivia for particular praise.
Accommodation:
Before the trip, I did not have particularly high expectations of the hotels, thinking that location would take priority over hotel standard and that budget hotels would be used to keep costs down. To a certain extent this proved to be the case. I would say in most places the standard was 3*. I found all of them were perfectly acceptable although some had variable hot water and wifi which is only to be expected really given the region. All hotels were very friendly and in a very good location. Some hotels stood out as having more character and better service than others. The Salt Hotel (Laguna Salada) on the Uyuni flats was something truly special. The stunning location, the hotel design and the friendliness of the staff there were something I will never forget. The Hotel Los Flamencos at the Laguna Hedionda was graded as "simple" and we warned to take warm sleepwear as it can get cold at night. However, I found the hotel to be warm and characterful and again, the location was stunning. Standing outside the hotel (albeit at about -5 degrees Celsius), watching the flamingos on the lagoon and the sun come up over the volcanoes behind was something truly memorable.
San Pedro de Atacama was the most touristy place we visited and I would say the hotel there reflected that. It felt a bit more generic than the others, although the barman was excellent and served some knockout Pisco sours.
Overall, I would give this trip 5* without hesitation. Unforgettable - in the best possible way. Any quibbles are very minor ones to me. I would highly recommend.
Sightseeing Tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
16-99 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Buenos Aires, San Pedro, Santiag
Buenos Aires, San Pedro, Santiago, Salta, Cafayate, Purmamarca, Tilcara, Tupiza, Uyuni, Incahuasi, San Pedro De Atacama
The excursion is a tour by two wineries of Cafayate that are positioned as ones of the best of the Calchaqui Valley. These could be San Pedro de Yacochuya & Piattelli Vineyards on the west and El Esteco & El Porvenir de los Andes on the east. The tour could not be complete if we do not visit the Museum of the Vine and Wine.
In each winery we do a tour by the facilities and a tasting of the best wine produced in the winery. The tour and the tasting are guided by a sommelier that explains the particularities of the wine, the vine and cellar as well
Explorer
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
This two week adventurous tour takes you through some of Argentina’s most beautiful and diverse landscapes. You’ll start your tour in Argentina’s never-sleeping capital city of Buenos Aires before heading right down into Patagonia, to Ushuaia and El Calafate, before heading north to the amazing Iguazú Falls. You’ll continue your Argentina odyssey exploring the colorful landscapes and native cultures around Salta and Jujuy in Argentina’s northern desert region. The package includes Transfers, Excursions & Accommodation
Sightseeing Tours
Tour Type
Small Group TourSmall group tours usually have 8-12 participants and maximum up to 18 travelers
Accommodation
Hotel
Age Range
1-79 yrs
Operated in
english
Destinations
Buenos Aires, Salta, Iguazu Fall
Buenos Aires, Salta, Iguazu Falls, Humahuaca, Cafayate, Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, El Calafate, Perito Moreno Glacier, Puerto Iguazu
