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.
The trip is incredible. The scenery varies every day and you'll ride on all possible terrains: sand, rock, gravel, tarmac and every day offers a lot of fun. The landscape of the Moon Valley in Chile is surreal and the Tatio geyser excursion is a stunning experience. Chile and Argentina are lovely countries; the areas visited still haven't been reached by mass tourism and you barely see any other tourists while travelling.
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
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
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.