Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Argentina – Chile – Buenos Aires – Cafayate – Cachi – Salta – Purmamarca – Atacama – Santiago
100% customisable for you
Arrive in Buenos Aires following a direct 13-and-a-half-hour flight and transfer privately to Palermo for a two-night stay. This lively neighbourhood is known for its cobbled streets, independent boutiques, and easy mix of leafy parks, buzzing cafés and late-night energy. Your comfortable hotel features contemporary design and a small rooftop pool – welcome after a long flight or a warm afternoon exploring.
Buenos Aires feels both European and distinctly Argentine, with grand boulevards and Belle Epoque façades paired with Latin intensity. Explore barrio by barrio, from the elegant avenues of Recoleta – the little Paris of the city – to the colour-splashed concrete streets of La Boca.
One morning, discover the city through the eyes of a long-term local resident, who’ll tailor a walking route around your interests, share neighbourhood stories, everyday insights and addresses worth returning to. If you’d like to dive – or dance – further into porteno (Buenos Aires residents’) culture, we can also arrange an introduction to Argentine tango with a local host.
This morning, take a private transfer to the airport and catch a two-hour flight to Salta. On arrival, collect your hire car and begin the three-hour drive south through the Quebrada de las Conchas, where wind and water have carved striking red-rock formations into the valley walls – an easy, scenic introduction to Argentina’s north-west.
Your base for two nights is a traditional hacienda (large estate) set among Cafayate’s vineyards, a short walk from town. A relaxing place to return to after time on the road, evenings centre on regional cooking and high-altitude wines, with the option of spa treatments inspired by the surrounding vineyards.
Over the next couple of days, ride out on horseback into the Calchaqui Valleys, passing cactus-dotted hills and wide views towards Tolombon. Walk sections of the Quebrada de Cafayate, an accessible trail through canyons and wind-sculpted rock formations, or head east to Los Medanos, where rolling sand dunes create an unexpected desert scene. We can also arrange for you to visit a local winery for a tasting, offering further insight into the region’s distinctive Torrontes and Malbec grape varieties.
Your road trip continues today as you drive north for almost four hours to Cachi, set at over 7,500ft above sea level and often considered the prettiest village in the Calchaqui Valleys. Whitewashed adobe (mud brick) houses line cobbled streets around a pepper tree-shaded square, with the Nevado de Cachi mountain complex rising beyond. Visit the small archaeological museum for context on pre-Hispanic life in the region, including Inca ceramics and the remarkably well-preserved ‘Lady of Cachi’.
Stay overnight in the heart of the village in a characterful estancia-style property, complete with antique furnishings and modern comforts ensuring a good night’s sleep.
Another day, another destination. Today, drive for around three hours north-west to Salta, nicknamed Salta la Linda (‘Salta the Beautiful’) for its well-preserved colonial architecture. Explore on foot as much or as little as legs and energy allow: the 18th-century Cabildo, the Basilica of San Francisco, the San Bernardo Convent and the vibrant artisan market are all within walking distance of the main square.
Tonight, stay in a centrally located, colonial-style hotel, with restaurants and shops on your doorstep and a swimming pool for a relaxed end to the day. In the evening, we can arrange dinner at a traditional pena (rustic social gathering), where regional music and folklore bring the north-west’s cultural traditions to life.
This morning, leave Salta behind and drive for around three hours towards Purmamarca via San Antonio de los Cobres. The route through the Quebrada del Toro is one of the most dramatic in the north-west: think high-altitude valleys, cacti standing to attention and traces of pre-Columbian settlements, including the ruins of Tastil. En route, make a stop at the Salinas Grandes – a vast white salt flat at an altitude of over 11,400ft – for an otherworldly photoshoot.
Base yourselves for two nights in a charming hotel in Purmamarca, one of the region’s most traditional pueblos (small villages).
The village itself centres on a shaded square where artisans sell woven textiles and wood carvings beneath an ancient carob tree. From here, explore the UNESCO-listed Quebrada de Humahuaca: hike the Paseo de los Colorados (around one-and-a-half hours) in the late-afternoon light, stand beneath the mineral-striped rainbow palette of Cerro de los Siete Colores (Mountain of Seven Colours), or continue north to Tilcara’s Pucara fortress and the jagged, many-hued ridge of Hornocal.
After returning your trusty hire car at the end of the day, enjoy dinner at one of Purmamarca’s most characterful restaurants.
Wave goodbye to picturesque Purmamarca (and Argentina) as you drive into Chile, crossing the Jama Pass at over 13,000ft. It’s a long drive (around six hours), but it’s worth it for the shifting scenery alone: think vast altiplano plains, distant volcanoes and high desert light. On the Chilean side of the Jama Pass lies the Atacama, one of the driest places on Earth. The town of San Pedro appears as an oasis of adobe walls and shaded courtyards, its 17th-century church among the oldest in the country.
Your base for four nights is a welcoming desert lodge that blends in seamlessly with its surroundings. Shortly after arrival, meet an English-speaking guide over drinks for an introduction to the region.
Collect your hire car to explore at your own pace over the next few days. Drive through the moonlike dunes and rock formations of the Valle de la Luna , before continuing to the Puritama hot springs via the cactus-lined Guatin Gorge (cycling through the valley can also be arranged).
Further afield, head close – and high, at over 13,700ft – to the Argentine border for the famous salt flats Salar de Aguas Calientes and the iron-red formations of Piedras Rojas. Then, continue to the deep blue Miscanti and Miniques lagoons, where dusty-pink flamingos gather in the shallows and you might be lucky enough to spot vicunas and emus.
As night falls, all eyes in the Atacama Desert turn to the skies. With virtually no light pollution, the region provides some of the clearest night skies on the planet. Guided by a specialist, spend an evening using telescopes and observing constellations and distant galaxies (fuelled by plenty of hot drinks, of course). Dinner can also be arranged in the desert itself.
This morning, make the one-and-a-half-hour drive to Calama Airport and fly two hours south to Santiago. On arrival, transfer privately to your historic hotel in Bellavista, one of the capital’s most characterful neighbourhoods.
Santiago can appear restrained at first glance, but its vibrant energy soon becomes clear. Explore the historic centre and admire the colonial architecture, visit the Museum of Pre-Columbian Art and La Moneda Palace, or climb Santa Lucia Hill for views towards the Andes. La Chascona, Pablo Neruda’s former home, is one for literary buffs to check out, while Bellavista and Providencia offer relaxed evenings out.
Food is a distinct part of the city’s rhythm – compare Chilean empanadas with those sampled earlier in Argentina, and round out the evenings with a creamy pisco sour (or two).
Sadly, your epic trip across the Andes comes to an end today. Take a private transfer to the airport for your direct 14-and-a-half-hour flight home (overnight, with arrival the following day). As you take to the skies, enjoy one final bird’s-eye view of the Andes, and some fresh perspectives on Latin life and landscapes.
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
ENQUIRE NOW
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
ENQUIRE NOW
Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
