DAY 01: Train to the Clouds and vuelta a las alturas (Quebrada del toro and salinas grandes)
The tour begins with the pick up around 6.30 am from your hotel located in downtown Salta. Our professional guide will pick us up in a 4x4 vehicle which will allow us to go to places that we could not visit with a bus.
When leaving the City of Salta, the route will be parallel to the train tracks of the Train to the Clouds, through the Quebrada del Toro where the landscape is a transition between thick vegetation and the appearance of the first cardones; We will observe the outstanding structures and maneuvers of the Train to the Clouds, such as the Viaduct of the bull, the zigzag Alisal and Chorrillo and we will know places like El Candado, El Golgotta and Alfarcito, communities that keep alive traditions of the native peoples of the zone.
Around 11.40 am, we will arrive at San Antonio de los Cobres, a town that is 168 km away. Of the capital of Salta and about 3,775 meters above sea level, at the foot of the Velvet Mountain. We will go to the train station and embark on the emblematic Train to the Clouds.
At 12 o`clock we will leave and start the journey that we were all waiting for. The landscapes that we can observe from the train will be unforgettable.
The train at its 35km per hour allows you to contemplate, photograph and experience the beauty of nature, stillness and immensity. On board is offered bar service, postal service and merchandising to make this trip an enjoyment and an unforgettable memory.
About 13 hours we will arrive to the Viaduct of Polvorilla, the most recognized image of this trip. With steel structures 223.5 meters in length, 1600 tonnes in weight, a height of 63 meters above ground level, it is the highest structure of the railway branch C-14, to more than 4200 m.s.n.m. Here we will uncover for 30 minutes to be able to tour the place and take incredible photos.
We get back on the train and start the return to San Antonio de los Cobres, arriving at the station at about 2:45 pm. Here we will have free time where we can tour the town and have lunch.
Once back in the vehicle, we will cross Route 40 until we reach the Salinas Grandes, right on the border between Salta and Jujuy. This salt flat extends over an area of 212 km² and forms a unique and unforgettable landscape.
Next we will begin the descent by the Cuesta de Lipán where condors and typical fauna of the place are usually seen; Around 5 pm, we will arrive at the typical town of Purmamarca and its Cerro de los Siete Colores.
NIGHT IN PURMAMARCA (Accommodation not included).
DAY 02: Purmamarca and Quebrada de Humahuaca
We will continue our trip at 10.30 am, touring with our guide the renowned town of Purmamarca, paying special attention to the Cerro de los Siete Colores. Then we will pass by the Posta de Hornillos, continuing towards the town of Tilcara. We will continue to Huacalera, passing through the Tropic of Capricorn, from where you can see the colors of the hill called the Pollera de la Colla.
We will visit the Church of Uquía, where are the paintings of the Arcabuceros Angels (important vestige in the area of the Cuzqueña school).
We will arrive to Humahuaca with its important Cathedral and the Independence Monument (El Indio), of this town its narrow and cobbled streets, worthy of walking , with its small houses of adobe conserving its historical touch.
Here we will have free time to have lunch (not included), then start our return, passing through the city of San Salvador de Jujuy, where we will visit the Hall of the Flag and the Cathedral Church, with its characteristic pulpit carved in wood and gold-plated and the statues of Lola Mora.
We will return to the city of Salta by the route arriving around 7 pm.