Scouting Northern Argentina - Iguazu Falls

Welcome to Buenos Aires!

Buenos Aires is known as the Paris of South America, a country that is defined by the sensuality and emotion of its tango dances, its great barbecues (“asados en parrilla” as they called it in Spanish) and the excessive love of its citizens for football.

Upon arrival, a transfer will be waiting to take you to your accommodation, where you can rest and recharge after a long journey. But do not wait long to walk through its streets and after a short break, venture out to discover the city.

Recommended activities

• Stroll through Puerto Madero. Take a romantic walk across the canal at Puente de la Mujer ("Puente de la Mujer") at sunset.
• Stop by the Teatro Colón, one of South America's premier opera houses, which is known worldwide for its incredible acoustics. The Colon's neoclassical façade has made it one of the most handsome buildings in Buenos Aires since its opening in 1908.
• Visit the Obelisco, which might be the city's most famous monument.
• Dine at a classic Argentine parrilla (steakhouse). When night falls, enjoy a thick, juicy steak (Argentina has some of the best beef in the world) drizzled with delicious chimichurri sauce.

Half-Day City Tour

The best way to enjoy and get to know a city is by walking. After breakfast we will take a 4-hour guided tour in English through the most relevant places in Buenos Aires.

Main attractions in this tour include:

• Plaza San Martín, which is located at the end of downtown's commercial pedestrian thruway, Florida Street.
• The Obelisco, a monument that sits at the nexus of the city where the 16 lanes of Ave. 9 de Julio cross bustling Corrientes Ave.
• Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires' main square and home to the Casa Rosada, Argentina's presidential palace. The famous "pink house" (as the presidential palace is colloquially known), is also rife with history.
• Metropolitan Cathedral is the principal Catholic church in the city and another historic building that also faces the Plaza de Mayo.
• Puerto Madero, whose shimmering office towers and central canal make this one of the sleekest neighbourhoods in the city.
• San Telmo, which is Buenos Aire’s oldest neighbourhood and boasts a vibrant tango and arts scene.
• La Boca is a well-preserved historic neighbourhood that is nearly as old as San Telmo. It is home to the colourful Caminito Street, a pedestrian zone teeming with old restaurants and tanguerías.
• Cementerio de Recoleta this sprawling cemetery is in the "old money" enclave of Barrio Recoleta. It is filled with the ornate mausoleums of famous, notable, and wealthy Argentines from throughout history. It also happens to be where Evita Perón is interned.

Welcome to Iguazu!

After breakfast, we will head to the airport to take a flight to Puerto Iguazu. The Iguazú Falls are the world's largest waterfall system, we will visit the Argentinian side. Upon arrival in Puerto Iguazú, you will be taken to your accommodation site.

The rest of the day will be at leisure. Take the chance to visit the Three Borders Landmark in the triple border between Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay and relish at the sight of the Iguazú Falls from the trails that line the waterfalls.

Iguazú National Park

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the entrance of Iguazú National Park, on the Argentine side of the falls. It is a full-day excursion that involves traversing three circuit routes around the falls, each offering exceptional vantage points from which to view this magnificent natural wonder.

The three circuit routes include:

• The upper circuit (1 hour), which features 2,624 feet (800 m) of catwalks. These walkways are elevated from the jungle surface so as not to disrupt the natural pathways used by the indigenous fauna. The circuit affords views of the upper portion of Iguazú; that means you will be treated to no shortage of panoramic vistas of the surrounding falls.
• The lower circuit (2 hours), which consists of 5,250 feet (1,600 m). These are also elevated and offer views from directly below and around Iguazú falls. This circuit takes you near the base of the falls and provides a unique experience where you will be up close with the natural surroundings, feeling the magnitude of the falls from up close.
• Devil’s Gorge (2 hours)enjoys an intimidating reputation that will precede your arrival to the park. This is the star of the show and the biggest of the some 275 falls that makeup Iguazú. A small tourist train leaves from within the park at the Cataratas Station and travels 18 minutes to Garganta Station, where you'll find restrooms, a snack bar, and the start of the wooden pathway to the falls. Then a walk of about 3,937 feet (1200 m) will take you over the river, culminating at a viewpoint. Just hearing the plunging falls reverberating in your ears is a one-of-a-kind experience. Peering 269 feet (82 m) down into the cavernous abyss as the highest of Iguazu's falls thunders all around you is downright unforgettable.

At the end of this tour, you return to your accommodation.

Welcome to Salta!

After breakfast, you will be taken to the airport for your flight to Salta where you will be met and transferred to your accommodation. The city is often referred to as Salta 'La Linda' (meaning Salta the beautiful) due to its well-preserved colonial architecture, circa 16th century, and year-round warm climate. In the afternoon you will take a guided city tour visiting Salta's most important buildings and churches.

Day at leisure. You will have free time to wander around the craft market and pick up traditional products from rugs to pottery. A traditional Argentinian dinner could be enjoyed in one of the many local restaurants.

Welcome to Cafayate!

The village of Cafayate, located in the middle of the Calchaquí Valley, is an area of ​​excellent conditions for the cultivation of the vine, which only rivals the area of Mendoza. Upon arrival you will visit one of the area's famed wineries and, of course, indulge in a tasting.

Your driver will pick you up at your accommodation and set out on a journey through the Lerma Valley, surrounded by tobacco fields and colonial villages reminiscent of German rural architecture. Next you get to the Quebrada del Río de las Conchas, where you will see curious rock formations (the result of erosion caused over time by wind and water).

Then, continue along the National Route 68, arriving in the village of Cafayate, which is internationally recognized for its wine production. The most popular varietal grown here is Torrontés, which you will get a chance to taste when you visit a regional winery. At the end of the day, you will return to Salta by the same route which you arrived; however, with the sun lower in the sky, the high-altitude landscapes will be more evocative.

Great Salt Flats Tour

This is a full day tour, and you will pick up at your place of accommodation after breakfast.

First, you will travel to the ruins of Tastil to arrive at San Antonio de Los Cobres. There, have a lunch break. Afterward, we drive until reaching Salinas Grandes or the Great Salt Flats, right on the border between Salta and Jujuy. There, we will have free time to take pictures and enjoy this unique natural environment, where the large extension of white salt contrasts with the blue of the sky.

Then, we start the descent down Cuesta de Lipán where we usually see condors. After that, we will visit the typical Purmamarca village and its Cerro de los Siete Colores.

In the evening, you will return to Salta with free time to enjoy the city at your own pace.

Quebrada de Humahuaca

Quebrada de Humahuaca follows the line of a major cultural route, the Camino Inca, along the spectacular valley of the Rio Grande, from its source in the cold high desert plateau of the High Andean lands to its confluence with the Rio Leone some 150 km to the south. The valley shows substantial evidence of its use as a major trade route over the past 10,000 years. It features visible traces of prehistoric hunter-gatherer communities, of the Inca Empire (15th to 16th centuries) and of the fight for independence in the 19th century.

Your tour of the area begins with an early morning pickup at your accommodation in Salta. The first place you will visit is the village of Purmamarca, where you will find the famous Cerro de Siete Colores (Hill of the Seven Colors), which is notable for its strata, which is seemingly "painted" various shades of red. Other notable sites in the village include the whitewashed Iglesia de Santa Rosa, and the artisanal craft market.

Then head a few miles north to the town of Tilcara and Pucará de Tilcara, the hilltop remains of a pre-historic fortress where you will visit a fascinating archeological museum. Next is Huacalera, located just north of the Tropic of Capricorn (a giant sundial marks the exact location). From here you will visit the tiny village of Uquía, which boasts one of the most impressive, whitewashed churches in the region, the Iglesia San Francisco de Paula, which was built in 1691. Inside you will find several paintings done in the Cusco style and featuring angels in 17th-century battle dress. Before lunch, you will arrive at the town of Humahuaca, which is denoted by its labyrinthine narrow streets, adobe houses, and its monument to independence, El Indio, done by sculptor Soto Avendaño.

After lunch, your tour will continue to the town of Maimará, notable for its haunting hillside cemetery and the brightly colored mountains that surround it. These are known as La Paleta del Pintor (The Painter's Palette). If time allows, we will return to Salta via the Abra de Santa Laura (a mountain path lined with subtropical vegetation), which is surrounded by stunning scenery, including Las Maderas Dam, and Campo Alegre reservoir.

The tour ends with a return to your hotel in the mid-evening.

Buenos Aires

After breakfast it is time to say goodbye to Salta and return to Buenos Aires. A transfer will take you to the airport to board a domestic flight to Buenos Aires. Once in Buenos Aires, you will be transferred to your accommodation. The rest of the day is free, so you can dedicate yourself to walking and visiting places of interest in the city that you did not have time to visit the first time.

Back Home

Eat one last breakfast in Buenos Aires, and at the appropriate time, drive the airport for your departing flight and head home after an unforgettable trip.