Overview

Spiritually and culturally closer to the neighbouring Andean countries than the rest of Argentina, the remote northwest provinces have loads of attractions for visitors. These range from snow-dipped peaks and arid, rust red canyons to lush forests, pre-Columbian ruins, lonely lime-washed chapels and a necklet of baroque colonial towns. The sunlit slopes are cloaked with vineyards, and everywhere there’s a warm welcome from the local people, many of whom have indian roots. At 1,200m above sea level, Salta is a delightful base for exploration of the region with a sumptuous cathedral, palm-shaded plazas and a cable car lift for views over the fertile countryside.

Beyond Salta, high in the rarefied air of the Atacama desert, is the puna, an extraordinary landscape of yawning pearl-white salt flats,flanked by bald ochre mountains, moon-like fields of pumice and high, undulating sand dunes. There are a few flamingo-dotted lakes but apart from those and a few ex-mining settlements there is little evidence of life, its a blissfully quiet region explored by 4WD along tracks hard to identify in the wilderness.

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Holidays Salta and the northwest Andes

From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.

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Private Journeys

Argentina / Bolivia

Discover Bolivia and northwest Argentina

15 days from £4,190pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

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Private Journeys

Argentina / Chile

Food and wine: Vineyards of Argentina and Chile

14 days from £5,380pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Classic holidays

Iguazu Falls

Group - Classic

Chile / Argentina / Iguazu Falls

Gaucho: Vintage Argentina

12 days from £3,484pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

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Private Journeys

Argentina

Off the beaten track Argentina: Remote Puna adventure

13 days from £4,380pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Things to do

We proudly offer the widest range of activities, excursions and one-of-a-kind experiences across all our destinations, tried and tested personally by our travel experts.

Where to go when - our guide to Salta and the northwest Andes

Salta Argentina

The weather in Salta and the northwest Andes is wide and varied

The landscapes of Salta and the northwest Andes vary from rust red canyons to verdant forests, pre-Columbian ruins to baroque colonial towns. Temperatures are mostly pleasant year round, with plenty of sun and little chance of rainfall April - October. The Train of the Clouds runs from April - November, ascending 4,200m above sea level over awe-inspiring scenery of gaping canyons. This is a focal point for many large-scale religious festivals, so it is worth planning well in advance if you wish to attend the most popular celebrations.

View our Salta and the northwest Andes weather guide

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Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

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Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Ben
    Ben Line - Travel Expert

    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

  • Hannah
    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

  • Mary
    Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert

    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

  • Sophie
    Sophie Barber - Travel Expert

    Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.

  • Juliet
    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

  • Sallly
    Sally Dodge - Travel Expert

    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

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