Motorcycle tour Northwest Argentina

You will be picked up at the airport in Salta and taken to the hotel from which the tour will start the next day. After a short introduction to the motorcycle tour and information about Salta, the rest of the day is yours to enjoy.

We leave the Andean city of Salta heading south and follow the Lerma Valley until it suddenly narrows into a gorge: the Quebrada de Cafayate. This gorge impresses with its red sandstone formations, which have weathered into bizarre shapes due to wind and weather, such as the frog, the obelisk, or the amphitheater. Over the sandy plains of the Calchaquí Valley, we drive to the town of Cafayate. After lunch at the Plaza, we head to the Quilmes ruins, one of the most important pre-Inca ruins in northern Argentina. Then we take a first-class motorcycle route over the 'little hell pass' into the green valley of Tafi del Valle.

First, we visit the Hinkelsteinfeld of El Mollar before descending through the dense tropical mist forest of the Sosas Gorge into the fertile plains of Tucuman. After lunch, we drive back up the adventurous Los Alisos Pass into the mountains to the remote town of Andalgala. Nearby, the semi-precious stone Rhodochrosite is mined, the national stone of Argentina.

On a desert-like track, we ride our motorcycles to Belen, a lively little town at the foot of the Central Andes. Now back on Ruta 40, we head north along the Santa Maria River to Cafayate, the wine capital of Northern Argentina, where we spend the night in a fairy-tale hotel.

Today's trip takes us along the Calchaquí River through narrow gorges and wide valleys, certainly a highlight of this motorcycle tour. We pass through the jagged rock landscapes of the 'Arrow Gorge' shaped by erosion. The beauty of this remote area almost surpasses that of the famous Quebrada de Cafayate. Lunch will be at a paradisiacal first-class winery. Overnight stay in the picturesque mountain village of Cachi, which is dominated by a mountain range over 6000m high.

To get from Cachi back to Salta, one first crosses the Los Cardones National Park, a plain covered with thousands of cacti, crosses the Cuesta del Obispo pass, and winds down the breathtaking gravel road through the Valle Encantado to Salta, where we will spend the night.

Today’s very intense day takes us first along a winding asphalt road - a motorcycle paradise - through wooded mountains to the picturesque Quebrada de Humahuaca, a gorge that was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003. We reach the 4000m high pass Abra del Condor and the charming mountain village of Iruya, which is surrounded by colorful rock walls and lies at a narrow point in the valley.

In the morning we will take a mountain hike of about 5 hours up to a plateau with an overwhelming view of the valley of Iruya. The afternoon is free for you to experience the activities in the traditional mountain village of Iruya.

Via the Abra del Condor we return to the paved road and continue north towards the Bolivian border, where we reach the remote village of Yavi. There, the historic church Iglesia de San Francisco, the rock paintings of Las Cuevas, and the petroglyphs of Laguna Colorada can be visited.

We explore the extreme northwestern corner of Argentina and reach the deeply cut Angosto Canyon before we circle the wide, sweeping landscapes of the Laguna de los Pozuelos National Monument. This lagoon at nearly 4000m is home to a unique fauna and flora. Then we go back down into the Quebrada de Humahuaca for an overnight stay in the vibrant town of Tilcara.

First, we visit the ruins of the fortress village Pucará de Tilcara from pre-Inca times before heading over the 4200 m high pass 'Cuesta de Lipan' to the dazzling white salt lake Salinas Grandes. After a short drive along winding paved roads, we turn onto a partly sandy gravel road that leads us through a hidden valley to the viaduct La Polvorilla of the famous 'Train to the Clouds.' After a short drive, we reach the mining town San Antonio de los Cobres.

Today we are expecting a special motorcycle adventure: We will conquer the highest pass of Salta and Argentina, the 4895 m high Abra El Acay! The track gradually winds up the mountain to the pass, and we can enjoy the spectacular view of the vast plains of the Puna from 5 km above sea level. After this breathtaking motorcycle ride, we will leisurely follow the 'Train in the Clouds' on a good paved road through the colorful Quebrada del Toro valley back to Salta.

Today we are heading home. We will take you to the airport, taking with us many impressive impressions and great memories.