OVERVIEW
Motorcycle tour Northwest Argentina
Introduction to the motorcycle tour
Welcome to the colorful and fascinating Northwest of Argentina, pure South America! This 11-day motorcycle tour through the grand landscapes of Salta and Jujuy is an unforgettable adventure for anyone seeking sun, fun, varied motorcycling, interesting culture, and many remote mountain landscapes. This motorcycle adventure tour takes us through the most spectacular areas of Northwest Argentina, one of the most pristine places in South America. On one hand, it goes through the deeply carved valleys with their bizarre and colorful rock formations, traditional villages, and breathtaking mountain passes, up to the mountain desert of Puna with its wide plains, dazzling white salt lakes, remote lagoons, and imposing volcanic cones.
Daily program: Motorcycle adventure in Northwest Argentina
Day 1: Arrival
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.
Day 2: Quebrada de Cafayate Gorge
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.
Day 3: Tropical Cloud Forest
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.
Day 4: Cafayate
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.
Day 5: Mountain Village Cachi
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.
Day 6: Los Cardones National Park
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.
Day 7: Mountain Village Iruya
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.
Day 8: Valley of Iruya
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.
Day 9: Yavi
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.
Day 10: Laguna de los Pozuelos
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.
Day 11: Viaduct La Polvorilla
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.
Day 12: Salta
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.
Day 13: Departure
Today we are heading home. We will take you to the airport, taking with us many impressive impressions and great memories.
PRICE
from€7850.00 / person✓ Trip includes
✕ Trip does not include
- Rental motorcycle including fuel
- Liability insurance
- Customs papers for border crossings
- Multilingual tour guides (English, Spanish, also understands German)
- 4x4 support vehicle