Northern Argentina Road Trip: Salta and Jujuy in 7 to 10 Days

Fly into Salta (SLA), about 11 km from the city center, and fly out of Jujuy (JUJ) or back from Salta. Both have daily domestic flights from Buenos Aires.

The route climbs gradually. Salta sits at 1,187 m (3,900 ft), Cafayate at 1,683 m and Cachi above 2,200 m (7,200 ft), with the Piedra del Molino pass at 3,348 m on the way back to Salta. By the time you reach Jujuy you've already slept at altitude, so Purmamarca (2,324 m), Tilcara (2,465 m) and Humahuaca (2,939 m) feel easier, and the high points come last: Salinas Grandes at 3,450 m, the Cuesta de Lipán at 4,170 m and the Hornocal lookout at 4,350 m (14,270 ft).

Avoid the tempting shortcut from Salta to the salt flats via San Antonio de los Cobres: it's a long, high and partly unpaved route that local agencies recommend for 4x4s, and it throws you above 4,000 m on day one. The road via San Salvador de Jujuy and Purmamarca is paved and far kinder.

• Day 1. Salta city. Visit the MAAM (High Mountain Archaeology Museum), which displays one of the three Inca children found on Llullaillaco volcano at a time, ride the cable car up Cerro San Bernardo for the view and end with a folk music peña on calle Balcarce. Pick up your car that evening or the next morning.

• Day 2. Salta to Cafayate (about 185 km). RN 68 is fully paved: about 3 hours 30 without stops, 5 to 6 hours with photo stops in the red-rock Quebrada de las Conchas, such as the Garganta del Diablo and the Anfiteatro. Night in Cafayate, with a glass of high-altitude Torrontés.

• Day 3. Cafayate to Cachi (about 157 km). The most remote leg follows Ruta 40 north, with roughly 130 km of gravel between San Carlos and Cachi: plan 4 to 5 hours of driving and a full day with stops at the Quebrada de las Flechas, Angastaco, Molinos and the weavers of Seclantás. Fill up in Cafayate. Night in Cachi.

• Day 4. Cachi to Salta (about 160 km). RP 33 crosses Los Cardones National Park, with its giant cactus and the dead-straight Recta del Tin Tin, then tops out at Piedra del Molino and drops down the hairpins of the Cuesta del Obispo, partly gravel, into the green Quebrada de Escoipe. Allow 3 to 3 hours 30 of driving, more with stops. Night in Salta.

• Day 5. Salta to Purmamarca (160 to 190 km depending on the route). Take the scenic old RN 9 through the hills, narrow and winding, about 3 hours, only in daylight and dry weather; or the highway through San Salvador de Jujuy, about 188 km and 2 hours 50. In the afternoon walk the Paseo de los Colorados loop. Night in Purmamarca.

• Day 6. Salinas Grandes and Tilcara. Drive 66 km over the Cuesta de Lipán to the salt flats (1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30), hire a community guide at the visitor stop for the salt pools, and be back in Purmamarca for lunch. Then head north, stopping at Maimará's Painter's Palette, to Tilcara, 26 km from Purmamarca. Night in Tilcara.

• Day 7. Tilcara, Humahuaca and the Hornocal. The Pucará de Tilcara ruins at 9 am (closed Mondays), the arquebusier angels of Uquía, Humahuaca's square by noon, and the Hornocal's 14 colors in the afternoon, 25 km of gravel each way. Night in Humahuaca or Tilcara.

• Departure. Humahuaca to Jujuy airport is about 160 km, around 2 hours 30; back to Salta it's about 250 km and 3 hours 45.

Extra days make the trip far more relaxed. The best additions:
• Cafayate, +1 day: wineries and a slower afternoon in the Quebrada de las Conchas light.
• Tilcara, +1 day: the archaeological museum and the 3 to 4 hour Garganta del Diablo hike to a canyon waterfall.
• Iruya, +2 days: a village hanging off a mountainside at 2,780 m, about 75 km from Humahuaca, mostly gravel over a 4,000 m pass. Some rental agencies offer no assistance on that road, so leave the car in Humahuaca and take the Transporte Iruya bus, about 3 hours each way.
• Termas de Reyes or the Yungas cloud forest: hot springs 19 km from San Salvador de Jujuy, or Calilegua National Park, about 112 km from the capital, for a total change of scenery.

If you have less than a week, our 3-4 day Jujuy itinerary and Salta and Jujuy in 5 days are shorter versions. For more ideas along the way, see things to do in Jujuy.

Times are without stops; with photo breaks, add 50 to 100 percent.
• Salta to Cafayate (RN 68): about 185 km, 3 hours 30, all paved.
• Cafayate to Cachi (Ruta 40): about 157 km, 4 to 5 hours, roughly 130 km of gravel.
• Cachi to Salta (RP 33): about 160 km, 3 to 3 hours 30, gravel on part of the Cuesta del Obispo.
• Salta to Purmamarca: about 160 km on the old RN 9 (about 3 hours: shorter but narrow and slow) or 188 km via the highway (2 hours 50).
• Purmamarca to Salinas Grandes (RN 52): 66 km, 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30, paved, pass at 4,170 m.
• Purmamarca to Tilcara: 26 km, about 30 minutes.
• Tilcara to Humahuaca: about 45 km, 45 minutes.
• Humahuaca to the Hornocal lookout (RP 73): 25 km of gravel, about 45 minutes.
• Humahuaca to Jujuy airport: about 160 km, 2 hours 30.

Book ahead for July, Easter week and Carnival; the rest of the year a few days' notice usually works.
• Salta: the historic center around Plaza 9 de Julio is walkable to the museums, the cable car and the peñas.
• Cafayate: near the main plaza to walk to restaurants, or a winery estate outside town if you're happy to drive.
• Cachi: a small village; stay in or close to the center, or at a farm guesthouse in the surroundings.
• Purmamarca: one night close to the plaza, ideal for an early start to the salt flats.
• Tilcara: the best base in the Quebrada, either near the plaza for restaurants and live music or on the quieter edges of town. See where to stay in Tilcara.
• Humahuaca: the historic center, handy for the Hornocal and Iruya.

Compare rates in every town on our hotels page.

Picking up in Salta and dropping off at Jujuy airport saves a 3 to 4 hour backtrack. One-way rentals within Argentina are possible with most agencies, but they carry an extra drop-off fee based on distance, depend on availability and should be booked in advance; some international brands at Salta airport also set a minimum of four rental days for one-way hires.
• Borders: major international brands don't allow their cars to leave Argentina, so a side trip to Chile or Bolivia needs a separate plan.
• Payment: expect a security deposit on a credit card in the main driver's name. Carry your passport and home license, and ask your agency whether it also wants an International Driving Permit.
• Car type: a compact car handles the paved roads; in the dry season it can manage Ruta 40 at low speed, but a higher-clearance SUV is more comfortable on the gravel.
• Insurance: basic cover usually comes with a deductible, and rollovers can carry their own. Ask which roads are excluded from roadside assistance.

Compare companies and prices on our car rental page.

April to November is the best window: mostly dry, with clear skies and firm gravel. Salta's driest months are June to September, and the heaviest rain falls from December to February, when river crossings on Ruta 40 and mountain roads like the Hornocal's can become difficult or close. July (Argentina's winter school holidays) and Easter week are the busiest periods, and the Quebrada's Carnival runs from February 6 to 14, 2027. Winter days are sunny but nights at altitude drop below freezing. Month-by-month detail is in our best time to visit Jujuy guide.

• Gravel (ripio): keep your speed low, expect washboard and loose stones, use a low gear on steep climbs and give way to vehicles coming uphill on narrow stretches.
• Animals: llamas, donkeys, goats and cattle wander onto the road, and you'll see wild vicuñas higher up.
• Night driving: avoid it. There's no lighting, animals are hard to spot and temperatures plunge.
• Fuel: fill up whenever you can. There are stations in Salta, Cafayate, Cachi (open roughly 7 am to 10 pm), San Salvador de Jujuy, Tilcara and Humahuaca, but none in Purmamarca or at the salt flats, and no reliable fuel between Cafayate and Cachi.
• Altitude: engines lose power up high, so don't push them on long climbs.
• Connectivity: cell signal disappears for long stretches; download offline maps and check road conditions in town after rain.

Argentina's money rules have eased: since most currency controls were lifted in 2025, foreign Visa and Mastercard payments are converted at a rate close to the market one, so paying by card is now sensible in hotels, restaurants and larger shops. When a terminal offers a choice, pay in Argentine pesos rather than your home currency.

Cash still matters in the north. You'll need pesos for community fees at the salt flats, the Hornocal and the Garganta del Diablo, craft markets, small eateries, private drivers and some gas stations. ATMs work with foreign cards but have low withdrawal limits and high fees, so take out the maximum each time, ideally at a bank in Salta or San Salvador de Jujuy before heading into small villages. Change cash only at banks or official exchange offices, and ask about a cash discount: many small businesses offer one.

For the bigger picture of the region, read our Quebrada de Humahuaca guide.