Buenos Aires, Córdoba & Norhtwest

17 days - 16 nights

Day 1 - Arrival to Buenos Aires

Reception and transfer from Ezeiza International Airport to the hotel.

Day 2 - Knowing Córdoba

We begin our tour around the city of Cordoba. During the excursion we can observe the influence of colonial times in the architecture, contrasting with modern designs. The places of interest we visit are the San Martin Square, before called Plaza Mayor, to stroll around the historical and cultural quarters of the old town, today the microcentre. Places of interest are: the Cathedral, the Cabildo, Santa Catalina Convent, the Cripta del Noviciado, the Oratorio del Obispo Mercadillo, the Compañía de Jesús Church founded by San Ignacio de Loyola located on the Jesuit Square in downtown, The Monserrat National School which is the second oldest in Argentina, after the Inmaculada Concepción School in Santa Fe, from 1687. It was in this school where the first printing company in the country worked. We continue to the Sagrado Corazón Church which belongs to the Capuchin Priests outstanding for its neo-gothic architecture designed by the Italian Augusto Ferrari, then we go to the Nueva Córdoba neighbourhood, the Sarmiento Park, the Ciudad Universitaria (University Campus), until we arrive at the centre of the metropolis. Finally, we go by the Chateau Carreras Stadium and other attractions. After finishing this circuit, we return to the hotel.

Day 3 - Valle de Calamuchita

Breakfast at the hotel. We set off to the Calamuchita Valley, towards the city of Alta Gracia, 35km away from the provincial capital. Alta Gracia is located on the Paravachasca Valley, it is a mainly touristic site where there used to be a Jesuit ranch. Once we arrive, we visit the Museo Estancia Jesuítica (Jesuit Ranch Museum) and Viceroy Liniers´s House built in 1588, the characteristic Tajamar, also built by the Jesuits in 1643 as a water reserve for watering crops which ended forming a lake.

The journey continues on a route that goes through the mountain towns along the valley like Anisacate, Villa La Bolsa, La Serranita, Villa Ciudad de América, and following this attractive mountain road we arrive at the Dique Los Molinos (Los Molinos Dam). We continue with the itinerary to Villa General Belgrano, located on the Calamuchita Valley. The Bavarian architecture is typical here due to the mostly German imigration as well as Swiss, Italian and Austrian. The natural environment is really beautiful, with coniferous and oak forests together with streams which define the mountain landscape. We return to Córdoba City in the afternoon.

Day 4 - The route of the Jesuít Estancias

Breakfast in the hotel. We leave early to start this trip by the Cordoba roads to the town of Jesús María following the same route as the old Camino Real to Alta Peru. There we visit the Jesuít museum, a 17th century Jesuít Estancia, and go on to see the Doma and Folklore Amphitheatre and Colonia Caroya, a town of Italian immigrants that are famous for their making of sausages and preserves. Also we enter the Casa Caroya, where operated the first manufacturer of swords and knives that dates back to the beginning of the 19th century. At this house stayed General Belgrano and General José Don de San Martín, fathers of the Republic. After, we go to the church and the Estancia Catalina and on to the locality of Ascochinga. Continuing in the direction south we pass El Manzano, Salsipuedes and the River Ceballos. Finally we make our way back to Córdoba.

In the middle of 2000, UNESCO recommended to name the Camino de las Estancias and la Manzana Jesuítica de Córdoba as Patrimony to Humanity. The monuments that we see in this trip show the origins, progression and consolidation of the work of the Compañía de Jesús in all South America. All their architectural works are true testimony to their socio-economic, cultural and religious system that operated in Córdoba for more than 200 years. In Córdoba the works consist of La Manzana Jesuítica de Córdoba in conjunction with the church of la Compañía de Jesús, the Rectory of the Universidad Nacional and the Colegio Monserrat. But in the Camino de las Estancias we find other works that form part of this system such as the Estancia Catalina, La Capilla de Candonga, La Casa del Virrey Liniers (Ex-Estancia de Alta Gracia) and the Estancia de la Candelaria. The contextual systems such as these can only be seen in one place outside of Córdoba and that is in the Jesuít Missions in the province of Missiones. Their territorial system has to this day conserved its integrity and was fundamental in the structure and maintenance of the Spanish cultural organisation in South America.

Day 5 - La Cumbrecita

Breakfast in the hotel. We go to visit some of the other charms of Córdoba including the Calamuchita Valley. We advance by the mountain road until we arrive at the Los Molinos Dam, where the excellent panoramic views are wonderful to photograph. We arrive at the Villa General Belgrano where the majority of the residents speak their original language. From there we go to La Cumbrecita, a village in the middle of the Sierras Grandes, by taking a mountainous route. La Cumbrecita has diverse nationalities especially Swiss Germans and their contribution to the Alpine style architecture, that can be found immersed in beautiful conifer woods irrigated by waterfalls in a unique landscape, is well defined. It is an ideal place to relax. We go on to visit Peñón del Aguila where there is a perfect conjunction of the virgin nature, woods, rivers and gorges to give a mountain adventure and there is a circuit prepared for 'el canopy y tirolesas'. Late afternoon we return to the hotel. If you want to see other excursion options in Córdoba, click here: Tours in Córdoba.

Day 6 - Departure to San Miguel del Tucumán

Breakfast in the Hotel. Follow advancing to the north of the Argentinian, to arrive to our new destination: San Miguel of the Tucumán. We take advantage of the afternoon to rest.

Day 7 - El Cadillal, Raco, El Siambón, San Javier and Villa Nougués (Grand Tour)

Breakfast in the Hotel. We leave from the capital of Tucuman to make the Grand Tour, passing localities representative of this interesting province, taking the National Route 9 until we enter Tafi Viejo (Old Tafi). We divert at kilometer 20 to visit the Celestino Gelsi Dam, found in the locality of El Cadillal, and its town, Veraniega. We appreciate the very beautiful adjoining lake of nearly 3,000 acres surrounded by mountains marking the ultimate elevations of the Sierra de Medina (jagged mountain range of Medina). This is an ideal area for adventure sports such as kayaking, aquatic skiing, diving and amongst others, point to point trekking in the jungle or simply to refresh in the hot summer months.

We continue to the towns of Raco and El Siambón, the first, located at 48km from city Tucuman and dates from the 17th century. It is a small picturesque town that has the river Raco running through it and has a club for diverse activities. A few more kilometers and we find El Siambon, another beautiful place know for its gentle green slopes in harmony with the blue skies and pretty houses, here we also find the Benedictine Monastery built in 1955.

After visiting these places we go to the town of San Javier situated some 1150 metres above sea level that beholds a mountain park of the same name and an ideal place to relax amongst this natural beauty or take in other activities such as parapenting, trekking and horse riding. On the way to the park we pass through an attractive residential zone. After, we visit el Cerro San Javier, a special hill top viewpoint where we can also see el Cristo Bendicente, a 28 metre statue. This is followed by a visit to Villa Nogués, another picturesque locality in the middle of the valley amongst zones of yungas jungles that are notable for this region. We then return to San Miguel de Tucumán.

Day 8 - Archeological Ruins of Quilmes – El Cafayate

Breakfast in the hotel. Crossing the Abra and on the way to Ampimpa we can observe the giant cactus to our sides. A natural balcony of the Yocavil or Santa Maria valleys affords a good view of the town, Amaicha del Valle at a few kilometers. In this town live a unique indigenous community of the north east, the diaguita culture who make unique things and is a famous locality for wine in earthenware pots, alfajores, nougats and small cheeses. Furthermore we can visit and explore the pre-Columbian settlements of Fuerte Quemado and el Pucará de Loma Rica, remains that have been well conserved of this town with pebbled walls using a mortar of mud and filled with debris and there you can see some of the diverse elements that they use such as San Jose and San Maria urns and objects of bone and stone.

Also the Pucará de Los Cardones is an archeological site that is conserved naturally. Here we pass trails, rivers, gorges, the dam, amongst other attractive features that we meet. Crossing the river Yocavil we enter to the ruins of the Quilmes, the remains of the biggest pre-Columbian settlement in Argentina. When defeated by the Spanish, the residents were forced to walk thousands of kilometers to Buenos Aires, to a locality that now bears its name. We make a visit to the museum and later to the fortress constructed for this community. We pass El Bañado, Colalao del Valle and continue to the town Tolombón to enter to Cafayate. On the way the countryside changes from arid to vineyards, where we meet the Cafayate soils. We sleep in Cafayate.

Day 9 - Calchaquíes Valleys through Cafayate

Breakfast at the hotel. We will continue our journey from Cafayate, by visiting the Calchaquí Valleys. We will visit the Cathedral "Nuestra Señora del Rosario" which contrast with the multi – coloured hills in the background and then we will cover the most traditional wineries in this beautiful city between valleys and hills of an impressive green colour, which is the most important one in the Calchaquí Valleys because of its "torrontés" wines above all, an ideal place because of the temperature and humidity to the development of this kind of grape with a sweet and fruited taste, together with their goat cheese. The name of the city was given because of an old native settlement which means "Bury of sorrows or sadness" (Sepultura de las Penas). We will be pleasured to taste some wineries´wines. We will continue to visit the Archaelogical Museum, a place where there is a great quantity of objects which belonged to native villages. Many people have been investigating, making excavations, restorations and exhibitions about them.

We will be wondered as soon as we watch those rare and eye-catching shapes, going through Quebrada de las Conchas, where we will be able to see figures such as the Devil´s Throat (Garganta del Diablo), the Amfitheater (Anfiteatro) a wonderful place where we can perfectly hear the echo of any sound and it is here where many festivals take place, such as the folklore; another shapes are the Obelisk (Obelisco) which makes a lonely crag, the Castles (Castillos) of an intense red colour which reminds the castles in the medieval times, the Yesera with its light sandstone formations, the House of Parrots (Casa de los Loros) named like this because there are stone walls which are the habitat for great flock of parrots during the summer; the friar (Fraile), the toad (Sapo) and the impressive Devil´s Throat in Salta, shaped as a human trachea and also called like that because of its colour.

We will make a stop in Alemanía, a lonely town, but we cannot miss the visit so we can admire its old country houses between green hills, the train station which doesn´t work anymore and now we can see the beautiful work of the craftsmen who invite us to bring a nice souvenir from this town. We will get ready to descend through the valleys. We will get to Dique Cabra Corral, next to Coronel Moldes, an ideal place to practise water sports, then we will go through some towns dedicated to the farming activities such as El Carril, where we will find many stock-tobacco companies and also fig tree, walnut tree and peach tree fields; La Merced, with its cleany streets and green spaces which make it so picturesque, and Cerrillos. All these towns belong to Valle de Lerma, where there are treasures which come from mines that were found and they are hidden somewhere between the hills, according to local stories. We will continue to Salta city, going through impressive landscapes that change on every curve we make in wonderful colours like the reddish hills, ochre colour of the grass, grey stones and green cactus. Night in Salta. If you want to see other excursion options in Salta, click here: Tours in Salta.

Day 10 - Salta - City Tour

We will start our tour along the city from the nice 9 de Julio Square, so eye-catching because of its decorated coloured quarries and its fruited trees which leave a nice fragrance in the salteño air. From the square we will be able to have a first vision of its history and colonial past, as we will be surrounded by old buildings such as the Cabildo, the Cathedral, the Church of San Francisco, the Convent of San Bernardo de las Monjas Carmelitas, one of the oldest buildings in the city which was the entrance door to the convent and it is made of carob wood that was carved by the natives in 1762; its old houses complete the historical quarter, which are today very important monuments.

Then, we will go to the impressive and most recognised hill in the salteña city: Cerro San Bernardo. Before getting to it, we will tour along the streets, getting to Güemes monument, an argentinian general who is known because of its ideals of freedom, dispise to materialism and his love to his Motherland. We will get to San Martín Park where we will find the cable railway station, our means of transport to get to the hill so we can have an amazing panoramic of the city and its surroundings, with the hills at the background.

After the ascent, we will continue to a really charming place, which is chosen by many tourists because of its wonderful natural attractions and the different activities to do: the summer village of San Lorenzo, where we will find the Quebrada, an ideal place to spend the day at the edge of the river, listening its relaxing sounds. We will enjoy our way to it, as we will go through flowered Gardens, mansions and castles which are surrounded by small hills and where we can do (horse) riding, trekking and pic-nic. We will go back to the city, going through the Handmade Market (Mercado Artesanal) first, where we will be able to get some souvenirs from this beautiful city, such as silver and pottery pieces, rustic fabric of llama wool, craftwork in leather, among others.

Day 11 - Knowing San Salvador de Jujuy

Breakfast in the hotel. In the afternoon we visit the historic remains of the town, including the San Francisco church, the Lavalle Museum, the Government House and the room of the flag. The Government House is a beautiful French style palace. We also pass the old railway station, the artisanal way and the residential areas like the Perales and the old rough streets with large colonial houses and their typical windows and central patios with wells. We finish our excursion in Alto La Viña where we find the Jorge Pasquini López Archeological Museum which has a unique viewpoint where we can enjoy the marvelous landscape that this northern city has.

Day 12 - Quebrada de Humahuaca from Jujuy: Purmamarca, Tilcara...

We leave from San Salvador de Jujuy in the northern direction to La Quebrada de Humahuaca, a national patrimonial and cultural humanity site. The entrance to La Quebrada is León and our journey runs alongside the Rio Grande (big river). On the way we pass the towns of Yala, Lozano, León, Tumbaya and Volcán. In the world famous picturesque town of Purmamarca we encounter the mountain of the seven colours. Here we go to the walk way of Los Colorados, the fair and the church.

Leaving Purmamarca we then go Maimará where we see the Cementerio de Altura (high cemetery) and the mountain Paleta del Pintor (painter's pallet). Following on our route goes by the historical monument of La Posta de Hornillos and arrives at Tilcara where we visit el Pucara. Our sleepover destination is Humahuaca where we also visit the Monument to the Heroes of Independence, the church with its cuzqueñas paintings and optionally can go to the Benediction of San Francisco Solano. If you want to see other excursion options in Jujuy, click here: Tours in Jujuy.

Day 13 - Departure to Buenos Aires

Breakfast in the hotel. Transfer to San Salvador de Jujuy Airport. Reception and transfer from domestic airport to the hotel. Free Afternoon.

Day 14 - Classic City Tour of Buenos Aires & Dinner Tango Show

Classic City Tour of Buenos Aires

This City tour takes in the most emblematical places of Buenos Aires, visiting the National Congress, Plaza de Mayo together with the bordering Presidential House, the Casa Rosada, the Cathedral and the colonial Cabildo. We see the newly renovated and awesome Teatro Colón, historically one of the world's most important opera houses. Barrios with history, like San Telmo, that have nightly venues to dance the Tango or milongas, or La Boca, where lived the first immigrants, the great majority of Spanish and Italian origin, where we take some time in Caminito. Other barrios to visit are the residential barrio of Palermo with its trees and beautiful parks and Puerto Madero, the newest and most modern of them all where they reconstructed the dock warehouses that were abandoned to become one of the most exclusive barrios. La Recoleta is another barrio on our excursion with its famous cemetery bordered by fine cafes and restaurants, together with the colonial Church of Pilar.

Dinner Tango Show

In the evening we enjoy a dinner and Tango show at one of the best venues of Buenos Aires ( Homero Manzi / Complejo Tango / Señor Tango / La Esquina de Carlos Gardel / Madero Tango). The Tango has a special charm outside of its origin: From New York to Sydney, people that have never visited Argentina are left seduced by its mystique and sensuality. Others stay captivated by the music. This original tour traces in parallel the history of the city and that of the tango journeying by its different stages of development from its birth in the slums, to its consummation in the Avenida Corrientes and its later internationalization.

Day 15 - Navigation in the Delta del Río Paraná

In order to get to the water station of Tigre we take a bus to the north and this passes the various parks of Palermo, the Jorge Newberry airport and the River Plate football stadium. In Tigre we take a boat in the Delta del Río Paraná entering into the 'Venice' of Argentina where the labyrinth of canals is the streets of the Delta servicing the many houses and restaurants. The Delta del Río Paraná starts in the province of Entre Rios and has three important divisions, the Delta Superior, Medio and Inferior, which in total cover an area of 16.500 square kilometres mostly covered by subtropical jungle. The area is full of islands, rivers and creeks where you can see the wild native flora and fauna.

The closer to Tigre the more 'urban' and busy are the waterways and more dense the population, albeit most of the houses are used for vacations. Once we disembark we go by the coast train to the exclusive barrio of San Isidro. This coast train was inaugurated in the 1990s and runs along the border of the Río de la Plata over a stretch of 16 kilometres with 11 stations and is the newest train infrastructure in Argentina. It passes through the barrios of some exclusive residential north zones such as Vicente López, San Isidro, San Fernando and Tigre and many luxurious houses can be seen en route. In San Isidro we visit the Gothic Cathedral built in the early 1900s and its historical foundations. On the return to the City we can see the Presidential Residence of Olivos.

Day 16 - Shopping in Buenos Aires - Recoleta Malls

Breakfast at the Hotel. We will go shopping towards the most important malls of Buenos Aires in the exclusive district Recoleta. Buenos Aires Design, Patio Bullrich and Galerías Pacífico in Cordova Av. and the pedestrian Florida St.

During the morning we'll go though Buenos Aires Design or Patio Bullrich. Then we'll make a stop for having lunch at Puerto Madero. In the afternoon we'll be transferred to Galerías Pacífico Mall situated in Florida St.

Day 17 - Buenos Aires

Breakfast in the Hotel. Move to the International Airport of Ezeiza. End of our services.