Day 1 / SALTA
Arrive at Salta airport where you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel in town. It is a 25 minute drive. Set in the lovely Lerma Valley about 1,600km northwest of Buenos Aires (2 hour direct flight) Salta’s beauty lies in her well-preserved Colonial architecture and rich Spanish history. The city is home to true criollos (native Argentineans of Spanish heritage) with a culture that has remained untransformed by generations of immigrants. You rendezvous in the evening for a short city tour and cocktail with your guide. You will be briefed on the upcoming days. Afterwards the night is your own, suggestions will be provided for a typical Salteño dinner of cabrito (goat), locro (corn & bean soup), humitas (similar to Mexican corn tamale) and empanadas of all sorts.
Overnight Hotel Solar de La Plaza (Bed & Breakfast)
Day 2 / CACHI
Morning departure at 800am for a drive south and then west over the Calchaqui Sub Andean range, heading towards the Calchaqui Valley and the small town of Cachi. Drive up the Cuesta del Obispo and at the pass, 3457m, you will get on your bikes and bike down into the Calchaqui Valley, along a road that crosses the National Park Los Cardones. You will bike across the small town of Payogasta where you will have lunch at an old estancia, la Sala de Payogasta. From there you have an extra 12km to Cachi, where you will end your ride at the main square, in front of the San Jose church. Transfer to your hotel 3km away from the main square on a gravel road (or you have the option to bike to the hotel). Evening at the hotel, walk around the small roads that go round small vegetable plots. Dinner enjoying the local bounty. You can also take advantage of the spa! (Options to walk instead of bike as well)
Overnight Hotel La Merced del Alto (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 3 / CAFAYATE
Morning transfer north on National Route 40, the longest in Argentina as it stretches from the Magallen strait to the Argentine-Bolivian border. Today you drive by the town of Molinos and through the Quebrada de Las Flechas, where a short hike is a must. After a picnic lunch you are on your way towards San Carlos, where you get onto your bikes where the paved road starts again. Before you realize you will be surrounded by vineyards. The bike ride will end at your hotel amongst the vineyards. You can explore the wine resort on your own, enjoy a swim in the pool, the wine cellar, and take dinner at leisure at the hotel or in the main square. (Options to walk instead of bike as well)
Overnight Patios de Cafayate (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 4 / CAFAYATE
Drive up to Tafi del Valle from where we ride down on bikes to the summer villa of Tafi del Valle for an early lunch at Estancia Las Carreras, a Jesuit farm, where Manchego cheeses are still done following an old Spanish recipe. After lunch bike down from the Infiernillo Pass to the small town of Amaicha. The Quilmes ruins are also visited on this day, for a short hike through pre-Hispanic history. In the evening you will walk through vineyards with an agronomist and learn why vines grown in the high deserts (this Valley is home to the highest vineyards I the world) produce the grapes they do, and wines are so special. Altitude, water stress, extreme UV radiation affect tannins, sugars and skin thickness enhancing aromas and colors. After understanding how to grow and manage the vines, have a tasting to appreciate the results. Dinner tonight is a traditional asado with an extreme Argentine flair! (Options to walk instead of bike as well)
Overnight Patios de Cafayate (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 5 / SALTA
Bike from Cafayate to Salta, leaving from the hotel or starting 10km away from the hotel so you can take advantage of the best part of the road. Lunch at La Posta de Las Cabras where the bike ride ends. You arrive at your hotel in the afternoon and you have the chance to enjoy their gardens and spa. A dinner tonight at La Table, the hotel’s fine restaurant. (Options to walk instead of bike as well)
Overnight House of Jasmines (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 6 / MENDOZA
Today you take the morning at leisure and have a private brunch at La Table restaurant before your afternoon schedule flight to Mendoza. Upon arrival you are transferred to your lovely boutique hotel in the vineyards. In the afternoon there options for yoga and relaxation at the spa. Dinner is at your stunning accommodation with an amazing backdrop with Tango, typical asado, and wine pairing.
Overnight Cavas Wine Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 7 / MENDOZA
The central valley of Mendoza is historically the birthplace of Argentina´s wine making tradition, which started over a century ago from both Italian and Spanish immigrants. This morning we head for Catena Zapata. The winery, of outstanding architectural design, is recognized as the pioneer of quality winemaking in Argentina. Our tasting continues at Belasco de Baquedano and its the ‘Hall of Aromas’, only one of its kind in the Americas, where 46 aromatic notes are contained in pots, invite us to test our nose to identify the nuances in the wines we’ll sample. Afterwards we make our way to Ruca Malen winery for Chef Lucas Bustos´ five course lunch pairing food & wine to enjoy in sight of Cordon del Plata snowed peaks (19574 ft). In the afternoon there options for a bike ride, hike, horseback, yoga, or relaxation at the spa. Dinner is at your stunning accommodation with an amazing backdrop.
Overnight Cavas Wine Lodge (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
Day 8 / DEPART
Transfer from your hotel to Mendoza airport to connect with your departures.
(Breakfast)
