Summer in Argentina: Buenos Aires, the North-West & Iguazu Falls

Private transfer and two-night stay in the heart of the city in an urban-chic hotel with a strong focus on well-being. Its beautiful plant wall will take you by surprise and the rooms have been designed to look like individual spas, with a decor that combines warmth with a contemporary feel.
The itinerary includes a private guided tour to a few hotspots in Buenos Aires. You'll start off with the streets that the city centre is centred around: Avenida 9 de Julio, Avenida Corrientes and Avenida de Mayo. Then it's off to La Boca, a small, colourful and picturesque neighbourhood, the elegant Recoleta with its very distinguished cemetery, and finally the old San Telmo, with its rich architecture and numerous antique shops and dealers. This walking tour provides a true picture of the variety that makes Argentina's capital so special.

In the morning, you might like to sip a cortado or a latte as you watch the merry-go-round of passers-by, and dog walkers pounding the pavements. Stroll around Recoleta, or in the centre in the Plaza de Mayo (stopping at the Gran Café Tortoni in the Avenida de Mayo is a must). Shopping in Calle Florida and Palermo Soho. And you'll head out to explore the city's newest neighbourhood, which has recently been renovated: Puerto Madero, a symbol of Argentinian nightlife, where lofts with large windows overlook trendy bars.
The itinerary includes immersing yourself in the Argentine tango scene with a local guide. Passionate about the tango, your guide frequents the best milongas and tango clubs. On your journey with them, you will embark on an evening dedicated to tango, first in a class with an Argentinian teacher, followed by dinner in an authentic setting watching a tango show, and then spend the evening in a milonga.

Private transfer to the airport and flight to Salta in the heart of the Andes. Salta la Linda has retained a beautiful collection of ancient buildings. Take a walk to visit the Cabildo (the seat of the colonial city hall - 18th century), the splendid San Bernardo Convent (16th-17th century), the Basilica of San Francisco (18th-19th century) and the traditional craft market. Stay overnight in the heart of the city, in a charming colonial-style hotel dating back to the early 20th century. It is strategically located in one of the city's iconic streets (Caseros, just a few yards from the Central Plaza) and is close to everything from restaurants and craft shops to wine cellars. The hotel has brought together the charm of the ancient world and modern comfort and refined decor in the rooms.
Option- Half-day private tour of the city, with a guide.

Pick up your rental car and drive south. You'll then cross the Quebrada de las Conchas with its red sandstone formations that have been spectacularly eroded by water and wind (making this worthy of the UNESCO World Heritage site). You'll then arrive at the small town of Cafayate, surrounded by vineyards and several archaeological relics. In addition to its five-nave cathedral and its 'bodegas' (wine cellars), enjoyment can also be found in the fresh open-air of patios shaded with vine branches.
Spend two nights in a property set in the vineyards just a short distance from Cafayate. Behind the high white walls, the church tower soars into the azure sky against a background of black mountains. The beautiful garden, whose grass is tended by the llamas, has a near permanent soundtrack of birdsong. You'll be able to walk from patio to patio until you reach the deep-blue pool surrounded by green lawns. The rooms are beautiful too, with their tiles and lush rugs, colonial bed and period furniture.
Overlooking the vineyards, the restaurant's upper deck and terrace serve up hearty breakfasts and gourmet meals. The spa also practises vinotherapy, where the health-giving by-products from wine making are used in therapies.

In the itinerary is a meeting with a rural community in the Calchaqui valleys. These are in fact the common name for the trail from Salta to Cafayate, which runs through beautiful landscapes, colourful mountains, hills, meadows and remote villages inhabited by a handful of rural communities. It is here that you'll be able to get acquainted with their culture and history. It is also a great opportunity to understand their way of life, traditions and beliefs and to accompany a family in their daily activities, followed by a family meal. Several communities are happy to meet visitors.

You'll pass through the small villages of Colalao del Valle or Tolombon, hidden among the vineyards, before reaching Route 40 which quickly becomes a 'proper' road. As you follow the course of the Calchaqui River, the land becomes drier and more mineral-rich. Explore the enchanting village of Molinos, with its dirt streets and its church of San Pedro which has a cactus roof (18th century). Spend a night in a quaint hacienda with its colonial architecture, white walls adorned with dark wood, red floors and fresh linen.
The itinerary includes a visit to the James Turrell Museum, an unusual modern art museum dedicated to the works of the prestigious American artist, located in the Bodega Colome, some 12 miles from Molinos. The winery, which now produces more than half a million litres of delectable wine, exported to more than 25 countries, wanted to add a social and cultural dimension to its business, so it set up this wonderfully unique place, which challenges colours, spaces, and ranges with 3D artwork.

Now it's off to Cachi, which sits at an altitude of 7546ft and is the most charming city in the region. It has preserved its colonial authenticity with its bungalows, cobblestone streets and tranquility. The archaeological museum documents life in the Calchaqui valleys before the Spanish conquest. Now head to Los Cardones National Park, which is populated with column cacti, viscachas (rodents from the chinchilla family), guanacos, pumas and condors. The Piedra del Molino lookout (11,800ft) overlooking the Cuesta del Obispo is spectacular. Then it's off to the Lerma Valley and Salta Valley Plains. Spend the night on a farm full of character in the foothills of the Andes. This is where you'll be able to enjoy the comfortable rooms and large garden, the delectable food and a dip in the pool.

Trip to Purmamarca by San Antonio de los Cobres. One of the most impressive landscapes in the whole region is the Quebrada del Toro. It boasts colourful towering valleys, column cacti and archaeological remains, the most important of which is certainly the pre-Inca site of Tastil. Stop off at Salinas Grandes, a 75 square-mile salt desert almost 11,500ft above sea level. You'll then arrive at the region's most traditional indigenous town of Purmamarca, where you'll spend a night on the outskirts of the valley's main village in a hotel overlooking the wonderful quebrada with its rows of pleated rocks. The new hotel will immerse you in the atmosphere of a former 18th-century Spanish governor's house. Everything is in the purest colonial style; the lime-washed walls, the turrets, the bell tower, the veranda overlooking the mountains, the tiles, the furniture, and the chimneys. The rooms, which are barely twenty years old, are quite simple but spacious and charming. An outdoor swimming pool with views and a spa complete the look.
Don't miss the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is in this valley that the Spaniards fought the Incas; there are remnants of fortresses defeated by colonial armies, such as the Pucara de Tilcara. Its archaeological museum exhibits remarkable masks and funeral urns. You'll also stop off in the village of Humahuaca, with its narrow streets, low-set and tightly-knit houses and shaded squares.
Optionl - Half-day nature walk around Tilcara with llamas, private guide and picnic lunch included.

Return your rental car to Salta airport and catch your flight to Puerto Iguazu. Private transfer and two-night stay in the heart of a nature preserve, near the falls (on the Argentinian side). The owners of the lodge have made great strides with regards sustainable development. You will make your way around on raised walkways, so as to avoid treading on the jungle. The rooms are comfortable and well-furnished, decorated with light wood and neutral tones. There's a lovely, small swimming pool on site, as well as a nice restaurant and attentive service.

In the itinerary - Scheduled transfers to the park on the Argentinian side. This is where you can get as close as possible to the top and bottom of the falls. You'll travel on pathways along the waterfalls to the most spectacular of them all, the 'Devil's Throat', which is a towering 275ft high. You'll continue through the forest, where the green is broken up with bursts of colour in the form of the resident parrots, and walk along the foot of the falls, through the mist and roar of the water.

In the itinerary - Another transfer to the Brazilian side of the park for a scenic view. You'll then get a private transfer to the airport and flight to Buenos Aires. Here you will head for San Telmo's prominent, authentic barrio (neighbourhood), where you'll spend your last night in a small, private and cosy hotel. The hotel is a beautifully restored 19th-century aristocratic home, with impeccable taste, craftsmanship and atmosphere. Rooms and common areas feature a contrasting decor combining restored beams and contemporary infrastructure with period features and furniture. The staff ares unobtrusive and attentive and there is a nice roof terrace.
Option - Spend your last evening in Buenos Aires with an English-speaking local.