Argentina: Salta & Iguazú Falls — Self-Launched 7-Day Route
7 days · Argentina (Salta & Iguazú Falls)
Aborigen Tours charges £530
No-markup version: ~£515 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Aborigen Tours' 7-day Salta + Iguazú itinerary, built for independent travellers. Book your own domestic flights (Buenos Aires–Salta, Salta–Puerto Iguazú, Iguazú–Buenos Aires), base yourself in budget guesthouses and hostels, and join local day tours for the Quebrada de Humahuaca/Purmamarca–Salinas Grandes run and Iguazú National Park. You'll see the same highlights — Cerro de los Siete Colores, Salinas Grandes, Salta's colonial centre, and both the Argentine and Brazilian sides of Iguazú Falls — for roughly a third of the group-tour price. Costs are approximate, per person, and exclude international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Salta — colonial city warm-up
Salta
Fly into Salta (SLA) via Buenos Aires (Ezeiza or Aeroparque), then take a taxi or remis from the airport to the city centre (about 20–25 min, ARS 8,000–12,000 / ~£5–8). Check into a budget guesthouse or hostel near the Plaza 9 de Julio. Spend the afternoon orienting yourself: walk the plaza, peek into the Cathedral Basilica, and ride the Teleférico up San Bernardo Hill for panoramic city views (ticket ~£4). Have dinner at a local peña with folk music and a salteño empanada or locro. Evening: plan your Pemamarca day tour pick-up for tomorrow.
🚌Domestic flight to Salta (book independently, ~£60–90) + local taxi/remis from SLA to centre (~£5–8)
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel private room or dorm in Salta centre (~£12–18 pp)
- →Airport transfer to Salta centre
- →Plaza 9 de Julio and Cathedral Basilica walk
- →Teleférico to San Bernardo Hill viewpoint
- →Dinner at a peña with folk music
Purmamarca, Cerro de los Siete Colores & Salinas Grandes
Purmamarca / Salinas Grandes (Quebrada de Humahuaca)
Join a small-group or shared day tour (bookable on GetYourGuide/Klook or directly with local Salta operators) heading north along the Quebrada de Humahuaca past Yala, Volcán and Tumbaya. Stop at the Cerro de los Siete Colores viewpoint in Purmamarca, then continue to the vast Salinas Grandes salt flats for photos and a walk on the crust. Many tours also include a short trek through the red-rock Los Colorados and free time in Purmamarca's artisan market. Bring sun protection, water, and cash for entrance fees (Salinas ~£4–6).
🚌Shared minibus day tour from Salta (full-day tour ~£35–55 pp including guide)
🛏Return to same Salta guesthouse/hostel (~£12–18 pp)
- →Guided shared day tour through Yala, Volcán and Tumbaya
- →Cerro de los Siete Colores viewpoint stop
- →Salinas Grandes salt flats visit
- →Los Colorados trek and Purmamarca artisan market
Salta city — churches, museums & San Lorenzo
Salta
A self-guided day exploring Salta's heritage on foot. Buy a combined city pass or pay individual small entry fees. See the Cathedral Basilica, the Cultural Center of the Americas, the Historical Museum of the North (Cabildo), the Minor Basilica of San Francisco and the San Bernardo Convent. Walk or take a local bus (colectivo, ~£0.50) out to San Lorenzo, the leafy summer resort suburb, for a riverside stroll, and stop at the artisan market on the way back. Evening: try a traditional Argentine bife or a salteño-style stew.
🚌On foot in the centre + local colectivo bus to San Lorenzo (~£1)
🛏Salta guesthouse/hostel (~£12–18 pp)
- →Self-guided historic churches and museums circuit
- →Cultural Center of the Americas and Museo del Cabildo
- →Güemes Monument and San Bernardo Hill
- →San Lorenzo summer resort and artisan market
Fly Salta to Puerto Iguazú
Salta → Puerto Iguazú
Fly from Salta to Puerto Iguazú (usually routing via Buenos Aires; direct Salta–Iguazú flights are limited — check Aerolíneas Argentinas/Flybondi). Book well ahead and take checked luggage. On arrival, transfer from the airport or bus terminal by taxi/shuttle to your Puerto Iguazú guesthouse (~£5–8), about 20 min from town. Afternoon is free: wander the craft markets, eat a traditional Argentine meal, and pick up Iguazú National Park tickets online in advance to skip queues.
🚌Domestic flight Salta–Puerto Iguazú (via Buenos Aires, ~£80–140) + local taxi/shuttle (~£5–8)
🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel in Puerto Iguazú (~£14–20 pp)
- →Flight Salta–Puerto Iguazú (self-booked)
- →Airport transfer to Puerto Iguazú lodgings
- →Craft market browsing and traditional Argentine dinner
- →Pre-purchase Iguazú National Park tickets online
Iguazú Falls — Argentine side
Iguazú National Park (Argentina)
Head into the park early (public buses run regularly from Puerto Iguazú town to the park gate, ~£1.50–2.50 each way, or share a taxi). Buy your park entry online (~£25–30 for non-residents). Walk the Upper Circuit and Lower Circuit trails past multiple waterfalls and viewpoints, then ride the ecological train to the Devil's Throat and walk the suspended walkways over the roaring Garganta del Diablo. Consider an optional nautical excursion (Great Adventure boat) for a closer soaking. Return to town for dinner.
🚌Local public bus to Iguazú National Park gate (~£3–5 return)
🛏Puerto Iguazú guesthouse/hostel (~£14–20 pp)
- →Upper Circuit self-guided trail
- →Lower Circuit self-guided trail
- →Ecological train and Devil's Throat suspended walkway
- →Optional nautical excursion (Great Adventure boat)
Iguazú Falls — Brazilian side & day trip
Foz do Iguaçu (Brazil)
Cross into Brazil for the panoramic Brazilian side of the falls. Take a public bus or shared transfer from Puerto Iguazú to Foz do Iguaçu (border formalities en route; check current entry requirements for your nationality), then a local bus to the Brazilian Iguaçu National Park entrance. Walk the scenic walkways and observation decks for the best wide-angle views of the Devil's Throat. Park entry roughly £25–30. Optional add-on: a bird park or a short helicopter flight. Return to Puerto Iguazú by shared transfer in the evening.
🚌Shared border transfer/bus Puerto Iguazú–Foz do Iguaçu (~£10–15 return) + local bus to park
🛏Puerto Iguazú guesthouse/hostel (~£14–20 pp)
- →Iguaçu National Park (Brazil side) panoramic walkways
- →Observation deck viewpoints of the falls
- →Optional bird park or helicopter flight
- →Cross-border day trip into Brazil
Departure from Puerto Iguazú
Puerto Iguazú
Final morning in Iguazú. Breakfast at your guesthouse, then take a taxi or shuttle to Puerto Iguazú airport or bus terminal for your onward flight to Buenos Aires or a bus toward other Argentine destinations. Confirm your airport transfer timing in advance. If you have a late departure, squeeze in a last craft-market wander or a viewpoint walk along the river confluence where the Iguazú meets the Paraná.
🚌Shared shuttle or taxi to Puerto Iguazú airport/bus station (~£5–8)
🛏Departure day — no accommodation included (optional extra night in Puerto Iguazú ~£14–20)
- →Airport or bus terminal transfer
- →Optional river confluence viewpoint (Hito Tres Fronteras)
- →Onward travel booking to Buenos Aires or beyond
Self-launched vs. Aborigen Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Aborigen Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£515 | £530 |
| Duration | 7 days | 7 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £15 per person (3%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Aborigen Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£515
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Argentina: Salta & Iguazú Falls — Self-Launched 7-Day Route cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £515 per person for 7 days in Argentina (Salta & Iguazú Falls). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Aborigen Tours?+
Yes — Aborigen Tours charges around £530 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £515 — a saving of roughly £15 (3%) per person.
How long is the Argentina (Salta & Iguazú Falls) trip?+
This itinerary runs 7 days, covering 7 day-by-day stops through Argentina (Salta & Iguazú Falls).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Argentina (Salta & Iguazú Falls), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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