Salta City is the capital of Salta province in Northern Argentina. The Spanish Colonial imprints and the picturesque narrow streets drawn by single story houses with a mountain in the backdrop adds a unique charm to the city.
A well planned 24 hours in Salta would offer an ample of time to explore the main attractions of the city.
09:30 AM Start your day at Plaza 9 de Julio the main square of Salta. A monument of General Juan Antonio Alvarez who fought the renowned battle of Salta in 1813 is perched in the center of the square surrounded by 14 muses who represent the 14 provinces that existed during the era.
10:00 AM Visit Cathedral Basilica which is located right opposite to the square. The Cathedral is considered to be the most beautiful temple in Argentina. Its main attraction is the façade designed in the Italian style with paintings of angels,archangels and cherubs.
10:20 AM Walk to the renowned Museo de Arquelogia de Alta Montaña known for exhibiting mummies of three Inca Children found on the top of Llullaillaco Volcano. The Museum is open from Tuesdays to Sundays from 1100am to 0730pm and charges 100 pesos (USD 7) as an entrance fees for people above 12 years of age.
11:30 AM Head to El Cabildo Museo, a well preserved museum located right opposite Cathedral Basilica. The museum is housed in a colonial styled building constructed in 1717 by Spaniards. This historical monument has pictures and portraits among other valuable things like furniture. The museum offers its visitors an entry for 20 pesos (USD 1.5) and is open from Tuesdays to Fridays 09:00 am. to 07:00pm. Saturdays and Sundays: 09:00 am. to 01:30 pm.
12:30 PM Stop by one of the restaurants or cafes in the arcade on the Museo de Arquelogia de Alta Montaña to grab some lunch.
02:00 PM Head to Cordoba Street and visit The Basilica and Convent of San Fransisco, one of the foremost exponents of architectural and historical heritage of the city. The library has about 40,000 valuable antique books.
03:00 PM Stroll through Caseros Street and get to San Bernardo Convent, one of the oldest buildings in Salta. It was initially built as hermitage for St. Bernardo, Salta’s first patron saint. The columns that hold the lintel has two arches joined in the center by a drawing of leaves and a card with Christ’s initials.
03:30 PM Get to Parque San Martín and saunter through the paths surrounded by ancient trees.
05:00 PM Take a ride on the cable car from Parque San Martín and get to the top of San Bernardo Hill. The eight minutes ride would offer a panoramic view of Salta City and Lerma Valley. A round trip would cost 75 pesos (USD 5) per person. The cable car operates from 10:00 am to 07:00 pm.
07:00 PM Wind up your visit to the city by getting an authentic taste. Visit one of the Peñas in Zona De La Balcarce for dinner. Peñas are restaurants that plays live folk music and serves traditional food.
Amazing how much you can do in just 24 hours!
This sounds like a great experience and Salta was an unknown commodity for me till now. Haven’t read many posts on this place in particular and Argentina in general.
I’ve never been in South America, I would love to see Argentina for sure, and this article and photos just made me wan to go now! 🙂
This is a very thorough guide! The Cathedral looks to be well worth a visit. Thanks for sharing!
A day in Salta is surely not enough, but you made good use of every hour! Traditional food and live music is always a good way to end a day.
The ride on the cable car from Parque San Martín sounds cool. Great guide!
This looks like a quaint Argentinian town. Would love to explore it. I haven’t made it down to South America and Argentina is on the top of my list!
Was just stumbling across other Argentina blogs and was bit sad we decided to not go to Argentina. We are heading to Bolivia instead of it, so def will take noes for our next Argentina trip!
I love visiting cathedrals! This is a part of the world I’m really keen to visit but just haven’t had the chance yet. Thanks for the guide!