El Centro
First visits, sightseeingThe colonial grid around Plaza 9 de Julio, with the cathedral, museums and most hostels within a few blocks.
City guide
Things to do in Salta
Colonial churches, folk music until dawn and the best empanadas in Argentina, with red canyons, salt flats and seven-coloured mountains a road trip away.
20
Hostels in the city
7.9
Average, from 6,345 reviews
4–5
Days, more with a car
1,150m
Altitude of the city
Salta la linda, and everything around it
Argentines call it Salta la linda, Salta the beautiful, and the old centre lives up to it. Whitewashed colonial buildings, wooden balconies and the deep red and gold façade of the Iglesia San Francisco surround Plaza 9 de Julio, where the city gathers in the evening. At 1,150m in a green valley, it has warm days for much of the year and a pace that feels a world away from Buenos Aires.
The north-west is Argentina's most Andean region. Indigenous culture, Spanish colonial history and gaucho traditions all meet here, and you hear it in the music: Salta is the home of Argentine folk, and the peñas, where bands and audiences sing together over wine and empanadas, are an essential night out.
Salta is also the base for some of the country's most spectacular landscapes. The wine town of Cafayate and its red rock canyon, the coloured hills of the Quebrada de Humahuaca in neighbouring Jujuy and the white expanse of the Salinas Grandes are all within reach. Give it four or five days, or longer with a hire car.
Where to base yourself
Almost everything worth seeing in the city is within a few blocks of Plaza 9 de Julio, so stay central. Calle Balcarce suits night owls; the streets towards Cerro San Bernardo are quieter.
Calle Balcarce
Peñas, nightlifeNorth of the centre, lined with peñas, bars and clubs. Lively and loud at weekends.
Paseo Güemes and San Bernardo
Quiet, viewsThe leafy streets at the foot of Cerro San Bernardo, a calm walk from the plaza.
Parque San Martín
Bus terminal, early startsAround the park, the cable car station and the long-distance bus terminal. Handy for departures.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 5 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Salta
Start at Plaza 9 de Julio, with the pink cathedral and the colonial Cabildo on its sides, and walk a block to the Iglesia San Francisco, whose red, white and gold tower is the city's symbol. The MAAM, the Museum of High Mountain Archaeology on the plaza, displays artefacts and one of the three Inca children found preserved near the summit of the Llullaillaco volcano. It is a moving and memorable visit.
Then go up. A cable car climbs Cerro San Bernardo from Parque San Martín, or you can walk the steps to the top for views across the city and valley. In the evening, head to a peña on Calle Balcarce for live folk music.
Salta is a base for road trips, and many travellers hire a car with others to explore. The classic tours run to Cafayate through the Quebrada de las Conchas, to Cachi over the Cuesta del Obispo, and north to Purmamarca, Humahuaca and the Salinas Grandes. The Tren a las Nubes, a bus-and-train trip to a viaduct at 4,220m, is the region's most famous excursion.
Free things
And what it costs nothing to do
The colonial centre is the best free thing in Salta. Walk the streets around Plaza 9 de Julio in the early evening, step into the cathedral and the San Francisco church, and sit on a bench as the city comes out to stroll.
The climb up Cerro San Bernardo is free if you walk it rather than take the cable car. It is around a thousand steps, so go early in the morning before the heat, and reward yourself with the view.
At weekends, the craft market and the street stalls around the centre are good for browsing ponchos and woven textiles, and many peñas have no cover charge if you eat or drink there.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking
Salta is famous for its empanadas, and every Argentine has an opinion on why the salteña is the best. They are small, baked or fried, and filled with juicy beef, potato and spring onion, eaten by hand and leaning forward so the juice does not run down your arm. A dozen is a normal order.
The region's Andean cooking is just as good: locro, a thick stew of maize, beans and meat; humitas, sweetcorn steamed in its husk; and tamales. Llama appears on menus too. Wash it down with a torrontés, the fragrant white wine from Cafayate's high vineyards, among the highest in the world.
The Mercado San Miguel is the place for a cheap lunch among the locals, and the peñas serve food alongside the music.
Nightlife
Going out
Nights in Salta mean peñas. These folk music venues serve wine, empanadas and locro while bands play zambas and chacareras, and as the night goes on the audience joins in, singing, clapping and dancing with handkerchiefs. Calle Balcarce, north of the centre, is lined with them, and it is busiest from Thursday to Saturday.
Balcarce also has bars and a few clubs, which fill late in the usual Argentine way. In the centre, bars around Plaza 9 de Julio are good for a quieter drink.
Hostels in Salta are sociable, with asados and group trips to the peñas, which is the best way to go if you are travelling alone.
Getting around
Getting around
The centre is compact and easy to walk. City buses, run by SAETA, use their own rechargeable card or a QR payment app, and taxis are cheap and plentiful for anything further.
The airport is about 10km south-west of the centre, around 20 minutes by taxi. The long-distance bus terminal is a short walk east of the centre, near Parque San Martín, with services to Cafayate, Jujuy, Purmamarca, Tucumán and over the Andes to San Pedro de Atacama in Chile.
For the region, a hire car shared between a few people is the most flexible option. Roads like the Ruta 40 between Cachi and Cafayate are partly gravel, so allow time. The alternative is day tours, which cover all the main routes from the city.
Costs
What Salta costs
Salta is one of the cheapest places to travel in Argentina. Dorm beds run from about €9 to €13 in well-rated hostels, and a dozen empanadas or a bowl of locro costs very little.
The costs come with getting out into the region. Day tours to Cafayate, Cachi or the Quebrada de Humahuaca are fairly priced, and a shared hire car can work out cheaper. The Tren a las Nubes is the big splurge: in May 2026 the trip cost ARS 218,000 for foreigners, around €120 at the time of writing.
Prices are set in pesos and move with inflation, so check them close to your trip. Cards are accepted in most places in the centre, but keep cash for markets, peñas and small towns.
Safety
Safety and scams
Salta is a calm and friendly city, and serious crime against travellers is rare. Take the usual care with phones and bags in busy places like the bus terminal and markets, and use a taxi late at night when leaving Calle Balcarce.
Altitude is the main thing to plan for. The city is at a comfortable 1,150m, but day trips climb fast: the Salinas Grandes sit at around 3,450m and the Tren a las Nubes reaches 4,220m. Take it slowly, drink water, and try coca tea, which is sold locally for altitude.
The sun is strong at altitude, and summer storms can bring landslides that close mountain roads, so check conditions before road trips. In an emergency, call 911.
Worth leaving the city for
The landscapes of the north-west are the reason to come. Most are long days, or better with a night away.
Cafayate and the Quebrada de las Conchas
Red rock canyons, then a relaxed wine town known for torrontés.
Purmamarca and the Salinas Grandes
The Hill of Seven Colours, then a vast white salt flat at around 3,450m.
Quebrada de Humahuaca
A UNESCO-listed valley of coloured mountains and adobe villages.
Cachi
A whitewashed village, giant cacti in Los Cardones National Park, and Andean peaks.
What's on
What is on while you are there
Folk festivals, carnival and one of Argentina's biggest religious celebrations.
Staff pick
31 Oct – 1 Nov
Pre Cosquín Salta
Pre Cosquín Salta is a key qualifying event for the renowned Cosquín National Folklore Festival. Local musicians and dancers compete for the chance to…
12 October
Fito Páez
Fito Páez brings decades of Argentine rock history to the Provincial Theater of Salta, carrying with him a catalog that spans thirty albums and…
26 November
Bersuit
Bersuit is performing live in Salta at La Roka venue. The event opens its doors at 21:00 with the concert starting at 22:00 on…
3 Aug – 27 Nov
Emocionarte: A Workshop to Explore Emotions Through Art
A workshop for kids that blends art, theater, music, and play with emotional education, running at the Provincial Library of Salta Capital from August…
4 Sep – 11 Oct
Craft Fair: Made in the Land of Miracles
Regional artisan associations gather at the Casa de la Cultura to showcase handcrafted pieces rooted in Salta's traditions. You'll find textiles, ceramics, woodwork, leather…
11–12 October
Ke Personajes
Ke Personajes brings their energetic blend of tropical cumbia and rock to Salta, with frontman Emanuel Noir's passionate vocals leading the charge. The band…
17 October
Sofia Calvo
Psychologist and communicator Sofía Calvo brings her direct, empathetic style back to the stage in this intimate live experience. She blends humor with reflection,…
18 October
Flema
Flema brings their legendary Buenos Aires punk sound to El Teatrino, celebrating 30 years of their influential album Nunca seré policía with a full…
Hostels
Where to stay
The highest-rated hostels in Salta, straight from Hostelworld. Prices and availability are live on each property page.
When to go
April to November is dry and sunny, with warm days and cool nights. December to March is the rainy season, green but stormy, with some roads affected.
Jan
Rainy season. Green, with afternoon storms
Feb
Carnival, still rainy
Mar
Rains easing
Apr
Dry season begins. A great month
May
Dry, sunny and mild
Jun
Winter. Sunny days, cold nights
Jul
Winter school holidays
Aug
Pachamama celebrations
Sep
Señor y Virgen del Milagro festival
Oct
Warm and dry. A great month
Nov
Warm, before the rains
Dec
Rains begin, festive season
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs, rounded. Winter nights get cold, especially at altitude.
What your trip will cost
Per night, for one person, based on Salta prices. Doing things includes a share of day tours.
Prices move with inflation, so treat these as a guide. The Tren a las Nubes costs extra.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Salta questions
The ones we get asked most.
How many days do you need in Salta?
Four or five: one or two for the city and a peña night, and the rest for day trips to Cafayate, Purmamarca and the Salinas Grandes. With a hire car, a week flies by.
What is the best time to visit Salta?
April to November, the dry season, with sunny days and cool nights. December to March is rainy and green, and storms can affect mountain roads.
What is the Tren a las Nubes?
A bus-and-train trip from Salta to the La Polvorilla viaduct at 4,220m. In May 2026 it cost ARS 218,000 for foreigners. Book ahead and take the altitude seriously.
Is it worth hiring a car in Salta?
Yes, if you can share it. The region's roads are spectacular, some partly gravel, and a car lets you stop wherever you like. Day tours are the alternative.
What is a peña?
A folk music venue where bands play and the audience sings and dances along, with wine, empanadas and locro. Calle Balcarce has the most.
Will I get altitude sickness on day trips from Salta?
Possibly. The city is at 1,150m, but the Salinas Grandes are around 3,450m and the Tren a las Nubes reaches 4,220m. Go slowly, drink water and try coca tea.
Is Salta safe?
Yes, it is a calm and friendly city. Take normal care with your phone and bag in busy places, and use a taxi late at night.
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