Salinas Grandes to Jujuy Transfer

A private transfer from the Salinas Grandes salt flats back to San Salvador de Jujuy or its airport, down the Cuesta de Lipán and through Purmamarca.

Book your private transfer

This is a private transfer from Salinas Grandes to Jujuy: about 130 km, around 2h30 depending on traffic, road conditions and stops. The driver collects you at the salt flats, or at the point you agree on, and takes you back over the Cuesta de Lipán and through Purmamarca to San Salvador de Jujuy, to your hotel or to the airport. It is the trip down from the high plateau, and the road does a lot of the work of changing the landscape for you.

Distance and travel time from Salinas Grandes to Jujuy

The trip is about 130 km and takes around 2h30, according to traffic, road conditions and the stops you make. From the salt flats the road climbs a little and then descends the Cuesta de Lipán, a mountain road of tight curves that drops more than a thousand meters towards Purmamarca. From Purmamarca you continue to the main road of the Quebrada de Humahuaca and south to Jujuy.

The descent is the slow part and also the most spectacular. A driver who does it often keeps a safe, steady pace through the curves. If you want photos at the viewpoints, tell us: stops add time, and the light on the way down is worth it. If you have a flight from Jujuy airport, give us the time when you book and we leave the flats with a margin.

A long day ends here

Reaching the salt flats from Jujuy or Purmamarca already takes a good part of the day, so the return comes when people are at their most tired: too much sun, wind and altitude. That is why this transfer is less about getting from A to B and more about arriving in good shape. A comfortable seat and a calm driver count for more here than on a short urban trip.

If you went to the flats on a tour that dropped you off at the end of the day, or came with your own driver and want only the way back, tell us. We can organize just this leg.

Why the Cuesta de Lipán is a road for a driver, not for a rental car

• Tight curves and a steep descent. The road drops quickly and has little room for error. After a day at altitude, driving it yourself is tiring and demanding.
• You rest on the way back. A day on the salt flats means sun, wind and altitude. With a driver you can close your eyes for the ride down.
• One vehicle from the flats to the city. The alternatives are limited: a taxi or remís without a closed rate, transport with combinations and set times, or renting a car and driving a mountain road you do not know.
• Stops at the viewpoints. The Cuesta de Lipán has places to look back at the plateau and ahead at the valley, and the driver can pull over where it is safe.
• Flexible hour. You decide when to leave the salt flats, so you can stay for the light at the end of the afternoon, within the margin we agree on.

Leaving the salt flats

Salinas Grandes is a vast white salt flat on the high plateau, at high altitude, with a flat horizon, strong light and almost no shade. The salt is worked by hand, and the surface looks like an endless white floor under the blue sky. It is a place that people remember for how empty it is.

As you leave, you notice what you could not at the entrance: how bare and bright the area is, and then how quickly the landscape changes once the road starts to fall. Before long the first greens, the cardon cacti and the colored hills appear, and the temperature rises as you go down. Sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen are useful on the plateau, and you will probably still be wearing them at Purmamarca.

The way down: Purmamarca and the Quebrada

At the foot of the Cuesta de Lipán you reach Purmamarca and its Hill of Seven Colors. If you did not have time to see it, the driver can stop for a short visit, as long as it fits your schedule and your flight. From there the road goes down the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to Jujuy.

The last section is easier and flatter. The valley widens, the vegetation gets greener and you reach a city with restaurants, hotels and the airport. For many travelers this is the last day of a trip in the north, and the day is long, so a well-planned return makes a difference.

How it works

• Write to us on WhatsApp with the date, the number of passengers, the pickup point at the salt flats (or where you are staying) and the destination in Jujuy.
• We confirm the hour and the vehicle for your group and luggage.
• The driver picks you up and drives over the Cuesta de Lipán.
• You arrive door to door in Jujuy, at your hotel, your address or the airport. If you need the way out as well, ask for a round trip.

Practical tips for the Salinas Grandes return

Plan the return with a margin if you have a flight: 2h30 is an estimate and the mountain road can slow down for weather, works or trucks. Tell us your flight time and we suggest when to leave the salt flats.

The altitude is high, so go slowly, drink water and avoid heavy meals before the descent. If someone gets carsick, mention it before leaving and take the front seat, since the curves are many. Bring a warm layer: the plateau is cold and windy even on sunny days. If you travel with children, ask for child seats when you write to us, with notice in advance. Keep your ID with you.

Ready to book your transfer from Salinas Grandes to Jujuy?

Write to us on WhatsApp with your date, the number of passengers and your pickup point at Salinas Grandes. We reply with the details and an English-speaking driver takes you over the Cuesta de Lipán to Jujuy, to your hotel or to the airport.