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Travel guide · Train to the Clouds

Train to the Clouds: how it works today

By Pablo Pérez Sancho, tour guide in Salta · Updated November 2026

The Tren a las Nubes is a tourist train in Salta that climbs to the La Polvorilla viaduct, at 4,220 m, one of the highest railway points in the world. Since 2015 the full day starts with a bus from Salta along Route 51 to San Antonio de los Cobres, where you board the train for the last 21 km. It does not run in the rainy summer, so check dates before you plan around it.

Viaduct altitude
4,220 m (Salta city is at 1,187 m)
Train section
San Antonio de los Cobres to La Polvorilla, 21 km
Top speed
35 km/h
Season
April to November; no service from December to March
Getting there
Bus from Salta, or your own transport to San Antonio de los Cobres
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A mountain road at sunset in the Northwest
A mountain road at sunset in the Northwest

How does the trip work today?

Since 2015 the train no longer leaves from Salta city. The combined day starts with a bus from Salta along Route 51, through Campo Quijano and Gobernador Solá, up the Quebrada del Toro to San Antonio de los Cobres. There you board the train. It takes about an hour to the viaduct, you stay about 30 minutes, and then it returns to San Antonio, where the bus takes you back to Salta. There is also a train-only ticket if you reach San Antonio de los Cobres by your own means.

Why is it called the Train to the Clouds?

The name comes from a film made in the early 1960s by two students from the University of Tucumán, who travelled the Salta to Socompa line. The first official tourist trip was on 16 July 1972. The line climbs with zigzags and spirals, with no rack rail: the wheels grip the track the whole way.

When does it run?

The official tourism site says April to November, and that it does not operate from December to March, the rainy season. In some recent years it has reopened in early January, so dates change. Check days, times and fares on the operator's website, trenalasnubes.com.ar, and book ahead, as demand is high. Foreign visitors pay a higher fare than Argentine residents.

What about the altitude?

It is a big jump in one day: Salta city is at 1,187 m, San Antonio de los Cobres at about 3,775 m and the viaduct at 4,220 m. The train carries a doctor and medical oxygen. Eat lightly the night before, drink water and move slowly. Our altitude guide explains how to prepare.

Is the train the only way to see this landscape?

No. The same road, Route 51 through the Quebrada del Toro, runs up to San Antonio de los Cobres, and the plateau beyond has the Salinas Grandes at 3,450 m and some of the highest passes in the region. Driving it lets you stop where you like, which a train timetable does not. If the train is not running on your dates, this is the alternative.

Sources: Route, altitudes, name, history and 2015 change: Wikipedia (Tren a las Nubes). Season, 217 km historic route and recommendations: argentina.travel. Fares and January reopening: Cadena 3, Canal 26 and TodoJujuy press reports. Confirm the current schedule and fares with the operator.

Travel with Pablo

See it on a private trip

Pablo does not run the train, but his trips cover the plateau by road: the 4-day loop crosses San Antonio de los Cobres, and a tailor-made day from Salta can go to the Salinas Grandes and back through the Quebrada del Toro.

Want a different route? Pablo plans tailor-made trips of 3 to 13+ days. How tailor-made trips work

More travel guides: Best time to visit Salta & Jujuy · Altitude sickness in Salta & Jujuy · Self-drive or private guide in Salta · Salta & Jujuy driving distances · El Hornocal guide · Salinas Grandes guide · Cafayate wine guide · Cachi guide · Quebrada de Humahuaca guide · 5-day Salta & Jujuy itinerary · Argentina for US travelers · Buenos Aires to Salta · Is Salta worth visiting? · 2 weeks in Argentina · Cuesta del Obispo & Quebrada de las Conchas · What to pack for Salta & Jujuy · What to eat in Salta

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