Highlights
- Navigate the tributaries of the upper Amazon in a canoe
- See monkeys, macaws, and other wildlife in their natural habitats
- Boat through jungle rivers and lagoons
- Visit an indigenous community to learn about regional traditions
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Explore Mapajo & the Pilón Lajas Reserve | Mapajo |
| Day 2 | Get to Know the Mosetén & Tsimané Tribes | Rurrenabaque |
| Day 3 | Discover Madidi National Park | Madidi National Park |
| Day 4 | Hike in the Amazon | Madidi National Park |
| Day 5 | Depart Bolivia |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Explore Mapajo & the Pilón Lajas Reserve
Welcome to Bolivia! The adventure begins in Rurrenabaque. Head to the town's port on the Beni River and board a canoe for a trip through the Bala Gorge, paddling along the Quiquibey River on your way to the Pilón Lajas Indigenous Territory Park and Biosphere Reserve. Disembark at the jungle village of Asunción del Quiquibey and find your way to your bungalow to drop off your things. Today you will see how village residents created Mapajo, a community-run ecotourism project that protects the ecosystem.
After a buffet lunch prepared by community members, a local guide will take you along a walking trail into the jungle to learn about medicinal plants. Relax by the waters of the Quiquibey River, observing tropical birds, mammals, and reptiles. Keep your eyes open for unusual tracks, like those of the jaguar. Enjoy lunch on the sandy riverbank, followed by a walk to a macaw nesting site. After nightfall, return to the river to spot caimans: they're easily identified by the red glint of their eyes. Then fall asleep to the sounds of the nighttime rainforest.
Day 2: Get to Know the Mosetén & Tsimané Tribes
Today, you'll return to Asunción del Quiquibey to experience the daily lives of the Mosetén and Tsimané tribes. Learn about everyday customs and practices, from weaving to farming, as well as traditional hunting methods using bows and arrows. Then you'll get into a canoe and cruise downstream to Rurrenabaque, where you'll spend the night.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 3: Discover Madidi National Park
After a good night's rest, you'll ride in a motorized canoe up the Beni River, back through the Bala Gorge, and along a small tributary until you arrive at the Madidi Jungle Ecolodge. This low-impact rainforest lodge is wholly owned and run by indigenous people from the heart of Bolivia's Madidi National Park, recognized as one of the most biodiverse places in the world. The park is home to more than a thousand different bird species — that's 14% of all birds known to man.
Enjoy lunch and a hammock siesta. Then you'll go on an afternoon hike into the rainforest to spot macaws and parrots. If you're lucky, you might also see white-lipped peccaries, red howler monkeys, and brown capuchin monkeys. When darkness falls, you can venture out again, this time in search of nocturnal wildlife like tarantulas and frogs.
Day 4: Hike in the Amazon
Join a guided hike this morning along the Biwa Trail, where black spider monkeys are often spotted. Along the trail, you will stop at a popular viewpoint for a stunning panoramic view of the rainforest canopy. Another set of trails takes you back to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, head out for a second guided hike, this time along the Mapajo and Almendrillo trails to discover the Giant Kapok, Almendrillo, and Strangler Fig trees. You will learn about different forest plants and their medicinal and spiritual uses, as well as their role in the ecosystem. When it's time for dinner, you'll sample a local dish, dunucuabi (catfish wrapped in leaves).
Day 5: Depart Bolivia
On your last morning in the jungle, take a short boat trip upstream on the Tuichi River to the Serere Trail. Go on a riverside hike to a floodplain to spot native wildlife. Here you might see yellow squirrel monkeys and hoatzin birds, the most ancient bird species in South America. Then it's time for the boat ride back to Rurrenabaque. Say farewell to the Amazon as you head back to La Paz. From the capital city, you'll make the connection for your flight home. Safe travels!
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