Explore the Bolivian Amazon - 7 Days
Highlights
- Soar above La Paz on a cable car tour of the city
- Enjoy a nature walk with local indigenous guides
- Spot tropical birds on a birdwatching hike
- Build your own log raft and go rafting down the River Tuichi
- See monkeys, sloths, and dolphins on a river safari
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in La Paz | La Paz |
| Day 2 | Cable Car Tour of La Paz | La Paz |
| Day 3 | Transfer to Rurrenabaque - Canoeing & Hiking in Madidi National Park | Rurrenabaque |
| Day 4 | Birdwatching & Rafting in Madidi National Park | Madidi National Park |
| Day 5 | River Safari in Yacuma Forest Preserve | Santa Rosa Beni |
| Day 6 | Nature Hike - La Paz | La Paz |
| Day 7 | Depart La Paz |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in La Paz
Welcome to Bolivia! A representative will greet you at El Alto International Airport (LPB) in La Paz and transfer you to your hotel. Once you check in and get settled, you can share a cup of coca tea with your guide and go over your itinerary, ask questions, and learn a bit more about Bolivia.
We recommend that you take it easy today since there is 50% less oxygen at this altitude, and steady acclimatization is essential to enjoying your trip.
Day 2: Cable Car Tour of La Paz
After breakfast, you will explore the city via the city's new cable car system. Since its opening in 2017, the Mi Teleférico transit system boasts a network of 10 lines that criss-cross the city. Your full-day tour will take you on six different lines—from the adjacent city of El Alto to La Paz's bohemian neighborhood of Sopocachi with modern buildings, bustling squares, and public parks. The tour will end with a stroll along colonial Jaen Street with its small museums and plenty of history.
In the afternoon, you'll be returned to your hotel where you'll have the rest of the evening free.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 3: Transfer to Rurrenabaque - Canoeing & Hiking in Madidi National Park
Today, a driver will pick you up from your hotel in La Paz and take you back to the airport for your short 45-minute flight to Rurrenabaque. When you land in the heart of Bolivia's Amazon, you will have a short briefing with your guide before heading to the river to board your canoe. You will be canoeing on the Beni and Tuichi Rivers, and your route will take you into Madidi National Park, one of the planet's most biologically diverse places.
You will arrive at our eco-lodge by noon, and after you settle in, you will meet your hosts who are members of the Tacana indigenous people. After a delicious lunch and refreshing tropical juice, you will go on an excursion into the rainforest. The focus of your walk will be to learn about all the plants of the rainforest that the Tacana people use in their communities for making medicine, building, and food.
As the sun begins to go down, you might get lucky and catch a glimpse of pig-like peccaries and monkeys. When you return to the lodge, you will eat dinner and have the rest of the evening to relax.
Day 4: Birdwatching & Rafting in Madidi National Park
After an early breakfast, you will head on a birdwatching excursion to the "Cliff of the Macaws," one of the best places in Madidi National Park to see macaws, parrots, and other species of tropical birds. The hike out to the birdwatching point is moderately difficult, and you will be walking beneath 295-395 feet (90-120 meter) tall trees, and learn more about their uses.
There will be a secured boat nearby for you to store your backpacks and for those who prefer not to participate in the hike to utilize.
At the Cliff of the Macaws, you can watch the birds and enjoy the breathtaking view of the Amazon basin and its many rivers. After your birdwatching activity, you will go to the River Tuichi, build a log raft (the traditional transport of the Amazonian peoples), and paddle downstream for about two hours until you reach your next eco-lodge.
Once you reach the lodge and have lunch, you can choose to rest or participate in another activity like making traditional handicrafts or fishing.
Day 5: River Safari in Yacuma Forest Preserve
After an early breakfast, a driver will pick you up and return you to Rurrenabaque. You will then head to the town of Santa Rosa, located in the grassland region known as the Beni Pampas. Along the way, we will have opportunities to see sloths, anteaters, birds, and other animals native to the area.
Once in Santa Rosa, you will travel by boat along the Yacuma River to Las Tortugas Eco-Lodge. After you have lunch, you'll set off on a river safari where you can see even more animal species like caimans, capybaras, turtles, many bird species, and the pink river dolphins that live in this wonderful place.
You will arrive at your lodge by nightfall, and after dinner, the hammocks are yours to enjoy for the evening.
Day 6: Nature Hike in the Jungle - La Paz
Early risers are invited to wake up at first light to listen to the Pampas come to life. You can watch the sunrise and listen to the sounds of howler monkeys and birds before you eat breakfast. Then, you can head out for a short nature hike along the Yacuma River. We will look for anacondas, capybaras, a variety of birds, caimans, turtles, monkeys, and other jungle animals.
After your hike, you will return to the lodge to have lunch and pack up. A driver will return you to the airport in Rurrenabaque for your afternoon flight back to La Paz.
Once you reach La Paz, you'll have one last night to explore the city, sample Bolivian cuisine, and enjoy the Andes.
Day 7: Depart La Paz
It's time to say goodbye to Bolivia! After you have breakfast and spend a final morning enjoying La Paz, a driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the airport to catch your flight home.
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