Our Upper Amazon tour takes you deep into the heart of Madidi National Park, one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth. Spanning an area larger than Vermont and New Hampshire combined, Madidi encompasses 13 distinct ecological life zones, stretching from the snow-capped Apolobamba Andes to the tropical lowlands of the Amazon basin. While the park's vast landscapes include glaciers, high-altitude puna grasslands, cloud forests, and dense jungles, our expedition focuses on the lower Amazon basin, where wildlife thrives in pristine rainforest habitats and includes the natural pampas (grasslands) of the Beni.
Journey Into the Amazon
Our adventure begins in La Paz, Bolivia (12,000 ft), where we begin our drive over the Andes in 4x4’s, crossing the Cumbre pass close to 15,000 ft a.s.l. Soon, we drop down very quickly through the cloud forest and through the Yungas Mountains – the semi-tropical jungle-covered eastern side of the Andes. During our overland journey you will see an amazing kaleidoscope of life zones, stunning landscapes and drive on the famous Death Road to Coroico. We will have lunch en-route and continue dropping down quickly to about 800 ft. above sea level at the end of our drive today in the town of Rurrenabaque – the gateway to the Amazon region of Bolivia. We spend the night in this riverside town, relax and enjoy the warm tropical temps and sounds of the jungle.
Next day we head into the natural grasslands of the Beni region and to the Yacuma River where a motorized boat to take us quickly to our lodge for the two nights. A very small river produces close encounters with monkeys, dozens of bird species, caiman (a cross between an alligator and a crocodile), capybaras, turtles and a myriad of other mammals, and hopefully pink river dolphins.
We continue into the mountains of Madidi National Park to visit the highland segment of this national park for a couple of nights, enjoying the cooler temps and visiting diverse lookouts to see the ocean of jungle unfold beyond the horizon. Sadiri Lodge is located close to waterfalls, has resident hummingbirds, hawks and colorful flocks of birds everywhere, including ocelot, jaguar and puma.
We finish the last two days on the Tuichi River at a lodge with visits to a lake and hopefully see the resident giant river otters, as well as macaws, capybara, tapir, a myriad of tropical birds and if we are lucky a jaguar, which likes to sun itself on the sandy beaches of the Tuichi River.
At the end of our tropical adventure, we fly back to La Paz from Rurrenabaque and arrive an hour later at El alto International Airport. We shuttle down into La Paz and have time to refresh, shower and relax before our final dinner. We end this adventure with transfer to the airport for your flight back home.
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We, of course, would do whatever is necessary in case of medical emergency and evacuate to the closest hospital or clinic to make sure you receive medical care.
Upon arrival in La Paz, you will go through immigration and then customs. Most flights arrive very early in the morning between 2-4 AM. Once done with the official paperwork, you will exit into the main foyer, where we will be waiting for you. We board a private vehicle for the transfer to your hotel in La Paz which takes about 45 minutes. Once at the hotel, you check-in and get some sleep. The morning is free for you to rest until lunch time (on your own). At 2 pm we’ll begin a 4-hour city tour of this fascinating city deep in the heart of the Andes; visiting open air markets, colonial neighborhoods, the witches’ market and take in the vast canyon of La Paz from breathtaking viewpoints. We return to your hotel so you can rest before a welcome dinner where we will discuss the upcoming trip in more detail. Overnight in La Paz.
Hotel: Casa Grande Express (3*)
Meals included: D
Today we drive over the Andes into the Amazon. We depart after an early breakfast and head over La Cumbre Pass at 15,000 ft and quickly drop down through the cloud forest into the Yungas mountains. These are the semi-tropical jungle-covered eastern side of the Andes that connect the highlands to the lowlands. We will be on the famous Camino del la Muerte for a few hours and quickly drop elevation where hot and humid temps will replace the cold and dry climate of the Andes. We have lunch en-route, and should arrive in Rurrenabaque around late-afternoon, Check-in and have dinner. Overnight in the riverside town of Rurrenabaque on the Beni River.
Hotel: Maya (3*)
Meals included: B, L, D
After an early breakfast, we depart in 4x4s for the pampas and Rio Yacuma, enjoying views of birds and wildlife along the way. Upon arrival, a motorized boat takes us to our eco-lodge, Las Tortugas. After lunch and a brief rest, we set out on the river to spot pink river dolphins, capybaras, turtles, caimans, and diverse birdlife. We also explore the savanna for more wildlife. In the late afternoon, we return to the lodge to refresh before dinner. At night, we head out again to spot caimans, whose glowing eyes make them easy to find using flashlights. If possible, we'll catch small ones for a close-up view before releasing them. We return to the lodge for the night.
Hotel: Las Tortugas Lodge (3*)
Meals included: B, L, D
After an early breakfast we once again head out early in our boats to observe more wildlife in the area. This region is so rich in animals that we have everything from giant anteaters to ocelot and from Jabirou storks to Suri (the Amazonian ostrich) and from pink river dolphins to anacondas and monkeys! After this morning’s jaunt we will return to the lodge for lunch and a rest. Later in the afternoon we board our boat again and head to other parts of the river for more wildlife viewing. We can head out tonight again, looking for nocturnal animals. Dinner and overnight at Las Tortugas Lodge.
Hotel: Las Tortugas Lodge (3*)
Meals included: B, L, D
This is the last morning in the pampas, we take our boat back to port and drive back to Rurrenabaque. Upon arrival we have an early lunch. After sorting ourselves out, we then head north on the eastern side of Madidi National Park and head up into the Serrania Sadiri, to the top, where Sadiri Lodge is located. The drive takes a couple of hours but along the route there is plenty of wildlife to be seen in the rivers and forest and savannah. Upon arrival to Sadiri you have a 5-minute walk into the forest to find a lodge surrounded by massive trees and dense jungle with private cabins and in-suite bathrooms a couple of minutes’ walk from the main lodge. Dinner at an appropriate time then a night hike to see nocturnal animals. Overnight in Sadiri Lodge.
Hotel: Sadiri Lodge (3*)
Meals included: B, L, D
After breakfast we go on an early morning hike on the many nearby trails, until we arrive at various lookout points to see animals as they go about their daily activities. We continue connecting trails that take us back to the lodge where we will have lunch. The afternoon is open to choose other locations, depending on the weather. Dinner and optional night hikes for those interested in viewing nocturnal animals are always an option. Overnight in Sadiri Lodge.
Hotel: Sadiri Lodge (3*)
Meals included: B, L, D
Our stay in Sadiri ends and we begin our drive back to Rurrenabaque for the next portion which will be navigating the Beni and Tuichi Rivers into the lower Madidi region. Upon arrival in Rurrenabaque we have lunch and then head to the port on the Beni River for our next segment, navigating up the Beni and then onto the Tuichi River, the heart of Madidi National Park. As we go through Bullet Canyon and get further into the rainforest, we will have ample opportunities to view the typical Amazon basin made up of tropical primary and secondary forest and rivers ecosystems - home to hundreds of bird species, mammals and reptiles. After approximately three hours we will arrive at the Tuichi River port for Mashaquipe Lodge. A short 10-minute walk through the rainforest with a guide will introduce you to the natural ecosystems that are typical in the tropical forest. After checking in, we head out on a hike into the jungle, or you'll have the option of taking a siesta or just relaxing a hammock. Dinner and an optional night hike to see nocturnal animals. Overnight at Mashaquipe Lodge.
Hotel: Mashaquipe Lodge (3*)
Meals included: B, L, D
We want an early breakfast so we can head to Santa Rosa Lake for the day of wildlife watching, swimming and lunch. We depart up the Tuichi River to the port below Laguna Santa Rosa, located up on a mesa, with great views of the Tuichi River and the jungle below and layers of jungle-covered mountains in all directions. A brief 15-minute walk will take us to Yuruma, our camp on the shores of Lake Santa Rosa for the rest of the day. We will go hiking into the jungle, looking for animals and learn about the neotropics. We can also swim or take canoe trips to see animals along the shore...and if lucky we will see the family of Giant River otters that live here. They are very curious, so they often come by to see the visitors. Lunch at Yuruma then off to canoe or hike. At an appointed time, we return to the Tuichi River and navigate back down to Mashaquipe Lodge for dinner and then rest. Optional night hikes are always a guest favorite.
Hotel: Mashaquipe Lodge (3*)
Meals included: B, L, D
After breakfast we head to the river for our last boat ride out of Madidi National Park. The approximate travel time will be about 2 ½ hours to Rurrenabaque – depending on water levels. As we head downriver, you'll have time to reflect on all the wonderful things that you saw in Madidi and the pampas. The scenery unfolds once again as we come to the confluence of the Tuichi and Beni rivers and finish in Rurrenabaque for an early lunch. We head to the airport for the flight to La Paz, which has varying daily schedules and is subject to weather. We should arrive in La Paz an hour later. Upon arrival we will be transferred to our hotel for a shower, packing and rest until it’s time for our farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
Hotel: Casa Grande Express (3*)
Meals included: B, L, D
End of our services.
***For those departing early the next day, we will coordinate with you to arrange an airport shuttle ahead of time.
