Bolivian Amazon: Hikes & National Parks Adventure (9 Days)

Points of Interest : Samaipata, Amboró National Park
You leave very early and travel to Samaipata (1,400 m), a small town located where the Andes meet the tropics. After checking in at your hotel, you set off on your first hike directly into Amboró National Park. Thanks to its unique position at the crossroads of three eco‑regions, Amboró is one of Bolivia’s most biodiverse protected areas. You walk through primeval forests filled with giant tree ferns and lush vegetation. With a bit of luck, you might find tracks of pumas or spectacled bears, or even spot a condor soaring overhead.
The hike lasts around six hours, with about 2.5 hours of driving between Santa Cruz and Samaipata. A packed lunch is included so you can fully enjoy the day in nature.

• Meals included : Box lunch
• Accommodation : Hotel La Vida es Bella, Samaipata

Points of Interest : Volcanes
In the morning you transfer to the beautiful Refugio Los Volcanes, about 45 km in the direction of Santa Cruz. This secluded lodge is a true paradise in the subtropical rainforest, surrounded by red sandstone mountains covered with bromeliads, orchids and ferns. Nearby waterfalls form natural pools that invite you for a refreshing swim.
Several trails of varying length lead through the forest to scenic viewpoints. Along the way you can spot birds, butterflies, lizards and iguanas, and with some luck, monkeys or other small mammals. You explore the area on a guided hike with an English‑speaking guide and spend the day immersed in nature.

• Meals included : Not specified
• Accommodation : Refugio Los Volcanes

Points of Interest : Santa Cruz de la Sierra, La Paz, Volcanes
You enjoy a relaxed morning at Refugio Los Volcanes. You can choose to go on one last hike, take a final swim in the natural pools, or simply unwind in a hammock and soak up the surrounding jungle views.
After lunch you drive back to Santa Cruz airport for your flight to La Paz (3,700 m). You overnight in La Paz to be ready for your flight to Rurrenabaque and Madidi National Park the following day. The highland capital offers a wealth of culture, arts and local gastronomy, so you might like to sample one of the excellent Andean restaurants in the city in the evening.
Airport transfer in Santa Cruz, the domestic flight to La Paz and the transfer to your hotel are all included.

• Meals included : Lunch
• Accommodation : La Casona Hotel Boutique, La Paz

Points of Interest : Rurrenabaque, La Paz, Madidi National Park
Today you take a short domestic flight from La Paz deep into the Amazon basin to Rurrenabaque. Your local English‑speaking guide meets you at the airport, and you soon board a motorboat to travel through river canyons and dense jungle toward your ecolodge inside Madidi National Park.
Over the next days you enjoy various half‑day hikes along the many forest trails of the region. Together with your local guide, who grew up in the jungle, you learn about the history and culture of the local communities, the use of medicinal plants, and techniques for spotting wildlife in the rainforest.
Typical travel times today include around 50 minutes for the flight La Paz – Rurrenabaque, about three hours by boat to the lodge, and a three‑hour walk in the afternoon.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation : Ecolodge in Madidi National Park

Points of Interest : Madidi National Park
Today you set off on a five‑hour hike to the Patujusal shelter deep in Madidi National Park. On arrival you enjoy a rustic lunch prepared over an open wood fire. In the afternoon you follow the “Spider Monkey” trail on a circular walk, where you have good chances of spotting spider and capuchin monkeys, many native bird species, medicinal plants and towering rainforest trees.
After dark you head out again for a night walk. This is an excellent opportunity to observe nocturnal animals such as armadillos, snakes, tapirs, monkeys and birds, and you may even hear the powerful roar of a jaguar echoing through the jungle.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation : Patujusal shelter in Madidi National Park

Points of Interest : Madidi National Park
In the morning you walk to the Caquiahuara macaw cliff, a high viewpoint overlooking a natural nesting area for parrots and macaws. From here you can observe the colorful birds and also learn about large native trees and plants, and how local communities use them for traditional medicine, handicrafts and building materials.
Later you head to the Tuichi River to witness the construction of a traditional wooden raft known as a callapo, once a common means of transport for the region’s Indigenous peoples. You then drift downstream back toward the lodge on the raft. For those who prefer not to travel on the raft, a motorboat is available to transport both travelers and camping equipment.
Dinner is served at the lodge around 7:30 pm, and you spend another night surrounded by the sounds of the rainforest.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Accommodation : Lodge in Madidi National Park

Points of Interest : Rurrenabaque, Madidi National Park, Yacuma
After about one and a half hours by boat you return to Rurrenabaque. From here you continue directly by vehicle toward Santa Rosa and the Pampas region. On arrival at the river near Santa Rosa you check in at your lodge and have lunch.
In the afternoon you explore the Yacuma River by boat, with excellent chances to see piranhas and other native river fish, caimans, capybaras, turtles and numerous bird species along the banks. After sunset you return to the river once more, scanning the dark water with flashlights to spot the glowing eyes of caimans and to look for capybaras and night‑active birds along the shore.

• Meals included : Lunch, dinner
• Accommodation : Lodge with Pampas Tours in the Yacuma region

Points of Interest : Rurrenabaque, Yacuma
You rise early to witness a spectacular sunrise over the Pampas and listen to the calls of howler monkeys and birds announcing the start of the day (this activity is optional). After breakfast you head out again by boat along the Yacuma River. This is a great opportunity, depending on the season, to encounter pink river dolphins in their natural habitat, as well as caimans, capybaras, turtles and many local bird species.
After lunch at the lodge you drive back to Rurrenabaque, a journey of about three hours by road, and check in at your hotel for the night.

• Meals included : Breakfast, lunch
• Accommodation : Hotel Maya de la Amazonia, Rurrenabaque

Points of Interest : Rurrenabaque, La Paz
In the morning you are transferred to Rurrenabaque airport for your return flight to La Paz. From here you can either continue your journey through Bolivia or connect with your international departure. If you wish to extend this itinerary with additional destinations and experiences, your local agency will be happy to help tailor the trip.

• Meals included : Not specified
• Last day : Transfer to Rurrenabaque airport and flight to La Paz