Bolivia’s Madidi National Park Wildlife – 9 days

Most international flights into Bolivia arrive in the very early morning hours at El Alto International Airport, which sits at a breath-catching 13,200 feet (4,100 meters) above sea level—on the edge of the Altiplano. If this is your first time at high altitude, you may feel light-headed or short of breath, which is completely normal. Don’t worry—we’ve planned for it.

Once you clear Immigration (where your tourist visa is issued on arrival) and Customs, a Sergio Photo Tours representative will be waiting for you at the passenger meeting area with a clearly marked sign. We’ll handle your luggage and escort you to our private vehicle. From there, you’ll descend nearly 3,000 feet (about 900 meters) into the heart of La Paz, down winding roads with sweeping views into the city’s dramatic canyon setting.

Your first stop is the Casa Grande Express—a modern hotel in the Calacoto-Achumani district—situated at a more comfortable 10,200 feet (3,100 meters). You’ll have the morning to check in, rest, and begin adjusting to the elevation at your own pace. Lunch is on your own at the hotel, and we recommend taking it slow, staying well hydrated, and listening to your body. Everyone acclimates differently—some feel fine within hours, others may take a couple of days. Our itinerary builds in plenty of time to ease into the altitude.

At 2:00 p.m., we begin our introduction to La Paz with a four-hour private city tour. You’ll photograph and explore local open-air markets, colonial neighborhoods, the famous witches’ market, and a series of stunning panoramic viewpoints that showcase the city’s unique geography. It’s a low-key afternoon designed to stimulate your creative eye without overexerting your body.

After returning to the hotel, you’ll have time to rest and freshen up before we gather for a welcome dinner. This is a chance to meet your instructors and fellow travelers, review the days ahead, and make sure everyone is squared away on gear, clothing, and any lingering questions.

We recommend a light dinner, limited alcohol or caffeine, and plenty of water. During the day, feel free to try a cup of mate de coca—a traditional herbal tea that aids with acclimatization. In the evening, consider switching to calming teas like chamomile or anise to help with digestion and rest.

You’re officially in the Andes. We’ll take good care of you from here on out.

Hotel: Casa Grande Express (3*)

Meals included: D

Today marks one of the most dramatic overland transitions in South America: from the cold, dry air of the Andes to the lush heat of the Amazon Basin.

We depart early from La Paz and begin climbing toward La Cumbre Pass, which tops out at 15,000 feet (4,570 meters). From this stark, windswept ridge, the road plunges into the Yungas, a series of steep, jungle-clad valleys that serve as a biological bridge between high mountains and lowland rainforest.

We travel for several hours along the legendary Camino de la Muerte—the “Death Road”—a narrow, cliff-hugging route famous for its sheer drops and breathtaking views. Along the way, the landscape transforms rapidly: alpine tundra gives way to moss-draped cloud forest, then to dense, tropical greenery alive with birdcalls and rushing waterfalls.

By midday, we’re deep into the semi-tropical eastern slopes of the Andes, where the elevation has dropped to just a few thousand feet and the temperature and humidity rise sharply. We stop for lunch en route, with time to stretch, photograph, and absorb the sensory shift.

By late afternoon, we arrive in the jungle town of Rurrenabaque, set on the banks of the Beni River. After checking into our lodge, you’ll have time to unwind, adjust to the warm lowland air, and enjoy a riverside dinner.

Hotel: Maya (3*)

Meals included: B, L, D

After an early breakfast, we leave Rurrenabaque by 4×4, heading east into the savannas of the Beni region, where the landscape opens into wide skies, slow rivers, and abundant wildlife. Along the way, keep your camera ready—marsh birds, hawks, capybaras, and the occasional sloth can often be spotted right from the road.

By mid-morning, we arrive at the banks of the Yacuma River, where we transfer to a motorized boat for the final leg of the journey. A short, scenic ride downriver brings us to Las Tortugas Lodge, our home for the next two nights.

After lunch and a rest, we set out again by boat to explore the winding channels of the Yacuma. This river is narrow and intimate, making it ideal for close encounters with pink river dolphins, turtles, howler and capuchin monkeys, caimans, and a dazzling variety of Amazonian birdlife. The calm waters also reflect the sky beautifully—perfect for photographing silhouettes and soft light.

We’ll also step ashore in select areas to explore the savanna landscape, scanning for more wildlife and bird species that thrive in the grassy wetlands.

After returning to the lodge for a refresh and dinner, we head back out for a night safari on the river. Using flashlights, we search for caimans, whose glowing eyes are visible along the riverbanks. If conditions allow, we may catch and release smaller individuals for a close-up look at these prehistoric reptiles.

We return to the lodge under a canopy of stars, lulled by the sounds of the jungle settling into night.

Hotel: Las Tortugas Lodge (3*)

Meals Included: B, L, D

We rise early once more for another sunrise departure by boat—this is when the Yacuma River is at its most alive. The stillness of the morning gives way to the calls of monkeys, the wingbeats of wading birds, and the splash of pink river dolphins breaking the surface.

This region is incredibly rich in biodiversity. From the elusive ocelot and giant anteater to towering Jabirú storks and the Suri—South America’s flightless cousin of the ostrich—the range of wildlife is staggering. You may spot capuchins, howlers, caimans, turtles, anacondas, and even a flash of color from one of the Amazon’s more secretive parrots or kingfishers.

We return to Las Tortugas Lodge by late morning for lunch and a rest, giving you time to review images, recharge your gear, or just relax in the hammocks beneath the palm trees.

Later in the afternoon, we set off again to explore new stretches of the river, shifting our focus based on the day’s light and the movement of wildlife. As the sun sets, the landscape softens into golden tones, perfect for photographing reflections and slow moments along the riverbanks.

If energy and conditions allow, we’ll head out after dark for another night excursion, tracking nocturnal species and listening for movement in the reeds and treetops. The river at night is a different world—calm, mysterious, and alive with hidden life.

Hotel: Las Tortugas Lodge (3*)

Meals Included: B, L, D

This morning marks our final sunrise in the pampas, a last chance to absorb the wide skies and still waters of the Yacuma before we begin our transition back into the rainforest. After a relaxed breakfast, we board our boat one last time for the return journey upriver, followed by a drive back to Rurrenabaque.

Upon arrival, we’ll have an early lunch in town and a short break to regroup before setting off on a very different leg of the journey.

By early afternoon, we head north along the eastern edge of Madidi National Park, ascending into the Serranía Sadiri, an isolated mountain ridge that rises from the Amazon basin and acts as a biological corridor between the lowlands and the cloud forest. The road is rugged but scenic—offering wildlife sightings along the way in the river valleys, savanna corridors, and primary forest that flank the route.

Our destination is Sadiri Lodge, an award-winning ecotourism project owned by the local Tacana community. After arriving at the trailhead, a short 5-minute forest walk leads you to the main lodge, where you’ll find yourself surrounded by towering trees and deep jungle. Your private cabin is set apart in the forest, offering quiet immersion in nature, complete with in-suite bathrooms and shaded verandas.

After settling in, we gather for dinner at the main lodge, then set out on a guided night hike through the rainforest. This is a chance to encounter nocturnal species—frogs, insects, small mammals, and glowing fungi—all part of the ecosystem that comes alive after dark.

Hotel: Sadiri Lodge (3*)

Meals Included: B, L, D

After breakfast, we set out on foot to explore the network of trails that radiate from Sadiri Lodge, winding through dense primary forest and opening to occasional ridge-line clearings. These early morning hours are ideal for wildlife photography and birdwatching—when the forest is most active and alive with movement, sound, and shifting light.

As we hike, we stop at key lookout points where the jungle canopy falls away, revealing sweeping views of the Amazon below. Keep your eyes open for troops of monkeys, colorful toucans, motmots, and perhaps even the fleeting glimpse of an ocelot or peccary. Each bend in the trail offers a new composition, a new layer of sound and movement in the forest.

By midday, we return to the lodge for lunch and a rest, with time to recharge, review images, or simply enjoy the serenity of the forest from your private veranda.

The afternoon is flexible, allowing us to tailor the experience to the weather, light, and group interest. We may revisit a favorite trail, explore a new one, or wait for better conditions before setting out again—there’s no rush here, only the rhythm of the forest.

As night falls, those who wish can join an optional nocturnal walk, when the jungle transforms completely. Nocturnal frogs, luminous fungi, leaf-mimicking insects, and the occasional rustle of a night mammal all come into view in this new world of shadows and sound.

Hotel: Sadiri Lodge (3*)

Meals Included: B, L, D

After breakfast, we say goodbye to Sadiri Lodge and begin our journey down from the Serranía Sadiri ridge toward Rurrenabaque. This marks the start of a new chapter in our expedition—transitioning from the highland rainforest into the dense lowland jungles of lower Madidi National Park.

Upon arrival in town, we enjoy an early lunch by the river before heading to the nearby port on the Beni River. From here, we board our boat for an upstream voyage through Bullet Canyon, where the steep cliffs and encroaching canopy signal our entry into one of the most pristine sections of the Amazon basin.

We navigate first along the Beni and then branch off into the Tuichi River, winding our way deeper into primary and secondary rainforest ecosystems that define the heart of Madidi. This three-hour journey is not just transit—it’s a photographic and sensory experience. Expect to see macaws, kingfishers, capuchin monkeys, and perhaps even the ripple of a caiman or river otter as we follow the Tuichi’s curves into the interior.

By late afternoon, we arrive at the Tuichi River port for Mashaquipe Lodge, a community-based ecolodge built in partnership with local Tacana families. After a short 10-minute guided walk through the forest—an introduction to the ecosystem you’ll be living in—we arrive at the lodge.

Once settled in, you can choose to head out on an afternoon hike to explore the trails and observe wildlife, or simply unwind in a hammock surrounded by jungle soundscape. After dinner, an optional night hike offers a chance to encounter nocturnal life: insects, frogs, tree-dwelling mammals, and the haunting call of night birds.

Hotel: Mashaquipe Lodge (3*)

Meals Included: B, L, D

After an early breakfast, we depart upriver by boat to visit one of the most scenic and wildlife-rich locations in this part of Madidi—Santa Rosa Lake. Our journey begins on the Tuichi River, navigating upstream to a port just below Laguna Santa Rosa, a highland lake set atop a jungle-covered mesa. From the landing, a 15-minute walk through the forest brings us to Yuruma Camp, perched at the water’s edge and surrounded by panoramic views of layered Amazonian ridgelines in every direction.

The day is spent exploring this remote and biologically rich lake environment. We hike through the surrounding neotropical rainforest, scanning the trees and understory for monkeys, macaws, and the quieter movements of larger mammals. Canoe trips along the shoreline offer a peaceful and intimate perspective for birdwatching and water-level photography.

If conditions are favorable, we may swim in designated safe areas of the lake or float along its calm waters in search of the resident family of giant river otters—rare, curious, and often vocal. These endangered predators are known for their playfulness and intelligence and, if we’re lucky, they may approach us out of sheer curiosity.

We enjoy a picnic lunch at Yuruma, followed by time to rest, photograph, or take one more paddle or short jungle walk before returning to the Tuichi River. In the late afternoon, we board our boat and head back downriver to Mashaquipe Lodge, arriving in time to freshen up before dinner.

As always, an optional night hike is available for those who wish to experience the jungle after dark—when new creatures emerge, and the forest speaks in a different rhythm.

Hotel: Mashaquipe Lodge (3*)

Meals Included: B, L, D

After breakfast, we make our way back to the riverbank for one last ride through Madidi National Park—a chance to absorb the final moments of this extraordinary landscape from the water that has carried us through its heart.

The journey down the Tuichi River, merging into the Beni, takes approximately 2.5 hours, depending on water levels. As we travel, the dense rainforest begins to soften, the canopy lowers, and the quiet rhythm of the river offers time to reflect on all we’ve seen: the giant river otters, dolphins, macaws, and the stillness of ancient forests.

By late morning, we arrive in Rurrenabaque, where we’ll enjoy an early lunch before heading to the airport. Flight schedules back to La Paz vary by season and are weather-dependent, but we expect to be airborne shortly thereafter for the one-hour return journey.

Upon arrival in La Paz, you’ll be met and transferred to Hotel Casa Grande Express, where you’ll have time to shower, pack, and relax. Later in the evening, we gather for a final farewell dinner—a moment to celebrate the adventure, share stories, and toast to the landscapes, wildlife, and friendships formed in the heart of Bolivia’s Amazon.

This marks the end of our guided services.

**For those departing early the next morning, we will coordinate airport transfers based on your individual flight times to ensure a smooth departure.

Hotel: Casa Grande Express (3*)
Meals Included: B, L, D