6 Day Unforgettable Amazon Trip in Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, Ecuador

The program combines traditional navigation, wildlife observation, interpretive forest walks, and cultural encounters, offering a mindful, quiet, and meaningful way to discover the Amazon.

Itinerary

Day 1 Welcome to Ecuador! Arrival in Quito - transfer to the hotel

Upon arrival, your guide will be waiting to welcome you to Ecuador and transfer you to your hotel in Quito, close to the airport area.

• Accommodation: Casa Ilayaku (Airport area)

Day 2 Flight to Coca – transfer to Tierras Orientales and to the lodge

Early in the morning, your guide picks you up from your hotel and takes you to the Quito airport for a flight to Coca. After a scenic 30-minute flight over the Eastern Andean Cordillera to Puerto Francisco de Orellana (El Coca), our expedition continues with a private overland transfer of approximately 2.5 hours to the frontier settlement of Tierras Orientales, set along the banks of the Aguarico River. Following a brief stop for a box lunch and final preparations, we board a motorized canoe and leave civilization behind, beginning our journey deep into the heart of the Amazon rainforest.

You travel downstream for nearly three hours, toward La Bocana, where the Aguarico and Cuyabeno Rivers converge. From La Bocana, we continue upstream along the Cuyabeno River for approximately 30 minutes, penetrating deeper into the reserve until reaching our remote Amazon Lodge, strategically located along the riverbanks. Upon arrival, there is time to settle into camp and acclimate to the rhythms of the rainforest, surrounded by the sounds of insects, birds, and distant wildlife. After dinner, the expedition continues with a guided nocturnal exploration around the lodge. Equipped with flashlights, we search for the Amazon’s lesser-seen inhabitants, including amphibians, arboreal snakes, insects, spiders, and other nocturnal species that emerge under the cover of darkness.

• Meals: Box lunch and dinner
• Accommodation: Waita Lodge

Day 3 Killas Amazon Program

This day, you embark on a pre-sunrise expedition with your naturalist guide, when the rainforest is at its most active. At 05:30, you set out in a motorized canoe along the Cuyabeno River, heading to a natural clay lick where parrots and parakeets feed on mineral-rich clay. You enjoy a field breakfast while observing this spectacular wildlife display.

The journey continues in your killas through a blackwater river, spotting flora and fauna along the forest edges, navigating through a vast and pristine river corridor. This stretch offers exceptional opportunities to encounter pink river dolphins, diverse birdlife, and striking transitions between primary and secondary rainforest. Along the way, our naturalist guide provides in-depth interpretation of the ecosystems and wildlife, while the slow-paced navigation allows ample time for careful observation and photography of the surrounding flora and fauna, before returning to our lodge after approximately 4 hours of navigation.

After lunch and rest, you head to the Observation Tower, built around a towering Ceibo tree, for panoramic views of the canopy and wildlife activity. As night falls, we embark on a nocturnal canoe ride, searching for caimans and other nocturnal creatures, and, weather permitting, marvel at a starlit Amazon sky. The day concludes with a dinner at the lodge.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Accommodation: Waita Lodge

Day 4 Killas Amazon Program

The best time to experience the rainforest, its birds, and its wildlife is before sunrise. You begin the day with an early-morning expedition, navigating slowly through the San Francisco lagoons and the blackwater flooded forest (igapó). Here, ancient Macrolobium trees rise above the water, and wildlife adapted to this unique ecosystem can be spotted along the way. The quiet of the early morning enhances every sight and sound, immersing you fully in the jungle. After a morning of discovery, you return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast and a brief rest before heading out again.

You then board your killas to explore the San Francisco River, a whitewater tributary within the Cuyabeno Reserve. Paddling upstream through dense forest, you stop to venture into primary rainforest, observing the incredible diversity of plants and wildlife, while taking in the spiritual energy of this untouched environment. Back at the lodge, you enjoy lunch before setting out in the afternoon for a downstream canoe journey along the Cuyabeno River. You pass small blackwater lagoons, including Balata Yacu, and make your way to La Bocana, where the Aguarico and Cuyabeno Rivers converge. Here you may spot pink river dolphins, swim in the river, and take in the breathtaking Amazon scenery.

As the sun sets over the jungle, you return to the lodge by motorized canoe, concluding the day with a farewell dinner. This full day of exploration offers a true immersion into the heart of the Amazon, combining adventure, wildlife encounters, and unforgettable landscapes.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
• Accommodation: Tapir Lodge

Day 5 End of the program – transfer to Coca Town- hotel

On your final day in the rainforest, you rise early for a short forest or canoe excursion, experiencing the awakening of the jungle as birds stir and the river comes alive. This early adventure is the perfect moment to soak in the last sights and sounds of the Amazon, leaving with memories that will last a lifetime.

After a hearty breakfast at 07:00, you pack and prepare for the journey back to Coca town. You navigate 30 minutes downstream along the Cuyabeno River, then continue upstream along the Aguarico River for about 3 hours, observing the rainforest from the water one last time. Upon reaching the village of Tierras Orientales, your private transport will take you to Coca town, where you will spend the night before catching your flight back to Quito, marking the close of an unforgettable Amazon expedition.

• Meals: Box breakfast
• Accommodation: Grand Hotel / similar

Day 6 Transfer to Coca airport – flight back to Quito – international flight connection back home

At a convenient time, you will be transferred to Coca Airport for your return flight to Quito, where you can take your international flight connection back home. Making the end of your services.

• Meals: Breakfast

Important info

Itineraries are subject to change due to many different elements such as weather, park authorities and regulations, airline operations out of the team's control, guide experience, and safety concerns.