From the wide open savannahs of the Llanos de Moxos to the towering peaks of the Andes, this two-week tour takes us on a journey of discovery through the varied ecosystems of Bolivia in search of some of its rarest endemic birds and unique species.

Bolivia is home to more macaw species than any country on the planet and we will search for two critically endangered, endemic macaws during the trip: Blue-throated and Red-fronted Macaw. Throw in a cornucopia of tanagers, hummingbirds, toucans, parrots, and raptors, and we will experience some of Bolivia’s greatest avian wonders while marveling at some of its most magical landscapes. Join us on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, from Andes to Amazon in Bolivia.

This tour can be combined with our Bolivian Andean Endemics Tour for a complete 3-week Bolivian adventure.

Bolivia
13 days
From 2990 US$
Birding tours Birding tours
Photo and bird watching tours Photo and bird watching tours

Your travel expert

Xavier Amigo

Responsible for naturalist, botanical and ornithological travel. Responsible of fixing and professional contact.

Xavier Amigo
xavier@ecuador-experience.com
Contact our expert
13 13 days

Day 1: Flight from Santa Cruz to Trinidad.

After arriving on an international flight from Santa Cruz we will board our internal flight to Trinidad. Located in the heart of the Llanos de Moxos ecoregion, Trinidad has been called the birdiest city in South America thanks to its proximity to some incredible hostpots and endemic-rich ecosystems. If our flight time allow for it, before we depart from Santa Cruz, we will take some time to bird the Viru Viru Airport grasslands. This is one of the most remarkable urban birding hotspots on earth: where else can you see Greater Rhea and Red-winged Tinamou while international flights come in to land overhead?!

Once again, depending on our flight schedule, this afternoon we will head out to Suarez Lagoon, just south of Trinidad, for a few hours of birding. The scrubby forests and wetlands alongside this lake are home to a special mix of species, including Mato Grosso Antbird, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Crane Hawk, Hoatzin, White-wedged Piculet, Great Pampa Finch (a localized subspecies with potential for a future split), Rufous Cacholote, and Peach-fronted Parakeet. A big target will be the little-known local population of Gray-eyed Greenlet. With just a dozen records in Bolivia, this highly isolated population is quite probably a new species, so we will try hard to get it.

Overnight in a comfortable city hotel in Trinidad.

1
0h40
2h40

Transportation, bilingual guide, dinner, and overnight stay in a standard hotel.

Day 2: Birding around Trinidad

Today we will enjoy our first full morning of birding around Trinidad with an early drive north of the city to Puerto Ballivian on the banks of the Ibare River, where we will walk a short trail along the river in search of the local subspecies of Plain Softtail and Velvet-fronted Grackle - both are candidates for future splits and we’ll likely be seeing the future Beni Softtail and Beni Grackle! Along with these targets, we’ll have a good chance for Band-tailed Manakin, Sulphur-bellied Tyrant-Manakin, Pale-crested Woodpecker, Black-fronted Nunbird, and White-throated Piping-Guan, along with a host of lowland jungle species. Of course, we’ll also be trying for the endemic Unicolored Thrush - with fewer than a handful of eBird records, this is a very poorly known species indeed.

We’ll eat lunch in the field, and then take a short boat trip on the Ibare River in search of Bolivian River Dolphins. This endemic species was formerly considered a subspecies of the Amazonian River Dolphins but is now seen as a separate species. The pink dolphins are frequently encountered in the tributaries and oxbow lakes along the Ibare, so we have a good chance of spotting them. Regular fly-pasts of Blue-and-yellow Macaws will entertain us from the boat as well, and the rivers and oxbow lakes are good places to add terns and waterbirds to our growing species list.

The afternoon will be open: depending on the species we’ve already seen, we will either bird around the Puerto Ballivian trail or return to Laguna Suarez.

Overnight in a comfortable city hotel in Trinidad.

Private transportation, bilingual guide, all meals, and overnight stay in a standard hotel.

Day 3: Loreto road birding for Blue-throated Macaw.

Today’s a long day as we head south of Trinidad in search of one of our top targets: the endemic and critically endangered Blue-throated Macaw. With an estimated global population of around 300 individuals, this stunning macaw is critically endangered, and the savannahs surrounding the tiny village of Loreto are an excellent spot to observe them. After a pre-dawn departure, we will drive the two hours to Loreto, where we will meet a local park warden, and drive a short distance to a local ranch. The owners of these ranches are working with conservation partners to help protect the macaws and establish breeding populations at artificial nest boxes. We will take advantage of the park warden’s local knowledge and visit the best locations for an ecounter with this beautiful macaw. During the course of our morning birding here we also have a good chance at spotting other specialties like Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Jabiru, Toco Toucan, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, and various species of antbird, tyrannulet, and parrots.

After a morning of birding the ranch, we will have a local lunch in Loreto. Hopefully, we will have enjoyed good views of the macaws in the morning - in that case, we will drive slowly back to Trinidad mid-afternoon, making plenty of stops along the way to bird patches of forest, wetlands, and open plains. This drive is especially good for herons, storks, and raptors.

Overnight in a comfortable city hotel in Trinidad.

Private transportation, bilingual guide, all meals, and overnight stay in a standard hotel.

Day 4: Trinidad - Flight to Santa Cruz.

For our final morning in Trinidad, we will choose our birding location based on our missing targets, before enjoying a local lunch and heading to the airport for our afternoon flight back to Santa Cruz. If there’s time upon arrival, we will bird the airport grasslands again or some complementary place for more targets birds.

The rest of the day can be used, in the company of your guide, to rest and learn more about the historical and cultural aspects of this region of Bolivia.

Overnight in a comfortable city hotel in Santa Cruz.

1 1 1
Hotel Cortez
1h00
2h40

Private transportation, bilingual guide, all meals, and overnight stay in a standard hotel.

Day 5: Santa Cruz full day

Today we will enjoy a full day of birding around Santa Cruz, which despite being Bolivia’s largest city, is surrounded by some excellent regional parks and gardens, home to a plethora of unique and interesting bird species. In the morning we’ll head to the southern edge of the city to spend the morning birding Lomas de Arena Municipal Park, a small protected area home to a rich array of ecosystems including wetlands, savannah, and dry forest. We will spend the morning slowly birding the entrance road to the sand dunes, hoping for specialties including Red-legged Seriema, White-eared Puffbird, White-bellied Nothura, Red-winged Tinamou, White Woodpecker, Chotoy Spinetail, Toco Toucan, and Chalk-browed Mockingbird.

After lunch back around our hotel, this afternoon we will head out to the Santa Cruz Botanical Gardens. This impressive site is far from an ornamental garden: it’s a 186-hectare slice of native Chiquitano Dry Forest, home to an impressive array of birds and mammals. This afternoon we’ll be hoping to get our first endemic species, the Bolivian Slaty-Antshrike, relatively common in the gardens. Other targets include Fawn-breasted Wren, Plush-crested and Purplish Jays, Buff-bellied Hermit, and Green-cheeked Parakeet. We will also be able to observe wild sloths and monkeys, including the near-endemic White-eared Titi Monkey. After spending the afternoon birding the dry forest trails of the Botanical Gardens, we will return to the hotel for a well-earned rest.

Overnight in a comfortable city hotel in Santa Cruz.

1 1 1
Hotel Cortez
0h40 min

Private transportation, bilingual guide, all meals, and overnight stay in a standard hotel.

Day 6: Refugio Los Volcanes

This morning we will make a quick early morning stop at either Viru Viru Airport or Lomas de Arena for any remaining targets, before heading off mid-morning up into the Andes to our home for the next two nights: the spectacular Refugio Los Volcanes, a wonderful lodge nestled in the mountainous fringes of Amboro National Park. Los Volcanes is an oasis of nature and tranquility, and the perfect base from which to explore this interesting confluence of Andean and Amazonian ecosystems. Surrounded by imposing sandstone monoliths and endless jungle, the backdrop of the lodge is as beautiful as anywhere you’ll stay in South America, while the homegrown coffee and delicious meals will make us feel right at home and fuel us up for some world-class birding. With a bird list of nearly 500 species, Los Volcanes is one of the top hotspots in Bolivia.

After lunch in the field, we will get off the bus at the viewpoint above the Refugio, and slowly bird our way down to the lodge in the afternoon, hoping to add some of the key targets here to our list right away.

Overnight at Refugio Los Volcanes.

Private transportation, bilingual guide, all meals, and overnight stay in a standard hotel.

Day 7: Refugio Los Volcanes full day

Today we will spend the entire birding enjoying the stunning forest trails and viewpoints of Refugio Los Volcanes, while we target some excellent birds including the reclusive Bolivian Recurvebill, the delightful Slaty Gnateater, and the skulking Bolivian Tapaculo. Mixed flocks should produce good numbers of tanagers, flycatchers, and other forest birds, while we’ll keep one eye on the skies for Military Macaws, Green-cheeked Parakeets, and large groups of jays and oropendolas. The river below the Refugio should get us Riverbank Warbler, Sunbittern, and Black Phoebe.

We’ll spend a second night at Refugio Los Volcanes, hoping for clear skies so we can try out some night photography; the backdrop of the sandstone monoliths makes for some excellent star shots.

Overnight at Refugio Los Volcanes.

Private transportation, bilingual guide, all meals, and overnight stay in a standard hotel.

Day 8: Refugio Los Volcanes - Samaipata Ruins and Hummingbird Garden

After a gentle morning’s birding around the trails near the lodge, we will head out of Refugio Los Volcanes to Samaipata. This pretty little town is known in Bolivia for its temperate climate, good local wine, and famous Inca ruins, and we will be making the most of all three! After arriving and checking into our hotel, we will drive east of town to the Fuerte de Samaipata ruins, where we will walk the trails for a few hours, birding and learning more about the ancient Inca inhabitants of this valley. The forests around the ruins are home to some good species, including Purplish Jay, Cliff Flycatcher, Black-goggled Tanager, Mottle-cheeked Tyrannulet, and Black-capped Antwren. Later in the afternoon, we will pass by a nearby hummingbird garden, where a local birder has planted hundreds of local flowers to attract these glittering jewels to his home. Species vary throughout the year, but we have a good chance at White-vented Violetear, Slender-tailed Woodstar, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, White-bellied Hummingbird, Glittering-bellied Emerald, and Rufous-booted Racket-tail.

We’ll enjoy dinner at a local restaurant on the main square of Samaipata (maybe even with a bottle of that local wine!), before retiring to our hotel for the night.

Overnight in a comfortable rural hotel in Samaipata.

Private transportation, bilingual guide, all meals, and overnight stay in a standard hotel.

Day 9: Quirusillas - Red-fronted Macaw Reserve

Another early start today as we drive from Samaipata to Quirusillas to target the range-restricted Tucuman Parrot, which is only found in these unique moist forests of southern Bolivia and northern Argentina. There is a strong local population of these parrots in the forests above Quirusillas, so hopefully we’ll enjoy good looks at this rare species, along with other specialties like White-throated Antpitta, Green-backed Tanager, and Golden-winged Cacique. After lunch in the field, we will drive west to our lodge for the next two nights, the Red-fronted Macaw Reserve. En route, we’ll stop at a good point on the road for the endemic Bolivian Earthcreeper.

The Red-fronted Macaw Reserve is the best place on earth to observe these critically endangered and endemic macaws. With a population of just over 1000 individuals, confined to the dry Inter-Andean valleys of Bolivia, this is one of the rarest species we will observe during the trip. The reserve is run by the Armonia Association and protects 50 hectares of dry forest habitat, including important nesting cliffs for the macaws. After arriving in the afternoon, we will bird the area in front of the cliff faces hoping for close-up views of the macaws.

Overnight at the Red-fronted Macaw Reserve.

Private transportation, bilingual guide, all meals, and overnight stay in a standard hotel.

Day 10: Red-fronted Macaw Reserve

Today we will enjoy a full day of birding at the Red-fronted Macaw Reserve. As well as the iconic macaws, we should be able to observe localized species like Gray-crested Finch, Ringed Warbling-Finch, Red-tailed Comet, and endemics like Bolivian Blackbird and Cliff Parakeet. Andean Condors often soar in the thermals above the imposing cliffs at mid-morning, and we can observe at least seven parrot species with luck. There are feeders located right in front of our rooms, which attract most of these small passerines, as well as groups of gregarious White-fronted Woodpeckers, so we’ll have some fun with our cameras as well.

Overnight at the Red-fronted Macaw Reserve.

Private transportation, bilingual guide, all meals, and overnight stay in a standard hotel.

Day 11: Full-day birding Siberia Road

This morning we depart before dawn to bird the Siberia Road for higher-altitude endemics and specialties. After a roughly two-hour drive, we’ll spend the day birding the stunning cloud forest along the road, which includes some excellent Yungas forest habitat and a good number of endemic and range-restricted species. Our target birds for Siberia include Black-hooded Sunbeam, Rufous-faced Antpitta, Light-crowned Spinetail, Black-throated Thistletail, Bolivian Brushfinch, Blue-capped Pufflef, Green-throated Tanager, and Gray-bellied Flowerpiercer. We’ll enjoy lunch in the field and make the most of this exceptionally bird-diverse road for the entire day, before driving back to Samaipata in the late afternoon.

Overnight in a comfortable rural hotel in Samaipata.

Private transportation, bilingual guide, all meals, and overnight stay in a standard hotel.

Day 12: Samaipata to Santa Cruz

We’ll enjoy a gentle morning of birding around Samaipata this morning, with the option of returning to the hummingbird garden for more view and photography. After lunch in a local restaurant, we can visit a local winery for a tour and tasting. Around mid-afternoon, we will depart for Santa Cruz for our last night.

Overnight in a comfortable city hotel in Santa Cruz.

1 1 1
Hotel Cortez
2h50

Private transportation, bilingual guide, all meals, and overnight stay in a standard hotel.

Day 13: Airport grasslands - Santa Cruz Botanical Gardens - International flights.

Depending on international flight time, this morning we will have the option for more birding around the city, before our airport transfers and the end of our Bolivia Andes and Amazon odyssey.

1 1
0h20min

Private transportation, bilingual guide, breakfast and lunch.

Dates of the next departures

Dates
Status
From Aug 09 to Aug 21, 2025
Open to booking
From Sep 12 to Sep 24, 2026
Open to booking
From Oct 17 to Oct 29, 2026
Open to booking

You want a personalized departure date? Contact us. Request a personalized date

Dates Status
From Aug 09 to Aug 21, 2025 Open to booking
From Sep 12 to Sep 24, 2026 Open to booking
From Oct 17 to Oct 29, 2026 Open to booking

Prices per person

Year 2 travelers 4 travelers 6 travelers 8 travelers
2024 4,650 US$ 3,370 US$ 2,990 US$ 2,680 US$
2025 4,790 US$ 3,520 US$ 3,170 US$ 2,820 US$
2026 4,920 US$ 3,650 US$ 3,320 US$ 2,980 US$

You are a group of travelers and want a special rate? Contact us. Request a personalized quote

Included

  • Private transport (petrol, road taxes, parking, insurance for vehicle and passengers).
  • Entrance fees to the sites mentioned in the itinerary
  • All transfers as mentioned
  • Specialised bilingual naturalist guide
  • 24-hour assistance
  • Accommodation in double rooms with private bathroom - (Hotels and charming lodges)
  • Meals as mentioned, picnics for some hikes.

Not included

  • International flights (you can consult our list of tour operators offering flights only).
  • Excursions and activities indicated as optional in the programme.
  • Luggage weight surcharges for flights (23kg allowed on domestic flights)
  • Some dinners (expect to pay between US$10 and US$25/meal)
  • Single room supplement
  • Soft and alcoholic drinks for all meals.
  • Personal expenses
  • Tips
  • Personal insurance
  • Bank charges for bank transfers

Payment and reservation terms

To book your tour, please confirm your agreement in writing to your travel expert.

  • Deposit of 30% of the invoice amount at the time of booking
  • Secure online payment by credit card (Visa, Master Card or American Express, a payment link will be sent to you at the current USD/EUR exchange rate).
  • The balance must be paid at the latest 45 days before the arrival in Ecuador according to the same terms.

The agency declines all responsibility for the execution of the confirmed services in case of non-compliance with the above payment terms.

Important note

Itineraries may be subject to last minute changes due to natural disasters or changes in domestic legislation. The visitor must take into account and accept the possibility of last minute changes in the organisation of the trip. The operator therefore reserves the right to make any changes necessary to ensure the safety and integrity of the travellers and to comply with the laws in force. The hotels are given as an indication subject to availability at the time of booking the tour. In case of unavailability, a hotel of the same category will be proposed.

Formalities

Passport valid 6 months after your return date. No visa is required at this time for Bolivia.

Vaccinations: although no vaccinations are compulsory, we advise you to consider those against tetanus, yellow fever and hepatitis A and B as recommend.
We recommend that you consult your doctor before departure and that you take out insurance to cover medical expenses and repatriation.

Rates in US dollars based on double occupancy (single supplements not included). These rates are valid for the dates selected but may be subject to increase at the time of booking and depending on the tourist season and local holidays. Our quotations are calculated in US Dollars and we are committed to this amount. The equivalent value in Euros or in any other currency is therefore indicative and calculated on the basis of the exchange rate on the day of the offer.

 

Your guide for this trip

Álex Giménez

Álex Giménez

en es fr ca
Álex Giménez has been passionate about birds since childhood and grew up observing them. He holds a degree in Tourism Management and now combines his passion with his profession, working as a birdwatching guide in Bolivia and Peru. He currently resides in Bolivia, where he also manages a birdwatching lodge near the city of La Paz. With his field experience, he will accompany you on our birdwatching trips throughout Bolivia and in northern and central Peru, where he lived for four years.

Characteristics of the trip

Travel theme

Birdwatching and Photography holiday

Accompaniment

English-Speaking Birdwatching Guide

Group

From 2 to 8 passangers

Arrival city

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Departure city

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Food

Local and internationall meals

Accommodation

Standard Lodges and Hotels

Transport

Private

Physical condition

Easy to moderate

Best season

All the year, but April to November is the driest time of the year, and best for birds. the wet season lasts from January to March. It is usually coldest at night at high altitude from June to August.
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