Bolivia is probably one of the most exciting up-and-coming birding countries in the world right now. Ranking 6th globally for number of bird species (over 1400 species), including over 20 endemics and scores of near-endemics, range-restricted species, and unique subspecies, Bolivia has often flown under the radar of international birding tours. But that’s changing as more people wake up to the remarkable birding on offer in the world’s most bird-diverse landlocked country. From the lowland forests of Santa Cruz to the mist-shrouded cloud forests of the Yungas, Bolivia’s blend of ecosystems makes it a paradise for nature lovers.

This tour focuses on Bolivia’s endemic species, with a particular focus on the Yungas forests on the eastern Andean slopes, and the inter-Andean dry valleys of the Cochabamba region. We will explore the grasslands and dry forests of Santa Cruz, the lush cloud forests of Amboro National Park, the iconic Death Road, the sparkling blue waters of Lake Titicaca, and the windswept high-altitude puna landscapes in search of species including the magical Black-hooded Sunbeam, the endemic Red-fronted Macaw, and the near-mythical Scimitar-winged Piha.

Bolivia
14 days
From 3300 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
14 14 days

Day 1: Arrive in Santa Cruz - Birding in Botanical Gardens

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Welcome to Bolivia! We’ll pick you up from Viru Viru Airport and transfer to our comfortable city hotel in Santa Cruz.

Since most international flights to Santa Cruz arrive very early in the morning, you will be able to check in to the hotel right away to get some rest. For those who are keen, or simply can’t sleep, we’ll have the option of a gentle morning of birding around the Viru Viru Airport grasslands after breakfast. Here we have a chance to spot Greater Rhea, Red-winged Tinamou, Greater Thornbird, and White-bellied, Tawny-bellied, and Rufous-rumped Seedeaters.

After a welcome lunch at the hotel, 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.

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

Day 2: Lomas de Arena - Airport grasslands - Refugio Los Volcanes

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This morning we’ll head to the southern edge of Santa Cruz 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 in Santa Cruz, we’ll head west out of the city to our base for the next two nights, Refugio Los Volcanes.

Located on the edge of the megadiverse 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.

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.

1 1 1
0h40 + 2h20

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

Day 3: Refugio Los Volcanes

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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.

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

Day 4: Refugio Los Volcanes - Comarapa

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We’ll start bright and early this morning with more birding along the Volcanes trails, choosing our route based on any key targets we may be missing. After a late breakfast, we’ll pack up and head out - stopping along the entrance road for any bird activity - en route to our hotel for the night in the small town of Comarapa. Before arriving in Comarapa we’ll stop in the drier valleys to search for Bolivian Earthcreeper.

After lunch and check-in in Comarapa, we’ll spend the afternoon birding the stunning cloud forest Siberia 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.

Overnight in Comarapa

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4h30

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

Day 5: Siberia Road - Red-fronted Macaw Reserve

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This morning we’ll spend more time birding the Siberia cloud forests and surrounding ecosystems, hoping to add more endemic species to our list. After a morning of birding, we will transfer from Siberia to the Red-fronted Macaw Reserve, stopping on the way for the Bolivian Earthcreeper if we don’t manage to see it the day before.

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.

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

Day 6: Red-fronted Macaw Reserve - Cochabamba

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Today we will enjoy a full morning 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.

After lunch at the reserve, we will transfer to Cochabamba. This Bolivian endemic hotspot will be our base for the next two nights as we set out to explore the surrounding Yungas forest, high-altitude puna grasslands, and polylepis forests.

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4h40

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

Day 7: San Miguel Polylepis Forest road - Cerro Tunari highlands

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On our first day in Cochabamba, we will visit the dry valleys and polylepis forests north of the city. Birding the road before the San Miguel Polylepis Forest should give us our first sightings of Bolivian Warbling-Finch and Cochabamba Mountain Finch, along with other range-restricted species like Maquis Canastero, Wedge-tailed Hillstar, Olive-crowned Crescentchest, and Rufous-sided Warbling-Finch.

As we bird our way up the road, we’ll keep an eye out for Andean and Mountain Parakeets, which can sometimes be seen feeding in roadside bushes. At San Miguel Polylepis Forest we’ll keep searching for the Mountain- and Warbling-Finches, along with Giant Conebill, Tawny Tit-Spinetail, Puna Tapaculo, Rufous-bellied Mountain Tanager, and Black-hooded Sierra Finch.

After lunch in the field, we will continue higher up the mountain road to get our first real taste of the puna ecosystem on the Cerro Tunari road. Here we will be searching for high-altitude specialists like ground-tyrants, cinclodes, miners, and yellow-finches. We also have a good chance here for Andean Goose, Glacier Finch, and Andean Condor. Scanning the boulder fields could - with luck - net us a real star species: the rare and restricted Boulder Finch. Depending on our luck, we can bird lower down the road again the late afternoon before returning to our Cochabamba hotel for dinner.

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1h50 itch way

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

Day 8: Yungas area - Miguelito Substation Road

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Today will be an early start as we head east of Cochabamba to the Yungas forests of the Miguelito Substation Road. Yungas forest consists of a narrow band of forest along the eastern slope of the Andes in Bolivia, Peru, and northern Argentina

At these slightly lower altitudes, we will have our first real chance for Yungas specialties like Yungas Tody-Tyrant and Yungas Manakin, as well as important Bolivian species like Upland Antshrike, Green-throated Tanager, Stripe-chested Antwren, Bolivian Tyrannulet, White-eared Solitaire, Unadorned Flycatcher, Slaty Tanager, and Versicolored Barbet. Toucans and tanagers can be abundant in fruiting trees, and we will be paying extra special attention to the possibility of the extremely rare Yellow-rumped Antwren.

After a full day of birding these lower Yungas forests, we’ll board the bus and drive back to Cochabamba.

1 1 1
2h30 itch way

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

Day 9: Corani and Tablas Monte area - Flight to La Paz

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This morning we’ll drive the same road out of Cochabamba, stopping closer to the city to bird the higher-altitude Yungas cloud forests of the Corani road. This fragment of cloud forest is home to some truly special species and we’ll be hoping for our first looks at some special endemics.

Our first stop is just before the road entrance in search of Bolivian Antpitta, Black-chinned Thistletail, and Black-hooded Sunbeam before we head to the road for a full morning’s birding. Here we will be hoping for large mixed flocks containing specialties like Orange-browed Hemispingus, Fulvous Wren, Blue-and-black Tanager, White-eared Conebill, and many more flycatchers, tanagers, and cloud forest species. This road is also an excellent spot for the highly localized Hooded Mountain-Toucan, a near-endemic Bolivian species.

In the afternoon we’ll drive back to La Paz to catch our evening flight to La Paz. If we arrive in Cochabamba with time to spare, we’ll make a short visit to Laguna Alalay for ducks, grebes, and a chance for Wren-like Rushbird. When we land in La Paz, we will transfer to our comfortable downtown hotel, our base for the next two nights.

1 1 1
2h20 + 1h50
0h45min

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

Day 10: La Cumbre and Pongo area - Jucumari Lodge

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We’ll depart from La Paz after breakfast and drive north out of the city. Our first stop will be at La Cumbre, a high-altitude puna lake where we will be able to observe Giant Coot, as well as various species of ground-tyrants, miners, and cinclodes. After a stop at La Cumbre, it’s on to the Pongo area, where a gentle hike will lead us to a polylepis woodland where we’ll be looking for the range-restricted Scribble-tailed Canastero and Stripe-headed Antpitta.

After birding around Pongo, we will drive down to Jucumari Lodge, a new birding hotspot that will be home for the next two nights. In the afternoon we will bird the trails around the lodge, before settling in to enjoy the spectacle of Bolivia’s first antpitta feeding station, which is attracting a near-endemic Rufous-faced Antpitta to feed on worms.

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

Day 11: Jucumari Lodge trails

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Today we’ll dedicate a full day to exploring the many different ecosystems to be found at Jucumari Lodge. Where we go birding will depend a lot on the species we’ve seen already on the tour, but we have the chance for at least 6 endemic species here, along with a whole host of localized and near-endemic birds. We can also sit and enjoy the hummingbird feeders, which are attracting Gould’s Inca, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, White-bellied Woodstar, and Tyrian Metaltail.

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

Day 12: Birding along Death Road - Las Paz

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We’re saving the best for last today as we set out bright and early from Jucumari to spend a full day birding one of the world’s most iconic roads: the famous Death Road. This epic single-track road snakes through the untamed forests of the Yungas, and is home to many of Bolivia’s rarest birds. Don’t let the name worry you; when the road was the only route from La Paz through the Yungas, its macabre name was well-earned, but it only plays hosts to mountain bikers and intrepid birders these days. And the birding is world-class!

We’ll start the day’s birding by heading about 45 minutes to the best spot to stake out the extremely rare Scimitar-winged Piha. While we bird this section of the road hoping for the piha, there’s also a good chance for Yungas Pygmy Owl, White-eared Solitaire, Buff-thighed Puffleg, Long-tailed Sylph, Blue-banded Toucanet, White-collared Jay, Chestnut-bellied Mountain Tanager, and, if we’re lucky, the elusive Chestnut-crested Cotinga.

We’ll eat lunch in the field before heading back up the road to a slightly higher altitude, where we’ll be searching for Hooded Mountain-Toucan, Rufous-capped Thornbill, Golden-collared Tanager, Bolivian Antpitta, and a trio of tricky hemispingus species: Drab, Three-striped, and the near-endemic Orange-browed. We’ll spend the rest of the day birding the upper reaches of the road before heading back to La Paz for our final night.

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

Day 13: La Paz - Sorata - Lake Titicaca

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Today we will depart early to escape the bustle of La Paz. Our destination: Sorata, a small mountain town a few hours north of La Paz, and the only place on earth to find Berlepsh’s Canastero. This highly localised endemic is only known from the scrubby treeline forest above Sorata, so that’s where we’ll be heading. Along with the canastero, we’ll also have a shot at Black-throated Flowerpiercer, White-winged Black-Tyrant, Tifted Tit-Tyrant, and Cinereous Conebill.

We’ll take as much of the morning as we need to find the canastero, before driving back to spend the afternoon with some laid-back birding on the shores of Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable body of water and one of South America’s largest lakes. We’ll be birding from the dock of a local hotel, and this will put us in prime position for photographs of the endemic flightless Titicaca Grebe, which can often be seen at a distance of just a few meters. Along with the grebe, we’ll be able to spot Slate-colored Coot, Puna Teal, White-eared Grebe, Andean Gull, and Wren-like Rushbird. The incredible Many-colored Rush-Tyrant is also possible here, but if we don’t get it, Our guides have a good spot to try for it on our way back to our new charming lodge located on the lakeside of Lake Titicaca, where we will spend our last night.

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

Day 14: Lake Titicaca - La Paz - El Alto International Airport

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Today we will spend the entire morning spotting additional highland and aquatic species around our lodge and along the eastern bank of Lake Titicaca. We will focus on the different complementary species not yet observed: Ornate Tinamou, Least and White-tufted Grebe, Andean Hillstar, Chilean, Andean and James's Flamingo, Spot-winged Pigeon, Short-eared Owl, Andean Swallow, Plain-mantled Tit-Spinetail, Paramo, Puna and Correndera Pipit, Puna Miner, Rusty Flowerpiercer, Three-striped Hemispingus, Yellow-winged Blackbird, Grassland Yellow-Finch, Andean Negrito, Peruvian Sierra Finch, Bright-rumped Yellow-Finch, and Greenish Yellow-Finch. After lunch, we will head back to the international airport of La Paz for your flight back home.

1 1
2h00

Private transport, bilingual guide, breakfast and lunch.

Dates of the next departures

 

 

Dates
Status
From May 31 to Jun 13, 2025
Open to booking
From Aug 23 to Sep 05, 2025
Open to booking
From Jun 06 to Jun 19, 2026
Open to booking
From Sep 26 to Oct 09, 2026
Open to booking

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

Dates Status
From May 31 to Jun 13, 2025 Open to booking
From Aug 23 to Sep 05, 2025 Open to booking
From Jun 06 to Jun 19, 2026 Open to booking
From Sep 26 to Oct 09, 2026 Open to booking

Prices per person

Year 2 travelers 4 travelers 6 travelers 8 travelers
2024 5,440 US$ 3,950 US$ 3,300 US$ 2,990 US$
2025 5,595 US$ 4,130 US$ 3,450 US$ 3,120 US$
2026 5,680 US$ 4,230 US$ 3,570 US$ 3,190 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$8 and US$15/meal)
  • Single room supplement
  • Soft and alcoholic drinks for all meals.
  • Personal expenses
  • Tips
  • Personal insurance
  • Bank charges for bank transfers

ABOUT BOLIVIA

  • While we will always be traveling in a comfortable vehicle during our transfers, Bolivia’s roads can be very windy and bumpy, so if you suffer from travel sickness bring the appropriate medication.
  • While Bolivia is considered a safe country to travel in, local disputes occasionally lead to blocked highways. This poses no danger to us, but can sometimes affect travel. Our guides will reschedule certain birding days to accommodate this, and we will make every effort to visit all of the planned locations.
  • Several of our birding locations are at high altitudes (3,500 masl +), particularly La Paz, Lake Titicaca, and La Cumbre. While there are no strenuous hikes on this tour, altitude can affect everyone differently, so please be aware of this before signing up. Make sure to drink plenty of water, avoid heavy meals, and take your time when we’re in the field. Your guide will let you know each day if we’ll be at altitude so you can be prepared.
  • Bolivia’s climate is varied like most countries in the Neotropics, so bring clothing for all types of weather: from the cold days and nights in the Andean highlands to sunny, humid days in the lowlands, we will experience the lot!
  • The sun can be intense at altitude as well as in the Amazonian lowlands, as can the bugs. Bring plenty of sunscreen and big spray.
  • Bolivia has a rich and varied culinary heritage, much of it inspired by its Quechua and Aymara indigenous traditions, many of which continue in the Andean region. We will be able to sample many local dishes during this tour, so please let us know of any dietary restrictions.
  • While our Bolivia tours are primarily focused on birds and wildlife, we will have some time to visit local markets and historical attractions to learn more about Bolivian culture and buy some local crafts and souvenirs.

FOCUS OF THIS TOUR:

This trip visit Santa Cruz area including Viru Viru Airport for Greater Rhea, Red-winged Tinamou, White-bellied Nothura and Red-legged Seriema, also Lomas de Arena for Chaco and White-eared Puffbirds, Refugio Los Volcanes NR and Amboro NP for Andean Condor, Rufescent Screech-owl, Bolivian Recurvebill, Yungas Antwren, and Bolivian Tapaculo, Loma Larga and Valle Grande give us a chance for Red-faced Guan, Alder Parrot and Short-tailed Anthrush. Around Red-fronted Macaw Lodge and Rio Misque we will foud Red-fronted Macaw, Cliff and Mountain Parakeets, Greater Wagtail-tyrant, Cinereous Ground-tyrant, White-tipped Plantcutter and Bolivian Blackbird. The Serrania de Siberia, above Comarapa in Amboro NP are really good for Black-winged Parrot, Golden-headed Quetzal, Red-tailed Comet.  Along the road from Comarapa to Cochabamba  we will llook for Giant Hummingbird, Maquis Canastero, Grey-bellied Flowerpiercer, Rufous-bellied Saltator, The Corani Reservoir and Tablas Monte for Black-hooded Sunbeam, Hooded Mountain-Toucan, Black-throated Thistletail. Sorata area is good for  Giant Coot, Black-hooded Sunbeam and Berlepsch's Canastero. , among otherWe finish the troip around the famous Titicaca lake for Many-coloured Rush-tyrant, Wren-like Rushbird, Black Siskin and the rare Titicaca Grebe.

 

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 tour

Accompaniment

Bilingual birding guide

Group

From 2 to 8 passengers

Arrival city

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Departure city

La Paz

Food

Local and international meals

Accommodation

Standard hotels and nature lodges

Transport

Private

Physical condition

Easy to moderate

Best season

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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