Save 10%: 6-day Cuyabeno Amazon adventure
The listed cost of this trip idea includes a 10% discount, available on selected departures, with additional dates through March 2027 (subject to availability and a minimum of four travelers per departure). For a limited time only, secure your chance to embark on a journey to Ecuador and explore the destination at its best and most authentic, at even better value.
Deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Tapir Lodge places you at the heart of the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve, one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. Glide through black-water lagoons by canoe, explore the dense rainforest canopy in search of rare birds, and keep watch for caimans, river dolphins, and monkeys along the riverbanks.
Evenings bring the lodge’s warmth after days of discovery, while meaningful encounters with indigenous communities offer a window into the cultures that have called this extraordinary wilderness home for generations.
Services
Included:
- 5 nights accommodation in double rooms
- Daily breakfast, lunch & dinner
- Land transfer from Coca to Cuyabeno
- Motorized canoe return transfers: El Puente de Cuyabeno - lodge - El Puente de Cuyabeno
- Activities & admission fees to sites as per the itinerary
- Multilingual naturalist guides (English, Spanish, German) on excursions
- Rubber boots, raincoats, lifesaver
- Purified water, coffee, tea
- WIFI
Excluded:
- International flights
- Domestic flights: Quito - Coca - Quito
- Transfer to the meeting point in Quito
- Any meals & drinks not mentioned in the itinerary
- Any activities not mentioned in the itinerary
- Travel & health insurance
- Tips & gratuities
- Visit to the community & shaman
- Binoculars
- Transfer from Quito / to Quito tourist bus
Optional:
- Visit to the community & shaman
- Binocular rental
- Tourist bus: Quito - Cuyabeno - Quito
- Flights: Quito - Coca - Quito
- Travel insurance
Itinerary at a Glance
Sucumbios
Welcome to Cuyabeno
Sucumbios
Laguna Grande expedition & rainforest ecology exploration
Sucumbios
Cultural immersion & secrets of the rainforest
Sucumbios
A magical closing in the heart of the rainforest
Lago Agrio
Return to Quito
Quito
Farewell to the Amazon
Detailed Itinerary
Sucumbios
Day 1: Welcome to Cuyabeno
Your adventure kicks off around 2 pm at El Puente del Cuyabeno where a quick box lunch and final prep set the stage before you hop into a motorized canoe and glide into the reserve.
Ponchos on and life vests secured, you’ll wind downstream along the narrow Cuyabeno River, a blackwater world bursting with life. Over the next few hours, keep your eyes peeled for birds, monkeys, reptiles, and more as lush riparian forests drift past.
Arriving at Tapir Lodge, you’ll settle in before dinner, then gather for an evening orientation with your naturalist guide who will share why this reserve is so special and what’s in store for the days ahead.
Sucumbios
Day 2: Laguna Grande expedition & rainforest ecology exploration
Pull on your rubber boots and set off after breakfast for a day the rainforest won’t let you forget. Glide upstream by canoe to Laguna Grande where ancient trees rise straight from the water and orchids, bromeliads, and ferns cling to every branch. Keep your camera ready: macaws, toucans, and monkeys are all part of the show.
A guided walk along the historic Palma Roja trail brings the jungle’s secrets to life, then it’s back to the lodge for lunch and a well-earned rest.
As dusk settles, return to the lagoon for a magical evening paddle, a refreshing swim, and, if the sky cooperates, an unforgettable Amazon sunset. After dinner, a short night walk reveals the forest’s nocturnal side.
Sucumbios
Day 3: Cultural immersion & secrets of the rainforest
Rise before the sun for an optional canoe trip into the rainforest’s liveliest hour. Keep your eyes peeled for exotic birds, playful primates, and riverbank wildlife.
After breakfast at Tapir Lodge, drift downstream to Puerto Bolívar, home of the Siona people, where nature and local life are beautifully intertwined. Spend the afternoon with a Cofán shaman, discovering ancestral healing plants, then roll up your sleeves to harvest and bake traditional yuca bread.
Wrap up with dinner back at the lodge. Still curious? Head out on an optional night walk to meet the frogs, insects, and other creatures that bring the jungle to life after dark.
Sucumbios
Day 4: A magical closing in the heart of the rainforest
After breakfast, the day is yours to shape. Chat with your guide and decide together how to explore: maybe a focused birdwatching session, a canoe glide through wildlife-rich waters, or a walk deep into the rainforest. However you spend it, it’s all about getting closer to the Amazon’s incredible species and the ways they live.
After lunch at Tapir Lodge, kick back with free time to soak it all in. Catch your final sunset over the lake where the light, sounds, and animal activity shift as day fades to night.
In the evening, raise a farewell passion fruit cocktail and meet the dedicated lodge team whose local know-how and warm support made the whole adventure possible.
Lago Agrio
Day 5: Return to Quito
Enjoy an early breakfast before preparing for your departure from Tapir Lodge, typically around 9:30 a.m. On this final day, you will board a motorized canoe and navigate upriver, enjoying one last view of the landscapes and biodiversity of the Reserva de Producción Faunística Cuyabeno, until reaching the Cuyabeno Bridge.
Arrival at the bridge is scheduled for approximately 10:30 – 11:00 am, where you will connect with your transportation to Coca Town.
Quito
Day 6: Farewell to the Amazon
Every great adventure has its final chapter... At a relaxed, convenient time, you’ll be transferred to Coca Airport for your return flight to Quito.
Take a moment to soak it all in: the misty mornings, the symphony of the rainforest, the memories that will travel home with you long after the plane touches down. You arrived as a visitor and leave with stories only the Amazon could give you. Until the next journey calls, safe travels and ¡hasta pronto!
