Day 1 Quito | Fly to Coca | Embark
Depart from Quito in the morning and after a 30 minute flight arrive at Francisco de Orellana (Coca). At the airport, meet your naturalist guides who accompany you on a short transfer to the Napo River port. Embark on a motorized canoe ride downstream for approximately an hour and a half. During the trip listen to important information about the region. Once on board the M/V Manatee, enjoy lunch and begin navigating down the Napo River. In the evening, there is a welcome cocktail and a presentation about the trip, and an optional nocturnal forest walk.
Day 2 Yasuni National Park
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
In the morning, disembark for the first daylight close-and-personal tropical rainforest experience, where you can see and learn about the incredible biodiversity of the Amazon.
After lunch, the ship navigates to one of the most pristine and rarely explored sections of Ecuadorian Amazonia, home to the legendary pink river dolphin, black caiman, and anaconda. Also be on the look out for river turtles, various species of monkey, and hoatzins. The only way to actually visit this flooded ecosystem is by canoe, a ride that reveals the beauty of a lush jungle world. A glamping option is available to those travelers who wish to participate - please inquire for more information.
Day 3 Visit to a Local Community | Island Exploration
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
After breakfast, visit a school located on the banks of the Napo River, where you have the opportunity to interact with children in the area. After lunch on the ship, take a moment to relax while the boat navigates upstream. During this time, the crew offers a lecture and documentary screening. In the afternoon, explore one of the largest river islands of the Napo River.
Day 4 Forest Adventure | Observation Canopy Tower
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Relax and enjoy the Manatee Amazon Explorer during the morning and disembark to explore the nearby forest and discover a myriad of animals and plant species endemic to the Amazon basin. In the afternoon, visit a canopy tower built against a giant kapok tree and take in the view from the top as we loom above the lush treetops and look down on the sheer vastness of the Amazon. In the evening we will take a canoe onto the river to search for black caimans by flashlight.
Day 5 Indillama and Napo River | Yasuni National Park
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Today, choose from two different activity options that allow you to search for amazing wildlife. You may kayak though the Indillama River, one of the Napo River's effluents that goes into Yasuni National Park. This is a great excursions for wildlife observation, kayaks are great silent vehicles to flow down river.
On the other hand, you can choose to go in a canoe ride through the Napo River. It's up to you!
Day 6 Panacocha Biological Corridor
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
Continue down the Panayacu River delta. Stop for an exploratory canoe trip and experience the sights and sounds of this fascinating reserve. Seek out pink river dolphins and common squirrel monkeys. Flooded by white waters, the rivers and lakes which comprise the Pañacocha ecosystem provide the perfect habitat for water monkey fish, white caiman, and the infamous piranha. After a refreshing swim (for the courageous!), enjoy a delicious Amazon-style BBQ meal and refreshing beverages at a nearby camping site. In the afternoon, disembark and hike the trails that circle the area.
Day 7 Parrot's Clay Licks | Observation Tower
- Ship
- 1 Breakfast, 1 Lunch, 1 Dinner
In the morning set out on canoes to observe one of the most incredible sights on this side of the Western Amazon, the parrot clay licks. This unique place is rich in minerals and attracts hundreds of colorful parrots, parakeets and amazon birds. Afterward, we will visit a Kichwa Cultural Center, where you can learn about Amazon communities and their ancestral culture, traditions, and cuisine. Members of the local community will teach you about indigenous lifestyles along the Napo River, and you have the opportunity to support the community by purchasing handicrafts, local products, and souvenirs. Before sunset, visit an observation tower in the rainforest canopy, which offers an astonishing 360-degree view of the Amazon basin. Bird-lovers will especially enjoy this outing.
Day 8 Disembark | Coca | Fly to Quito
Return to the city of Coca to take the morning flight back to Quito. The canoe ride upstream takes around an hour and a half.