This 4-day premium tour at Napo Wildlife Center includes canoe trips along lakes and rivers, forest excursions, and birding tours. Experience an incredible adventure paddling a small canoe or hiking on the forest trails. Ascend a 36-meter canopy tower for a bird's-eye view of Eastern Ecuador's rainforest, where you'll spot colorful birds, Spider Monkeys, and other wildlife up close.
Highlights
Climb the Canopy Observation Tower to see jungle from above
Visit Añangu Lake in search of the Giant Otter
Hike along the forest trail to visit the Kichwa Añangu community
Moderately active but not overly strenuous. This level includes activities like casual cycling, yoga, or excursions/activities that typically last 3-5 hours total each day.
Departing from Quito, a 30-minute flight over the eastern Andes will take you to the jungle town of Coca. There, members of Napo staff will be waiting for you to give you a warm welcome and take you to the “La Mision” Port. At the port, you'll board a comfortable covered motorboat for a 2-hour canoe ride downstream the Napo River, with a boxed lunch provided on the way. During the trip, you will have the chance to see different birds such as kingfishers, and admire the incredible views of the Amazon jungle.
After a two-hour ride along the Napo River, you will arrive at the Napo Wildlife Center’s dock entrance where you can take a short break to freshen up and use the restrooms. Then, continue to the lodge on peaceful 2-hour paddle canoes. You have a good chance of seeing different types of monkeys and big, colorful birds like toucans, parrots, and even macaws.
Arrive in the late afternoon at Napo Wildlife Center, enjoy the breathtaking view of Añangu Lake, and receive a welcome drink followed by a briefing from the local manager.
Adventure at the Napo Wildlife Center begins early in the morning as you go to Ecuador's parrot clay lick. An hour from the lodge, arrive just before the parrot activity begins at the clay lick, usually between 7:30 and 8:30. It is a real spectacle of colors, with about 11 species of birds such as parrots, macaws, and parakeets can be seen.
In the afternoon, hike along the forest trail to visit the Kichwa Interpretation Center "Kiri Muyu" run by the community's "mamakuna" women. Discover Kichwa culture, crafts, customs, and traditional resource use.
Head back to the creek and hike through Terra Firme Forest for 30 minutes to reach the second parrot clay lick, where you can spot diverse parrot species, parakeets, and macaws, weather permitting. After lunch, paddle back to the lodge, returning in the late afternoon for dinner.
Following an early breakfast, depart from the lodge and head to a 36-meter tall canopy tower for a unique rainforest view from above. This offers a fantastic opportunity to see how amazing the rainforest is, from its base to the top of a huge Ceiba tree.
Here, you walk onto a wooden platform built right into the tree. From here, you get to see the view formally reserved only for the birds. The metal tower was built really well and checked by engineers to make sure it was safe. Safety comes first. The platform at the tree's top was made by experts in tree platforms. There's no better way to experience the rainforest canopy in Eastern Ecuador from the top to the bottom.
Colorful tanagers flock through the tree's canopy, while Blue-and-yellow Macaws pass by in nearby trees. Spider Monkeys are up there looking for fruit, and you can hear two types of big toucans in the mornings and afternoons. The forest canopy comes to life before your eyes. Birds that are nearly impossible to spot from the distant forest floor are now right beside you, unaware of your presence.
The canopy tower offers an entirely new experience to Napo Wildlife Center guests! Enjoy lunch at the lodge, and in the afternoon, visit a terra firme trail, and explore a trail through the solid ground forest. During this hike, you might spot lizards, colorful manakins, or the unique Golden Mantle Tamarin monkeys that are only found here.
Following the hike, take a dugout canoe to explore the lake and creeks, with a high chance of encountering a family of Giant otters during the journey.
Day 4: Depart for Quito
1 Breakfast
Early departure for the final adventure, canoeing back to the Napo River. The creek may offer new glimpses of Giant otters, Monk Saki monkeys, or rare birds. Then, transfer to the motorized canoe for the 2-hour ride back to Coca. Upon arrival, check in for your flight from Coca to Quito, with the schedule to be announced based on your departure details and arrangements.
Note: For security reasons, swimming into Añangucocha (lagoon) is forbidden.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Initial deposit is $400, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days prior to departure by bank transfer, check or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and maximum of $20,000 charge
Our guide and driver were very good with their knowledge and were very helpful with our questions. It was a very pleasant visit that would have been impossible to do on our own. Hotels and restaurants were fantastic. The special places we got to go to, like the kitchens, were great. Enjoyed the entire trip!
Meyer Smolen
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
1 day ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.