Ecovoyager Adventures Logo
Ecovoyager
Contact Us
Ecovoyager Adventures - Authentic Adventures to Earth's Hidden Wonders
Bolivia

Bolivia's Wild East: Jaguars, Cloud Forest and Lost Missions

Discover More
Bolivia Tour Overview

Bolivia's Wild East: Jaguars, Cloud Forest and Lost Missions

An 11-day expedition through Amboro National Park, the Gran Chaco, and the UNESCO Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitania

Duration
11 Days
Price
$4,200
Difficulty
Moderate
Best Time
May – October

This 11-day expedition covers three landscapes in eastern Bolivia that almost no international tour operator visits. Amboro National Park sits at the meeting point of the Andes and the Amazon, home to 800 recorded bird species, giant tree fern forests, and the UNESCO World Heritage site of El Fuerte. Kaa Iya National Park, Bolivia’s largest protected area at 3.4 million hectares, is one of the last intact Gran Chaco dry forests on the continent, patrolled with resident rangers in search of jaguar, ocelot, and tapir. The circuit closes with four days through the Chiquitania, where seven UNESCO World Heritage Jesuit mission churches from the 17th and 18th centuries stand in remote tropical towns where the original music and craft traditions remain alive. Maximum 10 guests.

Request Info
Itinerary Pricing Gallery

Ecovoyager Experiences

Tour Highlights

The moments that make this journey unforgettable.

Bolivia's Wild East: Jaguars, Cloud Forest and Lost Missions

Your Bolivia Tour Itinerary

Route Overview 11 Days · Bolivia
1
Day 1
Santa Cruz to Amboro Park
The drive southwest from Santa Cruz takes three hours on roads winding through red rock formations before arriving at Refugio Los Volcanes on the southern edge of Amboro National Park. The refuge sits at the ecological meeting point of the Andes, the Amazon, and the Chaco, producing exceptional biodiversity and 800 recorded bird species. A short trail from the refuge reaches a vantage point over the park. Macaws are common in the late afternoon. Three natural waterfalls on the Elvira River, one forming a natural swimming pool, are accessible on foot from the lodge. Meals: L / D
Your Accommodation
Refugio Los Volcanes
Remote jungle refuge on the southern edge of Amboro National Park in a deep valley with waterfall access and panoramic park views.
View Details
2
Day 2
Amboro Park to Samaipata
The morning follows the Mairana Valley south to La Yunga, a small hamlet on the park's southern edge. A trail from the village enters cloud forest where giant tree ferns grow to several meters, their dark trunks hosting wild orchids. This is one of the few accessible stands of tree ferns in Bolivia and the forest carries a distinctly prehistoric character. The afternoon drive continues to Samaipata, a quiet mountain village at 1,750 meters known for its mild climate. Wine tasting at Winery 1750, a small high-altitude estate on the hills above the village, rounds out the evening. Meals: L / D
Your Accommodation
El Pueblito Resort
Four-star boutique resort in rustic colonial-town architecture with views across the Samaipata Valley at 1,765 meters.
View Details
3
Day 3
Samaipata to Santa Cruz
The morning is spent at El Fuerte, a UNESCO World Heritage Site ten kilometers from Samaipata. This carved sandstone outcrop marks the easternmost point of the Inca Empire and holds the largest carved rock in the world, used as an astronomical observatory and ceremonial site by both Chane shamans and Inca priests. After the visit, a short stop at a hummingbird refuge hosting over 15 species breaks the return drive to Santa Cruz. The Cosmopolitano Hotel Boutique occupies a 9-room colonial building in the historic center, built around two open patios with natural ventilation throughout. Meals: L
Your Accommodation
Cosmopolitano Hotel Boutique
9-room boutique hotel in a colonial building in the historic center of Santa Cruz, built around two open patios with locally sourced artwork throughout.
View Details
4
Day 4
Santa Cruz to Kaa Iya National Park
A four-hour drive southeast reaches San Jose de Chiquitos for lunch and a visit to the mission church before the final 70 kilometers of off-road track into Kaa Iya National Park. Bolivia's largest protected area at 3.4 million hectares, Kaa Iya was founded in 1995 through the initiative of three indigenous peoples: the Isosena-Guarani, the Chiquitana, and the Ayoreo, whose name for the park in Guarani means master of the forest. Temperatures regularly exceed 40 degrees Celsius. The park holds 108 mammal species including jaguar, ocelot, puma, and jaguarundi. Overnight at the park rangers' refuge. Conditions are basic with fans but no air conditioning. Meals: L / D
Your Accommodation
Kaa Iya Park Rangers' Refuge
Basic refuge accommodation inside Kaa Iya National Park operated by the park rangers. Fans, no air conditioning. Temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
View Details
5
Day 5
Kaa Iya National Park
The day begins before dawn. Early morning is the most productive time in the Gran Chaco, when birds and large mammals move before the heat builds. A guided patrol on foot with park rangers covers the trail network around the refuge. Trap cameras placed on regular jaguar routes are collected and reviewed in the afternoon at the refuge. The Gran Chaco here is dry tropical forest with good visibility into the undergrowth, structurally different from the Amazon. Peccaries, tapir, anteater, and a high diversity of reptiles and birds are present throughout. A second evening patrol takes advantage of falling temperatures and fading light. Meals: B / L / D
Your Accommodation
Kaa Iya Park Rangers' Refuge
Basic refuge accommodation inside Kaa Iya National Park operated by the park rangers. Fans, no air conditioning. Temperatures exceed 40 degrees Celsius.
View Details
6
Day 6
Kaa Iya National Park to Santa Cruz
An early vehicle patrol covers the park trails with a sensor camera mounted on the 4x4, the most effective method for photographing animals in the heat of the open Chaco. The group returns to camp for breakfast before the seven-hour drive back to Santa Cruz, stopping for lunch at San Jose de Chiquitos. After three days of extreme heat and basic conditions, the Cosmopolitano Hotel Boutique's two-patio colonial building in the historic center provides a sharp change of pace. The evening is free. Meals: B / L
Your Accommodation
Cosmopolitano Hotel Boutique
9-room boutique hotel in a colonial building in the historic center of Santa Cruz, built around two open patios with locally sourced artwork throughout.
View Details
7
Day 7
Santa Cruz to Concepcion
The route northeast follows the Jesuit Mission circuit through the lowland departments of Santa Cruz and Beni. The first stop is San Javier, whose church was founded in 1691 as the first Jesuit mission in the Chiquitania. The mission also housed the region's first music school, producing violins, harps, and harpsichords whose traditions survive in the biennial International Festival of Baroque Music. After lunch the route continues to the Piedras de Paquio, an unusual geological formation of naturally balanced rocks, before arriving at Concepcion. The baroque church here, considered one of the finest in the Chiquitania, is best seen at sunset when low light reveals the carved columns and mestizo baroque detailing. Meals: L / D
Your Accommodation
Gran Hotel Concepcion
Historic hotel directly on the main square of Concepcion with a colonial patio, swimming pool, and baroque wood-carved architecture typical of the Chiquitano region.
View Details
8
Day 8
Concepcion to San Ignacio
The morning begins at the Missions Museum in Concepcion, housed in the birthplace of General Hugo Banzer. The museum holds original musical scores composed and performed in the missions , a dimension of the Chiquitania that most visitors miss entirely. Every two years between April and May, the International Festival of American Baroque Music travels from church to church across the region. After lunch the drive continues east to San Ignacio de Velasco, one of the most significant missions. The town sits closer to the Brazilian border than to La Paz, and its culture reflects that frontier position in its music, food, and the particular warmth of its people. Meals: L / D
Your Accommodation
Apart Hotel San Ignacio
Small family-run hotel in the center of San Ignacio de Velasco with garden, swimming pool, and hammocks.
View Details
9
Day 9
San Ignacio to San Jose de Chiquitos
An early start covers San Miguel and San Rafael missions before continuing to Santa Ana, a village of barely 300 inhabitants where the Jesuit legacy is present in daily life rather than in tourist infrastructure. The afternoon crosses into Mennonite country, where a distinct religious community maintains 16th-century German and Dutch traditions in near-total separation from surrounding Bolivian society, avoiding cultural assimilation and preserving a language and way of life unchanged for generations. The day ends at San Jose de Chiquitos, whose mission complex is unique in the circuit for its stone and lime facade , built without large timber because the surrounding Chaco had none. Meals: L / D
Your Accommodation
Hotel Villa Chiquitana
Boutique hotel in Chiquitano colonial style in San Jose de Chiquitos, run by French owners Jerome and Sophie Maurice, with swimming pool and tropical garden.
View Details
10
Day 10
San Jose de Chiquitos to Santa Cruz
The morning is spent at the Jesuit mission complex of San Jose de Chiquitos, one of the oldest standing monuments in eastern Bolivia and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unlike the other missions in the Chiquitania circuit, it was built entirely from stone and lime rather than wood, a practical response to the absence of large trees in the surrounding Chaco. The construction is unique in South America. The return drive west crosses the Rio Grande before rejoining the Santa Cruz highway, arriving in the late afternoon for a final night at the Cosmopolitano Hotel in the historic center. Meals: B / L
Your Accommodation
Cosmopolitano Hotel Boutique
9-room boutique hotel in a colonial building in the historic center of Santa Cruz, built around two open patios with locally sourced artwork throughout.
View Details
11
Day 11
Departure
A private transfer from the Cosmopolitano Hotel to Viru Viru International Airport. The drive takes approximately 35 to 40 minutes from the historic center depending on traffic. Meals: B

Bolivia Tour Details

Pricing & Departures

Transparent pricing, comprehensive inclusions, and exactly what to expect.

August 2 — August 12, 2026
11 days
Available
From $4,200 per person
Book This Date
August 23 — September 2, 2026
11 days
Festival de Temporada weekend falls on Days 7-8 (Concepcion and San Ignacio)
Available
From $4,200 per person
Book This Date
September 19 — September 29, 2026
11 days
Peak late dry season for wildlife concentration at Kaa Iya water sources
Available
From $4,200 per person
Book This Date

Prefer your own dates and itinerary? Our private expeditions offer full flexibility with the same expert guides, exclusive access, and conservation partnerships, tailored entirely around your group.

Starting From
$4,200
From, based on group of 6
Single Supplement$420
Deposit$1,050
CurrencyUSD

Private Group Rates

Group SizePer PersonNotes
2 travelers$6,150Per personDouble occupancy
4 travelers$4,650Per personGroup rate
6 travelers$4,200Per personGroup rate
8 travelers$4,150Per personGroup rate
10 travelers$4,100Per personBest value

What's Included

  • All accommodation: 10 nights based on double occupancy (Refugio Los Volcanes x1, El Pueblito Resort Samaipata x1, Cosmopolitano Hotel Boutique Santa Cruz x3, Kaa Iya park rangers refuge x2, Gran Hotel Concepcion x1, Apart Hotel San Ignacio x1, Hotel Villa Chiquitana x1)
  • All meals as indicated in the itinerary
  • Airport arrival and departure transfers
  • Private transport with driver for all overland legs throughout the 11-day expedition
  • English-speaking guide for the full 11-day expedition
  • Local guides as indicated in the itinerary, including park rangers at Kaa Iya and local mission guides in the Chiquitania
  • All entrance fees as indicated in the itinerary (El Fuerte UNESCO site, Kaa Iya National Park, Jesuit mission churches)
  • Trap camera review sessions with park rangers at Kaa Iya (Days 4-6)
  • Wine tasting at Winery 1750 above Samaipata (Day 2)
  • Hummingbird refuge visit near Samaipata (Day 3)
  • Assistance 24/7 during your stay

Not Included

  • International airfare (return)
  • Travel insurance (required: must cover wildlife tracking and remote locations)
  • Meals not mentioned in the itinerary (approximately $8 per person for a local lunch, $12 for an international restaurant lunch, $20 per person for dinner)
  • Drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic beyond those included)
  • Gratuities for guides, drivers, and park rangers (recommended)
  • Personal expenses and personal laundry
  • Bank charges and currency exchange fees
  • Visa fees (if applicable)
  • Single room supplement ($420)
  • Medical evacuation costs
*
Deposit & Payment: A 25% deposit secures your place (credit card accepted). 50% balance due 90 days before departure. Final balance due 60 days prior. ACH bank transfer available at reduced fees. Bookings within 60 days require full payment.
†
Cancellation: 90+ days: full refund minus $500 admin fee. 60-89 days: 50% refund. Under 60 days: no refund. Comprehensive travel insurance covering emergency evacuation is required for all participants.

Ready to secure your place on this expedition? Spaces are limited to ensure an intimate experience.

Book This Tour

Ecovoyager Adventures

Book Your Adventure

Complete your booking request and our travel specialists will be in touch within 24 hours to confirm your journey.

No payment required to request a booking
Response within 24 hours guaranteed
Flexible dates and custom itineraries available
Thank you! Your booking request has been received. We'll be in touch within 24 hours to confirm your adventure.
Oops! There was an issue submitting your request. Please try again or contact us directly.
Total: 2 travelers

Traveler Stories

What Our Adventurers Say

View Us on Trustpilot
Norway

"Watching the northern lights from that coastal overlook was one of those moments you carry with you. EcoVoyager's team knew exactly where to take us and when."

Sarah M. · Arctic Expedition, October 2024
Chile

"They made my trip to Chile super smooth. I had nothing to worry about — they connected me with local guides and took me to some super cool places."

Lucas C. · Chile
Madagascar

"My kids are still talking about the lemurs months later. EcoVoyager handled every detail so we could actually be present together."

Maria R. · Family Adventure, July 2024
Mongolia

"Absolutely loved our Mongolia trip in July 2025! Ecovoyager put together the best itinerary possible that combined adventure and comfort. We would 100% recommend Ecovoyager to our friends and family!"

Lydia H. · Mongolia, July 2025
Guyana

"The Rupununi was fabulous. Even if there weren't any animals, it would've been a great experience. The only negative was leaving."

Eric M. · Guyana
Norway

"Watching the northern lights from that coastal overlook was one of those moments you carry with you. EcoVoyager's team knew exactly where to take us and when."

Sarah M. · Arctic Expedition, October 2024
Chile

"They made my trip to Chile super smooth. I had nothing to worry about — they connected me with local guides and took me to some super cool places."

Lucas C. · Chile
Madagascar

"My kids are still talking about the lemurs months later. EcoVoyager handled every detail so we could actually be present together."

Maria R. · Family Adventure, July 2024
Mongolia

"Absolutely loved our Mongolia trip in July 2025! Ecovoyager put together the best itinerary possible that combined adventure and comfort. We would 100% recommend Ecovoyager to our friends and family!"

Lydia H. · Mongolia, July 2025
Guyana

"The Rupununi was fabulous. Even if there weren't any animals, it would've been a great experience. The only negative was leaving."

Eric M. · Guyana
Cuba

"The trip was thoughtfully curated for a REAL Cuban cultural experience, juxtaposing between the island's insolvency and the faux luxuries propped up by foreign investment."

Jerry R. · Cuba
Bolivia

"The salt flats at sunrise were even more stunning than I'd imagined. Our guide positioned us perfectly for the reflections."

James C. · Salt Flats Adventure, March 2024
Kyrgyzstan

"EcoVoyager put my mind at ease with expert guidance on how to stay safe and enjoy the vibes. If I were to plan another solo trip to an unfamiliar country, I'd trust EcoVoyager to help me through it all."

Won C. · Kyrgyzstan
Japan

"I had a wonderful time. Organization was superb and our experiences were maximized due to great planning and enthusiasm."

Diana P. · Japan
Kyrgyzstan

"Staying with nomadic families, riding through valleys with no other tourists in sight. This is the kind of travel I didn't know I was missing."

David T. · Silk Road Journey, September 2024
Cuba

"The trip was thoughtfully curated for a REAL Cuban cultural experience, juxtaposing between the island's insolvency and the faux luxuries propped up by foreign investment."

Jerry R. · Cuba
Bolivia

"The salt flats at sunrise were even more stunning than I'd imagined. Our guide positioned us perfectly for the reflections."

James C. · Salt Flats Adventure, March 2024
Kyrgyzstan

"EcoVoyager put my mind at ease with expert guidance on how to stay safe and enjoy the vibes. If I were to plan another solo trip to an unfamiliar country, I'd trust EcoVoyager to help me through it all."

Won C. · Kyrgyzstan
Japan

"I had a wonderful time. Organization was superb and our experiences were maximized due to great planning and enthusiasm."

Diana P. · Japan
Kyrgyzstan

"Staying with nomadic families, riding through valleys with no other tourists in sight. This is the kind of travel I didn't know I was missing."

David T. · Silk Road Journey, September 2024
View Us on Trustpilot

Related Experiences

More Adventures in Bolivia

Explore more immersive expeditions in Bolivia, led by local experts and built for the curious traveller.

See All Experiences

Support

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know before your journey. Can't find what you're looking for? Get in touch and we'll help.

We recommend booking 6-12 months in advance, especially for remote destinations like Greenland or Madagascar. This allows time for permit processing, securing the best local guides, and ensuring accommodation availability in these pristine, limited-access locations.
Each adventure includes expert local guides, unique accommodations, all transportation within the destination, most meals featuring local cuisine, and exclusive access to experiences unavailable to mass tourism. International flights and personal travel insurance are typically separate.
We design adventures for various fitness levels and always discuss physical requirements during planning. Many of our destinations offer different activity intensities, and we can customize experiences to match your capabilities while still providing authentic wilderness encounters.
We partner exclusively with local operators who share our conservation values, ensure tourism revenue supports local communities, limit group sizes to minimize environmental impact, and contribute directly to conservation projects in each destination we visit.
We understand plans can change. Our cancellation policy varies by destination and timing, but we always work to minimize fees and maximize flexibility. We strongly recommend comprehensive travel insurance and will provide guidance on the best policies for adventure travel.
While we specialize in our core destinations, we can create custom adventures to other remote, wild places that align with our mission of authentic, sustainable travel. Contact us to discuss your dream destination and we'll explore possibilities.
We focus exclusively on authentic, off-the-beaten-path destinations that most travelers never reach. Our deep partnerships with local communities, commitment to conservation, and rejection of mass tourism create truly transformative experiences that benefit both travelers and destinations.
Safety is our top priority. Our local partners are extensively vetted and trained in wilderness safety and emergency protocols. We provide comprehensive safety briefings, maintain communication equipment, and have established emergency evacuation procedures for all our remote destinations.
Scroll to Top