Departures every day from Rurrenabaque; the meeting time and place are confirmed when you book, as is the return time on day 3.
Yacuma Pampas in 3 days and 2 nights, with daily departures from Rurrenabaque (Beni, 274 m). You travel by road to Santa Rosa del Yacuma, take boat trips on the Yacuma River, sleep two nights at the Acuario eco-lodge and go on a walk in search of the anaconda, fish for piranhas with a hook and visit areas where you can swim with dolphins. Birds, reptiles, dolphins, primates and felines can be seen, but no species is guaranteed. It costs 149 USD per person, in a shared room, with buffet-style meals and round-trip transport. A private room with a shower adds 60 USD for the stay, for 2 people. It does not include the park entrance fee, the municipal tax or the trip from La Paz to Rurrenabaque.
Highlights
- Two nights at the same lodge. You sleep both nights at the Acuario eco-lodge.
- Walk in search of the anaconda. On day 2 you walk through the pampa looking for the anaconda and other animals. Animals are watched from a distance, with no capture or contact, and seeing one is not guaranteed.
- Piranha fishing with a hook. On the afternoon of day 2, after a rest in the hammocks.
- Sunset and sunrise. On day 1 you go up to a viewpoint to watch the sun go down, and on day 3 you set out early to watch birds and the sunrise.
- Dolphins and a night boat trip. Day 1 ends with a night boat trip and day 3 includes a trip to places where you can swim with dolphins.
Lodging: shared or private room
The price of USD 149 per person includes lodging in a shared room at the Acuario eco-lodge.
Supplement of USD 60 for the stay, for 2 people. Tell us when you book.
Prices are per person and apply to the shared room. The private room supplement is added to the booking total.
What does the itinerary look like?
Day 1
- Departure and lunch in Santa RosaYou leave Rurrenabaque by road and have lunch in Santa Rosa del Yacuma.
See the details
The meeting time and place in Rurrenabaque are confirmed when you book. The exact length of the drive is also confirmed.
- Boat trip on the Yacuma RiverYou travel along the river by boat to watch birds, reptiles, dolphins, primates and felines.
See the details
This is observation from the boat. Seeing a particular species is not guaranteed, and felines are very hard to spot.
- Viewpoint, dinner and night boat tripYou walk to a viewpoint to watch the sun go down, have dinner as a group and head out on the water at night.
See the details
Dinner features local cuisine. Afterward you go out on a night boat trip and rest at the lodge.
Day 2
- Walk in search of the anacondaAfter breakfast at the lodge, you walk through the pampa in search of the anaconda and other animals.
See the details
This is an observation walk: you search and watch from a distance, without capturing or touching the animals. Seeing an anaconda is not guaranteed.
- Lunch, hammocks and piranhasYou have a buffet lunch, rest in the hammocks and fish for piranhas with a hook.
- Dinner and restYou have a buffet dinner with the group and sleep at the lodge.
Day 3
- Sunrise, dolphins and returnYou set out to see birds and the sunrise, have breakfast, visit areas where you can swim with dolphins, have a buffet lunch and return to Rurrenabaque.
See the details
The return time to Rurrenabaque is confirmed when you book. If you have a flight or a bus that same day, tell us before you book.
Differences between the 2-day and the 3-day programs
Both programs start the same way: departure by road, lunch in Santa Rosa del Yacuma, a boat trip on the Yacuma River, a night at the Acuario eco-lodge, a sunset viewpoint, group dinner and a night boat trip. The last day is also the same: sunrise with birds, breakfast, a trip to the places where you can swim with dolphins and a buffet lunch at the lodge. The difference is the middle day.
One night at the lodge. The second day closes the program with the sunrise, the dolphin swim and lunch, and at 2:00 pm you head back to Rurrenabaque.
Adds a full day and a second night at the lodge. It includes a walk in search of the anaconda and the wildlife of the pampa, with no capture or contact with the animals, a buffet lunch, rest in the hammocks, piranha fishing with a hook and a buffet dinner. The return time to Rurrenabaque is confirmed when you book.
If you have little time or arrive in Rurrenabaque just before the tour, the 2-day program includes the boat trips, the night at the lodge and the dolphin swim. If you prefer a calmer pace and a whole day in the pampa, choose the 3-day program.
What is included in this tour?
Included
- Accommodation in a shared room (two nights)
- Buffet-style meals
- Round-trip transport: Rurrenabaque, Santa Rosa del Yacuma and back
- Boat trips on the Yacuma River, including the night boat trip
- Walk in search of the anaconda (observation, no capture), piranha fishing with a hook and a trip to dolphin areas
Not included
- Private room with a shower (optional): 60 USD supplement for the stay, for 2 people
- Park entrance fee: Bs 200 for foreign tourists, Bs 50 for national tourists, in cash on site
- Municipal tax: Bs 10, paid before the tour begins, in cash on site
- Trip from La Paz to Rurrenabaque, by flight or by bus
- Tips
- Travel insurance
What do you need to know before booking?
When to go and climate
The climate is tropical, with an annual average of about 26 °C and extremes ranging from 7 to 38 °C. Rain is concentrated from December to March, and December and January are the wettest months.
May to October is the driest season and the one with the most visitors: wildlife tends to gather near the rivers, but that does not guarantee seeing any particular animal. From November to March there is more rain and more mosquitoes, some roads can be cut off and there are fewer people.
How to get to Rurrenabaque
The tour leaves from Rurrenabaque, in the Beni department, at 274 m above sea level. The trip from La Paz to Rurrenabaque is not included in the price. You have two options: a flight of about 40 minutes, or a bus of 14 to 20 hours through the Yungas.
As of September 2026, the flight depends on a few flights per week and cancellations due to bad weather are frequent. For that reason we recommend arriving a day early before the tour begins. More details in our guide to the Bolivian Amazon.
What to bring
- Lightweight long-sleeved clothing. Protects you from the sun and mosquitoes.
- Quick-dry long pants. In case you get wet.
- Closed shoes that can get wet. For the boat and for walking.
- Light rain jacket. In case it rains.
- Insect repellent with DEET, sunscreen and a hat. For the day and the sunrise.
- Headlamp. For the nights at the lodge and the night boat trip.
- Cash in bolivianos. There are no ATMs at the lodges.
- Small backpack. To carry what you need during the day.
Entrance fees and payments on site
The park entrance fee is Bs 200 for foreign tourists and Bs 50 for national tourists. There is also a municipal tax of Bs 10, paid before the tour begins.
These amounts are not included in the price, and they are paid in cash. Since there are no ATMs at the lodges, withdraw money in Rurrenabaque before you leave. Tips and travel insurance are not included either.
Health: yellow fever, malaria and dengue
The CDC recommends the yellow fever vaccine for areas below 2,300 m east of the Andes, which include the Beni. It is best to get it at least about 10 days before the trip, and Bolivia may ask for the certificate at some entry points, so carry it with you. There is also a risk of malaria and dengue below 2,500 m, including the Rurrenabaque area.
To prevent illness, see a travel doctor before the trip, use insect repellent with DEET, wear long clothing at dawn and dusk and sleep under a mosquito net. If you have a fever during the trip or after returning, see a doctor and say where you traveled. Informational only, not medical advice. You will find more about vaccines and insurance in our guide to preparing your trip to Bolivia.
Before you book: payment, cancellation and the unexpected
Payment and booking
When you book, you pay 30% of the total: 15% as a booking payment (arras, non-refundable) and 15% as a deposit. Then a second deposit of 20% 30 days before departure and the remaining 50% 7 days before departure. If you book 15 days or less before departure, you pay 100% of the total when you book and it is non-refundable. If a payment does not arrive by its due date, the booking is cancelled automatically. You can pay in foreign currency with Libélula, RedEnlace and Revolut, or by bank card, QR code or bank transfer; the payment provider may charge transaction fees.
Cancellation and date changes
More than 45 days before departure: 100% of the deposit (15%) is refunded, less bank fees for the money transfer; the booking payment (arras) is not refunded. From 45 to 31 days: 50% of the deposit is retained, which corresponds to the pre-payment of lodging, transfers or others. From 30 to 8 days: 100% of what you paid is retained. From 7 days to 24 hours: everything you paid is retained. Less than 24 hours, and in case of a no-show: the full price is due. Date change: possible depending on the availability of the company and of our providers, with a new quote; sums already paid to providers are not refundable and must be paid again. If Terra Alta cancels or postpones the trip, you choose a new date at no extra cost or a refund of what you paid, except costs already paid to providers that cannot be recovered.
Prices
Prices are in US dollars per person, based on a group of 6 people, in a shared departure.
Blockades, closed roads and weather
A flooded salt flat (roughly December to April) is not a reason to cancel: the tour goes ahead with an itinerary adapted by the guide, with the mirror effect, and Incahuasi island may not be reachable; no refund is due for the visits that change. If a dangerous external event (a storm, heavy snowfall or another natural event) or social unrest or a blockade requires it, Terra Alta may modify, postpone or cancel the trip to protect travellers; what applies is what is provided for a cancellation by Terra Alta.
Tips and expenses
Tips are not included and are voluntary. Entrance fees listed in bolivianos are approximate and may change; they are paid on site, in cash.
Insurance
Terra Alta does not include travel insurance. If you wish, we recommend taking out a policy with medical assistance and repatriation from high altitude.
Frequently asked questions
Why choose 3 days instead of 2?
Because the 3-day program adds a full day in the pampa and one more night at the same lodge. With 2 days you get the first day's boat trip and the second day's dolphin trip. With 3 you add the walk in search of the anaconda, the hammocks and piranha fishing. If your time is short, the 2-day program costs 122 USD per person.
What does day 2 add?
Day 2 adds a walk in search of the anaconda through the pampa, rest time in the hammocks and piranha fishing with a hook. It is the only full day at the lodge, with buffet-style breakfast, lunch and dinner. Day 1 and day 3 are the same as in the short program.
What is the walk in search of the anaconda like?
It is a walk through the pampa to look for anacondas and watch wildlife. Animals are watched from a distance, without capturing or touching them. Seeing an anaconda or any other species is not guaranteed, because it depends on the day and the place. Ask us when you book if you have any limitation for walking.
What is included and what do I pay separately?
Included are accommodation in a shared room, buffet-style meals and round-trip transport from Rurrenabaque. You pay separately the park entrance fee (Bs 200 foreign, Bs 50 national) and the municipal tax of Bs 10, before starting and in cash. The trip from La Paz to Rurrenabaque, tips and travel insurance are not included either. If you prefer a private room with a shower, the supplement is 60 USD for the stay, for 2 people.
What should I bring?
Bring lightweight long-sleeved clothing, quick-dry long pants and closed shoes that can get wet. Add a light rain jacket, insect repellent with DEET, sunscreen, a hat, a headlamp and a small backpack. Also bring cash in bolivianos, because there are no ATMs at the lodges. For health and vaccines, see a travel doctor first.
Guides to prepare your trip: The Bolivian Amazon: Rurrenabaque, Madidi and the pampas · preparing a trip to Bolivia: visa, vaccines and money
From USD 149 / person
If you pass through La Paz before or after the pampas, also see our one-day city tour: La Paz in a Day
