Trails of Venezuela

Welcome to Venezuela! Upon arrival at Maiquetía International Airport in Caracas, you will be met in the arrivals hall by our representative who will assist you with connecting on your flight to Puerto Ordaz. If you are already in Caracas, please make your way to the airport for your flight to Puerto Ordaz. On arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for the evening. The remainder of the day is at leisure.



Puerto Ordaz is a small new town and port of Ciudad Guayana on the banks of the Caroni River. It is famed for it’s Cerro Bolivar open-cast iron mine and the town is reputed to be the richest place per square kilometre in Venezuela.

After breakfast, transfer to Boca de Uracoa and continue by boat to your lodge in

the Orinoco River Delta. The second largest in the American continent after the Amazonian delta, it is a labyrinth of caños (canals) that form impenetrable green islands which makes the jungle seem to expand and swallow the course of the river. In the midst of these canals, small paddled canoes from the local communities are seen travelling from one village to the next. The Warao inhabit the shores of the canals in typical wooden and thatched houses built in stitches over the water, often with no walls and hammocks for beds. Their houses are on stilts due to the significant rise and fall of water levels in the Delta. The Warao are the second largest tribe in Venezuela with their own indigenous language.

Enjoy a full day of activities in the delta. Navigate by speedboat to the remote reaches and most primitive areas of the delta as you visit the Warao communities and walk through the jungle to discover the local flora and fauna.



Your Indian guide will lead the way on your jungle walk. The silence of the jungle is occasionally interrupted by the strange cries of exotic birds while the pungent smells blend into the blanket of humidity. There are dense galleries of crawling plants and giant trees competing for rations of scarce sun light under the lush jungle canopy. Explore some of the narrowest caños – enjoy being lost in a maze of waterways and jungle.



Want to go fishing? The Delta that is perfect for fishing. If you are interested, you will be given poles, bait your hooks with raw meat and fish for the infamous Piranhas. If you are successful you can bring your catch back to the lodge where our chef will prepare them into a delicious snack.

Following breakfast, take a boat transfer out of the tangle of the veins of the delta to the river port of Boca de Uracoa where your car will be waiting for you to transfer you onwards to Puerto Ordaz. Check in at your hotel for overnight stay.

Your guide will meet you in your hotel this morning as you set off in 4WD vehicles towards La Gran Sabana. The Gran Sabana is one of the most impressive places to explore. Located in Canaima National Park, it is home to some of the oldest formations on the earth, including tepuis’ (table mountains with flat tops). Experience the natural serenity come alive between savannas and forests. The Gran Sabana is dotted by beautiful waterfalls and wells, each with its own history and mysticism. This is a region of raw beauty.



Pass through the gold mining towns of Upata, El Cintillo, Guasipati and Tumeremo. Stop for lunch in a local restaurant before crossing the old bridge over the Cuyuní River to reach El Dorado, where the famous Papillon was imprisoned. Continue through the mining village of Las Claritas before reaching the dense forest of Sierra de Lema. Stop at the Piedra de la Virgen lookout before arriving at ‘The Lost World’ as named by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Continue to Chivatón Camp where you will overnight. The camp is stone built with a natural pool in a nearby creek available for you to refresh yourself with wild flowers surrounding the camp.

After breakfast, you will follow the Gran Sabana route which includes visiting the indigenous Iboribo community. Here, you will cross the Aponwao River by curiara (a local canoe). Take a short walk down to the bottom of the amazing Chinak Merú waterfall, where you have the opportunity for a refreshing swim. Stop here for your lunch break before continuing past the rapids of Kamoirán, the Kawi Merú waterfall and the Nak Piapo lookout from where, weather permitting, you will have a fantastic view of the Gran Sabana majestically crowned by tepuis’ such as Roraima. Continue on to the Ya-koo Camp in Santa Elena, an eco camp in the fringe of the jungle.

After breakfast, enjoy a short visit to the town of Santa Elena de Uairén, followed by a visit to the gorgeous red coloured Quebrada de Jaspe waterfall and the Indigenous community of San Francisco de Yuruaní. Continue to the La Cortina de Yuruaní waterfall. You will then visit the Suruape waterfall for a refreshing and relaxing natural hydro massage. After lunch, stop at the Piscina de Pacheco waterfall and its lookout. At the end of the day, you will return to Yakoo Camp.

After breakfast, transfer to Santa Elena airport for your charter flight to Canaima. Upon arrival, transfer to the lodge on the banks of the amazing Canaima Lagoon which faces the Golondrina waterfall. After lunch, enjoy a short excursion by curiara (local canoe) through the Canaima Lagoon. The water and surface foam in rivers and lagoons are usually reddish here, a phenomenon generated by the presence of tannin, an organic acid produced by vegetation decomposing under the sun.

Today is a full day free for optional excursions within the Canaima National Park. A visit to the base of the Angel Falls, to Orchid Island, Kavak or El Sapo waterfall are recommended.

Following breakfast, enjoy a flight to Angel falls (optional), which at

979 metres high, is considered the world’s tallest waterfall. The sound of the water falling from Cañón del Diablo and the surrounding forest make this one of the most fascinating spots in Venezuela, It was seen for the first time by Jimmy Angel, the adventurous North American pilot, who over flew it on the Flamingo in October 1937. The airplane’s mechanical problems forced him, his wife and two other passengers a lucky landing on the top of the Auyantepuy (2500 m). Unscathed, they decided to descend the course of the Río Carrao and after 11 days managed to return to civilisation. Fly from Canaima back to Puerto Ordaz. On arrival, transfer to your hotel.

This morning starts with an early transfer to the airport for your flight from Puerto Ordaz to Caracas. On arrival, you will be met and assisted to your connecting flight onwards to Los Roques. Los Roques Archipelago National Park was created in 1972 to protect a marine ecosystem of exceptional beauty and ecological value dominated by coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds. It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful natural areas of Venezuela. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your posada.

The next two days are yours at leisure to explore the stunning reaches of the archipelago and neighbouring islands. The coral reefs host some of the most beautiful underwater fauna and flora of the Caribbean. The park has exceptionally beautiful beaches of white sand and multicolour, crystalline warm waters which make it a diving, sailing and fishing paradise.

Enjoy breakfast before transferring to the airport for your flight back to Caracas where your tour ends on arrival for you to connect to your onward flight.

After breakfast, depart the Andes towards Los Llanos. The Llanos, the Venezuelan lowlands, make up in their entirety about one-third of the area of Venezuela and impress with their particularly diverse and species-rich fauna. In the afternoon, set off on a boat safari through the Llanos. Only at dusk many animals become active, and so you will be able to observe river dolphins, caimans, ibises and maybe even an anaconda. Spend the night in a simple cabin on a farm, which is run by a family. (B,D)

2 nights local cabin

Distances: Driving 5hrs, boat 1hr

Today you will spend your second day in the Llanos to observe more unusual bird species, crocodiles and also the Capibara, a funny-looking capybara. Along the way, you can also practice a sport well-known in Venezuela, piranha fishing! At dinner this evening, the family members introduce you to the typical singing of the llaneros, the cowboys of the Venezuelan lowlands, singing their melancholic songs, the joropo. (B,L,D)

Distances: Driving 2hrs

The morning offers another opportunity to observe the birdlife around the cabin before heading to Barinas for your flight to Caracas. Spend the night in an Inn, not far from the sea. There are very good seafood restaurants in the area, which are perfect for your last dinner in Venezuela. (B)

Overnight Posada Buena Vista Inn or similar

Distances: Driving 2hrs

Enjoy breakfast before transferring to the airport for your onward flight. (B)