Photo tours

This package is designed for both beginners and experienced explorers.

Be an honored guest in our community, enjoy the unique and vibrant local culture and participate in a life-changing experience in one of the most stunning and biodiverse places in the world. There’s no telling what incredible creatures will become the subject of your lens here in the Amazon.
IMPORTANT: Make a reservation for a private photography guide for this type of tour.
sample program
Depart Quito in the morning and travel to the community of Añangu. We took out the cameras when we reached the black water stream “Añangu”. After brief instructions and advice, we began taking photographs on the way to the majestic Napo Wildlife Center.
Arrival and check-in at the hostel. Photography from the NWC tower at sunset, followed by a delicious dinner. Below we will talk about all the possible activities to do during the next few days at the hostel.
You can choose from the following activities for a complete combination of experiences during sunrises, mornings, afternoons, sunsets and nights. Many can be combined and repeated depending on the climate and interests of the group. There are many options to choose from whether you are staying on a 3, 4 or 5 night tour.

DAWN ACTIVITIES
• Sunrise in the hotel tower (1 to 3 hours)
• Sunrise at the NWC canopy tower (30 min to 1 hour long)
• Parrot clay licks and Kuri Muyu Cultural Center (all morning and lunch)
MORNING AND AFTERNOON ACTIVITIES
• Walk along a path that leads to the tower (2 to 4 hours)
• Blackwater Creek and lake for otters, alligators, monkeys and birds (2 to 4 hours)
• Monkeys and birds around the lodge
• Macro photography on the trail behind the lodge
Afternoon activities and talks.
NIGHT ACTIVITIES
• Night walks along the lodge trail to photograph amphibians, reptiles and insects.
• Night walks along the path to the tower to photograph amphibians, reptiles and insects.
• Observation of alligators and frogs around the lake.
• Talks

Napo wildlife

PREMIUM TOUR
Our 4-day, 3-night premium tour includes lake and river canoe trips, forest excursions, and bird watching tours. Experience an incredible adventure by paddling a small canoe on a calm stream or hiking one of the 16 forest trails. Get an up-close view of the spectacular wildlife that lives in Yasuní National Park, a sacred land known as one of the most diverse regions on the planet.
Day 1
Departing Quito, a 30-minute flight to Coca will take you over the eastern Andes mountain range. After disembarking mid-morning, a 5-minute transfer will take you to “La Misión” port, where you will board a comfortable covered motor boat. Here we will cruise along the Napo River for approximately 2 hours while enjoying lunch and coffee that will be provided along the way.
Along the way you will have the opportunity to observe birds such as herons, kingfishers and others. After arriving at the Napo Wildlife Center entrance dock, we disembarked for a short break and a visit to the bathroom. Next, we will take you on a majestic and peaceful 2-hour paddle canoe ride surrounded by trees and wildlife, paddling along a narrow stream that connects to the lake where the lodge is located.
There will be chances of seeing some species of monkeys, as well as large birds such as toucans, parrots or even macaws. A late afternoon arrival at the Napo Wildlife Center with an overwhelming view of Lake Añangu will be accompanied by a welcome drink followed by a briefing from the local manager.

Day 2
Wake up for an early breakfast and an early start to reach the most accessible parrot clay licks in Ecuador, approximately 1 hour from the lodge. Visitors arrive at this destination just before parrot activity begins at the clay lick between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. m. to ensure the best viewing experience. A total of 11 species of parrots, parakeets and macaws can be observed daily. Many other animals also visit us less frequently.
Then, hike along a forest trail to visit the Kichwa Community of Añangu and share time with a family in one of their many activities. Enjoy lunch at the Napo Cultural Center, where you will share with people from the Kichwa community.
Then return to the stream and walk through a Terra Firme forest for about 30 minutes until you reach the second parrot clay lick. If weather conditions allow, we can find different species of parrots, parakeets and even macaws.
When you return to the lodge in the late afternoon or early evening, a delicious dinner will be waiting for you.
Day 3
After another early breakfast, we headed out of the lodge to experience an incredible view of the rainforest from a 36 meter tall canopy tower, a great way to see the hustle and bustle of life above ground level. This is the second tower of the Napo Wildlife Center, located about 30 minutes from the lodge deep in the Terra Firme forest. As you ascend the 12-story tower, you pass through different levels of the forest and emerge on top of a huge Ceiba tree.
Flocks of colorful tanagers cross the treetop. Blue and yellow macaws fly by while, in the nearby trees, adorable spider monkeys search for fruit. Two species of large toucans call in the early morning and afternoon, and the life of the forest canopy comes before you. Birds that are virtually impossible to see from the forest floor far below are suddenly right next to you, usually oblivious to your presence. The canopy tower opens up a whole new world to guests of the Napo Wildlife Center!
Lunch is served at the lodge. Your afternoon may include discovering another Terra Firme trail, where we will walk along the primary forest to see the interior forest, chances of finding lizards, colorful grasshoppers or the unique and endemic golden-mantled marmoset monkey. After the hike, explore the lake and streams by canoe and enjoy a possible encounter with our local giant otter family along the way.
Day 4
Your last day will involve an early departure and a final 2-hour canoe excursion back to the Napo River. The stream may reveal new views of giant otters, saki monk monkeys and rare birds along the way. Once we have reached the river, you will transfer to the motorized canoe to return the way you came. You will arrive in Coca after a boat ride of approximately 2 hours to check-in for your Coca – Quito flight. The precise time will be announced according to the departure details and arrangements.

Extended Stay

Day 1

This morning we will take a short flight from Quito to the town of Coca, lasting about half an hour. A short drive from the airport to “La Mision”, the main port of Coca, will bring you to “the gateway to the Amazon” where Francisco de Orellana set sail in 1541.

Our method of transportation will now be a comfortable covered canoe powered by twin outboard motors where we can enjoy a box lunch and coffee provided en route. This craft will take us downstream on the Napo River for about 2.5 hours to the Napo Wildlife Center (NWC) welcome station.

Here we will take a short break and make use of the facilities before transferring to smaller canoes that are used instead of motorized vehicles to maintain the pristine landscape and habitats. Over the next couple of hours, we will paddle you up Añangu Creek to the NWC lodge, which is situated on the bank of a tranquil lake amid a vast tract of primary rainforest where hunting is prohibited. On this canoe ride, you have high chances of spotting wildlife! Various species of monkeys, as well as large birds like toucans, parrots, and even macaws, can be seen.

Day 2

After a buffet breakfast, experience life above the forest floor by visiting the 36-meter canopy tower. This tower is located about 30 minutes from the lodge and deep within the forest. Get an excellent sample of the 600+ species of birds recorded so far, with a close look at colorful tanagers, macaws, toucans, flycatchers, and even spider or howler monkeys feeding themselves on the nearby trees. The canopy tower opens up a whole new and exciting world to the guests of the Napo Wildlife Center.

Return to the lodge for a typical Ecuadorian lunch. After lunch, there are many options to choose from for your afternoon activity. Climb the central tower for birdwatching, go kayaking, or simply relax in your hammock if that’s more your speed.

You may choose to hike through the marvelous Terra Firme forest to discover the ecology and the role of plants in the complex world of the Tropical Rain-Forest. Vines, ancient trees, bromeliads, and orchids stand out in this impressive natural garden. After the hike, explore the surrounding lake and creeks for the chance to run into a Giant otter family. A delicious dinner awaits for you in our lodge restaurant at 7:30 pm.

Day 3

This morning we will visit the best parrot clay licks in Ecuador!! An early start will allow us to see different creatures while paddling downstream on the Añangu creek as far as the welcome area. Then, we take the motorboat for a 10 minute ride for a beautiful view of thousands of parrots such as the amazon-mealy, blue-headed, and orange –cheeked, among others who land at the natural river-side formation to eat some clay.

Later, we return to the welcome area and start a short hike to the parakeets’ clay lick. Here hundreds of cobalt-winged parakeets remain crowded in the trees waiting for the most confident members of the flock to decide it’s the best time to get minerals from the clay. Marvel as they all take turns landing at this clay lick in a flurry of color and sound.

Lunch at Napo Cultural Center. In the afternoon, visit the interpretation area to learn about the traditions of the ancestral Kichwa community of Añangu through song, dance, and conversation. Then head back to the lodge late in the afternoon. You will be welcomed back with a refreshing fruit drink, and dinner following at 7:30 pm.

Day 4

This morning we will hike along the Tiputini trail. Enjoy the mixture of Terra-Firma and swamp forests while searching for more wildlife such as golden-mantled tamarins, white-faced capuchin monkeys, two and three-toed sloths, pigmy squirrels, and maybe even a carnivore’s tracks on the forest floor.

We return to the lodge for lunch and a well-deserved rest. In the afternoon, paddle canoes will take you deeper into areas of the surrounding creeks with more possibilities of seeing unique wildlife like the hoatzin. After dinner, we can all discuss and share our experiences of the community and Napo Wildlife Center.

Day 5

Early breakfast and last excursion canoeing back to the Napo River. The creek may reveal new sights of giant otters, monk saki monkeys, black-capped donacobius, and other birds. The motorized canoe will take you back to Coca for the flight back to Quito.

NOTICE: Twenty years ago, the indigenous Kichwa Añangu Community collectively relinquished their right to hunt and fish to recover wildlife populations. For this reason, hunting and fishing are not allowed. For security reasons, swimming in Añangucocha Lake is also forbidden because your safety is our primary concern.

Additional Day(s): Optional excursions such as hikes through different trails and forest types are available. Canoe rides to explore areas of surrounding creeks in more depth will yield more wildlife observations. Additional mammal clay lick excursion and handicraft workshops with the local community are also available, among other options.