Amazon Add-on Tour – Yarina Lodge

Activity Level

Easy

Activity

Wildlife Holidays

Overview

Journey deep into the Amazon, combining wildlife encounters, river travel and time with Kichwa communities

Immerse yourself in the Amazon Rainforest, heading by motorised canoe along the Napo River to stay at a riverside lodge. Led by knowledgeable local guides, explore forest trails by day and night, revealing the rhythms of this complex ecosystem. Time on the water – from motorised journeys to quiet paddles – offers a different perspective on wildlife, from monkeys to caimans. Along the way, visits to a local school and a Kichwa family provide a deeper understanding of life in the rainforest, connecting conservation with community.

Key Information

Trip Code: XTNYARINA
Countries: Ecuador

What's Included

Accommodation: 4 nights at Yarina Lodge
All breakfasts, four lunches and four dinners
Travel by minibus and boat, plus internal flights from/to Quito
All activities at Yarina Lodge

Don't Forget To

Request a single room if required, purchase travel insurance and arrange any visas and vaccinations. Speak to your sales representative for Dates & Prices and please be aware that a compulsory sole traveller supplement applies to this itinerary.

Highlights

Track rainforest wildlife on guided walks by day and after dark

Travel by motorised canoe along the Napo River

Paddle across Laguna Sapococha in search of caimans

Itinerary

First Destination: Quito
Next Destination: Quito

Accommodation:Yarina Eco Lodge
Meals included:Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Yarina Eco Lodge
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Yarina Eco Lodge
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Yarina Eco Lodge
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Meals included:None

First Destination: Quito
Next Destination: Quito

From Quito Airport, catch a 30-minute flight over the Andes to Coca, a city at the meeting point of the Coca and Napo rivers.

Around 11.30am, hop into a motorised canoe – the only way to reach our accommodation! – and begin a one-hour cruise along the Napo to Yarina Eco Lodge.

After time to settle in and eat lunch, enjoy an introduction to the jungle, hiking the Socali Trail through primary forest. After dinner, you may wish to join an optional 45-minute night hike, experiencing the sounds and sights of the forest as it comes to life after the sun sets.

Accommodation:Yarina Eco Lodge
Meals included:Lunch, Dinner

Travel by motorised canoe to Josefina Villamar Obando School, where you’ll meet some of the pupils to hear about life and education in this area of the Amazon.

Continuing by boat, visit a Kichwa family, learning how daily life is shaped by the rhythms of the rainforest. Over lunch, try maito de pescado (fish wrapped in leaves) and gain insight into traditional food-preservation techniques.

Later, head towards the Guamayacu River, where time on the water reveals abundant wildlife.

Accommodation:Yarina Eco Lodge
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Set out along the Capibara Trail, a thrilling hike where swampy terrain and dense palm forest reveal the complexity of this ecosystem. The walk brings context to the wildlife we may encounter, as our guide explains how different species depend on these habitats.

After dinner, paddle quietly across Laguna Sapococha to observe caiman, an experience that highlights how different the forest feels after dark.

Accommodation:Yarina Eco Lodge
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Head into the forest along a trail known for monkey sightings, scanning the canopy while also learning about the plants and fruits that sustain the ecosystem. The experience goes beyond wildlife spotting, building a clearer understanding of how the forest functions.

Before returning to the lodge, canoe along the Manduro River, offering a quieter perspective on this part of the Amazon.

After lunch, travel along the Napo River to visit one of the largest and most impressive trees in the Amazon – the Giant Ceibo of the Amazon – and then begin a hike through the forest to observe medicinal plants. After dinner, return to the river to paddle the waters by night.

Accommodation:Yarina Eco Lodge
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

There’s an optional early start for birdwatching, when the forest is at its most active and the calls carry clearly through the canopy.

After breakfast, depart Yarina by motorised canoe, retracing our route along the Napo River to Coca (about one hour).

On arrival, transfer to the airport for our flight to Quito. Landing, you can either catch your return flight home or take a transfer to your hotel to begin your main adventure.

Dates & Prices

Accommodation

Yarina Eco Lodge

Set within a private reserve on the banks of the Napo River, this lodge places you deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Cabins are constructed using local materials and raised above the forest floor, with private bathrooms, hot water, mosquito nets and hammocks.

Days are shaped by the surrounding rainforest, with guided walks, canoe trips and wildlife spotting led by experienced guides, alongside insight into local communities and conservation efforts.

Worth knowing

A compulsory single supplement may apply due to the accommodation set up at the lodge.

Essential Information

This trip is graded Activity Level 1 (Easy). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

This add-on tour runs on a shared basis with non-Exodus guests.

Ecuador

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Ecuador. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/americas/ecuador
Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/ecuador
United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ecuador/entry-requirements
USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Ecuador.html

Food at Yarina Eco Lodge reflects the Amazon setting, with fresh, locally sourced ingredients and simple, hearty preparation.

Breakfast typically includes tropical fruits, eggs, bread, and coffee. Lunches are light but filling, often featuring rice, vegetables, fish or chicken.

Dinner is more substantial, with soups, grilled meats, and regional dishes. Meals are served buffet-style in a communal dining area, creating a relaxed, social atmosphere for guests returning from excursions.

Vegetarians and other dietary requirements can easily be catered for – please notify us in advance.

It is hot and humid in the Amazon Rainforest. There is a possibility of rain at any time, but not to the extent of spoiling your enjoyment. The driest time in the jungle (in terms of rainfall levels, not number of rainy days) is October to January.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.