4 Days Yasuní Wildlife and Kichwa Culture Experience
Four days in Yasuní with the Gualinga family: parrot clay lick, monkeys, the canopy tower and a morning with the Sani community, in a small family lodge.
4.9· 161 reviews- Difficulty
- Moderate – every walk is optional
- Group size
- 2–6 people · solo travellers welcome
- Price per adult
- From $760 (2 sharing)Solo from $940
- All-inclusive: lodge, meals, guide, park fees and transfers from Coca.
Travelling alone? You're welcome – we'll match you with another small group, or book a private guide to have the trip to yourself.
About this Yasuní tour
Sinchi Wayra Lodge is a family lodge on the Napo River, inside Yasuní National Park. The Gualinga family runs it; they belong to the Sani, a Kichwa community of the Amazon, and most of our staff are Sani.
In four days you walk two forest trails, watch parrots on a clay lick from the canoe, climb a 40 m canopy tower and spend a morning with the women's association in Sani Warmi. The same Yasuní wildlife as the big lodges, in a small family lodge: small groups, local guides, honest prices.
Highlights
- Parrot clay lick at sunrise, watched from the canoe: four parrot and parakeet species
- Two forest walks: the Anaconda Back Trail and the Sani forest on the north bank, towards Cuyabeno
- The Yasuní canopy tower, 40 m (130 ft) above the forest, at sunset
- A night canoe ride along the riverbank looking for caimans and glass frogs
- A morning in Sani Warmi: blowgun, medicinal garden, lunch cooked with the women's association
- Optional: the macaw and parakeet clay lick (USD 55 per person)
You'll love this trip if…
- You have four days and want Yasuní wildlife and a real visit to a Kichwa community, not only a lodge stay.
- You like early mornings, muddy trails and a local guide who knows every tree.
- You want a small family lodge and small groups.
Not for you if you are hoping for a resort. We are a simple family lodge in the jungle: there is no air conditioning or hot water, showers are cold and power runs from 6:00 to 22:00, so a small battery fan is a good idea. Every walk is optional, and day 2 is rugged: if uneven ground is hard for you, just tell us and we plan an easier day.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1 - Down the Napo River to the lodge
MorningCanoe from Coca down the Napo River to the lodge
About 10:00 pickup · 2.5 h by canoe · easy
We meet you in Coca, at the airport or the pier, and board a motorized canoe down the Napo River into Yasuní National Park. On the way you will likely see herons, kingfishers and river turtles. At Sinchi Wayra Lodge you settle into your room while lunch is prepared, then explore the garden and the hammocks.
AfternoonAnaconda Back Trail behind the lodge
1 to 2 h · easy to moderate
The Anaconda Back Trail starts right behind the lodge. The forest here is wet, so stretches of the trail run along fallen palm trunks: wear the rubber boots we give you. Your Sani guide shows you medicinal plants and giant trees and finds what you would walk past: monkeys, dart-poison frogs, blue-and-yellow and scarlet macaws and, with luck, a sloth. We come back at dusk, when the forest is loudest.
EveningNight walk on the boardwalk by torchlight
After dinner · easy
With headlamps we follow the boardwalk near the lodge. At night the forest belongs to other animals: you will see frogs, toads and strange insects, and you will likely see a small snake or a tarantula. Your guide explains how each one uses the dark to hunt or to hide. Bring a headlamp and long sleeves.
Day 2 - Parrots, monkeys and the north bank
MorningParrot clay lick by canoe and hike to the giant trees
Sunrise start · canoe, then a rugged hike
Breakfast is at sunrise, then we go 30 minutes upriver by canoe to the parrot clay lick. From the boat you watch four species of parrots and parakeets come down to eat the mineral clay: first the noise, then the colour. Then a rugged hike through primary forest to giant trees the Sani consider sacred. You will likely see Napo saki monkeys and golden-mantled tamarins. Expect mud, roots and steep slopes.
AfternoonSani forest on the north bank, towards Cuyabeno
Canoe crossing and trail walk · moderate
After lunch we cross the Napo River to the Sani forest on the north bank, towards Cuyabeno. Narrow trails lead through dense forest where we look for black-mantled tamarins and dart-poison frogs, with toucans and macaws calling overhead. Your guide points out what you would walk past alone. We are back at the lodge at sunset, in time for dinner.
Optional, USD 55 per person (USD 60 from 2027): the macaw and parakeet clay lick instead of this walk, with macaws up close.
Day 3 - The Sani community, the tower and caimans
MorningSani Warmi: school, garden and women's association
About 4 h · easy
We visit Sani Warmi, the central village of the Sani community, with its school and women's association. You try the blowgun, walk through the garden of medicinal plants and food crops, and cook lunch together with the women. Handicrafts are on sale, from jewellery to pottery, and your visit supports the association. The Sani are about 800 people, and tourism helps them protect their forest.
AfternoonYasuní canopy tower at sunset
Short walk, 40 m (130 ft) tower · moderate
A short forest walk leads to the Yasuní canopy tower on a small hill. A staircase takes you 40 m (130 ft) up to a platform above the treetops, with a view over the forest canopy to the Napo River. Toucans and parrots fly past below you, and monkeys move through the nearby trees. We stay for the sunset. Bring binoculars.
EveningCaimans along the riverbank by night
After the tower · canoe back along the river in the dark · easy
We return by canoe along the riverbank in the dark, the best time for caimans. Your guide holds the torch low and their eyes shine red on the water, from babies to full-grown adults. You will see caimans, and you will hear glass frogs calling from the leaves along the shore. Dinner is waiting at the lodge.
Day 4 - Back to Coca
MorningCanoe back up the Napo River to Coca
Early start · in Coca about 9 AM · easy
A last breakfast at sunrise, then you pack and say goodbye to the family. The canoe takes you back up the Napo River to Coca, and we reach the pier around 9 AM. If you have a morning flight to Quito, we take you to the airport in time. Thank you for staying with us: your visit helps the Sani protect this forest.
Your route
Where each day takes you
Tap a day to light up its places, or tap a place for details. Faded places belong to other tours.
Not to scale: the lodge area is enlarged so nearby places stay readable. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
What our guests say
What's included
- Canoe transport Coca – lodge – Coca
- 3 nights at Sinchi Wayra Lodge, private bathroom
- All meals, with coffee and tea
- Parrot clay lick visit
- Sani guide (Spanish, English, Kichwa)
- Starlink internet at the lodge
- All activities in the itinerary
- Yasuní National Park entrance fee
- Rubber boots
Not included
- Flight or bus from Quito to Coca (the flight takes 35 min)
- Hotel in Coca
- Macaw and parakeet clay lick: optional, USD 55 per person (USD 60 from 2027)
- Private guide: optional, USD 420 per group (USD 460 from 2027)
- Bottled and alcoholic drinks, tips, laundry
What to bring
- Binoculars
- Headlamp or torch
- Insect repellent
- Sun block
- Hat and sunglasses
- Small battery fan
- Rain jacket
- Comfortable shoes, long sleeves and long socks for the trails
- Camera
- Refillable water bottle
- Waterproof day pack (or one with a rain cover)
- Cash in USD 10 and 20 bills
Other ways to see Yasuní
Per adult, all-inclusive, compared with this tour.
Good to know before you book
Can I travel alone?+
Of course. Solo travellers get their own private room — we never pair strangers in a room. A single supplement applies; the booking widget shows the exact price when you select one guest.
For the activities you join our small group, and your tour runs even if you are the only guest.
Can I start a tour on any day, and how many nights is it?+
Yes. There are no fixed departure dates — every tour can start on any available day of the week.
The number of nights is one less than the number of days: a 4-day tour has 3 nights. Day 1 starts with the morning pick-up in Coca, and on the last day you are back in Coca in the morning.
What is included in the tour price?+
Included:
- Accommodation in a private room with private bathroom
- All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and purified drinking water
- Canoe transfer Coca – lodge – Coca
- All activities and excursions with a naturalist guide
- Rain ponchos and rubber boots
Not included:
- Travel to and from Coca (flight or bus)
- Bottled and alcoholic drinks
- Laundry
- Tips
- Optional extra activities that are not part of your itinerary
Can I bring children?+
Yes. There is no minimum age. Children aged 0 to 11 pay 50% of the adult price and we adapt the activities to their pace.
The only exception is the 9-day Waorani tour, which is for adults only.
Do I need malaria pills or a yellow fever vaccine?+
Health authorities recommend yellow fever vaccination for the Ecuadorian Amazon, and some countries require the certificate when you arrive from here or travel on. The malaria risk in this area is low; protecting yourself from mosquito bites (long sleeves, repellent) matters more than pills.
Requirements differ by country and person, so please check with a travel doctor well before your trip.
Is Yasuní safe to visit?+
Yes. Sinchi Wayra is a family-run lodge and every outing is led by an experienced local guide. Life jackets are provided for all canoe rides, and we brief you on the rules for jungle walks before we set off (stay behind your guide, stay on the trail, wear the rubber boots).
The lodge is remote, but our local manager is reachable by phone and can organise help if anything happens.
What is the cancellation policy for bookings?+
Refunds for booking cancellations will be made as follows:
- Free cancellation up to 60 days before the start of the tour (100% refund)
- 50% refund for cancellations 30–59 days before the start of the tour
- No refund for cancellations less than 30 days before the start of the tour
The cancellation policy is effective regardless of the reason for cancellation.
How can we get to Coca (Puerto Francisco de Orellana)?+
Coca (Puerto Francisco de Orellana, airport code OCC) is about 40 minutes by plane from Quito or 6 to 8 hours by bus. From Coca we take you down the Napo River to the lodge, about two and a half hours by motorised canoe.
LATAM and the Ecuadorian airline Aeroregional fly daily from Quito (UIO) to Coca (OCC). Book a morning flight that lands before 10:00 AM; your guide waits for you at the airport.
Buses leave from Quito's Quitumbe terminal several times a day and through the night; we recommend Cooperativa de Transportes Baños (WhatsApp or cooperativabanos.com.ec). A night bus gets you to Coca in the morning, in time to meet your guide. Transport to Coca is not included in the tour.
All the details, including the meeting point and the trip back: Getting to Sinchi Wayra.
How do we get from Coca to the lodge on tour start?+
We pick you up as agreed, around 10:00 AM in Coca: at the airport if you fly in, or at our office and tour meeting point in the town centre (Camilo de Torrano y Chimborazo, open in Google Maps).
We agree the meeting place and time with you right after you book, based on your flight or bus. That arrangement stands: we don't get in touch again before the tour starts. From the office it is a short ride to the river, where the canoe to the lodge leaves.
Have a question about this trip?
We're happy to tailor it to your group, dates and interests.