Guyana Birding & Wilderness Expedition

FRIDAY

Arrival in Georgetown, Meet & Greet and Transfer to Hotel

Arrive at Georgetown's Cheddi Jagan International Airport, where you will be met by our agent and transferred by private car to your hotel. 

Check into your hotel for the first 2 nights of your stay. 

SATURDAY

Botanical Birding & The Majesty of Kaieteur Falls

Morning: Avian Wonders & Manatees - Your day begins with an early morning pickup from your hotel. A short transfer brings you to the expansive Georgetown Botanical Gardens, a coastal haven for birdwatchers. Keep your eyes peeled for the star of the morning: the Blood-colored Woodpecker, a striking species almost entirely restricted to this narrow coastal plain. As you explore the lush grounds and back trails, your guide will help you spot an incredible array of local birdlife, including:

• Raptors & Parrots: Snail Kite, Pearl Kite, Gray Hawk, and the rare Festive Parrot.

• Vibrant Locals: Red-bellied and Red-shouldered Macaws, Silver-beaked Tanager, and Golden-spangled Piculet.

• Canopy & Undergrowth Dwellers: Black-crested Antshrike, Yellow-chinned Spinetail, Buff-breasted Wren, and Ashy-headed Greenlet.

Take a Break: Before leaving the gardens, pause your birding to visit the nearby ponds and feed the resident West Indian manatees, then head back to your hotel for a well-earned, late breakfast and a chance to freshen up.

Afternoon: Flight Over the Rainforest & Kaieteur Falls

After breakfast, a private vehicle transfers you to the Eugene F. Correia Airport for a spectacular scheduled flight. Peer out the window as you soar over the Demerara and Essequibo Rivers, tracking across hundreds of miles of unbroken, emerald-green tropical rainforest.

Your destination is Kaieteur Falls, the world’s highest single-drop waterfall. Located on the Potaro River, Kaieteur plunges 226m / 741 feet off a sandstone tableland into a deep gorge below—making it five times higher than Niagara Falls and unmatched in its sheer, free-falling magnitude.

While here, your guide will share the moving Patamona legend of Chief Kai, who sacrificed himself over the falls to save his people. You'll also explore the unique micro-environment surrounding the brink, looking out for:

• Giant Tank Bromeliads: The largest of their kind, hosting the tiny, endemic Golden Frog, which spends its entire life cycle inside the leaves.

• Guianan Cock-of-the-rock: A brilliantly orange bird known to nest in the nearby rocky crevices.

• Kaieteur Swifts: Also called "Makonaima Birds," these unique swifts roost by the thousands in the massive cave shelf directly behind the curtain of water.

Evening: Return to Georgetown

Board your return flight back to Georgetown, enjoying one last look at the vast Amazonian canopy from above. Upon landing, you will be met and privately transferred back to your hotel for a relaxing evening.

Tailor Your Trip - If you prefer a more relaxed pace, we can easily add a third night to your Georgetown stay. This allows you to combine the Botanical Gardens with a half-day city sightseeing tour, leaving a completely dedicated, unhurried full day for the Kaieteur Falls excursion.

SUNDAY

Journey to the Iwokrama Rainforest in the Heart of the Guiana Shield

Morning: Flight to the Living Laboratory - Meet in the hotel lobby for your early morning transfer to the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, where you will check in for your domestic flight. This is a spectacular aerial journey, soaring over hundreds of miles of unbroken tropical rainforest before landing at the Fair View Airstrip. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to the Iwokrama River Lodge, your base for exploring one of the most pristine wildernesses on Earth.

About Iwokrama: Spanning one million acres, the Iwokrama Rainforest sits within the Guiana Shield—one of the world's last four untouched tropical forests. Established in 1996 as an International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development, it serves as a "living laboratory" where sustainable forestry and ecotourism directly benefit the indigenous Makushi people, who have coexisted with this ecosystem for millennia.

Afternoon: Lodge Settle-in & Forest Trail Exploration - Check into your accommodation. The lodge overlooks the majestic Essequibo River and features eight spacious timber cabins complete with private en-suite bathrooms and verandas facing the water. After a buffet lunch in the Fred Allicock dining hall, head out onto the trail network surrounding the lodge. Accompanied by an expert Iwokrama Ranger, you will look for the region's incredible biodiversity:

• Avian Highlights: Keep watch for the bizarre Capuchinbird, Black Nunbird, Guianan Red Cotinga, Pompadour Cotinga, Green Aracari, and Guianan Toucanet. The forest is also famous for sought-after species like the White-winged Potoo, Rufous Potoo, and the rare Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo.

• Mammals: Scan the canopy and forest floor for Red-rumped Agoutis and various primates, including Red Howler, Black Spider, and Wedge-capped Capuchin monkeys.

Evening: Nocturnal River Safari - As darkness falls, board a boat for a night safari on the Essequibo River. The rainforest transforms after dark, offering a completely different wildlife experience:

• Eyes in the Shallows: Use spotlights to catch the distinctive eyeshine of the river's four resident species of caiman, alongside tree frogs and occasional nocturnal mammals.

• Night Birds & Reptiles: Listen to the symphony of the night and look for the Spectacled Owl, Zigzag Heron, Blackish Nightjar, or a roosting Cox's boa draped over the branches.

Return to the lodge for dinner and a relaxing evening listening to the sounds of the river.

MONDAY

From River to Canopy: Turtle Mountain & Atta Rainforest Lodge (Island Cruises, Mountain Vistas & The Jaguar Trail)

Morning: River Circumnavigation & Turtle Mountain Hike

• Dawn: Set out early on the Essequibo River to circumnavigate nearby Indian House Island as the forest wakes up, returning to the River Lodge for a hearty breakfast.

• Mid-Morning: Depart by boat, birdwatching along the riverbanks en route to the Turtle Mountain trailhead. A well-maintained forest trail leads to an exhilarating climb to the 935-foot (360m) summit. The 1¾-hour hike rewards you with breathtaking, panoramic views over the unbroken emerald canopy.

  • What to look for: Green Aracari, Crimson Fruitcrow, White Bellbird, Black Spider and Red Howler monkeys, and the chance of a majestic fly-by from one of five resident eagle species.

  • Alternative Option: If you prefer a less strenuous morning, take a relaxing boat trip to Stanley Lake to search for Giant River Otters and Black Caiman.

Afternoon: The Transnational Road to Atta Lodge - Following lunch, transfer by road toward the southern boundary of the Iwokrama Reserve. This road is the only north-south vehicular link between Guyana and Brazil; traffic is incredibly rare, turning the road cutting into a prime wildlife corridor. Keep a sharp lookout for:

• Mammals & Ground Birds: Agouti, Tayra, Tapir, and Black Curassow.

• The Big Prize: This stretch is renowned as one of the absolute best places in Guyana to spot an elusive Jaguar lounging on the warm tarmac or slipping into the forest edge.

Your journey concludes at Atta Rainforest Lodge, home of the famous Iwokrama Canopy Walkway.

Late Afternoon & Evening: Garden Hummingbirds & Fruitcrows

Spend the rest of the day exploring the clearing around the lodge. The open-sided communal building looks out onto beautifully landscaped gardens filled with heliconias, attracting over ten species of hummingbirds. The clearing is also a premier site for:

• The rare and spectacular Crimson Fruitcrow.

• A resident, habituated family party of Black Curassows that regularly strolls through the grounds.

Settle into your comfortable private room with an en-suite bathroom, and enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal served with traditional Amerindian hospitality.

TUESDAY

Living Canopy & Nocturnal Wonders

Morning: Pre-Dawn Tree-Top Birding - Ascend to the canopy walkway before dawn to experience the rainforest waking up at eye level with crown-dwelling species. This treetop vantage point makes birdwatching effortless, offering incredible, unobstructed views of:

• Canopy Specialists: Rufous-throated Sapphire, Green Aracari, Pygmy Antwren, and Guianan Streaked-Antwren.

• Crown Jewels: With some luck, spectacular species like the Guianan Toucanet, Pompadour Cotinga, Buff-cheeked Greenlet, and a host of other treetop specialists may come right into view.

• Primates: Keep an eye out for Red Howler and Black Spider Monkeys feeding in the morning light.

Return to the lodge for breakfast, after which explore the nature trails at your own leisure. While stunning insects, noisy amphibians, and playful primates are common, serious birders can use this time to carefully scan the thick undergrowth for the highly prized, rarely seen Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo.

Evening: Twilight on the Walkway & Night Walk - As darkness falls over the canopy walkway, look out into the branches for a chance to spot the ghostly White-winged Potoo emerging for the night. Later, venture out on a night walk along the transnational road near the lodge. The nocturnal ecosystem is incredibly active here—deer, tapir, and agouti are regular visitors to the lodge grounds, and something new always seems to pop onto the scene, including the thrilling possibility of spotting one of the six wild cat species that patrol this corridor.

WEDNESDAY

Into the Rupununi Savannahs & Karanambu Lodge

Morning: The Cock-of-the-Rock & Forest Pharmacy

• Dawn: Welcome the roaring dawn chorus from your high vantage point on the canopy walkway one final time, then return to the lodge for breakfast.

• Mid-Morning: Depart Atta Rainforest Lodge and transfer through the deep jungle to Corkwood.

At Corkwood, a comparatively short, gentle trail winds through beautiful and pristine rainforest. This is a premier lek site for the Guianan Cock-of-the-rock—giving you an excellent chance to see this amazingly brilliant, neon-orange bird. As you walk, your indigenous guides will point out the surrounding flora, explaining how various roots, leaves, and barks have been used for traditional Amerindian medicines and daily survival for centuries.

Afternoon: The Rupununi River Safari - Following the trail walk, continue your journey to Ginep Landing, where the dense rainforest gives way to the open water. Here, you will board a riverboat for a scenic journey down the Rupununi River toward Karanambu Lodge. Depending on the seasonal river levels, this boat stretch offers an outstanding opportunity to look for wild Giant River Otters. Several highly social family groups live, hunt, and play along this specific corridor of the river.

Late Afternoon & Evening: The Land of the Giants - Your destination is Karanambu Lodge, a 110-square-mile former cattle ranch located in the North Rupununi. This historic property was the home of the late Diane McTurk, a world-renowned conservationist celebrated for her work rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned giant river otters.

An Ecological Crossroad: Karanambu is a biological hotspot, encompassing a 30-mile stretch of the river alongside sprawling savannahs, marshy ponds, and riparian forests. Despite its size, it hosts an astonishingly dense population of wildlife: over 600 bird species, 200 mammal species, and up to 700 species of fish in its seasonally flooded grasslands—more fish diversity than anywhere else on Earth. This region is equally rich in human history, as the ancestral homeland of the Makushi people for over 7,000 years. Famed naturalists and writers like Charles Waterton, Evelyn Waugh, and Gerald Durrell have all documented their travels here. Notably, a young David Attenborough spent time at Karanambu while filming and writing his classic early book, “Zoo Quest to Guiana”.

The Dusk Excursion - To maximise wildlife sightings and avoid the midday heat, Karanambu provides two guided excursions daily (early morning and late afternoon). As the heat breaks, travel by boat to scan the riverbanks for wild Giant River Otters. As dusk falls, navigate into the quiet, still ponds to witness a spectacular natural event: the massive Victoria amazonica waterlilies—the largest in the world—unfolding and blooming right before your eyes as evening sets in. On the boat ride back, your guide will use spotlights to catch the bright eyeshine of hunting Black Caiman, nightjars, owls, and other creatures of the nocturnal savannah.

Settle In - Retreat to your traditionally crafted clay-brick cabins. Each rustic, comfortable room features an en-suite bathroom and a private veranda complete with hand-woven hammocks—the perfect spot to relax and listen to the evening chorus of the savannah

THURSDAY

Morning: Quest for the Giant Anteater - make an early pre-dawn start and head into the rolling grasslands of the North Rupununi. The open savannah here is punctuated by thousands of towering earth-toned termite mounds—the primary hunting grounds for one of South America's most bizarre and fascinating mammals, the Giant Anteater. With a bit of luck, you will track down one of these impressive six-foot-long creatures actively excavating its breakfast.

Return to the lodge to rest during the heat of the midday.

Afternoon & Evening: River Boat Excursion or River Walks - As the temperature drops in the late afternoon, either board a boat to explore the quiet patches of woodland and dense gallery forest that hug the riverbanks or walk the riverbanks where you might see the breathtakingly colourful Agami Heron, renowned for its chestnut, blue, and green plumage.

FRIDAY

In the event you did not see a giant anteater the previous morning, there is time to travel out to search the savannah again. Or explore the Rupununi River in search of wild Giant River Otters, Black Caiman and Arapaima, making a boat journey along quiet stretches of river.

Return to the lodge for breakfast before departure to Lethem, where you will board your scheduled flight back to Georgetown.

Overnight in Georgetown.  We can arrange special restaurant arrangements for you this evening. 

SATURDAY

Bright and early at 04:45 am, we’ll whisk you away from your hotel for a splendid morning excursion east of Georgetown to the lush Mahaica River. As we meander along the riverside, you'll catch a glimpse of local farming life before stopping for a welcoming cuppa at the river landing. Out on the water, keep your binoculars at the ready for a spectacular avian showcase, including elegant herons, ibis, marsh tyrants, and the elusive, range-restricted Blood-colored Woodpecker. The star of the show is undoubtedly Guyana’s national bird, the Hoatzin (affectionately known as the Canje Pheasant or Stinkbird)—an extraordinary, prehistoric-looking creature with a spiky crest and a blue face. After working up an appetite, you'll enjoy a hearty, homemade breakfast at our boatman’s house before heading back to the capital.

In the afternoon, we’ll dive into the bustling heart of the city to the historic Stabroek Market, where we’ll hop aboard a charming river taxi alongside local commuters to cross the mighty Demerara River. Your expert guide will share fascinating tales of the waterfront buildings as we cruise towards the impressive Demerara Harbour Bridge. We’ll drop anchor right by the mangroves just in time for a breathtaking sunset spectacle. With a cold drink and some local 'cutters' (snacks) in hand, you'll watch in awe as vibrant flocks of Scarlet Ibis, Snail Kites, herons, and three distinct species of egrets paint the sky before settling into their nightly roosts. It's the perfect, relaxing end to an unforgettable day of Guyanese wildlife and culture.

Evening back at your hotel, or we can arrange dinner in town at one of Georgetown's amazing Indian restaurants. 

Depending on your flight time home, we can arrange either a morning activity or transfer you directly to the airport for your departure flight home. 

Return home with bright memories of the birds in Guyana, and with a burning desire to return to this region soon.