Overview

Guyana is an untouched wilderness located between Venezuela, Brazil and Suriname. Relatively few travellers have visited this pristine and unspoilt destination with amazing bio-diversity of over 800 species of birds and hundreds of species of mammals and reptiles. Here you can see the Neo-tropical ‘big five’ – jaguar, giant river otter, giant anteater, black caiman and harpy eagle. From breath-taking waterfalls and spectacular wilderness scenery, to community tourism in indigenous villages, Guyana will provide a real adventure.

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 | Thursday

Pickup and transfer from Cheddi Jagan International Airport to Georgetown.

Cara Lodge was built in the 1840s. It has a long and romantic history and was the home of the first Lord Mayor of Georgetown. Over the years, the property has been visited by many dignitaries including King Edward VIll who stayed at the house in 1923. Other dignitaries have included President Jimmy Carter, HRH King Charles III and Mick Jagger. This magnificent wooden colonial home turned hotel offers the tradition and nostalgia of a bygone era.  

Overnight at Cara Lodge.

Day 2 | Friday

This morning we make an early start to have breakfast at one of the local stands with our host, guide and culinary master, Chef Delven Adams who will guide us around Bourda Market, the largest of the four markets in Georgetown. We will start our tour at the Guyana Shop which has all the locally packaged products, before heading over to the market where we will meet some of the vendors who Chef buys from daily

During your visit to Georgetown, there are a number of interesting sights that should not be missed such as Stabroek Market - once described as a “bizarre bazaar, and St. George’s Cathedral which is one of the world’s tallest free-standing wooden buildings. Other historic buildings along this promenade are the Public Library, City Hall, the Victoria Law Courts and St. Andrews Kirk.

Have lunch at the Backyard Café.

After lunch, we will visit the Botanical Gardens, home to an extensive collection of tropical flora. We will also pay a visit to a pond either in the gardens or the National Park, to feed the endangered West Indian Manatees.

Optional Tour: Demerara Historical River Tour

Overnight at Cara Lodge.

Meals Included: Breakfast & Lunch

Day 3 | Saturday

0430 – 0445hrs pickup by your guide and driver at Cara Lodge and travel eastward from Georgetown along the Atlantic coast to the Mahaica River.

The narrow winding road to the landing runs parallel to the river and takes us through an area that is mainly used for the cultivation of rice and other crops. Fortunately for us, the area along the river has been well preserved and provides an excellent riverfront ecosystem inhabited by flocks of egrets, herons, ibis, various marsh tyrants, and Guyana’s national bird, the Hoatzin. Howler Monkeys also frequent these riverside trees. Giant River Otters are also often seen in the river.

This river is one of the best places to spot Guyana's national bird, the Hoatzin (Opisthocomus Hoatzin), also known as the Stinkbird, or “Canje Pheasant". This odd bird is an unusual species of tropical bird found in swamps, riverine forest and mangrove between the Amazon and the Orinoco delta in South America.

After our tour we will have breakfast before returning to Georgetown. On the way we will make a brief stop to look for shore birds on the mudflats beyond the seawall. Flocks of Scarlet Ibis, Herons and Egrets are common here as is the rare endemic Rufous Crab-Hawk. 

Optional Tour: Dinner with the Singing Chef.

Optional Tour: Rum Tasting Experience

Overnight at Cara Lodge.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 4 | Sunday

Optional Tour: Birding in Georgetown’s Botanical Gardens

Pickup and transfer to the airport for your day tour of Kaieteur Falls. Take a scheduled flight over the Demerara and Essequibo Rivers and hundreds of miles of unbroken tropical rainforest to land at Kaieteur Falls, the world’s highest free-falling waterfall.

Kaieteur is situated in the heart of Guyana on the Potaro River, a tributary of the Essequibo. The water of Kaieteur flows over a sandstone conglomerate tableland into a deep gorge - a drop of 741 feet or 5 times the height of Niagara Falls.

Kaieteur supports a unique micro environment with Tank Bromeliads, the largest in the world, in which the tiny Golden frog spends its entire life and the rarely seen Guiana Cock- of-the-rock nesting close by. The lucky visitor may also see the famous flights of the Kaieteur Swifts or Makonaima Birds which nest under the vast shelf of rock carved over millions of years by the black water of the Potaro River.

Pickup and transfer from Eugene F. Correia International Airport return to Georgetown.

Optional Tour: Evening Seawall, bars and street food experience.

Optional Tour: Dinner at Aagman Indian Restaurant.

Overnight at Cara Lodge.

Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 5 | Monday

Pickup and transfer to the airport for your scheduled flight to Fair View Airstrip.

On arrival you will be transferred to Iwokrama River Lodge. The Iwokrama Rainforest is a vast wilderness of one million acres. This protected area was established in 1996 as the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development. The Iwokrama Forest is in the heart of one of four last untouched tropical forests of the world - The Guiana Shield of North-Eastern South America. Iwokrama was established as a living laboratory for tropical forest management. 

Explore the trails around the lodge with an Iwokrama Ranger. Iwokrama is home to many bird species including Capuchin bird, Black Nunbird, Chestnut-rumped Woodcreeper, Amazonian Antshrike, Brown-bellied Antwren, Spot-tailed Antwren, Todd’s Antwren, Spotted Puffbird, Green Aracari, Guianan Toucanet, Guianan Red Cotinga, Pompadour Cotinga, Rufous-crowned Elaenia, Bronzy Jacamar, Chestnut & Waved Woodpecker, Gray Antbird, and Strong-billed Woodcreeper. Three other Neotropical species in the Iwokrama forest of high interest are White-winged Potoo, Rufous Potoo, and Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo. 

The forest is also home to many mammals and you may see Red-rumped Agouti and various species of monkey including Red Howler, Black Spider and Wedge-capped.

After dark we’ll set out on the river, in hope of finding one or another of its four species of caiman, and listen for night birds such as Spectacled Owl, White-winged Potoo, Rufous Potoo, Long-tailed Potoo, Zigzag Heron or Blackish Nightjar. Using our flashlights we will look for the eyeshine of snakes including Cox boa, tree frogs and if lucky maybe some mammals.

Overnight at Iwokrama River Lodge.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6 | Tuesday

Making an early start, we’ll embark on the Essequibo and circumnavigate nearby Indian House Island, before returning to the River Lodge for breakfast. 

Leave the lodge by boat, birdwatching along the way, for the hike to Turtle Mountain. A well maintained trail winds through the forest before an exhilarating climb up the mountain to its summit at 935ft (approx. 360m). It takes 1 3/4hrs to walk up the mountain, but the effort is more than worth it for the breathtaking views over the forest canopy when you get there and chances of Green Aracari, White Bellbird or a fly-by of one of five types of eagles. This trail is also a great location for seeing Black Spider and Red Howler monkeys. If you think this hike may be too strenuous you can take an alternative boat trip to Stanley Lake to search for Giant River Otters and Black Caiman.

As the afternoon cools you set out on a boat trip to visit Kurupukari Falls to see the Amerindian petroglyphs (dependent on the water level).

Overnight at Iwokrama River Lodge.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 7 | Wednesday

We will explore the different trails along the river with an Iwokrama Ranger. 

Transfer from the Iwokrama River Lodge along the trail that is one of the best places to see the elusive Jaguar, to the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway and Atta Rainforest Lodge.

Visit the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway and explore surrounding trails.

Overnight at Atta Rainforest Lodge.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8 | Thursday

Pre-dawn visit to the walkway before returning to the lodge for breakfast.

Today you can enjoy wildlife and birdwatching walks on the trails around the area, return visits to the Canopy Walkway and night walks are also possible.

Apart from the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway itself you can enjoy wildlife and birdwatching walks on the trails around the area. Many bird species, stunning insects, noisy amphibians, and playful primates make the surrounding forest their home. Deer, Tapir and agouti are also regular visitors to the lodge. Serious birders will want to search the undergrowth for the rarely seen Rufous-winged Ground-cuckoo. 

Overnight at Atta Rainforest Lodge.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 9 | Friday

Welcome the dawn chorus from the canopy walkway and then return to the lodge for breakfast before departure.

Transfer to the Cock-of-the-rock trail and then continue to the community owned and operated Surama Eco Lodge. After settling in, a local guide will escort you for a short walk on trails to observe the forest and bird life.

As the afternoon cools take for a three-mile walk across the savannah and through the rainforest to the Burro Burro River. This is the best time to observe bird and wildlife along the trail. Your guides will then paddle you on the Burro Burro River for opportunities to observe Giant River Otters, Tapir, Tira, Spider Monkeys and many more species. 

Tonight, enjoy an educational walk to observe wildlife and experience the mystique of the forest after dark

Overnight at Surama Eco-lodge.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 10 | Saturday

Pre-dawn walk across the savannah and climb Surama Mountain for incredible views across the village and savannah to the Pakaraima Mountains.

Transfer from Surama to Rock View Lodge at Annai.

Rock View Lodge is located where the savannah meets the forest-covered foothills of the Pakaraima Mountains. With its tropical gardens and flowering trees, the lodge resembles an oasis in the savannah, and attracts many species of birds, particularly nectar feeders and frugivores. Nearby patches of light forest are home to certain ant birds and flycatchers, and of course the grasslands support an avifauna of their own.

Overnight at Rock View Lodge.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 11 | Sunday

Dawn hike on the Panorama Trail and return to the lodge for breakfast before departure.

Travel south by road from Rock View Lodge to Ginep Landing and then travel by boat to Karanambu Lodge, wildlife spotting along the way.

With both the river and savannahs close at hand there is a wide variety of activities to be enjoyed at Karanambu. Two guided excursions are provided each day — one early in the morning and another late in the afternoon and into the evening. As well as being the coolest times to be out, these are usually the best times to see the different birds and animals. Trips may be on the river by boat, on the savannahs by 4 by 4 or along forest trails on foot to the different ponds in the area.

Late afternoon boat excursion for wildlife spotting and as dusk falls to the ponds to see the giant Victoria amazonica water lily bloom at dusk. On the return trip we will spotlight for Black Caiman and birds and creatures of the night. #

Overnight at Karanambu Lodge.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 12 | Monday 

This morning we make an early start to an area of rolling grasslands, home to a population of giant anteaters. With luck we shall locate one of these six-foot long animals excavating its breakfast from one of the termite mounds that stud the savannah. 

Return to the lodge for breakfast.

An evening visit to a nearby pond for bird watching or an evening walk along the airstrip offers seven species of nightjar and among the grasslands the Double-striped Thick-knees. 

Overnight at Karanambu Lodge.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 13 | Tuesday

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. Then you will transfer by boat to Yupukari and Caiman House. At the edge of Yupukari Village in the Central Rupununi is Caiman House Field Station, a combination guest-lodge and education centre focused on research and conservation projects along the nearby Rupununi River. 

As a guest you have the unique opportunity to support and participate in an ongoing field study of the Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger), the largest member of the alligator family and an endangered species. You are invited to accompany the indigenous crew as they search for and capture Black Caiman on the river. 

Overnight at Caiman House.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 14 | Wednesday

After breakfast vehicle transfer from Caiman House to Lethem. Transfer to airstrip for scheduled flight to Eugene F. Correia International Airport.

Pickup and transfer from Eugene F. Correia International Airport to Georgetown.

This afternoon enjoy a tour of the city of Georgetown with an experienced guide who will give you the history, rumour and facts on Georgetown and its citizens. We will begin our tour at the Georgetown Seawalls before continuing into the heart of the city. 

Pickup at your hotel and transfer to a local restaurant.

Overnight at Cara Lodge.

Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner

Day 15 | Thursday - End of Tour

Free day to relax, explore Georgetown or enjoy an optional tour.

Optional Tour: Hoatzin & Coastal Shield Endemics

Optional Tour: Birding in Georgetown’s Botanical Gardens.

Optional Tour: 7 Curry Tour

Pickup and transfer to Cheddi Jagan International Airport for your departing flight. B

Why we love it

Wildlife Encounters

Activities

Bird Watching

Stunning Scenery

Gallery

All images courtesy of © Wilderness Explorers