Bolivia - Wildlife - Bird Watching Tours

Nick's Adventures Bolivia

See Bolivia's Jaguars
in the Wild

Expert-led wildlife & photography tours in Bolivia’s Amazon, Pantanal, and national parks. Guaranteed small groups. English-speaking guides.

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Choose Your Adventure

Jaguarland Reserve

Uyuni Salt Flats

Tours by Destination

Tours by Type

reliable & expert-led

Why Travelers Choose Nick's Adventures Bolivia

Small Private Groups

All tours run with a maximum of 4 travelers. No large buses — just your group and a dedicated English-speaking naturalist guide.

1,400+ Bird Species Access

Bolivia holds more than 1,400 recorded bird species. Nick's operates in 5 distinct ecosystems, from Amazon lowlands to Andean cloud forest.

Custom Itineraries

Every trip is built around your interests, pace, and budget. We design private departures for solo travelers, couples, families, and photography groups.

Award-Winning Operator

TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence every year since 2014. Ranked #1 tour operator in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, with 500+ five-star reviews.

Jaguar Conservation

We fund and support the Jaguar Conservation Project in Kaa Iya National Park — the largest protected area in Bolivia at 3.4 million hectares.

about nick's adventures bolivia

Bolivia's Leading Wildlife & Photography Tour Operator

Rated 4.9 / 5 · 500+ TripAdvisor Reviews
Valorado con 4.8 de 5

Nick’s Adventures Bolivia is a licensed, English-speaking tour operator based in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Founded by Australian-Bolivian naturalist Nicholas McPhee, the company specializes in jaguar photography tours, birdwatching, Amazon jungle expeditions, private Uyuni salt flat tours, and multi-day wildlife tours across Bolivia’s national parks and reserves.

Operating since 2012, Nick’s Adventures Bolivia has guided travelers from over 60 countries through ecosystems including the Bolivian Amazon, the Pantanal, Kaa Iya National Park, Amboró National Park, and the Salar de Uyuni. Bolivia is home to more than 1,400 bird species, 400 mammal species, and 3,000 butterfly species.

📞 +591 773 13331 · nicksadventuresbolivia@gmail.com

bolivia's wildlife

Animals You'll Encounter on Tour​

Bolivia hosts some of South America’s most spectacular megafauna. These are the species our guests encounter most frequently.

bolivia's natural wealth

One of Earth's Most Biodiverse Countries

BIRD SPECIES IN BOLIVIA
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3rd highest in South America
MAMMAL SPECIES
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Jaguar, Puma, Tapir & Giant Anteater
YEARS OF WILDLIFE GUIDING
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Bolivia’s most remote ecosystems

«Bolivia contains 40% of all neotropical bird species and hosts the jaguar’s largest remaining population outside the Brazilian Amazon. The country’s 22 national parks and protected areas cover 17% of its territory.»

Sources: IUCN Red List 2024 · Bolivia SERNAP · Jaguar 2030 Conservation Roadmap

Custom & Private Tours

Every Bolivian Adventure Is Different. Yours Should Be Too.

We don’t do one-size-fits-all tours. Every private departure is designed around your group, your interests, and your schedule — whether you’re a solo photographer chasing jaguars, a family exploring the Amazon, or a birding group targeting endemics. We’ve built custom itineraries for travelers from 60+ countries.

Where We Operate

Our Tours in Bolivia

professional tour

Nicholas McPhee, Bolivian Wildlife Expert

"Bolivia has the jaguar, the anaconda, the giant anteater — and almost nobody knows about it. That's why I started Nick's Adventures. To show the world what they're missing."

— Nick Mcphee & Founder

Nicholas McPhee is an Australian-Bolivian travel expert specializing in wildlife and nature tourism in Bolivia. With more than 15 years of experience, he has guided thousands of travelers through the Bolivian Amazon, Pantanal, Andes, and Gran Chaco, sharing his deep knowledge of the country’s landscapes, wildlife, and conservation efforts.

500+

5-Star Reviews

LICENSED TOUR OPERATOR

Founder — Nick's Adventures Bolivia (est. 2012)

Jaguar Conservation Sponsor

What Our Travelers Say

400+ Five-Star Reviews on TripAdvisor

Posted on Tripadvisor Tripadvisor
Denko P profile picture
Denko P
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Jaguars and sloths Jaguars are elusive, so tracking them takes patience and a lot of luck. We were very happy to spot jaguars over two (out of 4) days - once spotted we ran in single file towards them in hopes to get closer before they noticed us—lots of fun and adrenaline! Thankfully our guide Fernanda had a camera with her so we were able to get a couple of photos as we only had our phones with us. (A good long range camera is recommended). We were also happy to see our first sloths on the tour! In short, we had fun and enjoyed the tour.
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Fearless31326040909
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Sloths and more We would like to thank Pablo and Roberto for a wonderful tour. It gave us a genuine taste of Bolivia with a touch of pride, optimism, spirituality and humour and Sloths. Beyond excellent. Pablo spoke good English and had a great sense of humour.
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Jan Dehn
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Very high quality experience - excellent service and itinerary. Strongly recommended. We booked at two-week Bolivia adventure with Nick's Adventures comprising the San Miguelito Ranch, Sucre and Potosi, and Uyuni and Potosi province. We had an excellent experience from start to finish. Even before the trip itself, we were furnished with usual information and advice to tailor our choices. All transfers were provided and on time. All the guides were highly experienced. The destinations were excellent too. The San Miguelito ranch experience was my favourite bit of the trip. In three days, I saw 136 species of birds and more than twenty animals. In addition to the five different ecosystems on the property, the ranch has access to the neighbouring soy farm, which is a sixth ecosystem. Duston, the host, and Jorge, our guide, were simply excellent. Extremely knowledgeable and professional and fun to hang out with. If you are a nature lover, I highly recommend adding the San Miguelito segment, but remember this is raw nature, not a children's playground. The value for money is huge, but you need to work for it. The hikes and game drives are long and sometimes quite demanding, but incredibly rewarding. I was astonished by the amount of biodiversity. The accommodation is simple, but good. We had a large ensuite room in the main ranch. The food was really excellent - Aracely the cook makes incredibly tasty Bolivian dishes. In Sucre, Nick's Adventures had assigned us a very experienced guide, Jose Herrera, who was quite a character and had an incredible knowledge about Bolivia's history, notably in Sucre and Potosi. He was also able to give us very interesting personal insights about the dinosaur park, which is definitely worth a visit. I had no idea, but Bolivia actually has the two largest dinosaur print sites in the world (Cal Orcko and Torotoro National Park). If these sites had been located in, say, the US or Europe they would be known the world over. In Bolivia, you have easy access without the crowds, but the guidance of Jose really added value. The last leg of our trip was a road trip from the Uyuni salt flats to the incredible southern end of the Altiplano near the Chilean border. This is quite simply one of the most spectacular geological extravaganzas anywhere in the world. Our guide and driver, Luis and Luis, were highly experienced. Luis (driver) was considerable and safe and also has wicked music in the car, which we could listen to whenever we wanted. Luis (guide) was extremely knowledgeable, yet humble and approachable. We particularly appreciated his attention to our special needs due to some medical issues. His focus was clearly entire on making sure we had a great experience. Which we did. In summary, we were extremely pleased with our experience with Nick's Adventures. I have travelled all over the world and the service we received was right up there among the best we have had. If anything, I think Nick's Adventures undersell the experience! Bolivia is really an amazing country and we were extremely well taken care of the entire visit. Great guides, great itineraries. And the agency was at hand to take care of any issues (there were none). I also think the value for money was really high. so I can only recommend this outfit if you are planning a visit to Bolivia.
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Hnin Aung
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An excellent tour company We toured Bolivia with Nick's adventure tours in December 2025. I can say that its one of the best holidays we have ever had. Nick and his team made sure that every need we have was met and arranged an excellent alternative when Jaguarland our first choice was flooded. San Miguelito jaguar Conservation ranch was perfect for wildlife sightings, best hosting and best food. We were very happy with the change. Our Uyuni part of the trip was also wonderful with excellent guides and great hotels. Bolivia is an amazing country and Nick and his team ensured that we had the best holiday. Feliz Navidad!!
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Native tours Rurrenabaque
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Observing a Jaguar Nick Adventure, the best sustainable ecotourism project in Bolivia, benefits the conservation of the habitat of the largest cat in the Americas, the jaguar, a keystone species for environmental balance that is threatened. This project also provides direct benefits to indigenous communities. Traveling with Nick Adventure means being an important part of the preservation and protection of the jaguar and improving the quality of life for thousands of indigenous and non-indigenous people in Bolivia.
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Thomas T profile picture
Thomas T
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Jaguar Experience of a Lifetime! For anyone who has a spirit for adventure, this is truly a moment you will remember when you reflect back on your life. If you are able to brave the mosquitoes, heat, and camping lifestyle, the jaguar sightings you could be rewarded with are lifelong treasures. My fiancée and I were fortunate enough to see a young jaguar at sunset who walked towards us from 500 meters away to as close as 4 meters away!! The awe filling moment of seeing such a beautiful creature so close was an absolute blessing that only a man like Nick could have delivered. The team was wonderful and Nick has a vision worth seeing for yourself!
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Kathryn S profile picture
Kathryn S
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Jaguarland Reserve Tour Best unique experience - exceeded all expectations. Incredible crew. Exceptional value. We had the time of our lives! The crew were absolutely incredible and so dedicated and enthusiastic. Their passion for conservation is unparalleled. Seeing jaguars just took my breath away. This tour was exceptional value. Natalie cooked incredible food. There was even fans and electricity cords in the large tall tents. I don't even like camping but the mattresses were high off the ground and it didn't feel like camping at all. Plus how else can you wake up to birds that feel like you're in a Jurassic Park movie. Go! You'll love it!
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Angela B profile picture
Angela B
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Wildlife viewing far from the madding crowds! I did back to back tours in Kaa-Iya National Parks and then in Jaguarland. Although the animals weren't so cooperative in Kaa-Iya, we did see deer, peccaris, aguti and jaguarundi and some fresh jaguar, ocelot and tapir footprints - they just chose not to be seen! I saw many, many birds, including some on their migration further south and it is great to see a part of the Gran Chaco almost completely undisturbed and in almost complete solitude. In Jaguarland, the numerous jaguar sightings were obviously the highlight, but also we saw an elusive ocelot, 5 species of monkey, peccaris, capybaras, agutis, deer and more. And then there's the amazing birdlife - macaws, toucans, parrots, herons, potoos, hawks, eagles, jabiru to mention a few. For the birdlife alone, it would be worth a visit, and I'm told I only saw a fraction of what is there at other times of the year! The guides and drivers work tireless to maximise your sightings, day and night, and the food whipped up by the cooks, with limited resources, was amazing! I will be back!
THANKS FOR SUPPORT

Salar de Uyuni · Private Tours

Private Uyuni Salt Flat Tours from Santa Cruz & La Paz

The Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat, covering 10,582 square kilometers at 3,656 meters above sea level in southwest Bolivia. We offer fully private, custom-departure tours with optional extensions to the colored lagoons, geysers, and flamingo habitats of the Andean Altiplano.

Duration

3–5 Days

Departures

Santa Cruz · La Paz

Group Size

Private (2–8 people)

Also Includes

Flamingos · Geysers

Common Questions

Everything You Need to Know Before You Go

Planning a wildlife trip to Bolivia? We’ve answered the most common questions from our guests — from jaguar sightings to travel logistics.

The best jaguar photography tours in Bolivia are operated by Nick’s Adventures Bolivia in the Bolivian Pantanal and Kaa Iya National Park. Tours run for 3–7 days, depart from Santa Cruz, and have a 90% jaguar sighting rate. Jaguars are most reliably spotted along the Paraguay and Tucavaca rivers between May and November.

Yes. Bolivia — particularly the Bolivian Pantanal and Kaa Iya National Park — is one of the most reliable places on Earth to spot wild jaguars. Bolivia’s jaguar population is estimated at over 12,000 individuals, one of the highest densities in South America according to the Jaguar 2030 Conservation Roadmap.

Bolivia is home to over 400 mammal species, 1,400 bird species, 300 reptile species, and 635 fish species. Flagship wildlife includes jaguars, pumas, giant anteaters, tapirs, giant anacondas, spectacled caimans, pink river dolphins, giant river otters, blue-and-yellow macaws, and scarlet macaws.

Bolivia ranks among the top 5 birdwatching destinations in South America with over 1,400 recorded species. Nick’s Adventures Bolivia offers specialized birdwatching tours in the Bolivian Amazon (Rurrenabaque/Madidi), Amboró National Park, and the Andean cloud forests near Comarapa.

The best-regarded Amazon tours from Rurrenabaque combine Madidi National Park (jungle tours) with the Pampas (wildlife tours). Madidi is classified by Conservation International as one of the 10 most biodiverse areas on the planet. Typical tours last 3–5 days and include river travel, night walks, and wildlife observation.

Yes. Nick’s Adventures Bolivia specializes in fully private, custom-designed tours for individuals, couples, families, and photography groups. Custom tours can include any combination of wildlife, birdwatching, cultural, trekking, and photography experiences. All private tours depart on your preferred dates.

The dry season (May to October) is considered the best time for wildlife viewing in Bolivia. Jaguar sightings peak between June and September. Birdwatching is excellent year-round but particularly productive during the wet season (November–April) when migratory species arrive.

From Santa Cruz, the Salar de Uyuni is accessible by overnight bus (approximately 14 hours) or domestic flight via La Paz. Nick’s Adventures Bolivia operates private door-to-door tours with all transport, accommodation, and guide included from both Santa Cruz and La Paz.

Nicholas McPhee is an Australian-Bolivian naturalist and licensed tour guide who founded Nick’s Adventures Bolivia in 2012. He is one of the most experienced wildlife guides in Bolivia, with over 15 years leading expeditions in the Bolivian Amazon, Pantanal, and national parks.

Bolivia is generally safe for tourists traveling with a reputable, licensed operator. Nick’s Adventures Bolivia is fully licensed by the Bolivian Ministry of Tourism and operates with safety protocols including first-aid-trained guides, vehicle tracking, and emergency communication equipment on all tours.

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Get in Touch

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We’re based in Santa Cruz, Bolivia and reply to all inquiries within 24 hours.

Phone / WhatsApp

+591 773 13331 · +591 784 58046

Email

nicksadventuresbolivia@gmail.com

Office

Barrio Equipetrol, Edificio Nano, Of. 119
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

⭐ TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2024 · Ranked #1 Tour Operator · Santa Cruz, Bolivia