With a wingspan of over 3 metres this Endangered Giant Vulture is the world’s largest flying bird by weight and wing measurement and is a national symbol of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Any true birders trip to South America is incomplete without having experienced the sheer size and grace of this incredible yet endangered Andean Icon.
Andean Condor Tour
2 DAY/1 NIGHT
ANDEAN CONDOR TOUR
With a wingspan of over 3 metres this Endangered Giant Vulture is the world’s largest flying bird by weight and wing measurement and is a national symbol of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Any true birders trip to South America is incomplete without having experienced the sheer size and grace of this incredible yet endangered Andean Icon.
TOUR OUTLINE
Every year thousands of tourists visit the Peruvian Mega Tourist city of Arequipa in the hope of a chance sighting of the impressive Andean Condor, however if you don’t like crowds of tourists whom of which take up the best photographic areas then our Samaipata Condor Tour is for you, not only is our tour less touristic it’s also likely to be the very best place in the world to view condors, the record in one day is 107 different Condors and on any normal day it’s not unusual to see 20-30 different Condors soaring sometimes just metres above you.
2 DAYS / 1 NIGHT
TOUR ITINEARY
Day 1: Santa Cruz – El Fuerte Ruins – Samaipata
Hotel pick up in Santa Cruz and enjoy the scenic drive to Samaipata, first stop is Las Cuevas Waterfalls, lunch then a visit to the Pre Incan Ruins of El Fuerte, this is also an Andean Condor Hotspot and the sight of soaring Condors over ancient Pre Incan Ruins is something very special, here we also learn about the history and culture of the ruins before arriving to Samaipata where we check into our hotel and enjoy a delicious dinner.
DAY 2: Samaipata – Condor Trek- La Pajcha Waterfalls –Santa Cruz
This is a very long day and we have a 4 am start and commence on a 2 hour drive to the base of the Condor trek, this 5 km trek is not for the faint hearted and a medium to high level of fitness is needed, the scenery is spectacular and once we reach the top of the Condor trek we have the chance to see Condors drinking and basking in the sun before taking off on the mornings thermals, we will wait a few hours to have optimal Condor viewing before departing this magical location, we will then if time permits stop and refresh in some spectacular waterfalls nearby before returning to Santa Cruz in the night.
TOUR INFORMATION
- Duration
2-3 Days
- Availability
Best in the dry months of June-November
- Suitable for
Bird watchers, Nature lovers, Photographers
- Not Suitable for
Children or people with low fitness levels etc
- Tour Type
Bird watching
ACTIVITES INCLUDE
- Visit of Las Cuevas Waterfalls
- Swimming in La Pajcha Waterfalls
- Trekking the Condor Nest
- Bird watching
- Visiting the Pre Incan Ruins of El Fuerte
This tour can also be combined with our Red Fronted Macaw Bird watching Tour or many of our other high quality birding trips in Bolivia.
Listen to our clients
The second part of our trip was to Trinidad where we visited the Blue Throated Macaw Preserve with a guide who did her thesis on this species. Marina took excellent care of us and we visited rich birding areas by car and boat. Also saw the pink river dolphins. We visited the Kenneth Lee Ethnography Museum and fish museum at the university, and Lake Suarez, and Marina helped us understand what we were seeing. In all we identified 161 species, and quite a few that we wouldn't be able to see anywhere else. The Red Fronted and Blue Throated macaws, and other species in their habitat, were a big high point in our birding travels. We were able to spend ``quality time`` with the plush crested jay - a favourite. It is great to know that Bolivia has the capacity to share their special birds with others in the world.
Though we never met Nick and Carolina, they were always there for us via email and we know how much care they put into orchestrating this trip. Thank you Nick and Carolina.
Notes. Be aware that while Bolivia has the infrastructure for tourism, it may not always operate to your expectations and patience and good will are required. Bolivians are very nice people who consistently made us welcome. It really helps if someone in the group speaks Spanish. There aren't a lot of English speakers. Bolivian driving procedures are largely intuitive and perhaps not understandable to non-Bolivians. Expect rough dirt roads in the countryside, a good reason to go in the dry season.