Step into a world where time stands still, and where nature still calls the shots. This adventure through Guyana’s pristine wilderness invites you to uncover one of the planet’s last truly undiscovered treasures. From the thunderous Kaieteur Falls, five times the height of Niagara, to the tranquil Essequibo River, this journey offers an unforgettable blend of awe-inspiring landscapes, exotic wildlife, and rich cultural heritage of South America’s only English-speaking nation.
Immerse yourself in the untouched beauty of Guyana’s rainforests and savannahs. Embark on pre-dawn canopy walks as the jungle awakens, trace the trails of the elusive Cock-of-the-rock, and marvel at the giant Victoria amazonica water lily blooming at dusk. Ascend Mount Surama for panoramic views of the Pakaraima Mountains and watch for giant anteaters roaming the golden savannah. Every step of this adventure is a chance to connect deeply with the rhythms of nature and experience a world that feels utterly lost to time.
Guided by a commitment to sustainability and small-group exploration, this tour ensures your journey leaves only footprints while supporting local communities. Stay in eco-friendly rainforest lodges designed for comfort and harmony with their surroundings. For intrepid travellers seeking adventure and authenticity, Guyana promises an experience like no other—wild, raw, and breathtakingly beautiful.
Our Mahaica River & Market trip makes a perfect 3-day pre-tour extension.
Georgetown - Kaieteur Falls - Iwokrama Rainforest - Surama - Karanambu - Yupukari
Fly into Georgetown to be met and transferred at the airport. Check into your lodge and take time to adjust to your surroundings. Known for its rich colonial heritage, the city offers an eclectic mix of historical landmarks and lively street culture. Wander through bustling markets or along streets lined with Dutch-influenced architecture, giving you a glimpse of Guyana’s vibrant character.
Overnight in Cara Lodge, Georgetown
Meal plan: n/a
Board a scenic flight over the Demerara and Essequibo Rivers, passing endless stretches of pristine rainforest, before landing near Kaieteur Falls. Marvel at the dramatic 741-foot plunge of the world’s tallest single-drop waterfall. Learn about its cultural significance and unique ecosystem, home to tiny endemic golden rocket frogs and the striking Guianan Cock-of-the-rock. Look skyward to spot the swift movements of the Makonaima birds nesting beneath the falls' vast rock ledges.
Return on a short-haul flight back to Georgetown for the night.
Overnight in Cara Lodge, Georgetown
Meal plan: Breakfast
Start the day in true intrepid style on a flight to an airstrip cut into dense rainforest. This is the Iwokrama Rainforest, one of the world’s last intact tropical forest ecosystems. Spend the day exploring the trails around the Iwokrama lodge with a ranger, spotting an array of bird species such as toucans, jacamars, and cotingas. As night falls, embark on a river safari to seek out nocturnal wildlife, including caimans and night birds, their presence revealed by the gleam of eyeshine in the torchlight.
Overnight in Iwokrama River Lodge, Iwokrama Rainforest
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Start your day with a boat ride along the Essequibo River before hiking up Turtle Mountain. The trail winds through the forest and leads to a summit offering panoramic views of the canopy, where you might spot birds of prey, monkeys, or the vibrant Green Aracari. In the afternoon, visit Kurupukari Falls to view ancient Amerindian petroglyphs, etched into rocks at the water’s edge.
End your day back at the lodge.
Overnight in Iwokrama River Lodge, Iwokrama Rainforest
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Drive through the rainforest along a trail that offers excellent opportunities for spotting jaguars and tapirs, before arriving at the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway. Elevated over 100 feet above the forest floor, the walkway provides an immersive birdwatching experience. Observe species like the Crimson Fruitcrow and Guianan Toucanet, as well as red howler monkeys moving through the treetops.
Overnight in Atta Rainforest Lodge, Iwokrama Rainforest
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
A second day to deepen your discovery of this remarkable laboratory of wildlife set in a pristine wilderness. Be there for the end of the night shift and the start of the day shift in the forest with a pre-dawn canopy walk. Return to the lodge for breakfast before continuing a relaxing day on any number of birdwatching trails. Options open for a return to the canopy walkway for the sunset and the emergence of the forest’s nocturnal creatures.
Return to your lodge for a second night.
Overnight in Atta Rainforest Lodge, Iwokrama Rainforest
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Rise early to explore trails in search of the vibrant Guianan Cock-of-the-rock, occasionally found nesting near the forest floor. Later, set off on a canoe trip along the Burro Burro River, keeping an eye out for Giant River Otters, tapirs, and monkeys. As the day winds down, enjoy a quiet moment surrounded by the rainforest’s symphony of sounds. The river ecology is famously rich in endemic Amazonian species,: including Harpy Eagle, Anaconda, Poison Arrow Frog, and Capybara. If fortunate, you may even spot a river dolphin.
End your day back at the lodge.
Overnight in Surama Eco Lodge, Surama
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Greet the sunrise with a walk across the savannah and ascend Surama Mountain. The climb offers sweeping views of the Pakaraima Mountains and the surrounding wilderness. If preferred, spend the day exploring alternative trails or engaging with Surama village locals to learn about the indigenous Macushi, their traditions and connection to the land.
End a day of unspoiled nature at your lodge.
Overnight in Rock View Lodge, Surama
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
At dawn, hike the Panorama Trail in the Pakaraima Mountains, spotting birds like the Cinereous Mourner and Finsch’s Euphonia while enjoying panoramic views of the savannah. After breakfast, travel to Karanambu Lodge via Ginep Landing, where the Rupununi River offers opportunities to see Giant Otters. This 110-square mile former cattle ranch, known for its rich biodiversity, is home to over 600 bird species and 200 mammals. Activities include guided boat trips, 4x4 rides, and forest walks, with highlights such as observing Giant Otters, the blooming Victoria amazonica waterlily at dusk, and nocturnal wildlife like Black Caiman.
Overnight in Karanambu Lodge, Karanambu
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Head into the savannah at dawn to search for the elusive giant anteater, often found digging into termite mounds for its breakfast. As evening approaches, take a boat trip or a walk along the airstrip to encounter nocturnal wildlife, including nightjars, thick-knees, and the striking Agami Heron. Back to the lodge for your final night at Karanambu.
Overnight in Karanambu Lodge, Karanambu
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Return at dawn to revisit what you missed yesterday, whether that be the anthill savannah or the wild waterways of Rupununi, home to Giant River Otters, Black Caiman and Arapaima.
Travel on to the Amerindian village of Yupukari and visit Caiman House, which serves as a field station, wildlife education centre, and guest lodge. Participate in the ongoing Black Caiman study, assisting with data collection and observing the tagging process. Learn about local initiatives to protect river turtles and explore the holding ponds where hatchlings are cared for before their release.
Stay over at Caiman House.
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Fly back to Georgetown from Lethem where you’ll enjoy a guided city tour, a soft landing back in the urban space after so much ‘lost world’ wilderness . Visit landmarks such as St. George’s Cathedral, Stabroek Market, and the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology. Stroll through the Botanical Gardens, where you can feed endangered manatees, and end the day with a unique culinary experience at the Backyard Cafe, savouring Guyanese dishes made from fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Overnight in Cara Lodge, Georgetown
Meal plan: Breakfast & dinner
Spend your final morning relaxing or exploring Georgetown further before your transfer to Cheddi Jagan airport. Reflect on the incredible journey through Guyana’s diverse landscapes and cultures as you prepare to head home.
Contact us for extension options, such as the Mahaica River cruise to spot hoatzin and other rare birds, or to other countries in Latin America.
Meal plan: Breakfast
All accommodation subject to availability. Final accommodation choices will be confirmed after booking.
History enthusiasts will find Cara Lodge in Guyana an exceptional place to stay. As one of Georgetown's oldest and most distinguished buildings, Cara Lodge is a well-known hotel and a beloved landmark in Guyana.
Constructed in the 1840s as two separate houses, Cara Lodge has a rich and romantic history. It once served as the residence of Georgetown's first Lord Mayor and has hosted many notable figures, including King Edward VIII, who stayed there in 1923 before his abdication to marry Wallis Simpson. Other prominent guests include President Jimmy Carter in 1996, HRH Prince Charles in April 2000, HRH Prince Andrew in 2004, and Mick Jagger in 2005.
This splendid home-turned-hotel combines the nostalgia and elegance of a bygone era with the service and comfort of a luxurious modern hotel, all within a welcoming, family-friendly environment. At Cara Lodge, we strive to offer a unique blend of historical charm and contemporary comfort, perfect for travellers seeking to experience a taste of Guyana's past or business professionals looking for modern amenities.
Nestled on the banks of the majestic Essequibo River in the heart of Guyana is the award-winning Iwokrama River Lodge and Research Centre. This eco-tourism gem is surrounded by a vast tropical rain forest which was donated to the international community in 1989 to demonstrate Guyana’s commitment to combating climate change and to show how tropical forests could be used to provide sustainable economic benefits. The Lodge consists of guest accommodation, a full service kitchen, restaurant, bar, two shops, and a boat dock.
There are eight beautifully situated river facing cabins, each of which is spacious and beautifully designed, equipped with fans, bathroom, 24-hour electricity supplied by solar power, and a wrap-around verandah with hammocks. Our cabins are designed for two but with room for a third bed if required. From these comfortable cabins, watch the sun go down, listen to the many local birds and other wildlife or simply relax in your hammock. These cabins were built for comfort and are perfect for everyone, from families to friends traveling together.
Atta Rainforest Lodge sits in an opening in the Iwokrama Rainforest and offers a complete immersion in the rainforest experience. Lovely gardens attract over 12 species of hummingbirds and lawns lead to the forest verge, where Black Curassow, deer, monkeys, Red-rumped Agouti and sometimes tapir come to feed.
Atta Lodge is is conveniently located an easy 15-minute walk along a forest trail leads to the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway, a series of suspension bridges and decks of up to 30 metres in height and 154 metres in length. This allows close up views of the mid and upper canopy of the forest and allows wildlife to be relatively free from human intrusion. This is an excellent platform for birdwatching or simply enjoying the unique opportunity to be in the tree-tops.
Spend the evening, enjoy dinner under the stars, and treat yourself to the warmth of Amerindian hospitality before heading to the Walkway at dawn. We have eight comfortable guest rooms with attached bath, and we’re famous for our open-to-the-sky showers
Surama village Eco-Lodge provides simple, comfortable accommodation with shared facilities and excellent meals prepared from local produce. The lodge abides by the principles of sustainable, community-driven, and low impact tourism. Everything is sourced locally, including food. The lodge has four octagonal guest benabs (cottages) built in the traditional grass-roof Makushi style. These four benabs surround the main community benab. Each benab can sleep up to three adults and has a private bathroom with flush toilet, shower, and sink. The benab is screened-in to reduce mosquitos, but mosquito nets are also provided for each single bed. Solar power provides limited lighting in the room. Bed sheets and towels are supplied and refreshed every other day, or upon request.
We offer 8 private guest rooms featuring netted twin and double beds, attached bath, flush toilets, and electricity in each room. Netted hammocks are hung on the front verandah of each room, perfect for a relaxing afternoon siesta or cool, breezy night’s sleep. Additional accommodation is available at our Oasis annex.
Palm-thatched benabs are available for relaxation, meetings, workshops, and retreats. The Rock View swimming pool with its rocks and boulders, clumps of cacti and succulents is both cool and warm. Rocking gently in the shade of the cashew tree you can relax in a hammock with a refreshing drink and a book after a day picnicking, boating, riding or hiking.
Meal service begins with coffee and tea at dawn for those rising early to go birding, followed by home-cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner served under the old mango tree. Because Rock View sits as a crossroads between the trans-national road and Annai airstrip, you’ll often find yourself enjoying a meal with visitors from all over Guyana. Lodge owner Colin Edwards and his staff often join guests for dinner in what has become a friendly, familiar tradition.
Karanambu is dedicated to the conservation of the Rupununi savannah and wetlands ecosystem and continues the pioneering work of Diane McTurk (1932-2016) who was known for her passion in rehabilitating orphaned giant river otters, and efforts to save this curious and gregarious species from extinction.
The compound has the flavour of an Amerindian village with a main ranch-style building where meals are served family-style. Guest accommodation is in traditionally made clay brick cabins with ensuite bathrooms and a hammock slung verandah. A simple, but wholesome habitation, given the extreme remoteness of the location.
River cruise, birdlife & cuisine
Discover one of the world's last true wildernesses
Venture into one of the last wildernesses on Earth