Six-Day Venezuela: Angel Falls Expedition

Your journey begins at Simón Bolívar International Airport. After clearing customs, you're met by your guide and transferred to your hotel (45 minutes to one hour depending on traffic). In the evening, you join the group for a welcome dinner with drinks, where your guide provides an overview of the program.

After breakfast, transfer to the domestic terminal for the chartered flight to Canaima. The 90-minute flight crosses the Gran Sabana plateau with aerial views of tepuis rising dramatically from the surrounding plains. Weather permitting, you may glimpse Angel Falls from the air during approach.

Upon arrival, you complete park registration and transfer to your Canaima lodge, either Waku Lodge or Ara Meri Lodge depending on the departure date and availability. Both lodges sit on the shores of Canaima Lagoon and offer screened cabins with private or shared bathrooms, beds with mosquito nets and generator-powered electricity during limited hours. Meals are served communally.

After lunch, a kayaking excursion on Canaima Lagoon offers close-up views of the reddish tannin-colored water and the waterfalls cascading into it. No prior kayaking experience required. Dinner at the lodge, followed by exceptional stargazing, minimal light pollution makes the night sky here remarkable.

Early start. After breakfast, you depart by curiara upriver toward Angel Falls. The river journey takes four to five hours depending on water levels, passing through forested riverbanks and occasional rapids. The curiara is open, bring sun protection, a hat and waterproof bags for cameras and electronics. Life jackets are provided.

You arrive at Isla Ratón, a small island camp near the base of Auyán-tepui (Devil's Mountain), the massive table mountain from which Angel Falls descends. After a brief rest, you begin the two-hour trek through rainforest to the base of the falls. The trail is maintained but requires attention, expect mud, roots, stream crossings and uneven terrain.

At the base of Angel Falls, you have time to observe the waterfall, swim in the natural pool and take photographs. The falls are surrounded by primary forest and often partially obscured by mist. Lunch is served at the base or back at Isla Ratón. Return by curiara to Canaima by early evening. Dinner at the lodge.

Full-day exploration of Canaima Lagoon by curiara, with stops for swimming and photography at several waterfalls. The highlight is Sapo Falls (El Sapo), where you walk behind the curtain of falling water, a unique perspective on the power and sound of the cascade from within. An additional stop at Hacha Falls may be included depending on conditions.

Lunch during the excursion. The afternoon includes free time to explore the small Indigenous settlement of Canaima and browse local craft vendors selling handwoven baskets and other items.

An optional helicopter flyover of Angel Falls is available at additional cost, weather and aircraft availability permitting. The flight gives a perspective on the full 979-meter drop that the curiara-and-trek route cannot match. Speak with your guide on arrival in Canaima to confirm pricing and reserve a seat.

Dinner at the lodge.

After breakfast, return flight to Caracas arriving by midday. Transfer to your hotel, then an afternoon guided city tour: the National Pantheon (where Simón Bolívar and other Venezuelan heroes are entombed) and Bolívar's birthplace, now a museum. Lunch at a local restaurant during the tour, offering an introduction to Venezuelan cuisine.

In the evening, farewell dinner with a surprise cocktail celebrating the completion of the expedition.

Depending on your departure flight time, breakfast is included at your hotel. Three hours before your flight, you're transferred to Simón Bolívar International Airport.