Venezuela: anacondas, Canaima National Park & Andean culture

From a nature perspective, all countries in Latin America are absolutely jaw-dropping but Venezuela has the added benefit that it’s incredibly raw, more than any other country in the continent, for the simple reason that few foreigners have traveled there within the last few decades.

From thick jungle to pristine to a raw Andean culture and massive flooded plains, this itinerary will take you through the many different faces and geographical regions the country is composed of, without ever losing the human interactions our expeditions are famous for.

Join us on this epic expedition to Venezuela.

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January 7th to 18th, 2026

€2890

12 days

Led by Oriol López

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travelers who joined us say

Itinerary

Note that we always keep the itinerary flexible, and it may be subject to change, depending on the political situation.

1 – Jan 7th: Arrival in Caracas

2 – Jan 8th: Fly to Canaima National Park

3 – Jan 9th: Canaima National Park & Angel Falls

4 – Jan 10th: Canaima National Park

5 – Jan 11th: Fly to Caracas, Caracas City Tour

6 – Jan 12th: Fly to Los Llanos

7 – Jan 13th: Los Llanos

8 – Jan 14th: Road to Los Andes

9 – Jan 15th: Los Andes & Gavidia

10 – Jan 16th: Gavidia & Mérida

11 – Jan 18th: Flight to Caracas & San Agustín

12 – Jan 19th: Departure

Jan 7th (Day 1) – Arrival in Caracas

Overnight in Caracas
Airport transfers, hotel check-in and welcome dinner

Jan 8th (Day 2) – Fly to Canaima National Park

Canaima is a settlement located in the jungle, where there are no roads, so you can only fly in. We’ll catch the morning flight, and after checking into the lodge, we’ll spend the day exploring the many waterfalls around Canaima Lagoon.
Overnight in Canaima.

Jan 9th (Day 3) – Canaima National Park & Angel Falls

Angel Falls is the tallest waterfall in the world. It’s located 4-5 hours away from Canaima by canoe, and that’s how we’ll actually spend our day, reaching
Overnight in front of Angel Falls

Jan 10th (Day 4) – Canaima National Park

After a half-day trek to Angel Falls, we’ll go back to Canaima
In the evening, possibility of visiting the local indigenous communities.

Jan 11th (Day 5) – Fly to Caracas, Caracas City Tour

After landing in Caracas, we will check in the hotel and then, we will visit the city center, including the colonial area, today mostly replaced by concrete buildings that have more resemblance to cities from former USSR than any other city in Latin America
Overnight in Caracas

Jan 12th (Day 6) – Fly to Los Llanos

In the morning, we will take a domestic flight to Barinas, from where we’ll drive to Los Llanos and Hato El Cedral.
Hato El Cedral is one of the best place in the world to see giant anacondas, but also anteaters, capibaras and hundreds of crocodiles.
Overnight in Hato El Cedral.

Jan 13th (Day 7) – Los Llanos

Highlight of the Venezuela expedition: full day exploring the flooded plains of Los Llanos, looking for anacondas and all sorts of local fauna.
Overnight in Hato El Cedral.

Jan 14th (Day 8) – Los Llanos & road to Los Andes

In the morning, we’ll still enjoy the area around Los Llanos ad later, we’ll drive the 300km to the highlands of Venezuela, Andean territory.
Overnight in Santo Domingo.

Jan 15th (Day 9) – Los Andes & Gavidia

After breakfast, we will drive to Mucubaji Lagoon to enjoy a short visit to this iconic Andes Lagoon in Sierra Nevada National Park, stopping in the Andean town of Mucuchíes.
Then, we will continue to a super isolated village named Gavidia, located at the heart of the Andean mountains at 3400 meters above sea level.
We’ll spend the afternoon and evening exploring the whereabouts and interacting with locals in their daily activities.
Overnight in Gavidia, in a local homestay.

Jan 16th (Day 10) – Gavidia & Mérida

In the morning, we will drive to Las Plumas villages and hike for about 3 hours to visit Las Bravas lagoon.
After lunch, we will reach the city of Mérida, the main city in the Andean region of Venezuela.
Overnight in the colonial area of Mérida.

Jan 17th (Day 11) – Flight to Caracas & San Agustín

Morning flight to Caracas.
After checking in the hotel, we’ll sppend the day exploring San Agustín, which is the Comuna 13 of Venezuela, a former, very dangerous shanty town which today, has been transformed into a hub of art, music, and culture.
Overnight in Caracas.

Jan 18th (Day 12) – Merida- Caracas

End of the tour.
After breakfast, we’ll take you to the airport of Caracas.

Gallery of photos

Included

Airport transfers

All mentioned domestic flights (4 in total)

11 nights of accommodation in hotels mentioned in FAQ

Private transportation around Venezuela

Meals as mentioned

English-speaking Venezuelan guide

International tour leader

Not Included

International flights to Venezuela

Single supplement: €395

Canaima National Park entry fee: $40

The following meals:

Day 1: on arrival day
Day 2: breakfast
Day 5: lunch & dinner
Day 8: dinner
Day 9: lunch & dinner
Day 10: lunch & dinner
Day 11: lunch & diner

BOOK NOW

January 7th to 18th, 2026

€2890

12 days

Led by Oriol López

Book Now

FAQ

Which hotels do we stay?

For security reasons, the name of the hotels we stay will only be shared upon booking your spot.

How does the room distribution work?

The price of the tour includes accommodation in a twin room.

If you are a solo traveler, you will share the room with another like-minded traveler from the group. Please note: we always try to group people of same gender and age but this can’t be always the case.

If you want a single room, you will have to pay an additional €395.

However, note that there are 2 places, where you won’t be able to get a single room: Hato Garza in Los Llanos and the homestay in Gavidia. That’s 3 nights where you’ll have to share.

How to fly to Caracas?

If coming from Europe, Madrid is the main hub. Check Iberia and Air Europa. You may also find flights from Lisbon (TAP Portugal) and Istanbul (Turkish Airlines)

If coming from Canada or the USA, Bogotá, and Panama City are the main hubs for flying to Venezuela.

How to get a visa?

All nationalities can get a free visa on arrival, except for Americans and Canadians.

More information will be sent upon booking your spot.

Please note: As of today, we are not accepting US citizens to join our tours to Venezuela.

How many people will attend this tour?

We limit our tours to a maximum of 12-13 people.

How does payment work?

To secure your spot on the tour, we require a deposit. We accept payments in both Euros and US dollars. All details will be shared upon booking your spot.

DISCLAIMER: Is it safe?

Information about the risks and dangers of the trip:

The traveler is expressly informed that the activities included in the travel itinerary are adventurous and/or take place in conflict zones, which entail dangers and imply the risk of physical, and psychological injuries, and/or death for the traveler.

Due to the characteristics of the destination and/or activities, the specific risks and dangers of the trip are, by way of example but not limited to, those listed below:

War; terrorism; political instability; arbitrary detentions, gunfire in the activity area; and/or violent crime.

Regarding the potential dangers of the destination, travelers are advised to consult the travel recommendations for the destination country provided by their country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For example, in the case of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), these recommendations can be accessed on the following link: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/venezuela

FCDO advises against all travel to within 80km of the Venezuela-Colombia border, Zulia State and within 40km of the Venezuela-Brazil border.

FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the remaining areas of Venezuela, due to ongoing crime and instability.

Do I need travel insurance?

Yes, if you want to join any of our expeditions, you must purchase travel insurance, this is non-negotiable, and it must be with IATI.

Why do we have to book it with IATI?

Against the Compass has been a partner with IATI for a very long time. We know their CEO, the marketing team and we do a lot of collaborations together so in the unlikely case something happened, we’d know what to do.

Moreover, IATI Insurance covers all the countries where the FCDO advises against all travel.

You may also benefit from a 5% discount if purchasing it from the below link.

Get a quote here to claim your discount

What’s the cancellation policy?

Please check our General Conditions.

However, specific conditions might apply depending on the destination. Example: when the trip includes airfare.

Full details will be shared upon booking your spot.