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Region

Beni

Base in Rurrenabaque for jungle and pampas tours; add Trinidad only if you want river boats or Moxos culture.

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Key facts · Bolivia

Best months
May–Aug
Visa
Depends on your passport
Currency
Boliviano (BOB, Bs)
Language
Spanish
Plugs
A · C · 230 V
Time zone
UTC−4 all year
Month by month hereIn detail ↓
Rules in force · 6Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…
  • South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
  • South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
  • South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
  • Bolivia ↗Visa rules depend on your passport (some nationalities need a visa in advance): check with Bolivia's migration authority or a Bolivian consulate.
  • Bolivia ↗Most of the tourist route is above 3,500 m: ascend gradually, rest on arrival, and see a doctor before travel if you have heart or lung conditions.
  • Bolivia ↗Protests and road blockades (bloqueos) are frequent and can close routes and cities for days; watch local news and keep plans flexible.

Beni is Bolivia's tropical lowlands: big rivers, flooded savanna and Amazon-edge forest. Almost every visitor comes for one reason — wildlife tours out of Rurrenabaque, reached by a short flight or a long bus from La Paz. Trinidad is the departmental capital and the gateway for river cargo boats and the Jesuit-mission towns of the Llanos de Moxos. Roads here are slow and can be cut for days, so fly where you can and keep buffer days before any onward flight.

Where to sleep

7 places in this region

Sleep base

Day trip

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

4 nights
Rurrenabaque 4: 3-day pampas or jungle tour plus a buffer day
6 nights
Rurrenabaque 4 + Trinidad 2 (fly between them if the budget allows)
  • The Yucumo–Trinidad road is unpaved in long stretches and can take 2–5 days with blockades; do not rely on it before an international flight.
  • Rainy season (roughly December–March) floods parts of the Llanos de Moxos and slows every overland leg.

Day-trips door to door

ToFromDoor-to-door p50Last returnNote
Madidi National ParkRurrenabaque180 minunknownTours run 1–4 days; boats leave early morning.
Pampas (Yacuma area)Rurrenabaque180 minunknown3-hour jeep transfer then boat; 3-day tours are standard.
San Ignacio de MoxosTrinidad180 minunknownBus or van, roughly 3 hours in dry season; road quality varies.

Bags between cities

No reliable luggage-forwarding service in Beni; carry what you need and leave the rest in La Paz.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
CountryJFMAMJJASOND
Rurrenabaque
Trinidad
Riberalta
San Borja
San Ignacio de Moxos
Guayaramerín
San Joaquín
Bolivia (country-wide)
Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month
ZoneJFMAMJJASOND
Rurrenabaque and the Andean foothillssouth-west Beniwetwetwetokbestbestbestbestokokwetwet
Trinidad and the Llanos de Moxoscentral and eastern Beniwetwetwetokbestbestbestbestokokwetwet
best: dry, mildok: workablewet: daily rain
Rurrenabaque and the Andean foothills
Hot and humid year-round; May–September is drier and the usual tour season. Rainy months can close roads and raise rivers.
Trinidad and the Llanos de Moxos
Flood season December–March; dry-season travel May–September is easier. Expect 30 °C (86 °F)+ most days.

The dry season (May–September) is the practical window: better roads, more wildlife visible around shrinking water, and fewer flight cancellations.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes1 partGet in

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate
FromToHowp50Note
La Paz (El Alto, LPB)RurrenabaqueDomestic flight~1 hThe fast option; schedules change and seats are limited — book ahead. Check current operators.
La PazRurrenabaque via YucumoBus~18–20 h totalLong, rough and blockade-prone; only if you have spare days.
Santa CruzTrinidadNight bus10–12 hMostly 18:00–21:00 departures; semi-cama fares are modest. Check current schedules.
CochabambaTrinidadFlight or long buscheckFlight is the sane choice; overland is a full day or more.
Guayaramerín (Brazil border)TrinidadCargo boat on the Río Mamoré3–5 days downstreamBring a mosquito net and water; cabins and food cost extra. Upstream takes 1.5–2× longer.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works
DishWhereTiming / trap
KeperiTrinidad and lowland townsSlow-cooked meat with rice, fried yuca and cheese; portions are large.
PiranhaRiver townsCommon on lowland menus; usually fried or in soup.
River fish (surubí, pacú)Trinidad, RurrenabaqueGrilled or in stew; ask what came in that day.
Amazonian game and snakeRural markets and some tour lodgesNot for everyone; if it matters to you, ask before ordering.

Go next

La Paz

Flight ~1 h from Rurrenabaque

The usual exit; altitude hits hard after the lowlands — take the first day slow.

Santa Cruz

planned

Bus from Trinidad 10–12 h, or fly

Gateway to Samaipata and the eastern lowlands.

Cochabamba

planned

Flight, or long bus

Milder climate; useful link between lowlands and the Altiplano.

Riberalta

planned

Flight from Rurrenabaque, or long overland

Far-north hub toward the Brazilian border.

Guayaramerín

planned

Flight, or cargo boat from Trinidad

Cross into Brazil at Guajará-Mirim.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep
2 bases
Day trips
3, 3 h
Nights suggested
4–6 nights
Ways in
5 listed
Best months
May–Aug (all zones)

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

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Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

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Sources

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