Travel Dates: May 26 - June 5, 2027

Duration: 10 days / 9 nights

Number of participants: 6 – 12 participants

Cost per person:
– USD 3 150 subject to 11 – 12 participants, or
– USD 3 350 subject to 9 – 10 participants, or
– USD 3 550 subject to 8 participants.

10% early booking discount (in case you book before December, 2026)

Everything is included except for:
- international flight to Caracas and back,
- international medical insurance,
- Venezuelan visa

Estimated cost of flights Moscow – Caracas– Moscow: USD 1700 (Usually bought on your own, we consult you).

Single supplement for hotels: USD 400



TRAVEL PROGRAM: TOUR TO VENEZUELA


Day 1. May 26, 2027 (Wednesday). CARACAS
Arrival in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. Meeting with the guide at the airport, transfer to Hotel Alex. Briefing. Rest of the day at leisure.

Meals included: none
Accommodation included: Hotel Alex or similar

Recommended flights to Caracas:
– Turkish Airlines, departure from Moscow at 19:25 on May 25, arrival in Istanbul at 23:35 on May 25, 2-hour-15-minute layover, departure from Istanbul (flight TK223, non-stop) at 01:50 on May 26, arrival in Caracas at 07:30 on May 26, or
– any other flight arriving in Caracas on May 26.


Day 2. May 27, 2027 (Thursday). CARACAS – CHORONÍ – CORPUS CHRISTI FESTIVAL IN CHUAO (170 km, 3 hours)

After breakfast, we head to Choroní, where we switch to a boat and, 30 minutes later, arrive in Chuao. There we'll witness the colorful Corpus Christi festival, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage event.
The "Dancing Devils of Corpus Christi" is a popular Venezuelan religious festival held on the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi. In 2012, the festival was recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The brotherhood groups emerged in the mid-seventeenth century on farms in Aragua and Vargas. As early as 1749, Corpus Christi was celebrated, with men, women, and children dressing as devils to fulfil vows made at Holy Communion. According to tradition, 400 years ago a priest who lacked the funds to hold a Corpus Christi procession said: "If there is neither money nor believers to carry the Holy Sacrament in procession, then let the devils come." And so, after a storm, several devils appeared in front of the church. Today there are 11 brotherhoods forming a hierarchy that dances every year and takes vows of devotion to the Holy Sacrament. Each is an independent organisation rooted in its own community. In an effort to build organisational strength, several brotherhoods held a series of "national gatherings," each hosted by a different community. This led to the creation of the National Association of Corpus Christi Dancing Devils, which brought most of the existing brotherhoods together. On every Corpus Christi feast, the "Dancing Devils" perform a ritual dance, wearing colorful garments (usually all red), layers of striped fabric, grotesque masks, and accessories such as crosses, shoulder pieces, rosaries, and other types of amulets. The celebration begins on Wednesday with a wake, during which fulias (a local musical style) are played, decimas (a local form of poetry) are recited, and rosary prayers continue until dawn. The next day, brotherhood members dressed as devils perform dances in the main town square. They also march through the streets in red costumes and masks, dancing to the rhythm of corridos (eight-syllable musical verses), holding a devil-shaped maraca in one hand and a whip in the other. Later, the group moves to the front of the church, and once Mass ends, the Eucharist is placed at the church entrance, beginning a kind of staged battle between the devils and the guardians. Finally, the devils surrender and kneel before the Eucharist to show submission, dancing to the rhythm of bamba, a more reverent musical style. The dancing devils wear red shirts, trousers, and stockings, a devil-faced mask, and canvas sandals. They carry a cross made of blessed palm leaves, a rosary, and a medallion bearing an image of Christ (sometimes replaced with another Christian religious image). The entire spectacle symbolises the victory of Good over Evil.

Meals included: breakfast, dinner
Accommodation included: Local Posada Casa Mori or similar


Day 3. May 28, 2027 (Friday). CHUAO – CHORONÍ – SAN FELIPE (250 km, 4 hours)

After breakfast, we'll have time to relax, possibly at one of the finest beaches on the Caribbean coast. We'll take a boat to one of the pristine beaches of Henri Pittier National Park — Sepe, Valle Seco, or Playa Grande. These idyllic shores are known for their crystal-clear water, calm surf, and lush tropical vegetation set against the park's majestic mountains. An alternative is a trek to a scenic waterfall. The trek isn't difficult, but it does involve wading across several fairly deep streams (in some spots the water may reach waist height or higher). After lunch, we continue and spend the night in San Felipe.

Meals included: breakfast
Accommodation included: Hosteria Colonial


Day 4. May 29, 2027 (Saturday). SAN FELIPE – YURUBI – CHIVACOA (100 km, 2 hours)

After breakfast, we'll drive about an hour to the trailhead and begin an 8-kilometer hike through open savanna and tropical forest in Yurubi National Park, crossing the Guaratara River several times on the way to Guaratarito Falls (La Grieta). This hidden gem reveals three cascading waterfalls and crystal-clear pools framed by striking rock formations, whose fissures form a "natural temple" that feels almost electric with energy. In the evening, we'll try to visit the sacred Sorte Mountain, where we'll spend time with followers of the mysterious cult of María Lionza and witness various local ritual practices. Sorte Mountain isn't mentioned in any Venezuela guidebook. Hardly anyone expects tourists there. People speak of it mostly among themselves, and yet hundreds of thousands visit the mountain every year — that's how significant it is to Venezuelans. Deep within 40,000 hectares of untouched forest lies the main altar of the pagan goddess María Lionza. So who is María Lionza? The oldest legend says that María — locally named Uyara — was the green-eyed daughter of an indigenous chief, born about 500 years ago. A local shaman declared that unless she was sacrificed to a giant anaconda living in a nearby lake, the whole tribe would be destroyed. The chief couldn't bring himself to hand her over and instead hid the girl in a mountain cave, guarded by warriors who kept her from leaving. But one night she escaped and went down to the river. The murderous anaconda rose from the depths to devour its prey, but was so struck by her beauty that it fell in love instead. Uyara then joined with the serpent, and the churning of the river waters that followed caused a flood that drowned the tribe and fulfilled the prophecy. The girl then transformed into a forest goddess who watched over everything from the mountain, seated on a coiling throne of living reptiles. Over time, the varying stories were reshaped to suit different segments of society as the religion grew. The name Uyara was changed to María as the Catholic Church tried to Christianize the cult, and around 1920 the myth was radically revised to include a white daughter of Spanish colonists (instead of an indigenous girl), who — rather than the scandalous union with the serpent — simply vanished one night together with a jaguar and became María de la Onza ("María of the Jaguar"), later simplified to "María Lionza." Here you can see people lying prostrate in intricate poses, candles burning around their bodies, and whole constellations of religious symbols drawn on the ground nearby (swastikas, pentagrams, astrological signs, Stars of David, and so on). Men dance here with machetes in an ecstatic trance, howling and singing in demonic voices. These mediums are called bancos, or spiritual guides, and their presence is considered essential for anyone seeking the goddess's favor. The exact number of believers is impossible to determine, since most keep their faith private, but it is undoubtedly enormous — hundreds of thousands visit the mountain every year. The cult's priests are called santeros, and they can be seen throughout Venezuela, dressed entirely in white.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Accommodation included: Posada El Luso


Day 5. May 30, 2027 (Sunday). CHIVACOA – EL CEDRAL (380 km, 6 hours)
Today we head to the Llanos — one of the best places in South America for wildlife watching. This is where you have the best chance of spotting an anaconda or a giant anteater in the wild. In the afternoon, after checking in at the lodge around 4:00 p.m., we'll go on a safari in specially equipped vehicles to see capybaras, white-tailed deer, anacondas, giant anteaters, and other animals.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: Hato El Cedral


Day 6. May 31, 2027 (Monday). EL CEDRAL

Today will be a full day. In the morning, in a specially equipped vehicle, we'll set out to find anacondas, giant anteaters, and other local wildlife such as capybaras, giant armadillos, peccaries, tapirs, agoutis, and many others, including pumas and jaguars. In the afternoon, a caiman and crocodile feeding show will be organized, along with piranha fishing.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: Hato El Cedral


Day 7. June 1, 2027 (Tuesday). EL CEDRAL – ANDEAN FOOTHILLS – SANTO DOMINGO (280 km, 4.5 hours)

After breakfast we'll go on one more tour in search of anacondas and giant anteaters, or arrange a morning boat ride offering great photo opportunities in the soft morning light. After lunch we head to Santo Domingo, climbing to an elevation of 2,700 meters in the Andean highlands. On arrival we'll check in at a local hotel for the night.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch Accommodation included: Hotel Moruco
Day 8. June 2, 2027 (Wednesday). SANTO DOMINGO – MARACAIBO*
After breakfast we head north through the Maracaibo lowlands, passing farmland and ranches. After lunch we'll take a 5-kilometer boat ride through the flooded forests of Ciénagas de Juan Manuel, where you can spot monkeys, iguanas, and colorful birds. By evening we'll arrive at a stilt house on Lake Maracaibo. After dinner we'll relax in hammocks and watch the Catatumbo Lightning — an astonishing natural phenomenon that lights up the sky almost 300 nights a year and is considered by locals a mystical, divine spectacle.
*The Catatumbo lightning season starts in May and continues through November, peaking in October. Even so, it's quite possible to see it, albeit on a smaller scale, in June. While we can't guarantee we'll see it, since nature is beyond our control, the odds remain good — and even a lower-intensity display would still be an impressive sight.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: hammock accommodation


Day 9. June 3, 2027 (Thursday). MARACAIBO – MÉRIDA

Early breakfast. On the way back to the pier we'll continue wildlife watching before heading back to Mérida. Free time in the city upon arrival. In Mérida, weather permitting, you can visit the highest and second-longest cable car in the world, reaching an altitude of 4,765 meters. From the top there are breathtaking views of the Andean cloud forest in Sierra Nevada National Park and the city of Mérida.

Meals included: breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel Mistafi


Day 10. June 4, 2027 (Friday). MÉRIDA – CARACAS

Early this morning we'll take a flight to Caracas, followed by a sightseeing tour of the city. We'll visit the city center, Simon Bolivar's house, as well as Plaza El Venezolano (San Jacinto) and Plaza Bolivar. We'll get to see Caracas's street art, which is quite striking and found throughout the city. We'll also visit a "secret" macaw roost right in Caracas, where we'll see the birds up close.

Meals included: breakfast
Accommodation included: Hotel Alex


Day 11. June 5, 2027 (Saturday). CARACAS – RETURN FLIGHT

After breakfast, transfer to the airport. Return flight departs from Caracas.

Meals included: breakfast
Accommodation included: none

*Recommended flights from Caracas:
– Turkish Airlines, departure from Caracas (flight TK224, non-stop) at 10:10 on June 5, arrival in Istanbul at 04:50 on June 6 or ,
– any other flight departing Caracas at any time on June 5.