Field note · Bolivia · Beni, General José Ballivián province

Rurrenabaque

Two ways in from La Paz: a 40-minute flight over the Cordillera Real into a strip that fog and low cloud can close in the wet season, or a 14-hour night bus down the Yungas from the Villa Fátima offices, not from the main La Paz terminal. Once there the town itself is walkable and everything else moves on water – motorised canoes up the Beni and the Tuichi are the only way into Madidi, and a boat across the Beni is how you reach San Buenaventura. The Pampas are the exception: those go by road to Santa Rosa del Yacuma and then by boat on the Yacuma.

Researched: 22 September 2026
Reviewed: not yet
Ways of moving: 8, 37 sources
Not confirmed: 8
Fares seen: 2025–2026

How transport works here

8 ways of moving, each with its rule

We confirmed eight ways of moving to, from or around Rurrenabaque: one by air, two by road, two hired or on demand and three by water, from 37 sources. Three of them run only on demand or when the seats are full, so there is no timetable to show; the rule is written where the timetable would be. One needs a phone call or a message before you turn up.

The fares were seen in 2025 to 2026; a fare from an older year is a floor, not a price. Two fares carry no year, because they could not be confirmed and the field says so. We rate 4 of the 8 high confidence, our own judgement of the sources. The entry was checked on 22 September 2026, and ends with eight things we could not confirm.

One way

By air

scheduled flight

La Paz – Rurrenabaque flight

El Alto International (LPB), La Paz, to Rurrenabaque Airport (RBQ), 3 km northeast of town in Villa Lourdes

Book through EcoJet or Boliviana de Aviación, or an agency in La Paz. The flight drops from 4,058 m to 274 m in about forty minutes and the views over the Cordillera Real are the reason many people pay for it. The airport was rebuilt and reopened in December 2023 with a new terminal, an asphalt taxiway and an asphalt runway; the old grass strip was demolished. Runway 14/32 is asphalt, and there is a second 1,400 m grass strip. A small airport tax of Bs 11 is collected locally. Mototaxis run the 3 km into town.

When: Scheduled services by EcoJet and BoA; frequency varies by season and has been interrupted for long stretches in the past
Takes: About 40 minutes
Fare 2026: Airport tax Bs 11 (about US$1.50) is charged on top of the ticket. Ticket prices are capped by the ATT, which sets maximum domestic fares and updated the scale in January and again in June 2026; the airlines' own fares were not readable from their sites.

SeasonYear-round, but delays and cancellations cluster in the December to April rains. Operators describe them as caused by low visibility from fog and by the hills close to the landing strip. Smoke from Amazon fires has also closed the airport – Naabol suspended operations at Rurrenabaque in October 2024 after storms and rain, and again in the September 2024 smoke haze that hit airports across the country. BookingAirline websites or an agency in La Paz; book ahead in the July–August high season. Run byEcoJet and Boliviana de Aviación. Amaszonas, which used to fly this route, suspended operations in August 2023 and had its air operator's certificate suspended that November; it is gone.

2 ways

By road

minibus

La Paz – Rurrenabaque night bus, from Villa Fátima

Villa Fátima, La Paz, down the Yungas through Coroico, Caranavi, Palos Blancos and Yucumo to Rurrenabaque, 422 km

Do not go to the main La Paz bus terminal. These buses leave from the company offices in the Villa Fátima neighbourhood, around Virgen del Carmen street and Av. Las Américas N° 1357, and from the Terminal Provincial Minasa Yungas in the same neighbourhood – the same place all the Yungas and lowland services use. Buses leave in the late afternoon and run overnight, arriving mid-morning. Coming the other way, Rurrenabaque's buses go from the new terminal in Villa Lourdes next to the airport, a 25-minute walk or a short mototaxi from the centre. When you ask a mototaxi for the terminal, say the new one – the old terminal is right next door and serves shared taxis to smaller places. You can break the journey at Yolosita for Coroico and carry on later by shared minivan.

When: Daily, several departures between about 15:30 and 18:30 – listed departures include 16:00, 16:30, 17:00, 17:30 and 18:30
Takes: About 14 hours advertised, 14–16 hours in the dry season, longer when the road is bad
Fare 2026: US$24 with Trans Totai in a semi lie-flat bus, US$33 with Trans Rurre, US$38 with Flota Yungueña in a lie-flat bus; schedule and prices last updated September 2026. Wikivoyage's much older figure of Bs 80 no longer matches what the agencies sell.

SeasonYear-round. The Yungas road is landslide country; the December to April rains bring closures and mudslides, and Beni declared a departmental disaster in March 2025 over flooding and road damage. Buses on this corridor crash with grim regularity. BookingAt the company offices in Villa Fátima, or online through agencies such as ticketsbolivia.com. Run byTrans Totai, Trans Rurre, Flota Yungueña.

share jeep

Shared jeeps and taxis from the old terminal, and the Avaroa jeep offices

Old terminal (terminal antigua) in Villa Lourdes to Reyes, Yucumo, San Borja, Santa Rosa, San Ignacio de Moxos and Trinidad; and from two offices on Calle Avaroa in town, jeeps as far as La Paz

The old terminal sits next door to the new one, an older and rougher building, and it is the shared-taxi side: no big buses, just cars and jeeps leaving for the nearer lowland towns when they fill. For Trinidad or San Ignacio de Moxos it is usually better to change at Yucumo. Separately, two offices on Calle Avaroa in the town centre sell jeep seats to nearby towns and run a direct jeep to La Paz that is much faster than the bus.

When: When full, through the day; the La Paz jeeps run daily
Takes: About 12 hours to La Paz by jeep against 14 or more by bus; Reyes is about 30 minutes by motorcycle, Yucumo about 100 km
Fare: US$25 per seat for the La Paz jeep, as listed on Wikivoyage; local shared-taxi fares are not published

SeasonYear-round; the same wet-season road closures hit these as hit the buses. BookingNone for the local runs – turn up at the old terminal. For the La Paz jeep, book a seat at the Avaroa office the day before. Run byprivate jeep owner-operators, two offices on Calle Avaroa.

2 ways

Hired, booked and on demand

moto taxi

Mototaxis and tuk-tuks around town

Anywhere in Rurrenabaque; mainly the airport and the new bus terminal in Villa Lourdes, and the port

Flag one on the street – they are everywhere and the town has an Asociación de Mototaxis. The centre is about fifty blocks around the Plaza 2 de Febrero and most people walk it; you take a mototaxi when you are carrying a pack, or going out to the airport or the terminal. Say clearly which terminal you mean, new or old.

When: Constant during the day
Takes: Five to ten minutes to anywhere in town or out to the airport
Fare 2025: Bs 7 to the new bus terminal

SeasonYear-round. BookingNone, pay the rider. Run byAsociación de Mototaxis and independent riders.

offroad 4x4

Pampas jeep to Santa Rosa del Yacuma, then the Yacuma river boat

Rurrenabaque by road roughly 100 km north to Santa Rosa del Yacuma, then 15 minutes by boat down the Río Yacuma to the lodges

Sold by the agencies on Avaroa and Comercio. The vehicle leaves the agency office at 08:30 and reaches Santa Rosa around midday, with sloths, anteaters and birds visible from the road; a short boat transfer then takes you to the lodge. Coming back, groups reach Rurrenabaque around 16:30. This is the wildlife trip – black caiman, capybara, anaconda and the pink river dolphins of the Yacuma – and it is quite different from the Madidi jungle trip. Choose a guide who keeps the boat away from the dolphins and does not show you pre-trapped animals.

When: Daily departures at 08:30 in season, subject to the agency filling the vehicle
Takes: About 3 to 4 hours by road each way, plus about 15 minutes by boat
Fare 2026: Pampas tours from about US$245 for 2 days and 1 night and US$345 for 3 days and 2 nights, per person, with Mashaquipe in 2026; roughly Bs 600 per person per day is the reference rate quoted for Rurrenabaque tours generally. The Pampas del Yacuma protected area entrance fee of Bs 200 is extra. A private car to catch up with a departed group costs Bs 450.

SeasonYear-round but seasonal in practice: swimming with the dolphins depends on the time of year, and the itinerary changes between wet and dry. Drought and the 2024 fires cut tourism on the Rurrenabaque–Pampas del Yacuma circuit to a reported 5 per cent of normal. BookingAt an agency office in Rurrenabaque or in La Paz; bargaining is normal. Run byMashaquipe and about twenty other Rurrenabaque agencies.

3 ways

By water

water taxi

Beni river crossing to San Buenaventura

Rurrenabaque waterfront to San Buenaventura on the opposite bank, which is already in La Paz department

Walk down Calle Santa Cruz to the river. Small boats shuttle back and forth all day; no timetable, they go when there are passengers. San Buenaventura is directly opposite, a separate town in a different department, with the UMSA campus and cheaper lunches.

When: Continuous through daylight hours
Takes: A few minutes
Fare 2026: Bs 1.50 per person

SeasonYear-round, but the Beni floods – Rurrenabaque declared a red alert over the river rising in February 2019 and the town sits on the flood plain. BookingNone, pay at the landing. Run bylocal boatmen.

canoe

Motorised canoe up the Beni and Tuichi into Madidi

Rurrenabaque port upstream through the Cañón del Bala into the Beni, then the Tuichi, to Chalalán, San Miguel del Bala and the other lodges inside Madidi National Park

There is no road into Madidi. Every lodge and agency runs the same thing: a long wooden canoe with an outboard, leaving from the port a short walk from the centre. Agencies gather passengers at their offices in town first – most programmes start at 08:30 and end back in Rurrenabaque about 16:30. Chalalán's boat takes about 5 hours 20 minutes upstream and about 3 hours coming back down with the current, then a 2 km, 25-minute walk from the Tuichi landing to the lodge. San Miguel del Bala is much closer, about 40–45 minutes upstream on the Beni. Community-run lodges – Chalalán, San Miguel del Bala, Berraco del Madidi, Mapajo – can be contacted directly, skipping the agency.

When: On demand, with the tour; most departures at 08:30. If you arrive late, agencies will run a private boat out to catch the group.
Takes: About 5h 20m upstream to Chalalán, about 3 hours back downstream; 40–45 minutes to San Miguel del Bala
Fare 2026: Boat transport is inside the tour price: Madidi jungle programmes from about US$230 for 2 days and 1 night up to US$550 for 5 days, per person. A private catch-up boat into Madidi costs Bs 500. The Madidi park entrance fee is extra at Bs 200 (about US$30), raised from Bs 80 for foreigners in 2017; Wikivoyage also notes a Bs 50 community fee on some tours.

SeasonYear-round. The dry, high season is the better time – wildlife comes to the river, trails are less muddy and there are fewer mosquitoes. January to March is the wet season, when the temperature in the park can reach 38 °C and itineraries get rearranged around the weather. BookingDirectly with a lodge by email or WhatsApp, or at an agency office in Rurrenabaque or La Paz; prices are negotiable. Run byChalalán Albergue Ecológico, Mashaquipe, Berraco del Madidi, Madidi Travel and roughly twenty other agencies in town.

cargo boat

River boat down from Guanay

Guanay, at the end of the Yungas road north of Caranavi, down the Kaka and Beni rivers to Rurrenabaque

The old route into the Beni, still used. Get a bus or shared vehicle from La Paz to Guanay, then arrange a place on a boat going downriver at the Guanay port. This is not a scheduled service – you ask around for a boat that is going. It is slower than either the bus or the flight and there is no fixed price, but it is how the river was travelled before the road.

When: No timetable; depends on what is going downstream that day
Takes: 10 to 12 hours from Guanay
Fare: Not published; negotiated at the port

SeasonDepends on the river level – low water in the dry season and dangerous flows after heavy rain both limit it. BookingIn person at Guanay. Run byindependent boatmen at Guanay port.

Not confirmed

What we could not find out

8 things the researcher looked for and did not find, in their own words, with where to ask instead. None of this goes into the planner; it stays here until someone confirms it.

01
Which airline actually flies La Paz – Rurrenabaque on any given week, and at what fare, could not be confirmed from a primary source. ecojet.bo does not resolve at all from here, boa.bo is behind a bot wall, and the English Wikipedia airport article lists only Cochabamba services while the Spanish one lists La Paz for both EcoJet and BoA. Amaszonas, named in the brief, is defunct since 2023. Check the airlines' own booking engines or an agency in La Paz for the current week.
02
The ATT publishes maximum domestic air fares and revised them in January and June 2026, but the news coverage of the new scale could not be opened and att.gob.bo was not searched for the resolution itself. The Bs figure for the La Paz – Rurrenabaque cap is therefore unknown.
03
Wikivoyage's La Paz page still quotes Bs 670 with Amaszonas for this flight, which cannot be current. Do not use it.
04
A road bridge over the Beni between Rurrenabaque and San Buenaventura was under construction and controversial around 2018, built by Sinopec and reported as sitting on a geological fault. Whether it is now open, and whether it has replaced the water taxis for most traffic, could not be established. The Bs 1.50 boat is still described on Wikivoyage; confirm on the ground.
05
Exact months when the La Paz road becomes impassable are not documented in one place. The evidence is indirect: Beni declared a departmental disaster over rain, flooding and road damage in March 2025, and operators say land delays 'can happen in the rainy season due to the road conditions'. Treat December to April as the risky window.
06
Fares for the local shared taxis from the old terminal to Reyes, Yucumo, San Borja and Santa Rosa are not published anywhere found. Ask at the old terminal.
07
The Bs 1.50 San Buenaventura crossing and the Bs 7 mototaxi to the new terminal come from Wikivoyage with no year attached; the terminal listing itself was last edited in March 2025, so treat both as roughly 2025 prices at best.
08
The Guanay river boat entry rests on a single line in a tour operator's FAQ. No source was found giving a price, a frequency or a port contact.

In the planner

What the planner can route today

The options above live on the place page, not in the departure board: a boat that comes when you phone has no time to show. What the board can do for Rurrenabaque is this.

N: Scheduled flightsnearest airport LPB is 237 km away
Y: Trains and coachesTransitous carries 2 timetable feeds for this country, 0 with real-time
Y: Ferriescostanera, 5 km; sailings estimated
Y: Driving and taxiOpenStreetMap roads; cab fare from the country band
N: Bike and scooter shareno share feed known
N: Cruisesno open itinerary source anywhere

Y routable now · F found, not yet implemented · N no source known. Nearest place with more: La Paz, 235 km.