General


Max Passengers: 8
Type:

Destination Tour
Duration:
2 nights
3 days
Activities:
Trekking
Destinations:
Mérida
Level:

Demanding

Adventure Map

Notes

 
 
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Keywords:

Your Trip Costs

The Condor Walk
Departure Dates:
Date In: Date Out:
Type of service:
VIP-Exclusive Comfort
Superior Standard
Passengers:
No. adults:
No. Children:
Room Type:
Tripple Room
Standard Twin
Standard Double Room
Single Room
The room distribution is a recommendation. Please feel free to modify it according to your particular needs.

Total per person: $ 0
OR

Meals


 Breakfast - Lunch - Dinner

Standard:
0
0
0
 

Comfort:
0
0
0
 

Superior:
0
0
0
 
VIP-Exclusive: All Inclusive

The Condor Walk
From $299 for person
Trip Highlights:
  • Experience the Andean paramo and the Mucubaji and Black lagoons
  • Climb to Sugar Bread Peak
  • See Juan Felix Sanchez handmade house made out of stone
  • Enjoy the most delicious thermal waters
  • See the Andean Condor
  • Get to know Venezuela's people and see typical Andean Villages


Day 1: Mérida

Early in the morning we depart Merida toward the páramo. The scenic drive takes us through the spectacular Venezuelan Andes with a chance to see typical Andean villages. From there we will visit the Laguna Mucubaji (3800 m) where we will hike (4 km) to the Laguna Negra. The lake is a beautiful sight on a clear and calm day and a great place to do butterfly and bird watching. The black water presents such a perfect mirror that it essentially disappears and is replaced by the reflection of the trees on the mountainside above the Laguna.

After the walk back to our jeep, we’ll drive to the Condor Station, which is located close to the highest point (4,125 m) that you may reach by car in Venezuela. This is where the biggest bird of the world, the condor (vultur gryphus), is being re-introduced. From there, we will descend to the Andean village San Rafael de Mucuchies and then ascend by jeep to a high spot for magnificent views of this páramo region. Along our hike we will visit the famed entirely-stone house of Juan Felix Sanchez. We will camp a few kilometers from the Piedras Blancas (white stones) Peak (4,762-m). Scree-covered mountain slopes will surround us for the night as we study the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere. The sandy scree is a marvelous mixture of whites, pinks, and pale yellows which, contrast greatly with the grays and whites of the jagged, upper mountain peaks and are a marvelous sight at sunset.(3 hours by jeep, 2.5 by hiking)

Day 2: Mérida

The ascent will continue and we will see some of the rare 150-year-old giant frailejon plants reaching up to two meters in height. Camp will be set at the base of Pan de Azucar (Sugar Bread) mountain.(5-6 hours hiking)

Day 3: Mérida

After a hearty breakfast we’ll begin our trek towards the summit. From the top, at 4700 m, there are magnificent views of Lake Maracaibo, across the Mérida valley to the peaks of the Sierra Nevada, and far away to the Sierra del Cocuy in Colombia.

We will continue our trek by crossing an area densely colonized by short red-trunked coloradito trees with rose-like blossoms—the highest-growing species of tree in the world. They once formed a solid belt that marked the upper limits of the Andean jungle zone. Now, only ten pockets of coloraditos remain, because once put to the axe, this ecosystem never regenerates. We will arrive at a confluence of a large number of valleys, whose streams combine in the Mucunuque River, which is one of the sources of the grand Orinoco River far to the east.

Finally, we will descend through one of the most beautiful valleys in the Venezuelan Andes, passing through villages and cultivated fields to meet our driver, who will bring us to the hot springs in Tabay. Along the way we will visit some local arts and crafts shops and possibly the local truchicultura (trout farm) before dropping you off at your hotel in Mérida. (6-7 hours hiking)

We recommend you bring:
  • Passport (with photocopies)
  • Travel insurance (with photocopies)
  • Airline tickets (with photocopies)
  • USD o EURO cash and/or travelers checks
  • Credit card
  • Turpial Travel vouchers, pre-departure information and printed copy of your Itinerary PDF
  • Alarm clock
  • Flashlight
  • Sun hat, sunblock, sunglasses
  • Insect repellent
  • Water bottle
  • Small towel and swim wear
  • Toiletries (biodegradable)
  • Sturdy walking shoes/sport sandals
  • Moneybelt
  • Shorts
  • Long trousers
  • Hiking pants/track pants
  • Shirts/T-shirts
  • Swimwear
  • Warm clothes and windproof/waterproof jacket if you are traveling to the Andes or taking a trekking/climbing expedition.
  • Waterproof clothes for wet season May-Oct. Umbrella or waterproof jacket
  • Cover for backpack or plastic bags to keep clothes dry
  • Clothes for temples – long pants or sarongs
  • Camera and film
  • Reading/writing material
  • Binoculars
  • Pocketknife
  • First-aid kit (should contain lip salve, aspirin, band aids, anti-histamine, imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, re-hydration powder, extra prescription drugs you may be taking).
  • If you are under medical treatment, please bring medical treatment for the days you will be traveling with us.
Special Needs: Those who have special needs need to let us know in advance so we can make the necessary arrangements (e.g. allergy to specific foods, etc).
Tour includes:
  • A comprehensive pre-departure information
  • Airport assistance
  • Accommodation with confort type service on a twin-share basis
  • Domestic flights, if indicated on the itinerary. If not, it is not included. Baggage allowance in domestic flights is 10kg.
  • Private ground transfers as listed on the itinerary
  • Excursions and meals as indicated on the itinerary
  • Professional English-speaking naturalist guide for the tours (for comfort and superior service levels)
Tour does NOT include:
  • International flights and airport departure taxes (approximately $65)
  • Airport taxes, if we include the internal flights in the itinerary (approximately $12 per flight)
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Tips / Gratuities
  • Personal expenses
  • Personal Gear (or other items of a personal nature)
  • Entrance fees to National Parks if included in your itinerary ($26)
  • Medical treatment
  • Excess baggage costs
  • Meals, alcoholic beverages, tours, or other services not listed on the itinerary.
  • Holliday surcharges
  • Visas
  • Expenses incurred in preparing for the trip such as but not limited to: non-refundable airline tickets, travel insurance or additional expenses encountered as a result of flight delays, cancellations, or missed connections.
NOTES:
  1. Trip extensions can be arrange for any of our tours at an additional cost.
  2. Allow for USD 20 per day for meals not included and/or additional personal expenses.
How to Book?

I.             I. BOOK ONLINE: Start by filling out YOUR TRIP COST section. Each itinerary has a trip price range. This section will allow you to quote an exact price by filling out Questions 1-4. The price will be determined by: the dates you choose to travel, the number of people traveling with you, and the type of service you require throughout your trip. After filling out Questions 1-4, you will choose between two options:

Option A - Book Now: If you agree with the price and you DO NOT need to make any changes to the itinerary and/or the departure dates, you will press the BOOK NOW button which will take you through a series of steps:

* Step 1: Enter your Details & Flight Information – Here you will have to fill out the passenger details, contact information and international flight information. If you still haven’t booked your international flight, no worries, the system will allow you to request a quote through us. 

* Step 2: Pre/Post Hotels & Transfers in Caracas - Need extra nights in Caracas before or after your trip? If you do, you will need to fill out this section. If you don’t you will skip this section and proceed to Step 3. 

* Step 3: Make a donation? – Turpial Travel is a member of several organizations that protect the environment, study endangered species and promote sustainable tourism. We work in partnership with Fundación AndígenA to forge a direct link between the economic benefits from tourism and the biodiversity protection. This section will allow you to make a donation to this caused if interested. 

* Step 4: Is Everything Correct?  Review your Booking Information – This section will confirm key information needed to proceed with your booking.  

* Step 5: Payment Information – Last step! Here you proceed to pay and book your trip. Payment is processed through credit card only.

When filling out sections 1-5 you will received two emails from us. The first email will let you know that a personal account has been created for you. The account will allow you to interact with your assigned travel agent, update your profile, review trip details, and upload/download important pre-departure information. The email will also tell you the name of the Travel Assistant that has been assigned to you. The second email will confirm your payment once it has been processed.

We recommend using Option A since it was designed to save our clients time and money!

Option B - Personalize my Trip: If you need to adapt the itinerary to your specific needs (e.g. make changes to the itinerary and/or the pre-departure dates), you will fill out Questions 1-4 in “Your Trip Cost” section and press the PERSONALIZE MY TRIP button. Next, you will proceed to fill out some basic information needed to process your request. Once you submit this information, you will receive an email letting you know that your enquiry has been sent to the Department of Sales & Reservations and a Travel Assistant will contact you shortly.

I.             II. DOWNLOAD THE BOOKING FORM AND FAX/EMAIL IT TO US! Download the booking form (below), fill in the information requested, read the Terms and Conditions, sign it and send it to us. You can send this information by:
                               
                               * Fax: 1 (310) 872 5482 (USA)
                               * Email (in a PDF file): booking@turpialtravel.com.  

Upon receipt of your booking form, we will proceed to call you and confirm your information. If all is correct, you can purchase the tour by credit card or bank transfer. On receipt of the payment, we will send you all necessary pre-departure information pertaining to your trip. In the pre-departure information you will receive all the details necessary for you to prepare for your holiday.

Booking Form / Terms and Conditions
Please download, print and complete the booking form below and email this information to us. Please ensure you read the Terms and Conditions of Contract on the booking form. If you cannot download this Booking Form contact us and we will post, email or fax you a copy.

Call US! If you wish to speak with a travel agent at any time call us through our website (FREE) or dial +1 (310) 427 3616 (USA) or +58 (243) 740 8041 (Venezuela). Our office hours are 8:00 am – 5:30 pm Mon - Fri (Pacific Time).

  Download Booking Form

 

Note: If you cannot download this Booking Form contact us and we will post, email or fax you a copy.