Your journey begins with us! We offer tourist transport from Quito or Lago Agrio, adapting to your route and needs, with strategic meeting points along the road to Cuyabeno that make the trip easier, safer and more comfortable. You enjoy the adventure — we take care of the transport.
Transport from Quito to Cuyabeno is simpler than it looks. Here are all the options with real prices and times. Choose the one that fits your schedule and budget — and if anything is unclear, write to us and we will help you coordinate. For the full journey overview, see our guide on how to get to Cuyabeno.
1. Tourist transport Quito – Cuyabeno (recommended)
We offer tourist transport between Quito and the Cuyabeno Bridge for $74 round trip per person, or $38 one way. It leaves the night before your tour begins, includes breakfast on the way there (or lunch on the return), and is organized specifically for Cuyabeno passengers — no connections needed.
- Meeting points in Quito: Embassy Hotel at 22:30 · Secret Garden at 23:00 — we recommend arriving a few minutes early
- On the road out of Quito: P&S Ecofuel gas station between 23:45 and 00:00
- Not starting from Quito? No problem — we also have a meeting point in Lago Agrio at 07:00. The Lago Agrio → Cuyabeno Bridge transfer is $15 per person
This is the option we recommend because it coordinates perfectly with the start and end of the tour.
2. Public transport
Remember: with public transport you also travel the night before your tour starts.
Option A: Quito → Lago Agrio → Cuyabeno Bridge
Buses from companies such as Baños, Putumayo or Esmeraldas leave Quito for the Lago Agrio terminal (about $20, roughly 8 hours). From Lago Agrio, take the local transport known as Petroleras, which leaves about every hour from the terminal directly to the Cuyabeno Bridge ($6, about 2 hours). To arrive on time for the tour, take the Lago Agrio transport at around 07:30.
Option B: Quito → Cuyabeno Bridge direct
The Putumayo company runs a direct night bus from Quito’s Quitumbe terminal (platforms 18 and 19) at about 21:00, arriving at the Cuyabeno Bridge around 08:30 ($22.50 per person). It works well because the tour starts at 11:00 — buy your ticket at the terminal with some time to spare — tickets cannot be purchased online.
3. By air: Quito → Coca
You can fly from Quito to Coca (Francisco de Orellana), the closest airport to Cuyabeno. However, the flight normally lands around 10:30, and Coca is still about 4 hours from the Cuyabeno Bridge. Because of that, it does not match the 11:00 tour start time. Our recommendation: fly to Coca, continue to Lago Agrio, spend one night there, and take the early transfer to Cuyabeno the next morning. Alternatively, we can organize a private canoe for an additional $200 per way, entering the reserve at around 14:00 — with lunch organized at the Cuyabeno Bridge.
4. Looking for a personalized option?
We can also organize private transport for your arrival or return — arranged directly with us. The price depends on the number of passengers and the route — convenient for groups, flyers, or anyone on a different schedule.
Returning after the tour
At the end of your tour you can choose public transport, the tourist bus or private transport. For travelers continuing to Coca, there is early-morning transport from Cuyabeno: the bus leaves at about 05:00 towards the Coca terminal.
Tourist vs. public transport, honestly
- Tourist transport: more comfort, pickup at fixed points in Quito, organized around the tour, includes a meal, and avoids connections in Lago Agrio.
- Public transport: cheaper; you buy tickets at the terminals, may need a connection in Lago Agrio, schedules are less convenient and no meals are included.
Our recommendation: if you value comfort and zero complications, take the tourist transport. If saving is your priority and you do not mind connections, public transport works fine — thousands of travelers use it every year.