Honest Review: 3 Day Amazon Tour from Iquitos, Peru
TL;DR
Experience wild pink dolphins, remote villages, and untouched rainforest on a thrilling 3-day Amazon adventure from Iquitos that puts you right in the heart of the jungle.
If you’re searching for an Amazon tour that feels genuinely wild and not overly commercialised, this experience is exactly what most travellers are hoping to find. Many people worry about booking a tour that’s too staged, too crowded, or too light on real wildlife. After exploring this part of the Peruvian Amazon ourselves, we can confidently say this tour strikes the right balance: remote yet comfortable, adventurous yet well-organised. And if you’re the kind of traveller who values ethical wildlife encounters, small groups, and an authentic jungle setting, you’ll feel right at home here – just like we did.
- 3 Day Amazon Tour from Iquitos Review
- Peruvian Amazon Tour FAQ
- Conclusion: Is this Amazon Tour from Iquitos Worth it?
3 Day Amazon Tour from Iquitos Review
This is the exact tour we did:
Peruvian Amazon Tour Itinerary
This is the itinerary we did; it might diverge from the one you find online:
Day 1 – Arrival, Bird Watching, and Caiman Spotting
Morning: After breakfast, we were picked up at our accommodation in Iquitos and started our 2-hour drive to Nauta.
In Nauta, we boarded the boat that brought us to our lodge. We moved into our rooms and were served our first delicious lunch of the trip.
Afternoon: After lunch, we had some time to relax at the lodge and wait out the hottest hours of the day.
In the afternoon, we started our first tour, which was dedicated to bird watching. We drove around with the boat for roughly two hours spotting birds like a tucan, small parrots, and egrets. We also spotted our first monkeys.
Night: We stayed on the boat after the sun had set and started looking for caimans. Well, mostly our guide because he suddenly dipped his hand in the water and pulled out a small caiman. After a quick photo, it was released back into the water.
Day 2 – River Dolphins, Piranhas, the source of the Amazon River & Nighttime Jungle Walk
Morning: Our second day in the Peruvian Amazon started with a very early wake-up call. First, we watched the beautiful sunrise on the Rio Yarapa, not far from our lodge. When there was enough light, we started to look for river dolphins and soon saw plenty of pink and grey river dolphins jumping out of the water.
We headed back to the lodge for breakfast, but we were not done for the morning, as next up was piranha fishing! Everybody in the group got a fishing rod and some small pieces of chicken, and we could try our luck. Everyone else started to catch fish, and I started to get frustrated when, last but not least, I caught the biggest fish of the whole group. Even as a non-fishing enthusiast, this feeling was quite exhilarating.
Afternoon: After lunch, we again had some free time. We cooled down in the Amazon during the hottest hours of the day.
Afterwards, we took the kayaks to go to the nearby village to explore and grab some WiFi.
Around sunset, we went on another boat ride, this time to the source of the Amazon River. We spotted more birds and saw a beautiful sunset. It is common to spot sloths on this part of the river, and our guide gave his best effort, but you can’t guarantee wildlife sightings.
Night: The conclusion of this very long and exciting day was our first jungle walk. We covered our skin with insect repellent and long clothes – the mosquitoes are relentless at night – and started exploring. We saw many cool nocturnal critters like loads of spiders, snakes, ants, and frogs.
Day 3 – Jungle Walk, Monkeys, and Departure
Morning: In the morning, we went on our second jungle walk of the tour. We put on our rubber boots and started exploring. Our guide told us a lot about the different plants and their medicinal purposes. Unfortunately, we didn’t really spot any animals on this excursion, but again, wildlife can’t be predicted. It was still extremely interesting to walk around in the Amazon jungle.
Our last boat tour of the trip was my personal highlight. We spotted a group of monkeys and watched them for a bit when one of them became curious and climbed down on our boat. It looked around and rode with us for a bit before it grabbed another branch and went on its way (we did not feed or try to attract the monkey in any way in case that’s your concern).
Afternoon: In the afternoon, we hopped on the boat back to Nauta, where we boarded our car to Iquitos. You have the option to be dropped off at the airport or back in the city.
Amazon Rainforest Tour from Iquitos – Our Honest Review
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour to the Amazon rainforest. Organisation and communication were great. Our guide was very committed to giving us the best possible experience – plus he spoke great English.
We really liked the lodge. The rooms were basic but clean, and we were very happy with the en suite bathroom. The food was a pleasant surprise as we got 3 really tasty meals per day. We also enjoyed the relaxing hammocks with the Amazon views.
We also think that all of our activities were great – from loads of boat rides over piranha fishing to jungle walks. Our days felt neither too rushed nor too empty. The schedule of this tour is a bit flexible to accommodate the current conditions, but we saw and did the major things we came for.
We travelled during the rainy season, which meant that we went on more boat rides than we anticipated (we actually didn’t mind because we didn’t have to walk around in the tropical heat that much).
You should also be aware that the rainy season usually means that you spot fewer animals as the ground is literally covered in water. Personally, we thought that this scenery is breathtakingly beautiful and looks like nothing we’ve ever seen before.
We are super curious to see the same patch of rainforest during the dry season and would book his tour again in a heartbeat.
What Other Travellers Say About the Amazon Tour from Iquitos
⭐ Rating: 5 / 5 (3 reviews)
This is one of the most amazing amazon safari I ever had! The tour is well organized, and our tour guide and his local assistant are very professional and helpful! We saw lots of animals, e.g. pink dolphins, sloths, monkeys, different types of birds and insects, even saw a snake eating another snake, fishing piranha/ cat fishes. The food in the camp is extremely tasty and well cooked, you have clean drinking water for coffee / hot tea. And the base camp is indeed very comfortable considering you are in a jungle, you have a comfortable bed with mosquitoes net and also private bathroom and shower. The staff there is very friendly, they tried their best to make you feel comfortable. And there is a amazon village nearby that you can buy beer / snacks. ( 5 minutes walking distance). Juts remeber to bring a raincoat as the weather in amazon is very changing, can be sun one day and then the other day raining like hell. I highly recommend that you join this tour if you want some amazon adventures! ☺️
– Laiping(see more reviews)
What Does the Amazon Tour from Iquitos Include?
The Amazon tour we did includes:
- Transport
- Accommodation
- All activities during the tour
- Food (breakfast (3), lunch (3), dinner (3))
- Drinking water, coffee and tea
Peruvian Amazon Tour FAQ
The Jungle Lodge
What Are the Rooms Like?
The rooms at the lodge were basic and clean. There were two layers of mosquito nets: One around the room and one over the bed. The room came with an en suite bathroom – beware that the water in the shower comes from the Amazon River.
What Is the Food Like?
We liked the food on this tour a lot. Every day, we got served breakfast, lunch and dinner, which was basic but freshly cooked and delicious. We also got loads of fresh fruit.
There was a water dispenser in the common room as well as hot water for tea or coffee.
Is there WiFi and Power?
There was enough power for light and to charge our phones. There are no outlets in the rooms, but plenty in the common area.
There’s no WiFi at the lodge, and we had zero connection with our local SIM card. You can walk or kayak to the village next to the lodge. In the local shop, you can buy a voucher for limited WiFi use, which works well enough.
Amenities of the Lodge
Our favourite place to spend our free time in the lodge was the little tower with plenty of hammocks. When you keep your eyes open, you might be even able to spot some river dolphins – we sure did.
Additionally, you can grab their kayaks and explore the area on your own.
Wildlife vs Not So Wild Life
There are basically two types of Amazon tours in Iquitos: The ones where you try to spot proper wildlife and the ones where you don’t.
The tour we went on is one where you spot proper wildlife, which means animal sightings are not guaranteed.
On other tours (watch out for tours to Monkey Island or animal rescue centres), you will see caged animals – and/or animals which have been fed and trained to alter their natural behaviour. Yes, this will drastically improve your chances of spotting animals. But maybe ask yourself the question, if you came all the way to the Amazon rainforest to see a caged animal, you could have just as well seen it in your local zoo.
Can You Do an Ayahuasca Ceremony?
Yes, you can take part in an Ayahuasca ceremony at the jungle lodge. We witnessed one during our stay (we did not take part ourselves), and the participants were very pleased with the shaman and the experience itself.
What to Bring on the Amazon Tour?
This is what we recommend bringing on an Amazon tour in addition to your regular necessities:
- Insect repellent (the single most important item).
- Sun protection (sunscreen, a hat, …).
- Swimwear.
- Sandals.
- Long clothes for insect protection!
- Rain protection.
- Headlamp/flashlight.
- Refillable water bottle.
Rubber boots and towels were provided in the lodge.
How Many Days Do You Need?
We only spent 3 days in the lodge because we ran out of time in Peru. In case you’re a nature enthusiast who doesn’t mind being off-grid for a while, we highly recommend you to spend longer. During our visit, we met some people who stayed at the lodge longer and saw an anteater the day after we left.
Check out this 5 days, 4 nights tour:
Conclusion: Is this Amazon Tour from Iquitos Worth it?
Yes – this Amazon tour is absolutely worth it. If you want a real jungle experience with ethical wildlife watching, small groups, and a remote setting, this tour delivers exactly that. The lodge is comfortable without feeling overdeveloped, the guides know the region inside out, and the itinerary gives you plenty of time on the river.
Tours from Cusco are easier to reach, but they can feel more touristy and less wild. If you’re looking for the deeper, more authentic side of the Amazon, this Iquitos tour is the one to choose.
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