4 Days in Iquitos: Experience the Peruvian Jungle and Visit a Native Community

City: Iquitos, Jungle // Activities: Trekking, boat tour, bird watching, fishing //

Pack your suitcase and make sure to bring your sunscreen, your sunglasses, and your camera batteries fully charged, because with this jungle tour in the Amazon rainforest the adventure is guaranteed. You'll have four days to discover all the secrets of the Peruvian jungle. At the same time, you will learn more about its biodiversity including the different methods that help its preservation, and of course, you will taste the different regional flavours that Iquitos offer. Are you ready to discover the Peruvian jungle?

Itinerary:

DAY 1: IQUITOS - HELICONIA AMAZON RIVER LODGE + MONKEY ISLAND + JUNGLE TOUR

You will either be picked up from your hotel in the center of Iquitos or from the airport. In the case of the latter, you will be welcomed by lodge agents at counter number 5 of the baggage area (please arrive before 9:00 am). They will accompany you to the administrative office in Iquitos, where you can store your luggage safely. After a short wait, you will be transferred to the port of Iquitos and from there you will board a fast boat to head to the “Heliconia Amazon River Lodge”.

During the tour, you will be able to observe the convergence of the brown turbid waters of the Amazon River with the dark waters of the Nanay River, an unreal phenomenon. After around 40 minutes, you will do a short stop at the monkey island, where endangered monkey species of the Peruvian Amazonia are preserved. You will have a chance to see them eat, jump around and maybe they will also want to play with you! 

Afterwards, you will continue the boat ride for around 1 hour. When you get to the lodge, you will be welcomed with a local fruit juice. Then, you will check-in and move into your respective room. Next, you will have your first lunch in the lodge restaurant and some more time to relax at the pool.

In the afternoon, you will start your first tour through the Yanamono Reserve accompanied by professional guides for about 2 hours. There, you will learn more about giant trees, Heliconia flowers and medicinal plants. With some luck you might even see some monkey or bats.

You will get back to the lodge to rest for a while before witnessing the stunning sunset in the Amazon rainforest. At night, in particular with the seasonal high water level of the river, you will enjoy a magical boat tour through one of the channels of the Amazon River. Imagine floating in the river without any illumination, accompanied by lots of unique jungle sounds. An unbelievable atmosphere! If the sky is cloudless, you will even see the moon and the stars. When you get back to the lodge, you will have dinner and rest in order to recover for the next day.

DAY 2: BIRD WATCHING + COMMUNITY VISIT + ARTESANAL FISHING + JUNGLE TOUR AT NIGHT

You will start the second day of the jungle tour early in the morning with a bird watching tour. You'll see different birds getting together for their morning food. After getting back to the lodge for an energetic breakfast and a short break, you will visit a riverside village of an indigenous tribe of the Yaguas community. Here, you will have the opportunity to learn more about their lifestyle, their customs and their traditions. You will have a chance to dance with them and to use the blow gun.

In the afternoon, you will be part of an artisanal fishing expedition trying to catch piranhas only with a wooden stick and meat. Besides, during this tour, you will -if you're lucky- see the beautiful pink river dolphin. If the expedition was successful, you will return to the lodge with plenty of fish to be cooked for lunch.

In the evening, you will take part in the jungle walk to witness the charming transformation of the jungle to a nocturnal environment. You will notice how the jungle takes on an entirely different character at night and you can observe the different habits of the jungle's nocturnal animals. This is the best time to spot frogs, timid snakes, sloths and tarantulas that only move during the night. Even though you walked in the jungle the day before, this experience will be different. Enjoy the large variety of sounds and the peaceful atmosphere around you. After 30 minutes of travel, you will return to the lodge to enjoy dinner and rest pleasantly.

DAY 3: VICTORIA REGIA + SUGAR CANE TASTING 

After breakfast, you will head to a lake on the Yanamono Island by boat, where you will observe the majestic Victoria Regia, the queen of the water lilies. Known as “Victoria Amazónica”, this native flower from the shallow water of the Amazon River basin, mostly grows in lakes and marshes. This stunning plant could grow up to 40 cm in diameter.

Once you returned to the lodge, you will enjoy a delicious traditional lunch. Afterwards, you will take a ten-minute boat ride on the Amazon river to visit a local family's Trapiche (roller-extracted sugar cane alcohol) distillery located along the river. You can watch how the locals extract sugar cane using horses and then ferment sugar juice in wooden casks for some time to turn to it to liquor. Which one do you like more, the "siete raices" or the ginger flavoured one?

DAY 4: AMAZON RIVER BOAT TOUR

After your breakfast, it is time to finish your Amazon experience with one more unforgettable experience! You will paddle on the Amazon river until reaching a small side river. At this point, you will be able to witness the richness of nature slowly and without the noise that scares off the animals.

Afterwards, you will return to the lodge for the farewell lunch, check out and then head to Iquitos. Once in Iquitos, you will either be dropped off at your hotel or you'll be taken to the airport (please book flights for later than 5:30 pm).

 Included:

• 3 nights of single or double room accommodation in the Heliconia Amazon River Lodge
• Boat transfer Iquitos - lodge - Iquitos
• 3 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 3 dinners buffet style (fruit juice is included with the meals; drinkable water, tea and coffee is available all day). Please let us know in advance in case you are vegetarian, vegan or if you have any food allergies.
• Visit to the monkey island
• Jungle tour & jungle tour at night on a boat
• Observation of pink dolphins
• Visit of the giant water lilies (Victoria Regia)
• Bird watching tour
• Artisanal fishing tour
• Visit of an artisanal Trapiche (production of sugar cane liquor)
• Visit of a native community
• Boat tour and/or rafting in the Amazon river

Note: the order of the activities might vary depending on the weather conditions.

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 Not Included

• Beverages (bottled water, soft drinks and liquor) can be bought at the bar in the lodge
• Flight tickets Lima - Iquitos - Lima
• Tips for your guide

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 Schedule:

• 4 days & 3 nights
• Check in: 13:00 pm, Check out: 12:00 pm

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 Recommendations:

• Book your flight to Iquitos in the morning so that you arrive before 9:00 am and for your return flight to Lima in the afternoon later than 5:30 pm. We recommend booking your flight with Latam as their flights tend to be on time for this route.
• Bring a rain poncho, a windproof jacket a flashlight and binoculars
• Use insect repellent, sunscreen and sunglasses
• Wear light cotton clothing, half and long-sleeved pants and cotton shirts (preferably in earth colours, quick-dry material; please avoid using white coloured clothes)
• Wear moisture resistant sneakers (you will be given rubber boots at the lodge)
• Bring your swimsuit so you can use the pool in the lodge.
• There are no additional entrance fees but we recommend to take some coins or 10/20 soles bills on the excursions in case you want to buy souvenirs or give tips to the locals.
• Passenger luggage is limited to 10 kg p. person. You can store the rest of your luggage in the administrative hotel in Iquitos in order to take only the most essential things.

NOTE: When visiting the monkey island, it is recommended not to use any insect repellent, sunscreen etc. There are bathrooms you can use to get it off your skin.

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 Terms of Reservation:

• Minimum 3 days before
• Minimum 2 people 

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 Terms of Cancellation:

• If you cancel 15 days before arriving, there won't be a cancellation fee.
• If you cancel between 14 and 5 days before arriving, you will receive a refund of 60%.
• If you cancel less than 5 days before arriving, there will not be any refunds.

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 Info:

• There is no minimum age for children to take part in this tour.
• The maximum number of people in a group per guide is 10.
• Someone from the team will call your name once you enter the airport (no worries, the airport is tiny). You will be awaited at the counter number 5 in the baggage claim area.
• There's no wifi available in the lodge, but you will have electricity in the morning, at noon and at night (from 6-8 am, 12-2 pm and 6-11 pm). During these hours, you can turn on the fan in your room, charge your devices etc.
• The activities of the itinerary can vary depending on the arrivals and departures of the flights and also on the weather conditions.
• The transfer from Iquitos to the harbour, from where you take the boat to the lodge, is at 10:00 am. The transfer from the lodge back to Iquitos is at 2:00 pm (both subject to changes due to flight schedules).
• Delayed flight: If your flight arrives later than 2:00 pm, you will spend the first night at the lodge's hotel in Iquitos city (free of charge, subject to availability) and start your tour on the second day.

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