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 be received and welcomed at the luggage area of the Iquitos International Airport (please make sure to arrive before 9:00 am), where lodge representatives will help and transfer you to Iquitos. Once there, you will be informed about the treks and services. You will also receive some important tips about everything you should and shouldn't do during this tour. After a short wait, you will be transferred to the port of Iquitos and from there you will board one of the fast boats to go through the Amazon River 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. After touring for some minutes, you will do a short stop at the monkey island, where endangered monkey species of the Peruvian Amazonia are protected and preserved. You can contemplate the different monkey species, which live completely free within this reserve.

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. Right after, you will go to the lodge restaurant, so that you can enjoy your first dish in the Peruvian jungle.

In the afternoon, you will start your first tour through the Yanamono Reserve accompanied by professional guides for about 2 hours. There, you will be taught how to identify different flora species like Heliconia flowers, medicinal plants, and giant trees. During this tour, you can also observe different bird species and if you are lucky, you can observe some little monkey families.

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 tributaries of the Amazon River. You will tour without any illumination, just accompanied by some flora and fauna glints from the jungle. If the sky is cloudless, you will contemplate the splendid shine of the moon, as well as the stars and constellations. 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, where you will contemplate how different birds get together for searching 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. Can you imagine a typical local dance with them?

In the afternoon, you will be part of an artisanal fishing expedition. For that, you will be transferred to one of the Amazon River tributaries, where you will learn about artisanal fishing techniques and also about catching piranhas. Besides, during this tour, you will -if you're lucky- see the beautiful pink river dolphin (Inia Geoffrensis). If the expedition was successful, you will go back to the lodge with plenty of fish to be cooked and in that way, you can enjoy a delicious traditional Peruvian jungle dish for lunch.

In the evening, you will walk through the jungle within the perimeters of the lodge and witness the charming transformation of the jungle to a nocturnal environment. While adapting to the dark environment of the jungle, you will appreciate how nature adopts a different character and you can observe the different habits of the nocturnal animals of the jungle. It is the best time to appreciate frogs, timid snakes and other creatures that only move during the night. You will be able to differentiate a completely different range of fauna from what is usually found during the day, listening to the magical sounds of insects, birds, cats and owls. After 30 minutes of travel, you will return to the lodge to enjoy dinner and rest pleasantly.

DAY 3: VICTORIA REGIA + LIQUOR TASTING 

After having had 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. Also, you will probably be able to see some white flowers on their first day of flowering, turning into pink on their second day. This stunning plant could grow up to 40 cm in diameter and it is pollinated by beetles. The Victoria Regia is well known by its enormous circular leaf, which is usually shown with a kid sitting in the center of its leaf so that you can contemplate its size and strength.

Once in 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.

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 and birds.

Afterwards, you will return to the lodge for the farewell lunch, check out and then head to Iquitos. The transport to the airport will be scheduled according to your return flight (please book flights for later than 5:30 pm).

 Included:

• 3 nights of single or double room accommodation in the Heliconia Amazon River Lodge hotel, with full board (3 breakfasts, 4 lunches, and 3 dinners)
• Visit to the monkey island
• Jungle tour & jungle tour at night on a boat
• Observation of pink dolphins & Victoria Regia
• Bird watching tour
• Artisanal fishing tour
• Visit of an artisanal Trapiche
• Visit of a native community

 Not Included

• Beverages (soft-drinks, juices, sodas and/or liquors; tea and coffee is included)
• Airplane tickets Lima - Iquitos - Lima
• Airport taxes in Lima and Iquitos
• Tips to porters at airport and/or staff

 Schedule:

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

 Recommendations:

• Book your plane ticket with Latam, many of the other airlines often have delays.
• Plastic coat or poncho to the rain (waterproof)
• Lanterns, rechargeable batteries and binoculars
• Insect repellent, sunscreen and sunglasses
• Light cotton clothing, half and long-sleeved pants and cotton shirts (preferably in earth colours, quick-dry material; please avoid using white coloured clothes)
• Moisture resistant sneakers and/or rubber boats (you will be given at the lodge)
• Swimsuit (indispensable)
• Windproof jacket (sometimes the temperature drops considerably when it rains or during boat travels)
• Passenger luggage is limited to 10 kg p. person. You can store some of your luggage in Iquitos in order to take only the most essential things.

NOTE: When visiting Monkey Island, it is recommended not to put on any insect repellent during the visit.

 Terms of Reservation:

• Minimum 3 days before
• Minimum 2 people 

 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.

 Info:

• You will be awaited at the airport counter number 5 in the baggage claim area.
• The program can vary depending on the arrivals and departures of the flights as well as on the weather conditions.
• For your trip to Iquitos book you flights in the morning and for your return to Lima in the afternoon.
• Transfers from Iquitos to Heliconia in the morning 10:00 am (subject to change due to flight schedules)
• Transfers from Heliconia to Iquitos 2:00 pm (subject to change due to flight schedules)
• It is recommended to organise a backpack/ small suitcase with all the necessary belongings for your time in the Amazon in advance. The rest of your luggage will be kept safe during your stay in the lodge.