Leticia Jungle Tour: Indigenous Guides & Survival Skills

Four days learning to read the jungle on its own terms

A 4-day immersion in primary rainforest near Leticia, Colombia, led by Ticuna indigenous guides who teach survival skills, wildlife tracking and jungle camp setup. You hike into the jungle, sleep in hammock camps with mosquito nets, fish and hunt for wildlife at night, weave palm handicrafts, navigate by the forest itself, and build a temporary camp from scratch. Minimum age is 18. High physical fitness required. Live guides speak English and Spanish. Pickup from Leticia is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Hike into the primary jungle

• Start tour at 9:00 am in Leticia
• Transfer 25 km outside Leticia
• Meet indigenous Ticuna guides
• Hike two hours to native camp
• Have lunch at base camp
• Explore jungle around camp
• Rest and swim in nearby river
• Go fishing or night wildlife walk
• Have dinner at camp

Day 2: Learn native traditions and survival

• Learn jungle survival techniques
• Weave handicrafts with palm leaves
• Practice jungle navigation
• Fish and track wildlife
• Listen to native stories by campfire

Day 3: Learn to make a jungle camp

• Make handicrafts or learn survival skills
• After lunch, search jungle for camp site
• Prepare new camp area with guides
• Return to camp for dinner
• Sleep in new jungle camp

Day 4: Wildlife walk and return

• Morning walk to spot wildlife
• Have breakfast
• Continue wildlife exploration walk
• Have lunch
• Walk two hours back to road
• Van transfer to Leticia at 4:00 pm

The experience

The tour starts at 9 am from central Leticia and a van takes you 25 kilometres outside the city to meet your Ticuna guides at the forest edge. From there you hike about two hours into primary rainforest to reach the base camp: a cluster of Ticuna cabins where you'll sleep in a hammock strung with a mosquito net. After lunch you explore the surrounding jungle for two to four hours, then swim in a nearby river to cool off. When darkness falls, you can fish with the guides or walk at night in search of wildlife. The guides decide based on conditions and what serves the experience best.

Days two and three are where the learning deepens. You'll learn to weave palm leaves into handicrafts the way the Ticunas do, practice wildlife tracking, fish in jungle waterways, and sit around a campfire at night listening to stories about the forest and its rhythms. On the third day's afternoon, you and the guides venture deeper to find a spot for a temporary camp, then clear and prepare the ground together: learning the practical skills of shelter, safety and reading the land. You sleep there that night in a new location.

The fourth morning brings a final wildlife walk of two to three hours, then a two-hour hike back to the road where a van collects you around 4 pm for the return to Leticia. The itinerary shifts based on weather and what the guides judge will work best. This is not a fixed schedule but a responsive one, shaped by the forest itself. You'll need high cardiovascular fitness and the willingness to move through heat, humidity and uneven terrain for sustained periods. Rubber boots, hammock, mosquito net and blanket are provided. Meals and all transport are included.

What’s included

• Private van transport from Leticia to the trailhead and back.
• Ticuna indigenous guides fluent in English and Spanish.
• accommodation in hammocks with mosquito nets and blankets in jungle camps.
• rubber boots.
• all meals during the 4 days.
• fishing and night-walk activities.
• instruction in survival techniques, wildlife tracking, handicraft weaving and camp-building.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

AgesAdult (18 to 50 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 8

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 9 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Physically demandingNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Amazon Experience

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're physically fit, at least 18 years old, and genuinely interested in learning jungle skills and forest ecology from indigenous guides rather than seeing wildlife as the main goal. The 4-day length is what allows time to move slowly enough to understand how the Ticunas read and live in the forest. Shorter trips don't build that knowledge.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What does a typical day look like once I'm at the jungle camp?

Days vary by weather and guide judgment, but you'll move between structured activities (hikes, fishing, tracking, handicraft work), and rest periods. Night walks and campfire storytelling happen after dinner. The guides prioritize safety and what the forest conditions allow on any given day.

Do I need to bring my own camping gear or survival equipment?

No. Rubber boots, hammock, mosquito net and blanket are all provided. You bring personal items, medications, insect repellent and clothing suited to heat and rain. The operator can accommodate dietary needs if you note them at booking.

What is the Ticuna base camp like, and where exactly do I sleep?

The base camp consists of traditional Ticuna cabins in the primary rainforest. You sleep in a hammock suspended inside the cabin with a mosquito net for protection. On the third night you sleep in a temporary camp you help build deeper in the jungle.

How physically demanding is this tour, and who should not book it?

The tour requires high cardiovascular fitness and the ability to hike for two to four hours at a time in heat and humidity over uneven terrain. It is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnant travelers, or those with poor cardiovascular health. The minimum age is 18.

Will I see wildlife, and how much of the experience depends on luck?

Night walks and early morning hikes are timed to increase wildlife sightings, but the jungle does not guarantee encounters. The guides know the forest and animal behavior. The experience is built around observation and patience rather than a promise of specific animals.