Amazon Jungle Ecuador Tour: Canoe, Wildlife, Culture

Canoe the Arajuno, meet an indigenous family, sleep in the jungle

A 3-day Amazon jungle tour from Tena, Ecuador, based at Grand Selva Lodge in the rainforest. You canoe the Arajuno River, visit Amazoonico animal rescue center and Anaconda Island where an indigenous family demonstrates blowpipe-making and chicha preparation, take night walks to spot insects and reptiles, prepare traditional cacao with a facial mask, and swim in the lodge pool between activities. Pickup from Tena is included. The lodge has private rooms with hot water, air conditioning and Wi-Fi.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and cacao preparation

• Pick up from Tena to lodge
• Welcome with Guayusa drink and briefing
• Lunch with local ingredients
• Prepare traditional chocolate and facial mask
• Dinner with local ingredients
• Night walk to observe insects and animals

Day 2: Amazoonico tour and indigenous visit

• Continental breakfast
• Tube or kayak down Arajuno river
• Visit Amazoonico animal rescue center
• Motorized canoe to Anaconda Island
• Indigenous family presentation and chicha tasting
• See hoatzin and caiman swamp
• Lunch on riverbank
• Observe Paiche Arapaima Lagoon
• Dinner at restaurant

Day 3: Pool time and departure

• Continental breakfast
• Relax at pool and rivers
• Private transport to Tena area

The experience

The lodge sits in the middle of the rainforest, so your days start early. On arrival, you'll be picked up from around Tena at 11 am, welcomed with a traditional Guayusa drink, and given time to rest in your private room before lunch. The first afternoon moves into cacao preparation. You'll learn the traditional method, taste hot chocolate with fresh fruit, and get a facial mask made from the process. That evening, a guide takes you on a night walk through the forest to spot spiders, snakes, grasshoppers, frogs and owls, ending at the Paiche Arapaima lagoon, one of the Amazon's largest fish.

Day two is the full-day 360° tour. After breakfast, you'll tube or kayak down the Arajuno River to Amazoonico, an animal rescue center where you can observe wildlife up close and contribute to their care. A motorized canoe then takes you to Anaconda Island, where an indigenous family receives you, demonstrates traditional blowpipe techniques, and prepares chicha for tasting. You'll see hoatzins and a swamp of caimans, eat a traditional meal on the riverbank, and pass the Paiche Arapaima Lagoon again on the return. Dinner is at the lodge restaurant.

The final morning gives you time at the lodge pool and the accessible rivers nearby before a private transport returns you to Tena at 10 am. All meals use local and organic ingredients, and the lodge provides continental breakfasts with homemade bread, eggs, cheese, jam, fresh fruit juice and coffee or tea each day.

What’s included

• Three nights in a fully equipped private room with hot water, air conditioning, Wi-Fi and access to the lodge pool.
• all meals (continental breakfasts, lunches and dinners with local and organic ingredients).
• pickup and return transport from Tena.
• night walk with a guide.
• full-day Amazoonico 360° tour including tubing or kayaking down the Arajuno River.
• visit to Anaconda Island and the indigenous community.
• traditional cacao preparation with facial mask.
• and access to the lodge rivers and pool.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (18 to 64 years) · Senior (65 and older) · Youth (10 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 9 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 49

Live guideSpanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 19 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Tours Grand Selva Jungle Expedition

Is this one for you?This tour works for small groups and families comfortable with shared lodge accommodation and a fixed itinerary, since the schedule moves through multiple stops and activities each day. If you want flexibility to linger at one site or skip an activity, a private guide hire would suit you better. This 3-day package is built around the full circuit of the river, the animal center, the indigenous visit and the night hikes.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (10 to 17 years); Child (3 to 9 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What animals will I see on the night walk in the Amazon?

The night walk focuses on insects, reptiles and birds including spiders, snakes, grasshoppers, frogs and owls. The guide explains the characteristics of each species you encounter, and the walk ends at the Paiche Arapaima lagoon, where you may spot this massive Amazonian fish.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to the lodge?

No. Pickup from the area around Tena is included at 11 am on day one, and a private transport returns you to Tena at 10 am on day three.

What is Amazoonico and why do we visit it?

Amazoonico is an animal rescue center on the Arajuno River where you observe wildlife in a setting that supports their well-being. It's the main stop on the full-day 360° tour on day two, reached by tubing or kayaking down the river.

Will I have time to relax at the lodge, or is every hour scheduled?

Day three is reserved for time at the pool and the surrounding rivers before checkout at 10 am, so you have a few hours to swim and rest. The lodge also has a pool and Wi-Fi in your private room for downtime between activities on the other days.

What does the indigenous community presentation include?

On Anaconda Island, an indigenous family demonstrates blowpipe-making and the preparation of chicha, a traditional drink you'll taste. You'll also see hoatzins and a swamp of caimans from the island, and eat a traditional local meal on the riverbank.