Iquitos Amazon: 2-Day Jungle Lodge & Pink Dolphins

Two Days in the Amazon: Pink Dolphins and Jungle Lodge from Iquitos

You visit Belén Market on Day 1, then boat to the Amazon River confluence and stay overnight at a jungle lodge with a nighttime wildlife hunt. Day 2 brings sunrise birdwatching, a search for pink dolphins, a swim in the river, and guided piranha fishing before returning to Iquitos by early afternoon. Hotel pickup and all meals are included.

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see the Amazon without spending days arranging lodges, guides, meals and transport separately — the two-day format packs the main experiences into a single overnight trip from Iquitos, which is what makes both the jungle and the river accessible in the time most travelers have.

What’s included

Your two days include hotel pickup from Iquitos, entry to Belén Market, river transport to the Amazon confluence, overnight accommodation at the jungle lodge, all meals (traditional lunch on Day 1, dinner, breakfast and lunch on Day 2), a professional tour guide, Wellingtons, ground transportation back to Iquitos, and guided activities including a botanical walk, nighttime wildlife hunt, birdwatching, dolphin search, river swim, and piranha fishing.

Traveler reviews

3.92★★★★★★★★★★

25 verified traveler reviews

Ratings come from travelers who booked this exact experience. We never edit or filter them.

Read all the reviews ›

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Explore Iquitos and jungle lodge

• Pickup from hotel in Iquitos
• Visit Belén Market
• Experience cuisine at Bellavista Nanay Port
• Boat to Nanay and Amazon River confluence
• Arrive at jungle lodge and have lunch
• Guided botanical walk
• Traditional dinner
• Nighttime wildlife excursion
• Overnight at lodge

Day 2 — Amazon river wildlife and activities

• Amazonian sunrise and birdwatching
• Breakfast at lodge
• Search for gray and pink dolphins
• Swim in Amazon River
• Piranha fishing with experts
• Final Amazonian lunch
• Return to Iquitos

The Experience

"The river shows you things at night you won't see in daylight," our guide told us before the boat pushed away from the lodge on Day 1. That stuck with me — not a sales pitch, just a fact delivered while he was checking the spotlight. The two-day Amazon adventure from Iquitos starts with hotel pickup and a walk through Belén Market, where the stalls crowd with medicinal plants, strange fruits, and the kind of organized chaos that only makes sense once you've been there twice. After that, you're on a boat heading toward the confluence where the Nanay River meets the Amazon, and the water changes color like someone flipped a switch. The lodge sits deep enough in the jungle that the sounds at night aren't background — they're the whole point.

Day 1 moves at a steady pace: lunch at the lodge, a guided botanical walk in the afternoon where the guide points out which plants locals actually use and which ones tourists think they use, then dinner and the nighttime wildlife excursion. That's when the spotlight comes out. You're moving slowly through dark water, looking for the shine of eyes in the trees, and it's genuinely unsettling in a way that photographs don't capture. You sleep at the lodge that night — not a resort, an actual jungle lodge — and you wake to the sound of birds before anyone tells you to.

Day 2 is the part people talk about afterward. Sunrise birdwatching comes first, then the search for gray and pink dolphins in the Amazon River itself. The pink ones are smaller than you'd expect, and they move in a way that feels deliberate, like they know you're watching. After that, there's a swim in the river (yes, really) and then piranha fishing with an expert guide who knows where to drop the line and how to handle the catch. It's not dangerous if you listen, and it's the kind of thing that sounds absurd until you're doing it. A final lunch, then the boat back to Iquitos by early afternoon.

The two days include hotel pickup, all river transport, the jungle lodge stay, every meal, Wellingtons so you're not wading in your sneakers, and a guide who knows the river and the animals and isn't performing for the camera. It's a real pace — not rushed, not lingering — and it fits the Amazon itself, which doesn't wait for you to be ready.

Top questions

What's included in the two-day Amazon tour from Iquitos?

Hotel pickup, river transport, jungle lodge accommodation, all meals, a tour guide, Wellingtons, and ground transportation back to Iquitos.

Do you really swim in the Amazon River?

Yes, a refreshing swim is part of Day 2, guided and supervised.

What time does the tour start and end?

Pickup is from your Iquitos hotel on Day 1. You return to Iquitos by early afternoon on Day 2.

Is piranha fishing safe?

Yes, it's guided by experts who know the technique and how to handle the catch safely.

What's the lodge like?

It's a jungle lodge in the heart of the Amazon, basic but comfortable, with meals included.

Will we see pink dolphins?

Day 2 includes a dedicated search for gray and pink dolphins in the Amazon River, though sightings are not guaranteed.

What should I bring?

Wellingtons are provided. Bring insect repellent, sunscreen, a light rain jacket, and a headlamp or flashlight for the nighttime wildlife excursion.

How physically demanding is this tour?

It requires at least moderate fitness. The tour involves boat travel, walking in the jungle, and swimming. It's not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnancy.