5-Day Jungle Tour from Iquitos: Amazon Lodge & Palo Alto Tower

You'll spend a night 30 feet up in a rainforest observation tower, watching animals move through the canopy in darkness.

This 5-day guided jungle tour from Iquitos takes you 70 kilometers downriver to Maniti Eco-Lodge, where you stay four nights in private rooms with guides leading excursions by boat and on foot. One night moves to the Palo Alto Mirador, a three-story observation tower where you camp or sleep in hammocks and watch nocturnal wildlife from above. The tour includes piranha fishing, caiman spotting, pink river dolphin viewing, visits to local villages, and jungle hikes. Guides speak English and Spanish, and airport or hotel pickup is included on your arrival day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Travel to Maniti Eco Lodge and excursions

• Depart from Iquitos at 9:00am
• Riverboat trip with wildlife viewing
• Visit Monkey Island
• Dolphin watching session
• Nocturnal nature hike

Day 2: Wildlife and fishing excursions

• Sunrise over Amazon River
• Animal observation boat excursion
• Afternoon fishing excursion
• View Victoria Regia plant
• Canoe excursion to spot black caiman

Day 3: Local village and nature activities

• Visit local village
• Afternoon lagoons and tributaries activities
• Nocturnal nature hike

Day 4: Palo Alto observation and exploration

• Morning jungle hike to Palo Alto
• Explore Palo Alto observation decks
• Daytime hiking, canoe ride, and fishing
• Nocturnal nature walk

Day 5: Return to Iquitos and cultural visit

• Early morning jungle trek
• Depart Maniti Lodge to Iquitos City
• Visit native Indian tribe
• Transfer to airport or hotel

The experience

The tour starts at 9am from the Maniti Expeditions office in Iquitos City with a 70-kilometer downriver journey to the lodge: roughly two hours by boat, during which you'll watch for caimans, turtles, herons, pink river dolphins and riverside wildlife. Once there, you move through a rhythm of early-morning animal observation excursions by boat, afternoon fishing trips where you can catch piranha and catfish, and nocturnal hikes to spot reptiles, spiders and monkeys. Between these activities, the lodge offers a 22-meter swimming pool, WiFi, and hammock rooms designed for rest and connection with the forest.

Day four breaks the pattern: a 30- to 45-minute jungle hike leads to Palo Alto Mirador, the three-story observation tower that is the centerpiece of the tour. You'll spend the night there (either in a tent or hammock on the top deck) with unobstructed views of the lowland jungle and continuous opportunities to observe wildlife in their natural habitat. The tower's three observation levels let you watch from different heights as the forest moves at night. Daytime at Palo Alto includes hiking, canoe rides in nearby lagoons, and optional fishing depending on what you want to do.

On the final morning, an early jungle trek precedes your return downriver to Iquitos City, with a stop to visit a native Indian tribe and learn about their history and customs before transfer to your airport or hotel. The tour includes all equipment (rubber boots, fishing poles, first aid), and all local transport. Accommodations come with bedding, mosquito nets and showers. An optional zipline excursion is available as an add-on at checkout.

What’s included

• All guided jungle excursions in English or Spanish.
• airport or hotel pickup on your arrival day.
• four nights at Maniti Eco-Lodge in private rooms with bedding and mosquito nets.
• one night camping or in a hammock at the Palo Alto observation tower.
• all local boat and ground transport.
• equipment including rubber boots, fishing poles and first aid.
• access to the 22-meter lodge pool and 24/7 WiFi.

Options for this experience

2 options

5-Day Tour, Without Add-OnsGuide in English or Spanish · 08:30This expedition includes our most popular activities and excursions in an all-inclusive package. Food, accommodation and transportation are all covered, and pickup is included.

5-Day Tour with Zipline ExcursionGuide in English or Spanish · 08:30An all-inclusive package covering the 5-day tour along with the canopy walk and zipline excursion add-on. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

Book up to1h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 35 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 14 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Maniti Expeditions Eco-Lodge & Tours Iquitos

Is this one for you?Choose the 5-day tour if you want to move through multiple jungle habitats and spend one night in an elevated observation tower. The fixed itinerary keeps the Palo Alto tower experience and all four lodge-based excursions inside a single trip. If you prefer to add a zipline excursion, select that option at checkout.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What's the Palo Alto observation tower actually like to sleep in?

Palo Alto Mirador is a three-story wooden structure with observation decks at each level. You sleep on the top deck in either a tent or hammock, fully exposed to the forest and its nocturnal activity. The setup trades walls for an unfiltered view of the canopy and the animals moving through it at night.

How much time do I actually spend in the jungle versus at the lodge?

Most days include two or three guided excursions (early morning animal observation, afternoon fishing or lagoon visits, and a nocturnal hike) with downtime at the lodge between them. Day four is spent entirely at Palo Alto, and the final morning includes an early trek before your return journey to Iquitos.

Will I see pink river dolphins and caimans on this tour?

Pink river dolphins are spotted during the initial 70-kilometer boat journey from Iquitos and on daytime animal observation excursions from the lodge. Black caimans are the focus of dedicated nocturnal canoe excursions after sunset. Wildlife sightings depend on conditions and season, but both are listed as regular activities.

What happens if I want to add the zipline excursion?

The zipline excursion is available as an optional add-on. You choose it at checkout when you book. It is not part of the standard 5-day tour.

Do I need to arrange my own airport transfer, or is it included?

Airport or hotel pickup in Iquitos City is included on your arrival day. The tour departs at 9am from the Maniti Expeditions office, and your guide will coordinate the transfer with your flight or hotel arrival time.

What's included in the accommodation, and what do I need to bring?

All rooms come with bedding, mosquito nets and shower facilities. The lodge also provides rubber boots and fishing equipment. You'll want to pack light, quick-dry clothing, sun protection, insect repellent, and a headlamp or flashlight for nocturnal hikes, though the lodge can advise on specifics when you book.