Amazon Rainforest Tour: 3-Day Small Group with Guides

Pink dolphins and medicinal plants: what the Amazon teaches in three days

A 3-day Amazon rainforest tour from Iquitos led by local guides with over 20 years of experience, staying at a jungle lodge and traveling by boat to encounter wildlife, medicinal plants and native communities. Small groups receive personalized attention. Boat transport is included throughout. Minimum age is 17. Not recommended for pregnant travelers or those with cardiovascular concerns.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Start of the Amazon adventure

• Pick up from airport or hotel
• Visit Nanay Market for local cuisine
• Boat sailing on Amazon River
• Arrival and lunch at Amazonian lodge
• Botanical walk: medicinal plants
• Sunset and bath in Amazon
• Night hike for tarantulas and fauna

Day 2: Amazonian wildlife and river exploration

• Sunrise observation of Amazon birds
• Visit Neyser fundus to see monkeys
• Botanical walk on medicinal plants
• Route of the 4 rivers
• Sighting of pink and gray dolphins
• Visit Independence community viewpoint
• Dinner and overnight at lodge

Day 3: Final adventure and return to Iquitos

• Watch grey or pink dolphins
• Canoeing and bathing in Amazon River
• Hike in Independence Native Community
• Artisanal piranha fishing experience
• Mud therapy in the Amazon
• Pack bags and return to Iquitos
• Transfer to hotel or airport

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your hotel or airport in Iquitos, then moves straight into the rhythm of the river. You visit Nanay Market to see how locals source food, then spend an hour and a half sailing the Amazon before arriving at the lodge for lunch. That first afternoon includes a botanical walk where guides show you medicinal plants and lianas growing in their habitat, a sunset swim in the river, and a night hike searching for tarantulas and nocturnal animals. The lodge stays three days and two nights, so you sleep in the jungle rather than commuting back to the city each evening.

Day two centers on wildlife and the river system. You watch for birds at sunrise, then visit Neyser fundus to see different monkey species. A second botanical walk focuses on medicinal plant uses, followed by the Route of the Four Rivers: sailing the Momon, Nanay, Amazon and Itaya to spot pink and gray dolphins. You also visit the Independence community viewpoint before returning to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

The final day mixes wildlife, swimming and traditional skills. You search for pink or gray dolphins by boat, then canoe and bathe in the Amazon River itself. A hike into the Independence community takes you to a Lupuna tree over 70 meters tall where you can climb its lianas, and you'll see bats and a natural waterfall for cooling off. The tour includes artisanal piranha fishing (the way local people do it), and a mud bath known for its medicinal properties. After packing, you return to Iquitos by boat and transfer to your hotel or airport.

What’s included

• Boat transportation throughout the three days.
• lodge accommodation for three days and two nights.
• all meals.
• guided botanical walks focusing on medicinal plants and their uses.
• sunrise bird watching.
• wildlife viewing including pink dolphins, monkeys and nocturnal fauna.
• night hike.
• visits to native communities.
• river swimming and canoeing.
• artisanal piranha fishing.
• mud therapy.
• and hotel or airport transfer in Iquitos.

Options for this experience

3 options

Jungle tour, 3 days and 2 nightsGuide in English, Spanish or French · 07:00Lodge in the jungle. Night walk to explore the Amazon rainforest after dark with an expert guide, looking for alligators, insects, frogs and other nocturnal animals. Private. Length: 3 days. Amazonian gastronomy, Amazonas, Toyota car, tourist bus. Pickup is included.

Jungle expeditionsGuide in English, Spanish or French · No fixed timeincludes pickup

Three days and two nights tourGuide in English, Spanish or French · No fixed timeLodge in the jungle with a night safari tour, private service. Length: 3 days. Amazonian cuisine, Amazon River, Toyota car, tour bus. 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 07:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (17 to 60 years) · Under 17: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated 12 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Monteros Expedition

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to sleep in the jungle and move at the river's pace rather than rush back to town each night. The small group size and local guides mean you're learning from people who know the Amazon intimately, not following a standard script.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and French.

What wildlife will I actually see on this 3-day Amazon tour?

Pink and gray dolphins are the main draw, spotted on the river during days two and three. You'll also encounter monkeys at Neyser fundus, exotic birds at sunrise, bats during the jungle hike, and tarantulas and nocturnal fauna during the night walk on day one.

Do I stay in the jungle the whole time or return to Iquitos each night?

You stay at the Amazonian lodge for all three days and two nights, so you sleep in the jungle. This means you're there for sunrise bird watching and night hikes without the travel time back to the city.

What's included in the tour price?

Boat transportation throughout the tour, lodge accommodation for three days and two nights, meals, and all activities including the botanical walks, river sailing, dolphin watching, community visits, piranha fishing and mud therapy are included. Pickup from your Iquitos hotel or airport is also included.

Can I climb the Lupuna tree during the jungle hike?

Yes, the hike to the Independence community reaches a Lupuna tree over 70 meters tall where you can attempt to climb using its lianas. The route also passes bats and a natural waterfall.

Is this tour physically demanding?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. It is not recommended for pregnant travelers or those with poor cardiovascular health. Minimum age is 17.

How many people are in the group?

This is a small group experience led by local guides with over 20 years of Amazon experience. The operator emphasizes personalized, safe and organized attention rather than large tour groups.