Amazon Survival Training in Iquitos: Real Jungle Skills

Master fire, shelter and navigation in the wild Amazon

A 4-day survival training expedition in Iquitos, Peru, where you learn authentic ancestral and military survival techniques from a guide with over two decades of jungle experience. You'll build shelters, obtain water and food, fish, make fire, and navigate the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. Includes hotel pickup, all meals, jungle accommodation, and instruction in English or Spanish. Children from age 3 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Iquitos pick-up and canoeing

• Pick up at Iquitos hotel
• Drive to Nauta and board boat
• Spot pink river dolphins
• Lunch at lodge
• Canoe ride exploring jungle wildlife
• Enjoy sunset over jungle
• Canoe ride for caiman spotting
• Return to lodge for dinner and rest

Day 2: Jungle walk and survival skills

• Breakfast at lodge
• Trekking through jungle learning flora and fauna
• Survival skills class with guide
• Swim with river dolphins
• Mud treatment at local spa
• Night walk searching for wildlife
• Optional local stories after dinner

Day 3: Birdwatching and piranha fishing

• Early canoe trip for birdwatching
• Breakfast at lodge
• Piranha fishing activity
• Lunch at lodge
• Canoe ride to lake and wildlife viewing
• See Victoria Regia and Amazon Orchid
• Dinner by outdoor campfire with BBQ

Day 4: Monkey island and native community visit

• Visit monkey island before breakfast
• Breakfast at lodge
• Visit native community and learn local life
• Lunch and educational talk on jungle conservation
• Boat and minivan transfer to Iquitos
• Drop-off at hotel or airport

The experience

This isn't a sightseeing tour. You're training in real survival skills under the instruction of Gerson Pizango, a former Peruvian Army officer who has guided expeditions in the Amazon since 2000. The first day starts with pickup from your Iquitos hotel and a boat ride into Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, where you'll spot pink river dolphins, canoe through wild areas searching for monkeys and macaws, watch the sunset from the water, and hunt for caimans by moonlight before returning to the lodge for dinner. By day two you're trekking through the jungle learning how indigenous people read the forest and identify medicinal plants, then receiving hands-on instruction in survival skills: how to use what nature provides for shelter, water and food. You'll swim with river dolphins, treat your skin in natural mud at a tributary bank, and walk the jungle at night in search of anacondas, tarantulas and giant frogs.

Day three brings birdwatching at sunrise (macaws, harpy eagles, toucans fill the canopy), piranha fishing, and a canoe ride to a lake where you'll see monkeys, sloths and the Victoria Regia orchid. Dinner is cooked over a wood fire on the riverbank. The final day takes you to Monkey Island to see rescued primates, then to a native community where you observe how homes are built, schools and churches function, and locals farm and fish. After lunch and a talk about conservation, you're driven back to Iquitos for your onward journey. All four nights are in comfortable jungle bungalows with private bathrooms. Every meal is home-cooked and vegetarian options are available.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Iquitos.
• all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and fruit juice.
• drinking water.
• four nights in jungle bungalows with private bathrooms.
• canoe rides and boat transport.
• guide instruction in English or Spanish.
• night jungle walks.
• piranha fishing.
• river dolphin swimming.
• mud treatment.
• birdwatching.
• visits to Monkey Island and a native community.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (18 to 55 years) · Senior (56 to 66 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Under 3: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

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

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

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availableNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Amazon Jungle Guide by Curuhuinsi Lodge

Is this one for you?You do the survival training yourself (building, fishing, finding water, making fire) under direct instruction from your guide, not watching a demonstration. This suits anyone who wants to learn practical jungle skills hands-on rather than observe from a distance, and it works for families with children from age 3 onward because the guide adjusts the intensity to match the group.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

3 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (3 to 12 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.

What survival skills will I actually learn on this 4-day expedition?

You'll learn how to build safe shelters, obtain drinking water, find and prepare food, fish, make fire, and navigate using natural landmarks and techniques: the same methods indigenous people and military personnel use in the Amazon. Instruction happens through hands-on practice with your guide, not lectures.

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

Pink river dolphins are spotted during the boat ride on day one as you travel to the lodge. They live in the Amazon River and the guide times the journey to maximize sightings. Caiman spotting happens by canoe at night on day one, when moonlight reflects off the water and makes them easier to locate.

What's included in the 4-day price, and are there extra costs?

All meals (three per day, home-cooked), drinking water, fruit juice, jungle accommodation, hotel pickup in Iquitos, and the guide's instruction are included. Vegetarian meals are available on request. Airport or hotel drop-off at the end is also covered.

What is Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, and why does the tour focus on it?

Pacaya Samiria is a protected rainforest reserve in the Peruvian Amazon near Iquitos, known for its biodiversity: pink river dolphins, anacondas, harpy eagles, giant frogs, monkeys and sloths live there. The reserve's wild areas and river systems make it ideal for survival training because you're learning skills in an authentic jungle environment, not a controlled setting.