Pacaya Samiria 3-day tour: jungle camping & wildlife

Three days in the reserve where you canoe for sloths and camp in the jungle.

A 3-day tour of Pacaya Samiria National Reserve from Iquitos combines river travel, jungle camping and wildlife observation with a live guide, private transport and all meals. You travel by motorboat up the Marañón River, sleep in a tent in the reserve itself, canoe the Huayllas River at dawn to watch sloths, walk through the jungle to see medicinal plants and giant trees, and search for caimans by canoe at night. Children from age 7 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Travel and wildlife observation

• Reception from airport or hotel
• Travel by car to Nauta
• Boat ride on Marañón River
• Boat to Buenos Aires community
• Observe flora and fauna along river
• Lunch
• Sail Yanayacu Pucate basin
• Bird watching
• Night hike to see nocturnal fauna
• Dinner and rest

Day 2 — Jungle exploration and camping

• Canoeing on Huayllas River before breakfast
• Breakfast
• Travel by motorboat to Alban ravine
• Jungle walk with guide
• Learn about medicinal plants and local life
• Lunch
• Night canoe trip to spot alligators
• Dinner and rest

Day 3 — Morning wildlife and return

• Early wake up to watch sunrise and birds
• Breakfast
• Artisanal fishing activity
• Lunch
• Visit Buenos Aires community (optional)
• Return to Nauta, then Iquitos hotel or airport

The Experience

The tour starts with pickup from your Iquitos hotel or airport, then a 90-minute drive to Nauta and a 3.5-hour motorboat ride up the Marañón River to reach the reserve's checkpoint. Along the way you watch herons and other birds on the riverbanks. By afternoon you're sailing the Yanayacu Pucate basin looking for gray and pink river dolphins, toucans, macaws and kingfishers. That night the guide leads a hike to spot nocturnal animals—tarantulas, snakes and night monkeys—before you rest at a peasant house in the Buenos Aires community.

Day two moves deeper into the reserve. Before breakfast you canoe the Huayllas River specifically to find sloths and prehistoric-looking birds called shanshos. After a motorboat ride to the Ravine Alban, you walk through the jungle where the guide points out medicinal plants—cat's claw, dragon's blood, grapes—and explains how local people use them. You see giant ceiba, capiruri and cedar trees. That night you search for caimans by canoe in their natural habitat, then sleep in a tent in the middle of the jungle.

The final morning starts at 5:30 am to catch the first light and listen to howler monkeys and bird calls. You try artisanal fishing with a peasant rod, catching piranhas, catfish and other species. After lunch you return to Buenos Aires, with an optional visit to meet locals and learn about their customs before the motorboat and car ride back to Iquitos or the airport.

What’s included

• The package covers private land transport from Iquitos to Nauta and river transport by motorboat and canoe throughout the reserve.
• all meals and drinking water.
• rubber boots for jungle walks.
• a tent for the night in the jungle.
• entrance tickets to Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.
• and a live guide in English or Spanish.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availableNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Ruth Amazon Expeditions

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to camp in the jungle and see wildlife on your own schedule with a guide, rather than stay in a lodge and follow a group itinerary. The 3-day length gives you time to move deeper into the reserve and search for animals at dawn and dusk, when they are most active.

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Top questions

What animals will I see on the 3-day Pacaya Samiria tour?

The reserve is home to sloths, pink and gray river dolphins, caimans, howler monkeys, night monkeys, toucans, macaws, kingfishers, herons and tarantulas. You'll spot them during river travel, jungle walks and night hikes, though sightings depend on wildlife movement and timing.

Where do I sleep on the 3-day Pacaya Samiria tour?

You sleep in a peasant house in the Buenos Aires community on night one and in a tent in the jungle on night two. Both are within the national reserve.

How much time do I spend on the river versus walking in the jungle?

Most of day one and day two morning involve motorboat and canoe travel on the Marañón, Yanayacu Pucate and Huayllas rivers. Day two afternoon includes a jungle walk to see medicinal plants and giant trees. Day three morning is fishing and a return journey by boat and car.

What's included in the 3-day Pacaya Samiria package?

The tour includes private land and river transport from Iquitos, all meals, drinking water, rubber boots for jungle walks, a tent, entrance tickets to the national reserve and a live guide in English or Spanish.

Is the 3-day Pacaya Samiria tour suitable for children?

Children are welcome from age 7. The tour is not recommended for pregnant travelers or those with poor cardiovascular health.

What should I bring for the 3-day Pacaya Samiria tour?

Bring insect repellent, sunscreen, a headlamp or flashlight for night hikes, a camera with extra batteries, and personal toiletries. Rubber boots are provided. Pack light, as space is limited on the boats.