Private Iquitos tour: Belen Market, Floating City & Amazon River

See how Iquitos lives on the water and in the market

A private four-hour tour of Iquitos covers three distinct stops: the Belen Marketplace, where vendors sell Amazon fish and traditional indigenous remedies; the Floating City of Belén, an entire settlement built on the Itaya River; and a return route along the Amazon itself where the clear tributary meets the main river's darker water. The tour includes a private guide in English or Spanish, transportation, and all fees. Pickup is included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Iquitos market and river views

• Visit Malecón Tarapacá boulevard
• Walk to Belén Marketplace
• Explore Belén Market local products
• Travel to Floating City of Belén
• See floating houses and river life
• Return via Amazon River viewpoint
• Observe river dolphins if lucky

The experience

Start at Malecón Tarapacá, the main boulevard where grand rubber-boom-era buildings line the waterfront and restaurants cluster along the street. From there, a short walk takes you into Belen Marketplace, the largest exotic market in Iquitos. Here you move through stalls selling what the Amazon and jungle produce: alligator meat, wild boar, piranhas, turtle eggs. A section called Pasaje Paquito functions as a jungle pharmacy, stocked with traditional indigenous herbs and roots used as medicine. The market is where locals actually shop, not a tourist overlay, so the rhythm and the goods reflect what people in the region eat and how they treat illness.

Next, you travel by boat to the Floating City of Belén, which sits adjacent to the marketplace. The entire settlement is built on the water, anchored to the riverbed below. Depending on the river level and season, you may see the enormous wooden support structure underneath the city. You watch how residents live and work in their floating houses, and observe the constant traffic of boats carrying fishermen, hunters, and merchants of all sizes passing through the channels.

The return to Iquitos follows a different route along the Amazon River itself. You'll see where the clear water of the Rio Itaya meets the chocolate-colored water of the main Amazon: a visible boundary between two very different bodies of water. If conditions are right, pink and gray river dolphins may be spotted jumping and playing in this area.

What’s included

• Private transportation throughout the tour.
• a live guide in English or Spanish.
• all entry fees and taxes.
• hotel or accommodation pickup.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:00, 08:00 and 09:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (18 to 90 years) · Under 18: 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.You can choose from 22 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Kelwin Peña Andrade

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you have a free afternoon in Iquitos and want to see the city as residents experience it: the market where they shop, the river where they live, and the Amazon itself. The four-hour length fits between other activities without consuming a full day.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly is the Floating City of Belén?

The Floating City of Belén is an entire settlement built on the Itaya River, with houses, businesses and residents living and working entirely on the water. The structures are anchored to the riverbed below, and depending on river levels, you can see the wooden support framework underneath.

What will I see at Belen Marketplace?

Belen Marketplace is the largest local market in Iquitos, stocked with Amazon fish, wild game like alligator and boar, turtle eggs, and a jungle pharmacy section called Pasaje Paquito selling traditional indigenous herbs and roots used for medicine.

Is this tour good for a first-time visitor to Iquitos?

Yes, the tour covers three distinct sides of how Iquitos works: the colonial-era city center, the working market where locals buy food and medicine, and the river settlements that define life in the region. It gives you a solid sense of the city in four hours.

Will I see river dolphins?

Pink and gray river dolphins are present in the area where the Rio Itaya meets the Amazon, but sightings depend on conditions and timing. The tour includes this stretch of river, so spotting them is possible but not guaranteed.