The Perfect 4-Day Itinerary for the Amazon Rainforest 2024

From vibrant jungle landscapes to encounters with unique wildlife, the Amazon Rainforest is a bucket list trip for any adventure traveler. It is an incredible opportunity to explore one of the most biodiverse and awe-inspiring regions on our planet. Join me on an unforgettable journey deep into the heart of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest, where every sight, sound, and experience makes for a truly unforgettable journey. Prepare to be transported into the enchanting world of the Amazon.

Getting to Iquitos

Iquitos is a roughly two hour flight from Lima (we had a quick layover in Lima on our flight from Cusco to Iquitos). It is a very small airport and you get off the plane and get your luggage very quickly. From the exit of the airport, it is easy to get a tuk-tuk to your accommodation into the city for just a few dollars. We stayed overnight in a hostel near the main city square, where our Amazon tour would pick us up from the next morning.

Maniti Expeditions Eco-Lodge

Located roughly 70 kilometers downriver from the port in Iquitos is the Maniti Expeditions Eco-Lodge. Maniti is home to about 15 bungalows, each complete with a shower and bathroom, two queen size beds, a thatched roof, and a shaded porch. The company offers itineraries ranging from one day to a full week. We chose the 3-night, 4-day option that included many hikes, fishing, boat rides, and a camping trip to a bird watch tower we were interested in. I think this was the perfect amount of time for us, as we did get to see and do everything we wanted to do in the Amazon!

A few other things to note about the lodge: there is absolutely no internet, air conditioning, or hot water. This is all in an effort to conserve the rainforest. Besides, with the hot and humid climate, you won’t be wanting to take a hot shower anyway. There is electricity from 6-9pm in the evening, for you to charge your phone and other devices. However, keep in mind the remote location of the lodge and know that this does not mean Wifi. 

The lodge is very safe and comfortable, and features a large dining area and hammock room for you to read, relax, or chat with other travelers in. We loved spending the afternoons lounging in the hammocks and resting before our next excursion. I was really impressed with Maniti and don’t think our experience could have been any more enjoyable. Now let’s get to what we actually did:

Day 1

We were picked up via tuk-tuk from our hotel in Iquitos town and taken to the Maniti Expeditions tour office located near the town square. After filling out some brief paperwork and paying the remainder of our balance, we headed to the Port of Nanay, a 15 minute motorbike taxi from town. 

From there, we boarded a boat along with the other passengers who would be joining us for the remainder of our itinerary. This is also where we first met Edwin, who would be our guide for the expedition. He told us of his childhood, growing up in a native tribe in the jungle, and how he learned English from tourists. He was able to provide for his family by sharing his love of the jungle with others. The boat ride from the port to the camp takes roughly two hours, so we had some time to chat and get to know one another. When we arrived at camp, we were served a delicious and fresh lunch buffet that was prepared by the staff on-site that afternoon. We had a short break to check into our bungalows and get changed for the first activity of the expedition: a hike in the jungle surrounding the camp and our first real taste of the Amazon Rainforest. 

I laced up my hiking shoes and grabbed my water bottle, thinking I was ready for that hike. Edwin laughed and then started fitting all of us for tall rubber mud boots. Because of the season and soft grounds surrounding the camp, he assured us that we would not make it if we tried to walk in our normal shoes. So then we trudged into the jungle in a line, all wearing our knee high black boots. The first hike was mesmerizing. I had never seen a jungle so lush and filled with flora and fauna we don’t have in the United States. Every plant was new and fascinating. Edwin took time to explain what a lot of them were, and how nearly everything in the jungle had medicinal purposes. There were remedies for stomach pains, headaches, and even a dye that has similar properties to iodine. We saw snakes, frogs, birds, and the pervasive bullet ant, named for its extremely painful sting. Oh, they can also fly. I quickly learned why our packing list encouraged us to wear long sleeves, even in the humidity. 

We then boarded a small motor boat and enjoyed a 45 minute ride along the river. I was not really sure where we were headed, until we docked on a small riverbank and were told to get out of the boat. The second I turned around to get a lay of the land, I saw them coming. Monkeys. Everywhere. Spider monkeys, squirrel monkeys, capuchins, woolly monkeys, you name it… They were there. Edwin saw our surprise, but just started handing out bananas to everyone in our group. Apparently, we had arrived at Monkey Island. We were given about 45 minutes to play with the monkeys and follow them around the small island. It was the first time I had interacted with a monkey, or even seen one outside of the zoo, and was definitely a highlight of the trip. 

After Monkey Island, Edwin guided our boat down the river a short way to an animal sanctuary. Part of the cost of our trip at Maniti was given to both the staff at Monkey Island and the animal sanctuary to allow for the care of the animals. There were toucans, sloths, boa constrictors, and more than had been injured and were not able to be released back into the wild. There was even a 200-year-old Mata Mata turtle that truly looked like a dinosaur. 

We made it back to camp for a late dinner of a beef and rice dish and fresh fruit, and were given another short break to make use of the electricity hours available in the evenings. After dark, it was time for another hike. The most challenging part of our journey for me was the night hikes. The unknowns of the Amazon are one thing during the day, but at night, it becomes a whole different landscape. I didn’t think I had a real fear of snakes or spiders, but hearing our guide describe all the ways we could die via a snake or spider bite was enough for me. It was a constant rush of adrenaline (okay, maybe fear), carefully following in the direct footsteps of the person in front of me and pulling the sleeves of my shirt down over my hand to avoid accidentally brushing against a bullet ant resting on a branch. Edwin would periodically reach down and just pick up tarantulas that were crawling across the jungle floor. He had so much knowledge of everything in the jungle, I loved just listening to his stories and learning more about the Amazon. 

Day 2

Day one was full of adventure and experiences I never dreamed I would get to have, but day two held even more. We started the morning with a post-breakfast boat ride to a different part of the river to spot pink river dolphins. I don’t know if you have ever seen an Amazon pink river dolphin before, but please, go look one up right now. They are terrifying. And yet, it was such a cool experience to see their pink fins come gliding out of the water near our boat. 

We also got to see the Victoria Regia, also known as the Queen of the Pond. This water lily species is one of the largest in the world, and can expand by 20 inches in a single day. They can be up to eight feet wide and can even support the weight of a small child. They are native to the Amazon Basin, and have made a comeback after nearly going extinct a few decades ago. 

Our next activity on the boat was fishing… for piranhas. Edwin gave us each a wooden pole with a small piece of beef attached to the hook to use as bait. After a few tries, I was successful at catching my first piranha! They were a lot smaller than I expected, but definitely vicious. I was too afraid to pull it off the hook myself, so my loving boyfriend was kind enough to do it for me. On the fifth or sixth fish that I caught, he was struggling to get it unhooked from the pole. He lost his grip on it for an instant, and the piranha took its chance to latch its teeth onto my boyfriend’s hand. It was only a small bite with a little blood that he was able to get bandaged up quickly, but he able able to add “survive a piranha attack” to his list of memories in Peru. Edwin took all of the piranhas we caught back to camp, and had the cooks clean them and serve them up for us to try. I can’t say they tasted good. We were really proud of ourselves because we thought we caught our own lunch, but then Edwin decided to inform us that no one in the Amazon eats piranhas for meals, and it was more just the tourist experience to say you did it. 

After lunch, Edwin asked if there was anything else we would like to try. He gave us a list of options, including hikes to other parts of the jungle, but with all the hiking we had already done that day and had planned for the rest of the trip, our group unanimously decided to ask if we could head back to Monkey Island. So we got back on the boat and made the 45 minute journey to the sanctuary. This time, we were the only boat there and were able to have more personal time interacting with the monkeys. I made sure to get some better pictures this time, which resulted in some of my all-time favorite travel pictures because of the pure joy you can see on our faces. 

My favorite thing about Maniti was how customizable the itinerary was. Edwin had activities planned for us for our entire stay, but he was always asking for our input and basing it off of what our small group wanted. Instead of another night hike for this evening, he took us out on the boat to look for caimans and other wildlife that come out at night. We saw (and heard) the giant Kambo frogs, who have a waxy substance on their skin that is used in traditional cleansing and purging rituals. It was a really unique way to see different types of wildlife that live on the water in the jungle. 

Each night, we enjoyed a beer or two from the dining room with our other travelers. Since our small group provided for intimate conversation and sharing stories, we became quick friends with everyone. We got so lucky to have such kind, sweet people in our group to pass the time with and experience this amazing region of the world. 

Day 3

In the morning, we enjoyed breakfast with our fellow travelers and were given some free time to rest and pack for our final night, which would include camping in the jungle at another location. After a boat ride down the river, we hiked about three hours and passed through local villages where everyone was friendly and stopped to chat with Edwin in their indigenous language along the way. Once we reached an area that was completely covered in water, the 6 of us all crammed into small canoes to cross the expanse.

Later, our group boarded a small wooden boat where we paddled through the mangroves and looked for caiman. Being in the stillness of the jungle was such a peaceful and serene experience that was unlike anything else I’ve ever done. I knew we were camping, but I was really unclear what that meant. Were we sleeping on the jungle floor with all of the snakes and tarantulas? Were we getting a tent and mosquito netting or were we just laying our sleeping bags out in the open? I was very relieved when we started to set up camp on a raised platform complete with sleeping pads and mosquito netting. No tarantulas, no snakes.

In the evening, we took a short “hike” nearby. There was no established path, Edwin was chopping the way with his machete. It felt like an action movie, and I felt like a true adventurer. After a mile or two, we made it to the three story bird tower that was described in our itinerary. It was so neat to see all of the birds flying in around sunset. Edwin pointed out all the different types that I have never seen before, and let us use his binoculars to get a closer look. The bird tower was a really neat experience after a long journey from the camp, but we were absolutely eaten alive by mosquitoes, which did put a sour note on the experience a little bit. No amount of bug spray or cream could have saved us from this situation. There was not a patch of skin on my body that was not covered in small bites. But, it’s the Amazon. I was just thankful to be taking my malaria tablets to ease the fear of being bit over and over again.

Edwin offered to take us on another night hike to see if we could find more snakes, but all of us were so exhausted from the day, we opted to eat our pre-packed dinner by the light of our headlamps and get to sleep. 

Day 4

The return journey back to the lodge the next morning was not as simple. It had rained overnight and flooded much of the ground we hiked to get to the camping location. It was a good thing Edwin made us all wear our mud boots because I was sinking to my knees with each step I took for the two mile hike back. At one point, the ground had flooded so much, we all piled into the canoe of a local villager to cross some areas. 

All the same, we made it back to the lodge around 10:00am to start packing our things. Edwin had one last excursion for us before our time in the Amazon was complete. He took us to a local tribe village, where we got to interact with the children and learn about their culture. We also got to support their local economy by purchasing handmade goods directly from the families. Edwin told us the story of how he convinced the chief of his now wife’s tribe to allow him to marry her by impressing them all with his blow dart shooting skills. He talked about his wife and children so admirably, and it was so special to get a glimpse into the local culture in this way. 

Around 2:00 pm, it was time to head back to Iquitos to catch our evening flight to Lima. Our group took the same boat back to the Port of Nanay, and from there, made our separate journeys onto wherever we were going next. For us, it was to hitch a ride to the airport to fly back to Lima for the tail end of our Peru trip.

Our four-day adventure in the Amazon was really a challenge for me. I had never done such extreme camping and I really struggled with the heat (Since then, I’ve survived three weeks in Thailand during a heat wave and this year I’m willingly going on a 20-day safari in Africa!). I am so proud of how much I’ve grown since this trip, and I feel like my time in the Amazon played a large part in preparing me for anything my travels would throw at me. 

That being said, it was a once in a lifetime experience that I’m so glad I did. The locals we met were so warm and kind and shared with us the joys and hardships of living in the jungle. We were able to do and experience so many things in such a short amount of time. We saw amazing wildlife that I never dreamt of seeing in person, and truly got the real Amazon experience by staying and camping with Maniti Expeditions. I would highly recommend any of their trips, which you can book here.

Looking for an ultimate packing list for your time in the Amazon rainforest? Check out our complete guide for all your travel essential needs.