Iquitos sits in the middle of the jungle of northern Peru. It is the largest city on Earth unconnected to any other by road. And this means that to visit the region, you will first arrive at the small Iquitos airport.
From here, you will be collected by your guide ready to begin your tour of the Amazon Rainforest.
There are a few different Iquitos Amazon lodges to choose from. And we have created a list of the best lodges to visit from Iquitos, so you can make the most of your time in the jungle.
The following Amazon lodges include:
- Iquitos airport transfers
- Accommodation
- Your meals according to your itinerary
- Guided rainforest tours
So let's get started with the Top 5 Iquitos Amazon Lodges.
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The Tahuayo Lodge & Amazon Research Center
The Tahuayo Lodge ranks as one of the top lodges in the Amazon Rainforest.
The lodge is perfectly positioned by the Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Reserve. This wildlife-rich reserve is a protected area of Amazon Rainforest about 150 km from Iquitos city. The Tahuayo Lodge is Rainforest Alliance certified. And you will enjoy comfortable accommodation, personalized service and private rainforest guides.
In addition to the private guide, you can enjoy a custom itinerary to focus on your interests. This makes it a great choice for adventure seekers, family tours or a general rainforest experience. The custom itinerary means you can shape your experience to your interests and personality. And for an extra fee you can arrange camping experiences, survival training or a birding guide and itinerary. Enjoy canoeing, hiking or relaxing wildlife walks. You will be scouting for the incredible rainforest wildlife.
You will head out from the lodge to explore the the Tahuayo Reserve. The reserve covers 420,000 hectares (1,038,000 acres) of flooded and non-flooded tropical forest. And it was established to protect the range of the rare red uakari monkeys, which some lucky visitors can see on guided reserve hikes.
In addition to exploring the reserve, you can enjoy the largest canopy zipline in the Amazon. This also doubles as a canopy tower to see over the rainforest.
You can visit both Tahuayo lodges on tours of 6-days and over. These are main Tahuayo Lodge and the Tahuayo River Amazon Research Center (ARC). The ARC is a little deeper in the rainforest. But they both offer incredible wildlife.
The Amazon Research Center has a 1,000 acre primate research grid where you can see many rainforest monkeys. Your guide will help you spot the different animals living on the grid. These include:- Howler monkeys
- Saki monkeys
- Tamarins
- Titi monkeys
- Squirrel monkeys
- Capuchins
- Coatis
- Marmosets
- Macaw parrots
- Toucans
- Cotingas
- Hoatzins
- Tanagers
- Horned screamers
- Parakeets
- Oropendolas
- Kingfishers
View The Tahuayo Lodge video
Iquitos, Peru
From the Tahuayo Lodge, you can also visit a poison dart frog conservation area to find the different colorful species. This is often a favorite activity. Other favorite sightings include giant otters, sloths, caiman crocodiles and pink river dolphins.
To check availability for your travel dates, you can send the lodge a request with the button below.
6 days+The Tahuayo Lodge
Iquitos, PeruFrom the Tahuayo Lodge, you will explore the Amazon Rainforest’s wildlife-rich Tamshiyacu Tahuayo Reserve with a private guide on a custom itinerary. ...
- Private Guide, Custom Itinerary
From $ 1,295
/ person -
The Otorongo Lodge
The Otorongo Lodge is located in an area of Iquitos Amazon Rainforest away from the majority of other tourist lodges. Although in a slightly less wildlife-rich area than the above Tahuayo Lodge, there is still plenty of animals and plants to see. The lodge is also involved with the restoration of surrounding forest to directly benefit rainforest conservation.
From the Otorongo Lodge, you will enjoy a custom itinerary and private guide to explore the Amazon. Explore the rainforest of boating and hiking excursions traveling deep into Amazonia.
The Otorongo Lodge itself is composed of rustic cabins with 12 spacious rooms in total. The single and double rooms have private bathrooms. Each area is fitted with fine meshing to protect against insects to make sure you’re comfortable on your stay. The lodge also accommodates families in the Family Suite and includes a dining room, hammock room for relaxation, and a modern kitchen where tasty food is prepared.
Explore the rainforest around the Otorongo Lodge to see giant Ceiba trees and lily pads, many rainforest monkeys, pink river dolphins, sloths, peccary, and colorful birds. The birds you can see on tours from the Otorongo Lodge include parrots, eagles, toucans, herons, hoatzins, and the famous macaws flying over the rainforest.
Your tour from the Otorongo Lodge can be shaped around you, as you will be assigned a private guide and a custom itinerary. You can then choose from a list of itinerary options or provide your own ideas, such as birdwatching, scouting for specific animals and plants, or adventure. -
The Muyuna Lodge
Offering shorter tours than the Tahuayo Lodge above, the Muyuna Lodge is best suited to tours of 3 to 5 days. Enjoy small group tours of the surrounding rainforest to find a diversity of Amazon Rainforest animals and plants.
From the Muyuna Lodge, enjoy guided excursions to find different monkeys, sloths, pink dolphins, and night spotting for caiman crocodilians. Excursions from the lodge can include medicinal plant walks, scouting for a range of rainforest wildlife, nocturnal walks, canoe tours, visiting the nearby village, camping, seeing giant water lilies, and exploring nearby lakes.
The Muyuna Lodge is in a great area for birdwatching and a great choice if you only have less than a week available to explore the Amazon. Enjoy exploring the lake to find cormorants, horned screamers, kingfishers, herons, panguanas, parrots, and jacanas in the areas close to the lodge. You will explore Lake Moena to find the resident hoatzins. The lakes are also great places to find different monkeys, which often come to the area to feed from the fruits and new shoots in the mornings.
Enjoy being guided through the Amazon Rainforest to find different animals and be amazed by the giant emergent trees, such as the impressive Ceibas. In addition to the animals, you will also enjoy seeing other plants, such as bromeliads, orchids, and colorful flowers.
The Muyuna Lodge itself is located in an area surrounded by nature with few tourists and is a small rainforest lodge. The lodge offers single bungalows, double or matrimonial bungalows, and family accommodation. The regular departures are in small groups, however, you can also ask for a private guide and specific programs, such as dedicated birdwatching tours. -
The ExplorNapo Lodge
The ExplorNapo Lodge is best enjoyed on a 5 day / 4 night program, which includes two nights at the Explorama Lodge mentioned below. Enjoy different walks through the rainforest to see Amazon Rainforest animals and plants. Explore the Lakeside Trail at the Explorama Lodge then deep trails from the ExplorNapo Lodge. In addition to exploring the rainforest on forest walks and canoe tours, you will also enjoy the fantastic Canopy Walkway. The walkway provides a superb platform for observing different colorful birds and even monkeys moving through the trees. The canopy walkway extends 500 meters (1,600 feet) through the rainforest and reaches 35 meters (115 feet) from the forest floor.
Enjoy exploring the rainforest on small-group expeditions to find many different rainforest animals and plants. Explore different lakes, including a black water lake near the ExplorNapo Lodge to see giant Victoria Regia water lilies and the fascinating hoatzin birds.
As part of your 5 day / 4 night itinerary at the Explorama Lodge and ExplorNapo Lodge, you will also visit the nearby communities for cultural exchanges to visit the clinic and school. The local people are known as ribereños in Peru and live around the rivers and waterways. The ExplorNapo Lodge is positioned towards the east of Iquitos and is in a fantastic place for birdwatching. From the ExplorNapo Lodge, you can also combine the experience with an even deeper lodge to spend a night at the ACTS Field Station. -
The Explorama Lodge
The Explorama Lodge is best suited to Amazon Rainforest tours of 3 or 4 days. On the 4-day itinerary, you can enjoy a full day experience at the fantastic Canopy Walkway. This is not only a great place to see over and into the rainforest canopy, but provides a platform for birdwatching and even seeing different monkeys and sloths high in the trees.
There are different trails around the Explorama Lodge, which lead you past some interesting sections of rainforest. One of these areas has set records for tree diversity according to studies by the Missouri Botanical Garden. The Explorama Lodge itself is composed of 40 different jungle rooms and each is equipped with its own private bathroom. The lodge has a typical construction in keeping with the style of the nearby rainforest communities. The lodge is screened against insects to keep you comfortable when you’re relaxing after your rainforest expeditions. In addition to the accommodation, the lodge has a dining room, Tahuampa Bar, and restaurant. There is also a hammock area where you can relax with a book or simply enjoy the ambience of the lodge and rainforest.
Enjoy exploring the rainforest on guided small-group rainforest tours. Explore on forest walks and boating expeditions, which will be dependent on the water level. -
The Ceiba Tops Lodge
The Ceiba Tops Lodge is a rainforest lodge very close to Iquitos. Although the wildlife and species-richness is not comparable to the top of this list, Ceiba Tops still provides a great introduction to the rainforest if you only have 1 or 2 nights available. The lodge even supports the closest stand of hardwood trees to the city itself.
Enjoy short walks through the rainforest to the private reserve of primary Amazon Rainforest and to a nearby lake. Enjoy exploring the waterways near the Ceiba Tops Lodge to find either of the two different freshwater dolphins and different frogs and insects. On tours of 4 days, you can also enjoy a visit to the Canopy Walkway. This is an impressive walks stretching 500 meters (1,600 feet) through the rainforest and reaching 35 meters (115 feet) from the forest floor. Not only a great place to simply observe the rainforest canopy, enjoy spotting different colorful birds and maybe even some monkeys and sloths making their way through the trees.
Although not offering the wildlife of the lodges at the top of this list, the Ceiba Tops Lodge provides a great experience for visitors not wanting to get too deep in the rainforest. It’s also a great option for visitors wanting the home comforts and facilities of a resort-style complex close to Iquitos city. In addition to excursions in surrounding rainforest, you can relax at the lodge in different common areas, your suite, and enjoy the lodge swimming pool and water slide.
Ash
Tour Advisor at TourTheTropics.comAsh Card is a frequent visitor to the Tropics and has a passion for helping visitors get the best experiences from tropical locations. Ash is a contributor and tour advisor at TourTheTropics.com. Feel free to contact Ash for tour help in the tropics. When not helping tourists with tours and info, Ash can be found traveling, on wildlife tours or salsa dancing. Ash has completed a BSc in Biology, a Master’s degree in Zoology, and has undertaken a research scholarship at a world-class university on animal behavior. He has published scientific research in the Australian Journal of Zoology and the Journal of Behavioral Ecology. His goal is to help a global society live in balance with the natural world.