Overview
The lure of the Amazon begins in childhood and never leaves the imaginations of most armchair travelers. It is along the Amazon tributaries where close-up views of tropical wildlife are most abundant. You’ll see monkeys, macaws, capybaras and caimans while on the hunt for rarer species, like tapirs, sloths, pink dolphins, giant Amazon river turtle and otters. Excursions happen day and night, from rainforest hikes and treetop canopy lookouts to canoe trips through secluded oxbow lakes and flooded forests. For daydreamers of all ages, the primordial Amazon never disappoints.
Our experience was jam packed full of surprises every day, and I can’t give enough praise to you all – Southern Explorations, Dorian at Sacha Lodge and Abel on the Anakonda. All of you are thoroughly professional, organized and responsive and were on it all the way.
– Laurie Bradley, Amazon
When to Go
There are two general seasons in the jungle: rainy and dry. Both seasons offer spectacular and unique wildlife sightings and jungle flora – and you can also expect rain anytime of year. Go when your schedule permits!
Cruise or Lodge?
Lodges let you get to know an area deeply and intimately by settling into one spot. Cruises, on the other hand, move around every day, allowing you to see more of a region. They can also be combined on one trip to get the best of both worlds!
Which country?
The Amazon rainforest spans 9 countries. We offer trips to some of the most important national parks and reserves in Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil, all of which offer an unforgettable jungle experience.
Key Cities related to your Amazon trip
These are the cities and towns you may visit on your Amazon trip.
The capital of Ecuador is in the central Andean Highlands and is the main point of entrance into the country. Quito’s historical center is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the city is the best jumping off point for Ecuadorian Amazon tours.
Coca, a quick 30-minute flight from Quito, is the gateway to the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest. Located on the Napo River, it offers access to pristine jungle landscapes, indigenous cultures, and eco-tourism adventures.
Located on the Eastern flanks of the Andes mountain range a few hours drive from Quito, visitors flock to Tena for white water rafting adventures, jungle treks, and cultural encounters, making it a prime destination for active adventures.
Peru’s capital city on the Pacific coast, renowned for its rich history, colonial architecture, diverse cuisine, and vibrant arts scene. All trips to Peru’s Amazon pass through Lima.
Gateway city to Peru’s southern Amazon Rainforest and the Tambopata National Reserve. Known for excellent jungle lodges in the heart of the Amazon basin.
Bustling Amazonian city accessible only by boat or air, serving as the gateway to Peru’s northern Amazon Rainforest’s exotic wonders. Located on the shores of the Amazon River this is the ideal starting point for a Peruvian Amazon cruise.
Iconic coastal city famed for its stunning beaches, vibrant carnival, Christ the Redeemer statue, and samba-infused culture. A popular starting or ending point for any Brazil Amazon tour.
Amazonian metropolis in Brazil, where the Rio Negro and Amazon rivers meet. Known for its opulent opera house, a relic of its rubber boom past, as well as the starting point for Amazon rainforest adventures, and unique Amazonian culture
Top Attractions in the Amazon
The Amazon Rainforest covers an expansive area of approximately two thirds of the continental United States. It is full of national parks, reserves, rivers, flooded forests, lakes and a variety of cultures and different landscapes.
-
Yasuni National Park, Ecuador / Napo River
This biodiversity hotspot and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve is nestled along the meandering Napo River in the heart of the Amazon basin. -
Jondachi, Hollín, & Jatunyacu Rivers, Ecuador
These pristine rivers are a haven for adventure seekers, offering exhilarating white-water rafting, kayaking, and a chance to immerse in the untouched beauty of the jungle. -
Tambopata National Reserve, Peru / Madre de Dios River
The Madre de Dios River winds through this pristine Peruvian wilderness, providing easy access. Home to monkeys, macaws, clay licks, and more, Tambopata offers captivating wildlife experiences. -
Pacaya Samira National Reserve, Peru / Amazon, Marañón, & Ucayalo Rivers
Located in the more remote and difficult to access Peruvian jungle, this enormous reserve encompasses extensive wetlands, rivers, and seasonally flooded forests. -
Negro & Amazon Rivers in Brazil
The convergence of these two rivers is a natural wonder. The different water temperatures, speeds, and colors, creating a striking visual contrast where they run side by without mixing.
-
Amazonian Wildlife & Birds
The astonishing Amazonian diversity, from colorful macaws to elusive jaguars make the Amazon a global hotspot for biodiversity and ecological study. -
Amazonian Communities
Exposing visitors to ancient traditions, sustainable living, and immersive experiences foster a deeper understanding of the value of indigenous cultures and their vital role in rainforest preservation. -
Canopy Towers & Hanging Bridges
Exhilarating treetop perspectives offer close encounters with wildlife, unique photo opportunities, and a thrilling sense of adventure in the heart of the rainforest. -
Walking Trails
Walking through the jungle offers great wildlife opportunities. Your skilled local guide will also identify the myriad of interesting and useful plants found deep in the jungle. -
Water Explorations
Some of the best wildlife viewing is done from small boats that can quietly navigate the water’s edge. All Amazon tours will include this type of exploration by day and night!
Weather in the Amazon
Wherever you are in the Amazon you can expect warm, rainy, and humid weather. There are distinct wet and dry seasons in the jungle, but the differences tend to be minor and each season brings its own flora and fauna uniquely adapted to the conditions.
Ecuadorian Amazon
Ecuador’s dry season runs from December to February with the wet season between March and November. Temperatures in this region are slightly lower than other areas of the Amazon ranging from the 60s to 90s Fahrenheit.
Peruvian Amazon
In Peru the dry season runs from June to September while the wet season is from December to March. Temperatures range from the 70s to 90s Fahrenheit with the wet season being warmer. In southern Peru, around Puerto Maldonado, the dry season can sometimes get cold fronts from Patagonia called friajes and the temperature can drop into the 50s in the evening.
Brazilian Amazon
In Brazil the wet season runs from December to May and the dry season runs from June to November. Temperatures are much more stable throughout the year ranging from 70 to 90. The central Amazonian region also receives less rain on average than areas closer to the Andean mountains.
A Typical Day on an Amazon Cruise
Embarkation Day: The first day begins with a welcome briefing, lunch and an afternoon excursion. The excursions vary depending on your location. You’ll have an evening briefing with the guide to go over trip details and a group dinner onboard.
Cruising Days: Each day typically offers a morning and afternoon excursion, plus optional nocturnal excursions. A typical day could look like breakfast around 8AM and your morning activity around 10AM. After lunch, enjoy your second excursion around 3PM, followed by sunset, leisure time, evening briefing and dinner around 7PM. Activities vary from trip to trip, but you can expect to hike along trails, enjoy a skiff or canoe ride, canopy tours, and indigenous experiences. Plus, you’ll soak in new jungle knowledge from your guide, enjoy photography, and take in amazing scenery from the observation deck.
Disembarkation Day: The last day may include a short excursion before heading to the airport.
A Typical Day at an Amazon Lodge
A typical day at an Amazon Lodge begins early in the morning, when wildlife is most active and temperatures are cooler. After an early wake up call and breakfast, you’ll meet your guide for your excursion. Then, return to the lodge for some downtime.
Lunch is typically in the early afternoon followed by some free time to enjoy the lodge facilities. This is the hottest part of the day, so lodge tours capitalize on morning and late afternoon hours.
Another excursion typically begins around 4pm for 2-2.5 hours. Dinner is around 7pm-830pm. Nocturnal activities are available for those interested.
Activities will vary depending on which lodge you are staying at. People enjoy the downtime to relax and enjoy the atmosphere or some cold drinks from the bar, but those who want to keep busy have plenty of options during free time like kayaking and piranha fishing.
Amazon FAQs
Planning My Trip
Top questions when planning a trip to the Amazon.
Cruises departing from Iquitos, Peru are on the Amazon river. Manaus, Brazil is also on the Amazon river although most cruises and lodges are on the nearby Rio Negro tributary. Elsewhere the cruises and lodges are located on tributaries of the Amazon river such as the Napo and Madre de Dios rivers, which are all part of the Amazon basin. The Amazon jungle itself is the highlight, don’t worry if your trip doesn’t include the namesake river.
As a rule, the further in advance you can plan, the more options you will have. For the best selection, plan at least 6 to 9 months in advance, more for peak times when many people prefer to travel like school breaks and April through July, and a year or more for trips between December 18 – January 4.
Due to the amount of time and money it takes to get to South America we recommend a trip length of at least 7 days total; however, you may want to visit the Amazon and another destination in that timeframe. At a minimum we recommend 3 days for a lodge stay in the Amazon or 5 days for a cruise.
The Amazon can be enjoyed year-round, in both the wet and dry seasons. We often recommend picking dates that work best with your individual schedule.
All the itineraries we offer will give you an immersive experience in the jungle. Major factors that may influence your decision are more personal in nature, like budget, schedule, and availability. If you are seeking a very particular experience (finding a specific bird species or unique plant) please let us know what you have in mind so we can investigate for you. The other major decision is between lodges and cruise, which you can read more about below.
Both options allow for great wildlife viewing opportunities and a chance to see a variety of landscapes. Cruises allow you to visit more far-flung corners of the Amazon with changing scenery each day, plus you get the liveaboard cruising experience. Amazon lodge tours are more flexible, and your excursions are longer and less regimented, and you have more free time to enjoy the natural environment. Cruises will be the more expensive option between the two and generally require more days. One is not better than the other, they’re just different styles.
Yes! We are happy to modify any tour to meet your needs and also add pre and post-tour extensions. If you sign up for a group departure we cannot change the group portion, but we can add extensions before and after.
We primarily work with 4-star hotels and the occasional 3-star property, provided they meet our standards. We also work with several amazing 5-star properties. All of our hotels are clean, comfortable, well-located, offer en suite bathrooms and have been personally vetted by a Southern Explorations staff member.
Most Amazon cruises have air-conditioned cabins and interior spaces. Amazon lodges are off-grid and powered by generators. Currently only one of our lodges has air conditioning and it is located in Ecuador. Some lodges have fans.
Your accommodations at most Amazon lodges are screened in, though a few lodges are open to the jungle on one wall. In these cases, you will have a mosquito net over your bed and you will not need to bring one.
The Amazon is a massive area with many regional and local weather patterns but there is one general overarching weather system: dry season vs wet season. Rain still happens year-round and there are pros and cons to each season. The main difference between these seasons is that the water levels will be much higher during wet season and lower during dry season, which changes how you explore the jungle and which species of flora and fauna you see. Both seasons offer spectacular wildlife sightings and jungle flora; if you want to see it all you need to visit during both seasons! Daily temperatures range from the 70s to 90s. More detailed regional weather info is included on this page in the above weather section.
While your days will be full, Amazon trips are not particularly strenuous. As long as you are able to walk a couple of miles at a leisurely pace and are able to navigate uneven terrain, you will be able to enjoy the Amazon. If you have mobility or agility concerns, let us know and we can go more into detail so you know what to expect.
All guides on our Amazon trips are freelance and hired directly by the cruises or lodges. Guides on any of the trips we offer are experienced, fluent in English and hold a degree in relevant fields. Because we only work with higher-end lodges and cruise the guides tend to be the best in each region. Most trips also include a Spanish-speaking local or native guide who will accompany the main guide. These guides offer unique insights translated by your naturalist guide.
The cruises we work with range in size from 18 to 42 travelers and offers excursions in smaller groups of 8 to 12. The lodges will also offer excursions with groups typically not larger than 8 people.
Travelers are responsible for their own international airfare. Internal flights, such as those between major arrival hubs and regional Amazon airports are included in your trip quote.
All meals will be included with your cruise or lodge stay. However, you may spend some nights in major cities outside of the Amazon and meals will not be included. However, we provide all of our travelers with restaurant guides for these cities.
Our trips include most expenses. We do not include tips (guides, drivers, cruise/hotel staff), travel insurance, international flights, or other trip incidentals and personal equipment. There are occasional entrance fees that cannot be prepaid, but most are included in your trip costs and any exceptions will be clearly detailed.
The number of meals included vary by trip; you can tell which meals are included by looking for a B, L, or D at the end of each day’s description. This will indicate if (B)reakfast, (L)unch, and/or (D)inner is included.
Every trip is different, and each itinerary we send you, from initial trip proposals to your final confirmed itinerary, contains a detailed list of inclusions and exclusions. We also provide detailed tipping guides for all our confirmed travelers.
Our full terms and conditions can be found on this page just above these FAQs.
Amazon is safe for travel. However, travelers should take the same precautions that they would while traveling elsewhere, particularly in large cities that you may need to travel through to reach the Amazon, to protect themselves from petty theft. Theft is uncommon on cruises and lodges that we work with in the Amazon.
Preparing for my Trip
Top questions as you get ready for your Amazon trip.
Check your email for your payment confirmation and a link to access our online trip portal. Final payment due date is in your confirmation email, and we’ll send you a reminder later. Now is a good time to check into travel insurance!
Yes, travel insurance is highly recommended. There are a plethora of insurance providers but we recommend contacting Travelex Insurance Services or Travel Guard or using SquareMouth to compare other travel insurance websites.
If your plans are set and flights are available to purchase, then go ahead and book them! Some people like to watch fare trends before purchasing. Airlines post flight schedules about 10-12 months in advance, so for travelers booking trips over a year in advance, you’ll have to wait. It is relatively easy to find flights to our Latin American destinations, so unless you are traveling over the holidays or very last minute, don’t stress about finding flights!
After booking you will receive a link to our online trip portal, which includes all of the need-to-know information specific to your itinerary. This includes packing lists, restaurant recommendations, tipping guides, FAQs, electrical plugs and voltage, vaccine recommendations and money matters. Your Travel planner will also be a great resource for any other information you may need.
Yes! We are happy to modify any tour to meet your needs and also add pre and post-tour extensions.
Yes! Many people don’t book their international flights until after they confirm their Amazon trip. Confirming your Amazon trip is more urgent than extra days in connecting cities, so most people focus on the Amazon first, and then later book their international flights.
Typically flights have a 50 pound weight limit for checked bags and you can travel with one carry on plus one personal item. Most lodges and cruises in the Amazon do not have luggage limits, although we will advise you if any apply to your trip.
You can find more information about packing in the online trip portal. We have packing lists, footwear details, and things to consider. Review your final trip details that we send a couple of weeks prior to departure for luggage limitations and restrictions specific for your trip.
Yes! Please notify us in advance if you are celiac, gluten free, dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian, keep kosher, or have other dietary needs. If you have picky eaters in your group, the more information you provide us the better we can accommodate them. In the online trip portal, you will see a place to indicate allergies and dietary needs.
Check the online trip portal for the most up to date information regarding traveler health and immunization recommendations.
About two weeks before you depart, we will email your final trip details that will have all of the pertinent information you need for your trip. Generally, our trips do not require any physical vouchers or documents. Some trips may have informational documents which we will include in your final trip details.
On my Trip
Top questions related to your day-to-day activities while in the Amazon.
Upon arrival in your arrival country, you will meet your guide just outside of customs for the transfer to your hotel. Specific instructions will be included in your final itinerary.
Please refer to your final trip details and your welcome letter that you receive in country at the start of your trip. When in doubt, ask your guide.
Long-sleeved shirts and pants made of quick-dry, wicking materials are recommended for protection from the sun and insects during your excursions. Cotton should be avoided as it becomes damp and uncomfortable in hot, humid environments. Amazon lodges and cruises provide rubber boots to wear on your feet.
The Amazon is, of course, full of insects, so you must bring strong insect repellent. We recommend a deep woods formula with a high level of DEET protection. However, there is good news: mosquitoes are not as bad as travelers expect them to be! The benefit of visiting the jungle, typically to a primary forest, is that the ecosystem is in a state of balance. This means that the jungle flora and fauna keep each other in check which prevents too much of one species!
River cruises are generally extremely stable without the rocking motion you may experience in the ocean. However, you are on a boat and will feel some motion regardless of which type of vessel you are on. We recommend that all passengers who are prone to motion sickness consult their doctors to obtain preventative medication best suited to their individual needs. As long as you are prepared, you will be fine.
Review the money section in the online trip portal for details on local currency, ATMs, tipping guides, and local expenses and incidentals. When in doubt, ask your guide.
To ensure the safety of our travelers, our guides are linked with outside services 24 hours a day in all locations to provide assistance when necessary. Cruise vessels have emergency satellite phones. Our guides are experienced and well trained in dealing with emergencies. Because of the remote locations included on our itineraries, we recommend obtaining medical or travel insurance that includes emergency evacuation and medical coverage. A few weeks prior to departure we will provide you with our 24-hour emergency line number.
You can expect Wi-Fi access at most hotels in major cities. Some Amazon lodges and cruises offer Wi-Fi, but expect low bandwidth when available. This is the perfect place to disconnect and enjoy nature!
Hotels before or after your Amazon experience will offer laundry services. You’ll want to pack enough clothing to last for the duration of your Amazon trip as laundry in the jungle will not be accessible on most trips. Please ask us if laundry is available on your specific trip.
All of our confirmed travelers will receive a list of emergency contact numbers before departure, including a 24-hour emergency line. If your international flight is delayed please call this number so we can make the necessary arrangements and keep your trip running smoothly. Once on your trip and in contact with your local guide, please refer to them first for any issue you may have then contact the head office if you need additional assistance.
Policies
Review our terms & conditions including our cancellation policy.
