Amazon river tours: what you can book
Most Amazon river tours are built around a boat. A program can be a short outing from a town, a lodge stay of two to four days, or a cruise with excursions. Common activities are small-boat trips, forest walks, bird watching and night trips that search the shore with lamps for caimans and other nocturnal animals. None of these promises a sighting, and each depends on the day and the water level.
Where you start decides most of the program. Manaus tours link the Rio Negro, the Solimões and the Anavilhanas archipelago. From Iquitos you reach the Pacaya-Samiria reserve with an authorized operator. From Leticia, lodge programs are priced in Colombian pesos. Prices below are for 2026 in the currency of the provider.
Our picks: Amazon River tours
For one day, the wooden canoe trip from Manaus includes all entry fees and lunch. A lodge stay of two to four days gives more time in the forest; from Iquitos, the day trip with lunch is the low-cost start.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Two to four days at a jungle lodge near Manaus
- Private lodge cabin
- Meals and water
- Hotel transfers in Manaus
One to three nights in a private lodge cabin with fan or air conditioning, meals and a guide.
Check availability →One day in the jungle by wooden canoe
- All entry fees
- Motorised wooden canoe
- Local lunch
Twelve hours with an air-conditioned car and a motorised wooden canoe, all entry fees, piranha fishing and a local lunch. The route changes with the water level.
Check availability →
Amazon day trip from Iquitos with lunch
- Amazon boat trip
- Lunch at a river lodge
- Hotel transfers
A boat day with a visit to a Yagua community, a sugar cane press and a wildlife rescue centre, lunch at a river lodge and hotel transfers.
Check availability →Amazon River tours and day trips
Boat excursions, jungle lodge stays and cruises from Manaus, Iquitos and Leticia, with live prices and availability.
Tour programs compared
Example prices per person in 2026. Each row is a different product.
| Program | Start | Length | What the price covers | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leticia lodge program | Leticia | 2 days | Lodging, meals, river transport, guides | From COP 850,000 |
| Leticia lodge program | Leticia | 3 days | Lodging, meals, river transport, guides | From COP 1,450,000 |
| Leticia lodge program | Leticia | 4 days | Lodging, meals, river transport, guides | From COP 2,000,000 |
| Manaus cruiser, Amazon route | Manaus | 3 days, 2 nights | Cabin and cruise program | $1,330 |
| Manaus cruiser, Rio Negro route | Manaus | 4 days, 3 nights | Cabin and cruise program, Anavilhanas | $1,775 |
| Peru adventure ship | Nauta, near Iquitos | 3 nights | Cabin and cruise program | $1,947 to $2,194 |
For most travelers with two or three days, a Leticia lodge program or the Manaus short cruise is the easiest way to spend that time on the river. Choose the Peru ship if you want the upper Amazon. See the cruises page for the ship examples in detail.
Amazon river trip: what a program includes
The usual building blocks.
Small-boat trips
Excursions in small boats are part of the cruise and lodge programs, and they are where much of the wildlife watching happens.
Forest walks and bird watching
Guided walks and bird watching are part of many programs. Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed.
Night trips
After dark, guides scan the shore with lamps for caimans and other nocturnal animals. This is watching, not catching or holding animals.
River animals →Piranha fishing
Some Manaus programs include piranha fishing in the late afternoon near Lago Janauacá. It is no promise of a catch.
Piranha fishing →Meeting of the Waters
A Manaus route combines the meeting of the Rio Negro and Solimões with the Janauary area and a view of the harbor and market on the way back.
Meeting of the Waters →Dolphin watching
Pink river dolphins live in the Anavilhanas area and near Puerto Nariño. Look for programs that watch dolphins from the boat.
River dolphins →Pacaya-Samiria and animal centers
Rules that shape your plans.
Pacaya-Samiria is a national reserve, not a national park, and you visit it with an authorized operator or a local tourism group. Do not plan an independent hike there. The operator's services are separate from the reserve's entry fee, so ask what is included. In Iquitos, the rescue center at Padre Cocha forbids direct interaction with the animals it keeps. Tours that promise touching, holding or photos with wild animals are not a good sign. Lodge stays in Ecuador and Bolivia have their own guide at visitamazonjungle.com.
Before you book
Questions to ask the provider.
Ask about the minimum age, whether the boat or guide is private or shared, what is included in the price (entry fees, transfers, meals) and what happens if the weather or water level changes the plan. Tips, flights and individual transfers are not part of the examples above. Day-trip prices in Manaus vary by provider, so compare the cards above for your date. For the season, read the best time page, and for the starting towns see Manaus, Iquitos and Leticia.
Amazon river tours: frequently asked questions
How much does an Amazon river tour cost?
It depends on the length and the start. A 2-day Leticia program starts at COP 850,000 per person with lodging, meals, river transport and guides. A Manaus cruise of 2 nights costs $1,330 per person in the 2026 example.
Where can I see wildlife on a tour?
Programs include excursions at night and in the forest, and areas such as Anavilhanas and Pacaya-Samiria are known for river animals. A place is not a promise of a sighting, so treat every animal as a bonus.
Can I visit Pacaya-Samiria on my own?
No. Visits go through an authorized operator or a local tourism group. See the Pacaya-Samiria page.
Do tours include meals and lodging?
Multi-day programs usually do. The Leticia examples include lodging and meals. Check each offer, because the included items differ.
Is amazon-river.org a tour operator or an official site?
No. This is an independent travel guide with no link to any tour operator, lodge, reserve administration or government body.