Where to stay on the Amazon River
There are three bases. A city hotel in Manaus or Iquitos is the easy start. An Amazon jungle lodge puts you in or near the forest, with boat trips and walks. A river ship is a hotel that moves. Each one has a different transfer, a different price logic and a different rule about the protected areas, so pick by the trip you want.
If your plan is a ship, compare Amazon River cruises first. If you want lodge programs and day trips, see the Amazon River tours. It shows what to look for and what to ask.
Manaus hotels
The city and the national park nearby.
The center of Manaus has the Teatro Amazonas, the Largo São Sebastião and the historic market, so it suits a stay built around culture and the market. Do not read that as a ranking of streets for safety, because nothing here compares streets. When you choose Manaus hotels, check the distance to the pier or the pickup point for your tour, not only the star rating.
The Anavilhanas national park is run from Novo Airão, and trips to it go by boat. A lodge near the park, the park entrance and the transfer are three separate things. Ask each lodge how you get there, how long it takes and what the entry costs. See the Manaus guide for the city.
Our pick: two nights in the forest
A jungle camp from Iquitos with meals and excursions, as an alternative to a city hotel.
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.
Amazon tours and cruises with a place to sleep
River cruises, lodge programs and boat trips from Iquitos and Manaus, with live prices and availability.
Iquitos hotels
The city, Nauta and the reserve.
Iquitos hotels are the usual first night before a cruise or a lodge program. The airport or city pickup and the ship are in different places: Peru cruise programs board in Nauta, after a transfer from Iquitos. A city hotel, a river lodge and a ship cabin each have their own transfer, and the port needs separate checking. Read the Iquitos page for the city itself.
Inside the Pacaya-Samiria reserve, lodges are separate from lodges in the buffer zone around it. Not every stay sold as an Amazon lodge is in the reserve. Ask which one you get, and read the page on Pacaya-Samiria for the access rules.
Amazon jungle lodge, ship or hotel compared
What each base is good for and what to check first.
| Base | Good for | Check first | Example price, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| City hotel | Arrival night, culture, markets | Distance to the pier or pickup point | – |
| Jungle lodge | Forest walks, small-boat trips, bird watching | Reserve or buffer zone, transfer time, what the price covers | – |
| River ship, Manaus, short trip | A first look at the Rio Negro or the Amazon | Route, 2 nights or 3 nights | $1,330 for 2 nights, $1,775 for 3 nights |
| River ship, Peru, standard cabin | The Marañón and the Ucayali | Boarding in Nauta, double occupancy | $1,947 for 3 nights |
| River ship, Peru, superior cabin | The same route with more space | Cabin class | $2,194 for 3 nights |
| Luxury ship, 3 nights | A premium ship for a short trip | Holiday dates cost more | $3,860 to $4,020, holiday $4,230 to $4,390 |
Prices are per person, double occupancy, and not a market range. They are not final prices with flights, transfers, tips or fees. The standard Peru example works out to about $649 per person per night, a figure calculated by dividing the fare by the nights. For most first-time visitors, one night in a city hotel followed by a ship or lodge program with the transfers included is the simplest plan.
What to ask about an Amazon jungle lodge
Names matter less than answers.
Where is it?
Ask whether the lodge is in the reserve, in the buffer zone or outside both, how far it is from Manaus or Iquitos and how long the transfer takes. A forest setting alone does not mean a protected area.
What is on the program?
Programs include small-boat trips, forest walks, bird watching and night wildlife spotting. A sighting is never promised. Ask for the daily plan.
What does the price include?
Ask about meals, drinking water, power, internet and the nearest medical help. Do not assume any of them.
Is entry included?
The reserve entry and the services of a tour operator are separate. A package does not automatically replace an entry you must show. See the Pacaya-Samiria page.
Mosquitoes and health on the river
German Foreign Office travel advice, as of October 2026.
Peru
German travel advice lists a medium malaria risk in the center of Iquitos and on large cruise ships, and a high risk in surrounding villages and along tributaries. Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for Loreto. Your doctor decides on prophylaxis.
Brazil
German travel advice recommends yellow fever vaccination and lists Amazonas and Pará as risk areas. The center of Manaus has a lower risk than parts of the basin, and the area around Manaus is not malaria-free.
Dengue
Dengue occurs in all three countries. Use mosquito protection by day and night.
Plan the rest of your trip
Pages that go with where you sleep.
Getting there
Airports, slow boats and the Santa Rosa ferry.
Best time to visit
High water, low water and what changes.
Pacaya-Samiria
Access with an authorized operator.
Iquitos
The river city in Peru and the way to Nauta.
For lodges across Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia compared, see the guide to Amazon jungle lodges. This site stays with the river.
Where to stay on the Amazon: frequently asked questions
Should I stay in a lodge, on a ship or in a hotel?
It depends on the trip. A hotel is the easy start in Manaus or Iquitos. A lodge puts you near the forest. A ship moves along the river and combines the stay with the route. Many visitors combine a hotel night with a ship or lodge program.
Where should I stay in Manaus?
The center is the base for the Teatro Amazonas, the Largo São Sebastião and the historic market. Check the distance to your tour pickup point, because the park and the river trips start elsewhere.
Is every Amazon lodge inside a protected area?
No. Lodges inside Pacaya-Samiria are separate from lodges in its buffer zone. A forest setting alone does not show a protected area.
How much does a river cruise cost?
Examples for 2026: $1,330 for 2 nights and $1,775 for 3 nights on a Manaus ship, $1,947 and $2,194 for 3 nights in a Peru standard and superior cabin, and $3,860 to $4,020 on a luxury ship. All are per person, double occupancy, and not final prices.
Do I need malaria tablets?
That depends on your route. The German Foreign Office rates the risk higher in villages and along tributaries than in the city centers. Talk to a doctor who knows your itinerary.
Is amazon-river.org an official hotel or lodge site?
No. This is an independent travel guide with no link to a hotel, lodge, cruise line or tour operator.