Iquitos in 5 days

The world's largest city unreachable by road, deep in the Peruvian Amazon where the river is the highway. Best time to visit: June-September. Average daily budget: $35 to $60 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Centro, The main grid with Plaza de Armas, the iron house designed by Gustave Eiffel, restaurants and the main port. The best base for logistics and dining.

Morning: Boat trip to see pink river dolphins. The Amazon's freshwater dolphins are best spotted at the confluence of the Itaya and Nanay rivers. Early morning trips have the highest success rate.

Afternoon: Explore Centro, The main grid with Plaza de Armas, the iron house designed by Gustave Eiffel, restaurants and the main port. The best base for logistics and dining.

Evening: Night walk in the jungle. A guided night excursion from a jungle lodge to spot caimans, tarantulas, frogs, snakes and nocturnal mammals. The rainforest after dark is a different world.

Eat: Juane, the Amazonian rice parcel wrapped in bijao leaves with chicken, olives and egg, eaten during festivals and daily

Day 2, Iconic sights

Base: Belen, The floating and stilted district on the Itaya River, with houses that rise and fall with the water level, a chaotic market and the most atmospheric part of the city.

Morning: Explore Belen Market. A floating and stilted market selling everything from jungle fruits and medicinal plants to grilled surubi fish and live animals. Go early, it gets hot by 10am.

Afternoon: Explore Belen, The floating and stilted district on the Itaya River, with houses that rise and fall with the water level, a chaotic market and the most atmospheric part of the city.

Evening: Amazon jungle lodge expedition. Iquitos is the gateway to the Peruvian Amazon. Take a riverboat to a jungle lodge for wildlife spotting, canoe trips, night walks and visits to local communities.

Eat: Tacacho with cecina, mashed green plantain balls with dried pork, the classic Iquitos breakfast

Day 3, Local neighbourhoods

Base: Padre Cocha, A riverside village 20 minutes from the centre with artisan fishing communities and a more local Amazonian feel than the city proper.

Morning: Visit an animal rescue centre. The Manatee Rescue Centre and the Pilpintuwasi Butterfly Farm are ethical wildlife experiences where rescued animals are rehabilitated for release.

Afternoon: Explore Padre Cocha, A riverside village 20 minutes from the centre with artisan fishing communities and a more local Amazonian feel than the city proper.

Evening: Eat juane and tacacho. Juane is rice, chicken, olives and egg wrapped in bijao leaves, the classic Amazonian dish. Tacacho is mashed plantain with pork. Both are found at any local restaurant.

Eat: Patacones, twice-fried plantain discs served with sauce or as a side with every meal

Day 4, Day trip or nature

Base: Centro, The main grid with Plaza de Armas, the iron house designed by Gustave Eiffel, restaurants and the main port. The best base for logistics and dining.

Morning: Belén market and floating houses. Explore the chaotic, fascinating Belén market with its Amazonian produce and remedies, and the stilted floating neighbourhood on the river.

Afternoon: Explore Centro, The main grid with Plaza de Armas, the iron house designed by Gustave Eiffel, restaurants and the main port. The best base for logistics and dining.

Evening: The small Shipibo art galleries in Centro where indigenous artists sell intricate geometric textiles and pottery.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Chicha de jora, the fermented corn drink that predates the Incas, served cold at local picanterias

Day 5, Slow finish

Base: Belen, The floating and stilted district on the Itaya River, with houses that rise and fall with the water level, a chaotic market and the most atmospheric part of the city.

Morning: Sunset at the Itaya River waterfront with a cold local beer and views of the stilted houses reflected in the water.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Belen, The floating and stilted district on the Itaya River, with houses that rise and fall with the water level, a chaotic market and the most atmospheric part of the city.

Evening: The artisan fishing village of Padre Cocha, where locals still build wooden boats by hand and sell fresh fish at dawn.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Surubi grilled over charcoal, the Amazon catfish that is the river's finest eating fish

Hidden gems

The small Shipibo art galleries in Centro where indigenous artists sell intricate geometric textiles and pottery.
Sunset at the Itaya River waterfront with a cold local beer and views of the stilted houses reflected in the water.
The artisan fishing village of Padre Cocha, where locals still build wooden boats by hand and sell fresh fish at dawn.
The butterfly farm at Pilpintuwasi, a genuinely ethical rescue centre where butterflies breed in a natural enclosure.
The local ice cream made with Amazonian fruits like camu camu, aguaje and copoazu, found at small shops on Prospero.

Getting around

Iquitos has almost no cars; the transport is moto-taxis, motorcycle taxis that swarm the streets and cost $1-2 for most rides. Walking is possible in the centre but the heat makes it exhausting. Boats are the long-distance transport: fast boats to Nauta (2 hours) and slow boats to Pucallpa and Yurimaguas (2 to 3 days). The airport has daily flights to Lima (1.5 hours).

Safety

Iquitos is generally safe but requires jungle-specific caution. Do not swim in the river due to parasites, piranhas and caimans. Use insect repellent with DEET constantly to avoid mosquito-borne illnesses. Drink only bottled or purified water. At night, stick to the main streets of Centro and use registered moto-taxis. The jungle lodges are generally safe but always follow your guide's instructions.

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