Day by day in Pacaya-Samiria

1 day

from $120 per person

Out in the morning, one night at the camp, home the next day. The short way to see it.

Day 18:30, leave Iquitos. Two hours by road to Nauta, three hours up the Yarapa by boat. Settle in at the camp, then a walk to learn the medicinal plants. Late afternoon on the water for pink and grey dolphins and the sunset, caiman on the way back. After dark, the night walk.
Day 25:00, back on the water for sunrise, birds and monkeys along the bank. Breakfast, then the journey home.

2 days

from $240 per person

The same first day, with a full second one before you leave.

Day 1Travel in and settle. Botanical walk, dolphins and the sunset, night walk for caiman, frogs and the rest.
Day 25:00 on the water for birds and monkeys. Breakfast. Piranha fishing through the middle of the day. Lunch, and back in Iquitos by six.

3 days

from $360 per person

The first length where you stop counting hours. A full day belongs to the forest rather than the boat.

Day 1Travel in and settle. Botanical walk, dolphins and the sunset, night walk.
Day 2Dawn on the water, then a long walk inland — giant trees, medicinal plants, the vines you can drink from. Lunch and the heat of the day at camp. Afternoon fishing, evening torches.
Day 3One more early excursion, breakfast, and the boat back down to Nauta. Iquitos by evening.

From three days up you can spend one of the nights camping out in the forest instead of at the camp. Say so when you write.

4 days

from $480 per personMost people choose this

Long enough to get away from the camp and into the quieter channels, where the animals are not used to boats.

Day 1Travel in and settle. Botanical walk, dolphins and the sunset, night walk.
Day 2Dawn on the water, then a long forest walk. Afternoon piranha fishing, night excursion by canoe.
Day 3Further into the reserve. A full day deeper in by boat — side channels and lakes, fishing where nobody else goes, and the best chance of the animals that keep away from traffic. This is the night to camp out, if you want it.
Day 4Back by water, with a last stop on the way. Lunch, and Iquitos by evening.

5 days

from $600 per person

The most you can do without it becoming an expedition. Two nights away from the camp are possible at this length.

Day 1Travel in and settle. Botanical walk, dolphins and the sunset, night walk.
Day 2Dawn on the water, then a long forest walk. Afternoon fishing, night excursion.
Day 3Deeper in by boat. Side channels, lakes, and a camp made where the day ends.
Day 4A full day out there — walking, fishing, and the kind of silence you only get this far from the river traffic. Back towards the camp, or a second night out.
Day 5A last morning on the water, then the journey home. Iquitos by evening.

A note on how this really works

Nobody here runs a timetable. In high water the boat goes between the trees and you cover ground that is forest in the dry months; in low water there are beaches and more walking, and the fishing is better. Ruber has been reading this river for forty years, and he will put the day where the animals are rather than where a printed plan says.

So treat the above as the shape, not the schedule. If you want one thing in particular — the dolphins, a night out in the forest, a village visit, more walking and less boat — tell us before you come and it gets built in.

What each trip looks like.