How to Visit the Amazon Rainforest: Which Country, How Long and What It Costs

Here is how to visit the Amazon rainforest: you fly to a gateway town in one of its countries, then go by boat or road to a lodge or a river cruise, with a guide. The rainforest spreads across nine countries, and the one you choose decides how long it takes to reach, what it costs and what you see. We guide trips from Quito, so we know Ecuador best and we will say so where that colors our view.

Which country to choose

Short on time? Choose Ecuador or Peru. Brazil holds about 60% of the rainforest, but distances there are large. If you are going to Machu Picchu anyway, southern Peru fits well. If you are going to the Galápagos, Ecuador fits better, since both are domestic flights from Quito.

Why we like Ecuador for a first visit

Ecuador's slice of the Amazon is small compared with Brazil's, but you can be in the forest the same day you leave Quito. Yasuní National Park has at least 596 bird species, along with monkeys and pink river dolphins, and it takes a short flight and a few hours by canoe to reach. You can also add the Andes and the Galápagos without another international flight. The trade-off is fewer river cruises, because trips here are built around lodges. Our Ecuador Amazon rainforest guide compares the three main areas.

Lodge or river cruise

On a lodge trip you stay in one place and head out by canoe and on foot, usually twice a day and again after dark. You spend more time inside the forest and less time moving, and it usually costs less.

On a river cruise you sleep on a boat with more comfort and cover more distance, while smaller boats take you up the side channels. It suits people who do not want to walk much. Peru and Brazil have the most choice. Ecuador has very few boats, so we suggest a lodge here.

How many days you need

Three nights is the minimum we would suggest, since the first and last days go mostly on transfers. Four or five nights gives you a better chance at wildlife, because every walk and canoe trip is different. Near Tena, where the road takes you most of the way, you can do something useful in two nights.

What it costs

These are the figures we work with in Ecuador. Lodge prices usually include your room, meals, a guide and activities.

Prices in other countries vary too much for us to quote fairly, so compare them on a per-night basis and check what the price leaves out. Remember the tips for your guide and the lodge staff, in cash.

Deep jungle in 3 days, with transport from Quito

Yasuni Tour

3 Days and 2 Nights in Yasuni National Park

• 3 days
• Medium effort

From $1,150 per person

View itinerary

When to go

It rains all year in a rainforest, so a dry season here simply means less rain. In Ecuador, December to February is drier and April to July is wetter. In southern Peru and Bolivia, the drier months run from about May to October. Further east in Brazil, the river rises and falls by many meters through the year, which changes what you can do.

Neither is better. High water lets canoes float between the treetops of the flooded forest, while low water exposes the trails and concentrates animals around what is left. Our page on the best time to visit Ecuador has the local calendar.

What you will see

You will see monkeys, macaws, toucans, caimans and more frogs and insects than you can count. You may see sloths, pink river dolphins and giant otters. You will almost certainly not see a jaguar, so be wary of any brochure that suggests you will. A good guide makes the difference, because the forest is dense and the animals do not come to you. Our Ecuador Amazon wildlife guide goes through what you can expect there.

Health advice before you go

• See a travel doctor four to six weeks before you go. The CDC recommends the yellow fever vaccine for unvaccinated travelers under 60 going to Ecuador's Amazon.
• Ask about malaria tablets for your exact route. In some areas the advice is to take them, and in others it is to avoid bites.
• Some countries ask for proof of yellow fever vaccination depending on where you arrive from, so check before you book.
• Check that your insurance covers evacuation, since the nearest hospital can be hours away by boat.
• Do not go into the forest without a guide. Trails are easy to lose.
• Read the current travel advisory for your gateway town, especially near international borders.

What to pack

Bring long sleeves and long pants in quick-dry fabric, a rain jacket, a headlamp and insect repellent. Lodges often lend rubber boots, so check before you carry your own. Keep your bag small, because you move in and out of canoes. Our Amazon packing list has the full version.

How to plan it from Ecuador

You can compare all our Ecuador Amazon tours from Quito, or read how the journey works in our guide to the Quito to the Amazon trip. Our list of the best Amazon lodges in Ecuador helps if you want to choose your own. If you want the Galápagos as well, our 12 day Ecuador and Galápagos tour includes a night in the jungle. Tell us your dates and we will send a route with prices.

How to visit the Amazon: questions we get