How to get from Lima to Iquitos
Are you looking for the best way to get from Lima to Iquitos?
Located deep within the Amazon Jungle, Iquitos is often one of the major highlights of a trip around Peru.
This is the perfect place to head on treks to see all kinds of rare and exotic animals, including Jaguars, Pink River Dolphins, Pirañas and Monkeys.
Here we can also enjoy the hectic yet novel city scenes of Iquitos, where mototaxis fly around without rules and also visit some unorthodox jungle markets too.
Getting from Lima to Iquitos
In this guide we’ll explore some of the most popular ways of getting from Lima to Iquitos. We’ll also look at where to stay as well as some other tips based on our time spent here.
Iquitos Quick Summary:
📍 Where is it: Northern Peru
🗺 Difficulty Getting There: Easy
⏱ Time needed: 3/4+ days
☀️ Best Time to Visit: June-September
Where is Iquitos?
The jungle city of Iquitos is located far from the rest of civilization – right within the heart of the Amazon Jungle.
As a result it makes it the best place to see wildlife, given there are many major rivers and untouched areas of jungle here to explore. The weather can be pretty unpredictable though, so it’s best to keep an open mind when heading here.
For example the dry season (from July until September) should only have between 4-6 inches of rainfall falling throughout each month. However the jungle has its own rules, so you’ll always want a solid poncho handy given sharp rains could fall at literally any time.
Is Iquitos worth visiting from Lima?
Aside from the long and arduous journey through the mainland (often taking several days), visiting Iquitos from Lima is very easy by plane.
The direct flights here cut travel times to just a couple of hours, and is one of the only airports in the country that have consistent flights heading to and from Iquitos. This makes it perfect for those who want to head on wildlife tours or sail down the Amazon River without investing days on end just to get here!
All in all for travelers backpacking around Peru, we think Iquitos is the perfect place to see the Amazon Jungle. It’s quick and easy to get to, so is ideal for both travelers with little or lots of time to travel around the country.
How far is Iquitos from Lima?
The jungle city of Iquitos is located roughly 1012 km north of Lima.
The majority of travelers can easily traverse this huge distance in a couple of hours, with many daily flights between both destinations (which we will take a look at later in more detail).
Although it’s easy to get to, we still recommend spending quite a bit of time here. Usually 4-6 days is a good amount, where you can head on a multi-day jungle trek, visit nearby attractions in Nanay as well as enjoy the city highlights of Iquitos.
Where to stay in Iquitos?
Iquitos is by far the best base-camp to have when exploring the Amazon jungle and nearby towns. Here we will find good quality accommodation that serves all kinds of budgets and tastes.
Those who want to stay on a low backpacking budget will love the Casa de Frances. Here you’ll have an en-suite bathroom in every dorm room, and also be based in the heart of Iquitos (close to the Plaza de Armas and Amazon River).
For those who want an upgrade in quality, then you can stay at the Casa Nativa. This property is located close to the top city highlights, and here you’ll stay in a sleek private room with your own en-suite bathroom. They also do daily breakfast at the property.
If you’re looking for the most luxurious and memorable stay, then the Doubletree by Hilton will be the right choice for you. This five-star hotel is located right on the Plaza de Armas, and here you can enjoy the on-site swimming pool, bar and international restaurant.
Got travel insurance for Peru?
How to get from Lima to Iquitos
This trip is usually really quick and simple for most travelers, although there are also a couple of longer ways which are more complicated (yet are best for travelers looking to get off the beaten path and have a real adventure).
Through our experience we’ve found 3 main ways of making the trip (at this time of writing).
Fly from Lima to Iquitos
Flying is by far the easiest and most efficient way of getting from Lima to Iquitos, and you’ll rarely meet other travelers who do it alternatively (even locals in fact too).
The flight takes around 2 hours to arrive, and you’ll want to make sure you have a window seat where you’ll first see the towering Andean peaks before seeing the Amazon river winding through the jungle.
The price for a one-way ticket costs between $50-70 (without baggage included). The two major airlines of LATAM and Sky serve the route throughout the day, although Sky tends to be cheaper.
Take Buses through Peru + The Ferry
Those after a real adventure will love this option, and in some cases may actually be better if you’re already traveling within the heart of Peru (especially if near Tarapoto, Yurimaguas, Pucallpa or Huánuco).
From Lima you’ll first want to head to Huánuco, with the bus taking around 9 hours. It’s also a good option to visit after Huaraz, which is also located in the nearby mountains.
From here you can then have two options.
Firstly you can take the bus to Yurimaguas via Tarapoto (a good 18 hours through remote Peru!), where you can then take the jungle boat which takes around 3-4 days to arrive.
Secondly you can take the bus from Huánuco to another popular jungle city which is Pucallpa (and takes around 8 hours to arrive). From here you’ll then also need to take a boat along the Amazon to reach Iquitos, which will end up taking roughly 4-6 days (slightly longer than the Yurimaguas-Iquitos boat ride).
Overall this is the most expensive way of getting from Lima to Iquitos (around $70-90 for a one-way trip), however is by far the most memorable. It’s also ideal for travelers who want to visit more Unique Places in Peru during their travels.
Take the Ferry from Brazil or Colombia
This final option is perfect for travelers who already find themselves within the Amazon Jungle in neighboring Brazil (Manaus or Tabatinga) or Colombia (Leticia).
Both of these cities are located on a tri-border in the rainforest along with the Peruvian territory of Santa Rosa de Yavarí, and are relatively easy to cross between.
Once in Peru, you can then take the ferry to Iquitos. The trip takes roughly 12 hours, and costs around $80.
How to get around Iquitos
Once you’ve made it to Iquitos, you’ll find getting around is really simple. Within the city you can either walk or hail a mototaxi to get around (which are really cheap too).
If looking to visit nearby Nanay (which is home to markets and the river boat ride) then using a mototaxi is the best way. There are also taxis, however they will charge more.
In terms of getting in and around the jungle, you must go with an organized tour (both for safety and their expertise to see wildlife).
We highly recommend this multi-day jungle tour, where you’ll spend 3 days exploring the Amazon Jungle, seeing all kinds of animals and getting to meet the Yahuas Tribe. You’ll also have all accommodation, meals and transport included.
Getting from Lima to Iquitos
And that’s all for this guide on how to get from Lima to Iquitos.
This incredible jungle city has it all. Here we can take trips out into the untouched rainforest, where we can see all kinds of rare and exotic animals and plants.
We can also meet local tribes, see colonial architecture in the city as well as try the native plant of ayahuasca.
In this guide we’ve explored how to get from Lima to Iquitos, as well as where to stay and what to do. See our guide on how many days we recommend spending in Iquitos.
👉🏽 P.S. If you’ve found this guide helpful, buy us a coffee here to say thanks! Or, support us by downloading our South America Travel Bible to get our best content.
“Dear traveler! Some links in this post contain affiliate links. Meaning, if you click through and make a purchase, book a hostel or sign up for a tour, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Your support means a lot and helps us to carry on traveling and maintaining the quality of this site for you.”
