PLAN YOUR TRIP

Availability

Contact the Amazon Symphony Tour team and check our availability so you can plan a trip to the Amazon safely and easily. The jungle, its fauna, its beauty.

Traveling To Iquitos

Arrive at the Iquitos airport in northeastern Peru and we will take care of the rest. It is impossible to drive to Iquitos from other areas, so the only way to get there is by plane or boat. Since a boat would take days or weeks, we recommend going by air. We can offer travel suggestions, if necessary. Once you arrive in Iquitos, we will pick you up and take you directly to AMAZON SYMPHONY TOUR.

Make sure you book your flights so that you arrive no earlier than 10:00 AM and no later than 2:30 PM, and make sure your departure flight leaves after 12 noon.

If you arrive in Iquitos after 3:00 PM, you will have to spend one night in Iquitos and we will pick you up the next morning. To get to Iquitos, you can fly through Lima to Iquitos. Most flights to Lima require you to stay overnight before flying to Iquitos the next day. For your flight from Lima to Iquitos, we only recommend flying with LATAM. LATAM is the largest airline with the most options, and may be more expensive, but delays are quite rare with them.

We recommend avoiding other local airlines as they are more likely to experience flight delays. We highly recommend booking a direct flight from Lima to Iquitos, so be sure to let us know if we can help with recommendations. When traveling to Peru, many people like to combine a trip to Machu Picchu with a trip to the Amazon rainforest. If this is something you want to do, we can make some recommendations.

The flight between Machu Picchu, near Cusco, and Iquitos is quite short, with a brief stop in Lima.

Once in Iquitos, your trip to the lodge will consist of a car trip of approximately 1:30 hours. Afterwards, we’ll make a quick pit stop and transfer to the riverboat. The trip will last approximately 1:15 hours, along the Amazon River, and then along the Pampa Caño River. Please send us your flight details to and from Iquitos so we can ensure we pick you up and drop you off at the most appropriate time.

How to prepare for Amazon Symphony Tours

The first step is to make your reservation with us. Once you have done so, please start preparing for your trip.
Please consider these articles…

Trip to Peru Get your flights and hotel reservations. Please see the travel section of this website for additional information, and remember that we are here to book some or all of your trips or simply make recommendations.

Let us know how we can help. If you book your own trip, please send us your flight details to and from Iquitos so we can ensure we pick you up and drop you off at the right time.

Medications and vaccines

Please visit this website as soon as possible to understand the recommendations of the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other similar websites in other countries are also fine. Provides separate recommendations in categories of All Travelers, Most Travelers, and Some Travelers.

We recommend that you schedule a visit with your doctor 4 to 6 weeks before your trip to discuss your medications and vaccines.

You should also discuss antimalarial medications and possibly an antibiotic in case you have any gastrointestinal problems during your trip. Some doctors will prescribe an antibiotic.

Electronic devices

Electricity in Peru and on the Amazon Symphony Tour is 220 volts.

The plugs accept two thin rectangular prongs like those used in the US.
Please check the transformers on your electronics to see if they can use 220 volts.

In very small print, you will often see a description similar to 100 – 250 V. Most electronic devices such as cell phones, computers and camera chargers will work on 220 V, but please check first because otherwise you could damage your device.

Because we have a SOLAR electricity grid, curling irons, hair dryers and flatteners are excessive drains, causing other devices to be unable to charge properly.

Please leave these three items at home. Some devices will require an adapter that you will need to purchase before your trip.

Hair dryers are particularly problematic, even with adapters sometimes.

Most recommend that you find a hairstyle that does not require a hair dryer.

Dietary restrictions

We strive to serve food that meets the tastes and needs of all guests. When we can, we will give you a couple of options, but the menu is not a la carte. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions.

Money

The currency of Peru is the Nuevo Sol. To get the current conversion rate, type the following (but with your currency) into the Google search engine:

• convert 1 USD to PEN for US dollars.

• convert 1 EUR to PEN for Euros

• convert 1 JPY to PEN for the Japanese yen

• convert 1 CNY to PEN per Chinese Yuan.

We recommend that you withdraw money from ATMs instead of converting your currency into nuevos soles in Peru. ATMs will generally give you the best conversion ratio. Once you arrive at the hostel, you will need cash for drinks, tips and souvenirs, all other expenses are included. When you visit a local town, you will probably have the opportunity to purchase crafts and souvenirs.

Tips

Tipping is common in Peru, although it is not mandatory. We pay our staff a salary and if you feel they have exceeded your expectations please feel free to tip your guide and boat driver directly. For staff, such as chef, waiter, house keeper, put it in an box.

Communication

The lodge is very far from the city, but we will do everything possible to provide wi-fi internet where you can communicate with your family.

What To Bring

We recommend that you bring these items on your trip. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Recommended:

• Cash (dollars, euros or soles please)
. Once you are at the lodge, any additional purchases will be cash only. This includes drinks at the bar, souvenirs, tips, etc… All major expenses are taken care of in advance (accommodation, excursions, food, transportation), but please bring cash for incidentals. Tips are common in Peru although they are not mandatory. We pay our staff a salary or salary and if you feel they have exceeded your expectations please feel free to tip your guide and your boat driver directly and/or any other member of staff.

• Light clothing that breathes and releases moisture easily (not cotton).
Take a set of clothes for each day.
• Long pants are recommended for jungle walks and insect prevention.
• Long or short sleeve shirts. Long-sleeved shirts aren’t as cool, but they protect people better. of insects.
• Long socks for insect prevention
• Hat to protect from the sun (baseball style or wide brim)
• 1 – 2 pairs of comfortable walking or hiking shoes (rubber boots are provided for some hiking trips).
• Insect repellent containing 20 – 30% DEET. Many times there will be very few mosquitoes and insects. Other times there will be many. Take a small bottle You can put it in your pocket to use it when needed.
• Plastic bag for dirty clothes
• Sunscreen
• Camera equipment
• High quality cameras and lenses or compact cameras, whatever suits you
• Dry bag or other protection against water (at least a Ziploc bag)
• Don’t forget your battery charger.
• Flashlight (headlamps are usually best)
• Personal hygiene items
• Personal medications Optional
• Sandals or leisure shoes for around the house.
• Binoculars

The best time to go

Spring, Summer, Fall Amazon Symphony Tour remains an ideal vacation retreat year-round. When planning your trip, you’ll need to consider the type of Amazon experience you prefer. From December to May comes the high water season, followed by the low water season that runs from June to November. However, temperature, humidity, and daylight hours are similar throughout the year due to the lodge’s proximity to the equator. Here are some of the differences between high and low water seasons…

High Water:

• Typically December to May • The rivers are about 20 or 25 feet high.
• There are more canoe waterways for animal and forest viewing on lakes and streams.
• More rain, but overall not bad. Rain also occurs frequently in the low season.
• A few degrees cooler.
• There are usually a little more mosquitoes, but that is not an absolute and they can be found throughout the year.
• Amazon Symphony Tour is in the flooded area between the river and the main cabin, making for a beautiful scene.
• The Amazon rainforest is typically the most lush and some would say the most beautiful.
• More pink dolphins can be found directly in front of the Amazon Symphony Tour. but they can be easily seen year-round not far from the accommodation.

Low water:

• Typically from June to November
• The rivers are about 20 or 25 feet lower.
• More jungle paths are exposed for walking tours.
• Traveling to some areas requires a bit of walking rather than just canoeing.
• Less rain.
• A few degrees warmer.
• There tend to be fewer mosquitoes, but that is not an absolute. More people travel to Peru throughout of the year.