Birding itinerary

Birdwatching Tour 10 days / 9 nights

Total Land cost: USD $1,995 per person

For those with a serious interest in birdwatching, we highly recommend our specialty birdwatching trips with one of our extraordinary birding guides. This itinerary was made just for bird watchers in mind. It includes visiting a variety of different ecosystems and locations we do not usually frequent on our standard trips. We strongly recommend this itinerary for veteran birdwatchers. Those with a less serious interest should refer to our standard itinerary page.
This specialty itinerary includes your own master birding guide and your own excursion boat. It would not be unreasonable to think you could add well over 100 species to your life list during this trip. 

  • The ACRCTT conservation reserve has the greatest biodiversity of any site yet documented in the lowland Amazon rainforest. This includes over 600 different species of birds (see our bird list here). We have counted as many as 262 different species in a single day led by one of our outstanding private guides. An itinerary specializing in birding must be booked well in advance.
  • (Recommended 10 days / 9 nights but shorter or longer trips available)
  • Includes all in Amazon (all transfers, lodging, meals, private guide, excursions customized to your liking, gear such as jungle boots, wifi, entrance fees, conservation fees, port taxes, etc.).
  • Optional expenses only: cola or beer drinks, souvenirs, tips, laundry.

Day 1 (trip starts after arrival of people on LA 2240, scheduled to arrive just past noon)

  • Transfer in from airport or hotel
  • If airport: Look for our booth in the baggage area of Iquitos Airport, by the restrooms, with our logo (head of a hoatzin bird in a diamond shape).
  • If hotel: please let us know the address for where to pick you up.
  • Afternoon birding in The Allpahuayo Mishana National reserve, a unique sagebrush varillal forest on white sand that is home to several species of birds known only from this forest, including the Ancient Antwren, Mishana Tyrannulet, Allpahuayo Antbird, Northern Chestnut=tailed Antbird, Pompadour Cotinga, and Saffron-crested Tyrant Manakin. 
  • Evening room in Iquitos

Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 2

From Iquitos / The Allpahuayo Mishana Reserve 

  • Morning continue birding in the Allpahuayo Mishana reserve 
  • Afternoon speedboat to the Tahuayo Lodge

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 3

At the Tahuayo Lodge

Full day birding in the islands near the mouth of the Tahuayo, a great place for sandpipers, herons, terns, skimmers, stilts, plovers and others. Evening looking for nocturnally active species along the river

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 4

At the Tahuayo Lodge

Morning in varzea ecosystem, afternoon in secondary growth habitats around the villages

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 5

Morning in tahuampa ecosystem (flooded forest; afternoon birding in cocha (oxbow lake).

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 6

Full day birding in terra firme forest

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 7

At Amazon Research Center lodge, ARC

Early morning birding in Palmichal stream, then continue birding up the Tahuayo River to the remote research center lodge

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 8

Morning birding in high and low restinga forest, and palm swamp forest

Afternoon birding in Dolphin Lake

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 9

Full day birding Lake Yarina

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

 

Day 10

  • Morning return to the main lodge
  • Afternoon boat to Iquitos
  • Transfer to airport or hotel

Breakfast, Lunch

 

A note on our two lodges

The Tahuayo Lodge (main lodge)

  • Cabins have private bathrooms
  • A greater variety of activities

The Research Center Peru Lodge (ARC)

  • Cabins have shared bathrooms
  • Better hiking, over 50 miles of trails through a variety of ecosystems
  • More wildlife
  • The lodge is more remote, in more pristine forest

 

Estefani Mishel Maytahuari

Mishel got her degree in tourism from Nauta Institute in 2016. After working as a guide with other companies, Mishel came to study with Amazonia Expeditions as a training guide in 2023. Mishel was promoted to head guide in 2025.

Leyner Arian Ijuma

Leyner got his degree as a tour guide in 2010 at the Nauta Institute and came to work at Amazonia Expeditions in 2021. He was promoted to head guide in 2023. He has biological field work experience from supporting Nicholas Gardner of the University of Florida who he helped study the adaptations of birds in seasonally flooded igapo forests. Birding is one of Leyner's strongest skills.

Julio Pacaya

Julio finished his studies as a tour guide at the Nauta Institute in 2016 and came to work as a training guide with Amazonia Expeditions in 2021. He was promoted to head guide in 2023. Nature photography and birding are among Julio's strongest skills. Julio is fluent in English and French, as well as his native tongue of Spanish.

Claudio Huayllahua Sánchez

Claudio was born and grew up in El Chino Village on the Tahuayo River. He studied primary school in El Chino and continued his education in Iquitos, earning a technical degree from SENATI Institute. He started working for Amazonia Expeditions in 2014 as a field research assistant with several biologists and as an assistant guide. Claudio was promoted to head guide in 2017 and is our camping and jungle survival specialist.

Hersog Chavez Yuyarima

Hersog first got the idea of becoming a guide after watching the tourist boats going by his village every day. He was fascinated that tourists would come to see his home and he loved the way that the guides he saw did their work. He knew that someday he wanted to be just like them. Hersog studied at technical school for 3 years leaning the basics of guiding. After graduating, Hersog worked as a guide for several years working with Peruvian tourists, later coming to work for Amazonia in 2017. Hersog was promoted to head guide in 2019. He has worked as a field research assistant in the study of the elusive pygmy marmoset. Hersog is known for his sharp eyes and his unique stories about the jungle.

Lander Juan Peña Ramirez

Lander was born in the remote jungle community of Santa Victoria. His boyhood dream was to become to best jungle guide in the Amazon. Lander studied at a local institute for several years where he learned basic English and the foundations of the being a tour guide. Later he worked for several years at other jungle loges as a guide, honing his skills as a survival camping guide. Lander came to work for Amazonia Expeditions in 2017 and along with a strong interest in birding and fishing is also one of our lead camping and survival guides.

Aladino Jr. Hidalgo

Aladino was born and raised in El Diamante Village along the Blanco River and attended school in the community of “Valentin” on the Tahuayo River. During this period, Aladino worked with his father as a trailblazer, assisting primate researchers who came to study at a local field station. Afterwards, he moved to Lima where he worked for several years while studying guiding & English. Upon returning in 2019, he was hired by Amazonia as a field assistant and actively supported researchers studying giant river otters, pygmy marmosets, and various bird species. He then joined Amazonia Expeditions as a guide assistant and was later promoted to head guide in 2022.

Jhony Hidalgo

Jhony was born and raised in El Diamante Village along the Blanco River. He attended primary school in his home village and high school in the community of “Valentin” on the Tahuayo River. Jhony later pursued further studies in Iquitos, where he obtained a guide degree from the Milagro Fe & Alegria Institute. After graduating, he worked at the Amazon Rescue Center in Iquitos (CREA), guiding visitors to the center. In 2021 he joined Amazonia Expeditions as a guide assistant and was promoted to head guide in 2023.

Sila Hidalgo

Sila was born and raised in El Diamante Village along the Blanco River. She attended primary school in Diamante village and high school in the community of “El Chino” on the Tahuayo River. Her family moved to El Chino so Sila could attend high school, as it was the closest village offering secondary education. Later, Sila joined our Angels (AoA) scholarship program to further her education in Iquitos, where she earned a guide degree from the Milagro Fe & Alegria Institute. She completed her internship at Tahuayo Lodge. After graduating, Sila began her career with Amazonia Expeditions as a guide assistant and was promoted to head guide in 2022.

Welister Perez

Welister grew up in the small community of Padre Cocha just outside of Iquitos City. He lived there for most of his life, and later worked at several jungle lodges before starting at Amazonia Expeditions. Welister has proven himself as both a talented jungle man and team player with an eagle eye for spotting wildlife. After several months of training with Amazonia he was promoted to a head guiding position in 2017.

Javier Anibal Alván Arévalo

Javier has worked at the Amazonia Expeditions lodges for 10 years, starting as a young teenager as an assistant in building repair, then moving up to motorboat pilot, then camping assistant and assistant guide, and after passing his guide exams with high grades was promoted to head guide in 2014. Javier is also our Canopy Zipline specialist and has taken professional certification classes in Costa Rica. Javier is also a fishing specialist and is beloved by families with children.