Iquitos is the largest city in the world that is not accessable by road. The only way into Iquitos is by air or boat. For the adventurous, you can take a two day boat ride from Urimayguas, a few hours from Tarapoto. If comming from Columbia you can also take a boat from Leticia, which is on the borders of Columbia, Brazil and Peru. Most will want to travel to Iquitos by air.
Getting To Iquitos - Air Travel
Lima is the primary entry point for air travel into Peru. Tickets
from your country can easily be arranged through any travel agent,
or bought online. We recommend
a travel search engine that allows comparing
air fare prices across
Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz and others.
Though you can arrange flights from Lima to Iquitos via Mobissimo and other services, they tend to be a bit expensive for that part of the journey. You may consider dealing directly with one of the Peruvian airlines to save a bit of money. One disadvantage of doing this is you will need to pick up your bags in Lima, then check into the airline for your flight to Iquitos. Most of the airlines at the Lima airport have attendants that speak English, but this is not guaranteed. You may be able to save around $100 by dealing directly with the Peruvian airlines.
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LAN is the premier airline in Peru. They are generally the most expensive, but are dependable and offer good service. |
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Star Peru has a reputation for being late. They frequently depart an hour or more later than the scheduled departure time, but are also usually $50 - $100 cheaper than LAN |
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Peruvian Airlines is the newest of the three national air carriers, and is earning a reputation for timely, quality service at a reasonable price. |
Staying to Iquitos - Hotels
Iquitos offers a wide variety of hostels and hotels, from a backpacker flop house for $4 per night, to the 5 star El Dorado Plaza for $200 a night. Below is a list of hostels and hotels within a few blocks of the Plaza de Armas, the main square in Iquitos and center of the tourist district.
| Hotel La Casona | ★★ | La Casona is the place we recommend to most of our guests. It is quiet, reasonably priced and has WIFI. Rooms start from $25, and air conditioned rooms are available. |
| Hospedaje La Pascana | ★★ | La Pascana is quiet, reasonably priced, has a nice garden, and has internet access, but no WIFI. Rooms start from $15. |
| Hotel Maranon | ★★★ | The Maranon has air conditioners and WIFI in every room, and includes a nice breadfast. The rooms have very comfortable beds and 36" flat screen TVs. Those on the street are a bit noisy, but the inner rooms are nice and quiet. The hotel has its own restaurant, and a small swimming pool. Rooms start from $35 |
| Victoria Regia | ★★★ | The Victoria Regia is a very nice 3 star hotel with all the modern comforts, including a swimming pool and exercise room.. The staff is very professional and friendly. Rooms start from $65. |
| Hotel El Dorado Plaza | ★★★★★ | As the only 5 star hotel in Iquitos, The El Dorado Plaza is the most luxurious place to stay. While not quite up to 5 star standard found in larger western cities, it is a very nice hotel. Rooms start from $200. |