Amazon Rainforest With Kids: Our Week in the Peruvian Jungle
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Everyone talks about Machu Picchu, and rightly so. But the chapter of our trip that my girls will not stop talking about is the week we spent in the Amazon. If there is one big, wild, awe filled adventure to give your kids while they are young, before the school years lock your calendar down, I think this is it. The Amazon rainforest with kids sounds intense, I know. It turned out to be the most alive, screen free week of our whole year. Let me take you there.
The wildlife is the whole reason to go
This is the part your kids will carry forever. Every single day handed them something they had only ever seen in books. Monkeys swinging through the canopy overhead. Pink river dolphins surfacing right beside the boat. Caimans caught in a flashlight beam after dark. Macaws and parrots blazing across a clay lick at first light. Frogs and giant insects on the night walks that had them squealing and grinning at the same time. Watching a child lock eyes with a wild animal in its own home does something no zoo or screen ever could, and that exposure to the living jungle was the heart of the entire week.
Is the Amazon doable with kids?
With the right lodge and guides, yes. We stayed deep in the jungle but in real comfort, with mosquito nets, good food, and a rhythm built around what kids can actually handle. This adventure shines brightest for kids who are old enough to soak it all in and tell you about it for years afterward, which is exactly why it lands so beautifully in those golden years before school takes over the calendar.
How we did the Amazon
We went with Expedition Amazonas, and it was the right call for a family. They know how to read the jungle for kids, when to push and when to rest, and most of all how to get you safely close to the animals. That exposure to wildlife in the wild was the whole point for us, and they delivered it again and again. You can see their trips here: Expedition Amazonas.
If you are piecing your own Amazon adventure together instead, you can browse and book Peru jungle tours, river cruises, and day trips on Viator here. It is a simple way to compare reputable operators in one place.
A few honest things that made the week work with kids:
- Lightweight long sleeves and long pants, light colors, to beat the bugs and the heat at once.
- Good insect repellent and a sun hat. (See my full Peru packing list for kids.)
- A refillable water bottle and electrolyte packets. The humidity is real.
- Rubber boots, usually provided by the lodge, but confirm they have your kids’ sizes.
- Patience and snacks. Wildlife appears on its own schedule, not ours.
How the Amazon fit into our trip
We added the Amazon as our own wild week onto the end of a longer Peru trip. The backbone of that trip, our time in Trujillo and the Machu Picchu days, was planned by Travec, and the jungle was the bonus week we tacked on ourselves with Expedition Amazonas. If you want to see exactly how it all fit together, here is our Peru family itinerary.
What I love about Travec is that they handle every logistic but never flatten the culture out of a trip. Their City Friends program paired our kids with local kids their own age, so they connected and belonged instead of just passing through. Your family can take $200 off a Travec family group trip with code BRAVEFAMILY at traveltravec.com. The honest fine print: family group trips only, not combinable with other promos, entered at booking.
Why insurance is a must for the jungle
You are remote, the climate is intense, and you are far from a hospital. This is exactly the trip to be covered for. We never travel without SafetyWing, which is designed for families always on the move. Please sort your coverage before you go anywhere near the Amazon.
The Amazon gave my girls a kind of awe I cannot manufacture at home. If it is even a little on your list, do it. Start with the big picture in my Peru with kids guide, and find all my family guides here.
What family travel insurance actually costs
We never travel or live abroad without it. Here is the live price from SafetyWing:
Xoxo, Marae: your travel mom bestie
www.bravefreetravel.com