How to Plan Your Trip to Leticia Amazonas: Flights, Seasons and Everything You Need

Planning a trip to the Amazon well is half the experience. Not because it is complicated — it is simpler than it seems — but because the decisions you make before you arrive directly determine what you can experience when you are there. The flight schedule, the season you choose, the luggage you carry, the agency you hire: each of these decisions has real consequences on the quality of the trip.

This guide takes you through the entire process of planning your trip to Leticia Amazonas from any starting point.

Step 1: Choose the Season

The first planning decision is the most important: when to go?

The Amazon has two seasons determined by the level of the river:

Amazon summer (June–November): The river goes down. The lowest point is in September. The beaches of the Amazon River appear, the trails dry up and the fauna concentrates in the main channels. Ideal for first visit. August is high season — more tourists and more expensive flights.

Amazon winter / Crescent (December–May): The river rises. The highest point is in April. The low jungle is flooded creating the várzeas — flooded forests where kayaking between trees is the most extraordinary activity. Ideal for a second visit or those who have fixed dates in this period.

Rain: Same in both seasons — about an hour of downpour a day. The river level is determined by rainfall in the Peruvian Andes, not the local rainfall in Leticia.

Recommendation for first visit: summer (June–November), avoiding August if you can due to increased tourism.

Step 2: How to Get There From Colombia

The only way to get to Leticia from any Colombian city is by plane. There is no road, there is no bus, there is no train.

Route: Your city → Bogotá → Leticia

Bogotá–Leticia Airlines:

• Avianca: The most frequent option, several daily flights
• Latam: Regular flights
• Satena: State airline, important option in high season

Flight details:

• Duration: ~2 hours from Bogotá
• Average round trip price: $600,000–$800,000 COP
• In August prices rise significantly — buy early

The most important tip: Book a flight that arrives in Leticia before noon. If you land before 12 pm, you can start the tour that same day at 2 pm and take advantage of 100% of your stay from the first day.

For the return, night flights (8–9 pm) are the most efficient — you use the last full day of activities and arrive at the airport without rushing.

Step 3: How to get there from Brazil

If you are already in Brazil or arriving by that route, entry is through Tabatinga — the Brazilian city adjacent to Leticia.

By plane from Manaus:

• Airline: Azul Linhas Aereas
• Flight to Tabatinga (TBT): ~2 hours
• From Tabatinga to Leticia: 10–15 minutes walking

By river from Manaus:

• Fast boat: 36–48 hours to Tabatinga
• Slow boat (recreio): 4–6 days to Tabatinga
• The boats arrive at the Port of Tabatinga — from there to Leticia on foot

Procedures: Upon arrival from Manaus to Tabatinga with destination to Colombia, process departure from Brazil and entry to Colombia at the immigration offices at Tabatinga airport.

Step 4: How to Get There From Peru

From Peru, entry is through Santa Rosa — the Peruvian town on Love Island, opposite Leticia.

By river from Iquitos:

• Fast boat: ~14 hours to Santa Rosa
• Slow boat: 3–4 days to Santa Rosa
• Boats arrive at the Port of Santa Rosa — from there to Leticia by boat: 5–10 minutes

Procedures: Upon arrival from Iquitos to Santa Rosa with destination to Colombia, process departure from Peru at the Santa Rosa immigration office and entry into Colombia at the Leticia airport.

Useful fact: Crossing to Santa Rosa and returning to Leticia generates a new Colombian immigration stamp — 90 additional days for foreigners.

Step 5: Leticia Airport

The Alfredo Vásquez Cobo International Airport has several peculiarities:

• Located 5 minutes from the center by taxi
• Shares land with the Tabatinga airport (Brazil) — they are in the same border area
• It has an ATM
• It does not have large stores or duty free
• Airport departure tax: $45,000–$50,000 COP

Transportation from the airport: Taxis available at the exit. Negotiate price before. The trip to the center: $10,000–$15,000 COP.

Step 6: How Many Days to Reserve

Time organization:

• Flight before noon → tour starts that same day at 2 pm
• Flight in the afternoon → tour starts the next day at 7 am
• Ideal return: night flight (8–9 pm)

Step 7: Choose the Tour Agency

This is one of the most important steps and the one that makes the most difference in the quality of the trip.

What you should check:

• National Tourism Registry (RNT): Legal agencies with trained guides and legal responsibility
• Life jackets on boats: Your right, always demand it
• Outboard motor with reverse: Not "peque-peque" artisanal
• Documented experience: Years of operation, verifiable references

What makes the operational difference: The best operators in the Amazon work in two jungle zones — dry land (hiking all year round) and várzea (kayaking in winter). Those who only work in várzea miss winter walks because their trails are under water.

Avoid:

• Informal guides who board at the airport or port
• Offers without clear price or contract
• Operators without RNT

Step 8: What to Pack

The most important rule: 25–30 liter backpack. Never a big suitcase. To get to the river you have to walk — wheeled suitcases are a problem from the first moment.

For 4 days:

• 2 long-sleeved shirts (quick dry, light colors)
• 2 short sleeve shirts
• 2–3 light pants
• 1 swimsuit
• Underwear and stockings (4–5 days)

Essentials:

• DEET 30%+ repellent (2 bottles minimum)
• SPF 50+ sunscreen (2 bottles)
• Rubber boots — not for trekking (mud destroys them; rubber ones protect against snakes)
• Wide-brimmed hat
• Rain poncho
• Waterproof Dry Bags for Electronics
• Flashlight and powerbank
• Cash in Colombian pesos

Step 9: Health and Safety

Yellow fever: Recommended vaccine. Important fact: in more than 40 years, no case has been recorded in the Colombian Amazonas department. It is applied as a precaution and because some subsequent destinations may require the certificate. Apply 10 days before. Free at the Ministry of Health.

Travel insurance: Practically mandatory. It must cover jungle, river navigation and medical evacuation. Recommended: Colasistencia — works with Hospital San Rafael and Clínica Leticia.

Water: Bottled only. The tap in Leticia is not drinkable.

Repellent: The most important protection against malaria and dengue.

Step 10: Arrive and Start

When you land in Leticia, these are the first things you need:

At the airport:

• ATM to withdraw cash in pesos
• Taxi to the hotel: $10,000–$15,000 COP

First day:

• If you arrived before noon: the tour can start at 2 pm
• If you arrived in the afternoon: rest and tour the next day at 7 am
• At 4:30–5 pm: Parque Santander for the parrot show (free, daily)

Always:

• Bring a passport or ID to cross to Brazil and Peru
• Bottled water bottles from the first moment
• Cash in pesos for everything

Frequently Asked Questions

How long before booking flights to Leticia? As far in advance as possible. In August flights fill up weeks in advance. For other seasons, 3–4 weeks in advance is usually enough for good prices.

What is the best way to get to Leticia from Bogotá? By direct plane. The flight lasts ~2 hours and costs between $600,000 and $800,000 COP round trip. There is no other option from Colombia.

How to get to Leticia from Manaus Brazil? By plane with Azul Linhas Aéreas to Tabatinga (~2 hours) or by river by fast boat (36–48 hours) or slow (4–6 days). From Tabatinga to Leticia: 10–15 minutes walking.

How many days minimum to visit the Colombian Amazon? 3 days minimum, 4 days ideal. In the Amazon winter, 5–6 days to take advantage of kayaking in the flooded jungle.

Is it complicated to plan a trip to the Amazon? No. The main challenge is the flight (anticipation and connection in Bogotá) and choosing a good agency. Everything else — river transportation, accommodation, activities — is included in the tour plans.

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