What To Wear In The Amazon Rainforest (That Isn’t Ugly) 2023

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So you’re visiting the Amazon Rainforest? Yay! But if you’re anything like me, you will feel absolutely clueless about what to wear in the Amazon rainforest.

I can’t count the number of hours I spent on Pinterest and Asos looking for suitable things to wear in the biggest, baddest and craziest rainforest in the world.

Unsurprisingly, there aren’t any sections on the UK online stores that are called ‘chic rainforest looks’ or ‘Amazon jungle style’, so I had to make it up myself.

But let’s be honest. You may want to look cute in the Amazon for all of your epic photos and videos, but it’s not happening. No one looks cute. It’s humid, hot, sticky, damp; and of course, it rains a lot.

This blog post makes packing for the Amazon Rainforest simple. In fact, packing for the rainforest is a lot less complicated than I thought it was (shock), and this post can save you a lot of time.

So, let’s get started and find out what you need to wear in the Amazon Rainforest!

Still looking for the perfect Amazon Rainforest tour? If you’re looking to visit whilst in Ecuador, I recommend checking out my complete Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve (the Ecuadorean Amazon) guide here!

Got a question about what to wear in the Amazon Rainforest? Let me know over on Instagram or shoot me an email at jennie(@)jenniewanders.com!

🇪🇨 Other Ecuador posts:

• Amazon Tours Ecuador: BEST Cuyabeno Trip From Quito
• Ecuador Itinerary 3 Weeks: FULL Route + Guide
• Quito To Banos: FULL Guide + Route
• Frog Concert Mindo: Just WHAT Is It? FULL Guide
• Quito To Mindo: BEST And Easiest Routes

What To Wear In The Amazon Rainforest: A Summary

Let’s talk about the basics first. We visited the Amazon in Ecuador, although you can visit from any location and still find this packing list relevant.

We also visited during the ‘rainy’ season and experienced quite a few showers. That’s all been taken into consideration in this post, and again, you can apply the packing rules below for both dry and wet seasons.

The Amazon Rainforest has a yearly average temperature of 27.9°C (80°F) during the dry season, and 25.8°C (77°F) during the rainy season. However, this may differ depending on the area you are entering from.

Day-to-day life in the Amazon is humid and sticky. Most of the time, you are sheltered from the sun by the trees, so it’s more of a hot-air-breeze rather than the burning heat from the sun. But when you’re out on the canoes, the sun can be bright and hot, so make sure you’re wearing suncream.

Don’t overcomplicate what you need to pack. Take your regular clothes – just make sure they have long sleeves. Anything sweat resistant is great to fight off some of the humidity.

Quick drying is also great as there’s rain all year round in the Amazon (even in the dry season), so having quick-drying towels and clothes is a bonus.

I also highly, highly recommend not taking your giant big backpack or suitcase with you. You’ll be jumping in and out of boats, travelling to remote lodges and sitting in relentless downpours.

Leave as much as you can at your hostel/hotel (for example, we did the tour with Community Adventures, and left everything we didn’t need at the Community Hostel in Quito).

They lock everything in a safe storage room, so you can even leave laptops and unwanted tech behind. It’s humid in the rainforest and everything gets wet and damp – leave it all behind!

Be sure to read the section on shoes, as this is one of the most important parts!

Essential packing list for the Amazon Rainforest

So, what are the essential things that you need to wear in the Amazon Rainforest? I’m not going to beat around the bush; let’s get started!

👖 Long-sleeved tops and trousers: This is for both men and women. Long sleeves are vital – and not just because of the mosquitoes. You’ll be walking through the rainforest with dense trees and branches; you’ll want to be covered up!

My top pick for women is a long-sleeved linen set. You can get a whole range of colours (that still look cute). This two-piece set is similar to the one I wore!

🩴 Sandals/flip-flops: Whilst it’s likely you won’t wear these to go on a jungle hike, they are needed for post-walk boat journeys. After a long, humid walk, we’d whip our wellies off and replace them with sandals to cool down. It also means you can dip your feet in the water as you’re cruising along the rivers!

My top pick for women: waterproof Birkenstocks! They look good, they’re comfy and practical. I take them on every trip!

👕 Spare t-shirts/shorts: the Amazon Rainforest is humid. There are times when you’ll be lazing around the lodge and will want to be comfy, so take some spare clothes to put on and cool down.

🩱 Swimwear: because yes, you can swim in the water in the Amazon! Most of our group jumped into the lagoon and surrounding water to cool off after a long day of activities.

Other things to pack for the Amazon Rainforest

When you’ve packed a few long-sleeved tops and trousers, I also recommend adding the following items. I have linked my top choice for each one to make your life even easier!

• Insect repellent (just as vital as taking clothes!)
• A rain jacket (although most tours will provide these for you)
• Sunscreen (reef friendly as you might be swimming)
• Swimsuit (yes, you can swim there!)
• A quick-dry towel
• A reusable water bottle
• A day bag (to carry a water bottle, camera etc)
• A dry bag (to use in the canoes to and from the activities)
• An adapter and a portable phone charger – there is electricity at the lodge
• A camera
• Cash to tip and to pay the local community fee
• A phone with a torch, or an actual flashlight for the night walks
• A book or Kindle to read during your rest time
• Shower gel and normal toiletries (there are no shops there, obviously)
• Extra batteries for everything. Even though there is electricity, it’s communal and only on at certain hours of the day. Take spare fully-charged batteries if you can.

What to NOT pack for the Amazon tour

Again, I highly recommend leaving most of your belongings at Community Hostel whilst you are in the Amazon Rainforest.

We left almost everything at Community Hostel and just took an average-sized day bag with us. Laptops, expensive equipment, spare clothes, anything you don’t need in a rainforest – can all be left at Community Hostel in a safe, locked storage room.

It’s also incredibly humid everywhere in the Amazon, so you don’t want anything important or expensive getting damaged.

In summary, do not take to the Amazon (unless you absolutely have to):

• Laptop or expensive tech
• Your entire big bag (leave most of your belongings in the locked storage room at the Community Hostel)
• Hair appliances (there’s no electricity in the rooms, only communal spaces)
• More than 2 pairs of shoes (sandals and trainers will suffice)
• Food – you’re only going to attract animals to your room if you have secret food stuffed in your bag! Don’t do it.

Bonus tip for packing for the Amazon Rainforest

Make sure you have enough clothes for the duration of your trip. What do I mean by this? I know I’m talking to you, an adult who doesn’t need to be told how many pairs of pants to pack, but this is important.

You can really only wear the clothes once, and then they’re covered in mud and sweat (gross, I know). I had one linen suit and it was fine, but if I could have taken more, I would have. But I did have lots of additional t-shirts and vest tops to change a couple of times a day.

In the evenings, I wore gym leggings and a vest top, with a long-sleeved shirt to cover my arms. Take a few spare clothes in case things get dirty, muddy or even ruined (there are sharp branches and lots of caimans who just loooove eating tourist’s linen trousers…just kidding, but take spare clothes!)

Can you wear leggings in the Amazon rainforest?

Yes, you can absolutely wear leggings in the Amazon Rainforest. However, it’s quite humid, so you may get hot quite quickly. Your best bet is to buy gym leggings with sweat-wick qualities to stay as cool as possible (and to dry off quickly in the rain).

But I wore regular leggings there too; it’s fine, it’s just a little hot!

What shoes should I wear to the Amazon Rainforest?

Most tours will provide wellie boots. In short, they are vital to wear when walking around the Amazon Rainforest. If your tour doesn’t provide wellies (I suggest contacting them if it isn’t clearly stated on the website), you will need to take your own or water-resistant, sturdy hiking boots.

But I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t want to wear hiking boots in the Amazon unless I really had to. The mud was often over 4 inches deep. It rained, a lot. The ground was hard to walk on, even in wellies!

If you need to purchase some wellies, I recommend Standard Hunters. Although if you’re backpacking, it may be a little hard to fit them in your backpack!

What equipment will my tour provide in the Amazon Rainforest?

In most areas of the Amazon Rainforest, it is impossible to explore without a guided tour. The best thing about the tours is how they provide so much for you, so you can knock a few things off of your packing list.

For example, our Amazon tour provided:

• A waterproof poncho
• Wellie boots (up to UK size 13)
• A mosquito net around your bed
• Life vests for the canoe and swimming

The most important thing is wellie boots. You must check the website of your own tour to see what they provide for you. If you are unsure, contact them in advance to double-check!

For further details on how to book the Amazon tour, check out my post: Amazon Tours Ecuador: BEST Cuyabeno Trip From Quito.

How to organise and book a trip to the Amazon Rainforest (from Quito, Ecuador)

Firstly, I recommend doing an Amazon tour from Quito with Community Hostel and Community Adventures.

For your first night in Quito, stay at Community Hostel. The hostel can then book the Amazon tour for you (or you can pre-book to ensure a space on the tour during peak times). You will then leave for the trip from Community Hostel.

You can also leave your big bag and expensive belongings at Community. They have a locked storage room (which is totally safe) so you can pack a small day bag to take with you to the Amazon.

The bus also picks you up and drops you directly back at Community Hostel. It makes your life a lot easier by staying there!

❗️HOW WE DID IT: We booked a night at Community Hostel on Wednesday, travelled to Cuyabeno on Thursday, and returned to the hostel on a Monday night (where we stayed again).

➡ Book your Community Hostel stay now!

For further details on how to book the Amazon tour, check out my post: Amazon Tours Ecuador: BEST Cuyabeno Trip From Quito.

Where to stay in Quito for the Amazon Rainforest tour

If you are doing an Amazon tour from Quito (Ecuador), stay at Community Hostel. The hostel can then book the Amazon tour for you.

You can view the hostel and their Amazon tours here.

Need help getting to and from Quito? Check out the following posts:

• Quito To Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve (Ecuador Amazon Rainforest)
• Quito To Banos: FULL Guide + Route
• Quito To Mindo: BEST And Easiest Routes

What to pack for Ecuador

Packing for Ecuador is similar to most Central/South American countries, although you need to pack some warmer clothes for locations like Quito.

Luckily for you, I’ve written an entire, lengthy blog post about what to pack for Ecuador; from daily clothes to gadgets and tech, the right kind of backpack and things you may have forgotten. You can check out my full Ecuador packing list here!

Don’t forget travel insurance for South America!

If you’re visiting South America as a backpacker, or even for a short vacation, it is so important to have travel insurance. And if you ended up on a post that’s called ‘epic party tips’, you know (just as well as I do) that you definitely need travel insurance.

Personally, I recommend SafetyWing. As a digital nomad and world traveller myself, I can confirm it is the best travel insurance out there. And one of the cheapest – they have deals that start at just $42 USD per month.

I know, I know, you’re thinking ‘but I can’t afford that!’. I was the same! It’s tough to fork out $42 a month on something ‘you might not need’. But what if something DOES happen? That extra Mezcal shot results in you falling down the stairs, or you eat something dodgy from a street food van.

If you need medical help at any point whilst in South America, you need travel insurance.

With SafetyWing, you’re covered on travel emergencies, basic medical costs and medical expenses throughout your trip, so you can travel without worry (at a backpacker’s price!)

Don’t even think twice about getting travel insurance for South America. Trust me, I have heard enough horror stories about backpackers who haven’t had insurance and have ended up in a lot of debt. Don’t be that person!

If you’ve been putting the job off because it takes a lot of time and effort to research the best travel insurance companies, I understand. That’s why I’ve done the hard work for you. Sign up for SafetyWing, and the job is done!

What To Wear In The Amazon Rainforest: In a Nutshell

So, there you have it! Everything you need to know about what to wear in the Amazon Rainforest! If you need more information about the Amazon tour, be sure to check out my full Cuyabeno guide.

 When you’re planning a trip to Ecuador, make sure you let me know over on Instagram or in the comments below!

If you haven’t seen my blog before, I write posts aimed at real-life travellers wanting authentic and down-to-earth information. I’m currently travelling around the world with my boyfriend (read more here!), creating guides and itineraries for you to follow in our footsteps!

Keep an eye out for more Ecuador content, all written from a personal and realistic point of view. You can sign up for my newsletter and juicy travel updates here!

As always, thanks for reading and supporting the blog!

Happy travelling 🙂

Jennie x

🇪🇨 Other Ecuador posts:

• Amazon Tours Ecuador: BEST Cuyabeno Trip From Quito
• Quito To Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve (Ecuador Amazon Rainforest)
• Ecuador Itinerary 3 Weeks: FULL Route + Guide
• Quito To Banos: FULL Guide + Route
• Frog Concert Mindo: Just WHAT Is It? FULL Guide
• Quito To Mindo: BEST And Easiest Routes