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Hiring a campervan in Tarapoto means setting off from the ‘City of Palms’, gateway to the Peruvian high Amazon, where the last Andean foothills drop into the forest of the San Martín region. Within an hour's drive you reach the Quechua village of Lamas, the Ahuashiyacu waterfall or the wooded hills of the Cordillera Escalera; a little further lie the Laguna Azul of Sauce and Moyobamba, the orchid capital. Our partner company, Intorno, hands over its vehicles here.
Choose between pick-up campers on a Toyota Hilux or Great Wall, Hilux pick-ups with roof tents and Peugeot Boxer campervans.
1 rental partner
Where to pick up your vehicle in Tarapoto?
Observed prices
Rental prices observed in Tarapoto
| Vehicle | Winter July | Spring October | Summer January | Autumn April |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campervan | from €297/day median €365/day | from €269/day median €329/day | from €274/day median €336/day | from €272/day median €334/day |
Daily prices observed on October 26, 2026 for a 15-day rental: CoolDrive selling price, mandatory fees included, 1 rental companies compared. 0% of offers with unlimited mileage. Median excess: €1,341.
Road trip ideas
Road trips from Tarapoto
1 Lamas, Moyobamba and the Alto Mayo valley
- Tarapoto
- Lamas
- Moyobamba
- Rioja
- Nueva Cajamarca
- Tarapoto
To the north-west, the Fernando Belaúnde Terry highway first climbs to Lamas, perched on its hill, whose Wayku quarter is home to the Quechua Lamista community and its weavers. It then reaches Moyobamba, founded in the 16th century, with its orchid gardens and the San Mateo hot springs. Before heading back, take a swim in the clear waters of the Tioyacu, near Rioja. The road is paved: a van is perfectly at ease.
- Distance
- about 300 km
- Recommended vehicle
- Campervan or camper van
2 The Cordillera Escalera to the port of Yurimaguas
- Tarapoto
- Ahuashiyacu
- Pongo de Caynarachi
- Yurimaguas
- Tarapoto
To the north-east, the Yurimaguas road crosses the Cordillera Escalera, the last range before the Amazon plain. Stop at the Ahuashiyacu waterfall, a quarter of an hour from town, then at the Caynarachi gorge, explored by boat. The descent ends in Yurimaguas, a river port on the Huallaga where boats leave for Iquitos, a city with no road link at all.
- Distance
- about 280 km
- Recommended vehicle
- Campervan or pick-up camper
3 Laguna Azul and the banks of the Huallaga
- Tarapoto
- Juan Guerra
- Laguna Azul (Sauce)
- Tarapoto
- Chazuta
- Tarapoto
To the south, the road follows the Huallaga before climbing to Sauce and its Laguna Azul, a large forest-fringed lake where you can swim, paddle and spend a quiet night at a lodge. On another day, a road squeezed along the river leads to Chazuta, a potters' village known for its ancient funerary urns and the Tununtunumba waterfall. For the dirt tracks around the lakes, a 4x4 is best.
- Distance
- about 200 km
- Recommended vehicle
- 4x4 pick-up camper
Weather and seasons
When to go in Tarapoto?
Best time
June to August: the dry season
June to August
highs 29 to 31 °C, lows 20 °C
Showers become rarer and the sun shines ten to eleven hours a day: dry tracks, waterfalls still in full flow and slightly less sticky nights. This is the best time for the Laguna Azul and the trails of the Cordillera Escalera. On 24 June, the whole Amazon region celebrates the feast of San Juan with juane, rice cooked in a bijao leaf.
September to December: the showers return
September to December
highs 30 to 32 °C, lows 21 to 22 °C
September is the hottest month, and the rains gradually return until December, often as late-afternoon thunderstorms. Mornings stay sunny, leaving time to visit Lamas or swim at the waterfalls. In Moyobamba, the orchid season draws visitors around the end of October.
January to May: the rainy season
January to May
highs 29 to 31 °C, lows 21 to 22 °C
February and above all March bring the heaviest rain of the year, with fewer hours of sunshine. The waterfalls are spectacular, but rivers swell, dirt tracks turn muddy and landslides sometimes cut the mountain roads. Leave some slack in your schedule and stick to paved roads.
Climate in Tarapoto, month by month
Most pleasant months: June to August.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 °C | 22 °C | 121 mm | 10 h/day |
| Feb | 30 °C | 22 °C | 173 mm | 9 h/day |
| Mar | 30 °C | 22 °C | 218 mm | 8 h/day |
| Apr | 30 °C | 21 °C | 135 mm | 9 h/day |
| May | 29 °C | 21 °C | 120 mm | 10 h/day |
| Jun | 29 °C | 20 °C | 79 mm | 10 h/day |
| Jul | 29 °C | 20 °C | 63 mm | 11 h/day |
| Aug | 31 °C | 20 °C | 62 mm | 11 h/day |
| Sep | 32 °C | 21 °C | 104 mm | 11 h/day |
| Oct | 31 °C | 22 °C | 128 mm | 10 h/day |
| Nov | 30 °C | 22 °C | 135 mm | 10 h/day |
| Dec | 31 °C | 22 °C | 142 mm | 10 h/day |
Averages 2016–2025 computed from Open-Meteo data (ERA5 reanalysis).
Practical tips
Everything to know before hitting the road
Hundreds of mototaxis
Tarapoto is the city of mototaxis: these covered tricycles overtake on the right, cut across junctions and stop without warning. Drive slowly in town, keep an eye on your mirrors and watch out for speed bumps at the entrance to villages, often hard to see. The size of a pick-up camper also calls for care in the narrow streets of the centre.
Landslides in the wet season
After heavy rain, huaicos, flows of mud and rocks, can block the Yurimaguas road or the one climbing towards the Alto Mayo for hours. Check road conditions before each stage, keep water and food on board, and never try to cross a flow that is still moving.
Soles in cash
Cash machines are found mainly in Tarapoto, Moyobamba and Yurimaguas. In Lamas, Sauce or Chazuta, site entrances, boat trips and small lodges are almost always paid in cash: withdraw enough soles before leaving town. Also fill up in the larger towns, as filling stations are scarcer on secondary roads.
Arrive before dark
Close to the equator, night falls around 6 pm all year round. On the roads of San Martín, pedestrians, bicycles, animals and mototaxis without lights then melt into the darkness. Plan your stages to arrive before sunset, especially as tropical storms suddenly reduce visibility in the late afternoon.
What travellers ask
Your questions about a road trip in Tarapoto
Where can I pick up a campervan in Tarapoto?
Intorno, our partner company, hands over its vehicles at its Tarapoto depot; the exact meeting point is given in your booking confirmation. The town is compact and the airport very close to the centre, so you can land in the morning and hit the road in the afternoon. Allow time to get to grips with the equipment.
How much does it cost to hire a campervan in Tarapoto?
The rate depends on the month of departure, the length of hire, the model and the return city if you end your trip elsewhere in Peru. Run a search with your dates: the prices shown include mandatory fees, and the details of each offer specify mileage, excess and equipment provided.
4x4 pick-up or campervan for the Tarapoto region?
The Peugeot Boxer Mora and Höseg campervans, with four berths, suit the paved roads to Lamas, Moyobamba and Yurimaguas. For the tracks of the Laguna Azul or muddy access roads in the rainy season, choose a camper on a Toyota Hilux or Great Wall, with more ground clearance. The Hilux with roof tents are the airiest on hot nights.
Can I do a one-way trip to Chachapoyas or the coast?
Chachapoyas, 168 km as the crow flies, is about 350 km by road via Moyobamba and the Abra Patricia pass. Chiclayo and Trujillo, on the Pacific, are much further, at least two days' drive away. These departure cities of our partners are ideal for a one-way trip: the fee appears in the price as soon as you choose the return city.
Can I drive to Iquitos in a campervan?
No: no road links Iquitos to the rest of the country. The paved road ends in Yurimaguas, on the Huallaga, where passenger boats leave on a journey of several days to the Amazon. The vehicle cannot go on board, but you can spend a day at the port of Yurimaguas before driving back up to Tarapoto.
Verified customer reviews
They rented in Tarapoto with CoolDrive Nomad
4.3
818 reviews
First rental of this type of vehicle in a professional context where the rental must take place from France to Canada. Many questions and Cooldrive (Marlène) has been a valuable support in guiding my choices. Efficiency and responsiveness beforehand, and on-site a vehicle and service that met our expectations. No complaints. Great!
Alain L.
Canada · Oct 2025
Avis Vérifiés
Too rigid computer system
Eric L.
Portugal · Oct 2025
Avis Vérifiés
Very good customer experience with Cooldrive. I highly recommend it! Thanks to the team who were attentive and available for organizing my trip to Canada.
B.
Canada · Oct 2025
Trustpilot
Frequently asked questions
FAQ — Campervan and motorhome hire in Tarapoto
What licence do I need to drive a campervan in Peru?
A car licence is enough for the pick-up campers and vans offered in Tarapoto. Traffic drives on the right, and an international driving permit alongside your national licence is strongly recommended, as police checks are frequent on Amazonian roads. The minimum age and years of driving required are shown in the conditions of each offer.
How do I get from Tarapoto airport to the depot?
Guillermo del Castillo Paredes airport, linked to Lima by daily flights of about one hour, is a few minutes from the centre. A taxi or mototaxi will quickly take you to the meeting point. Give the rental company your flight number: in case of delay, common on stormy days, it can reschedule the vehicle handover.
Where can I stay overnight with a campervan around Tarapoto?
There are almost no proper campsites. The country hotels and lodges, plentiful around Tarapoto, the Laguna Azul and Moyobamba, often accept a vehicle on their grounds for a small fee, with a shower and sometimes electricity. Always ask permission before settling in and avoid spending the night alone by the roadside.
Is it too hot to sleep in a campervan?
Nights stay warm, around 20 to 22 °C, and humidity is high all year round. Park in the shade, open the windows fitted with mosquito screens and look for a pitch with electricity to run a fan. Lamas and the heights of the Alto Mayo, a little higher up, offer slightly cooler evenings.
What health precautions should I take in the high Amazon?
Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for the Amazon regions of Peru: see a doctor or an international vaccination centre several weeks before departure. Once there, bring an effective repellent, wear long sleeves at dusk against the mosquitoes that carry dengue, and drink only bottled or filtered water.
When should I book a campervan in Tarapoto?
As soon as your dates are set if you are aiming for the dry season, and especially for San Juan and the national holidays at the end of July, when Peruvians fill the region's lodges. Intorno is the only partner company on site and its local fleet is small: pick-up campers and four-berth vans go first.
About us
Why start a campervan trip from Tarapoto
Tarapoto offers what few Peruvian cities can: an Amazon reachable by road, without dugout canoes or bush planes. A single departure city opens onto waterfalls, swimming lakes, Quechua villages and cloud forests covered in orchids, all linked by largely paved roads. People come for the nature, but also for an Amazonian cuisine based on juane, tacacho and local cacao that you will taste nowhere else.
From the Intorno depot, pick-up campers on Toyota Hilux and Great Wall or Peugeot Boxer campervans handle wet tracks as well as tarmac. Chachapoyas, Chiclayo, Trujillo and Lima, other departure cities of our partners, let you extend the trip to the Andes or the Pacific one way. It is hot all year round, but the dry season, from June to August, remains the most comfortable.