If you are thinking of visiting and taking some tours to Puerto Maldonado, Peru, you will carry with you an unforgettable experience for the rest of your life.
This majestic place, located at the southeast of Peru’s Amazon rainforest, lies at the confluence of the Tambopata and Madre de Dios Rivers. The National Reserve protects a vast variety of birds, clay licks, and oxbow lakes, which enhance eco-tourism trips.
Among the indigenous communities living in this area, you can find the Matsiguenka tribe.
During this four-day tour of Puerto Maldonado, Peru, you will visit breathtaking places along this hidden gem deep in the jungle.
One of the highlights of the tour is the world’s largest clay lick, a perfect spot for birdwatching, due to the amazing congregation of brightly colored macaws, parakeets, and parrots. You’ll also visit the famous ‘Monkey Island,’ home to a diverse variety of monkeys.
Our Amazon tours include visits to the most beautiful lakes in southeast Peru, located within the Tambopata National Reserve. You’ll explore the lake and see the biodiversity of the flora, as well as wildlife (including several endangered species). You’ll spot black caimans and giant otters in their natural habitat.
Additionally, we offer adventurous activities like nocturnal walks, birdwatching, survival practices, traveling down the Madre de Dios and Tambopata Rivers, exploring the incredible Sandoval Lake, and learning about various types of forests.
We will pick you up from the bus terminal or Puerto Maldonado Airport and transfer you to our agency office for a short briefing on your four-day Amazon rainforest tour.
If you are carrying any heavy luggage, we recommend leaving it at our office during the tour.
Next, we will drive you for an hour to the port of Philadelphia, a small village along the Tambopata River. From here, we will board our motorized boat for a scenic trip to the lodge deep within the Tambopata National Reserve. During the trip, we will stop for a walk in a primary forest and reach a high observation tower for a stunning view of the ecosystem and Amazonian plain. Continuing the boat ride, we will arrive at the lodge, where our staff will warmly welcome you.
You will be accommodated in an ensuite room, and we will serve a typical Amazonian lunch.
After lunch, we will go on a hike along one of the most interesting trails through the riverbanks, where we can observe wildlife such as mammals, snakes, and insects.
After the tour, we will return to the lodge for dinner.
We begin our second day bright and early, around 4:00 A.M. A motorized boat will take us on a scenic 40-minute journey along the Tambopata River to the famous Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick, one of the top birdwatching spots in the Amazon.
At this natural clay wall, rich in mineral salts, you'll witness an incredible spectacle as hundreds of macaws, parrots, and parakeets gather to feed. This clay helps them neutralize toxins from their diet. Among the main species you’ll see are the red-and-green macaw (Ara chloropterus), blue-and-yellow macaw (Ara ararauna), and scarlet macaw (Ara macao).
As we wait in a strategic viewing spot, you'll watch these majestic birds arrive in pairs or small flocks, filling the sky with color and sound. The boat ride itself is an adventure—with good luck, we may spot capybaras, black and white caimans, and monkeys along the riverbanks.
After observing this unforgettable wildlife scene, we’ll enjoy a hearty breakfast prepared by our cook, right on the riverbank. Then we return to the lodge to relax in hammocks surrounded by the sounds of the jungle.
After a delicious Amazonian lunch, we’ll pack up and take the motorized boat back to Puerto Philadelphia, where a vehicle will transfer us to Puerto Maldonado. There, you’ll have a brief chance to buy water or snacks before we head to our final jungle lodge.
In the afternoon, we’ll experience the canopy walk and zipline adventure, a guest favorite. From the treetops, you'll get panoramic views of the rainforest and feel the thrill of flying through the jungle.
Before dinner, we’ll head out for a short night walk to spot nocturnal animals and insects—or go on a caiman search along the river.
One of the best times to experience the incredible biodiversity of the Amazon is during dawn or dusk. We chose to set off at sunrise on a boat journey to Lake Sandoval, located deep within the Tambopata National Reserve. To reach the lake, we walked along a 3-kilometer wooden trail through lush rainforest. Along the way, we were constantly captivated by the rich variety of wildlife that surrounded us.
At the end of the trail, we arrived at a small dock and boarded a rowboat for our exploration of Lake Sandoval. The calm waters and surrounding vegetation provided the perfect setting to observe black caimans, giant river otters, herons, turtles, monkeys, macaws, wild ducks, and many other species. After an unforgettable tour, we returned to the lodge before noon to enjoy a relaxing lunch.
In the afternoon, we visited a local Matsigenka family to learn about their traditions and way of life. They welcomed us warmly and shared their skills, including how to use bows and arrows, spin and weave cotton to create their traditional clothing known as Cushma, and craft rope from plant fibers. They even showed us how to make fire using natural materials—an impressive and humbling experience.
As night fell, the jungle revealed a completely different side of itself. Equipped with flashlights, we ventured into the forest on a guided night walk in search of nocturnal wildlife. The experience was both mysterious and thrilling. We spotted porcupines, sloths, spiders, insects, reptiles, opossums, night monkeys, owls, and more. After an incredible day full of adventure and discovery, we returned to the lodge for dinner and well-deserved rest.
After a hearty breakfast and a well-deserved rest, we’ll begin our adventure to Monkey Island, located in the heart of the Madre de Dios River just minutes from our lodge. This island is home to several species of monkeys, including a rare hybrid capuchin. You’ll have the opportunity to feed them with local fruits while observing their playful behavior. With a bit of luck, we may also spot sloths and river turtles in their natural environment.
On the way to the island, you’ll have the exciting option to go kayaking along the riverbanks. This relaxing paddle offers a unique chance to observe Amazonian wildlife up close, including endangered turtles, white caimans, kingfishers, and herons. Life jackets are mandatory for this activity and will be provided by your guide to ensure safety throughout the experience.
After this unforgettable jungle excursion, we’ll return to the lodge for a delicious farewell lunch. Once we’ve finished, a motorized boat will take us back to Puerto Maldonado. There, a private transfer will be waiting to take you to the airport in time for your return flight.
The size of the group is 9 people per guide; if we have more than (10 to 14), we send a second guide (not an assistant). If there are more than 14 people, we divide into 2 totally independent groups both with their own cars, boats, guides and cooks.
Yes, the boats have roofs that will protect them from sun and rain. This does not ensure that you do not get wet during the navigation because it could get wet on the sides.
We request that hikers bring their own water the first day, since the containers with water will be accessible at dinner time. The rest of the trip, we will provide bottled and purified mineral water that we bring from Cusco.
Our meals are varied and taste of our hikers. In addition, they are foods that last the heat and humidity of the rainforest. Breakfasts consist of omelettes, scrambled eggs, pancakes, etc.
To be comfortable, we provide tents with capacity for 4 people for 2 people, we provide comfortable mats. The tents do not need a musketeer, because they carry musketeers at the door.
It is necessary to take a sleeping bag to the Camouflaged House, which you can replace with a thin blanket or if you want, you can rent it with us for $2.00 a day.
We cannot assure you that you will see the Macaws in the clay licks, but if you travel in the correct season you have more opportunities to see them.
The dry season is a good season to see these birds, as birds in some stations migrate to places of fruit production or eat only seeds per season. The seeds are toxic to prevent birds from eating them; however, if the macaws eat them, they increase the poison in their stomachs. To neutralize the acids and poisons in their stomachs, they eat nutritious clay.
In the rainy season, there are many fruits until the beginning of the dry season, which is May. Then the macaws eat fewer seeds and fruits that are less toxic and feel less need to eat the clay. This means that there are fewer macaws present; at midday of the dry season, there could be the presence of 100 to 150 macaws in a morning, unlike only 10 to 50 at the end of the rainy season.
The first night at Rainforest Lodge (600 m.a.s.l.) the temperature is around 27°C. In the low forest of the Manu, the temperature at night is normally around 27°C, and during the day about 35°C. As always, cold winds from Patagonia could reach the Manu area, and the temperature could drop around 10°C. These “Friajes” are very common in the southeast of the hemisphere, during the wind season (between April and the end of August).
There are not many walks in the sense of going far. All walks are done slowly. This is because most of you will find vegetation in the forest and be available to see the animals; giving enough time to see the surroundings and also hear them. The first day of the Tour we have afternoon walks around 2 hours. The second day is more to observe birds and animals along the Alto Madre de Dios River, with fewer walks than the other days.
The Tambopata Clay Lick Tour was an amazing 4-day escape into the Amazon. The highlight was definitely the macaws at the clay lick – a breathtaking sight. We saw plenty of wildlife, from monkeys to colorful birds. The boat rides and hikes were great, though I wish we had more time to explore. The lodge was simple but comfortable. Overall, it’s a fantastic short tour for those wanting a taste of the Amazon in just a few days.
The Tambopata Clay Lick Tour was an amazing 4-day escape into the Amazon. The highlight was definitely the macaws at the clay lick – a breathtaking sight. We saw plenty of wildlife, from monkeys to colorful birds. The boat rides and hikes were great, though I wish we had more time to explore. The lodge was simple but comfortable. Overall, it’s a fantastic short tour for those wanting a taste of the Amazon in just a few days.
