Rainforest lodges in Tambopata, giant otters on Lake Sandoval and canopy walkways, a short flight from Cusco
More than half of Peru is covered by the Amazon rainforest, one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. In the south, around Puerto Maldonado, the Tambopata National Reserve protects oxbow lakes with giant river otters, macaw clay licks, monkeys, caimans and hundreds of species of birds, a short flight from Cusco and Machu Picchu.
We add the Amazon to journeys through Peru, usually for two nights at a rainforest lodge between Lima and Cusco. You fly to Puerto Maldonado, continue by boat to the lodge, and explore the forest, the rivers and the lakes with a naturalist guide, before flying on to Cusco and the Sacred Valley.
| Day | What you do | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Into the rainforest | Flight to Puerto Maldonado, then a short drive and a 25-minute boat ride to the lodge | The Concepción trails after lunch and a twilight boat ride on the river at dusk |
| A full day in the jungle | Early start with a naturalist guide | A canoe on Lake Sandoval in the Tambopata National Reserve, home to giant river otters, red howler monkeys, black caimans and many birds; the canopy walkway, a network of hanging bridges above the trees; and a night walk with flashlights |
| Back to the Andes | Morning boat ride along the Madre de Dios River to the airport | Flight to Cusco and transfer to the Sacred Valley |
The lodges of Tambopata are reached by boat and include meals and guided excursions. The deeper you go, the wilder the forest and the more wildlife you are likely to see, but the longer the journey:
| Lodge | Setting | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica | On the Madre de Dios River, downriver from Puerto Maldonado | Couples who want comfortable cabañas, a canopy walkway and fine dining |
| Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción | A former hacienda on the Madre de Dios, close to Lake Sandoval | Families and short stays; the lodge of our two-night programme |
| Posada Amazonas | On the Tambopata River, on land owned by a local Ese’eja community | Travellers who want wildlife, a canopy tower and a community partnership |
| Refugio Amazonas | Deeper along the Tambopata River | Families and longer stays with more excursions |
| Tambopata Research Center | The most remote lodge, near one of the largest macaw clay licks | Wildlife lovers with four nights or more |
Peru has two great Amazon regions. Tambopata is the easiest to combine with Machu Picchu; Iquitos, in the north, is the place for a river cruise, which we can arrange on request:
| Tambopata (southern Peru) | Iquitos (northern Peru) | |
|---|---|---|
| Gateway | Puerto Maldonado, with flights from Lima and Cusco | Iquitos, the largest city in the world that cannot be reached by road |
| How you stay | Rainforest lodges for two to four nights | River cruises on the Amazon and its tributaries |
| Highlights | Oxbow lakes with giant otters, canopy walkways and macaw clay licks | The Amazon River itself and the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve |
| Combines with | Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, before or after | Lima, as a separate part of the trip |
| Time | Plan | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Two nights | Arrival and a river trip, a full day at Lake Sandoval and the canopy walkway, and the flight on to Cusco. This is the plan of our journeys. | A first taste of the rainforest in a longer trip |
| Three nights | Add more trails, a canopy tower at dawn and extra boat trips | Families and keen photographers |
| Four nights or more | Travel deeper to the Tambopata Research Center for the macaw clay lick | Wildlife lovers |
The rainforest is hot and humid all year. From May to October it is drier, the trails are firmer and wildlife gathers around the lakes and rivers; from November to April the rain is heavier and the rivers are high, but the forest is at its greenest:
| Month | High / low | Rain | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30.9 / 21.4 °C | 343 mm | The rainiest season; high rivers and green forest |
| February | 30.7 / 21.2 °C | 333 mm | Heavy rain, often in the afternoon |
| March | 31.0 / 20.9 °C | 275 mm | Still wet; good for birds |
| April | 30.7 / 20.3 °C | 154 mm | Very good: the rains ease, the forest is lush |
| May | 29.8 / 18.8 °C | 106 mm | Excellent: drier trails |
| June | 29.0 / 17.4 °C | 58 mm | Excellent: dry; cool fronts called friajes can bring a few chilly days |
| July | 29.6 / 16.8 °C | 57 mm | Excellent: the driest month, with the coolest nights |
| August | 31.2 / 17.8 °C | 63 mm | Excellent: dry and good for wildlife on the lake shores |
| September | 32.0 / 18.8 °C | 98 mm | Very good: warm and still fairly dry |
| October | 32.0 / 20.4 °C | 164 mm | Hot; the first heavy showers |
| November | 31.6 / 21.1 °C | 237 mm | The rains return |
| December | 31.1 / 21.3 °C | 279 mm | Wet and hot |
Climate normals 1961–1990 for Puerto Maldonado (NOAA). Wildlife can be seen all year. See the best time to visit Peru to plan the Andes and the coast in the same trip.
Puerto Maldonado has flights to both Lima and Cusco, so the rainforest fits easily before or after the Andes. Going from Lima to the Amazon and then up to Cusco also helps with the altitude: you spend two days at low altitude before the mountains. Our Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina & Brazil Explorer (35 days) does exactly that, flying from Lima to the Amazon and on to Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. We can add the same programme to any of our Peru tours or to a tailor-made trip.
The Amazon is the third world of Peru, after the Andes and the coast. Combine it with Lima and the Andes, or read our guides to the best things to do in Peru, a Peru family vacation and a Peru honeymoon, and see what our all-inclusive Peru trips include.
Five weeks from the Peruvian Amazon and Machu Picchu across Uyuni and the Atacama to Mendoza’s wineries, Bariloche, Buenos Aires, Iguazú Falls and Rio.
Every Amazon itinerary can be adapted to your dates and pace. Plan a tailor-made trip →
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Everything you need to know before traveling to Amazon.
It depends on your trip: Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica for comfort, Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción for families and short stays, Posada Amazonas and Refugio Amazonas for wildlife, and the Tambopata Research Center for the macaw clay lick.
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