In this tour, you will experience various ecosystems of the Tambopata National Reserve, all of them coming with their unique flora and fauna. You will see and learn about a habit called “clay lick”, which is performed by macaws and parrots in the early mornings. But you will also be able to observe larger animals like mammals and reptiles. Several river cruises are included as well, one of them taking place during the sunset.
If you choose to book this experience, you can count yourself lucky to be lodged in the Tambopata Research Center. It is located inside of the Tambopata National Reserve and is one of the most remote lodges in South America! Due to its unique location, wildlife is especially active here. No wonder four out of ten guests staying here can spot a Jaguar on the way to the lodge!
Please, be aware that you have the possibility to choose different activities than the ones we suggest in this tour. You can see this tour as a suggested example for a possible itinerary. But if you are more interested in other activities and want to adapt your tour so that it suits you best, you can! The price will stay the same, as you pay per day and not per activity. We have added a “fictional” Day 6 to this tour, where we enlist all of the options you can choose from.
Of course, Tambopata is not the only region in the jungle that you can visit with us. Take a look at our other jungle tours that take you to Iquitos or Manu, if that suits you best. Should you still feel a bit overwhelmed and unsure of what fits your personal wishes the most, you can also request our help and we will customize a trip for you!
If you don´t need specific help from our experts, and decide to book this tour directly via the platform, please note that a 20% discount applies to children under 12 years of age, sharing the accommodation with their parents. We will deduct this discount from your total price manually, once your booking is confirmed.
You might have seen as well, that this tour has one of the highest Sustainability Scores so far! If you want to know which other tours are among the most sustainable ones, you can have a look at all of our Tours with a Score of 60 or more!
We will start this tour by picking you up at the airport of Puerto Maldonado, the capital of Madre de Dios. (Make sure to arrive before 1.00 pm. If you arrive by bus early in the morning, we will pick you up from the bus station upon your arrival. From there, we will go to our office in Puerto Maldonado and there you will be waiting for our fixed departure time.)
From there, we will take you to the Tambopata National Reserve. This first journey consists of a 1-hour bus ride, followed by 2,5 hours on a riverboat, where you will have your first meal. Making your way deeper into the jungle, you will soon cross the confluence with the Malinowski River, leaving the final traces of human habitation behind. Here, sightings of large birds, mammals and caimans will become more frequent. Finally, you will arrive in the heart of the National Park, where the Tambopata Research Center awaits you. This center, which is the only lodge inside the reserve, will be your home for the next four nights. (Of course, you can also check out the other lodges of the Tambopata region, if you´re interested.)
In the afternoon, you will go on a three to five-kilometer hike through a bamboo forest, which is home to different types of monkeys. The trail will lead you to a viewpoint, allowing you to overlook Tambopata National Reserve.
At night, we will give you the option of going out in the jungle again, as this is when most animals are active. Amphibians, like frogs, will be easy to find, and if you are lucky, you might even spot one of the mammals inhabiting this unique ecosystem.
The next morning, you will head out for dusk and start exploring the surroundings of the lodge (no need to go far, as you can find everything right on your doorstep). At this time of the day, different types of macaws and hundreds of parrots can be observed by the large river bank. They assemble here to lick clay, an interesting habit you will learn more about later.
After that, you will be looking for monkeys, this time passing through a dense rainforest with immense trees, creeks and ponds. On one of the ponds close to the lodge, you will be able to explore a small island from which you can spot many types of birds.
At the end of this day of exploration, we will have dinner followed by a night lecture on macaws and their habit of licking clay.
On your third day, you will have the possibility to go on the morning excursion again to observe the clay lick. This spectacle can vary a lot from one day to the other, so don´t hesitate to participate again. It is worth it!
After that, we will take you to yet another habitat with smaller, thinner trees to explore a different type of fauna: we often find saddleback tamarins in this area. After a while, you will reach a palm swamp, inhabited by many other kinds of mammals.
Another day of jungle exploration awaits you, this time you will be heading for several creeks, learning about the new type of forest you are passing through. You will eventually reach the Tambopata River.
The sun sets early in the jungle, so we will benefit from it to take you on a Sunset Cruise in the afternoon. The forest will be illuminated by all kinds of pink and orange colours, offering you one of the most stunning views you could wish for.
After last night´s highlight, you will wake up to the sounds of the jungle one last time, being immersed in this unique habitat, before we will make our way back to Puerto Maldonado.
We will take you to the airport/busstation, from where you can take a flight/bus from 11.30 am onwards. Of course, if you have a later flight or stay in Puerto Maldonado for more days, we can also drop you off in the city center.
As we have mentioned in the description, the itinerary described here above is just a suggested one. You can choose to replace some or all of the mentioned activities by others, if you wish so. The price will stay the same, as you pay per day, not per activity. If you choose to adapt your programme, you will first book the experience via this platform and then personalize it afterwards.
This is the complete list of activities you can choose from:
All of the lodges of our local partner work with local food producers to get their supplies. They all use a combination of solar and electrical energy. The energy consumption is measured annually to ensure that the set limits will not be exceeded. For the same reason, certain devices of high energy consumption, such as hair dryers, may not be used in the lodges.
Any type of single-use plastic is prohibited in the lodges, as well. To facilitate things for you, refill stations for water bottles have been set up in many places. Any waste that is produced despite all efforts, is regularly transported to the city to be disposed of there. Only biodegradable waste stays in the jungle, where it is being composted.
By taking part in this tour, you financially contribute to the conservation of the Tambopata National Reserve, which is always a great help! As the Lodge is located inside of the Reserve, your financial contribution will be even greater. On top of that, you can choose to participate in the citizen science programme, helping scientists with their important research.
To join the departure from Puerto Maldonado included in this tour, please make sure to arrive in Puerto Maldonado before 1.oo pm. Depending on where you are before, you can take a plane either from Lima (1,5 hours) or from Cuzco (30 minutes). We will meet you at the airport, take you to our office (5 minutes away) to refresh yourself and prepare for the journey and then we will head on to the Tambopata Research Center.
The Tambopata Research Center is a spacious boutique eco-lodge, with wifi, a bar, a massage center and a buffet service. It is the only lodge in the Tambopata National Park. The accommodation includes different suites with a private bathroom and an open window facing the forest. When you proceed to the booking of this tour, you will see a small description of each room and can choose what suits you best.
No, you won´t be surprised by any additional entrance fees to pay!
As you will not be hiking for hours, this tour is not very demanding, However, please keep in mind that the weather conditions in the jungle are not what most of us are used to: it gets hot, very humid and mosquitos love it here. So, don´t forget to stay hydrated, wear a hat or a cap and use insect repellent. Feel free to have a look at our general packing list for the jungle as well.
No vaccination is obligatory for you to participate in this tour. However, the Yellow Fever vaccine is highly recommended to travel to the Amazon region. We also suggest you see your doctor before coming here and talk to him about what he recommends to you.
According to the activities you choose for each day (note that the program is à la carte), you will be sharing them with other travelers that have opted for the same activity on that day. So, you will probably get to know different people every day. The maximum size of the groups is 10 people.
Your luggage is hand-carried at various stages in the trip for a long distance. We strongly recommend you limit your weight to 15 kilos (33 pounds apiece). You can leave your large luggage in our office at Puerto Maldonado. If you are visiting other destinations in Peru or South America that require different kinds of clothing, you can always pack separate bags and safely leave them at our offices in Puerto Maldonado on the first day so we won’t be carrying them around uselessly. Your bag will be waiting for you at the airport the day you leave.
For questions about booking a tour, prices, preparation for your trip, health and safety or other themes, please check our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you can’t find your question & answer, email us and we’ll add it!
