Puerto Maldonado Tour Ideas

Machu Picchu & Amazon
10 Days from $2,260

Journey through the Sacred Valley to Machu Picchu and explore the Peruvian Amazon in this 10 day tour. Spend 3 nights in the Amazon, observing the multitude of wildlife. Continue to Cusco and make your way through the Sacred Valley, exploring markets and ruins. Your trip culminates at Machu Picchu, one of the new seven wonders of the world.

Keep your binocs handy...you never know what youll see!

Tambopata Research Center Highlights

5 Days from $1,075

Explore the Amazon Rainforest on this 5-day tour. Hike on the floodplain trails, search for frogs at night, and look for the gleaming eyes of the caiman during your stay at the Tambopata Research Center.

Refugio Amazonas Adventure

4 Days from $666

Take your family on a Peruvian trip to the Amazon Rainforest. Enjoy climbing a 30 meter canopy tower, take a catamaran around Lake Condenado and let your kids explore the trail for children on this 4 day tour at the Refugio Amazonas.

Posada Amazonas Exploration

4 Days from $666

Explore the Amazon Rainforest at the Posadas Amazonas. Kayak, stand up paddle board, visit a canopy tower and hike through the jungle on this 4 day tour.

Best Puerto Maldonado & Manu Tours

Trip Name	From	Days	Level	Summary
Manu Wildlife Adventure	$1895	5	Easy Active	Explore the beauty of the Rainforest on a trip to Manu Wildlife Center in Peru. Watch as tapirs and macaws feed on clay licks, boat down the river and search for nocturnal animals like the caiman on this 5-day adventure.
Manu Wildlife Snapshot	$1575	4	Easy Active	Travel to the remote Amazon Rainforest on your trip to Peru. Watch in awe as woodpeckers, tanagers, macaws, toucans and parakeets fly around the treetops on this 4 day adventure at Manu Wildlife Center.
Tambopata Research Center	$1075	5	Easy Active	Explore the Amazon Rainforest on this 5-day tour. Hike on the floodplain trails, search for frogs at night, and look for the gleaming eyes of the caiman during your stay at the Tambopata Research Center.
Heath River Jungle and Savanna	$1140	4	Easy Active	Travel along the border of Peru and Bolivia to experience the wonders of the Amazon Rainforest. Visit macaw and mammal clay licks, take a canoe tour around Cocha Guacamayo and search for a family of giant otters on this 5 day tour at Heath River Wildlife Center.
Reserva Amazonica Snapshot	$795	4	Easy Active	Experience the wonder of the Amazon Rainforest on this 4 day tour. Go on the Anaconda Walk, search for wildlife and explore a rainforest garden during your stay at Reserva Amazonica.
Refugio Amazonas Adventure	$666	4	Relaxed	Take your family on a Peruvian trip to the Amazon Rainforest. Enjoy climbing a 30 meter canopy tower, take a catamaran around Lake Condenado and let your kids explore the trail for children on this 4 day tour at the Refugio Amazonas.
Posada Amazonas Exploration	$666	4	Easy Active	Explore the Amazon Rainforest at the Posadas Amazonas. Kayak, stand up paddle board, visit a canopy tower and hike through the jungle on this 4 day tour.
Sandoval Lake Lodge	$658	4	Easy Active	Visit the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest on this 4 day tour. Observe the wildlife, relax by the lake and enjoy scenic views during you stay at Sandoval Lake Lodge.
Hacienda Concepcion Rainforest Adventure	$595	4	Easy Active	Experience a snapshot of the Amazon Rainforest during your stay at the Hacienda Concepcion. Learn about the local farmers, listen to the sounds of the rainforest at night and look for footprints to track animals on this 4-day tour.
Wild Tambopata	$1375	7	Relaxed	Visit the largest known macaw salt lick in the Amazon and travel deep into the wildest area of the Amazon jungle. Stay 3 nights at a research station and 2 nights at a jungle lodge. This is one of the most complete jungle expeditions anywhere!

Our Travel Stories

All Puerto Maldonado Travel Stories

Machu Picchu...exceeds every expectation.

Adventures in Peru

A Peruvian Honeymoon

Puerto Maldonado Travel Guide

Puerto Maldonado: Highlights

Canopy Walks to search for the monkeys and birds that live most of their lives in the upper levels of the rainforest
Kayaking on oxbow lakes to get up-close with the animals that live by the shores and in the water, like giant river otters, yellow spotted side-neck turtles, and caiman.
Hiking at all hours of the day and night through the marshland, flood plain, and terra firme trails to spot both diurnal and nocturnal animals.
Visiting a parrot clay lick to see where hundreds of birds flock to supplement their acidic diets with the basic clay.
Canoe cruising down the waterways.
Learning about & participating in conservation efforts and projects to help keep the rainforest pristine.

Jungle Packing Tips

The Amazon is definitely a destination you want to be prepared for as best as possible! There are probably things that even well-seasoned travelers would not think to bring along with them. These tips will guide travelers on how to pack for a trip to the Amazon Rainforest. Packing light and packing smart are key!

Medicinal Treasures of the Rainforest

A look at the botanical medical treasures that exist within the Amazon and other tropical rainforests. Details on how they are put to use in the Western world and a glimpse at how these resources are being threatened today.

Getting to Puerto Maldonado
There are just two main ways to get to Puerto Maldonado, in the southern Peruvian Amazon - by air or by land.

By air:
Flights to Puerto Maldonado depart throughout the day from both Cusco (1 hour away) and Lima (1 1/2 hours away).

By land:
You can take a 12-hour bus ride from Cusco, which is a more economical option but also considerably less comfortable than the plane, since it is a much longer and more winding journey.

What Can I Do?

Rainforests are precious resources to wildlife inhabitants and our world! There are simple changes we can personally make that could potentially have a big impact, such as reducing paper usage & being mindful of what we eat. Reducing our consumption helps support the rainforests.

Puerto Maldonado Climate

July-December –
Low water Season
78-104ºF (26-40ºC)

Lower rivers
Less precipitation

January-June –
High water season
73-86ºF (23-30ºC)

Higher Rivers
Cooler Temperatures
Expect intermittent daily showers, occasionally pretty heavy

When to Visit
Low Water Season
Better trail access

Better fishing & birding
opportunities
Fewer mosquitos
Great time to see the caiman crocodiles

High Water Season

Better river accessibility & navigation
More mosquitos
Good time to swim in blackwater creeks

Best Time of Year to Travel to the Amazon

Find the best months of the year to travel to the Amazon Rainforest & the Amazon River. The Amazon is huge, and different regions have different climates.

Portrait of a Brazilian Indian in the Amazon

Indigenous People

Do you have questions about the people you might encounter on an Amazon trip? Here is a 'Q&A' session from the Rainforest Action Network to help educate people about the indigenous groups of the Amazon. Be prepared to observe unique cultures, interesting traditions and intriguing ways of life.

Peru Animals and Wildlife

Peruvian Food - Top 20 Plates in Peru

Discover Peru's culinary treasures! In recent years Peruvian gastronomy has continually progressed, drawing on the legacy of regional culinary styles but also accepting influences from other parts of the world. Now, Peru's modern Novoandina cuisine is the all the rage from LA to London.

History and Culture of Peru

Find answers to your questions about Peru and Peruvian culture in this brief overview of Peru's history, culture, religion, food, and language.

Where to Stay in Puerto Maldonado
For those hoping to take an Amazon river cruise, look into the port town of Iquitos, where all of our Adventure Life Peru rainforest cruises depart from. Puerto Maldonado is the Amazonian town where we base our land tours, from the following lodges & wildlife centers.

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