If you’re looking for an epic Amazon adventure from Puerto Maldonado, Peru, you’ve come to the right place!
While we were traveling all over South America, we had a hard time deciding where to visit the Amazon. Some places were too expensive, some were too remote, and some were too mainstream and overcrowded with tourists. So when we came across Puerto Maldonado, we were excited. Not only was it right beside the Amazon, but it was affordable, authentic, and easily accessible from Cusco!
When visiting, it’s important to choose a reputable tour that will give you the full Amazonian experience, from wildlife watching to piranha fishing. That’s why we created this blog to help guide you through the best tours available so you can choose the option that best fits your time and budget!
Don’t miss out!
Our Top Choice
The tour we loved the most and suggest booking ASAP is this one!
Our FAVORITE tour from Puerto Maldonado is this 4-day all-inclusive Amazon adventure. You’ll stay at a jungle eco-lodge and enjoy an incredible mix of activities, from river cruises and nature walks to ziplining and wildlife spotting. With highlights like the monkey canopy and Macaw Clay Lick, it’s the ultimate way to experience the Amazon.
- Our Top Choice
- The BEST Amazon Tours from Puerto Maldonado
- About Puerto Maldonado, Peru
- Should I book my Amazon tour in advance?
- Is an Amazon tour from Puerto Maldonado worth it?
- Where to Stay in Puerto Maldonado, Peru
- Thanks for reading!
- Why We Book Tours with Viator
- AIRALO e-SIM Up To 15% Off With Code "DTRAVEL15"
- What’s an eSIM?
The BEST Amazon Tours from Puerto Maldonado
1. 1-Day Amazon Tour from Puerto Maldonado (Day Trip)
If you are really short on time, you can go on this full-day tour to the Amazon Jungle from Puerto Maldonado. I recommend spending a couple of nights at an eco-lodge if you can, but if that’s not in your budget or itinerary, then this day trip is a great option!
The day starts bright and early with a 2:30 am pick-up from your hotel in Puerto Maldonado. You will drive for about 2.5 hours, then take a boat ride on the Tambopata River to the Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick. This is the largest clay lick on earth, and it is where hundreds of brightly colored macaws, parrots, and parakeets gather every day to enjoy a nice snack on the cliffside. The cliff soil is full of nutrients that attract the birds, and watching them is such an amazing spectacle!
Make sure to keep your eyes peeled as there is lots of other wildlife in this area, including Jaguars! But don’t worry – you’ll be safe in the boat!
This full-day tour lasts around 11 hours, and you will return to Puerto Maldonado, where the guides will drop you off at your hotel or airport if required. It is the only one-day tour in the area and is perfect if you’re short on time!
Related Read: If you’re looking for some other activities to do in Puerto Maldonado, have a look at our top things to do here!
2. 2-Days, 1-Night Amazon Tour from Puerto Maldonado
With only 1 night, you can still visit the Amazon jungle in Peru for a truly epic experience! On this 2-day tour, you will spend the night in an eco-lodge in the Amazon and have many opportunities to view wildlife.
We prefer this option over the day trip because it provides more time to see wildlife, plus lots of animals are nocturnal and don’t come out until nighttime. You will get to visit the Macaw Clay Lick and Lake Sandoval for a guided jungle walk and a canoe ride in search of giant otters, monkeys, and osprey (just to name a few!).
Most tours that are only 2 days and 1 night skip the Macaw Clay Lick altogether (since it’s a fair distance away), but not this tour, which is what makes it so special – believe me, you don’t want to miss the Clay Lick, it was the highlight of our trip!
The cost is around the same as the full-day tour, so if you can spare the extra time, I definitely recommend doing this tour instead. It includes everything, such as meals, water, coffee/tea, transportation, and activities. You will only need to pay for any alcoholic drinks or soda pop!
3. 3-Days, 2-Nights Amazon Tour from Puerto Maldonado
This 3-day tour is the most popular trip to the Amazon from Puerto Maldonado and exactly the tour that we did when we visited! The great thing about the 3-day trip is that you have time to go deep into the Tambopata Reserve and explore some of the more isolated areas.
Our trip began early in the morning as we drove for about 1.5 hours, then boarded a boat deep into the jungle to our eco-lodge. The lodge relied heavily on sourcing its own food from its gardens and ran off solar power. There were no sounds in the air except for nature, and we even saw monkeys swinging in the trees outside our room!
The next morning we visited the Macaw Clay Lick and were lucky to see several Macaws. Afterward, we went animal spotting down the river, where we saw a large caiman and the world’s largest rodent, the Capybara! That evening concluded with a nighttime jungle walk to check out all of the Amazon’s nocturnal critters.
We had so much fun on this Amazon adventure, and so have many others (check out the 5-star reviews here).
Related Read: Not sure what to pack for your upcoming Peru adventure? Check out our packing guide here!
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
4. 4-Days, 3-Night Amazon Tour from Puerto Maldonado
The more time you have to spend in the Amazon jungle, the better! This 4-day tour brings you deep into the Amazon to relax at an eco-lodge, see the Macaws, try piranha fishing, and go on various nature walks and hikes!
This tour is packed full of amazing experiences, perfect for any animal and nature lover. Not only are there a ton of nature walks and boat rides, but you get to visit a canopy 40 meters (131 ft) high to see various types of monkeys. And that’s not all, you’ll get to go ziplining and explore Sandoval Lake, which is home to caimans, sloths, and giant otters!
We love that this tour has a maximum of 8 people, making the experience very personalized. You will be well taken care of and will learn so much about the area from the knowledgeable local guides. Make sure there’s lots of room on your memory card for this tour because there are endless opportunities to see unique wildlife, flora, and fauna that you won’t see anywhere else!
The tour includes absolutely everything except additional drinks bought at the lodge bar, which is an amazing deal. Especially when you consider that it costs around the same as the 3-day tour, so you’re basically getting your 4th day free! If we ever go back to the Amazon, this is definitely the tour that we would do – just look at all of these glowing 5-star reviews!
About Puerto Maldonado, Peru
Puerto Maldonado is a small city located in Peru. It is right next to the country’s border with both Bolivia and Brazil, and also very close to the Amazon Jungle, making it a great place to visit with easy access to the Amazon!
The Interoceanic Highway connects Puerto Maldonado with Cusco. You can get to Puerto Maldonado from Cusco by taking a scenic 8-hour bus along the Interoceanic Highway. You can also take a domestic flight into Puerto Maldonado from Cusco or Lima.
Tours from Puerto Maldonado to eco-lodges in the remote Amazon are popular. However, there is more to Puerto Maldonado than this. It’s a culturally rich city home to approximately 85,000 people. You’ll find a colorful central square here and plenty of nice restaurants, shops, and hotels.
Puerto Maldonado borders the huge Tambopata and Madre de Dios rivers. In fact, the city is near where these two rivers meet! Nearby is also Manu National Park, one of the most biodiverse places in Peru, and Tambopata National Reserve. All of these protected areas mean that Puerto Maldonado is the perfect base for wildlife lovers – and we couldn’t agree more!
Related Read: No trip to Peru is complete without visiting Lima! There is so much to do in Lima, Peru, with its beautiful coast, vibrant streets, and amazing food scene.
Should I book my Amazon tour in advance?
Yes, it’s a good idea!
Although there are some last-minute trips you can book while in Puerto Maldonado, you don’t always know what you’re going to get. We think if you are heading all the way there, you should research and reserve in advance. This way you can look at the itineraries and reviews and know that you are making a good choice worth your time and money.
Most of the tours that we mentioned above include a free 24-hour cancellation policy. This means that you can reserve your spot on the tour, and if your travel plans happen to change, you can always cancel up to 24 hours before the tour start time to get a full refund. This is why we always book with Viator. The flexibility and security of booking with such a well-known international organization is absolutely worth it! Plus, with their lowest price guarantee, you know that you are always getting the best deal available!
Is an Amazon tour from Puerto Maldonado worth it?
100% yes!
Overall, we had a great time! It was nice to experience the remote Amazon jungle in an authentic way at the eco-lodge. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see a variety of wildlife in its natural environment and something we will never forget!
While these tours are a bit more expensive than other activities in Peru, we think that it’s well worth it! If you are already planning a trip to Cusco, then definitely consider extending it for a few days to visit Puerto Maldonado and the Amazon!
Where to Stay in Puerto Maldonado, Peru
Although it is not overly touristic, Puerto Maldonado is not a dangerous city, and the people were very friendly in and around the city. Therefore, it is a nice place to stay for a night or two before or after your Amazon tour or any of the other experiences we’ve talked about!
Here are our recommended places to stay in Puerto Maldonado!
Luxury – $$$
Wasai Puerto Maldonado Eco Lodge is located right in the city of Puerto Maldonado, but is an oasis of its own. Here, you’ll find a huge outdoor pool surrounded by manicured gardens. In your room, you can enjoy a balcony with a river view. It feels like a quiet escape, but you’ll only be 100 meters from the main square of Puerto Maldonado.
You can check prices and book Wasai Puerto Maldonado Eco Lodge online here.
Mid-range – $$
After roughing it in the Amazon Jungle for a couple of days, Hotel Enai will be pure luxury at a reasonable price of around $100 USD a night. Rooms all have balconies with river views, and the hotel is right in the town center! They also have a restaurant and a swimming pool!
You can check reviews and book Hotel Enai online here.
Budget – $
Tambopata Hostel is where we stayed in Puerto Maldonado, and it was a great budget hostel right in the town center. It is a huge hostel with clean rooms and a large common area, including a rooftop area and outdoor pool! You can get dorm rooms for as little as $12 USD. They also have budget private rooms available.
You can book Tambopata Hostel online on Hostelworld or Booking.com.
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Thanks for reading!
If you’re thinking of visiting Puerto Maldonado and the Amazon jungle, we say go for it! We hope this guide helped you to find a tour that best suits your needs and travel itinerary. If you have any more questions about these tours, make sure to ask us in the comments!
If you are planning a trip to Peru, be sure to check out all of our Peru travel blogs! Here are a few of the articles you might like:
