Tambopata is a 45-minute flight from Cusco and suits short lodge-based trips to Lake Sandoval; Manu is reached overland from Cusco, down through the cloud forest, in 4 to 7 days. On both you go out with a naturalist guide to look for giant river otters, macaws, caimans and monkeys.
Amazon Rainforest CUSCO, PUERTO MALDONADO, MONKEY ISLAND, LAKE SANDOVAL
3-day Tambopata tour from Cusco, USD 540: flight to Puerto Maldonado (not included), Monkey Island by kayak, Lake Sandoval by…
Amazon Rainforest CUSCO, PUERTO MALDONADO, LAKE SANDOVAL, COCHA PERDIDA
4-day Tambopata National Reserve tour from Cusco, USD 690: Monkey Island, Lake Sandoval by canoe, Cocha Perdida, a canopy tower…
Amazon Rainforest CUSCO, PAUCARTAMBO, PILCOPATA, ATALAYA, MACHUWASI
4-day Manu tour from Cusco, USD 450: Ninamarca, Paucartambo and the cloud forest, a boat from Atalaya, two lodge nights and…
Amazon Rainforest CUSCO, PAUCARTAMBO, PILCOPATA, ATALAYA, MACHUWASI LAKE
5-day Manu tour from Cusco, USD 600 (min. 2): the cloud forest, a boat from Atalaya, hot springs, Machuwasi lake and 3 nights in…
Amazon Rainforest CUSCO, PILCOPATA, BOCA MANU, BLANQUILLO, COCHA OTORONGO, COCHA SALVADOR, CUSCO
7-day Manu expedition from Cusco, USD 1,450 (min. 2): the cloud forest, Boca Manu, the Blanquillo clay lick, Cocha Otorongo and…
Amazon Rainforest LIMA, PUERTO MALDONADO, CUSCO, SACRED VALLEY, INCA JUNGLE, MACHU PICCHU
10-day Peru trip: Lima, Lake Sandoval and Cocha Perdida in the Amazon, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and the Inca Jungle route to…
Duration, difficulty, group size and starting price, from each tour page.
| Tour | Duration | Difficulty | Group | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tambopata Jungle Adventure: 3 Days | 3 Days / 2 Nights | Easy to Moderate | – | $540 |
| Tambopata National Reserve Tour: 4 Days | 4 Days / 3 Nights | Easy to Moderate | – | $690 |
| Manu National Park Tour: 4 Days | 4 Days / 3 Nights | Easy | – | $450 |
| Manu National Park Tour: 5 Days | 5 Days / 4 Nights | Easy to Moderate | Minimum 2 travelers | $600 |
| Manu Expedition: 7 Days in the Reserved Zone | 7 Days / 6 Nights | Easy to Moderate | Minimum 2 travelers | $1,450 |
| Amazon and Machu Picchu Experience: 10 Days | 10 Days / 9 Nights | Moderate | – | $1,850 |
Both are in the southern Peruvian Amazon and both are lowland rainforest with naturalist guides, boat trips and lodge nights. The difference is how you get there and how far you go. Tambopata is a short flight from Cusco and suits 3 or 4 days. Manu is reached overland from Cusco, down the eastern slopes of the Andes and through the cloud forest, so the trips last 4 to 7 days.
| Tambopata | Manu | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting there | Flight Cusco – Puerto Maldonado, about 45 minutes (not included), then 1 to 2 hours by boat | By road from Cusco, about 7 hours to Pilcopata on day 1, then by boat from Atalaya |
| Days | 3 or 4 | 4, 5 or 7 |
| On the way | The Andes from the air | The Ninamarca burial towers, the cloud forest and the cock-of-the-rock |
| Main visits | Lake Sandoval, Monkey Island, a canopy tower, Cocha Perdida (4 days) | Machuwasi lake (4 and 5 days); the Blanquillo macaw clay lick, Cocha Otorongo and Cocha Salvador (7 days) |
| Price per person | USD 540 (3 days) and USD 690 (4 days), flights not included | USD 450 (4 days), USD 600 (5 days) and USD 1,450 (7 days) |
| Best for | Short trips, families, combining with Machu Picchu | Wildlife and birdwatching, travelers with more time |
The Tambopata National Reserve protects 274,690 ha of rainforest in Madre de Dios, the region that a 1994 law named the Capital of Biodiversity of Peru. Its gateway is Puerto Maldonado, at about 183 m above sea level and about 45 minutes by air from Cusco. Its best-known lake is Sandoval, an oxbow lake of about 127 ha ringed by aguaje palms, where a family of giant river otters lives; you reach it on a trail of about 3 km and explore it by canoe.
Read more: Tambopata National Reserve animals
Manu National Park, created in 1973 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, protects 1,716,295 ha, from the puna above 4,000 m down to the Amazon lowlands at about 300 m; SERNANP counts more than 1,000 bird species in it. The road from Cusco crosses the Andes at up to 3,800 m, passes the Ninamarca burial towers and the town of Paucartambo, and descends through the cloud forest, home of the Andean cock-of-the-rock, to Pilcopata and the river port of Atalaya. Our 4- and 5-day tours stay in the Manu Cultural Zone, the buffer zone of the park, around Machuwasi lake. The 7-day expedition goes by boat past Boca Manu into the old Manu Reserved Zone, now the park’s tourism zone, whose oxbow lakes can only be visited in guided groups registered with the park.
Read more: Manu National Park FAQ
Tambopata is the easier part of the Amazon to combine with Cusco, because Puerto Maldonado has flights to both Cusco and Lima. Our Amazon and Machu Picchu Experience: 10 Days starts in Lima, spends three nights in Tambopata, with Lake Sandoval and Cocha Perdida, and continues to Cusco, the Sacred Valley and the Inca Jungle route to Machu Picchu, for USD 1,850. Any of our Tambopata or Manu tours can also be added to a trek to Machu Picchu; ask us for the dates.
You can visit all year. The drier months, from May to October, bring less rain, lower rivers and easier trails. The rains come from November to March, and in Manu until April: in Puerto Maldonado more than 230 mm of rain falls in each of those months, most in January and February. From May to August a cold front from the south, the friaje, can bring a few cool days to the lowlands, so pack a warm layer at any time of year.
About 60% of Peru is Amazon rainforest. In the north, Iquitos, the largest city in the world with no road connection, is the gateway to the Amazon River and the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, which covers 2,080,000 ha. We run our Amazon tours in the south, in Tambopata and Manu, because they are close to Cusco and easy to combine with Machu Picchu.
Tell us your dates, how many days you have and whether you want to combine the rainforest with Machu Picchu, and we will suggest the best option. Contact us.
Tambopata is the quicker option: you fly from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado in about 45 minutes (flights are not included in the tour price) and stay at a jungle lodge, with a day at Lake Sandoval on our 3- and 4-day tours. Manu is reached overland from Cusco through Paucartambo and the cloud forest, so the trips last 4 to 7 days; the 7-day expedition goes into the Manu Reserved Zone, to the oxbow lakes of Cocha Salvador and Cocha Otorongo.
Three days is enough for a first visit to Tambopata, with a full day at Lake Sandoval. For Manu, plan at least 4 days, because the drive from Cusco takes most of the first and the last day; to reach the Manu River lakes you need 7.
Per person: Manu National Park Tour 4 Days USD 450; Tambopata Tour 3 Days USD 540; Manu National Park Tour 5 Days USD 600 (minimum 2); Tambopata National Reserve Tour 4 Days USD 690; Manu Expedition 7 Days USD 1,450 (minimum 2). The Tambopata prices do not include the flights between Cusco and Puerto Maldonado.
Yes. The Amazon and Machu Picchu Experience (10 days, USD 1,850) starts in Lima and combines Tambopata (Lake Sandoval and Cocha Perdida) with Cusco, the Sacred Valley, the Inca Jungle route and a day at Machu Picchu.
You can go all year. The drier months, from May to October, have less rain and easier river and road travel; from November to March, and in Manu until April, expect more rain. From May to August cold fronts called friaje can bring a few cool days to the lowlands.
It is not required to enter Peru, but the US CDC recommends it for travelers aged 9 months or older going below 2,300 m in Madre de Dios and the jungle of the Cusco region, which includes Tambopata and Manu. Get it at least 10 days before the trip, and ask your doctor about malaria prevention.
