3-Day Posada Amazonas Tour: Tambopata River & Parrot Clay Lick

Forty-five minutes upriver to primary forest, then a canopy tower thirty meters high.

A 3-day guided tour of the Tambopata and Madre de Dios rivers in Puerto Maldonado, Peru, based at Posada Amazonas lodge in the Native Community of Infierno. The itinerary includes a canopy tower walk, a catamaran paddle around Tres Chimbadas lake searching for giant river otters, an ethnobotanical trail through medicinal plants, and a night hike for nocturnal wildlife. All river transport, airport transfers, meals and lodge accommodation are included. Guides are biologists or community members who speak English or Spanish.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and Posada Amazonas introduction

• Arrive at Puerto Maldonado airport
• Transfer to Puerto Maldonado headquarters
• Pack necessary gear and store luggage
• Drive to Tambopata River Port
• Boxed lunch
• Boat ride to Posada Amazonas
• Orientation at lodge
• Walk to canopy tower
• Dinner at lodge
• Attend ecotourism lecture

Day 2: Lake visit and ethnobotanical tour

• Boat to Tres Chimbadas lake
• Hike to lake
• Paddle catamaran on lake
• Boat to ethnobotanical trail
• Explore medicinal plant trail
• Dinner at lodge
• Optional night walk

Day 3: Departure and transfers

• Breakfast at lodge
• Boat transfer to Tambopata River Port
• Drive to Puerto Maldonado headquarters
• Transfer to airport

The experience

The journey starts at Puerto Maldonado airport with a ten-minute drive to the operator's headquarters, where you pack light and leave extra luggage in a safe deposit. From there, a twenty-kilometer drive skirts the city and enters the Native Community of Infierno, ending at the Tambopata River Port. A boxed lunch comes before the forty-five-minute boat ride upriver to Posada Amazonas, which sits inside the community's private primary forest reserve.

Day one closes with two walks from the lodge. A twenty-minute path leads to a thirty-meter scaffolding canopy tower with a bannister staircase running through the middle, from the platforms above, you watch toucans, parrots and macaws fly across the forest canopy and the Tambopata River winding below. After dinner, an ecotourism lecture from a staff member explains the Infierno community's conservation project. Day two splits into two options: a thirty-minute boat ride and forty-five-minute hike to Tres Chimbadas lake, where you paddle a catamaran searching for the resident family of nine giant river otters (seen by 60% of visitors) and watch for caiman, hoatzin and horned screamers. Otters are most active from dawn until eight or nine AM. Alternatively, a twenty-minute boat ride downriver leads to an ethnobotanical trail designed by Centro Ñape, a community clinic that produces forest medicines and explains the medicinal and other uses of selected plants. A night hike is available both evenings, when mammals are active and frogs with unusual shapes and calls are easier to find. Day three retraces the route: boat back to the Tambopata River Port, then the drive back to Puerto Maldonado headquarters and the airport, with timing arranged around airline schedules.

Groups smaller than ten people are merged with other groups under one guide at a 10:1 ratio. If you want a private guide or a guide in a language other than English, the operator asks to be notified in advance. The lodge operates in all weather. Appropriate clothing is essential. Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness for the hikes and boat transfers.

What’s included

• All river transport and transfers between the airport, Puerto Maldonado headquarters, the Tambopata River Port and Posada Amazonas.
• three nights' accommodation at Posada Amazonas lodge in a classic room.
• all meals during the stay.
• guided excursions including the canopy tower walk, Tres Chimbadas lake catamaran paddle, ethnobotanical trail and optional night hike.
• daily ecotourism lectures.
• fuel surcharge.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 10:00 and 10:30

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (10 to 70 years) · Under 10: can't be booked

GroupUp to 23

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsNo refund if you cancel.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortInfant seats available

Operated by Valencia Travel Agency S.a.c.

Is this one for you?The guides speak English or Spanish, so choose based on which language you're comfortable following for three days of commentary on the forest, wildlife and medicinal plants. Groups under ten are merged with others under one guide, though you can arrange a private guide in advance if you prefer.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What is the canopy tower at Posada Amazonas like?

The canopy tower is a thirty-meter scaffolding structure with a bannister staircase running through the middle for safe access to the platforms. From the top, you see vast expanses of standing forest and the Tambopata River winding through it. Toucans, parrots and macaws are often spotted flying past or landing in the treetops nearby.

How often do visitors see giant river otters at Tres Chimbadas lake?

Tres Chimbadas is home to a resident family of nine giant river otters, seen by 60% of lake visitors. Otters are most active from dawn until eight or nine AM, when you paddle a catamaran around the lake searching for them and other wildlife like caiman, hoatzin and horned screamers.

What does the ethnobotanical tour cover?

The ethnobotanical trail is a twenty-minute boat ride downriver from Posada Amazonas, designed by staff from Centro Ñape, a community organization that produces medicines from forest plants. The trail explains the medicinal and other uses of selected plants administered at their clinic.

What happens on the final day?

Day three retraces the route: a boat ride from Posada Amazonas back to the Tambopata River Port, then a drive back to Puerto Maldonado headquarters and the airport. Depending on airline schedules, this may require an early departure.

Does the tour operate in bad weather?

The tour operates in all weather conditions. You should dress appropriately for rain and humidity. The river and forest remain accessible year-round.