4-day jungle tour Puerto Maldonado: Sandoval Lake & canopy walk

Four days in the rainforest: from forest floor to canopy platforms

A 4-day jungle tour from Puerto Maldonado into Tambopata National Reserve, staying at Monte Amazónico Lodge on the Madre de Dios River. You walk rainforest trails guided by a local expert, paddle Sandoval Lake by rowboat to spot giant otters and caimans, search for nocturnal wildlife at night, and on day three tackle a canopy walkway 30 meters high and zip-line through the trees before kayaking back across the river at sunset. Airport pickup and all meals are included. Guides speak English and Spanish.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and rainforest introduction

• Reception and transfer to lodge
• Boat ride to hostel
• Welcome meeting with fruit juice
• Installation in rooms
• Two-hour guided forest walk
• Lunch at lodge
• Visit Monkey Island by boat
• Night search for white alligators and capybaras
• Dinner and rest

Day 2: Sandoval Lake exploration

• Breakfast
• 3 km walk to Sandoval Lake
• Rowing boat ride to observe wildlife
• Return to lodge for lunch
• Night walk to see nocturnal animals
• Dinner and rest

Day 3: Adventure sports activities

• Early morning canopy walkway
• Breakfast
• Tree challenge with zip-line and safety briefing
• Lunch and rest
• Kayak crossing of Madre de Dios River at sunset
• Dinner and rest

Day 4: Departure from Tambopata

• Breakfast
• Transfer to airport or bus station

The experience

The tour starts with airport pickup and a one-hour boat ride upriver to the lodge. After settling in, you walk for two hours through dense forest with a guide who points out trees over five hundred years old, toucans, macaws, monkeys and other animals living inside Tambopata National Reserve: 278,000 hectares of protected rainforest. That evening you cross the Madre de Dios River by boat to Monkey Island, where capuchin monkeys live, then return to search the sandbars for white caimans and capybaras by flashlight.

Day two centers on Sandoval Lake, one of the largest in the reserve and home to piranhas. You walk 3 kilometers through the rainforest to reach it, then paddle a rowboat across the water watching for giant otters (nearly two meters long and endangered), caimans over four meters, and dozens of bird species: cormorants, jacanas, macaws, and others. At night another guided walk takes you through the forest to spot insects, amphibians, reptiles and nocturnal animals active after dark.

Day three is the adventure sports day. At 5:30 a.m. you climb onto the canopy walkway, a series of platforms suspended 30 meters above the ground that let you see the forest from above and watch birds like toucans and tangaras from eye level. After breakfast an instructor teaches you to use a safety harness, then you zip-line through the trees feeling the speed and height. In the afternoon you kayak across the Madre de Dios River, timing it to watch the sunset from the water. On the final morning you have breakfast and transfer back to Puerto Maldonado for your onward travel.

What’s included

• Three nights at Monte Amazónico Lodge on the Madre de Dios River.
• all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
• guided forest walks with a local expert.
• boat rides on the Madre de Dios River and Sandoval Lake.
• the 30-meter canopy walkway.
• zip-line activity through the trees.
• kayaking on the river.
• nocturnal wildlife searches.
• airport pickup and return transfer.
• guides in English or Spanish.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (16 to 49 years) · Senior (50 to 60 years) · Youth (8 to 15 years) · Child (4 to 7 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Monte Amazonico Lodge

Is this one for you?The four-day length fits travelers who want to go deep into the rainforest without committing a week, leaving time for other parts of Peru before or after. The fixed itinerary (forest walks, Sandoval Lake, canopy work and kayaking) means you experience the full range of the reserve in one trip, rather than choosing between a short visit and a longer one.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (8 to 15 years); Child (4 to 7 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What animals might I see on the Sandoval Lake paddle?

Giant otters, caimans over four meters long, and numerous bird species including cormorants, jacanas, macaws, and other birds live in and around Sandoval Lake. The lake is also a piranha habitat, though encounters with them are rare during the day paddle.

How high is the canopy walkway and what's it like to walk it?

The canopy walkway sits 30 meters above the forest floor, with platforms that let you observe birds and the canopy from above. It's a fixed structure, not a rope bridge, and gives a panoramic view of the Madre de Dios River and the surrounding rainforest.

Is the zip-line part of the tour, and what does it involve?

Yes, zip-lining through the trees is included on day three. An instructor gives you a safety briefing on how to use the harness before you glide between trees over 30 meters high. It's an optional activity within the tour, so you can skip it if you prefer.

What's included in the 4-day price?

The tour includes three nights at the lodge, all meals, airport pickup and transfer to the lodge, boat rides on the Madre de Dios River and Sandoval Lake, guided forest walks, the canopy walkway and zip-line, kayaking, and a local guide who speaks English or Spanish.

How much walking is there each day?

Day one has a two-hour guided forest walk plus evening boat trips. Day two includes a 3-kilometer walk through rainforest to reach Sandoval Lake, then a night walk. Day three starts before dawn with the canopy walkway, then afternoon kayaking. Most days mix walking with boat time and rest at the lodge.

Do I need to arrange my own way to the airport, or is pickup included?

Airport pickup is included in the tour price. You're collected at Puerto Maldonado airport or the land terminal and transferred to the Monte Amazónico office, then taken by boat to the lodge. On the final morning, you're transferred back to the airport or bus station.