4-day Amazon rainforest jungle tour from Cusco: Sandoval Lake

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Instant confirmation

1/23

Duration4d

GroupUp to 16

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Four days in the Madre de Dios jungle, sleeping at the lodge and moving by boat between the river, the lake and the clay lick.

A 4-day Amazon rainforest tour from Cusco that includes round-trip overnight bus, 3 nights in a jungle lodge, all meals, a professional guide, and access to Tambopata National Reserve. You kayak on Sandoval Lake, walk jungle trails at night searching for caiman and insects, visit an Ese'eja indigenous community, and watch parrots gather at the clay lick at dawn. The overnight bus departs Cusco at 8:30pm the evening before Day 1 and returns at 9pm on Day 4.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Travel to Puerto Maldonado and Jungle Arrival

Pick up from Cusco hotel
Overnight bus to Puerto Maldonado
Meet guides at bus station
Transfer to Capitania port
Boat ride to Amazon Garden Lodge
Welcome drink and jungle trail exploration
Night search for caiman

Day 2 — Sandoval Lake and Kayak Adventure

Breakfast at lodge
Boat to Tambopata Reserve control
Hike through rainforest to Sandoval Lake
Canoe exploration of Sandoval Lake
Return to lodge for dinner and rest

Day 3 — Native Community Visit and Night Walk

Boat trip to Ese’Eja native community
Visit two native families and cultural project
Learn about ancestral culture and traditions
Night jungle trail walk

Day 4 — Clay Lick Visit and Return to Cusco

Early visit to parrots and parakeets clay lick
Return to lodge or Puerto Maldonado
Breakfast
Bus to Cusco
Arrive in Cusco evening

The Experience

The trip starts with hotel pickup in Cusco the night before, then an overnight bus to Puerto Maldonado, arriving at 6:30am. A guide meets you at the station, stores excess luggage, and takes you by motorboat 40 minutes upriver to Amazon Garden Lodge on the Madre de Dios River. After a welcome drink, you explore jungle trails and search for caiman that night.

Day 2 centers on Sandoval Lake. After breakfast, you walk 90 minutes through rainforest—past ancient trees and tangled vines—to reach the lake, where you spend hours paddling in a canoe to spot giant otters, turtles, colorful birds and butterflies. The lodge provides lunch and snacks. Day 3 takes you downriver to visit two families from the Ese'eja indigenous community on Gamitana Island, where they share their language, customs, clothing and traditional ways. You also fish in the river and walk the jungle at night again, hunting for insects and snakes with a flashlight.

On Day 4, you wake early to watch parrots and parakeets gather at the clay lick—they come at dawn to eat mineral-rich clay that neutralizes toxins from the seeds and fruits they feed on. Breakfast follows, then the morning bus back to Cusco, arriving around 9pm. The guide speaks English or Spanish; all meals at the lodge are included, though dinner on Night 1 and lunch on Day 4 depend on which option you book.

What’s included

Round-trip overnight bus from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado.
3 nights in a jungle lodge bungalow.
all meals at the lodge.
motorboat transport on the Madre de Dios River.
entry permits to Tambopata National Reserve.
a professional guide speaking English or Spanish.
hotel pickup in Cusco.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelInfant seats availableNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Quechuas Expeditions

Is this one for you?Pick the 4-day version if you want to experience the jungle across multiple times—dawn at the clay lick, daytime on the lake, night trails for insects and snakes—rather than a rushed single-day visit; choose English or Spanish based on your language preference.