Tambopata Reserve Tour: Canopy Walks & Sandoval Lake

Walk a 400-meter suspension bridge through the canopy, then paddle to Sandoval Lake for giant otters and macaws.

A 4-day guided tour of Tambopata National Reserve in the Peruvian Amazon, combining jungle trails, canopy walks on a 40-meter-high suspension bridge system, canoe trips on the Madre de Dios and Tambopata rivers, and visits to Sandoval Lake and a Machiguenga indigenous community. The tour includes pickup, a live guide in English or Spanish, and rubber boots. You hike through dense rainforest, paddle to wildlife hotspots, and search for nocturnal animals on night walks.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and jungle exploration

• Guide picks you up
• Boat to lodge across river
• Settle in and rest
• Jungle excursion to spot animals
• Nocturnal walk to find wildlife

Day 2: Canopy walk and monkey island

• Breakfast
• Walk to suspension bridge system
• Climb tower and walk bridge
• Optional zip line experience
• Kayaking to monkey island
• Explore island trails for monkeys
• Return to lodge and rest
• Night walk to find nocturnal animals

Day 3: Lake Sandoval visit and wildlife

• Breakfast
• Walk 5 km to Lake Sandoval
• Lunch near the lake
• Rowing boat ride on lake
• Return to lodge for sunset
• Dinner and rest

Day 4: Parrot clay lick and cultural visit

• Early visit to parrot clay lick
• Breakfast on beach or boat
• Visit Machiguenga indigenous family
• Practice shooting arrows
• Watch dancing and singing
• Fishing catch and release
• Return to city

The experience

How much of the Amazon can you actually see in four days? This tour stacks three different ways to move through it: on foot, by canoe, and 40 meters up in the air on a suspension bridge. The guide picks you up and takes you by boat across the Madre de Dios river to the lodge, where the first evening already sends you into the jungle looking for parrots, monkeys and alligators in the dark.

Day two is the canopy walk: you climb a tower and cross a 400-meter bridge strung between the trees, high enough to see toucans, macaws and squirrel monkeys moving through the branches below. An optional zip line runs the length of it for anyone who wants the speed. After lunch you kayak to Monkey Island along the Madre de Dios river, then return for a night walk hunting insects, owls, sloths and kinkajous. Day three is the centerpiece: a 5-kilometer hike through dense jungle to Sandoval Lake, one of the largest in the reserve. You row across it looking for howler monkeys, giant otters (nearly two meters long, almost extinct), and alligators over four meters. The sunset over the Madre de Dios comes that evening from the lodge. On the final morning, a boat ride upstream takes you to a green parrot clay lick where seven species of parrots gather, then you visit a Machiguenga family to learn their culture, watch traditional dancing and try catch-and-release fishing before heading back to the city.

The guide speaks English or Spanish and walks every trail with you. Rubber boots are provided. The lodge is your base each night, and meals happen there except for the typical lunch served in the field on day three.

What’s included

• Pickup from your location.
• rubber boots.
• all jungle hikes along hidden trails.
• the 40-meter-high canopy suspension bridge walk.
• canoe trips on the Tambopata and Madre de Dios rivers.
• visits to Sandoval Lake, Monkey Island and a Machiguenga indigenous community.
• night walks searching for nocturnal wildlife.
• meals at the lodge.
• a live guide in English or Spanish.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesUp to age 90

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

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

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

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Peru Jungle Trips

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to move through the rainforest in multiple ways (walking, paddling and climbing into the canopy) rather than staying in one spot. The four-day length is what makes the Sandoval Lake trip, the canopy walk, the parrot clay lick and the indigenous community visit all fit into a single journey without rushing any of them.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What animals will I actually see on the Sandoval Lake part of the tour?

Sandoval Lake is known for howler monkeys, giant otters, and large alligators. You'll also see a variety of birds including shansho, cormorants, jacanas and macaws. The giant otters are nearly two meters long and rarely spotted, so sightings depend on timing and conditions, but the lake consistently holds monkeys and bird life.

How high is the canopy suspension bridge and what's involved in walking it?

The bridge is 400 meters long and runs 40 meters above the forest floor between a tower and platform. You climb the tower first to reach the bridge, then walk across it to see canopy birds and wildlife from above. An optional zip line is available for those who want it, but the walk itself is the main activity.

Do I need special fitness or experience for the jungle hikes?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. The longest hike is the 5-kilometer walk to Sandoval Lake through dense tropical jungle, and you set the pace with your guide. Night walks are shorter explorations close to the lodge.

What's included in the four days, and what do I need to bring?

Pickup from your location, rubber boots, a live guide, meals at the lodge, and all activities (hikes, canoe trips, the canopy bridge, night walks and the visit to the Machiguenga community) are included. You'll want to bring insect repellent, a headlamp or flashlight for night walks, and quick-dry clothes for the river activities.

Will I meet indigenous people on this tour?

On the final morning after the parrot clay lick, you visit a Machiguenga family where you learn about their culture, watch traditional dancing and singing, and try traditional arrow shooting and catch-and-release fishing.