Designed for families and travelers with shorter schedules wanting an authentic rainforest getaway, this 3-day Amazon tour from Puerto Maldonado, in Peru, lets you shape your own adventure. Instead of sticking to a fixed itinerary, your guide selects daily excursions from the lodge’s activity menu according to weather conditions, season, and the group’s interests.
The itinerary offers a wide range of activities, starting with scenic boat trips on the Tambopata River. You can paddle across Tres Chimbadas Lake by catamaran to spot the resident giant otter family, or head out on an optional night walk after dinner. You will also learn about local healing traditions along the Centro Ñape medicinal plant trail and join discussions on rainforest conservation efforts.
Staying at Posada Amazonas directly supports the Ese Eja Native Community of Infierno, which fully owns the property and uses tourism proceeds to protect its surrounding native forest. Built around open-wall rooms that bring the sounds of the jungle to your bedside, the lodge combines wild nature with comfort, including private bathrooms, mosquito netting, and relaxing hammocks.
Full itinerary: boat ride up the Tambopata River with lunch on board, the 40 m canopy tower, a talk on Amazon wildlife and conservation, Tres Chimbadas oxbow lake by catamaran, the medicinal plant trail of Centro Ñape, and an optional night walk.
Look for giant otters at Tres Chimbadas lake: the lodge reports that its family of nine is seen by 60% of visitors, along with caimans, hoatzins and horned screamers.
Stay at a lodge owned by the Ese Eja Native Community of Infierno: the staff come from three generations of the community, and your stay funds the protection of its forest.
Families welcome: the lodge has its own family trails and activities, and children up to 12 sharing a room with two adults pay a reduced rate.
A 30-minute flight from Cusco: the shortest way to add the Amazon to a Machu Picchu trip.
Activities guided by local naturalists in English or Spanish, in groups of up to 10 guests per guide.
All-inclusive experience: round-trip transfer from Puerto Maldonado airport by road and river, 2 nights at the lodge, all meals from lunch on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 3, guided activities and naturalist guides.
Please note: This is a sample plan. At Posada Amazonas, your guide picks each day’s activities from the lodge’s activity menu, depending on the season, weather, and the group’s preferences.
Itinerary
Day 1
Puerto Maldonado Airport / Boat Ride on the Tambopata River / Canopy Tower / Evening Talk
ArrivalPuerto Maldonado airport (PEM) · Land by 1 PM
Road transferTo the community river port · ~1h
Boat rideUp the Tambopata River · ~1h · Lunch on board
Canopy tower40 m above the forest floor
The team meets you at Puerto Maldonado airport and drives you to its base. There, pack what you need for two nights into the duffel bag provided and leave the rest of your luggage in storage.
About 1 hour by road brings you to the river port of the Infierno community. From there, your Amazon tour from Puerto Maldonado continues by boat for about 1 hour up the Tambopata River forest, with lunch served on board. At the landing, a staircase climbs the riverbank (it is longer or shorter depending on the river level), and a short trail leads to the lodge.
In the afternoon, walk to the 40 m canopy tower. A staircase runs up its center to platforms above the trees, where toucans, parrots, and mixed flocks of birds feed at eye level. Before dinner, a guide gives a talk on the wildlife of the Amazon and the work to protect it.
Meals included: Lunch / Dinner
Day 2
Tres Chimbadas Oxbow Lake / Medicinal Plant Trail / Optional Night Walk
Early startCooler hours for wildlife
Tres Chimbadas lake30 min by boat + 45 min on foot · Catamaran
Centro ÑapeMedicinal plant trail
Night walkOptional · After dinner
Day 2 starts early, when animals are most active. A 30-minute boat ride and a 45-minute walk take you to Tres Chimbadas, an oxbow lake left behind by the river. Move around the lake on a small catamaran, watching the banks for the giant otters, caimans, and the odd-looking hoatzin.
Later, visit Centro Ñape, a health center run by the community that makes remedies from forest plants; its trail shows how each plant is used. After dinner, an optional night walk looks for frogs and insects.
Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Day 3
Breakfast at Posada Amazonas / Boat and Road to Puerto Maldonado
Boat rideDown the Tambopata River · Leave Posada Amazonas at 7:30 AM
DepartureBook your flight out of Puerto Maldonado from 11:30 AM
After breakfast, leave Posada Amazonas around 7:30 AM by boat, then by road, and reach Puerto Maldonado airport between 10:30 and 11 AM. Your luggage is waiting at the base.
Meals included: Breakfast
What is Included
Round-trip transfer (Puerto Maldonado airport ⇌ Posada Amazonas), by road and boat
2-night stay at Posada Amazonas
Meals as listed in the itinerary
Refreshments on arrival
Luggage storage at the base in Puerto Maldonado and a duffel bag for the lodge (up to 15 kg per person)
Guided tours (canopy tower, evening talk, Tres Chimbadas oxbow lake by catamaran, Centro Ñape medicinal plant trail, and an optional night walk)
Shared English- or Spanish-speaking naturalist guides (up to 10 guests per guide)
Not included
Flight tickets
Airport departure taxes and visa fees
Luggage over 15 kg (US$ 70 per extra piece)
Alcoholic drinks, bottled water, and snacks
Guide in German, French, Portuguese, or Italian for groups of 5 or fewer (US$ 100 per day)
Private guide
Travel insurance
Laundry
Tips
Extra nights caused by flight delays or cancellations
The Amazon tour from Puerto Maldonado includes a 2-night stay in Posada Amazonas, a 30-room lodge built about 15 minutes’ walk into the forest from the Tambopata River. It belongs entirely to the Ese Eja Native Community of Infierno, which has run it in partnership with an ecotourism company since the late 1980s.
The lodge has a buffet restaurant, a bar, a massage center, and a wellness area. At least 80% of its power comes from solar panels, with a fuel backup.
Posada Amazonas
Every room includes a private bathroom with hot water, but there’s no air conditioning. Mosquito nets and ceiling fans are standard across all categories, while upgraded room types add a minibar and personal fans fitted inside the net.
Standard
This 42 m² room sleeps two in double beds and has a reading table, a hammock, and a safe deposit box. Eco-friendly toiletries, Wi-Fi, and an umbrella for rainy walks are included.
Premium
At 42 m², the Premium is the same size as the Standard but more comfortable at night, with a reading light inside the mosquito net and a reading table for writing up the day’s sightings. Sustainable slippers come with the eco-friendly toiletries, and there’s a hammock for slow afternoons.
Suite
The 52 m² Suite has two queen-size beds, a reading table, and a filtered-water dispenser for refilling your bottle without leaving the room. Bathrobes and a vanity kit are added to the bathroom.
Deluxe Suite
At 85 m², this is the lodge’s largest room, with two king-size beds and an indoor sitting area. It comes with bathrobes, a vanity kit, a filtered-water dispenser, and a hammock for watching the forest from the terrace.
Meals are a buffet at the lodge, as listed in the itinerary. Tea and coffee are included all day, but beer, wine, and cocktails are sold at the bar; bottled water and snacks are extra.
Dietary restrictions (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, food allergies and others) can be accommodated. Share your preferences and needs at booking.
FAQ
Reviews
“5 star experience. This immersive rainforest experience is extremely well put together. From pickup at the airport to the activities at the lodge, we felt well taken care of our entire stay. The rooms have 3 walls, making it incredibly easy to connect with nature within the comfort of your room (we spent a lot of time in our hammock next to the open wall), while still having most amenities you'd expect from a hotel. Our guide, Jhordy A, was fantastic and extremely knowledgeable, taking us on many activities to see giant river otters, howler monkeys, and much more. Highly recommend this experience for anyone interested in an authentic rainforest experience!
Note: do not expect the same type of experience as a normal hotel. This is an immersive experience and due to the open wall in rooms you will find moths, frogs, lizards, and other small creatures in your room from time to time. The climate inside the room will be the same as outside, but the mosquito nets will keep the bugs completely off you while you sleep. It took us about a day to get used to, but wasn't a hard adjustment.”
— Kyle Zaback
“If you want to know what it is like in the jungle, this is the place to come. Amazing scenery, wildlife, and knowledgeable guides.
To get the most out of the experience prepare for some early starts and early bedtimes.
A fantastic few days which I won't forget in a hurry.”
— Paul
“Wonderful place! Accommodation is excellent, accommodation staff are friendly and helpful, and the guides are amazing. Our guide was Jorge, we loved his sense of humour and his encyclopedia knowledge of his local area was impressive. I felt at peace here, very relaxed.”
— Anna AJ
“It gives a great insight into the jungle. We had a great visit. I recommend going during the dry season. Our guide Luis M. was excellent! Knowledgeable, enthusiastic, kind and a gentleman. Bear in mind it's going to be hot and humid with some mosquitos. It's a jungle out there!”
— David Forrest
“We had the most incredible stay at Posada Amazonas. Going in, we were a little nervous about the open-air rooms and weren't quite sure what to expect — but we were completely blown away by our four days here. Yes, there's the usual discomfort that comes with the tropical forest (heat, insects, living in DEET 24/7), but this was genuinely one of the best experiences of our lives, and we can't recommend this lodge enough.
The service was impeccable from the moment we arrived, the food was delicious and plentiful, and the wildlife right around the lodge grounds was incredible.
Then there's our guide, Joss. We feel so lucky to have had him — his passion for wildlife was obvious, and he struck the perfect balance of giving the group recommendations while always letting us choose which activities we wanted to do. He brought his own spotting scope along, which took the experience to another level. If we had one piece of feedback for the lodge, it would be to equip all guides with spotting scopes rather than leaving it up to individuals to bring their own, so every guest gets that same experience. We invited Joss to join us for dinner on our last night, and it was such a highlight that we wish we'd known sooner it was an option — we would have invited him every night.
If you're on the fence about staying here because of the open rooms or being deep in the Amazon, don't be — just book it. We were going to stay in Puerto Maldonado and do day tours from there but decided to spend the extra money to stay at this lodge, boy was it worth it!!”
— Amy Calder
“We stayed here for 2.5 days. The stay was memorable indeed. The weather during our stay was great. The resort has a lot of interesting itineraries, A river cruise, visit to Oxbow lake to see River Otters, Macaw clay lick,view the forest canopy from a 140 ft tall tower early in the morning, a night walk through the forest etc. the Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner ( all included ) was fantastic. The guides were very knowledgeable and friendly.”
— Ganesh Ramanathan
“We had a great experience in the Amazon jungle. Everything from the beginning to the end was perfectly organized from Rainforest company. The Posada Amazonas Lodge exceeded our expectations - the rooms, the food and service were really amaizing having in mind that you are in the middle of the jungle.
Our guide Jorge was super kind, very informative and put all efforts to make our tours great, special thanks for him from our group! Also the other guides and staff were nice and communicative.
We saw a lot of animals and plant species.
I hope we will return there again someday!
Thank you for the good time!”
— Stoicho Papukchiev
“A truly great experience, it was actually booked for me so I had no idea what I was in for but it's incredible. The excursions, the food, the learning opportunities and on site scientists all make for an incredible time. It's also small and intimate. Yeah you can hear your neighbours in the rooms but you can also hear the jungle and swing in a hammock completely open to it, or have breakfast whilst monkeys climb over you. Also a huge shout out to our man Brian on the bar, absolute legend who smiled through our annoying requests and nonsense.”
— Dan Barber
“Everything is perfect! The rooms, staff, food, and activities. Especially the people - they are incredibly kind and do everything to make sure you have the best time. What makes this place even more special is how deeply connected it is to nature, with a genuine commitment to protecting and preserving the environment around it.”
— Burcu Bayrak
“Posada Amazonas provided an unforgettable 2.5 days experience. From the moment we arrived, we were trekking through the forests, learning from expert guides and appreciating what Mother Nature offers. Everyone should experience this adventures and learn from its experiences.”
