Blog · Amazon
Peru's Amazon: Manu or Tambopata?
Juvenal Iturriaga
Founder & General Manager · 10/9/2026 · 2 min read
Peru's Amazon rainforest is home to an extraordinary diversity of birds, mammals and plants. From Cusco, two regions are within reach: Manu and Tambopata. Both are wonderful – but they are very different trips.
Manu: from the Andes into the rainforest
The Manu Biosphere Reserve stretches from the high Andes down to the lowland rainforest. You travel overland from Cusco, crossing the mountains and descending through the cloud forest – a journey through many ecosystems in one trip. Highlights include the Andean cock-of-the-rock, Peru's national bird, at its courtship display, hundreds of bird species, and on longer trips giant otters, monkeys and the macaw and tapir clay licks deep in Manu National Park.
Best for: birdwatchers and nature lovers with 3 to 7 days.
Tambopata: rainforest made easy
The Tambopata National Reserve is reached by a short flight from Cusco or Lima to Puerto Maldonado, followed by a boat ride to the lodge. In three or four days you can see the famous Chuncho clay lick, where hundreds of macaws and parrots gather, paddle on oxbow lakes with giant otters, and explore the rainforest on day and night walks.
Best for: travelers with limited time who want an easy, comfortable introduction to the Amazon.
When to go
Wildlife can be seen year-round. The drier months from April to October make travel easier; the rainy season from November to March brings lush green forests and fewer visitors.
Combine it with Machu Picchu
Our 9- and 10-day tours combine the rainforest with Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. Discover all Amazon tours.
Manu Cloud Forest (4 days)
Four days of birding along the Manu Road – from the high Andes to the Amazonian foothills, with the Cock-of-the-Rock and 1,000+ species.
Tambopata and Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick (3 days)
Hundreds of macaws at the Chuncho clay lick, a paddle canoe on a remote oxbow lake and night walks in the rainforest – three days in the Tambopata National Reserve.
Machu Picchu and the Amazon Rainforest (9 days)
From the macaws of Tambopata to the Inca city of Machu Picchu – nine days with rainforest, Cusco, the Sacred Valley and the short Inca Trail.
Machu Picchu and the Manu Cloud Forest (10 days)
Cusco, the Sacred Valley, the short Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and four days in the cloud forest of Manu with the Andean cock-of-the-rock – ten days of culture and nature.