7 Days / 6 Nights Wildlife Photography Tour

PERUVIAN AMAZON TOURS

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From US$ 4141 comfort category

* per person in double room *

Days 7 Dificulty III Lodge Posada Amazonas, Refugio Amazonas, Tambopata Research Center

Type Wildlife Photography Type group size With private guide Best season May - October

Day 1: Welcome to the Amazon!

Arrive in Puerto Maldonado, capital of Madre de Dios, and join a 2 hours journey by bus and boat to the lodge. Your first taste of the Amazon culinary will be in the river while you let the city behind to enjoy the amazing jungle landscapes

Posada Amazonas Lodge awaits – a spacious ecolodge, with a bar, a massage center, and buffet service in the heart of a private concession own by the Native Community of Infierno, the guardians of the rainforest.

Accommodation includes a 45 ms square room with a private bathroom and an open wall facing the forest.

Your stay includes three meals daily, tea, coffee, guided excursions, and activities, refreshments upon arriving, and transfers to and from the airport.

This afternoon join a first group hiking leads to the 40-meter scaffolding Canopy Tower. A banister staircase running through the middle provides safe access to the platforms above. From atop you obtain spectacular views of the vast expanses of standing forest cut by the Tambopata River winding through the middle. Now and then toucans, parrots or macaws are seen flying against the horizon, or mixed species canopy flocks land in the treetop next to you.

Note this itinerary is based on a double comfort room at Refugio Amazonas and Posada Amazonas, and a double standard at Tambopata Research Center. Includes private transportation from lodge to lodge and a private guide.

Day 2: Oxbow Lake and canopy tower

Wildlife in the Amazon takes advantage of the first lights of the day as it is cooler, so we do. Even if you are on vacation there will be some activities that our guides encourage you to make it very early in the morning and it’s worth it.

Photography at Tres Chimbadas Lake is thirty minutes by boat and forty-five minutes hiking from Posada Amazonas. Once there paddle around the lake in a catamaran, searching for the resident family of nine giant river otters (seen by 60% of our lake visitors) and other lakeside wildlife such as caiman, hoatzin, and horned screamers. The lake provides wonderful opportunities to photograph majestic trees, water reflections, and if we are very fortunate animal life. Although otters are frequently seen, the distances at which they are sighted usually do not make for good photography.

We will be moved in a private boat to Refugio Amazonas Lodge, in the buffer zone of the National Protected Area.

By the afternoon we will visit the farm, which is one of the few places where the light will not be a problem. Ideal for photography of birds who like open areas in addition to colorful fruits and plants.

Night walks are great for photographing insects and frogs. We may be able to find praying mantis, cicadas, leaf-mimicking grasshoppers as well as huge toads, shiny green tree frogs, and bizarre horned frogs.

Day 3: Mammal clay lick and discovering new species

Two hours deep in the Tambopata National Reserve, we will stop at the Chuncho clay lick. After a brief walk (~5 minutes) we will have the chance to see dozens of large macaws feeding on the special sodium-rich clays of the riverbank. The Chuncho clay lick probably attracts more large macaws than any other clay lick in the world and the sight of dozens of macaws taking flight is truly unforgettable. The details of our stopover will depend on the weather and the amount of macaw activity, as the birds don’t visit the clay lick when it is raining.

Twenty minutes walking from Refugio Amazonas is a peccary clay lick. This mammal clay lick might let us see wild rainforest pigs show up in herds of five to twenty individuals to eat clay in the late morning. The chances of spotting them are around 15%, but well worth the short hike. Other wildlife also shows up including deer, guan, and parakeets.

Help us reveal nature’s wonders, became a scientist, and get the chance of discovering new species, there is an amazing world of diversity! We will meet the resident researchers team at the lobby for a brief explanation of the type of specimen we are looking for and how to identify them, they will handle the material for collecting, we will walk around 15 minutes from the lodge to the light trap where all the diversity of insects we’ll be waiting for us, with our eyes sharpened we will look for the selected species will be looking for and collect them, if we are lucky we will get the chance to discover a new species!.

Day 4: Bamboo forest

Four and half hours by boat from Refugio Amazonas, in the pristine heart of the reserve, lies the Tambopata Research Center. One and half hours into our boat journey, as we cross the confluence with the Malinowski River, we will leave the final traces of human habitation behind. Within the 700,000 hectares of uninhabited nucleus of the reserve, sightings of capybara, caiman, geese, macaws, and other large species will become more frequent.

By the afternoon, a three to five-kilometer hike will lead us to overlooks commanding magnificent views of the Tambopata winding its way into the lowlands. The forest on this trail, regenerating the old bamboo forest, is good for Howler Monkey and Dusky Titi Monkey. The overlooks provide excellent panoramic photo opportunities of the Tambopata winding its way down from the highlands. On a clear day, it will even be possible to view and photograph the snow-capped Andean peaks in the distance. At each overlook, we will have good chances of encounters at eye level at 30-50 yards with large turkey-like birds called guans and chachalacas, or toucans, or macaws roosting on the trees.

Day 5: Claylicks

On most clear mornings of the year, dozens of large macaws and hundreds of parrots congregate on this large river bank in a raucous and colorful spectacle that inspired a National Geographic cover story. Discretely located fifty meters from the cliff, we will observe Green-winged, Scarlet, and Blue-and-gold Macaws and several species of smaller parrots descend to ingest clay. Outings are at dawn when the lick is most active. If the river is not swollen, thereby reducing the effective beach area, photographers should have plenty of opportunities to shoot the typical clay lick photographs from distances of 50-100 meters.

A five-kilometer trail covers the prototypical rainforest with immense trees crisscrossed by creeks and ponds. Amongst the figs, ceibas, and shihuahuacos we will look for Squirrel, Brown Capuchin, and Spider Monkeys as well as peccaries. TRC is located within this habitat. Photo opportunities for all mammals and birds on this trail will be scant as visibility and lighting are poor and animals timid. Our principal focus will be general rainforest shots as well as portraits of the huge trees that are scattered throughout this forest.

By the afternoon, a ten-minute upriver journey from the lodge to a tiny pond with a platform in the middle it is a great place for the late afternoon where we whittle away the remains of the day as we spot waterfowl such as Muscovy duck, sunbittern, and hoatzin along with the woodpeckers, oropendolas, flycatchers, and parakeets that call this pond their home. Opportunities to photograph these beautiful birds will abound, as the lighting and visibility of the pond are excellent and these birds´ habits are predictable over short periods of time.

Night walks are great for photographing insects and frogs. We may be able to find praying mantis, cicadas, leaf-mimicking grasshoppers as well as huge toads, shiny green tree frogs, and bizarre horned frogs.

Day 6: Gardens and palm swamp

We will photograph herps around the lodge gardens: frogs, snakes, and lizards. TRC specialists will have spent the past few days screening the vicinity for encounters with the most photogenic herp species and will have prepared appropriate scenarios. The chicos, our flock of semi-wild, hand-reared macaws will provide additional photographic opportunities as they fly about around the lodge.

Growing on the remains of an oxbow lake and providing both arboreals as well as terrestrial mammals with fruits throughout the year, the aguaje palms swamps are one of the most important food sources in the rainforest. Demand for these fruits and great conditions for planting rice makes the palm swamp also one of the most threatened habitats.

Day 7

It is time to say goodbye, as the expedition comes to an end.

Your visit will make a direct contribution to Wired Amazon and the National Reserve of Tambopata.

You will take the journey back to the city to the airport for your national flight onwards.

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What our guest say
- Valuation Excellent
- 5/5

AMJNZ November 2025

Real CBakes November 2025

C M November 2025

giovannaBorneo November 2025

Alyssa Zhen November 2025

citlalli October 2025

Pat October 2025

John W October 2025

Talitha Nizama October 2025

Ronit B October 2025

Rick8469 October 2025

Ronit Bhat October 2025

Fantastic to be deep in the forest surrounded by incredible wildlife with our amazing guide Juan Carlos Yatto, who really knew his stuff! Also his photography skills meant that we could share our experience even better through his telescope using our phone cameras! We learned so much!! He went to extra lengths to find butterflies and moths for us along with so many different birds and monkeys. This was a travel highlight for us as experienced wildlife travellers. We loved our spacious room with no windows and open to more wildlife visitors but after 5 nights the bed could have been a little more comfortable. Luckily we had a second bed to use. Otherwise it was fantastic with hot water showers and fresh drinking water all the time. We were amazed at the variety of food on offer for breakfast, lunch and dinner and couldn’t believe they could have such a wonderful food offering in such a remote location. Even the wine and cocktails were great. I highly recommend spending the extra money and time getting to this location. We stayed at another lodge later which was closer to Puerto Maldonado and there was far less wildlife. Read all

Ederson made the stay at the lodge amazing. I have had many guides around the world and Ederson may be the best I have had across 50 countries. The lodge itself is nice, and has electricity. Food is good, and you really feel immersed in the amazon staying there. Its great that a portion of the money goes back to conservation and research. Noteworthy details: Ederson, the "commander" is the best guide! Read all

Through a travel agency in Lima we booked a 4day/3-night stay at Refugio Amazonas. We were looking for a lodge that was far away from Puerto Maldonado but didn't require almost a day to get there (like TRC), with extensive walking trails and with the principal jungle highlights nearby. We were not disappointed. As we later learned, this is probably the best lodge in the region! Well run, quiet, excellent food, beautifully located in the middle of the forest, everything was "right". Surprisingly there were few mosquitos or bugs. Emperatriz (MP as some call her), our guide, has a keen eye and took us on some unforgettable walks and boat rides, both day and night. The birds at the clay lick were fantastic. The lodge also had evening lectures by young researchers as well as special activities such as collecting night moths and setting a trap camera. We later received videos and photo's of what was found (including a puma!). I can recommend this lodge without reservation. Read all

Abbiamo scelto il Tambopata Research Center perché il nostro obbiettivo era di poter vedere le are da vicino. Ci siamo stati ad inizio dicembre scorso, l'inizio della stagione delle piogge, perciò abbiamo scelto di restare 5 notti/6 giorni, abbiamo messo in conto di perdere delle giornate a causa della pioggia e per la lontananza da Puerto Maldonado, per nostra fortuna durante il nostro soggiorno ha piovuto solo il giorno di partenza proprio quando arrivavamo in aeroporto. Non c'é stato un giorno che non ne abbiamo visto: are di diverse specie e colori e molti altri uccelli e primati, spettacolare l'incontro a pochi centimetri con un formichiere bianco, ma non il giaguaro. Consigliamo di pernottatre almeno 3 notti, il viaggio é molto lungo. Noi eravamo all'aeroporto di Lima già alle 8:00 di mattina e tra un volo in ritardo, uno spostamento in bus di ca. 45 minuti per arrivare al fiume, ed un trasferimento in barca veloce, siamo arrivati al lodge verso le 16:30. All'aeroporto ci ha accolto la nostra guida privata Alfred, che ci ha seguito per tutto il soggiorno, di giorno in giorno abbiamo deciso le escursioni da fare, ed Alfred si é rivelato essere una super guida, un occhio di falco per scoprire anche il più piccolo uccellino, con pazienza é riuscito a farci camminare chilometri nella giungla, ci ha spiegato molto sulla flora e fauna. Bravissimo a far video e foto con i nostri telefoni col suo binocolo e cavalletto che si portava sempre appresso, queste foto sono dei magnifici ricordi. TRC non é un hotel, é un centro di ricerca per le are, in mezzo ad una foresta ed a ore dal primo centro abitato, perciò non avevamo delle grandi aspettative ne sul cibo ne sull'alloggio Read all

This place is a treat!! Incredible flora & fauna, food and service - the staff is quite attentive. Interesting research, with lots of potential. Visiting the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest is a must do! Read all

We had the most amazing time EVER at Refugio Amazonas, and I am so very glad I booked our stay here. Honestly, this is to date probably the best travel experience we have ever had and I will never forget our time in the Amazon here. First of all, the lodge is beautiful. Our room was lovely. The beds were comfy. The bathrooms are large. It is incredible waking up to the sounds of the jungle and falling asleep to the insects at night. We did have some insects in our room, and a rodent, and even a tarantula (non poisonous)! But it was part of the experience. The food was great and they prioritize native and local ingredients. My partner and I are both vegan and they took SUCH good care of us. The food was delicious, and we had ample vegan options every meal. Everything from the first email contacts with Katia to the transfers to the first night info session to the activities-- which I will get to in a second-- was incredible. It is a bit pricey, but everything is included and there is nothing you need to worry about, and it was so worth it. OK now for the best part-- the activities. Holy wow. First of all, we had the best guide EVER-- Juan Carlos. He was amazing. He is a bird expert, knows so much about the animals who live in the rainforest, the insects, the trees, the plant life, it was incredible. He also so clearly cared that everyone in our group had an amazing time. He took so many pictures for us, pointed out so many animals for us, and made sure we all enjoyed every moment. I can’t thank him enough because it made our time here so very special. We went on many activities that were amazing, and we saw so many animals— capybaras, howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, so many incredible insects, frogs, tarantulas, so many many birds and butterflies. Every activity was amazing but the highlights were the macaw clay lick and the canopy tower. And we were super impressed and happy to hear about their commitment to conservation, protecting the animals, and supporting the native community nearby. There is so much I could say about our stay here but I would recommend a 3 night stay over 2 nights (so you can do more activities), and make sure you read the guides they send via email before you come so you pack correctly and know what to expect and bring--the guide includes everything so that there are no surprises, and we knew exactly what to expect, although our stay exceeded our expectations! I highly, highly recommend staying here, it was magical, it was a once in a life time adventure, and I will never forget it. I also want to shout out the manager of the lodge, I forgot her name, but she was incredible, as well as the service staff at meal times, who were so kind and helpful to point out what was vegan all of the time. I truly hope we can come back some day!! Read all

The lodge was kept very clean, and the staff paid close att to people's needs. It was very easy find activities and the guides were excellent with a genuine intended approach towards sustainability and environment longevity. Read all

A superb stay in a top class Lodge which gave a wonderful insight into the Amazon wildlife. Our guide was Juan Carlos who has incredible knowledge and a lovely sense of humour. The staff in the lodge were so friendly and the meals provided were something to look forward to. A wonderful experience! Read all

I traveled with my mom, who is elderly, and we were a little scared but decided to go for it. Upon arrival, our guide, Christian Herrera, was waiting for us. He was very friendly and had extensive knowledge of the area. The lodge is wonderful, 100% connected to nature. The food is delicious, and everything there is to do near the lodge is incredible. I highly recommend going to the tower at sunset and the macaw clay lick at dawn. Thank you guys for everything, the stay was a dream. Read all

This place totally stole the show! We came to Peru for Machu Picchu, but I think it’s safe to say Refugio Amazonas became the absolute highlight of our trip.It manages to be as luxurious as a stay in the Amazon can be without feeling like too much hand-holding. The rooms don't have windows, which lets you be super close to nature. Sure, that means moths, but it also means drifting off to the peaceful sound of cicadas and waking up to howler monkeys. I honestly can't remember the last time I had such deep, peaceful sleep.The food is another major plus; it's exceptionally fresh, especially considering it’s a buffet. You should absolutely check out their menu, too—it’s one of the most thoughtful and best-designed ones I’ve ever seen. Kevin hosted us at dinner most nights, and he was such great company and so mindful of my wife's dietary restrictions. It really adds to the experience when you feel that people genuinely care.We also took advantage of the exceptional massage here. After a long trip, a massage by Kelly was exactly what the doctor ordered.But the real star of the show is the activities and the guides. We got incredibly lucky with the very best: Juan Carlos. He was funny, great company, and extraordinarily knowledgeable. All the guides at Refugio Amazonas understand that it's not about just ticking a box but about living the experience. That’s why you might take 30 minutes longer to complete a hike—because you decided to spend some time watching Tamarins playing with each other. Jonathan was another guide we had a wonderful, very knowledgeable, and fun time with. We honestly just didn't want to leave and wish we could have stayed longer. Read all

We just finished three weeks in Peru and without a doubt Refugio Amazonas lodge was a real highlight of the trip. You need to know there is NO AC but honestly you don't need it at night in October, There's a ceiling fan and the bed was super comfortable with netting and additional fan within the bed area. The sounds of the jungle at night and Howler monkeys in the morning was great experience. The staff was excellent with a special mention for Paul our guide. He is an excellent Birder as well and can't thank him enough for over 110 new bird species during our four days there. The early morning Macaw clay lick experience with the boat ride in the dark was very cool. The buffet style meals were ok, make sure you bring shoes for mud and extra to walk around with in the lodge. Refugio provides boots for water on trails. See photos Read all