The experience
Follow one of the most extraordinary ecological journeys in Peru from the Andes into the deep Amazon on a six-day exploration of Manu National Park. Cross the misty cloud forest, watch the Andean cock-of-the-rock at its lek and pause at a hummingbird garden before continuing by boat along warm, wildlife-rich rivers. Deeper inside the reserve, explore Cocha Salvador in search of giant river otters, listen for monkeys in the canopy, witness macaws gathering at a clay lick and spend a night near a tapir observation area. With an additional day to move more slowly between ecosystems, this experience brings you closer to the remarkable flora, fauna and changing landscapes of Manu while preserving the patience and flexibility that meaningful wildlife encounters require.
Pickup
Approximately 4:30 a.m. from your hotel in Cusco
Duration
6 days / 5 nights
Route
Cusco → Cloud Forest → Manu Reserved Zone → Cusco
Experience
Amazon flora, fauna and wildlife observation
Guide
Official Spanish- and English-speaking nature guide
Difficulty
3/5 – Moderate
Discover hummingbirds, cloud-forest birds and the Andean cock-of-the-rock.
Travel by road and river through the cloud forest and Manu Reserved Zone.
Search for giant river otters, macaws, monkeys, caimans, tapirs and other Amazon wildlife.
Day by day
Choose a day, explore each stop and see the route on the map.
Cusco, Paucartambo and the Manu Cloud Forest
Leave your hotel at approximately 4:30 a.m. and cross the Andes toward Paucartambo. Stop for breakfast and a short visit in this historic colonial town before continuing toward Manu National Park.
Descend through the misty cloud forest, stopping to look for trogons, quetzals, tanagers, oropendolas and woolly monkeys. After lunch en route, visit an Andean cock-of-the-rock lek and watch for the national bird of Peru during its colorful display.
Continue through the forest and arrive at Bambú Lodge at around 5:00 p.m., with time to settle in before dinner.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Bambú Lodge
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Hummingbird Garden, Atalaya and Natural Hot Springs
Begin early with the opportunity to observe colorful rainforest birds around the lodge, including tanagers, honeycreepers, flycatchers and euphonias.
Travel toward Atalaya and stop at a hummingbird garden to watch several species feeding among tropical plants. Other possible sightings include tanagers, oropendolas, king vultures and titi monkeys.
Board the expedition boat at Atalaya and travel for approximately 30 minutes to a natural warm-water pool beside the river. After the visit, continue downstream toward Hummingbird Lodge.
Arrive at Hummingbird Lodge for dinner and overnight accommodation. Join an optional night walk to search for frogs, insects and other nocturnal rainforest wildlife.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Hummingbird Lodge
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Journey into the Manu Reserved Zone
Travel from the clear waters of the Alto Madre de Dios River toward the sediment-rich Manu River. Stop at the Limonal ranger station to present the park permits before continuing upriver.
Navigate for approximately five hours, watching beaches and forest edges for herons, skimmers, terns, caimans, side-necked turtles and troops of red howler or squirrel monkeys. A jaguar sighting is possible but never guaranteed.
Arrive at Casa Matsiguenka near Cocha Salvador. Explore a nearby trail in the afternoon and consider an optional night walk after dinner to experience the forest after dark.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Casa Matsiguenka Lodge
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Cocha Salvador and the Macaw Clay Lick
Explore Cocha Salvador on a quiet catamaran and search for giant river otters, squirrel monkeys, capuchins, herons, cormorants, eagles and other lake wildlife.
Walk from Casa Matsiguenka to the Salvadorcillo clay lick. When conditions are favorable, watch red, green and scarlet macaws gather and descend to consume mineral-rich clay.
After lunch, explore a forest trail with your guide and learn how plants, insects and wildlife interact. Possible sightings include emperor tamarins, titi monkeys and peccaries.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Casa Matsiguenka Lodge
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Manu River Wildlife Search and Tapir Observation
Travel downriver toward Boca Manu and continue toward the tapir clay lick. Search both riverbanks for capybaras, herons, flycatchers, raptors and other wildlife, with the possibility of a jaguar encounter.
If time and conditions allow, make a short optional visit to Cocha Brashco before lunch en route.
Continue to a hide in the rainforest near a tapir clay lick. Spend the evening and part of the night waiting quietly for tapirs and other nocturnal wildlife.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Wildlife observation hide near the tapir clay lick; exact accommodation to be confirmed
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Return through Atalaya and the Cloud Forest to Cusco
Begin the return journey early and travel by boat toward Atalaya, keeping watch for wildlife during the final hours on the river.
Continue by road toward Cusco, with breakfast and lunch provided en route through the cloud forest.
Return to Cusco and finish the expedition near Plazoleta de Regocijo, a short walk from the Plaza de Armas.
Breakfast and lunch
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Plan with confidence
Wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed and the daily schedule may change according to weather, river conditions and current reports from guides and researchers. Long road and boat journeys are part of reaching the remote Manu Reserved Zone. Please bring drinking water for the first morning. The exact fifth-night accommodation must be confirmed because the supplied itinerary describes an observation hide near the tapir clay lick but begins day six at Papaya Lodge.
Pickup is planned for approximately 4:30 a.m. from your hotel in Cusco.
The six-day program adds Hummingbird Lodge, a hummingbird garden and a visit to natural hot springs before entering the Manu Reserved Zone.
Possible sightings include Andean cock-of-the-rock, hummingbirds, macaws, giant river otters, monkeys, caimans, turtles, capybaras, tapirs and, with exceptional luck, a jaguar. No species can be guaranteed.
The supplied itinerary includes a stop at natural hot springs reached by boat from Atalaya, subject to river and operating conditions.
Yes. The guide may adapt timing and activities to weather, river conditions and recent wildlife activity to make the most of the expedition.
