ITINERARY
Day 1: Puerto Maldonado to Finca Sachavacayoc
Our team will meet you at the Puerto Maldonado airport and take you to our office via the city. We advise you to repack and bring only the items you will need for this trip; leave your belongings at our office, and we will take care of them.
We go up the Tambopata River for almost three hours in order to reach Finca Sachavacayoc. If we’re lucky, we may get to see birds, caimans, capybaras, and monkeys along the route.
Box lunches are served on board; a vegetarian option is available upon request. Cold-bottled beverages are also available on the boat.
We arrive at Finca Sachavacayoc with our guide’s complete company; we check in and take a brief nap.
Following a short time of rest, we will embark on a jungle walk to familiarize ourselves with the surrounding environment and introduce ourselves to the natural world. We will wait for dark to walk at night in search of elusive nocturnal animals and species, such as the amazing ground bird that eats tarantulas (as big as your hand).
- Overnight: Finca Sachavacayoc
- Meals: lunch, and dinner
Day 2: Finca Sachavacayoc, Chuncho Macaw Clay Lick and Condenado Lake
We will visit one of the wonders of nature, the magnificent Chuncho clay lick, the largest in the world, where hundreds of parrots engage in a special and unusual behavior that is only observed in this region of the world: they will gather at the same time to eat clay, along with the three main species of macaws.
Arriving before the birds is crucial to savoring the best of the parrot display. We travel early, at 4 a.m., and spend 2 hours in our boat upstream of the Tambopata River.
Breakfast will be served aboard the boat. On the way to the clay lick, there is a good chance that we will spot capybaras, caymans, and, with luck, jaguars or tapirs—the two most unique land creatures in the Amazon. If needed, we remain in the clay lick region until we witness the macaws consuming clay.
Head back to the lodge to have lunch.
We get ready and head to the beautiful Condenado Lake after getting a nice night’s sleep. Condenado Lake is approximately an hour’s walk from the lodge (walking slowly while observing the surroundings). Condenado Lake boasts excellent wildlife, including monkeys, caimans, a large number of Hoatzin, and numerous macaws flying by on their way to roost. We also have excellent chances of seeing the elusive and shy Anaconda. This place offers us a unique experience in the jungle, with no one else in the lake but ourselves.
As soon as we arrive in the afternoon, we hop on a paddle canoe and head into the wildest and deepest jungle, where we can enjoy the noisy monkeys and macaws.
We head back to the lodge on the way out so we may take a nighttime stroll in search of wildlife or just take in the strange, romantic, intense, noisy, and silent jungle.
- Overnight: Finca Sachavacayoc
- Meals: Breakfast,lunch, and dinner
Day 3: Finca Sachavacayoc to Sandoval Lake
We continue to Sandoval Lake by boat after breakfast, traveling the Tambopata River and passing through the city of Pto. Maldonado for two hours before reaching the lake’s entrance trail. The Trail leads you on a 1.6-mile (2.5-kilometer) walk through a succession of forests, a remnant of a once-giant natural bamboo forest that is home to monkeys, sloths, and macaws. Eventually, we arrive at a small canal where we get into our paddle canoes and paddle through a swamp covered in palm forest, full of “aguajes” (mauritia palms), which are highly valued by the locals for their fruit, which they use to make ice cream and drinks.
We stroll slowly around the lake to the lodge after entering its glass-like surface. An orientation to the lodge is given at the reception area. After checking in, guests can relax in their rooms or hummocks. We headed out to explore a portion of the lake before supper, depending on when we arrived. We were hunting for monkeys or black caimans, which are the largest members of the Cayman and Alligator family and the largest one that we could find at the lake. As they make their way back to their roost, hundreds of red-bellied macaws (about 6 meters and 20 feet) can be seen in the flooded palm jungle. one of the few macaw species that inhabits Mauritia palm wetlands like Sandoval Lake and lives in groups.
We could perhaps go for a stroll at night into the forest behind the lodge.
- Overnight: Sandoval Lodge
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Day 4: Sandoval Lake – Puerto Maldonado to Cusco
After breakfast we make a final paddle through palm swamps on the west end of the lake. On the clearer mornings a glorious sunrise and its reflection can be seen in the lake. We return to the Madre de Dios River and head towards Puerto Maldonado and from there on to the airport for our flight to Cusco.
Please note the itineraries may vary slightly to maximize wildlife viewing, depending on the reports of our local researchers and experienced naturalist guides.
We paddled through palm swamps on the west end of the lake for our last kayak after breakfast. A beautiful dawn and its reflection in the lake can be seen on clear mornings. After crossing the Madre de Dios River once more, we go to Puerto Maldonado and the airport, where we will catch the flight to Cusco.
Please be aware that the itineraries may change significantly based on information from our local researchers and knowledgeable naturalist guides in order to optimize the amount of wildlife watching.
At 3400 meters (11,154 feet), arrive in Cusco, the center of the Inca civilization. After meeting your Incatrekkers guide, proceed to your accommodation. Set out to find the Inca civilization’s capital this afternoon. The first day will be dedicated to acclimating to the altitude through leisurely walking exploration of Cusco throughout the day and at night, taking in the stunning fountains of Plaza de Armas, Plaza Regocijo, Plaza San Francisco, and Plaza San Blas. Along with the Cathedral, other notable sights include the actual Inca walls, the 12-angled stone, the Choco Museo, San Pedro Market, and an optional handicraft.
- Overnight: Cusco
- Meals: Breakfast
Day 5: Cusco City Tour
The tour begins at the Temple of the Sun, Qorikancha, the principal Inca sacred site devoted to the worship of the sun. From here, we take private transportation to the four Inca Archeological Sites, including the massive Sacsayhuman, which overlooks Cusco and is home to spectacular 120-ton monoliths and stunning Inca architecture. The tour also visits the remarkable Incan altars at the Qenqo Inca site, the Puka Pukara Incan military vantage point, and Tambomachay, a water temple with striking water fountains, which is the last destination on the itinerary.
- Overnight: Cusco
- Meals: Breakfast
- Day 6: Experience Sacred Valley, Chinchero, Maras Moray and Salt Ponds
We will pick you up this morning at 7:30 a.m. from your hotel and take you to Chinchero, where the Quechua people live and practice their traditional weaving and dying methods. Learn about Moray, a significant Inca site that served as a hub for agricultural research. Proceed to the striking Maras Salt Ponds. Every salt pond is privately held by a local family that continues to gather salt in the manner of our forefathers. Visit Ollantaytambo (Living Inca Town) after lunch. It’s a magnificent stone building made up of enormous terraces perched atop a mountainside with stunning views of the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Spend the night in Ollantaytambo and unwind on your own in the afternoon.
- Overnight: Ollantaytambo
- Meals: Breakfast
Day 7: Start the Short Inca Trail – Km 104, Wiñay Wayna and Machu Picchu
We’re going to get started early today; at 6:00 am, we’ll take you up from your Ollantaytambo hotel. We go by train for around one and a half hours to km 104, the starting site of the Inca Trail walk. situated at 2050 meters, or 6,725 feet. With a breathtaking perspective of the snow-capped mountains and the Sacred Valley of the Incas, the train route follows the Urubamba River’s natural course.
Following the train ride, we cross the Urubamba River to arrive at the Inca Trail’s main entry, where we must provide our original passport and permits. After checking in, we will have some time to prepare for our day trek. We will then continue on to the Chachabamba archeological site and start the 4-hour ascent to the Wiñaywayna archeological site, which is situated at 2,650 meters (8,694 feet). We will go for around an hour through the cloud forest to reach Intipunku (Sun Gate), at 2720 m (8,923 ft), where we will enjoy our first panoramic glimpse of Machu Picchu at 2400 m (7,874 ft) after exploring the ancient archeological site. We will enjoy the day after making the short climb to Machu Picchu, and then take a bus down to Aguas Calientes for supper and the night.
- Trekking distance: 14 km (8.69 miles)
- Estimated time: 6-7 hours, approx.
- Maximum altitude: 2720 m (8,923 ft).
- Machu Picchu altitude: 2400m (7,874 ft)
- Overnight: Aguas Calientes
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner
Day 8: Machu Picchu Tour and back to Cusco
Start your journey early and enjoy a delicious breakfast at the hotel to set yourself up for an amazing trip to Machu Picchu. Take one of the first buses to the famous location, where the early light casts a captivating glow over the ancient ruins.
After arriving, take a private guided tour to fully immerse yourself in the fascinating history while exploring the specifics of some of Machu Picchu’s most important sections and temples. Take three educational hours to explore this magnificent marvel of the world.
As the day progresses, take the bus back to Aguas Calientes, where a substantial lunch will be waiting for you. After that, take the picturesque train back to Ollantaytambo, where our specialized private vehicle will be waiting to take you off to your Cusco accommodation.
- Overnight: Cusco
- Meals: Breakfast
Day 9: Departure from Cusco
Enjoy one final morning to independently explore Cusco. Using our own transportation, we will drop you off at the airport so you can catch your journey home or return across the Andes to Lima.
What is included in the Amazon Jungle Tambopata & Cusco – Machu Picchu Tour?
Included in your Peru Adventure .
- All airport transfers are as outlined in the itinerary, ensuring seamless transitions throughout your journey.
- A comprehensive pre-departure briefing is held at your hotel, providing essential information to enhance your travel experience.
- Engaging tours and excursions listed in the itinerary are led by knowledgeable guides who will bring Peru’s rich cultural and historical sites to life.
- Admission fees and transportation arrangements are required for each tour and excursion, allowing you to focus on exploration without logistical worries.
- All train and bus tickets are necessary for your tours and excursions, ensuring comfortable and efficient travel between destinations.
- Accommodations are provided in 3-star hotels on a double occupancy basis (with the option to upgrade to higher-tier hotels for added luxury).
- Private tours tailored to your preferences are led by professional tour guides, ensuring personalized and insightful experiences.
- Meals specified in the itinerary, offering a taste of Peru’s diverse culinary delights during your travels.
Not included in your package:
- International airfare to Lima and domestic airfare within Peru, which you’ll need to arrange separately to reach your destination.
- While travel insurance is not mandatory, it is strongly recommended to safeguard your journey against unforeseen circumstances.
- Additional expenses such as beverages, tips, laundry services, phone calls, and other personal expenses are not covered, giving you the flexibility to manage your discretionary spending according to your preferences.
PRICES
Group Tour Price
- Price: 2060 USD per person.
Private Tour Prices
Private tours are available and priced by party size.
- Price for 2 guests: 2350 USD per person
- Price for 3 guests: 2250 USD per person
- Price for 4 guests: 2060 USD per person
- Price for 5 guests: 2020 USD per person
- Price for 6 guests: 1950 USD per person
- Price for 7 guests: 1930 USD per person
- Price for 8 or more guests: 1920 USD per person
PACKING LIST
- Pack Smart for Your Peruvian Adventure
- Making thoughtful packing decisions is essential to guaranteeing a comfortable and delightful trip to Peru. We’ve provided a thorough list of necessities below to help you get the most out of your trip.
- Backpack For Your Daypack: You need a well-organized daypack to carry everything you need for the day, including your camera and snacks.
- Good Binoculars: A good set of binoculars will improve your viewing experience of the scenery and wildlife.
- Original Passport (Mandatory): Always carry your passport with you. It’s your pass to discovering this stunning nation.
- Personal First-Aid Kit and Medications: Have a first-aid kit on hand, along with any prescription drugs you might need for minor ailments.
- Rain Gear: Keep yourself dry during unforeseen rainfall; wear a rain poncho or a waterproof jacket and pants.
Clothing:
- Two or three pairs of long cotton pants.
- Two or three long-sleeved cotton shirts.
- One pair of shorts.
- Two or three t-shirts.
- Four pairs of absorbent socks.
- A hat that secures well during boat rides.
- A pair of sneakers, hiking boots, and sandals for varied terrain.
- Sunglasses: Protect your eyes from the bright Peruvian sun with quality sunglasses.
- Water Bottles: Use aluminum or Nalgene-style water bottles to stay hydrated.
- Flashlight/Headlamp and Batteries: Ensure visibility during nighttime adventures with a reliable light source.
- Sunscreen: Shield your skin from the sun’s rays with a high-quality sunscreen.
- After-Sun Cream or Hydrating Cream: Soothe and nourish your skin after sun exposure.
- Insect Repellent: Stay bug-free with skin-so-soft for river journeys and 20% DEET for forest excursions.
- Snacks: For on-the-go energy boosts, include foods like energy bars, cookies, dried fruit, and chocolate. Even while we provide whole meals, it can be comfortable to have your favorite snacks.
- Toilet Paper and Handkerchiefs: Carry essential hygiene supplies for your comfort.
- Camera, Films, and Extra Batteries: Capture your memories with a camera, extra films, and batteries.
- Peruvian Soles: Keep some local currency for drinks and unexpected expenses.
- Small Towel: A compact towel can come in handy for various situations.
- Plastic Bags: Protect your items from water by packing them in plastic bags.
We hope this list helps you prepare for your adventure in Peru. With these essentials in your luggage, you’ll be well-equipped to explore the rich culture, diverse landscapes, and stunning wildlife that awaits you. Safe travels.
Manu – The World’s Greatest Rainforest Destination
The name Manu has been associated with a legendary mystique among naturalists, birdwatchers, and conservationists worldwide. This exceptional wilderness area is home to more bird species than any other park on Earth, as well as more flora and animals. Additionally, just 20% of the Amazon possesses the rich floodplain soils that produce an abundance of rainforest fruits and sustain dense populations of the region’s forest wildlife. For those who opt to enter Manu by land, the park offers even more: a vast expanse of stark mountain and high-altitude cloud forest that covers the entire spectrum of contrasting natural environments and wildlife, all the way from the high Andes to the Amazonian lowlands. These are the qualities that have earned Manu its fabled reputation as the jewel in the crown of Amazon wildlife viewing experiences.
WEATHER CONDITIONS
The Manu Lowlands get between 2500 and 3500 millimeters (98 and 138 inches) of rain annually, the majority of which falls between November and April during the rainy season. The Manu lowlands get daytime highs of 34°C (93°F) and nighttime lows of 22°C (72°F), with an average temperature of 28°C (82°F). Around once a month during the dry season, cold fronts from the South Atlantic, known as friajes, bring daily highs of 15°C (59°F) and nighttime lows of 13°F (55°F). The Manu Cloud Forest receives about 5000 millimeters, or 196 inches, of precipitation annually. With daily highs of up to 29°C (84°F) and nighttime lows of 11°C (52°F), the average temperature is 24°C (75°F).
ABOUT LODGES
Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge:
Is situated on the lush eastern slopes of the Andes, amid the unspoiled Manu cloud forest. Named for the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola peruviana), Peru’s enormous bright-red national bird, it opened in 1997 and is named after the loud, vivid mating display it puts on every morning next to the lodge. The neighboring forest is home to quetzals, brown capuchin monkeys, woolly monkeys, spectacled bears, and a variety of other vibrant birds. A bubbling mountain stream flows by the lodge. Located near the wild Cusco-Shintuya road at an elevation of 5000 feet (1600 meters) in the cold, mosquito-free Kosñipata Valley, the resort looks after and preserves a 12,500-acre private cloud forest reserve. Ten double-occupancy bungalows with private bathrooms make up the complex, which also has a spacious eating area. In addition to running the lodge, a local highland family patrols the private reserve as rangers.
Villa Carmen Lodge:
Located in the buffer zone of Manu National Park, the 7,600-acre property offers more than 25 miles of trails that traverse diverse habitats such as old-growth rainforest, lower montane forest, secondary forest, bamboo, streams, rivers, and waterfalls.
Along with the Haramba Queros Wachiperi Conservation Concession, the station is close to a number of indigenous Wachiperi and Machiguenga settlements. Six brand-new cottages at Villa Carmen include screened windows that reach the ceiling. Every cabin has a magnificent private toilet, two Adirondack chairs, a baggage and clothing rack, mosquito netted comfortable beds (you can choose between single and double), and 24-hour electricity. At the end of the day, cozy seating is available for checking your lists in the newly designed dining area, lounge, and bar.
Romero Lodge:
Is about halfway between the Manu National Park checkpoints at Pakitza and Limonal. Our facilities are equipped with everything you need to make your stay unforgettable. Not only do they offer the most cozy and safe lodging available, but they also offer stunning views of the Manu River and easily accessible trails leading into the forest for a truly unique experience. Visiting the primary forest allows you to witness a wide variety of wildlife, including hummingbirds, orchids, and enormous trees, as well as mammals like pumas and jaguars.
Manu Wildlife Tented Camp:
It is close to Cocha (Lake) Salvador, the biggest and most exquisite of the Manu River’s thirteen oxbow lakes. The Manu Wildlife Tented Camp offers walk-in, double-occupancy, hermetically sealed tents with screens. Each tent has a floor that is raised above the ground on wooden stilts and measures 16.5 x 10 x 7 feet (5 x 3 x 2.2 meters). Every tent features an elongated twin bed with a mosquito net covering. We also have a separate complex with communal hot-water bathrooms and flush toilets, as well as an elevated, screened dining area with a wooden floor at our camp.
Casa Matsiguenka:
The Matsiguenka people are indigenous to the Tayakome and Yomibato tribes. Seeing the need to preserve their culture, environment, and way of life, they founded an ecotourism-focused organization.
Our communities, the Matsiguenkas, lead entirely traditional lives as hunters, gatherers, fishermen, and rotary farmers. Our home is in Manu National Park, between the sources of the Fierro water stream and the Manu River.
Bungalows with mosquito nets, separate bathrooms, and kitchens connected to dining rooms are available at Casa Matsiguenka.
Thanks to funding from the Ibero-American program of science and technology for development (CYTED), Casa Matsiguenka has electricity available around the clock.
Manu Wildlife Center
is situated on the Madre de Dios River’s north bank, east of the Manu River. The lodge features a spacious, completely screened dining room, a beautiful bar with hammocks for lounging, 22 double-occupancy, fully screened private bungalows, and separate complexes with hot showers and toilets.
The Rock Lodge’s Cock Romero Lodge, Manu Wildlife Tented Camp, and Manu Wildlife Center are without electricity. However, there is a 220V generator available (please ensure that your equipment is compatible with this voltage), and there is limited electricity available at certain times of the night for battery recharging, though you may need to bring a local wall-plug adaptor. Thus, the walkways surrounding the lodge complex are lit with lamps, the guest bungalows are lit with candles, and the common rooms are lit with both types of lighting.
