Machu Picchu, Manu National Park & Manu Wildlife Center (10 Days)

Day 1: Arrival in Cusco

From the moment you land, your trip to Peru will be remarkable. Arriving at the airport, our private shuttle service will meet you and comfortably transport you to your delightful hotel in the middle of Cusco’s ancient district. Cusco is a fascinating city just waiting to be discovered. Here, Spanish colonial architecture and prehistoric Inca foundations meld to create a singular, colorful cultural tapestry. Your first day is devoted to leisure and low-key exploration to facilitate a seamless acclimatization to Cusco’s elevation. You will explore the center of Cusco with a knowledgeable guide, beginning at the famous and vibrant Plaza de Armas, the city’s primary plaza. Explore undiscovered jewels such as the thriving San Pedro Market, which offers an abundance of locally grown produce and handicrafts.

• Overnight: Cusco
• Meals: Dinner

Day 2: Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes

At 7:30 a.m., we will pick you up from your hotel and drive you in private transportation to the archeological site at Pisac. Here, you will have the opportunity to tour the impressive complex of terraces, storehouses, and ceremonial centers that provide an insight into the agricultural and engineering skills of the Inca civilization. And get lost in the lively Pisac market. As you proceed through the magnificent Sacred Valley, you will come to the amazing Inca town of Ollantaytambo, which is one of the few Inca settlements still standing in the Sacred Valley that has kept its original Inca urban design. We will see the village, which still has its original water conduits in use, and ascend the Inca archeological site’s terraces for breathtaking views of the surrounding valleys and mountains. We’ll board a cozy train in the late afternoon and travel through beautiful scenery to Aguas Calientes, where we’ll spend the night. The town that serves as Machu Picchu’s gateway.

• Overnight: Aguas Calientes
• Meals: Breakfast

Day 3: Machu Picchu Tour

We start our amazing Machu Picchu excursion with a delicious breakfast at your accommodation. After that, a committed guide will accompany you to the bus stop so you can take a half-hour bus ride to Machu Picchu’s entrance. Get ready to be captivated as you set out on a thorough, personalized walking tour. Your knowledgeable guide will show you the best route so you can see Machu Picchu’s most important buildings. Reach the recognizable vantage point and take in the picture-perfect view that has mesmerized tourists for years. After your intensive excursion, take a comfortable bus ride down to the quaint village of Aguas Calientes, which lies hidden away in the mountains. After enjoying a delicious meal, board the train for a picturesque ride back to the Cusco hotel.

• Overnight: Cusco
• Meals: Breakfast

Day 4: Cusco to Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. 

At 3,400 meters (1,150 feet), we start our overland expedition early from Cusco, the highland metropolis. Our destination for today is the area of rich cloud forests that connects the Amazon basin to the Andes. Today is filled with dramatic scenery and eye-catching contrasts. Before traversing two mountain ranges to reach a maximum elevation of 3,900 meters (12,790 feet) between the Cusco valley and the Paucartambo valley, we first visit a mountain wetland habitat teaming with migrant and native ducks. Lastly, we follow a winding stretch of highway as it plunges through an amazing world of gorges, waterfalls, and forested cliffs. We stop for leisurely views of mountain towns, the abrupt ridge top of Ajanaco, the last high point before the Andes begin their descent into the Amazon basin, and a hilltop necropolis of chullpas (pre-Inca burial chambers). When the weather is clear, we will be treated to a stunning view of the lowland rainforest plains far below us, surrounded by mountains and cloud forest.

Following lunch in the vicinity, we make our way down through the abrupt and dramatic changes in the environment that are typical of the tropical Andes. We go from grassland and stunted trees to elfin forest and then wind through a verdant and enchanted world of overhanging trees, enormous ferns, enormous begonias, innumerable orchids and bromeliads, and a diverse and abundant birdlife.

We often stop on desire, maybe catching sight of a trogon, a quetzal with colorful feathers, or the untamed turkey-like Guan. Arriving in the late afternoon, we check into the cozy Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. This is the ideal time to visit the nearby viewing platform for the exhibition ground, or “lek,” where we can catch a glimpse of Peru’s stunning national bird, the Cock-of-the-Rock (Rupicola peruvianus).

• Overnight: Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Breakfast

Day 5: Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge to Romero Lodge (Manu National Park). 

We could scout for birds and possibly woolly or brown capuchin monkeys along the surrounding road if we got up early. Alternatively, we may go on a small trail loop to the river and back and have a private nature walk. We resumed our drive after breakfast, passing low, rolling hills and farmland in place of the mountains. We visit a legitimate coca plantation at Patria, which grows the crop for the Peruvian coca leaf market. We arrive at Atalaya, a small port where the Piñipiñi River and the Alto Madre de Dios meet, at midday. This is where our trek into the lowland jungle begins. Rivers are the roads of the rainforest, and from now on we will navigate them in spacious, cozy dugout canoes powered by strong outboard motors and covered by canopy roofs.

Our ever-changing route allows us to spot new birds, such as terns, cormorants, white-winged swallows, and flocks of nighthawks roused from their daylight lairs by the sound of our engine, as we follow the vast, rushing course of the river beyond the final slopes of the Andes.
The surrounding hills of the forest are dotted with splashes of beautiful yellow, pink, and red leaves, and the breeze is heavy with the captivating feel of the tropical jungle. In order to reach the lake-rich lower Manu National Park, we head north up the chocolate-brown waters of the Manu River. It is easy to see that the forest is in perfect condition, with a wide variety of birds and no evidence of outside development. After checking into the park at the Limonal Ranger Station, we continue upstream to Romero Lodge for the night, where we are greeted by a fresh variety of forest noises. The deafening shriek of cicadas replaces the whistling call-and-response of tinamous as night sets. 

• Overnight: Romero Lodge
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Breakfast

Day 6: Romero Lodge to Casa Matsiguenka (Manu National Park). 

We carry on to the Manu Tented Camp in the morning under the expert guidance of our boat driver as he navigates between driftwood snags and shallow areas. As we approach, many sun-bathing turtles dive off their log perches, capped and white-necked herons patrol the shoreline, and orinoco geese and horned screamers parade on the beaches.
We arrive at the low-impact, basic, yet cozy Casa Matsiguenka after about four hours on the river. It is tucked away practically imperceptibly in the forest.
If there’s time before supper, we’ll go for a quick stroll to get some fresh air and witness our first glimpse of the virgin jungle.

•  Overnight: Casa Matsiguenka
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Breakfast

Day 7: Manu National Park (Casa Matsiguenka): Cocha Salvador & Cocha Otorongo. 

We will explore two lakes close to our Manu Park Wildlife Center today. The timing of our visit to Cocha (Lake) Salvador is set by the park administration; we will visit Cocha Otorongo either earlier or later in the day based on this timetable.
About thirty minutes downstream from the Manu Park Wildlife Center is where our trail to Cocha Otorongo starts. The short river crossing to the trailhead can almost guarantee an exciting glimpse of wildlife. If we’re lucky, we might see a lone Jaguar stalking slowly off an exposed beach into the forest and flicking its tail in protest at our intrusion, or we might see a family of capybaras, the largest rodent in the world, munching on the riverbank.

We might see one or more of the 13 kinds of monkeys in the park jumping through the canopy high overhead on the short walk that leads to the lake. The enormous size of some of the trees that make up that canopy, such as figs, ironwood, and kapok, will astound us with their buttressed root systems and massive trunks.
These lakes are called oxbow lakes because the river shifted its course and left a landlocked waterway in its wake. The lakes are rich in fish and animals, and they offer caimans and the Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis), one of the most endangered mammal species in the Amazon, the ideal home.

Maximum protection is enjoyed by this lake, and boats are not permitted. But it also has a dock platform and a 50-foot tower where you can look for kingfishers, monkeys, anhingas (big, long-necked water birds), and many other species among the trees and marshy shoreline. We have a high chance of seeing the local family of giant otters as they hunt the 4 kg of fish that each one eats on a daily basis.

With a length of around two miles, or 3.5 km, Cocha Salvador is the largest lake in the region. Additionally, a family of giant otters resides there. On a floating catamaran platform, we cruise the lake and take in breathtaking, fresh views of the forest and water. Monkeys frequently inhabit the trees along the lake; a variety of herons and egrets patrol the water’s edge; and caimans, immovable as logs, may be spied upon beneath the branches by their reptilian eyes and snouts. Scarlet, chesnut-fronted, and blue-and-gold macaws beat a path overhead. We might be able to see the sleek heads of the bashful Giant Otters somewhere, either on the open water or among the bankside trees. These friendly creatures may be seen resting on a fallen tree trunk, sleeping, or nibbling on a fish. They also play and fish together.

• Overnight: Casa Matsiguenka
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Breakfast

Day 8: Manu National Park (Casa Matsiguenka) to Manu Wildlife Center, Observation tower and trail system. 

Before daylight, we started downriver. There’s a great probability of seeing wildlife at this hour. Before departing the park, we go back to the Limonal Park station to turn in our animal report. We will be close to the community of Boca Manu once we cross the tumultuous confluence of the Alto Madre de Dios and Manu rivers. We reach the thrilling last destination of our adventure, Manu Wildlife Center, in time for lunch after another ninety minutes of downstream travel.

Following lunch at the lodge, we can take one of the numerous trails on the property for intimate, private outings to connect with the spirits of the jungle, or our guide can take us on freewheeling adventures in pursuit of more wildlife encounters. Along with a wide variety of bird species, we anticipate seeing more monkey species here. Those travelers with excess energy who would like to experience more might visit the observation tower either before or after dinner.
We provide the chance to go boating along the riverbank this evening from late afternoon until after dinner in search of caiman and other nocturnal creatures (if the level of the river permits it). 

• Overnight: Manu Wildlife Center
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Breakfast 

Day 9: Manu Wildlife Center: Blanquillo Clay Lick, the Wildlife Trails and Tapir Clay Lick.

 Following another early start (often necessary on wildlife adventures), there’s a quick boat journey downstream. We hike for twenty minutes through plantations of palm trees to the Macaw Lick, which is located in a river cut-off channel. Our ringside location for what is normally an amazing display is a large hideaway furnished with individual chairs and a handy spot for cameras and binoculars. Here, we eat a hearty breakfast while we wait for the principal players to show up.
The large Red-and-Green Macaws soar in flocks of two or three, settling in the treetops as they scan the primary attraction below—the worn clay banks of the former river. The supporting ensemble, meanwhile, shows up. This group may include blue-headed, mealy, yellow-crowned, and orange-cheeked parrots, in addition to the sporadic antagonist, a dangerous and unwanted Great Black Hawk.
Before almost all of the macaws, parrots, and parakeets create a vibrant and boisterous spectacle on the bare banks, bickering as they scrape mud off the hard surface, the drama unfolds in timid and then braver approaches to the lick.
(Note: The clay lick is less active in May and June and more active in August through October.) Having lunch at the lodge, we can take one of the many trails within the property to connect with the spirits of the jungle, or our guide can take us on freewheeling adventures in search of further wildlife encounters.
After that, we head out on the “Collpa Trail,” which leads to the well-known Tapir Clay Lick at the resort. Our research has discovered 8–12 unique 600-pound tapirs that visit this, the busiest tapir lick in the entire Amazon, to feed on clay that is found beneath the tree roots surrounding the lick’s edge. The largest land mammal in Latin America, the tapir, consumes a vegetarian diet that contains toxins that this unusual snack absorbs and neutralizes. There are recently made-up beds and pillows on the platform. A large mosquito net covers every mattress. The elevated path spanning 10 meters leads to the platform, and it is lined with sound-absorbing padding to muffle the sound of our footfall. The opportunity to get up close and personal with these typically reticent animals is what makes this tapir encounter exceptional and thrilling. Not only is flash photography allowed, but it’s highly encouraged. The most difficult aspect for people who live in modern cities is having to sit still and be silent for two or more hours at a time. A lot of people opt to remain asleep until the first Tapir shows up, at which point your guide will gently wake you up so you may see the Tapir from 10–20 meters (33–66 feet) below the platform. For the chance to see the elusive and uncommon tapir in its rainforest environment, most people believe that the wait is well worth it. 

• Overnight: Manu Wildlife Center
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Breakfast

Day 10: Manu Wildlife Center to Cusco or Lima

We set off early from our resort for the two and a half-hour boat ride downstream to Colorado Village. Breakfast will be served either on the boat or at the lodge, depending on when we have to arrive in Puerto Maldonado. This is the ideal time to enjoy the early morning wildlife activity along the river, and we will also be able to see several lowland native settlements and gold miners working along the banks of the Madre de Dios River. We will make a stop in a remote gold-mining town in Colorado to begin our 45-minute overland journey to Puerto Carlos. After that, you will take a 10-minute boat ride across the Inambari River to Santa Rosa. Lastly, a van or bus will take us to the Puerto Maldonado City airport, where you will board a commercial flight to Cusco or Lima. With this help, your jungle adventure comes to an end.

Important information Please be aware that the program may change significantly based on reports from our researchers and knowledgeable naturalist guides stationed at the lodge in order to enhance your chances of seeing animals.