Starting early from Cusco, you’ll travel through Andean landscapes of unparalleled beauty: deep valleys, mountains, and rural communities, where you can enjoy highland birds such as the mountain caracara, puna ibis, and Andean flicker, as well as the pre-Incan Lupaca burial towers, before arriving at the picturesque colonial town of Paucartambo, which has been the gateway to the Manu forests since pre-Hispanic times. Here you’ll visit the church with its image of the Virgen del Carmen and see the historic Charles V Bridge. Once you pass through Acjanaco Pass (3,850 meters / 12,630 feet), the official entrance to Manu National Park, the road descends through the sparse vegetation into bird-rich Andean grassland ecosystems before reaching the cloud forest in the afternoon. This area boasts a wealth of flora and fauna: it’s home to the rupicolous crested and golden quetzal, blue-crowned motmot, gray-breasted Andigena, butterflies, ferns, and orchids, to name just a few! After this amazing day, you’ll spend your first night enjoying the comforts of Paradise Lodge (1,470 meters / 4,821 feet).

Driving distance: 181 kilometers / 113 miles (6 to 8 hours, including 3 hours of walking)

Includes: lunch and dinner

After your first night in the cloud forest, you’ll enjoy a pre-breakfast walk to observe the rupicolous deer performing their daily ritual, in which a group of males put on an impressive display to attract females. You’ll then return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast before continuing your journey to Pillcopata, departing from the port of Atalaya. During this trip, you’ll see plantations cultivating cassava, papaya, pineapple, and coca, as well as local wildlife such as squirrel monkeys and brown capuchin monkeys. You’ll also see birds along the way, including Spix’s guans, plumbeous kites, and black vultures. After dinner, a short hike will offer an opportunity to observe the nocturnal wildlife on the trails surrounding the local Amazon rainforest lodge where you’ll spend the night.

Driving distance: 71.6 kilometers / 44.8 miles (5 hours)

Included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

One of the highlights of a trip to the Peruvian rainforest is an early morning visit to the parrot clay lick. You’ll never forget watching hundreds of parrots gather at the mineral-rich riverside clay deposit, where their noisy feeding display is a kaleidoscope of color. You’ll be able to observe Cuvier’s toucans, red and green macaws, blue-headed parrots, and other species as they feed on the minerals. Afterward, we’ll return to the lodge for breakfast. Your adventure continues with a several-hour hike along a trail, returning to the lodge for a typical regional lunch. After lunch, we’ll return to the river where you can take a boat to Atalaya, where our vehicle will be waiting to take you back to Paraíso Lodge in comfort.

Included: breakfast, lunch and dinner

This is our last day in the forest. You’ll have another chance to observe the rupicola deer performing their daily ritual at the clay lick. After breakfast, board the private bus for the return trip to Cusco, following the familiar route to Paucartambo. From here, the journey follows the course of the Qenqomayo River to Colquepata and then on to the high pass at Apacheta (4,100 meters / 13,448 feet). From the high pass, the bus descends into the famous Sacred Valley of the Incas, stopping along the way to enjoy the countryside, which is dotted with traditional Andean villages inhabited by weavers, llama herders, and farmers. Along the way, you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy spectacular views of the Pisac archaeological site. Choose your accommodation in a hotel, either in the Sacred Valley or Cusco.

Driving distance: 192 kilometers / 120 miles (6 hours)

Includes: breakfast and lunch

Contact us and book now with all payment methods. Via PayPal