Manu Biosphere

Arrive in Lima on the flight of your choice today. After collecting your luggage and clearing customs, exit the terminal and walk across the street to the conveniently located 5-Star Wyndham Grand Costa Del Sol Lima Airport hotel. Settle into your room and rest up for your Peru adventure ahead. 

We utilize this airport hotel to provide maximum convenience upon arrival. If you would prefer a more economical accommodation option on night 1, please discuss in advance with your Trip Planner about the hotel options and additional transportation arrangements needed, so that we can secure these for you in advance.

Take a morning flight back to Cusco, where Andean history comes into focus again. Spend the day walking the narrow streets, visiting nearby ruins, or joining a guided visit to Qorikancha, the Inca Temple of the Sun.

If you want something more active, try mountain biking, rafting, or horseback riding in the surrounding valleys. You can also visit the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco, where local weavers demonstrate techniques and explain the history behind Peru’s textile traditions.

Evenings stay open in Cusco; walk around the plazas, grab a meal, or explore the local nightlife at your own pace.

Leave Cusco at 3,400 m / 11,150 ft and descend into the cloud forest where the Andes meet the Amazon Basin. Pass through mountain wetlands filled with local and migratory birdlife, then cross high mountain ranges reaching 3,900 m / 12,790 ft. Along the way, stop at small villages, waterfalls, and ancient burial sites carved into the cliffs.

At Ajanaco, watch the landscape shift from Andean peaks to Amazon lowlands. Continue downhill through grasslands, elfin forest, and dense jungle packed with birdlife. Keep an eye out for species like quetzals and trogons during roadside stops.

Reach the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge by late afternoon and catch the display of Peru’s national bird, the Andean cock-of-the-rock, as males gather for their evening courtship ritual.

Leave Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge early for a morning birdwatch along the road or a short forest loop toward the river. Look for brown capuchins, woolly monkeys, and other early-active wildlife.

After breakfast, continue by road as the Andes fade into lower hills and farmland. Stop at Patria to see a legally managed coca plantation used for the local leaf market.

Reach Atalaya at midday, where the Piñipiñi River meets the Alto Madre de Dios. From there, move toward the lodge for afternoon exploration and wildlife watching. Expect toucans, kingfishers, a rare endemic hummingbird, and plenty of butterflies along the forest trails.

Start the morning with a short hike on the trails around Manu Learning Center before setting off early toward Manu Wildlife Center. Travel along the Alto Madre de Dios River as the last Andean foothills give way to lowland rainforest. Watch for river birds like terns, cormorants, white-winged swallows, and nighthawks flushed from the banks. Bright patches of yellow, pink, and red foliage stand out against the green forest.
 
Pass the mouth of the Manu River, the gateway to Manu National Park, then pause at Boca Manu for a short stop in the river village. Continue by boat for around six hours before arriving at Manu Wildlife Center. Settle into your bungalow, rest through the heat, then head out on nearby trails. Enter the primary rainforest to discover the ecosystem while searching for monkeys like spider monkeys and emperor tamarins in the canopy.

Start early at Manu Wildlife Center and head into the forest for the Macaw Clay Lick project. Watch groups of Scarlet Macaw gather along the riverbank, their bright colors cutting through the rainforest canopy. Afterward, explore the lodge trails before returning for lunch.

Later in the afternoon, climb the 34 m / 112 ft canopy tower for a look across the rainforest canopy as the forest shifts into evening activity.

After dark, follow the collpa trail to the Tapir Clay Lick, one of the most active sites in the Amazon. From an elevated observation platform, wait quietly for the South American tapir to emerge from the forest and feed on mineral-rich clay. Sightings often happen at close range, making this one of the best chances to observe these elusive animals in the wild.

Head out early from Manu Wildlife Center for a hike to a remote oxbow lake. Cruise across the water by catamaran and keep watch for a family of giant otters hunting along the shoreline or monkeys moving through the canopy overhead. Scan the lake for birdlife, such as wattled jacana, sun grebe, anhinga, and osprey perched above the water looking for fish.

Near the water’s edge, spot Hoatzin hiding in the bushes, easy to notice from their strange wheezing calls and rough grunts. Around the lake, watch Woodpecker species, Tanager species, Macaw species, Toucan species, and Parakeet species sweep into the surrounding trees as they settle in for the night.

After lunch at the lodge, head back out with the guide to look for more wildlife or take one of the forest trails on your own. Explore the rainforest at your own pace and spend time deep in the jungle surroundings.

Later in the afternoon and after dinner, head out by boat along the riverbank to look for nocturnal wildlife. If river conditions allow, spot Caiman and other nighttime species active along the water’s edge.

Leave Manu Wildlife Center early and travel downstream toward Puerto Maldonado. Have breakfast on board during the two-and-a-half-hour boat ride and watch for wildlife activity along the riverbanks as you pass local communities and small mining areas.

At Colorado Village, continue overland to Puerto Carlos, then cross the Inambari River by boat to Santa Rosa. From there, transfer by vehicle to the airport in Puerto Maldonado and wrap up the Amazon adventure. Fly from Puerto Maldonado to return to Cusco, Lima, or your next destination in Peru. Click here to see our Peru extensions!