Manu Biosphere

Day 1 Arrive Lima

Overnight.

Day 2 Fly Cusco (B)

A morning flight takes you to the colonial city of Cusco. Andean history comes alive in Cusco, and the day is yours to wander its narrow streets, tour nearby ruins and visit Qoricancha (the Inca's Temple of the Sun). For the energetic, Cusco offers mountain biking, rafting and horseback riding! Travelers will also have the opportunity to visit the Center for Traditional Textiles in Cusco, a local organization committed to preserving the region's weaving traditions. Watch weavers demonstrate their craft and learn about the history and processes of Peru's most well-known art form.The evening is yours to take in some of Cusco's varied and exciting nightlife.

Day 3 Cloud Forest (B,L,D)

Today you leave early from Cusco and head into the Manu cloudforest. The road climbs to almost 13,000' as you pass over two Andean mountain chains before descending into the cloudforest - a paradise for birders! After nearly seven scenic hours on the road, you arrive at the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge in the Selva Sur private cloudforest reserve, where you'll spend the night within earshot of a tumbling mountain river.

Day 4 Enter the Amazon Basin (B,L,D)

Early morning is the most active time for wildlife, so while in the jungle and cloudforest you will begin your days as the sun rises. Today on your Amazon tour you'll wake and visit the lek - or mating ground - of the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. You'll spend the morning hours watching these birds with their fantastic plumage and colorful courtship display. With luck, you'll also see the Common Wooly Monkey before departing by bus for Atalaya and the Alto Madre de Dios River. A box lunch tides you over until your two-hour canoe ride brings you to the Amazon lodge in time for supper. The forests surrounding the lodge are threaded with hiking trails, and with enough time this evening you can begin your exploration of the area.

Day 5 Transfer Manu (B,L,D)

There's time for a short hike this morning before you set off for your main destination, the remote Manu Wildlife Center. Billed as the single best wildlife destination in the entire Amazon, the MWC is a six-hour drive away, including a stop at a Piro Indian Village along the way. Over thirty miles of trail wind around the lodge at Manu, set within the largest protected area in all of Peru. Spend the afternoon wandering the trails and searching for the abundant wildlife that inhabits the surrounding forest, including twelve species of monkeys. After dinner you'll take a short excursion to explore the nocturnal life in the rainforest.

Day 6 Macaw and Tapir Clay Licks in Manu Biosphere (B,L,D)

Rising before the sun, you'll take a twenty-five minute boat journey downstream to the largest parrot and macaw clay lick in the 4.4 million acre Manu Biosphere Reserve. A floating catamaran blind lets us get closer to the morning action - hundreds of parrots arriving at the lick, followed by large red and green macaws, eating the clay for its high salt content. The birds begin to disperse around nine in the morning, and you'll head back to the lodge to spend the rest of the day exploring the trails, canopy platform, and the Amazon's largest known tapir lick. The elevated screened-in platform overlooking the tapir lick is equipped with inflatable mattresses and pillows, along with fresh pillowcases. Adventurous souls are welcome to spend the night there as tapirs come and go in the dark!

Day 7 Cocha Blanco and Cocha Camungo (B,L,D)

You will depart early again this morning, this time to the Blanco and Camunga oxbow lakes, where a variety of water birds, prehistoric-looking hoatzin, and giant otter families make their home. After lunch at the lodge, the afternoon is free to relax and enjoy a siesta, or spend more time touring the Amazon with your guide. Once dusk approaches you'll have an opportunity to search by boat for caiman and other nocturnal life along the riverbank.

Day 8 Return Cusco (B)

After an early morning transfer to the Boca Manu airstrip, you'll board your flight back to colonial Cusco. At night, travelers from all over the world fill Cusco's restaurants, pubs and dance clubs, providing the most vibrant and unique nightlife on the continent. Enjoy your last evening before bidding farewell to your Peruvian hosts.

Day 9 Fly Lima and Return Home (B)