Manu Biosphere
$2250
$720 single supplement
Starting and ending in Lima, Peru
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Travel Highlights
- Manu Biosphere Reserve
- Manu Wildlife Center
- Amazon
- Cusco
- Cloud Forest
- Puerto Maldonado
- Lima
Wander the cobblestone streets of Cusco, exploring markets, museums and nearby ruins. Then, embark on a stunning two-day journey over mountains and through cloud forest, stopping for the night at small jungle lodges. Our destination is the Manu Wildlife Center, set amidst some of the most prolific jungle in the entire Amazon basin. During our tour of the Amazon, we'll spend our days there searching for monkeys, red and green macaws, giant otters, tapirs, and other fascinating resident wildlife. Travelers can fly from Puerto Maldonado back to Cusco or return to Lima.
- Day 1 Arrive Lima
- Day 2 Fly Cusco
- Day 3 Cloud Forest
- Day 4 Enter the Amazon Basin
- Day 5 Transfer to Manu
- Day 6 Macaw and Tapir Clay Licks in Manu Biosphere
- Day 7 Cocha Blanco and Cocha Camungo
- Day 8 Puerto Maldonado
- Additional Tour Options
- $1875 - 6 Day without Lima/Cusco services (Wed or Sat start)
- $1345 - 5 Day Manu Wildlife Center Only (Thurs or Sat start)
- $1255 - 4 Day Manu Wildlife Center Only (Mon, Wed, or Fri start)
Cultural ActivitiesIncludes cultural activities such as a visit to a traditional village or a local market to give a unique perspective.
HikingIncludes guided hiking excursions. Hikes may vary from easy and optional three hour hikes to more difficult multi-day treks.
Nature ViewingIncludes intentional opportunity to observe flora or fauna with an experienced guide.
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) with a guide. 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 motorized 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. Travelers arriving on Wednesday will stay at the Pantiacolla Lodge and at the Amazonia Lodge if arriving on Saturday.
Day 5 Transfer to 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. A six hour boat ride along the Alto Madre de Dios River takes you past the last foothills of the Andes and into the tropical forest. There will be frequent stops along the way to stretch your legs and to visit local villages, including Boca Manu, known for its traditional boatyards where local dugout canoes are crafted. Billed as the single best wildlife destination in the entire Amazon, the Manu Wildlife Center has over thirty miles of trail winding around the lodge and is 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 Puerto Maldonado (B)
Depart the lodge very early for a two and a half hour boat trip downstream to the Colorado Village. Breakfast will be serve on the boat while you enjoy early morning wildlife activity along the river. We will stop in the gold-mining town of Colorado to start our two and a half hour overland journey to Puerto Maldonado. Fly from Puerto Maldonado to return to Cusco, Lima, or to your next destination in Peru. Click here to see our Peru extensions!
| $2250 | Tour Cost |
| $425 | Internal Flights (Lima-Cusco and Puerto Maldonado-Lima) |
| Flight costs subject to change | |
| $2675 | Total cost |
Includes
Excludes |
Recommended Budgeting
Start Dates |
