Manu Explorer

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 travel toward the cloud forests where the Andes drop into the Amazon Basin. Cross wetlands filled with migratory and local birdlife, then climb over mountain passes reaching 3,900 m / 12,790 ft. Along the route, take in forested cliffs, waterfalls, and the fast-changing landscapes of the tropical Andes.

Descend through grasslands and elfin forest into dense jungle filled with towering trees, ferns, and tropical plants. Stop along the way to look for bird species like quetzals and trogons.

Arrive at the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge by late afternoon and watch Peru’s national bird, the Andean cock-of-the-rock, gather at its display grounds before dinner and an overnight stay.

Leave Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge at dawn for a birdwatching walk or a quiet trail hike, looking for brown capuchins or woolly monkeys. After breakfast, continue through shifting landscapes from high mountains into rolling hills and farmland. Stop at Patria to see a legal coca plantation tied to the local coca leaf market.

Reach Atalaya by midday, where the Piñipiñi River meets the Alto Madre de Dios. Next, transfer to dugout canoes and navigate the Manu River north into the lower Manu National Park.

Glide past forested slopes, dense canopies, and active birdlife as the river winds deeper into untouched rainforest. Arrive at Explorers Inn Golden Lodge by twilight. Settle in, have dinner, and take in the sounds of the jungle before resting for the night.

In the morning, continue your journey by boat to the Manu Wildlife Center as the driver navigates through shallow channels and avoids driftwood. Watch for Orinoco geese and horned screamers along the riverbanks, with heron species patrolling the shoreline and turtles slipping off logs into the water.

After about four hours on the river, arrive at the Manu Wildlife Center, a low-impact lodge set deep in the rainforest. If time allows, take a short walk before dinner for a first look at the surrounding primary jungle and its wildlife.

Start the day at Manu Park Lodge and follow the park authority's timing for visits to the nearby lakes. Head out to Cocha Salvador and Cocha Otorongo, adjusting the order depending on access schedules. Travel downstream by boat for a short stretch toward Cocha Otorongo and scan the riverbanks for wildlife. Keep an eye out for capybaras along the shore and remain vigilant for rare sightings, such as a jaguar moving through the forest's edge. Continue between the lakes and river channels as you explore this protected rainforest zone with park rangers guiding access and timing.

Hike toward the lake under a dense canopy alive with different monkey species moving through the trees. Pass massive rainforest giants like kapok and ironwood, with thick trunks and wide buttress roots rising from the forest floor. Reach the oxbow lakes formed from old river bends, where high biodiversity thrives. Look for caiman along the edges and the endangered giant otters hunting in the water.

At Cocha Otorongo, use the dock platform and 50 ft. observation tower for wide views of the lake and forest. Scan for monkeys moving through the canopy, kingfishers along the water, and the rare giant otter in the lake. Proceed to Cocha Salvador and enjoy a cruise on the lake aboard a floating catamaran platform. Watch macaws pass overhead, monkeys feed in the trees, and Caiman remain just under the surface. Stay alert for giant otters surfacing to feed or play along fallen logs. Spend the day moving between the lake and forest, tracking wildlife and observing the dense biodiversity of this protected Amazon zone.

Depart at dawn from the Manu Park Wildlife Center and travel downstream during one of the prime periods for wildlife activity. Stop at Limonal Ranger Station to file the wildlife report before leaving the protected park zone. Continue through the meeting point of the Alto Madre de Dios River and the Manu River, then pass Boca Manu on the way downstream. Reach Manu Wildlife Center in time for lunch. Afterward, head into the forest to visit the Macaw Clay Lick project and watch parrots and macaws gather along the riverbank.

Settle into a covered hide with plenty of space for cameras and watch the Scarlet Macaw descend to the clay lick to feed. After the viewing session, continue along the trail network around the Manu Wildlife Center and finish at the 34 m / 112 ft Canopy Tower for wide views across the rainforest canopy.

From the Canopy Tower, watch the rainforest canopy come alive as birds and wildlife move through the treetops at dusk. Later, follow the Colpa trail to the Tapir Clay Lick, one of the most active sites in the Amazon for tapir sightings. Wait quietly on the observation platform as South American tapir emerge from the forest to feed on mineral-rich clay. The setup allows close-range viewing and good photography opportunities while the animals move through the clearing.

Stay quiet and still as the forest settles around the observation platform. The wait pays off once the South American tapir steps into the clearing, offering a rare chance to watch these elusive animals in their natural habitat. Some travelers rest while waiting, while others stay alert for the first movement in the dark forest beyond the clay lick.

Leave Manu Wildlife Center at dawn and travel downstream toward Colorado Village. Have breakfast at the lodge or on the boat while watching for early wildlife activity along the riverbanks.

Pass through small lowland communities and gold mining areas along the Madre de Dios River before reaching Colorado. From there, continue overland to Puerto Carlos, cross the Inambari River by boat to Santa Rosa, then transfer by vehicle to the airport in Puerto Maldonado.

Catch your onward flight to Cusco or Lima and wrap up the Amazon journey.