NATURALIST TOUR
Manu National Park - Peru
11 days
Best season from April to November
DATES
Contact us to arrange your preferred travel dates.
OVERVIEW
A unique naturalist journey into one of the world’s most pristine ecosystems: Manu National Park in southeastern Peru.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site boasts a remarkable diversity of ecosystems and is home to an extraordinary variety of wildlife, including countless plant species, butterflies, orchids, and more than 1,000 bird species, such as Peru’s national bird, the Andean Cock-of-the-rock.
Its rich biodiversity, vast size, and excellent state of conservation make Manu a place of global importance. The park is also home to more than 200 species of mammals, including iconic species such as Jaguar, Lowland Tapir, Giant River Otter, and several species of monkeys.
This naturalist tour starts in the former capital of the Inca Empire, Cusco, from where we drive to the entrance of Manu National Park at the Acjanaco Pass (3,560 meters / 11,680 feet above sea level). From here, we follow the famous Manu Road along the park’s edge, descending through elfin forest and cloud forest into the warm and humid lowlands.
Here, we exchange our minivan for a boat and travel along the Manu and Madre de Dios rivers into the reserved zone of the park—accessible only to a limited number of authorized tour operators—where we stay deep in the jungle with the indigenous Matsiguenka community.
During the tour, we stay in comfortable lodges set in beautiful surroundings, with excellent food. We explore the trails around the lodges both during the day and at night, searching for a wide variety of wildlife, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects.
We also visit local gardens where we can observe a rich variety of birds, such as colorful tanagers, hummingbirds, and even the stunning King Vulture from a hide. In addition, we explore oxbow lakes by boat, visit a macaw clay lick where macaws and parrots gather to feed on mineral-rich clay, and use a canopy tower offering spectacular views over the forest.
An unforgettable wildlife journey into one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, where nature still thrives like a true “Garden of Eden”.
We have written a trip report to give you an impression of the places we visit and the wildlife you may encounter during this unique naturalist tour.
ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival at Cusco airport, where we will welcome you and transfer you to the hotel, followed by a walking city tour. Overnight at a hotel in Cusco.
Day 2: Transfer to the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge in Manu National Park, with archaeological and wildlife stops along the way. Overnight at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge.
Day 3: Explore the cloud forest around Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge and visit the Andean Cock-of-the-rock lek. In the afternoon, transfer to Manu Biological Station. Overnight at Manu Biological Station.
Day 4: Explore the forest and lake around Manu Biological Station, and visit local gardens in the Kosñipata Valley. Overnight at Manu Biological Station.
Day 5: Transfer to Atalaya, where we board a boat for the river section of the tour. Overnight at Hummingbird Lodge.
Day 6: Full day by boat to the reserve zone of Manu National Park. / Night at Casa Matsiguenka.
Day 7: Explore the trails around Casa Matsiguenka and visit the oxbow lake Cocha Salvador by catamaran. Overnight at Casa Matsiguenka.
Day 8: Full-day boat journey to Manu Birding Lodge. Overnight at Manu Birding Lodge.
Day 9: Visit the Blanquillo Macaw Clay Lick by boat, and in the afternoon explore the trails around Manu Birding Lodge. Overnight at Manu Birding Lodge.
Day 10: Visit a canopy tower in the morning; in the afternoon, visit the oxbow lake Cocha Blanco by catamaran. Overnight at Manu Birding Lodge.
Day 11: Transfer by boat to Colorado, followed by a road transfer to Puerto Maldonado airport for your flight to Lima, marking the end of the tour.
KEY SPECIES
Mammals:
Jaguar, Lowland Tapir, Tayra, Capybara, Eastern Lowland (Allen’s) Olingo, Giant Otter, Three-toed Sloth, Humboldt’s Woolly Monkey, Large-headed Capuchin, Black-headed Night Monkey, Toppin’s Titi, Black-capped Squirrel Monkey, Bolivian Red Howler, Black Spider Monkey, Weddell’s Saddle-back Tamarin, Emperor Tamarin, Goeldi’s Monkey.
Reptiles:
Emerald Tree Boa, Yellow-spotted Amazon River Turtle, Black and White Caimans.
Birds:
Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, King Vulture, Razor-billed Currasow, Hoatzin, Horned Screamer, Versicolored Barbet, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Red-and-green Macaw, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Ivory-billed Aracari, Crimson-bellied Woodpecker, Andean Potoo, Grass-green Tanager, Golden-collared Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, Hooded Mountain-tanager, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Golden-eared Tanager, White-winged Tanager, Paradise Tanager, Black-banded Owl, Tropical Screech-Owl, Rufous-Crested Coquette, White-bellied Woodstar.
TOUR DETAILS
Group Size: Maximum 8 participants + tour guide
Physical Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Accommodation: 3-star hotels and comfortable (sometimes basic) lodges in beautiful locations
Transportation: Private vehicle with driver (car or minivan) and private boat
Habitats Covered: Andean mountains and valleys, puna grasslands, elfin forest, cloud forest, and Amazon rainforest
Climate: During this tour we will be going through many different landscapes: from the cold high Andes, through the humid elfin and cloud Forest, to the warm Amazon lowlands of Manu National Park.
Altitude: 500 – 3700 meters / 1,640 to 12,139 feet above sea level
Possible Extensions:
– Cusco: Machu Picchu & cultural tour
For the detailed itinerary, prices, or if you have questions, please get in touch with us.
Si desea recibir el itinerario detallado en español, no dude en hacérnoslo saber.
PHOTO GALLERY
Company Address:
Kuntur Nature and Adventure EIRL
Av. Industrial Conj. Hab. FOVIPOL. Nr 104
Santiago – Cusco – Peru
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