BIRDING & CULTURAL TOUR
Cusco, Machu Picchu, Manu National Park - Peru
12 days
Best season from April to November
DATES
Contact us to arrange your preferred travel dates
OVERVIEW
This tour combines Peru’s rich birdlife with its fascinating cultural heritage. It offers a unique experience for birders who also enjoy cultural exploration.
Peru, the third-largest country in South America, is known for its rich cultural history and remarkable diversity of landscapes and wildlife. Thanks to its many ecosystems, it ranks among the most biodiverse countries on Earth, including over 1,900 bird species.
Long before Peru became a country, the Andes and the desert were the cradle of ancient pre-Columbian cultures that left their mark on both the landscape and Peruvian culture. Among the most important were the Inca, whose empire—centered in Cusco and the Sacred Valley—once stretched from Chile to Colombia.
Birding Part of the Tour:
The birding part of this tour takes us to the Huacarpay Lake close to Cusco, with interesting aquatic bird species.
We will visit the Santuario de Colibríes Ensifera ensifera and the Sacred Garden in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. These beautiful gardens are home to a variety hummingbird species, including the endemic Bearded Mountaineer, Sword-billed Hummingbird, and the impressive Giant Hummingbird, the largest of its kind, as well as other birds such as the endemic Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch.
Our journey then continues down the eastern slopes of the Andes near Cusco, descending to the rivers and the elfin, cloud, and Amazon forests of the famous Manu National Park. This 1.5-million-hectare UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to an unparalleled variety of ecosystems and wildlife, including more than 1,000 species of birds. The “Manu Road,” which follows the park’s boundaries, is one of the best birding locations in South America, thanks to its range of altitudes and vegetation types, each supporting its own specific bird species.
Along the Manu Road and in beautifully maintained gardens run by local families, we will have the opportunity to see fantastic bird species, including Peru’s national bird the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, as well as King Vulture, Golden-headed Quetzal, the endemic Inca Flycatcher, different colorful tanagers, toucans, and hummingbirds, like Rufous-Crested Coquette, Wire-crested Thorntail, and Rufous-booted Racket-tail.
In addition to birds, the area is also home to a wide variety of mammals, including various species of monkeys, such as Woolly Monkey and Large-headed Capuchin.
We will explore the wild landscapes of Manu by car and on foot.
Cultural Part of the Tour:
The cultural part of this tour takes us on a walk through the historic center of Cusco. We will also visit the famous “lost city of the Incas,” Machu Picchu, dramatically perched on a mountaintop in the cloud forest. This impressive site is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Design Your Own Birding & Cultural Tour:
Extensions to other fascinating archaeological Inca sites near Cusco are always possible, and we are happy to design a personalized Birding & Cultural Tour tailored to your interests.
Discover more about the destinations on this tour in our blog Birding & Culture in Cusco.
ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival at Cusco Airport, transfer to the hotel, and a walking city tour. Overnight at hotel in Cusco.
Day 2: Morning birding at Huacarpay Lake, followed by a visit to the Sacred Garden and Santuario de Colibríes Ensifera ensifera in the Sacred Valley. Overnight at a hotel in Ollantaytambo.
Day 3: Full-day visit to Machu Picchu, with return to Cusco by train and car. Overnight at a hotel in Cusco.
Day 4: Transfer to Wayqecha Biological Station in Manu National Park, birding in puna grasslands and elfin forest. Overnight at Wayqecha Biological Station.
Day 5: Morning visit to antpitta feeding stations and birding around Wayqecha Biological Station, followed by a transfer to Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge with birding stops, including the hummingbird garden Manu Bird Sanctuary. Overnight at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge.
Day 6: Birding in the cloud forest around the lodge, with visits to Manu Tanager Garden and an Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek. Overnight at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge.
Day 7: Transfer to Manu Biological Station in the Amazon lowlands of Manu National Park, with a stop at Manu Endemic Station to visit the hummingbird feeders. Overnight at Manu Biological Station.
Days 8–10: Birding around Manu Biological Station, including visits to the local gardens Mirador Pico de Hoz and Inka Amazonia. Overnight at Manu Biological Station.
Day 11: Early-morning birding at Manu Biological Station, followed by a transfer to Cusco with birding stops along the way. Overnight at a hotel in Cusco.
Day 12: Transfer to Cusco Airport for your flight home, marking the end of the tour.
KEY SPECIES
Endemic species: Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch, Creamy-crested Spinetail, Inca Flycatcher, Masked Fruiteater, Red-and-white Antpitta, Urubamba Antpitta, White-tufted Sunbeam, Bearded Mountaineer, Green-and-white Hummingbird, Koepcke’s Hermit.
Other species: Plumbeous Rail, Puna Teal, Many-colored Rush-Tyrant, Rusty-fronted Canastero, Yellow-winged Blackbird, White-collared Jay, Inca Jay, Masked Flowerpiercer, Moustached Flowerpiercer, Band-tailed Fruiteater, White-eared Solitaire, Versicolored Barbet, Lemon-throated Barbet, Scarlet-hooded Barbet, Long-tailed Antbird, Yunga’s Manakin, Fiery-capped Manakin, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Stripe-chested Antwren, Yellow-rumped Antwren, Ornate Antwren, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Andean Motmot, Variable Antshrike, Bamboo Antshrike, Black-backed Tody-Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Tody-Flycatcher, Manu Antbird, Peruvian Recurvebill, Yellow-bellied Dacnis, Chestnut-capped Puffbird, Red-billed Scythebill, Dark-breasted Spinetail, Dusky-cheeked Foliage-gleaner, Gray-breasted Mountain-toucan, Blue-banded Toucanet, Ivory-billed Aracari, Cinereous Harrier, Black-and-chestnut Eagle, Solitaire Eagle, Black Caracara, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Blue-throated Piping-Guan, Red-capped Cardinal, Ringed Woodpecker, Crimson-bellied Woodpecker, Cream-colored Woodpecker, Fine-barred Piculet, Hoatzin, Undulated Tinamou, Goeldi’s Antbird, White-browed Antbird, Plumbeous Antbird, Peruvian-warbling Antbird, Riparian Antbird, Leymebamba Antpitta, Amazonian Antpitta, Russet-crowned Crake, King Vulture, Bare-necked Fruitcrow, Olive Oropendola.
Hooded Mountain Tanager, Chestnut-bellied Mountain Tanager, Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Silvery Tanager, Golden-naped Tanager, Silver-beaked Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Rust-and-yellow Tanager, Golden-collared Tanager, Rufous-chested Tanager, Slaty Tanager, Orange-eared Tanager, Rusty-naped Tanager, Golden Tanager, Golden-eared Tanager, White-winged Tanager, Paradise Tanager, Masked-crimson Tanager, Swallow Tanager, Turquoise Tanager, Green-and-gold Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager.
Sparkling Violetear, Brown Violetear, Lesser Violetear, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Green-tailed Trainbearer, Giant Hummingbird, White-bellied Hummingbird, Shining Sunbeam, Tyrian Metaltail, White-bellied Woodstar, Amethyst Woodstar, Long-tailed Sylph, Speckled Hummingbird, Bronzy Inca, Gould’s Inca, Gould’s Jewelfront, Violet-throated Starfrontlet, Mountain Velvet-breast, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Violet-fronted Brilliant, Long-billed Starthroat, Amethyst-throated Sunangel, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Buff-thighed Puffleg, Rufous-booted Racket-tail, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Great Sapphirewing, Gray-breasted Sabrewing, Pale-tailed Barbthroat, Many-spotted Hummingbird, Black-throated Mango, Green Hermit, Rufous-breasted Hermit, White-bearded Hermit, Great-billed Hermit, Reddish Hermit, White-browed Hermit, Buff-tailed Sicklebill, Peruvian Piedtail, Rufous-capped Thornbill, Wire-crested Thorntail, Butterfly Coquette, Rufous-crested Coquette, White-necked Jacobin, Golden-tailed Sapphire, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Blue-tailed Emerald, Geoffroy’s Daggerbill.
Mammals: Tayra, Agouti, Black-capped Squirrel Monkey, Large-headed Capuchin, Woolly Monkey, Dusky Titi-Monkey.
TOUR DETAILS
Group Size: Maximum 8 participants + tour guide
Physical Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Accommodation: 3-star hotels in Cusco and Ollantaytambo; comfortable lodges in beautiful locations in Manu National Park
Transportation: Private vehicle with driver (car/minivan), train, bus
Habitats Covered: Andean mountains and valleys, puna grassland, elfin forest, cloud forest, and Amazon rainforest
Climate: The tour passes through many different landscapes: from the cold high Andes, through the humid elfin and cloud forests, to the warm Amazon lowlands of Manu National Park
Altitude: 400–3,800 meters / 1,300–12,500 feet above sea level
Guide: Experienced English- and Spanish-speaking birding and cultural guide
Possible Extensions
– Cusco: Abra Málaga for interesting endemic bird species
– Cusco: Endemic Birds & Andean Condors
– Lima: Villa Marshes and Pucusana Island
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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