LUXURY BIRDING TOUR SOUTHERN PERU
Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Amazon Rainforest
10 days
Best season from April to November
DATES
Contact us to arrange your preferred travel dates
OVERVIEW
This luxury birding tour explores southern Peru across a broad elevational gradient, from the high Andes near Cusco through the cloud forests of Machu Picchu to the lowland Amazon basin of Puerto Maldonado. Together, these regions support a high diversity of species, including endemic and restricted-range birds.
Designed for birders who value both comfort and expert guiding. Throughout the journey, we stay at beautiful 5-star Inkaterra lodges, whose gardens and surrounding reserves offer excellent birding opportunities.
Our tour begins in the Sacred Valley near Cusco, where we will visit the Santuario de Colibríes Ensifera ensifera and the Sacred Garden. 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.
We then continue to Machu Picchu on the eastern Andean slope — the spectacular Inca citadel of the once-powerful empire and one of the Seven Wonders of the World — where cloud forest covers the surrounding mountains. Birding in the gardens of Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel allows us to search for key species, including the endemic Masked Fruiteater.
From Cusco, a short flight takes us to Puerto Maldonado and the Amazon lowlands, where terra firme forest and river-edge habitats host a rich variety of lowland species such as the pretty Curl-crested Aracari.
A unique birding experience through southern Peru’s iconic habitats, where biodiversity meets comfort.
ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival at Cusco Airport and transfer to the hotel. In the afternoon, a city walk including Qoricancha and a museum visit. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Cusco.
Day 2: A visit to the Sacred Garden and Santuario de Colibríes Ensifera ensifera in the Sacred Valley. Overnight at Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba.
Day 3: Transfer to Ollantaytambo, followed by a train ride to Aguas Calientes. First birding session in the hotel gardens. Overnight at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel in Aguas Calientes.
Day 4: Visit to Machu Picchu, followed by birding in the hotel gardens. Overnight at Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel in Aguas Calientes.
Day 5: Morning birding session in the hotel gardens, followed by transfers back to Cusco by train and car. Overnight at a 4-star hotel in Cusco.
Day 6: Short flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado, followed by a transfer by car and boat to our lodge. Afternoon birding in the reserve surrounding the lodge. Overnight at Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica.
Days 7–9: Birding in the Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica Natural Reserve, including visits to the canopy tower, river, and nearby lake. Overnight at Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica.
Day 10: Return by boat to Puerto Maldonado for a flight to Lima, marking the end of the tour.
KEY SPECIES
Endemic species: Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch, Masked Fruiteater, Bearded Mountaineer, Green-and-white Hummingbird, White-tufted Sunbeam.
Other species: Golden-billed Saltator, Black-backed Grosbeak, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Andean Motmot, Versicolored Barbet, Montane Woodcreeper, Inca Jay, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Andean Solitaire, Blue-banded Toucanet, Silver-beaked Tanager, Saffron-crowned Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Turquoise Tanager, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Thick-billed Euphonia, White-capped Dipper, Torrent Duck, Amazonian Barred-Woodcreeper, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Bar-breasted Piculet, Amazonian Violaceous Trogon, Chestnut-tailed Antbird, White-browed Antbird, Silvered Antbird, Rufous Casiornis, Bartlett’s Tinamou, Rufous Motmot, White-necked Puffbird, Collared Puffbird, White-throated Jacamar, Gilded Barbet, Ivory-billed Aracari, Fasciated Antshrike, Spot-winged Antshrike, Black-spotted Bare-eye, Inambari Woodcreep-er, Band-tailed Manakin, Plum-throated Cotinga, Bare-necked Fruitcrow, Varzea Schiffornis, Golden-crowned Spadebill, Johannes’s Tody-Tyrant, Musician Wren, Olive Oropendola, White-winged Shrike-Tanager, Blue-headed Parrot, Red-bellied Macaw, Scarlet Macaw, Slender-billed Kite, Buckley’s Forest-Falcon, Amazonian Pygmy-Owl, Tawny-bellied Screech-Owl, Mottled Owl, Ladder-tailed Nightjar, Black Skimmer, Drab Water Tyrant, Horned Screamer, Hoatzin, Amazon Kingfisher, Pale-winged Trumpeter, Azure Gallinule, Blackish Rail, Sungrebe, Hoatzin, Sunbittern, Anhinga, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Capped heron, Agami Heron.
Sparkling Violetear, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Green-tailed Trainbearer, Giant Hummingbird, Tyrian Metaltail, Shining Sunbeam, White-bellied Hummingbird, Gould’s Inca, White-bearded Hermit, Reddish Hermit, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Sapphire-spangled Emerald.
TOUR DETAILS
Group Size: Maximum 8 participants + tour guide
Physical Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Accommodation: Comfortable, 4- and 5-star hotels and lodges
Transportation: Private vehicle with driver (car or minivan), plane, train, bus, boat
Habitats Covered: Andean mountains and valley, cloud forest, and Amazon rainforest
Climate: Highly variable due to the wide elevational range: cold in Cusco at night, mild and humid around Machu Picchu, warm and humid in the Amazon lowlands.
Altitude: 180–3,500 meters / 590–12,500 feet above sea level
Guide: Experienced English- and Spanish-speaking birding and cultural guide
Possible Extensions
– Lima: Villa Marshes and Pucusana Island
– Cusco: Abra Málaga for interesting endemic bird species
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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