Hooded Mountain Tanager
PERU PHOTO TOUR
Sacred Valley & Manu National Park
12 Days
Best season from April to November
DATES
25 MAY-5 JUNE 2026
12-23 JULY 2026
12-23 OCTOBER 2026
OVERVIEW
A photography adventure to the Sacred Valley of the Incas and Manu National Park in Southern Peru. The “Manu Road” is one of the best locations in South America for bird photography, thanks to its range of altitudes and vegetation types, each supporting its own specific bird species.
This photo tour starts in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, near Cusco, where we will visit two beautiful gardens with bird feeders. These sites offer excellent opportunities to photograph a wide variety of hummingbirds, including the spectacular Sword-billed Hummingbird, Giant Hummingbird, and the endemic Bearded Mountaineer, as well as other Andean bird species such as the endemic Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch.
Our tour continues down the slopes of the Andes Mountains to the cloud and Amazon forests of the legendary Manu National Park. This 1.5-million-hectare UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the most biodiverse areas on Earth. Of the more than 1,900 bird species recorded in Peru, over 1,000 can be found within Manu National Park alone.
Along the scenic Manu Road, crossing a wide range of altitudes and habitats, we can photograph fantastic birds, including Peru’s national bird, the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Crested Quetzal, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Versicolored Barbet, as well as a variety of colorful tanagers such as Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Golden-eared Tanager, and , to name just a few.
We will stay at several comfortable lodges and visit beautiful gardens with feeders and photographic hides, offering excellent opportunities to observe and photograph birds at close range, such as wide variety of hummingbirds like the tiny Rufous-crested Coquette, Butterfly coquette, Wire-crested Thorntail, Rufous-booted Racket-tail, and the endemic Koepcke’s Hermit.
One of the photographic highlights of the tour is the King Vulture. Manu National Park is one of few places where this magnificent species regularly visits a feeding station, allowing for exceptional photographic opportunities from a hide. If you like to know more about the King Vulture, you can read our blog.
There will also be good opportunities to see and photograph mammals in the park, including several species of monkeys such as Woolly Monkey, Toppins Titi Monkey, and Large-headed Capuchin.
We have written a blog about this tour, with more information about the locations that we will visit and birds that we can photograph.
ITINERARY
Day 1: Arrival at Cusco Airport, followed by a transfer to the hotel / Overnight at a 3-star hotel in Cusco.
Day 2: Early morning transfer to the Sacred Valley for a visit to the feeders of two beautiful gardens / Overnight at a 3-star hotel in Cusco.
Day 3: Transfer to the Wayqecha Biological Station in Manu National Park, where we will spend the rest of the day in the elfin forest / Overnight at the Wayqecha Biological Station.
Day 4: Transfer to the San Pedro area with photo stops along the way and a visit to a local garden / Overnight at the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge.
Days 5–6: Two full days photographing around our lodge and visiting a beautiful garden to photograph tanagers and hummingbirds. We will also visit the spectacular Andean Cock-of-the-Rock lek / Overnights at the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge.
Day 7: Transfer to the Bamboo Lodge with photo stops along the way and a visit to the hummingbird feeders of Manu endemic Station / Overnight at the Bamboo Lodge.
Days 8–10: Three full days photographing along the trails, at the lake, and at the feeders of the Manu Biological Station. We will also explore two locally run gardens, with chances to photograph many hummingbirds and the spectacular King Vulture / Overnights at the Manu Biological Station.
Day 11: Early morning photography session at the Manu Biological Station, followed by a transfer to Cusco with photo stops along the way / Overnight at a 3-star hotel in Cusco.
Day 12: Transfer to Cusco Airport / End of the tour.
KEY BIRD SPECIES
Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch (endemic), Golden-billed Saltator, Black-backed Grosbeak, Andean Guan, Blue-throated Piping-Guan, Speckled Chachalaca, Black-faced Brushfinch, White-collared Jay, Inca Jay, Masked Flowerpiercer, Moustached Flowerpiercer, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Blue-banded Toucanet, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Golden-headed Quetzal, Crested Quetzal, Crimson-mantled Woodpecker, Golden-olive Woodpecker, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Pearled Treerunner, Barred Fruiteater, Barred Becard, Masked Trogon, Blue-crowned Trogon, Black-tailed Trogon, Dusky-green Oropendola, Orange-bellied Euphonia, Golden-bellied Euphonia, Blue Dacnis, Golden-collared Honeycreeper, Red-capped Cardinal, Versicolored Barbet, Lemon-throated Barbet, Andean Cock-of-the-Rock, Bluish-fronted Jacamar, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, King Vulture, Greater Yellow-headed Vulture, Spectacled Owl, Tawny-bellied Screech-owl, Black-banded Owl, Scissor-tailed Nightjar, Silky-tailed Nightjar, Urubamba Antpitta, Red-and-white Antpitta, Leymebamba Antpitta.
Sparkling Violetear, Brown Violetear, Lesser Violetear, Black-tailed Trainbearer, Green-tailed Trainbearer, Bearded Mountaineer (endemic), Giant Hummingbird, White-bellied Hummingbird, Green-and-white Hummingbird (near-endemic), White-tufted Sunbeam (endemic), 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 Velvetbreast, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Great Sapphirewing, 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, Gray-breasted Sabrewing, Pale-tailed Barbthroat, Many-spotted Hummingbird, Black-throated Mango, Green Hermit, Rufous-breasted Hermit, Koepcke’s Hermit (endemic), 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.
Hooded Mountain-tanager, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Golden-collared Tanager, Beryl-spangled Tanager, Paradise Tanager, Golden Tanager, Golden-eared Tanager, Turquoise Tanager, Green-and-gold Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager.
TOUR DETAILS
Group Size: Max 6 + photography guide
Accommodation: 3-star hotel in Cusco; charming and comfortable lodges in beautiful locations within Manu National Park, all with private bathrooms and hot showers
Transportation: Private car/minivan
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
Possible extensions:
– Cusco: Abra Málaga Endemics
– Cusco Cultural Tour
– Machu Picchu
– 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, por favor háganoslo saber.
PHOTO GALLERY
Kuntur Nature and Adventure EIRL
Company Address: Av. Industrial Conj. Hab. FOVIPOL. Nr 104 – Santiago – Cusco – Peru
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