We depart from Cusco in a private bus, with our first stop being the visit of the pre-Inca funerary towers of Ninamarca. Then, we will drive through the mountains to reach the traditional and folkloric town of Paucartambo. Here, we take a brief walk around the historic center before continuing towards Tres Cruces, the highest point and entrance to Manu National Park. Take time to soak in the views as the gradual shift from rugged mountains to green valleys unfolds before you.

From here, we proceed into the cloud forest and stop at San Pedro for lunch. Afterwards, we take a 1-hour walk to observe Peru’s national bird, the Andean cock-of-the-rock, as well as various types of monkeys, plants, and flowers. We arrive at our lodge in the afternoon where we have dinner and spend the night.

After breakfast, we continue by private bus to Atalaya through Manu National Park. Along the way, we will stop to visit a coca plantation as well as a viewpoint where you can get a good glimpse of the jungle and the river of Madre de Dios. From Atalaya, we board a boat to our lodge where we will enjoy lunch. During the boat trip, lasting 1-2 hours, we’ll encounter a variety of animals, birds, plants, and flowers.

In the afternoon, we will visit Lake Machuwasi, an abandoned meander of the river Alto Madre de Dios, whose swampy and dense environment offers pristine conditions for many species of birds. Here, we take a wooden raft to traverse its canals and see the prehistoric Hoatzin bird, enjoy the beautiful sunset, and search for caimans at dusk. We then have dinner and spend the night at the rustic Harpy Lodge.