Manu Culture Zone 5 days

DAY 1: CUSCO – MANU CLOUD FOREST -BAMBU LODGE

Early in the morning from 4:00 to 4:30 AM, our transportation will pick you up from your accommodation in Cusco. Then we will embark on a two-hour drive through the south of Cusco with breathtaking views of mountains and valleys to the town of Ninamarca where there is a set of chullpas, funerary constructions of the Lupaca culture.

 Then we head to Paucartambo, the Folkloric Capital of the region. This colonial city has incredible colonial buildings and the ancient stone bridge is certainly not to be missed, after enjoying breakfast here, we take you uphill where nature has created one of the largest natural balconies on the planet. Known as Acjanaco by the locals and baptized with the name of three crosses by travelers, here at three crosses it is possible to observe the most beautiful sunrise in the world.

Then we descend and the humidity increases progressively, here the trees have curious shapes, small and twisted and a place populated by flocks of birds of impossible colors and a variety of strange creatures, descending a little further into the cloud forest is the paradise of orchids and tree ferns, bromeliads and giant begonias, butterflies and hummingbirds.

This is a world of moss that covers everything without distinction. It is also home to the Tunqui or Cock of the Rock, Peru’s national bird. Our expert local tour guide will explain more in detail about this distinctive bird.

This forest is also home to different species of monkeys. Here you will be able to observe woolly monkeys and capuchin monkeys. Finally, we will arrive at Pilcopata where we will spend the night at Bambu Lodge. A land where the sun warms the days and the nights are cool with the aroma of flowers and mushrooms.

DAY 2 PILCOPATA – PORT OF ATALAYA – SOGA DE ORO

This day we will wake up to the sound of birdsong. We leave the kingdom of the clouds to enter a zone of mild and peaceful climate, a generous land of fruit trees and clear rivers. The place where the ancient Andean men discovered and cultivated coca, the sacred leaf of the gods, the chili bell pepper and the passion fruit.

 After entering Atalaya port where we embark on a motorboat to the lodge, Soga de Oro, where peace is everywhere, we will embark on a 3-hour hike through pristine jungle to observe more wildlife.

Imagine walking through the heart of the Manu rainforest and on trails that are maintained by us as locals, our tour guides are very knowledgeable about the flora and fauna. You can see different types of wildlife in the jungle, such as monkeys, sloths and peccaries, and observe toucans and oropendolas soaring above the treetops.

You will discover the use of most of the medicinal plants as we hike deep into the pristine jungle, away from the crowds of tourists. Around noon, we return to Soga de Oro for lunch and a siesta. Afterwards, you will have some free time to swim in the Palotoa River.

 In the afternoon and evening we will walk in the jungle and visit the Machuwasi Lake and use a raft, which will give us the opportunity to see different wildlife and the beautiful sunset. In the evening, we will have the opportunity to see caimans, but very often we see snakes, tree frogs or sloths climbing on the limbs, and then we return to the lodge for dinner and sleep.

DAY 3: PARROT AND MACAW CLAY LICK – DORADO LODGE

The third day of your trip to Manu is possibly the most awaited day. We will leave our lodge at 5:00 am to see the unmissable Collpa (from the Quechua word for salty land). There go up to twelve different species of parrots, several hundred majestic macaws, hundreds of brightly colored birds, wild guans, thousands of parakeets and tapirs that ingest doses of soil every day that come to the cliff to eat the clay.

 The clay here is known to be rich in nutrients that help these birds eliminate toxins from their bodies. Witnessing the clay lick on your jungle trip is an experience in itself.

After breakfast we will plunge into the jungle through the best of the trails to see one of the immense strangler figs – huge Amazonian trees, but first we will walk through the bamboo forest, a remarkable number of species lurk, from antbirds to cabecirufos. From woodpeckers to capuchin monkeys, which often depend on the bamboo thickets for food and shelter.

These Guadua forests are the only place in the rainforests where you can find dozens of birds and other animals. After lunch and a siesta, in the afternoon we will cross the river and walk into the pristine jungle, where we can observe the world’s largest rodent: caimans, capybaras and hundreds of birds. On the way back in the boat, you will have the opportunity to observe capybaras, herons and vultures, among other mammals and birds. And in the evening, we will take a night walk into the jungle and when we return, a delicious dinner awaits you and you will sleep like a baby.

DAY 4: SOGA DE ORO LODGE – PARROT LICK

Today is another day of parrots and macaws! Our last chance to capture the avian beauties before we say goodbye. The activity will be parrots and macaws, parakeets and hopefully toucans or monkeys navigating through the trees. After breakfast on a golden rope.

Then we will walk into the jungle in search of wildlife unique to this part of the world. The more we visit the forest, the more chances we have to capture a special moment of sunlight, butterflies and splendid birds and animals.

In the afternoon, after lunch, we will go tubing on the Palotoa River, a unique experience, you will slide in the inner tube of a tractor tire, surrounded by lush nature, birds, monkeys and river visitors.

Night walk (herping activity): after dinner we will have the opportunity to take a night walk with our expert guide in search of snakes such as false coral, royal coral, Bush master (shushupe), Mantona boa, mowing snake, mouse-eating snake, green parrot snake, rainbow boa, etc. Hopefully we can also see other nocturnal creatures such as frogs, tarantula, night monkey, scorpion spider, nocturnal birds, lazy fruit bats, deer, etc. Of course, the wildlife is We do not promise, we are always looking forward to the surprises that nature offers us.

DAY 5. SOGA DE ORO – PORT OF ATALAYA – CUSCO

You will wake up to the sound of birdsong on the last day of your trip to Manu. After enjoying a native breakfast, we will leave our lodge and take the motor boat and head to the dock to embark back to the Atalaya dock.

Along the boat ride, you will have the opportunity to observe capybaras, herons and vultures, among other mammals and birds.

At the Atalaya dock, our driver will be waiting for us for a scenic drive back to Cusco through the cloud forest and Paucartambo.

We will be arriving in Cusco, at approximately 18:00 hours, we will drop you off at your hotel, we can also drop you off directly at the airport in case you have a connecting flight. In this case we recommend to take your connecting flight after 20:00 hours. 

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