Cusco & the Peruvian Amazon to Manu National Park

You'll be greeted at your Cuzco hotel and transferred from Cuzco to Manu National Park. Along the way, you'll pass over the Andes Mountains at an elevation of over 13,000 feet, passing breathtaking landscapes, stone chullpas, and Inca ruins. Stop at Ajanaco for lunch, a lookout point at the edge of the cloud forest. Continue on into the lush tropical rainforest, seeing evergreen trees festooned with mosses, lichens, bromeliads and other epiphytes. Nestled in this forest within a 2-minute walk of the road lies the Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge. Relax and unwind in this Amazon lodge before dinner. (Box lunch, Dinner)

Rise before sunrise to visit the lek, or breeding ground, where beautiful Andean ***-of-the-Rock birds spend their time. The ***-of-the-Rock is the national bird of Peru. The males have bright reddish orange head and neck, and a black body, while the females are brownish-orange. These birds love to build their nests in rocks and caves. Spend the rest of the morning searching for cloudforest birds, and perhaps even some Common Woolly Monkeys. Then continue by bus to the Alto Madre de Dios River, where you may enjoy your box lunch. Hop into an outboard motor canoe for a ride along the Alto Madre de Dios River to the Pantiacolla Lodge. If there is time before nightfall, you can explore the surrounding grounds near this beautiful Amazon lodge. (Breakfast, Box Lunch, Dinner)

After breakfast in your lodge, you can take a short hike on the lodge trails before leaving for the Manu Wildlife Center, one of the Top 10 Wildlife Lodges in the World. En route to the center, you'll stop for a visit at the indigenous village of Piro. Continue along the river until you reach the remote Manu Wildlife Center. You'll be greeted by the staff of this wonderful Amazon lodge, and given a brief overview of the activities planned for the rest of your stay. Relax and unwind in a hammock to escape the afternoon heat. In the late afternoon and evening, you can head out on one of a number of trails covering nearly 30 miles around the lodge. (Breakfast, Box Lunch, Dinner)

Rising before dawn, have breakfast in your Amazon lodge, and then take a 25 minute boat ride downstream to the only large parrot and macaw clay lick near the Manu Wildlfie Center. Watch these magnificent creatures feed on the nutritious clay. You may see red and green macaws, and many other birds. *Please note that the clay lick is not as active in May, June and July.*

After lunch at the Wildlife Center, continue exploring the forest trails surrounding the lodge, as well as the 34 meter Canopy Platform. From this perch, you can look over the rainforest treetops and see how birds and monkeys interact in the canopy layer of the forest.

Return to the lodge for dinner, or pack a meal and take a leisurely stroll through the forest after dusk, to see the largest-known Tapir clay lick. Climb up a 17 by 17 foot observation platform to wait for the lumbering Tapirs to arrive. (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).

After another early morning departure by boat and short hike, you'll reach the Blanco Oxbow Lake. This lake has a variety of resident animals, including the prehistoric-looking hoatzinbirds and a family of giant river otters.

Return for lunch at the Manu Wildlife Center, and then relax in a hammock, or ask the nature guides to show you more of the surrounding trails.

From the late afternoon until after finner, you have the opportunity to search for caiman and other nocturnal life along the riverbank. Enjoy this fun night caiman boat ride and make sure to keep your hands inside the boat! (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

After an early breakfast, you'll depart from the Wildlife Center by boat. Then fly back to Cuzco via a charter flight, and once at the Cuzco airport, you'll be greeted by a travel representative and then returned to your Cuzco hotel.

If you would like, you can choose to extend your trip with a Cuzco and Machu Picchu tour.