7day Manu Park Tour by bus

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Cusco - Paucartambo - Cloud Forest - Pona Lodge.

On the first day of our adventure into the Manu jungle, we will pick you up around 6:00 AM from your hotel in Cusco, using our private transportation service. The first part of our excursion will take us through the majestic Andean mountains, where we will have the opportunity to visit a beautiful lake called Hucarpay, a High Andean lagoon that boasts a variety of flora and fauna typical of the Andean mountains. Then, we will visit the town of Huancarani which contains the funeral towers of Ninamarca, a Pre-Inca cemetery of the Lupaca culture, which we will visit briefly on our way to Paucartambo, which is known as the folkloric capital of Cusco. In the face of modern times, this small colonial town has maintained its rich tradition for centuries. At midday we will arrive at the entrance to Manu National Park and access one of the most protected natural areas in South America. We will continue in our private transport, descending through a dense fog from which this section of the forest takes the name of Cloud Forest. Eventually we will arrive at the home of Peru's exotic national bird: the Cock of the Rock, where they gather with others of their kind for a sort of social gathering that seems to resemble a grand courtship. You will find that this quite amazing spectacle is complete with an impressive array of sounds and colors that can only be found in the jungle. For our first night, we will stay at the beautiful Pona Lodge, where we will arrive at approximately 5:00 p.m. (L+D).

Highlights of the Day:

1. Walk along the Cloud Forest of Manu Park
2. Visit the Peruvian National Bird LEK
3. Bird Watching along the Cloud Forest, at the cloud forest we will be able to see several species of colorful birds including Tanagers, toucans, barbets, hummingbirds, two species of quetzals, trogons, motmots, woodpeckers and hawks.
4. Tanager garden optional Visit, this visit is not included but its an excellent spot to photograph colorful birds.

Day 2 Pona Lodge – Papaya Lodge – Tapir Clay Lick

This morning from the clear waters of the Alto Madre de Dios River we will enter the clay-laden waters of the Manu River, after leaving our lodge at 3:30am we will head towards the Port of Atalaya, before reach Atalaya Port we will visit a Hummingbird Garden where we will see several species of Hummingbirds including, tanagers, barbets, king vultures, titi monkeys, etc.
From Atalaya we will continue our journey by boat towards a Hot Spring, we will spend about an hour at the hot spring and then we will continue to our next lodge. At the lodge we will accommodate ourselves and then head towards a blind in the middle of the jungle where we will spend the night, the reason why we are going to this bling is because there we will have the chance to see tapirs at night. (B+L+D).

Highlights of the Day:

1. Hummingbird Garden Visit, at this place several species of hummingbird species are observed including tanagers, barbets, monkeys and the king vulture.
2. Visit a hot Spring, around noon we will stop at a hot spring where we will spend about an hour taking a relaxing bath.
3. Tapir Clay Lick: In the evening we will visit a mammal clay lick where tapirs are seeing.
4. Spend a Night in the middle of the Jungle, In order to see the tapirs we will have to spend a night in a camuflaje house.

Day 3: Tapir Clay Lick Casa Matsiguenka Lodge

This mooring we will head towards Casa Matsiguenka lodge, this lodge is located inside the Reserved Zone, along the way we will have a brief stop at the ranger station in Limonal to present our permits we will travel for about five hours on the Manu. The beaches, especially in the dry season, are teeming with nesting birds and feeding herons, egrets, Orinoco geese, terns and skimmers, to name a few. Some beaches are home to black and white caimans (South American relatives of caimans) and side-necked turtles. Hundreds of sand-colored nightjars perch on logs and beaches during the day, and there is the possibility of encountering a sunbathing jaguar, the third largest feline in the world. In 1999 every third one of our trips saw jaguar in Manu. We will see some primate species on this river trip, possibly red howler monkeys or the smaller squirrel monkeys. After lunch by the river we arrive at our Safari Camp near the Cocha Salvador lagoon. We will have the afternoon to explore some of the trails through the pristine rainforest of the area. A visit to Cocha Otorongo Lake is planned, where there are observation docks and a 20-meter observation tower in the rainforest canopy overlooking the lake for wildlife viewing. We will also keep an eye out for a large family of giant otters that inhabit this lake. Before or after dinner, you can take an optional night hike through the forest with your guide in search of nocturnal creatures. The lakes are full of the glowing eyes of the great Black Caiman and if we are lucky we may encounter an Olingo Kinkajou or even an Ocelot on the trails. Certainly, the nightly noise of tree frogs and forest insects is an experience not to be forgotten. At night, at the lodge Casa Matshiguenka, there are flush toilets and showers (B+L+D).

Highlights of the Day:

1. Sail along Manu River, along the river we will have chances to see several species of animals including black caimans, white caimans, Turtles, monkeys, capybaras and deers
2. Jaguar Searching: At Manu River we will have our best chances to see Jaguars in the way up as well as in the way down.
3. Cocha Otorongo Visit, Cocha otorongo is a Oxbow lake, at this oxbow lake we will have our first chance to see giant otters and large black caimans.

Day 4: Matsiguenka Lodge – Salvador Oxbow Lake – Macaw Clay Lick

We will start our activity very early in the morning in the Salvador oxbow lake using a floating platform called a catamaran. This morning we will be able to see an infinity of species of birds and mammals, herons, cormorants, eagles, hawks, squirrel monkeys, capuchin monkeys, giant otters and giant river otters. The Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis) can reach up to 6 feet or 1.82 cm in length and weigh up to 70 pounds or 31 kilograms. They consume between 9 to 11 lbs (4-5kilos). of fish per day. This is one of the rare animals on earth which are common in Manu. We will also look for some of the 15 species of monkeys which inhabit this place.
After Visit Salvador Oxbow lake we will head back to Casa Matsiguenka Lodge and from there we will walk to the Macaw Clay Lick. Scarlet macaws as well as red and green macaws are seen at this clay lick. Activity at the clay lick begins around 5:30 am as medium sized parrots arrive with the sunrise, pair by pair noisy, and land in the treetops above the clay lick. Several screechbirds climb the branches preparing for their descent to the riverbank. Finally, cascades of green, blue and red parrots circle down to the clay wall. Around 7:00 or 7:30 in the morning, large macaws begin to arrive. Around 10:00 a.m. the macaws begin to descend. This colorful and noisy scene continues for 20 to 40 minutes while the birds eat their ration of clay or until danger arrives in the form of a hawk, eagle or ocelot. This is one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in the world.
After lunch at our lodge we will explore one of the trails through the jungle and look at the complex ecosystem that surrounds us. Our ecologist guide will explain how plants and insects interact with the forest. We will be on the lookout for some of the smaller inhabitants of the jungle, such as the emperor pichico or the spotted-backed tamarin. On the way it is also possible to come across a group of peccaries, a species of wild boar found here. Overnight at Casa Matsiguenka Lodge (B+L+D).

Highlights of the Day:

1. Cocha Salvador Visit, Cocha Salvador is the largest Oxbow lake in Manu National Park at this oxbow lake we have a chance to see giant otters, Black Caimans, several species of birds and monkeys.
2. Macaw Clay Lick Visit, near our lodge we have a small macaw clay lick were two species of large macaws are observed, there we will see scarlet as well as red and green macaws.
3. Night Walk, during our night walks we can see several species of nocturnal creatures including insects, amphibians, reptiles, night monkeys and owls.

Day 5: Manu Biosphere Reserve - Papaya Lodge – Tapir Clay Lick.

This day we will visit an oxbow lake which we will reach by walking through the forest.
Cocha Otorongo - "Jaguar Lake", where we will have the opportunity to see more of the wildlife of this place. We may encounter groups of monkeys, especially groups of common woolly monkeys. We will pay special attention to the plant life of the place, which will give us signals, noises of falling fruits and leaves which will indicate the presence of an animal or bird. After a relaxing lunch we will navigate downstream until we reach our lodge

Option: This day after reach our lodge we can go back to the Tapir Clay Lick in order to have a second chance to see the tapirs. (B+L+D).

Highlights of the Day:

1. Sail Along Manu River, in the way our we will have our second chance to search for caimans, monkeys, turtles, capybaras, deers and green anacondas
2. Jaguar Search, this mooring we will search for jaguars along Manu river, the best chance to see jaguars is between July to October.

Day 6: Papaya Lodge - Pona Lodge

We will continue our trip upstream, and in Atalaya we will move to our car which will take us to Pona Lodge where we will spend the night (B+L+D).

Day 7: Pona Lodge - Cusco

This day we will travel to the city of Cusco where we will arrive around 3:00 in the afternoon. END OF OUR SERVICES (B+L).