Peru Jungle Trip – 4 Days in Manu Cultural Zone

We will leave Cusco very early in the morning in one of our vehicles. We will cross interesting valleys between the Andes mountains and picturesque rural communities. We will visit the chullpas of Ninamarca pre-Inca culture (Lupaca) and then we will stop in Paucartambo, a beautiful colonial city to enjoy breakfast.  We will continue our journey for about 40 minutes to the entrance of the Manu Acjanaco National Park, we descend to the cloud forest where we will have lunch descending through the cloud forest, an area rich in endemic species, such as the spectacled bear and the cock of the rock, the Peruvian national bird that performs a unique courtship ritual. We can also see orchids, bromeliads, ferns, etc. We will continue observing spectacular nature throughout our trip until we reach our lodge, Pilcopata Manu Lodge, where we will spend our first night.

We will have breakfast very early and then we will take a walk, during which we will be able to observe the forest fauna, such as monkeys and birds. Then, we will visit a coca plantation and a wildlife rescue center (optional). After this, we will travel to Puerto Atalaya, located along the banks of the Alto Madre de Dios River at 500 meters above sea level. There we will begin our descent by boat to observe the diversity of bird species, such as herons, vultures, cormorants, etc. until we reach the hostel. There, we will bathe in the river and have lunch. In the afternoon we will visit Lake Machuwasi, where we will explore on rafts to observe birds, such as the prehistoric bird hoatzin and, with luck, other animals such as monkeys and capybaras and then return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Very early in the morning, we will board our boat for 40 minutes and go to the macaw clay lick, a wall along the river bank where we can see different species of parrots, such as the blue-headed parrot, the blue-eyed parakeet. white birds, the chestnut-fronted macaw, among others, gather every morning. Here they eat the clay, which is rich in minerals and helps them digest and eliminate toxins from their bodies. Afterwards, we will return to our lodge for a delicious breakfast. After breakfast, we will hike through the forest for 2 to 3 hours to explore the flora and fauna. We will return to the lodge to have lunch and then rest or swim in the river. After lunch, you will also have the option to go ziplining.

Free optional activity – ZIP LINE: Our guests at the Manu Amazon Lodge have the opportunity to appreciate a unique and impressive view of the jungle as they fly through the jungle canopy between platforms built high in the trees. All equipment used is of high quality and safe. After gliding at high speed through the treetops of the incredible Amazon rainforest, you will rappel 20 meters to the ground. Then we will take a night walk through the forest to look for insects and amphibians. After the night walk, we will have dinner and spend the night.

After a delicious breakfast, we can observe the hummingbirds that surround the lodge and then we will board our boat for 40 minutes back to Puerto Atalaya where our bus will wait for us to take us back to Cusco. We will have lunch along the route in the cloud forest back to Cusco, arriving around 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.