OVERVIEW & ITINERARY

• Start: Cusco
• End: Cusco
• Style: Original
• Type: Adventure
• Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
• Age Minimum: 10 years with their parents, 18 without parents
• Group size: Minimum 2 Maximum 9

TOUR ROUTE 

Cusco (3,300m.s.n.m.) – Andes- (3650m.s.n.m.) Cloud Forest (1,700m.s.n.m.), Basin (250m.s.n.m.)
Manu National Park covers almost two million hectares, that is to say, it’s huge and distances far! The first day we travel in a minivan eleven hours from Cusco through the Andes, cloud forest and descend to the river plains of Manu. We drive six hours on our last day, back to Cusco. From the second to the fifth day we travel 7 hours in our private motorized canoe as part of our adventure.
 

IS THIS TRIP RIGHT FOR YOU?

This 5-day trip is easily accessible for all ages; it is not physically demanding. The nature walks in the cloud forest are around 1 to 2 hours on paved road and on the flat paths through the low jungle forests for 3 to 4 hours. Temperatures can be cold in the Andes, as low as 10 degrees Celsius, and up to 39 ° in the warmer in the low jungle region. To help adapt to altitude, we recommend drinking plenty of water, and offer you mate de coca. To deal with insects we recommend using abundant repellent and wearing very light clothes.

On the first day we leave the city of Cusco in our spacious 15 seat minivan, we only use for 9 passengers. The road over the Andes to the delta is winding and bumpy, but affords beautiful views and adds that wonder of being part of our adventure.

From the second day we travel in our private motorized canoe and keep watch for wildlife. We can also do some easy sport fishing, go for a quick swim, or glide down the river in our very simple river tubing (you must be able to swim, this is fun for all ages) Rio Palotoa has crystal clear waters, with slow rapids and very calm waters . Perfect chances for seeing monkeys come through.  

MEETING POINT AND PICK UP

The meeting point or pick up will be at your Cusco hotel, our Guide will meet you with our private minivan.

The tour begins and ends in the city of Cusco. If you're based outside of Cusco in Pisac, Urubamba or Ollantaytambo for example, you will be picked up much earlier to be brought to the city of Cusco to join the tour at its departure point. Please contact us to coordinate. This will have an additional cost, and schedule of pick up will be arranged.
 

TIME OF PICK UP

Pick up time is bright and early, at 4:00 in the morning, to give us more time to enjoy the places of interest on the way. And, leaving early we also take advantage of the fresh morning to see more wildlife on the way. Leaving early we also avoid traffic and other tour groups crowding our way.
 

AVAILABILITY OF TOUR

We normally run this tour from March to December (summer). For January and February, please inquire for availability as it is the rainy season and trips will be scheduled only when it is safe.
 

WE PROVIDE BINOCULARS

We don’t want you to miss out on the spectacular beauty of the flora and fauna Manu rainforest! While your zoom is a great way to catch animals at a distance, binoculars are a great way just to watch! Manu Rainforest Peru provides use of professional binoculars! The Nikon and Vortex 8 x 42 water resistant binoculars offer extended clear viewing and bring the action in close. Please note, while in your care, the binoculars are your responsibility, so please treat them with care as you are liable in the event of any damage or loss.
 

ITINERARY

Day 01: Cusco – Cloud Forest – Posada Manu Rainforest 

Today our goal is to get to Cloud forest! We’ll travel for four hours through fabulous mountain vistas and valleys, passing through Paucartambo (the folkloric capital of Cusco) which boasts beautiful Spanish colonial architecture and a stone bridge. Then we proceed to the lookout point at Acjanaco at the pass 4,000m (13,123 ft.) where we enter Manu National Park. From here we travel through pristine cloud forest which feeds the local flora unique to this clime. The landscape is stunning: we will pass many waterfalls, sweeping views of the valley and dense cloud forest vegetation: mosses, lichens, orchids and birds unique to this part of the world ply the mountainside. Wooly monkeys and capuchin monkeys can also be seen.

Then we head to the Atalaya, a small port town on the river where we take our motorized boat up the Alto Madre de Dios River, known for its turbulent waters. We’ll bank on the river near the entrance to the Oxbow Lake and hike the bird filled path that leads there. Here you’ll glide on its placid waters on traditional pole rafts. You’ll see prehistoric birds (hoatzin), macaws, and some monkeys that live here. Return to the boat to continue our adventure by river to Robles Tree House where we spend the night tonight surrounded by the sights and sounds of Amazon life and nature.

Overnight at the Posada Manu Rainforest.
 

Day 02: Posada Manu Rainforest - Robles Tree House

Our ecological tours at Robles Tree House offer excellent experiences full of adventure and awe at the untamed virgin forest and its inhabitants of the great Amazon basin. After breakfast we travel by boat 45 minutes via Rio Palotoa to reach Robles Tree House. Once we arrive we will have time available to explore the heart of our ecological reserve. The evening is reserved for a night walk in search of creatures such as: snakes, amphibians, spiders and monkeys. In the darkness of night we’ll have the spectacle of fireflies lighting up the sky and shadows of bats attracted by our lanterns. Most certainly we’ll see timid tarantulas that go out hunting in the dark.

Overnight at the Robles Tree house, a bungalow stilted house camouflaged in our forest. Strategically located, it makes for great viewing of the nocturnal animals that come to feed on bamboo and wild fruit: monkeys and others. The night air will be full of sound and activity, the forest floor below a gallery of activity, a night not to be forgotten.
 

Day 03: Parrot and Macaw Clay Lick - Unlimited Jungle Hiking.

Today early in the morning! At 5 in the morning we visit the clay lick of parrots and macaws. With good weather activity will be magnificent. Attended by hundreds of parrots such as: blue-headed parrot, amazon yellow fronted parrot, mealy parrot, and macaws such as: chestnut fronted macaw, blue headed macaw, scarlet macaw, blue and yellow macaw, and many parakeets, with all these creatures will be a spectacle gift of nature only Manu Rainforest Peru takes you to these places. We have even spotted an otter here!

On our private reserve, we offer you hiking in pristine forests of bamboo and primary forests of gigantic trees, where we will go in search of life wild such as: peccaries, monkeys, Amazonian turtles, and birds. At nightfall we offer a night walk in search of: night active animals like: tapir, tarantulas, frogs, snakes, spiders, and night monkeys, among many others. It’s nature so we can be surprised at any moment by a magnificent sight!

Night at Robles Tree House
 

Day 04: Parrot and Macaw Clay Lick - River Tubing

Today is another day of parrots and macaws! Back at 5 in the morning, last chance to capture the avian beauties before our goodbye! The activity will be of parrots and macaws, parakeets, and with luck toucans or monkeys sailing between trees.

Afterwards we hike our private jungle trails in search of wildlife unique to this part of the world. The more we visit the forest, the more chances we have of capturing a special moment of sunlight, butterflies and splendid birds and animals.

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

After we take the motorized boat back up river and spend the last night in a comfy atmosphere sharing stories of our adventure and an excellent final dinner.

Night in Posada Manu Rainforest 
 

Day 05: Posada Manu Rainforest – Cusco

Early in the morning we start our trip back by river boat, accompanied by flocks of passing birds. Again we have a good chance to view capybaras (the largest rodent in the world) on the river banks our destination is Atalaya where we take a short break to change to our minivan and then head to Cusco. We will pass again through the cloud forest and stop for lunch al fresco on one of the lovely bends over the valley. Monkeys and Cock on the Rock await in the boughs.

Our service ends in Cusco at 6:00 PM when we drop you off at your hotel.
 

INCLUSIONS

1.  Meals: 4 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners (vegetarian option available)
2.  Transport: Land transportation (minivan), river transportation (canoe motorized), Peke Peke (small boat motorised, perfectly designed for small rivers)
3.  Accommodation: At Posada Manu Rainforest (2 night), Robles Tree House (2 night)