The Manu Experience 8d/7n

Manu National Park is a biosphere reserve located in the Madre de Dios Region of Peru. Before becoming one of Peru's National Parks, Manu was conserved thanks to its inaccessibility. Manu has one of highest levels of biodiversity of any area in the world. Overall, more than 15,000 species of plants are found in Manu, and up to 250 varieties of trees have been found in a single hectare. The reserve is a destination for birdwatchers from all over the world, as it is home to over 1,000 species of birds, more than the number of bird species found in the United States and Canada combined. This stunning 8-day jungle adventure offers the opportunity to truly explore biodiversity with local and professional staff.

Tour Itinerary

Day 1
Cusco – Cloud Forest - Paititi Lodge

We pick you up from your hotel in Cusco very early in the morning in our private transportation to start our Ascend to the high mountains of Paucartambo. We will stop on the way to visit the astonishing funeral towers of Chillpas of Ninamarca. After some exploration, we will descend through the beautiful cloud forest, filled with beautiful orchids and ferns. If we are lucky, we will see the magnificent mating ritual of the Peruvian Rupicola, Amazonian Umbrella Birds, and the famous South American Bear (Tremarctos Ornatus). After an incredible first morning of exploration, we will head to the Village of Atalaya to take a 30 minute boat ride, arriving at our lodge by the way of the Alto Madre de Dios River. Shower services and bathrooms with running water are available here.

Day 2
Paititi Lodge - Boca Manu

We start off today early with a hot breakfast before we venture through the Alto Madre de Dios River. From the boat, you'll see a variety of bird life, such as: herons, egrets, king fishers and vultures (Sarcoramphus Papa). We will travel along the river the duration of the morning to reach the village of Boca Manu for lunch and some relaxation. We will spend the afternoon walking through Boca Manu and exploring the exotic flora/fauna. As nighttime approaches, we will be able to see caiman as we near our lodge where we'll spend the night. At the lodge, we will have dinner before you enjoy a refreshing shower after a day in the jungle.

Day 3
Boca Manu - Lake Otorongo

We enjoy a hot breakfast before we start to travel on the Alto Madre de Dios River. Today offers another day of astonishing wildlife, including tortoise, White Caiman, Capybara (Hydrochaeris), and possibly a jaguar perched on a log. We will arrive at our campsite for the night at Otorongo and enjoy a lunch to recharge your battery. We will enjoy the night here in solitude, as no other tour agencies have access to this area. After lunch, we will explore the beautiful trails bordering the Otorongo Oxbow Lake, nearing the observation tower for a better look around. We will spend the night in Safari style camping accommodations where we will serve you dinner. Showers and bathrooms available.

Day 4
Lake Otorongo - Lake Salvador

After breakfast, we will travel for a half an hour by boat to reach Lake Salvador. We will paddle softly on the Catamaran where you will see giant otters fishing and playing, black caimans on the shore, and a numerous tropical birds. Manu is a truly unique place to observe wildlife because the animals have not been hunted by man like many other rainforest observatories. We will spend the majority of the afternoon exploring this unique region before heading back to our campsite for the night. We will arrive shortly before nightfall to Lake Otorongo to camp for another night of safari style camping.

Day 5
Lake Otorongo - Pakitza

We will have an early breakfast before heading out on the boat to Otorongo to reach Pakitza. Along the way, there will be an abundance of wildlife to snap some photos. We will pass by black caiman, rare birds, and fauna that you could only see in the Manu Jungle. We will arrive at Pakitza early in the afternoon to enjoy lunch and the beautiful scenery before hitting the trail. After lunch, we will enter the rainforest to observe the mammals that inhabit Manu. We will spend the afternoon here before returning to our campsite at Otorongo for the night.

Day 6
Lake Otorongo - Boca Manu

We will be woken up by the call of Red Howler Monkey (Alouatta Seniculus) early this morning, marking the start of our day. We will enjoy breakfast at the campsite before we start to travel on the river to return to Boca Manu. On the edge of the river, we will observe groups of tortoise, black and white caimans, numerous exotic birds, divine fauna, Capybaras (Hydrochaeris), and possibly a jaguar or two. We will explore a trail near the Paititi Lodge and enjoy a late lunch before we spend the night at the lodge. We will enjoy dinner as a group before hitting the sack.

Day 7
Boca Manu - Paititi Lodge

After some hot tea and a hearty breakfast, we will explore the river for our last day of jungle adventure. We will head on the boat for a tour of the river to spot some flocks of tropical birds, land mammals, caimans, tortoises and some delightful fauna. We will enjoy our lunch on the shore and explore the jungle before we head back from camp for the night. We will enjoy a delicious dinner together and relax for our last night together. Showers and bathrooms are available.

Day 8
Paititi Lodge - Cloud Forest - Cusco

We will wake up early to pack up the boat while you eat breakfast before heading out on the river to Atalaya. At Atalaya, we will take a bus back to Cusco. We will stop one more visit to the Cloud Forest to explore and take some photos. We will continue on for another four hours to arrive back at Cusco, arriving around 5 or 6 PM. This marks the end of our fantastic adventure in the remarkable Manu Jungle and the end of our services.