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Megadiversity Tour From the Andes to the Manu Lowlands

Duration: 17 days/16 nights

Guide: Thomas Valqui

Route: Lima/Cusco/Urubamba/Machu Picchu/Cusco/Manu cloud forest (Cock-of-Rock Lodge)/ Amazonia Lodge/Manu Wildlife Center/Cusco/ Lima.

Highlights: Birding the Andes and famous Machu Picchu ruins and environs, plus all altitudes of the Manu area with a list of almost 1,000 species (10% of the global total). THE birding trip by excellence.

Included: Guided by specialist, transportation to airports, in Manu (bus, boat and plane), entrance fees, accommodations at hotels & lodges, Machu Picchu train and meals according to program.

Not included: International airfare Domestic airfares Lima-Cusco-Lima (ca. 250 US$), airport taxes, personal expenses and some meals in cities to give you freedom of choice and because some people skip meals.

Day 1 (26 July)
Arrive in Lima, transfer to hotel. Depending on your arrival time we will have a briefing and might spend some time birding in the park in front of the hotel. Pacific Dove, Croaking Ground-Dove, Amazilia Hummingbird, Southern Birdless Tyrannulet and many more.
Overnight at Sonesta EL Olivar *****.

Day 2 (27 July)
Fly to Cusco first thing in the morning and transfer by bus to our hotel in the town of Urubamba in the Sacred Valley (Valle Sagrado). We have box lunch on the road and will continue to the lower Malaga road, with Hummingbirds: Giant Hummingbird, Green-tailed Hummingbird, Green-tailed Trainbearer, two species of Sumbeam, etc. In the afternoon we return to the hotel. At a lower elevation than Cusco, the first night in elevation will be relatively easy for us. Overnight at Sonesta Posada del Inca Yucay***.
Meals : B, BL, D

Day 3 (28 July)
Early scan of the hotel gardens and short bus trip to the town of Ollantaytambo, where we will take the train to Aguas Calientes. Visit the famous Machu Picchu ruins with birding on the walk up to the Puerta del Sol. Here we will try to get the endemic Cusco Brush-Finch and Inca Wren, and other specialties like the Tricolored Brush-Finch. Down to Aguas Calientes and overnight at Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel***.
Meals : B, L, D

Day 4 (29 July)
Morning in Aguas Calientes, birding in the gardens of the hotel or along the trail tracks. The Sclater’s Flycatcher and the Inca Wren are probably our target birds, but we will have plenty of activity with Tanager flocks, Barbets and particularly with hummingbirds (over 10 species) in the feeders. In the afternoon, we will return to Cusco by train. Overnight at Novotel****.
Meals : B, L

Day 5 (30 July)
Leave early for Manu National Park and the famous Manu Road. We will bird through typical Andean scrub and fields on our way to the highest part of Manu National Park, at the Acjanaco pass, with breakfast and lunch on the road. After some birding at tree line we start our descent through cloud forest on the Manu road, arriving at the Lodge just after sunset with a good chance of seeing the Lyre-tailed Nightjahr. Overnight at Cock-fo-the-Rock Lodge.
Meals : B, L, D.

Day 6 & 7 (31 July & 1 August)
We will spend two days birding the cloud forest along the road above and below the Lodge. Maybe the highlight will be a morning at the spectacular lek of Cock of the Rock, but birding in a protected cloud-forest like this is a guarantee for lots of colorful, tanagers, cotingas, hummingbirds and much more. Overnight at Cock-of-the-Rock Lodge.
Meals : B, L, D.

Day 8 (2 August)
Continuing down the Manu Road, we will bird our way through subtropical forest to Atalaya, crossing the Alto Madre de Dios River to the Amazonia Lodge. There will be plenty opportunities to stop and bird and we will be particularly interested in open habitat birds. A box lunch at a nice spot, will break the day which ends with a birding walk to the lodge.
Overnight Amazonia Lodge.
Meals: B, BL, D

Day 9 (3 August)
We will spend one full day birding habitats from the lodge at the base of the Andes, and spend some time at the canopy tower. We will cover the extensive trail system paying particular attention for birds that are unique to our route or more difficult to be seen later, but this lodge has one of the largest bird lists in the world with over 600 species. It has also been called “Antbird extravaganza”. Overnight at Amazonia Lodge .
Meals : B, L, D.

Day 10 (3 August)
Travel by boat to the Manu Wildlife Center. This trip will take most of the day, but will give us an opportunity to see typical river birds, over-flying raptor, parrots, macaws, etc. This might be our best chance to see some rare birds like the Harpy Eagle. It’s a unique day of relaxed, mosquito-free birdwatching in the lowlands. Overnight at Manu Wildlife Center.
Meals : B, BL, D.

Day 11 to 14 (4 -7 August)
We will spend the next 4 days birding in a variety of habitats in one of the finest birding lodges in the Amazon. Our activities will include extensive birding in terra firme forest, where the grid will give us access to several known territories of hard to get birds, follow mixed species flocks and spend time in flooded forest. One morning will be spend at the canopy tower, where for a change, birds will be at our level or below. We will also visit the bamboo island for almost all of the specialists of this unique habitat, look for the Rufous-fronted Antthrush in the Heliconia thickets by the Antthrush trail, and visit a typical large oxbow lake with Jacanas and Horned Screamers. For many the highlight will be the colorful spectacle of the macaws and parrots at the clay-lick, which we will enjoy from a specially designed blind while we take breakfast.
Overnights at Manu Wildlife Center.
Meals : B, L, D.

Day 15 (8 August)
An early morning with some birding along the river will take us to the airstrip at Boca Manu, where we will spend a few hours birding secondary habitats and forest edge, before returning to Cusco by small-chartered aircraft. Afternoon visit to the Huacarpay lakes in Cusco. . These Wetlands, a RAMSAR site, will show us a nice complement to the coastal Villa marshes in Lima. In the marshes we will look for Puna Teal, Andean Duck, Sivery Grebe, Yellow-winged Balckbird and many more, and in the surroundings our champions will be the Peru endemics: Rusty-fronted Canastero and the spectacular Bearded Mouintaneer.
Overnight at Novotel**** or similar.
Meals : B

Day 16 (9 August)
Return to Lima. Pickup at the Lima airport by our car that takes us to our visit to the Villa marshes. Some of the birds we will be looking for in this typical coastal marshes are Peruvian Thickknee, 5 species of Ducks, Great Grebe, Gray-hooded Gull, Many-colored Rush-tyrant, Wren-like Rushbird, etc. If time allows we will then head to the port of Pucusana for some gulls, terns (Inca Tern), the Humboldt Penguin, the Seaside Cinclodes, and other seabirds. We will also stop at desert scrub for seedeaters, hummingbirds, miners, and others. Overnight at Sonesta El Olivar*****.
Meals : B

Day 17 (10 August)
Transfer to the airport
Meals : B

GENERAL CONDITIONS

• Our exclusive fixed departures operate with a minimum of 2 guest.
• Prices are per person and subject to change without notice due to entrance fees, taxes and other increases beyond of our control.
• We can plan custom trips for specific birding needs.
• Different extensions available. Check with us for prices and more details.
• In each booking please indicate the following information:
  - Complete name of the guest, age, passport number, nationality and occupation.
  - Arrival and departure flights.
  - Any special food requirements. (Allergies, Vegetarian, low salt, low fat, diabetic or other)

Important: Though we have never heard of anyone contracting yellow fever anywhere in Peru or neighboring countries, Peru nevertheless requires a current yellow fever vaccination for trips to the rainforest regions. This vaccination is usually required for all rainforest regions around the world.

More information:

About Thomas Valqui    About Inkanatura Travel    Birding Map