8-Day Manu Reserved Zone Tour

The Ultimate All-Inclusive Manu Amazon Expedition

Manu Rainforest Peru rates include all meals (vegetarian and vegan options available with notice), soft drinks, hot drinks, sparkling wine and beer with meals, accommodations at lodges, excursions with knowledgeable naturalist guides, professional cook (chef), the Manu National Park entrance fee, night walks. We will provide private transportation (boat & minivan). Breakfast and lunch will be available on your last day and are included in the rate. Tubing on the river is also included in the price of your amazon adventure. One great advantage of our "all inclusive" rates is that you will know in advance exactly how much your Manu Rainforest Peru vacation will cost.

The Manu National Park is one of the most bio-diverse tourist destinations on the planet with an amazing number of plant, animal and insect species. As such, visiting the Manu area allows the tourist a window into an ecosystem like no other. It has a diversity and richness rare in the world, offering visitors many chances to see wildlife and the incredible flora and fauna.

The itineraries that we offer have been carefully planned in order to offer an array of experiences for all tastes: historical, cultural, ornithological, anthropological and mystical. We strive to make your trip what you want it to be, and deliver.

NOTE: The program involves several trips by bus and boat, and so given the uncontrollable forces of nature, the program may be subject to change at any time without notice.

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

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Cusco / Cloud Forest / Rivers Madre de Dios and Palotoa / Robles Treehouse Lodge

Prior to Dawn:
We shall pick you up from your hotel between 4 and 4.30 a.m. before setting off in one of our minivans to travel for 2½ hours through the Andes to Paucatambo. This is a town with a mixture of Inca and Colonial influences situated in the Inter Andean zone. There are a mix of churches and colonial buildings which are of interest to all visitors.

During the Morning:
We shall stop for breakfast in Paucatambo between about 7.30 and 8.30 a.m. After that we shall continue our journey for another hour until we reach the highest mountain pass (Acjanaco) at 3,650m.a.s.l. From there we shall begin our descent through the verdant cloud forest in our minivan. The cloud forest is home to many species such as the Andean Cock of the Rocks (the National bird of Peru), quetzals and several species of monkey, such as the woolly monkey. The trees are covered in mosses, bromeliads and different types of ferns.

At midday:
At about 12.30 p.m. we shall reach a humming bird center. This is a local initiative set up to attract humming birds, other birds and monkeys. Whilst our cook prepares a delicious lunch, we shall have around 40 minutes to enjoy the humming birds feeding on nectar alongside monkeys and a variety of birds.

In the afternoon:
We shall reach the river port of Atalaya at around 3 p.m. Here our team will be waiting and we shall quickly embark on a journey down the choppy waters of the Madre de Dios river. This journey will take about 1½ hours and during the trip we expect to see capybaras and aquatic birds plus other wildlife on the banks of the river. When we reach the tributary Palotoa river we shall disembark to change onto a smaller Peke Peke boat which will carry us up this river for 40 minutes until we reach our lodge.

At Night:
Upon arrival you will be shown to your rooms and then shortly afterwards at around 6 p.m. we shall go on our first nocturnal trek lasting about 1½ hours. We shall be using rubber boots and have with us machetes and powerful torches in order to identify the wildlife. It is best to use plenty of insect repellent. Our guides are all local and they have abundant knowledge relating to the forests and its wildlife. As night falls scores of insects, frogs and shy snakes become active as do the tarantulas. From time to time we shall switch off our torches and will be surrounded by the amazing sounds of the jungle. We should hear owls which emit a mix of chilling screeches to communicate between themselves and also to ward off threats. There will also be a constant chorus of crickets and cries from bamboo rats.

Dinner will be upon return from the walk, at 7.30 p.m. We shall also use this time to outline the agenda for the next day.

The night will be spent at the Robles Treehouse Lodge.

Day 2: Parrot and Macaw Clay Lick / Day and Night Walks / River Tubing

At Dawn:
We shall be up at 5 a.m. today and shortly afterwards we shall set off for a 15- minute walk equipped with binoculars and a telescope. This short trek will take us to an observation point for a clay lick on the opposite side of the Palotoa river. From our hiding point we shall be able to watch colorful macaws and parrots as they arrive early to feed on the minerals at the clay lick. We may also see toucans and eagles flying around and, if we are lucky maybe even an ocelot. We shall be back at the lodge by 7.30 a.m. where our chef will have a delicious breakfast waiting for us.

In the morning:
After breakfast we shall head into the tropical jungle for our first daytime trek. We will be equipped with binoculars, a telescope, rubber boats and a machete to clear trails. We shall walk for about 2 hours and will be on the lookout for animals such as monkeys, peccaries, anteaters and sloths.

At midday:
At around 12.30 p.m. we shall have lunch. For us food is of great importance. our cooks will provide you with a great and varied menu. After lunch there will be time for a siesta. In hot humid climates such as that in Manu siestas are important. You can take the opportunity to enjoy our hammocks or deck chairs. You may wish to read or even to take a dip in the river.

In the afternoon:
We shall begin our next activity at 3 p.m. We call this activity "river tubing" and it consists of floating down the river Palatoa on large rubber inner tubes from a point up river of our lodge. You will need insect repellent, sun cream and a bathing costume. Part of the route goes through semi rapids, whilst other sections are very calm – ideal for contemplating the lush vegetation on either river bank. As you float down the river you may see howler monkeys and macaws plus other wildlife. Given that the temperatures in Manu are generally around 35°C in midafternoon this is an ideal activity.

At night:
At 6 p.m. we shall begin another nocturnal walk in the forest. Once more we shall be on the lookout for the shy nighttime creatures of the amazon such as tarantulas and other spiders, insects (including bullet ants), frogs and snakes. If we are lucky, we may see monkeys and sloths too.

Dinner will be at 7.30 p.m. and once again we shall run through the agenda for the next day.

The night will be spent at the Robles Treehouse Lodge

Day 3: Macaw and Parrot Clay Lick / Day and Night Walks / Kayaking on the Palotoa River

At Dawn:
Once more we shall be up early in order to walk to the hide close to the river, from where we shall have another opportunity to watch the colorful macaws and parrots as they fly in to feed on the mineral rich clays.

During the Morning:
We shall have a nutritive and varied buffet breakfast at 7.30 a.m. Shortly after this we shall head into the jungle once more on foot. We shall continue to explore the forest in search of wildlife such as monkeys, tropical birds and peccaries. We shall also learn more about the forest and the plants and giant trees growing in them.

At Midday:
Lunch will be held about 12.30 p.m. following a long walk. After enjoying the food there will, once again, be time for you to take a siesta, spend time in one of the hammocks, read a book or to go for a swim in the Palotoa river.

During the Afternoon:
At 3 p.m. we shall begin our next activity – kayaking on the Palatoa river. This is an excellent way of getting up close to parts of the river which are, otherwise, difficult to reach and since we can do this silently it gives us a good opportunity to observe wildlife such as aquatic birds and monkeys moving between the trees on the banks of the river.

At Night:
Once again, we shall head into the forest for a nocturnal walk. Each night is distinct from the others and nature will always have some interesting surprises for us. We hope to see more spiders, tarantulas, snakes, nocturnal monkeys and much more besides this.

Dinner will be at 7.30 p.m. during which we shall discuss plans for tomorrow.

The night will be spent at the Robles Treehouse Lodge.

Day 4: Huito Cocha Lake / Daytime Walk / Boat Trip on the Palotoa River at Night

In the morning:
After a nutritious breakfast at 7.30 a.m. we shall head into the bamboo forest using all of our equipment, always on the lookout for wildlife. The bamboo woodland area is very different from the primary forest, so will definitely have some interesting surprises for us.

At Midday:
Lunch will be held about 12.30 p.m. following a long walk. After enjoying the food there will, once again, be time for you to take a siesta, spend time in one of the hammocks, read a book or to go for a swim in the Palotoa river.

During the Afternoon:
After our rest we shall head into the jungle once more. This time we shall visit the nearby Huito Cocha lake. We hope to see the hoatzin (a prehistoric bird) and macaws perched high in the trees, feeding on seeds. We should see other aquatic birds and maybe monkeys feeding in the treetops. This activity will last for the rest of the afternoon.

At Night:
We shall take powerful torches with us as we head out in our boat in order to take a nighttime excursion on the river. As we travel in the dark, we hope to see many species of bat as well as caimans and capybaras amongst other wildlife.

Dinner will be at 8 p.m. As always, we shall discuss plans for tomorrow

We shall stay overnight at the Robles Treehouse Lodge.

Day 5: Rivers Palotoa, Madre de Dios and Manu / Otorongo Lake / Machiguenga House

At Dawn:
Before dawn, at around 5 a.m. we shall board our peke peke boat to travel down the Palotoa river. Once we reach the end of the tributary river, we shall switch onto the larger boat in order to navigate for the more turbulent waters of the Madre de Dios river. We should have the chance to see capybaras and many aquatic birds in addition to the wonderful scenery.

We shall have breakfast on board the boat at 7 a.m.

Midmorning:
After a journey of 5 hours we shall reach the Limonal Control Point for entering the Manu National Park. We shall stop here in order to register. After a break of an hour, we will continue our journey up the majestic Manu River for a further 5 hours. This is a great opportunity for seeing wildlife. We should see animals such as terrapins sitting on tree trunks, black caimans, capybaras and many aquatic birds. If we are lucky, we could also see the top predator in the Amazon – the jaguar since this impressive feline is a common site in this part of Manu.

At Midday:
We shall have a fresh and nutritious lunch on board our boat.

In the Afternoon:
After a journey of 4 hours in our boat up the Manu River we shall reach the entrance point to the Otorongo lake at about 3 p.m. We shall spend the next hour and a half exploring the trails around the lake and also climbing the 25m high tower by the lake in order to be afforded some spectacular views of the area. In addition to admiring the forest with its huge trees we hope to see woolly monkeys and river otters amongst other wildlife in the pristine forest. Following this visit we shall continue on the final leg of our journey by boat for an hour in order to reach the Machiguenga House lodge, where we shall be met by our hosts from the native Machiguenga population. They will allocate rooms to each of us.

At night:
Later in the evening we shall get ready once more to head out into the virgin jungle in order to take another amazing nocturnal walk in order to see some of the many nighttime creatures in this pristine jungle.

Dinner will be at 7.40 p.m. We shall outline plans for tomorrow over dinner, which will be one full of interest.

The night will be spent at the Machiguenga House lodge.

Day 6: Lake Salvador / Daytime Walks / Macaw and Mammal Clay Lick / Caiman Watching

At Dawn:
We shall set out from our lodge at 5 a.m. in order to travel on our boat for 15 minutes until we reach a path into the forest leading to the lake Salvador, which we shall reach following a 40-minute walk. This Oxbow lake and it´s surrounds are home to river otters, hoatzins (a prehistoric bird), caimans and others. We also have the chance to see many species of monkeys such as howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, squirrel monkeys and spider monkeys moving through the trees at the edge of the lake. This is a natural marvel which you definitely should not miss.

During the morning:
We shall be at the lake for a couple of hours. After that we shall walk for another 2 hours further into the forest in order to arrive at the famous clay lick visited by macaws and some mammals. We shall be in a hide about 50m from the lick. As we wait in silence, we should first be able to see deer and peccaries come to feed on the clays and later on dozens of colorful macaws will descend upon the lick.

This is a spectacular sight.

At Midday:
Lunch will be at 12.30 p.m. followed by a short siesta.

In the Afternoon:
We shall continue to explore the primary forest at about 3 p.m. We shall be on the lookout for several species of monkey, including the spider monkey, peccaries, ant eaters and sloths amongst others. We will also be able to admire giant trees in the forest on this agreeable excursion.

At night:
At 6 p.m. we shall board our boat in order to navigate along the Manu river in the dark for another unforgettable experience. We shall be searching for caimans and tapirs and with luck jaguars – you never know for sure but the jungle always has good surprises and many animals prefer to move around at night when the air is fresher.

We shall have dinner at 8 p.m. and we shall also discuss plans for tomorrow.

We shall stay overnight at the Machiguenga lodge once more.

Day 7: River Manu / River Madre de Dios / Nocturnal Walk / Manu Rainforest Guest House

At Dawn:
We shall be up at 5 a.m. in order to take our boat back down the calm waters of the Manu river. This is a good time to be on the lookout for jaguars. During this 5-hour journey we shall be on constant watch for wildlife such as capybaras, caimans and tapirs (the largest mammal in the Amazon) as well as hundreds of terrapins.

Midmorning:
Upon arrival at Limonal we shall check out of the park reserve. After an hour or so we shall continue our boat journey heading up the choppy waters of the Madre de Dios river. Once more there will be good opportunities for spotting diverse wildlife.

Midday:
We shall have lunch on board our boat, whilst always keeping an eye out for wildlife on the banks of the river.

In the Afternoon:
We should reach the Posada Manu Rainforest guest house at about 3 p.m. We shall then have the rest of the afternoon to relax.

At night:
We shall head out on our final nocturnal walk at 6 p.m. Every night is different so make sure you do not miss this final opportunity to witness the Amazon forest at night.

Dinner will be at 7.30 p.m. and once more we shall discuss plans for the next day.

The night will be spent at the Posada Manu Rainforest Guest House.

Day 8: Boat Trip / Cloud Forest / Cusco

In the morning:
Following breakfast, we shall leave for one final boat trip up the Madre de Dios river to the port of Atalaya. Here we shall have our mini van waiting for us in order to take us back to Cusco.

At Midday:
Lunch will be in Paucatambo at around 1.30 p.m. Tea and coffee will be available.

In the Afternoon:
We shall reach Cusco around 5 p.m. We can drop you off at your hotel, at the airport or at the bus terminal.

Thanks for travelling with us.

Additional Information

TOUR PRICES
The tour prices will vary according to the program that you wish to reserve as these vary from 2 to 8 days. Other things which will affect the prices include the type of service required, the size of the group and whether you form a private group or will be part of a shared one. Also, they will depend upon whether your tour is taken in the peak or non-peak season. Even factors such as government policies and major changes to the cost of living can alter prices so it is always best to check with us first.

We are a tour operator which runs our own tours. We neither pass on our clients to other tour agencies nor receive tourists from other agencies to top up groups with tours which have already been agreed and organized. We will run trips for groups as small as two people and are always reliable once a reservation is made.

IS THIS TRIP IS RIGHT FOR YOU?
The Manu reserved area 7 days tour is an adventure tour that involves traveling in a minivan and boat for several hours, crossing the Andes, part of the cloud forest, and the extensive lowland plain. The trip itself is moderate to easy. The first day is mainly road travel in our private minivan crossing the high Andes. It may be cold and oxygen will be thin, so we recommend drinking mate de coca before the trip, and wearing warm layers. To avoid the effects of altitude, drink plenty of water. From the afternoon we will descend into the cloud forest and our road will wind through potholes, curves, tunnels, and waterfalls. The views are spectacular. As we descend, the temperature increases. In the lowland jungle there will be a tropical climate where you will want to remove your warm layers and put on repellent. From the second day to the seventh day, we will spend much of the time on the river and sail by boat for several hours each day, enjoying the vast Amazonian plains in the protected Manu National Park. All our hostels are rustic, clean and accessible to any one of any age. It's beautiful and teaming with wildlife.

MEETING POINT AND PICK UP
You will be picked up from your hotel in Cusco on day one. Our Guide will meet you and show you to 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 service would have an additional cost, and the schedule of pick up would have to be arranged in advance.

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 activity on the way and we also avoid traffic and other tour group crowds.

BRING YOUR OWN BINOCULARS
We don't want you to miss out on the spectacular beauty of the flora and fauna of the Manu rainforest! While your zoom is a great way to catch animals at a distance, binoculars are a great way just to watch! Our naturalist guides take a binocular and telescope with them and will share with you when this is necessary! Please note, while in your care, the binoculars or telescope are your responsibility, so please treat them with care as you are liable in the event of any damage or loss.

But we recommend that you bring your own binoculars! The VORTEX 10 x 42 water resistant binoculars offer extended clear viewing and bring the action in close.

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

YOUR TRAVEL BACKPACK
We recommend economizing on your luggage for this 7 day trip to Manu. Travel light and think about bringing layers instead of big jackets, etc. Be selective and pack light. Choose quick dry clothing, if possible, we will be in the jungle! Remember long sleeves and long trousers are a barrier between you and the mosquitos! Pack wisely and enjoy your trip more.

• A small daypack for all your essentials like water bottle, camera, snacks and phone, toilet paper, hand sanitizer
• 4-5 long sleeve t-shirts
• 3 Ultra lightweight pair of hiking pants
• 6 Pairs of underwear
• 6 Pairs of socks
• 1 wide-brimmed Sun Hat
• Flip flops for the shower
• Waterproof jacket / rain poncho
• 1 small ultra-light towel
• Waterproof shoes/hiking sandals like TEVAs
• Swimming suit/Bathers
• Torch/flashlight with extra battery
• Dark-colored clothing

USEFUL ITEMS
• Plastic bags for dirty and clean clothes, and for camera/electronics.
• A torch or head lamp (for night hikes) with battery
• Camera and Battery charger and extra battery, memory cards

TOILETRIES
• Biodegradable or Organic Soap (available in Cusco)
• Sunscreen
• DEET or other strong insect repellent
• Hand Sanitizer
• Wet wipes
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Toilet paper (in plastic bag to keep dry!)
• Personal medication for 8 days

INCLUDED IN THE TOUR
Manu Rainforest Peru tour rates include all meals (vegetarian, vegan, and kosher options are available with prior notice), hot drinks, beer served with one lunch, and a Pisco Sour served with one dinner.

The rates also include accommodation in comfortable lodges, all excursions led by specialized naturalist guides, a professional chef, the entrance fee to Manu National Park, day and night walks, and all transportation (minivan and boat). We also use a traditional PEKE PEKE boat, a small local motorized boat used to navigate the Palotoa River.

As part of your Amazon adventure, the tour also includes river tubing (floating down the river using an inflatable tube) and kayaking on the Palotoa River.