Explore two of the wonders of South America – Machu Picchu and the Amazon! In the Manu lowlands, you'll visit one of the most biologically diverse areas for terrestrial life on Earth.

Marvel at hundreds of macaws at a clay lick from a floating blind, see tapirs at the world's largest known tapir clay lick, explore lakes looking for the resident Giant Otters, and experience life in the rainforest canopy from two platforms high in the treetops. Travel to Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, perched majestically in the midst of forested mountains. See first-hand the great legacy of the Incas in the streets of Cusco and the surrounding ruins, soaking up the vibrant atmosphere of the Andes. You will visit Manu Wildlife Center and Machu Picchu on this trip.

Day 1 – Lima
Upon arrival in Lima, we meet you at the airport and assist you with check-in at the Costa del Sol Ramada Hotel for an overnight stay.

Day 2 – Lima to Cusco to Manu
We will meet you at the front desk of the hotel and assist you with check-in for the one-hour flight to Cusco, where we transfer to a light aircraft for the 40-minute flight to Boca Manu, at the junction of the Manu and Madre de Dios Rivers. A 90-minute ride by motorized canoe takes us to the Manu Wildlife Center. After lunch and a brief rest, you and your guide begin exploring the 40 miles of trails in the Manu Wildlife Center area. B, L, D

Peter Oxford

Days 3 & 4 – Manu Wildlife Center
On your first morning, we'll visit the Blanquillo macaw clay lick, a short 25 minutes by motorized canoe from the lodge. It is the only accessible macaw and parrot clay lick in the Manu area. From a floating blind, watch as emerald green parrots and vibrant red and blue macaws arrive by the hundreds to eat the clay that detoxifies certain seeds and nuts they eat. The activity is frantic and furious as they all vie for the best clay-eating position.

Other excursions:

Watch tapirs at the world's largest tapir clay lick an hour's walk from the lodge. From the comfort and safety of a house-like blind above the lick, you can observe and photograph 550-pound tapirs – the largest land animals in South America. The blind is equipped with mattresses, sheets and pillows for comfortable tapir observation. Tapirs begin arriving by 11 pm and wander in throughout the night. You can spend the night on the platform, or walk back to the lodge after the first few tapirs arrive. Other visitors to this clay lick include Spider and Howler monkeys, Red Brocket Deer, peccaries and guans.

Take a catamaran or canoe out on one of the two nearby oxbow lakes. Black Caiman and Giant Otters inhabit these waters, as does a host of rich and exciting birdlife – including the prehistoric-looking Hoatzin.

Elyssa Kellerman

Explore the extensive trail system with your rainforest guide to search for some of the 560 species of birds and 12 species of monkeys that have been seen within a few miles of the Center. You may even spot a jaguar! Forty miles of carefully-placed trails course through both terra firma and transitional flood plain forest, offering an opportunity for once-in-a-lifetime nature experiences.

Experience the parallel world of the tree-tops from two rainforest canopy platforms. From here, you can watch macaws fly by at your level and look a monkey in the eye. The 92-foot platform nearest the lodge gives a panoramic view and is accessed via a unique spiral staircase. The second, 125-foot platform offers spectacular scenery: lucky guests might even see Giant Otters frolicking in the oxbow lake below. B, L, D

Day 5 – Manu Wildlife Center to Cusco
We leave Manu Wildlife Center early in the morning for the return trip by motorized canoe to the Boca Manu airstrip and the flight back to Cusco. On arrival you will be met and taken to the Casa Andina Plaza Hotel or your choice of hotel.  In Cusco, take the afternoon to adjust to the altitude – at 11,000 feet, most people need to rest, drink plenty of water and eat light meals. B

Day 6 – Cusco to Machu Picchu
We catch the early morning train from Wanchaq station for the three-and-a-half hour trip through the Andes to the town of Aguas Calientes, and continue with a 30 minute bus ride to Machu Picchu. Spend the morning with your guide exploring this majestic citadel with unbelievable vistas and ancient mysteries. Continue exploring on your own in the afternoon, and later return to the town of Aguas Calientes, in the valley below Machu Picchu on the Urubamba River, to spend the night at the Hatuchay Towers Hotel or your choice of hotel. B, L

Day 7 – Machu Picchu to Cusco
You'll have a second opportunity to explore the wonders of Machu Picchu on your own, and to better understand the harmonious mixture of architecture and topography so typical of Incan city planning. Early risers who catch the first bus to the mountaintop will be rewarded with an ancient city almost free of other visitors. In the afternoon, return to Aguas Calientes to catch the train back to Cusco. You will stay in either Casa Andina Plaza Hotel or your choice of hotel. B

Day 8 – Cusco
In the morning, you will have a private tour, exploring Cusco on foot. The central plaza's site has not changed since the city was the capital of the Inca empire. You can visit fine examples of both Incan and Spanish colonial architecture at Koricancha, the Incan Temple of the Sun, and at the main Cathedral in the central plaza.After lunch, private tour visiting Inca sites on the outskirts of Cusco, such as the Sacsayhuaman fortress, whose giant boulders are placed to resemble a jaguar with an open mouth, the temple and amphitheater of Qenko with its underground stone alter, and the water shrine of Tambo Machay.  Return to Casa Andina Plaza Hotel or your choice of hotel. B

Day 9 – Cusco to Lima
Return to Lima in the morning. You will be met and transferred to the Posada del Inca, San Isidro or your choice of hotel. In the afternoon, tour the city that was once the capital of the Spanish empire in South America. You'll get to know this bustling, metropolitan city, its rugged, Pacific coastline, and see key sites and beautiful colonial architecture. At the end of the tour you'll will be returned to the hotel and in the evening transfer to the Lima airport for your international flight. B

The following cost is based on the hotels named in itinerary and group tours to Manu and Machu Picchu and private tours in Cusco and Lima.  You may customize this itinerary and change hotels and tours if you wish.  The price will depend on your itinerary. 

Machu Picchu and the Manu Rainforest
Trip length	9 days/8 nights
Departs	Sun, Tue, Thu
Per person cost	$2340.00
Single supplement	Available on request
Domestic flights run $110 to $136 per flight per person additional
Prices based on two people sharing in 3-star accommodations. Four and 5-star accommodations available on request. Pricing and itinerary are subject to change until booking is confirmed. Unless specified, price does NOT include domestic flights within Peru or international flights.