Day 1: Arrive in Lima - Cusco

This day usually is just to arrive into Lima-Peru and we will pick you up from the airport early or late evening as usually international flights arrive to Peru and transfers to the hotel selected for tour near the airport. But if you have a chance to organize your international flight in time to get a domestic flight from Lima to Cusco will be better. Night in Casa Andina Hotel in Cusco

Day 2: Birding up to Limatambo/Mollepata

Early flight to Cusco. Or start from Cusco to Limatambo/Mollepata. The valley provides some great species such as White-eared Puffbird and Pale-breasted Spinetail (apurimac sub sp). when we arrive to Mollepata village we will continuous our birding drive up to Soraypama at 4,300 m searching for Apurimac Brush-Finch (E),  Apurimac Spinetail (E), Vilcabamba Tapaculo (E), White-tufted Sunbean (E), Creamy-crested Spinetail (E), Rusty-fronted Canastero (E),  Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch (E), Golden-billed Saltator, Andean Flicker, Giant Conebill, Tit-like Dacnis, Black-throated Flowerpiercer, Paramo Seedeater, Tufted Tit-tyrant, Andean Lapwing and several other andean species found along the road and if we are lucky Andean Condor flying over our heads. In the evening we will try to find Koepcke‘s Screech-Owl and Buff-fronted Owl before or after dinner. Night in Mollepata town

Day 3: Birding to Abra Malaga – Carrizales 

Early start-up to Abra Malaga Pass at 3,400 m, where we will explore the main trail along the Polylepis forest for White-browed Tit-Spinetail (E), Tawny Spinetail, Junin Canastero (E), Puna Tapaculo, Stripe-headed Antpitta, Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant and if we are lucky Royal Cinclodes. Then we will back to the main road to keep driving into the other side of the Pass to get to the Carrizales area for Chusquea Bamboo and cloud forest specialist as Cusco Brush-Finch (E), Parodi‘s Hemispingus (E), Inca Wren (E), Marcapata Spinetail (E), Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Golden-Collared Tanager, Blue-black Tanager, and several other species. Depending on our arrival at our next birding spot we will spend birding for the rest of the afternoon and if any owl is calling, we will try to find it before or after dinner.

 Day 4: Morning Birding 

Morning search for the endemics Masked Fruiteater (E), Creamy-bellied Antwren (E), Blue-banded Toucanet (E), Ocellated Piculet as the main target species, but there many other species to find along the valley of cloud forest. Then we will back to Ollantaytambo and visit Ensifera Camp ( Santuario de Colibries) a nice natural reserve which holds a great number of species residents and migrants such as Bearded Mountaineer (E), Giant Hummingbird, Green-tailed, Black-tailed, Trainbearers, Sword-billed Hummingbird, Shining and white-tufted Sunbeams, Green and White Humminbird ( E), White-bellied Hummingbird, Tyrant Metaltail just to mention some of them. Night in Ollantaytambo (Sacred Valley)

Day 5: Machu Picchu Time!

Early train and bus drive to visit Machu Picchu where we will have an unforgettable experience along the Inca site for some hours in the morning. Then we can do some birding before our train back to Ollantaytambo and transfer to Cusco with a stop at Huaypo Lake for some wading species. Night in Cusco

Possible Species: Torrent Duck, White-capped Dipper, Inca Wren (E), Green and White Hummingbird (E), Ocellated Piculet, Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch, Pale-legged, Oleaginous, Citrine Warblers, Brown-capped Vireo, Sclater‘s Tyrannulet, Rusty Flowerpiercer, Tricolored Brush-Finch, Variable Antshrike.

Day 6: Lake Huacarpay, Sacred Garden, Acjanaco Pass (3,100 mts) to Manu Road (1,400 mts)

oday we wil start with Huacarpay Lake located at 20 minutes south of Cusco where we will find Anden Gull, Plumbeous Rail, Many-colored Rush-Tyrant, Puna Teal and manmy other species.  Then we will go to San Salvador area to visit (Sacred Garden) for hummingbirds & Tanagers. After few hours birding nearby, we will start our drive up to Manu Road where we will enjoin a lot of different birds and amazing landscapes starting from 3,399 mt (11,150 ft) and ending in the San Pedro area (1,450 mt) which will be our place to stay today. We usually arrive at our first birding lodge at dusk.

Some species that we can see today: Chiguanco Thrush, Andean Lapwing, Band-tailed Seedeater, Hooded Siskin, Andean Flicker, Rusty-fronted Canastero (E), Creamy-crested Spinetail (E), Chestnut-bellied Mountain-Finch (E), Black-throated, Masked, Moustached Flowerpiercers, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Golden-collared Tanager, Grass-green Tanager, Montane Woodcreeper, Streaked Tuftedcheek, Band-tailed Tyrannulet, Capped Conebill, Superciliaried Hemispingus just to mentions some. Before or after dinner we will try for Rufescent Screech-Owl and Lyre-tailed Nightjar.

Day 7: Full day birding Manu Road & Lodge surroundings

rly visit for Andean Cock of the Rock  lek and then we will keep birding along the Manu Road with the chance to find mixed flocks of species as Versicolored Barbet, Beryl-spangled, Saffron-Crown, Golden, Orange-eared, Yellow-throated, Slaty, Golden-naped, Paradise, Blue-necked, Bay-headed, black-goggled Tanager, Yellow-bellied, Green & Gold, Spotted Tanagers, Deep-blue Flowerpiercer, Three-stripe Warbler, Russet-crowned Warbler, Black-faced Brush-finch, Golden-headed, Crested Quetzal, Amazonian Umbrellabird, Wire-crested Thorntail, Speckled Hummingbird, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Peruvian Piedtail (E), Many-spotted Humminbird, Botted Raquetail, Gray-mantled Wren, Blue-naped Chlorophonia, Mountain Foliage-Gleaner, Olive-Backed Woodcreeper, Stripe Threehunter, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Marble-faced Bristle-Tyrant, Stripe-Chested Antwren, White-backed Fire-Eye, Black-eared Hemispingus, Yellow-breasted Antwren, Yungas Manakin, Yellow-throated, short-billed, common Chlorospingus, Dusky-Green, Russet-Backed, Crested Oropendolas, Rufous-tailed Tyrant, Chestnut-backed Antshrike, Unicolored Antshrike, Yellow-breasted Warbling Antbird and many more. We will visit also during the day two private reserve where they have hummingbird & Tanager feeders. Before or after dinner we will try for Rufescent Screech-Owl and Lyre-tailed Nightjar.

DAY 8-9: Birding for Bamboo species, hummingbird, Tanager feeder

Early birding along the Manu Road descending to 400 mt for some Amazonian species. There are new birding spots close to the area: Mirador Pico de Oz & Inkamazonia both places have a hummingbird feeder and for tanager species and we are used to visit both places for Rufous-crested Coquette, Golden-tailed Saphire, Saphire-spangled, Blue-tailed Emeralds, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, White-necked Jacobin, Gray-breasted Saphirewing, Brown Violetear, Great-billed, White-bearded, Rufous-breasted, Koepcke’s Hermits and many more. And in the afternoon, we will do some of the trails of the lodge for a bamboo specialist such as Bamboo Antshrike, Striated, Manu, Goeldi’s, White-lined, Antbirds, Rufous-headed Woodpecker, White-cheeked Tody-flycatcher, Black-backed Tody-flycatcher (E) and many more. And we will try to find some owls at dusk! Night in Manu Biological Center (Villa Carmen)

DAY 10-11: Birding Upper Manu Road up to 3,000 m

Today we will have a morning birding for some missing species along the bamboo trail before we leave and start our birding drive up to 3,000 meters where is located our last lodge in Manu Road. This area will provide us to watch: Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Grass-green Mountain-Tanager, Chestnut-bellied Mountain-Tanager, Hooded Mountain-Tanager, Barred Becard, Red-crested and Chestnut-crested Cotingas, Slaty-backed Chat-tyrant, Golden-collared Tanager, Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan, Blue-banded Toucanet (E), Red and White Antpitta (E), Marcapata Spinetail (E) Andean, white-cheeked Solitaries and one of the mornings we will start with Urubamba Antpitta (E). Nights in Wayquecha Station

Day 12: Birding to Cusco airport - Puerto Maldonado.

Early birding along the road for some missing species and then we will head back to Cusco airport and flight to Puerto Maldonado town (120 mt). As soon as we arrive to Southern Amazon, we will be transfer to the main river dock at Madre de Dios River side to take our short boat trip for 30 minutes downstream with the chance to watch some wading bird species as Drab Water Tyrant, Southern Lapwing, Collared Plover, Large and Yellow-billed Tern. As soon we arrive to the entrance of Lake Sandoval located in Tambopata National Reserve, we will take the only trail available for visitors which in last few years was build a woody platform walkway along the trail making much easier to walk because before was all muddy and too hard to walk through. The trail is only 3 km to reach a small waterway where all visitors take a small boat with paddles and get into the main lake and lodges located at one side of the lake Sandoval allowed by the National Reserve. We will have a chance to find several species along the trail and along the lake on our way to our lodge to stay. Night in Sandoval Lodge

Day 13: Oxbow Lake birding, Giant River Otters, Monkeys

Early birding by boat along the lake for several species such as Ringed, Green, Amazon, Green and Rufous, Pygmy Kingfishers, Agami, Capped, Cocoi Herons, Green ibis, Sungrebe, Silvered, Banded Antbirds, Streak Antwren, Long-billed Woodcreeper, Point-tailed Palmcreeper, Hoatzin, Black-cowled Wood-Rail, White-winged, White-banded Swallows and many others species and with good luck a family of Giant River Otter, Black Caiman, Red-howler Monkey. After a great first hour of the morning, we will back for breakfast and then some birding along the trails with the chance to find: Cream-colored, Lineated, Ringed Woodpeckers, Crimson-crested, Red-necked Woodpeckers, Great, Bluish and Paradise Jacamar, Black-tailed, Blue-crowned, Collared, Amazonian Trogons, Amazonian, Rufous, Broad-billed Motmots, Pale-winged Trumpeter, Curl-crested, Ivory-billed, Letter, Chestnut-eared Aracaris, Buff-throated, Cinnamon-throated, Elegant, Inambari, Wedge-billed, Plain-brown, Long-tailed Woodcreepers, Black-faced, White-browed, Chestnut-tailed, Gray, White-throated Antbirds, Purple-throated, Bare-necked Fruitcrow, Golden-Collared Toucanet. Night in Sandoval Lodge

Day 14: Birding to Puerto Maldonado – Posada Amazonas Lodge

Morning birding along the trails and after we will start our trip back to Puerto Maldonado to be transfer to our last lodge in Tambopata. The lodge is located at one side of Tambopata River by boat is 1 hour and with by car and boat 2 hours from Puerto Maldonado town. The lodge surrounding provides different types of forest to find some species that we did no see yet and there is a canopy tower about 43 mt Hight providing an amazing view and better chances to see canopy species.

Day 15: Full Day Birding Canopy Tower & Trails

Early visit the canopy tower for the first morning light and then we will keep birding along the trails. In the afternoon we will keep birding along the trails ending with some owling.

Day 16: Morning birding & Afternoon birding outside Puerto Maldonado

Early birding and then we will be transfer to Puerto Maldonado hotel and after we will keep birding for some species only found near Puerto Maldonado as Purus, White-throated, Bluish-fronted Jacamars, Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Hooded Tanager, Blue-headed Macaw, Rusty-backed Antbird, Black-bellied and white-faced whistling-duck, Brazilian Teal, Southern and Pied Lapwing and several other species.

Day 17: Biggest Macaw Clay Lick & Flight to Lima

Early drive and boat ride to the upper Tambopata River with the chance to find Orinoco Goose, Razor-Billed Curassow, and with good luck Jaguar, Tapir, or even Puma! This Macaw Clay Lick is considered the biggest and diversity in the world. Where every morning macaws, parrots, and parakeets meet here to socialize and get some minerals from the river bank (cliff) as important for their diet. We can see here: Red & Green, Blue & Yellow, Scarlet, Chestnut-fronted, Macaws, Mealy, Yellow-crowned, Blue-headed Parrots, Dusky-headed, White-eye Parakeets with the chance to see toucans, monkeys and several other species of birds at the canopy of the forest. After the amazing morning, we turn back the same way to Puerto Maldonado for the afternoon flight to Lima.

Day 18: Birding Villa Marshes, Pucusana

Today we will go by car for about 30 minutes south of Lima to Villa Marsh (Pantanos de Villa) for a couple of hours for Many-colored Rush-tyrant (coast specie), Wren-like Rushbird, Yellow-hooded Blackbird, Peruvian Meadowlark, Peruvian Thick-knee, Great Grebe, White-Cheeked Pintail, Plumbeous Rail. Then we will drive for extra 30 minutes south of Pantanos de Villa to Pucusana fishing port for our Semi Pelagic time looking for Gray-hooded Gull, Belchers Gull (Band-Tailed), kelp Gull, Gray Gull, Peruvian Pelican, Peruvian Booby, Surf Cinclodes (E), Guanay, Red-Legged Cormorants, Blackish Oystercatcher, Humboldt Penguin, Inca Tern. After our first amazing birding morning, we will celebrate with delicious Peruvian lunch. Then we will transfer to Lima airport or if you stay in Lima to your hotel.

Have an Amazing Birding Holiday in Peru!