Manu Tour 5 Days Explore the Reserved Zone of Manu National Park

Your Manu Tour 6 Days begins with an early pick-up from your hotel in Cusco at 5:30 AM. Traveling in our private transportation, we head through the breathtaking Andean mountains, making our first stop at Ninamarca, home to the ancient Lupaca Pre-Inca funerary towers. We then continue to Paucartambo, a charming colonial town known as the folkloric capital of Cusco.
By midday, we reach the official entrance gate of Manu National Park, one of the most protected natural reserves in South America. From here, the journey continues along a scenic dirt road descending into the Cloud Forest, a lush habitat filled with orchids, bromeliads, ferns, and incredible birdlife.
During a guided wildlife walk, we visit a prime observation area to witness the famous Andean cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruvianus) during its mating ritual. Along the way, there is also the possibility of spotting trogons, quetzals, monkeys, and the iconic spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus), the only bear species in South America.
In the afternoon, we arrive at our lodge in Pillcopata, located at 550 meters (1,804 ft) above sea level. This traditional Amazon lodge offers private rooms with en-suite bathrooms and hot showers, providing comfort after a day of jungle exploration.

After a very early breakfast, we depart at 3:30 AM toward Atalaya Port, where we board our motorized canoe. From here, we begin our journey into the Reserved Zone of Manu National Park, the most pristine and biodiverse section of the park.

We check in at the Limonal Ranger Station, then continue navigating the Manu River for approximately 5 hours. Along the riverbanks, you may observe herons, egrets, Orinoco geese, skimmers, turtles, black and white caimans, and even jaguars resting under the sun. Sightings of howler monkeys, squirrel monkeys, and other primates are also common.

After lunch along the river, we head to our base at Casa Matsiguenka Lodge, an eco-friendly lodge managed by the local Matsiguenka community. In the afternoon, we explore the pristine jungle trails and visit Cocha Otorongo Lake, where a viewing tower provides excellent opportunities to spot giant river otters, black caimans, and vibrant birdlife.

At night, you may join an optional night walk to search for nocturnal species such as frogs, insects, kinkajous, ocelots, and owls.

We start early with a visit to Cocha Salvador Lake, navigating on a comfortable catamaran platform. This region is known for exceptional wildlife, including giant river otters, herons, cormorants, falcons, squirrel monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and red howler monkeys. Cocha Salvador is one of the best places in Manu to observe the giant otter, which can reach up to 1.82 meters (6 ft) in length. Next, we walk to a Macaw Clay Lick, where you can witness an unforgettable wildlife show: dozens of red-and-green macaws and scarlet macaws descending on the clay wall to feed on mineral-rich soil. This colorful and powerful spectacle is one of the most iconic wildlife experiences in the Amazon.After lunch at the lodge, we explore deeper rainforest trails, searching for species like tamarins, peccaries, birds, reptiles, and more. Your naturalist guide will explain the ecological interactions that maintain the Amazon rainforest’s incredible biodiversity. Optional night walk available.

After a peaceful morning walk or an optional final visit to the lake, we begin navigating back toward Boca Manu. Wildlife sightings during this part of the journey remain abundant, especially birds of prey and primates.After lunch, we continue upriver to reach the Tapir Clay Lick, one of Manu’s most important mammal observation sites. Here, tapirs—the largest terrestrial mammals in South America—come at night to feed on mineral-rich clay.To maximize viewing opportunities, we spend the night in a camouflaged observation house, offering a rare opportunity to witness tapirs and other nocturnal animals in their natural habitat.

We begin our return journey after breakfast, navigating by boat to Atalaya Port. From Atalaya, our private transportation will drive us back through the Cloud Forest toward the city of Cusco, arriving between 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM, depending on river and road conditions.