MAGICAL CUSCO 13D/12N

At 7:00 a.m., we’ll set out for Chinchero, known for its textiles and Inca and colonial architecture. Next, we’ll visit Moray, an ancient Inca agricultural experimentation center. We’ll continue on to Urubamba for a buffet lunch, and in the afternoon, we’ll explore the Ollantaytambo fortress, renowned for its architecture and strategic importance. Afterward, we’ll return to the town of Ollantaytambo and board the train to Aguas Calientes, where you’ll have free time to have dinner and rest before your day at Machu Picchu.

Early in the morning, after breakfast at your hotel, we’ll board the bus to Machu Picchu, one of the wonders of the modern world. We’ll take a guided tour of the citadel and have some free time to take photos. After the tour, we’ll take the bus down to Aguas Calientes, where you’ll have free time to have lunch before taking the train back to Ollantaytambo. There, our transfer will be waiting to take you back to Cusco.

Free day in Cusco to enjoy the city at your own pace. You can explore the main museums on your own and visit the traditional San Pedro Market, which is a great way to experience local life and Cusco’s cuisine. Overnight in Cusco.

We leave Cusco early in the morning for a roughly 10-hour journey through the Andes in our private bus, climbing to an elevation of 4,000 meters above sea level. We pass through traditional Quechua communities and the spectacular landscapes of the eastern slope of the Andes. We’ll make stops to visit the pre-Inca cemetery at Ninamarca and the famous folk village of Paucartambo (2,900 m above sea level). We then continue on to “Acjanaco,” the entrance to Manu National Park. From there, we descend the eastern slope of the Andes through the cloud forest, home to bromeliads, ferns, orchids, and wildlife such as the cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruviana), Peru’s national bird, performing its mating dance. It is also possible to spot quetzals, trogons, brightly colored tanagers, and perhaps some capuchin or woolly monkeys. We pass through Pillcopata (527 m a.s.l.) and arrive at the Atalaya port (500 m a.s.l.), on the banks of the Alto Madre de Dios River. From there, we board our boat to begin our journey to Dorado Lodge (300 m a.s.l.). During the trip, we’ll be able to observe various bird species such as herons, vultures, and cormorants. We’ll have lunch on board and, later, hike along the trail system until we reach the mammal tracking area. In the evening, we’ll take a night hike along the lodge’s trails to observe nocturnal wildlife.

At first light, we set out for the heart of Manu National Park, just past the confluence of the Alto Madre de Dios and Manu rivers. We make a brief stop at the Limonal checkpoint (310 m above sea level) to register our entry into the Reserve Zone. We continue upriver along the Manu for about 5 hours until we reach Lake Cocha Salvador, where we’ll spend the next two nights at Casa Matsiguenka. Along the way, we may spot birds such as macaws, herons, and spoonbills, as well as capybaras, caimans, turtles, monkeys, and—if we’re lucky—a big cat basking in the sun on the beaches. Once in the area, we’ll hike along the trails through the virgin forest and visit Lake Otorongo, where there’s a 20-meter-high observation tower that allows us to spot wildlife from the forest canopy.

After breakfast, we’ll spend the morning at the famous “Cocha Salvador” lake. You’ll spend part of your time sailing on a catamaran across the lake to observe wildlife from the water. We may spot an Agami heron or a Sungrebe, and brown capuchin monkeys often feed on nearby fruit. Specially built docks that extend into the lake allow us to search for a family of giant otters that live here. As the world’s largest freshwater carnivores, each animal consumes between 4 and 5 kilos of fish per day, and it’s common to see them eating large fish on logs along the lake’s shore. The rest of the day will be spent walking along the area’s trails in search of some of the 13 species of monkeys found in the forest here. Your guide will explain some of the basics of rainforest ecosystems and point out some of the area’s medicinal plants used by local indigenous groups. We may come across a group of peccaries, a species of wild boar found here. In the afternoon, we’ll enjoy the sunset. There’s also the option of taking a short night hike through the forest to observe tree frogs and an incredible variety of colorful insects.

Today we have another chance to explore the forest around the lodge; we might even get the chance to see a group of tamarin monkeys, which are the smallest monkeys in the world. Be careful—they might sneak up behind you! Later, after lunch, we’ll take a boat and travel for four hours down the Manu River to the village of Boca Manu. Along the way, we might spot a black caiman lying on the beach soaking up the sun, or perhaps we’ll see South America’s great cat, the jaguar, basking somewhere along the river. Along the way, we’ll make a brief stop at the indigenous community of Diamante to support them by purchasing handicrafts and local products such as fish, cassava, papaya, etc. In the afternoon, we’ll explore another trail system with a completely different set of features from the first. We may also visit the tapir clay lick.

Very early in the morning, we visit the parrot and macaw clay lick, where, with any luck, we’ll see them feeding on minerals. We return for breakfast and then begin our journey upriver. We make a stop at the Shintuya hot springs, known for their relaxing thermal-medicinal waters. Afterward, we continue to the port of Atalaya, where we take ground transportation to our accommodations in the Cloud Forest. We walk along the trails while our guide explains the area’s biodiversity.

After breakfast, while watching hummingbirds and the morning activity in the garden, we set off by bus for Cusco, crossing the Andes once again. We had lunch in the town of Paucartambo (3,025 m above sea level) and arrived in Cusco at approximately 5:00 p.m. (3,400 m above sea level).

Free day in Cusco to enjoy the city at your own pace. You can explore on your own, stroll through the historic center, and take time for rest and personal well-being, with options for massages, spa treatments, and body care (optional). Overnight stay in Cusco.

Early departure (4:15–4:45 a.m.) from the hotel in Cusco toward Cusipata, where we’ll enjoy a local breakfast. We’ll then continue by private transport to the trailhead. The hike up to the Mountain of Colors takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes, with free time to enjoy the scenery and take photos. We’ll return via the same trail and head to Cusipata for a semi-buffet lunch. Finally, we’ll return to Cusco.

At the scheduled time, you will be transferred from the hotel to the airport to board your flight to your next destination.