Manu Reserved Zone Tours is an extensive tour in the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest. The seven days tour from Cusco with a local English-speaking tour guide will give you an immersive insight into the Amazonian traditions and culture and the different species of birds, plants, and animals, most distinct to the region.
To make your Manu Reserved Zone Tour experience more authentic, we will be accommodating you in our exclusive Treehouse INN right amidst the Manu Rainforest.
Amazon Jungle is a massive cloud forest in the world. The eastern part of Peru is home to the lush Amazon Jungle. Manu Rainforest is the largest part of the Peruvian Amazon. Spread in over 1,532,806 hectares, the rainforest is home to 6500 Quechua-speaking communities who live in the cultural zone.
To make the rainforest more accessible, Manu Rainforest is divided into three zones – Manu Reserved Zone, Cultural zone, and Core Zone. Madre de Dios river snakes through these zones.
As locals from the Manu region, our team has extensive knowledge about the life and traditions here. We have several exclusive trails running around our Treehouse INN where you will be close to nature with a certainty of spotting several animals, birds, and tree species.
In 1987, Manu Peru was recognized as a UNESCO world heritage site. Manu Peru is a popular destination in the Peruvian Amazon especially due to its close proximity to Cusco city. This lets travelers embark on Manu Amazon Tour easily before or after visiting Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu.
Bio Manu Expeditions is a family-owned local tour operating company based in Manú National Park and Cusco. We take pride in working exclusively with locals. Our crew are born and raised in Manu and have extensive knowledge about Manu wildlife, plant species, and different species of birds exclusive to the region.
Our guides have years of experience in guiding tours. They are fluent in English and are passionate about what they do.
Cusco Hotel Transfer
05:00 AM
This trip is exclusive for travelers who love to experience the climatic changes of nature and who are passionate about walking exploring the forest and making long trips.
Your seven days Manu Reserved Zone Tour begins with an early morning pickup from your hotel in Cusco. Then in our private transport, we will be embarking on a drive through the Andean grasslands to the Amazon. You will be getting an incredible view of the high Andean peaks along the way.
We will be having a brief stop in Paucartambo. It is an Andean folkloric town at 2906 meters above sea level (9534 ft.). Here we will be serving you a traditional breakfast. Your tour guide will be giving you an insight into the traditions and culture here.
Locals in Paucartambo are untouched by modernity. They maintain their age-old traditions and customs.
After soaking in the history of this charismatic town, we will continue driving to a picturesque viewpoint, Tres Cruces or Acjano Pass. This is the highest point on the Manu Rainforest tour from Cusco. It nestles at 3900 meters above sea level (12795 ft). You will get a staggering view of the Amazon basin from here.
After relishing the view, we will be driving you down the hill to Manu Cloud Forest. Here we will be doing a short tour. You will be able to see a variety of flora and fauna. We will also be touring different orchid farms.
This region is home to the Peruvian National Bird, the Andean cock of the rock. You can also see the cappuccino monkey and wooly monkey here.
After relishing a native meal for lunch, we will be transferring you to Atalaya port. Here we will be embarking on a journey by motor boat through the Madre de Dios river. You will be able to spot different species of mammals including giant otters and giant armadillos as we will be sailing to Machuwasi Lake.
We will be having a brief stop here before continuing our boat trip for another two hours to Manu Rainforest Lodge in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon.
After checking in to your room, our crew will be serving you an Amazonian dinner. If desired, we can do a short night hike to spot some nocturnal creatures.
At 0500 AM, we will be embarking on a boat ride down the stream on alto Madre de Dios river for our journey to Manu Reserved Zone. We will be serving breakfast at sunrise, during the trip. Once in Boca Manu, we will change the course and sail on the Manu River.
During this boat ride, you will have plenty of opportunities to spot jaguars, capybaras, and alligators resting on the shotes. You will also spot herons feeding on fish on the banks of the Manu River in the Biosphere Reserve.
Once at Casa Matsiguenka Lodge by noon, we will be serving a traditional Amazonian lunch. Casa Matsiguenka Lodge is managed by the members of the Matsiguenka communities. It features 12 double bedrooms.
After lunch, we will set out to get an introduction to Manu Reserved Zone.
We will begin with a stop at Otorongo Lake. It houses an observation tower. You will be able to enjoy a panoramic view of the Amazon Rainforest from the top.
After witnessing the sunset, we will be returning to the lodge for dinner and rest.
We will make the most of our time in the Manu Reserved Zone. After relishing a native breakfast, we will be embarking on a trip to Cocha Salvador in a typical Jungle transport, Catamaran.
You will be able to spot different wildlife like Giant river, otters, black caimans, and alligators. You will also get to see different species of monkeys and birds, most distinct to the region.
We will be returning to the lodge for lunch. You will have some free time in the evening so you can swim or hike around or simply rest in the serenity of the Amazon Rainforest.
After dinner, we will be giving you a night tour. On this tour, you will get to see alligators, tapirs, owls, and snakes. We will be returning to the lodge after the trip.
At 0430 AM, we will be checking out from Casa Matsiguenka Lodge and embark on a roughly 12 hours boat ride on the Manu River and then on the Palotoa River. The boat is called peke peke.
It is named after the sound of its motor. We will be sailing deep to Manu Jungle, home to our exclusive family-owned Treehouse INN.
Treehouse Inn is located deep in the Manu Jungle. Access to Treehouse INN is exclusive to our guests. The boat ride from Manu Rainforest Lodge to Treehouse INN offers stunning views of the cloud forests. You will also get to see different species of mammals and rodents like Capybaras.
The boat ride offers stunning views of life along the banks of the river. You will be spotting different birds, animals, and mammals including Jaguars. We will be witnessing the sunrise as we will near Boca Manu, this is truly a lifetime experience.
To make the most of your time, we will be serving breakfast on the boat itself.
We will then change our course upstream through the turbulent waters of Madre de Dios river and navigate towards Palotoa river. This stretch of the boat ride is quite long but offers rewarding views.
You will get to see different species of birds, most of them feasting on fish by the river.
Once we reach the Palotoa river, we will be changing to a smaller boat (Peke Peke) and will be continuing our ride upstream to Treehouse. We will be reaching Treehouse at dusk.
We will be leaving before sunrise to see Parrots Clay Lick. This is the highlight of your trip to Manu National Park and certainly an unmissable sight. Hundreds of brightly colored parrots flock on the cliff to eat the clay.
The clay here has a unique mineral that helps them to flush out toxins from their bodies. You will have plenty of time to see this. Once you have had your fill, we will be returning to the Treehouse INN for breakfast.
After breakfast, we will be hiking through another prominent trail that runs around the community. You will get to see different medicinal plants here. Our tour guide will be explaining their uses in detail during the tour.
Further inside, you will spot Jaguars, Pumas Anteaters, sloths, and Tapirs from a safe distance in their natural habitat. By noon, we will be hiking back to our lodge for lunch.
You will have the evening to yourself. You can do some river tubing in the crystal clear waters of the Palotoa river. After witnessing the sunset in the Amazon, we will be serving dinner.
At night, we will once again tour the jungle to spot a few more nocturnal creatures.
The sixth day of the Manu Amazon Tour is quite relaxed. After relishing a hearty breakfast, we will be visiting a native community. You will be getting an insight into their traditions and customs.
They will demonstrate their skills in using bows and arrows which is a typical hunting tools in the jungle. You can try your hand at this traditional hunting weapon.
We will be serving lunch in Treehouse INN. After lunch, we will check out and take the boat back to the Rainforest Lodge. After dinner, we will once again head out to explore this part of the Manu Rainforest.
We will be spending the night in the Rainforest Lodge.
After breakfast, we will be sailing back to Atalaya pier. Our crew will be waiting here with our private transport for your drive back to Cusco city. On our way back, we will once again stop in Paucartambo for lunch. We will be reaching Cusco by 06:00 PM.
If you love bird watching, exploring the Manu is perfect for you. The macaw clay licks are simply wonderful.