Description
Most important tour information
- Pickup time
- 5:00 AM – 5:30 AM Pickup from selected hotels or zones Pickup location: Cusco historic center See included Details: Your exact pickup time or meeting details are sent via WhatsApp no later than the evening before departure.
- Arrival in Cusco
- 3:00 PM Near Plaza de Armas, Cusco
- Languages
- English, Spanish Available guide languages
Upcoming Manu National Park Reserved Zone 7 days – Pona lodge, Hummingbird lodge, Casa Matsiguenka lodge departures
September 2026
- Guaranteed departure
- Guaranteed departure
October 2026
- Guaranteed departure
If you are two or more people, you can choose your own start date. Just reach out to us to confirm availability. We are happy to open a new departure for your group.
Do not see your date? We are constantly forming new groups and can also arrange this tour privately. Contact us on WhatsApp
What is included
Included
- Professional tour guide with binoculars and spotting scope
- Private transportation and boat rides
- Accommodation in lodges and one night in a jungle shelter
- Limited Wifi at Casa Matsiguenka lodge and night 5
- All meals except last dinner
- Entrance fees to private and natural reserves
- Mineral water and daily snacks
- Rubber boots when needed
- Cook if needed
- First aid kit
Not included
- Travel insurance
- Breakfast on the first day
- Mineral water on the first day
- Hot water shower (in the Amazon jungle you’ll be warm)
- Last day dinner
- Alcoholic drinks
- Tips for the team
Itinerary
Day 1: Cusco – Pona Lodge
- Morning: Pick-up from Cusco, drive through the Andes, stop at Hucarpay Lagoon and Ninamarca tombs.
- Afternoon: Visit Paucartambo town and enter Manu National Park. Birdwatching in the cloud forest.
- Evening: Watch the cock of the rock bird display. Overnight at Pona Lodge.
Day 2: Pona Lodge – Hummingbird Lodge
- Morning: Visit hummingbird garden. Travel by car to Atalaya Port.
- Afternoon: Boat trip along the Alto Madre de Dios River. Relax in hot springs.
- Evening: Arrive and sleep at Hummingbird Lodge.
Day 3: Hummingbird – Parrot Clay Lick – Casa Matsiguenka
- Morning: See parrots and macaws at a clay lick. Enter the Reserved Zone by boat.
- Afternoon: River journey with chances to see caimans, turtles, monkeys, and maybe jaguars. Visit Cocha Otorongo lake and observation tower.
- Evening: Night walk to look for nocturnal animals. Overnight at Casa Matsiguenka Lodge.
Day 4: Casa Matsiguenka – Cocha Salvador – Macaw Clay Lick
- Morning: Catamaran ride on Cocha Salvador lake to see giant otters and monkeys.
- Afternoon: Walk to macaw clay lick to see scarlet and red-green macaws.
- Evening: Jungle walk for insects, frogs, night monkeys. Overnight at Casa Matsiguenka Lodge.
Day 5: Manu River – Tapir Clay Lick
- Morning: Explore Cocha Otorongo lake. Search for monkeys and jaguars.
- Afternoon: Travel downriver to the Tapir Clay Lick.
- Evening: Stay overnight in a jungle blind to observe tapirs.
Day 6: Tapir Clay Lick – Pona Lodge
- Morning: Leave the clay lick area by boat.
- Afternoon: Return by car to Pona Lodge.
- Evening: Rest and overnight at the lodge.
Day 7: Pona Lodge – Cusco
- Morning: Departure from Pona Lodge.
- Afternoon: Arrival back in Cusco around 3:00 pm. End of manu reserved zone tour.
Times are approximate and the order may change with weather, traffic, or local conditions.
Practical information
Before you go
- Passport or ID
- Original passport or ID required
- Travel insurance
- Recommended
Meeting and timing
- Pickup
-
Pickup from selected hotels or zones
Cusco historic center
- End point
-
Near Plaza de Armas, Cusco
Cusco · 3:00 PM
- Languages
- English, Spanish
Tour details
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Tour duration
- 7 days
- Average group size
- 8 people
- Activity level
- Moderate - several hours walking or standing
- Environment
- Mostly outdoors
Comfort and facilities
- Accessibility
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Bathroom access
- Available at scheduled stops
- Luggage storage
- Available
- Device charging
- Limited or shared
- Wi-Fi
- Available
Where you will stay
Pona lodge
Hummingbird lodge
Casa Matsiquenka lodge
Night 5: Overnight shelter tapir clay lick
Full tour description
This manu reserved zone 7 days adventure is one of the best ways to explore the deep Amazon. The Reserved Zone of Manu National Park is one of the most protected and biodiverse places on earth. Here you will see pristine rainforest, rivers, lakes, and a huge variety of wildlife.
During this manu reserved zone tour, you travel from the Andes down to the cloud forest and finally into the lowland jungle. Each day is filled with new experiences, colorful birds, giant otters, caimans, monkeys, macaws, tapirs, and maybe even a jaguar. You will visit clay licks, oxbow lakes, rivers, and community lodges. Nights are spent in comfortable eco-lodges or a special jungle shelter.
This is not just a trip; it is a journey into one of the last untouched corners of the world. If you are looking for a true manu reserve Peru experience, this 7-day tour is the perfect choice.
List of activities
- Travel from the Andes to the Amazon by private car and boat
- Birdwatching in the cloud forest (cock of the rock, hummingbirds, toucans)
- Relax in natural hot springs
- Visit parrot and macaw clay licks
- Search for jaguars along the Manu River
- Explore oxbow lakes with giant otters and caimans
- Day and night jungle walks to spot monkeys, insects, and reptiles
- Experience a tapir clay lick at night from a hidden shelter
- Cultural encounters with local communities and lodges
- Learn about plants, insects, and the rainforest ecosystem from expert guides
Casa Matsiguenka Lodge
Casa Matsiguenka Lodge is a special eco-lodge located deep inside the Manu Reserved Zone. It is managed by the Matsiguenka people, one of the native groups living in the Amazon. By staying here, you support local families and help protect the forest.
The lodge is basic but comfortable, with simple rooms, mosquito nets, toilets, and showers. It is surrounded by rainforest, so you can hear birds, monkeys, and insects all around.
From Casa Matsiguenka, you can explore the lakes of Cocha Salvador and Cocha Otorongo. These are some of the best places in Manu National Park to see giant otters, black caimans, and many bird species. It is also a great base for nature walks, night hikes, and cultural learning with the community.
Staying here is a highlight of any manu reserved zone tour. It offers a real connection to the forest and to the people who have lived in the manu reserve peru for centuries.
Lodges in Manu National Park
The lodges we use during this manu reserved zone tour and in the Manu National Park are basic but comfortable. They are run by local communities who depend on tourism for their income. Each lodge has private or shared bathrooms and simple facilities for your stay.
Night 5: Overnight jungle shelter
On 5th night of the manu reserved zone 7 days tour you stay in a special jungle shelter three meters above the ground. From here you have the best chance to see tapirs at the clay lick during the night. The shelter has a roof, mattresses with sheets, a blanket, pillows and a mosquito net for a safe and unique stay.
The real value of the tour
A manu reserve peru trip is about wildlife and nature. This area is one of the best places in the world to see animals in their natural home. Because of park rules and respect for the local way of life you should not expect hotel comfort. The true value of this experience is the amazing wildlife, the location and the people who live here.
Wildlife you could see in the Manu Reserved Zone
The manu reserved zone 7 days trip takes you deep into
Manu National Park, where many animals live in the wild.
Sightings are never guaranteed, but here are some you could see:
Birds
- Cock of the Rock (national bird of Peru)
- Scarlet Macaws & Red-and-Green Macaws
- Parrots, Parakeets, Hummingbirds, Toucans
- Herons, Egrets, Hawks, Eagles
Mammals
- Giant River Otters
- Howler Monkeys, Capuchins, Squirrel Monkeys, Woolly Monkeys
- Tapirs at the clay lick (largest Amazon land mammal)
- Deer, Peccaries (wild pigs), Capybaras
- Jaguar (rare, but possible along Manu River)
Reptiles & Amphibians
- Black and White Caimans
- Side-necked Turtles
- Snakes and Green Anacondas
- Frogs, Toads, and many night species
The manu reserve peru is one of the most biodiverse places in the world.
Every day in the rainforest brings new discoveries!
One of the best parts of a manu reserved zone tour is the chance to see animals in their natural home. Because this area of the manu reserve peru is so rich in life, every day brings new surprises.
- Cloud forest (Day 1): You could see the cock of the rock, Peru’s national bird, as well as hummingbirds, toucans, quetzals, and colorful tanagers.
- Rivers and beaches (Days 2–3): Along the Manu River and Alto Madre de Dios River, you may see black and white caimans, capybaras, turtles, herons, egrets, and maybe even a jaguar resting on the shore.
- Oxbow lakes (Days 3–5): At Cocha Salvador and Cocha Otorongo, you could see giant river otters, black caimans, and many birds. Monkeys often come close to the water too.
- Clay licks (Days 3–5): Parrot and macaw clay licks are full of color and sound. Scarlet macaws, red and green macaws, and several species of parrots gather here. At night, at the Tapir Clay Lick, you could spot tapirs; the largest land mammals in the Amazon.
- Jungle trails (throughout): On walks, you may encounter squirrel monkeys, capuchin monkeys, woolly monkeys, peccaries (wild pigs), deer, frogs, snakes, or even night animals like owls, kinkajous, and ocelots.
Because the manu national park is a protected area, animals live here freely. Sightings are never guaranteed, but every day offers exciting chances to meet new species.
Background information about Manu Reserved Zone
The Manu National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most biodiverse places in the world. Scientists believe that this area is home to more than 1,000 species of birds, over 200 species of mammals, and countless insects, reptiles, and plants.
The Reserved Zone is the heart of the park. It is protected and controlled, so only a limited number of visitors are allowed each year. This is why the manu reserved zone 7 days tour feels so special, you are stepping into a living museum of nature.
The park is also home to indigenous communities that have lived here for centuries. Some groups still live in voluntary isolation, keeping their traditions and culture alive. By visiting lodges managed by local people, you directly support their way of life.
What to bring
- Camera with extra batteries and long lenses
- Binoculars if you want your own pair
- Flashlight with extra batteries
- Strong insect repellent
- Sunscreen and hat
- Backpack and water bottle
- Sandals and light clothes for hot weather
- Warm clothes for cool nights
- Toilet paper and personal hygiene items
- Money in cash
- Power adaptor for electricity






















