For an informative overview of all our Peru birding tours, see Peru: Field Guides Tours.

Perched imposingly atop a high ridge surrounded by rugged, forested mountains, the ruins at Machu Picchu tower above the rushing waters of the Rio Urubamba snaking its way fifteen-hundred feet below. By staying two nights (at 6500 feet, on the outskirts of Aguas Calientes), we will be able to experience the site both culturally and for its great birding.

And though the ruins alone are worth the visit, the subtropical slopes and the narrow gorge below are surprisingly good for birds. We regularly see such knockouts as Andean Cock-of-the-rock, Highland Motmot, Lyre-tailed Nightjar, White-eared Solitaire, Inga trees full of hummingbirds (including the endemic Green-and-white), numerous vivid tanagers (including the scarce Silver-backed), and the endemic Masked Fruiteater.

Hummingbird fans! See our Hummer Slideshow plus a listing of all our best itineraries for 30, 40, even 50 or more hummingbirds on a tour.

We'll also work both sides of the eastern cordillera, traveling to the high pass at Abra Malaga along the trace that crosses the Andes on its way to the Amazonian lowlands. Buffering the upper limits of these habitats is the starkly beautiful puna grassland dotted with llamas, alpacas, and the very occasional cluster of stone houses, corrals, and fences erected by Quechua-speaking families.

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Combo Tours
If you would like a longer birding holiday, some departures of this tour may be combined with:
PERU'S MAGNETIC NORTH: Spatuletails, Owlet Lodge & More
MOUNTAINS OF MANU, PERU
PERUVIAN RAINFORESTS OF THE TAMBOPATA: Macaw Lick Extraordinaire
MANU WILDLIFE CENTER, PERU