Manu Biosphere Reserve is a vast, spellbinding wilderness in southeastern Peru replete with some of the richest flora and fauna to be found anywhere in South America. It offers the uncontained possibilities of an entire ecosystem, from golden grasslands of the puna zone down the eastern Andean slope through cloaking montane cloudforest to seemingly endless lowland rainforest.
From the Cusco valley, we climb endemic-rich arid slopes to the high puna zone and then descend from treeline through temperate and subtropical cloudforest down to the foothill zone at the eastern base of the Andes. Based at several comfortable lodges, we bird up and down one of the "birdiest" roads in the world, which ribbons its way through wilderness full of flagship east-slope species (like Lyre-tailed Nightjar, Red-and-white Antpitta, Andean Cock-of-the-rock, White-collared Jay, and Golden Tanager) and a handful of endemics and regional specialties.
Then we have four full days of birding in upper tropical rainforest while based at the lovely elevation of 1600 feet, with hummingbirds at feeders in the garden, Tawny-bellied Screech-Owls and potoos calling outside our rooms at night, and a great trail system leading from the garden into several different habitat types.
The birds are genuinely breathtaking. In our dozen days we should encounter around 500 species, including some of the fanciest and most sought-after in the Neotropics.
Select the KEY INFO tab or click here for our itinerary plus space requests, status, fees, limits, and guides for any departure.
Combo Tours
If you would like a longer birding holiday, some departures of this tour may be combined with:
PERUVIAN RAINFORESTS OF THE TAMBOPATA: Macaw Lick Extraordinaire
ITINERARIES • TOUR STATUS • DETAILS • SPACE REQUESTS
ITINERARIES • We issue a separate itinerary for each year, typically at least 9 months before that year's first departure. Most itineraries don't vary much year to year, but there may be small or rarely more substantive changes. A sample previous-year itinerary is usually available even if the one for your chosen departure is not. We do not require any deposit for provisional bookings until the itinerary for the departure is ready.
DEPARTURES • We have 2 departures currently scheduled through 2025, with details including limits, guides, fees, and space available listed below.
2024
Aug 1-12, 2024
Guided by: Dan Lane & local guide
Tour Manager: Caroline Lewis
Tour Limit: 8
Status: Provisionally full; waitlist available - The itinerary has not been finalized for this tour. The trip has provisionally filled but, if you are interested, we can waitlist you for the trip. As we do not require deposits until the itinerary and price are finalized, we often have folks drop off a tour when the deposit is required, and so space opens up! Click below to be waitlisted for this tour with no obligation; if you are waitlisted, we will also notify you in case of an added departure of this tour.
Tour Fee: Fee TBD / 2023=$5475
REQUEST WAITLIST OR MORE INFO
2025
Jul 31 - Aug 11, 2025
Guided by: Dan Lane & local guide
Tour Manager: Caroline Lewis
Tour Limit: 8
Status: Open - Space is still available on this tour, and we are accepting provisional bookings. No deposit is required until you receive the itinerary. Click below to book space.
Tour Fee: Fee TBD / 2023=$5475
REQUEST SPACE OR MORE INFO
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