CUSCO MANU TOURS 12DAYS / 11NIGHTS

'Day 01 Lima / Cusco: Sightseeing Tour and Visit to Nearby Ruins

Arriving to Cusco transfer to Cusco Airport to select Hotel free time to rest and get used to the altitude.
In the afternoon, guided sightseeing tour in Cusco visiting the Main Square, the Cathedral and the Temple of the Sun or Korikancha. Then, we drive out of the City to visit the Inca sites of Kenko, Tambomachay, Puca Pucara and the impressive Fortress of Sacsayhuaman, strategically built on a hill overlooking Cusco, famous for its enormous carved stones, some of them standing over 9 m / 30 ft high and weighing over 350 tons.
Return to your hotel and get ready to enjoy a dinner in a typical restaurant with a folklore show where the musicians play their melodies with Andean instruments of beautiful sounds while typically dressed dancers will show you different ancient Peruvian dances.

Meals Included: Breakfast and dinner

Day 02 : Cusco: The Sacred Valley of the Incas

Breakfast. Full-day excursion to the "Sacred Valley of the Incas", along the Vilcanota River. We will have the opportunity to share closely the peasants' customs and bargain with vendors at the typical indian market of Pisac, held on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Lunch in a local countryside restaurant. In the afternoon, passing through the Towns of Calca and Urubamba, we visit the Inca Fortress and Citadel of Ollantaytambo, built to guard the entrance to this part of the Valley, and protect it from possible invasion from the tribes in the Lower jungle. You can walk through the quaint streets of the nearby Town, and get a good idea of what this strategic military, religious, and agricultural centre was
ike during the era of the Inca Empire.
Back to Cusco, transfer to your hotel for overnight.
Evening at leisure. We suggest going around the Main Square and enjoy
the night atmosphere tasting a delicious Pisco Sour in some of the many pubs around the Main Square

Meals Included: Breakfast and lunch

DAY 03 : Cusco / Machu Picchu / Cusco

Breakfast. The day starts with an early morning rise to transfer to Cusco Train Station for a 3 ½ hour train journey to the famous Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu, also known as "The Lost City of the Incas", discovered for science in 1911 by the American explorer Hiram Bingham.
Arrival: Upon arrival at Aguas Calientes, you will make the 25-minute motor coach ascent to the "Lost City of the Incas".
We tour the ruins for around 3 hours, during which time our guide explains the astounding degree of technology achieved by the builders of this famous site. The tight construction, the water channels, the staircases carved from the living rock of the mountain, and the Intihuatana, (or "Hitching Post of the Sun"), which served as an astronomica
calendar, all show technological advancement far beyond anything this area of the world was thought to have achieved. These, along with the Temple of the Sun, the Royal Tomb, the Priests' House, the Inca Baths and the Temple

of the Three Windows, all allow us to glimpse back into the past and, with the help of our guide, revisit the lives of these truly remarkable people. We enjoy lunch at the restaurant in Aguas Calientes.
The mid-afternoon train takes you back to Cusco. Meet by our Representative and transfer to your hotel.

Note: Possibility of staying overnight at Machu Picchu (subject to hotel's availability).
Meals Included: Breakfast and lunch

DAY 04 : Cusco – Bosque nublado

You wake up early to leave Cusco and begin a winding ascent into the Andes. The road eventually winds down to the town of Paucartambo Colonial Town, where you will stop briefly to stretch your legs.
Leaving Paucartambo you begin your ascent through eucalyptus groves, cultivated fields, and remnant patches of native vegetation. Forty minutes from Paucartambo you reach Acjanaco at 3,500 meter atop the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes. At this point you have entered the Manu Biosphere Reserve where you are above the clouds gazing below into the lush jungle of the Amazon. As you ascent down from Acjanaco, the baron Paramo starts to change to an elfin forest.
Here you will stop for lunch to admire the view. As you descend further into the cloud forest where the tree canopy covered by mist gives life to numerous epiphytes, moss, luscious green ferns and the Kur-Kur (high land bamboo). This area is a natural playground for a vast number of birds. You make your way to an observation post where, with a little luck, you will be able to watch the fascinating dance of Peru’s National bird, the Cock-of-the-Rock and hopefully spot the Woolly monkey.
You arrive at our campsite at 6 p.m. where you will spend the night. After a delicious meal you can enjoy the beautiful surroundings before turning in for the evening.

DAY 05: Bosque nublado - Boca Manu

At daybreak, we make our way to the fluvial port of Atalaya, at the headwaters of the Alto Madre de Dios River. Accessibility to the lowland jungle from Atalaya must be made in improvised canoes with powerful outboard motors.
From Atalaya we have a relaxed journey downstream to Boca Manu. Arriving at Boca Manu, it is time to take in the beautiful surrounding. At dusk we will take a short walk into the jungle in order to spot the more elusive nocturnal animals such as the Night Monkey. Returning to Lodge for dinner, we are lulled into a peaceful sleep by the jungle orchestra.

DAY 06 : Boca Manu - Casa Matsiguenka

Once we have breakfast, we’ll get into our boat in order to go to the National Park Manu. We’ll briefly stop at Limonal check post to show our authorizations. We’ll continue to navigate on the river and enjoy all that nature, always changing and capricious, will show us during our journey.
We shall have lunch in the boat and in the afternoon we will arrive at Casa Matsiguenka. There we will be welcomed by Matsiguenka natives and be introduce to their guides which, in the next day, will show us the natural wealth of the area.

DAY 07 : Casa Matsiguenka

This day we shall navigate in a catamaran by Salvador Ox-bow lake looking for giant river otters (Pteronura brasiliensis) and to go through the forest of the Casa Matsiguenka, trying to find the spider monkeys (Atheles paniscus) and the noisy white lipped pecker (Tayassu pecari). We shall sleep at Casa Matsiguenka.

DAY 08: Casa Matsiguenka - Blanquillo

Early in the morning we shall board our boat to go to Blanquillo, this place is known for its Macaw clay lick. Before that we’ll stop briefly at Limonal to register our exit. At sunset we shall take a short walk until Blanquillo Ox-bow lake, where we shall search for caimans.

DAY 09: Blanquillo - Yanayaco

Early on we shall go in the catamaran to park in front of the Macaw clay

lick. From a hide away we will fully enjoy the arrival of hundreds of parrots and parakeets, as the Macaws descend to complete their diet.
After this fantastic spectacle, we will continue our river voyage to Yanayaco, where we shall rest until next day.
Optional camping in the beaches of Madre de Dios River

DAY 10: Amaru Mayu

Next morning, we shall head to the river port of Atalaya. On our trip we shall be atonished by the many birds which fly ahead and above us, or that rest on the tree branches. Before arriving at Atalaya we will briefly stop in Aguas Calientes, where we will relax in the hot springs (Lunch). Once in Atalaya, and after a short stop we will continue upriver to enjoy our last night in Amaru Mayu Ecological Reserve. This is a space with special conditions, protection and conservation interest because of its biological diversity, fragility and wealth of its forests. The guide will introduce us in the different projects of protection and conservation of this zone. Sleep overnight in the Lodge of the reserve.

DAY 11: Return to Cusco

After breakfast we shall have our last walk in the jungle and we will prepare ourselves for our trip back to Cusco. In the road we will make short stops in interesting places such as Pilcopata (for lunch), again in the Cloud Forest and our last stop in Paucartambo to have a coffee before the arrival to Cuzco. End of our services.

DAY 12 Return to Lima

In the morning transfer to the aiport take the flight Cusco to Lima dependen of your international flight3.