Trip Ref #9415
DURATION
LOCATION
ANNUAL LEAVE
GROUP SIZE
MEETING POINT
ACCOMMODATION
Hotel · Lodge
OVERALL RATING
0.0
DIFFICULTY
No previous experience required but be prepared to walk 2-3 hours a day in hot and humid conditions.
Experience the fight to save the rainforest first-hand in the remote and beautiful Manu Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Travel down the Alto Madre de Dios River, part of the vast Amazon basin
Explore the ancient Incan capital of Cusco, one of the most captivating cities in the country
Day 1
Land of the Incas
Meet your guide in Cusco, once the capital of the Incan Empire and the historic capital of Peru and spend some time exploring a city steeped in history and filled with Incan and Colonial architecture. Check into your accommodation located just 300 metres from Cusco’s vibrant main square, the Plaza de Armas, the perfect spot for an evening excursion.
Day 2
Journey through the cloud forest
Set off on an exhilarating journey through the remote Peruvian countryside, mainly on unpaved roads, as you head into the cloud forest. The heavy mist that gives the forest its name also supports a rich and diverse ecosystem and offers an atmospheric backdrop to your journey. Stop at Paucartambo and Acjanaco ranger stations and then pass through remote mountain villages to reach the Cock of the Rock Lodge where you'll stay tonight deep within the forest.
Day 3
Down the river
Take breakfast overlooking the hummingbirds congregating at the feeding station and then drive to the small town of Atalaya where you'll hop aboard a motorised canoe for the 45-minute ride down the Madre de Dios River, part of the vast Amazon basin. Your destination is the Manu Learning Centre in the heart of the Manu Biosphere Reserve, home to one of the richest collections of life on earth, including 160 species of mammal, 1000 species of birds and 2000 species of butterfly. Explore the local forest trails alongside an expert guide and then settle down for a night in this incredible location.
Day 4 - 5
Forest conservation and research
Get stuck in and work with The Manu Learning Centre, a conservation and research project dedicated to understanding and protecting the rainforest. There will be an early start (05:00) on both days as you spend time out in the field alongside the centre's scientists and conservationists learning about their vital work to preserve this natural marvel. Back at the lodge, there will also be workshops and talks if you'd like to find out even more.
Day 6
Community conservation projects
Travel to the town of Salvacion and join one of the centre's many community projects offering sustainable development and educational tools for local people - an essential part of their conservation work. You could be helping local residents in their bio garden or planting trees for an agroforestry project. After a busy day, head back to the Manu Learning Centre, hop in a hammock, sit back and reflect on the last few days.
Day 7
Back to Cusco
After a last breakfast in the forest, say goodbye to the conservation team and ride back down the Madre de Dios River. Return to Cusco appreciating the huge diversity of the Peruvian landscape - from hot and humid rainforest, to cool, misty cloud forest and the mighty Andes, before your adventure finally comes to an end - or this one at least.
Included
Guides
Experienced, English speaking forest guide
Accommodation
1 night in a hotel and 5 nights in comfortable forest lodges
Meals
4 days full board, 2 breakfasts and a packed lunch
Transfers
From Cusco and down the Alto Madre de Dios River and back
Not Included
Flights to and from the meeting point
Travel insurance
Personal expenses
Some meals as described
Travel to and from the start point
Visas where required
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2 – Day 6
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 7
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
The lodges serve basic, local food such as rice and chicken, rice and beans, eggs, fruit and vegetables. Most dietary requirements can be catered for, just let your host know when booking.
What is the accommodation like?
Cusco
You'll stay in a twin-share room at the delightful Rumi Punku hotel in the heart of Cusco’s historic centre. The hotel offers comfortable accommodation brimming with character.
Upgrades
Single rooms can be booked for an additional supplement.
The rainforest
You'll spend 5 nights in the heart of the rainforest. On your second night, you'll stay in a twin-share room in a comfortable bungalow at the 'Cock of the Rock Lodge' with en-suite bathroom and balcony. Nights three to six are spent in a twin-share room at the Manu Learning Centre in the Romero Rainforest in simple Amazonian style buildings with en-suite and hot water. There is no electricity in both except for a few hours of generator power in the evening. Charging points are available in the main lodge during this time and limited Wi-Fi is available between 7-9pm at the Manu learning centre. Head torches are recommended.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Your accommodation in Cusco
06:00
Ends
Your accommodation in Cusco
18:00 - 19:00
Transfers
Your adventure begins at your accommodation in Cusco where you will meet your guide, driver and fellow adventurers. At the end of your adventure, you will be dropped back at your accommodation in Cusco ready for onward travel.
Travel options
Alejandro Velasco International Airport (CUZ) in Cusco is a small airport and the only international flight is from La Paz in Bolivia (the rest being domestic flights from within Peru, with LAN, Avianca, Peruvian Airlines, Amaszonas Airlines and Star Peru being the principle carriers). The airport is a 10-minute taxi ride from the main city hotels. If you’re planning to travel by bus, a number of companies operate routes to Cusco but due to its remote location travel times are long. The principal routes to Cusco are from Arequipa (approx. 11 hours), Lima (approx. 22 hours) and Puno (approx. 20 hours).
What about all the carbon?
We've crunched the numbers to work out the total carbon footprint of this trip, and plant enough trees to suck 2x as much back out the atmosphere.
Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear
In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.
What's included?
- Wellington boots for walking in the jungle
What do I need to bring?
- Long-sleeved clothing
- Breathable clothing
- Sun hat
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Water bottle
- Day rucksack
- Binoculars
- Headtorch
Single Occupancy Supplement
Payable Before Departure
Single Occupancy Supplement
… Per Person
We’re still waiting to collect any reviews from other travellers on this trip. However, all our hosts go through an extensive vetting process to ensure that your adventure is awesome.
You need to be fit and healthy enough to walk for 2-3 hours a day in hot and humid jungle conditions, but no previous experience is required.
Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip for good service. Your guide will help with advice, however we suggest the below as a guideline per person:
XXX
Of course, you are free to tip more or less, and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality - a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
This adventure will take you from the Andes to the cloud forest and on to the rainforest across a range of climates. The rainforest is hot (over 30 degrees Celsius) and humid all year round, while the mountains around Cusco are often cold and fresh with a dry season that runs between April to October, so be sure to pack clothing for both hot and cold weather.
We recommend checking out the country specific information here and also talking to a travel nurse.
For current advice about travelling in Peru, have a read of the UK Foreign Office pages here.
Your hosts are an NGO dedicated to preserving the Peruvian rainforest through conservation and community projects. Sustainable tourism like your adventure is an important source of income for them and a key pillar of their work. You will be staying at the Manu Learning Centre – a thriving research and education centre in the Manu Biosphere Reserve. Their work includes forest restoration, sustainable community development and assisting local farmers to adopt sustainable practices such as agroforestry. Best of all, you will be able to get stuck in and experience rainforest conservation first hand.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.
Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
You're in good company. Our adventures are typically made up of a mix of solo travellers and small groups of two or three friends who simply love adventure, pushing themselves and meeting awesome like-minded people. See here for more info about our lovely bunch of Much Better Adventurers.
Want to book a private trip? Just tap ‘Private Group’ in the dates and prices tab.
Your trip is led by carefully curated local hosts and expert guides. See here for more info about the guides we work with.
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