5-Day Manu Jungle Tour from Cusco: Wildlife and Hot Springs

The parrot clay lick draws hundreds of birds at once, a sight most jungle tours never reach.

A 5-day ecological tour from Cusco descends through cloud forest into Manu National Park with a bilingual naturalist guide, staying in ecolodges and traveling by boat and on foot. You walk the cloud forest for cock-of-the-rock and quetzals, ride wooden rafts on Machuhuasi lagoon to watch capybaras and caimans, visit the parrot clay lick, and end with a boat trip to Shintuya waterfalls followed by a soak in thermo-medicinal hot springs before returning to Cusco.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Cusco to Manu National Park and cloud forest

• Pick up from hotels in Cusco
• Travel 4 hours to Manu National Park
• Explore cloud forest and observe wildlife
• Walk to see cock of the rock and monkeys

Day 2: Pilcopata to Paititi lodge and lagoon visit

• Meet bilingual guide
• Visit Machuhuasi lagoon and ride wooden rafts
• Observe birds, alligators, and capybaras
• Hike in the jungle

Day 3: Parrot clay lick and jungle exploration

• Learn about jungle flora and fauna from guides
• Observe parrots at clay lick
• Explore giant trees and take boat ride

Day 4: Shintuya community, waterfalls and hot springs

• Boat trip to Shintuya community
• Walk to Shintuya waterfalls
• Relax in thermo-medicinal hot springs
• Return to Paititi lodge by boat

Day 5: Return to Cusco via cloud forest

• Travel from Paititi to Atalaya
• Visit cloud forest to see monkeys
• Return to Cusco and drop off at hotel

The experience

The tour starts with a 4-hour drive from Cusco into the cloud forest at the edge of Manu National Park, where the landscape shifts through distinct ecological zones. Your bilingual naturalist guide (trained in biology and tourism) walks you through the forest in search of monkeys, cock-of-the-rock, quetzals and other wildlife in their habitat. The guide carries a telescope and binoculars and explains the plants and animals you encounter along the way.

From the second day onward you're based at Paititi Lodge on the Madre de Dios River. You ride wooden rafts on Machuhuasi lagoon to observe birds, alligators and capybaras; hike deeper into the jungle; and visit the parrot clay lick, where hundreds of parrots gather to feed on mineral-rich clay. The lodge has private bathrooms, mosquito nets, towels and Wi-Fi, with solar panels for charging devices. You wear rubber boots provided for the walks and a life vest for the boat trips.

On day four, an early boat ride takes you 3 hours upriver to the Shintuya community for a brief visit, then a one-hour walk to Shintuya waterfalls. On the return journey you bathe in thermo-medicinal hot springs before heading back to the lodge by boat. The final day is the return to Cusco with your guide, who drops you at your hotel or the original meeting point.

What’s included

• Wi-Fi and solar-powered battery recharge at the lodge.
• comfortable ecolodge accommodation with private bathrooms, towels, mosquito nets and biodegradable soap.
• bilingual guide with telescope and binoculars.
• tourist bus from Cusco and private boat with life vests and rubber boots for walks.
• entrance tickets to all sites.

Information

Lasts 5d, runs every day at 05:30 and 06:00, from US$ 679 per person, with a live guide in English and Spanish, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 05:30 and 06:00Another time? ›

GroupPrivate9 group tours ›

Live guideEnglish and SpanishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (13 to 85 years) · Under 13: can't be booked

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Manu Tour Operator Expediciones Vilca

Is this one for you?Five days is the span needed to reach the parrot clay lick and the hot springs: the two stops that set this tour apart from shorter jungle routes. If you have less time, a 3-day version covers the cloud forest and river but skips both.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

What animals will I actually see on this tour?

Monkeys, cock-of-the-rock, quetzals, capybaras, caimans and hundreds of parrots at the clay lick are the main wildlife. The cloud forest and river habitat make sightings likely, though the guide cannot guarantee any single species on any given day.

How physically demanding is the 5-day tour?

The tour requires at least moderate fitness. You walk through cloud forest and jungle terrain, ride wooden rafts, and hike to waterfalls. The operator does not recommend it for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnant travelers.

What is the Machuhuasi lagoon like?

Machuhuasi is a jungle lagoon on the Madre de Dios River where you ride wooden rafts to observe birds, alligators and capybaras up close. The lagoon is part of the second day's itinerary after the drive from Cusco.

What are the hot springs like?

The thermo-medicinal hot springs are reached by a one-hour walk from Shintuya waterfalls on day four. You bathe in the warm water on the return journey before the boat ride back to Paititi Lodge.