Manu Expedition from Cusco: Parrot Clay Lick & Rainforest Lodge

Five days deep in Peru's largest national park, where you board a boat at dawn to watch parrots gather at a clay lick.

A 5-day guided tour from Cusco into Manu National Park, Peru's largest reserve, with 4 nights in rainforest lodges, motorized boat access to remote sites, and a live guide in English or Spanish. The route moves from cloud forest through the Andes to lowland jungle, stopping at a parrot clay lick, hot springs, and Machuwasi Lake. Minimum 2 passengers required. Children welcome from age 6. Meals, lodging and transport from Cusco are included. Private transportation is available as an option.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Cusco to Pilcopata and Paraiso Lodge

• Leave Cusco by private bus
• Visit Ninamarca burial towers
• Drive to Paucartambo town
• Walk in San Pedro to see Cock of the Rock
• Arrive at Paraiso Lodge late night

Day 2: Pilcopata to Rainforest Lodge

• Breakfast at lodge
• Drive to Atalaya port
• Board motorized boat to Rainforest Lodge
• Explore nearby rainforest paths
• Return to lodge for overnight

Day 3: Parrot Clay Lick and Aguas Calientes

• Early boat to parrot clay-lick
• Return to lodge for breakfast
• Walk nearby paths observing wildlife
• Lunch at lodge
• Visit Aguas Calientes hot springs
• Set up camp in jungle

Day 4: Parrot Clay Lick and Machuwasi Lake

• Visit parrot clay-lick again
• Lunch at Rainforest Lodge
• Visit Machuwasi Lake and sail in hollowed trunks
• Return to lodge for overnight

Day 5: Return to Cusco

• Breakfast at lodge
• Boat to Atalaya port
• Drive back to Cusco
• Arrive in Cusco evening

The experience

The tour leaves Cusco by private bus, stopping first at Ninamarca to see pre-Incan burial towers before climbing into cloud forest. In San Pedro, you walk for about an hour to spot the Cock of the Rock, Peru's national bird, along with monkeys, orchids and other forest species. By evening you reach Paraiso Lodge in the cloud forest, where you sleep your first night.

Day two takes you by car down to Atalaya port (500 meters elevation), where you board a motorized boat for the Rainforest Lodge. The real work starts here: you explore nearby paths on foot, looking for tarantulas, ants, butterflies, monkey species and the massive trees that define lowland jungle. On day three, you wake before dawn to boat to a parrot clay lick ten minutes away: parrots, budgerigars and macaws gather to eat clay that aids their digestion, and this is the centerpiece of the expedition. After breakfast back at the lodge, you walk forest trails again, then travel to Aguas Calientes, natural hot springs inside Manu National Park, where you bathe and camp in the jungle itself. A night boat ride to spot caimans is optional.

Day four returns you to the clay lick if conditions allow, with chances to see capybaras, tapirs, anteaters and more monkeys. You lunch back at the lodge, then paddle Machuwasi Lake in remos (hollowed tree trunks used by local people) to watch wildlife from the water. The final morning, you boat back to Atalaya, meet your private vehicle, and drive to Cusco, arriving between 7 and 7:30 pm. Manu itself spans 1.8 million hectares and holds more recorded plant species than almost any other jungle reserve on earth. Nearly 250 tree varieties have been found in a single hectare here.

What’s included

• Private bus transport from Cusco to the cloud forest and motorized boat access to the rainforest and clay lick.
• 4 nights in private lodge rooms with mosquito nets and hot shower.
• 4 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners, snacks and drinking water.
• a live guide in English or Spanish.
• all meals and lodging as stated above.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:00

AgesAdult (12 to 65 years) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Under 6: can't be included in the booking

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

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 72h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Manu Jungle Trips

Is this one for you?Five days is long enough to reach the lowland jungle and spend multiple mornings at the clay lick, but short enough to return to Cusco the same evening: the schedule trades a rushed pace for a full inland experience without extending into a week. If you have fewer days, the 4-day Manu tour runs the same route compressed. If you want more time in the reserve, a 7-day option goes deeper.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years). Under 6: they can't be included in the booking.

What is the parrot clay lick and when do we see it?

The clay lick is a riverbank site where parrots, budgerigars and macaws gather to eat clay that helps their digestion. You visit it by motorized boat on day three, departing before dawn: the best time to watch the birds feed.

How many nights do we spend in lodges, and are they the same place?

You stay 4 nights total: the first night at Paraiso Lodge in the cloud forest, then 3 nights split between Rainforest Lodge and a camp at Aguas Calientes hot springs. Private rooms with mosquito nets, shower and bath are provided.

What is Machuwasi Lake and how do we explore it?

Machuwasi Lake is a remote water body inside Manu National Park where you paddle in remos (traditional hollowed tree trunks used by local people) to observe wildlife from the water on day four afternoon.

What meals are provided over the 5 days?

The tour includes 4 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners, snacks and drinking water throughout. Vegetarian and vegan options are available if requested at booking.

What is the physical demand of this tour?

You walk forest trails for roughly an hour on day one and multiple shorter walks on other days, travel by bus and motorized boat, and camp in the jungle. Moderate fitness is required. The tour is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnancy.