DAY 1: Cusco-Cloud Forest/San Pedro
Leaving Cusco we head over the Andes, stopping at the beautiful colonial village of Paucartambo for breakfast. Continuing, we climb to a highpoint of almost 4,000 m before dropping down to the cloud forest. After lunch, we take a walk through this stunning forest to visit the display area or lek of Manu's most brillantly coloured bird, the cock-of-the-rock. We spend our first night in the camping huts of Posada San Pedro (appr. 1,600 m).

DAY 2: Cloud Forest-Pantiacolla Lodge
We continue the bus ride to the tropical lowland rainforest. In the small village of Atalaya we board a motorized canoe to take us down the Alto Madre de Dios River as far as Pantiacolla Lodge, a lodge which nestles at the foot of the Pantiacolla Mountains. Pantiacolla has a very rich bird community, some species of which are endemic to the Pantiacolla area, many species of monkey and other difficult to see mammals like deer and peccary. At night we explore the forest by torchlight looking for insects, frogs, snakes and the uniquely nocturnal night-monkey or 'douricouli'. We spend the next two nights in Pantiacolla Lodge in rustic and comfortable surroundings.

DAY 3: Pantiacolla Lodge: Excursion to the Petroleo stream
We take to the trails around Pantiacolla once again. With patience there may be a chance to see one of Manu's least known primates, the monk saki monkey before heading off to an area of natural oil and thermal springs. The water coming from the mountains has also formed pools where we can swim. Following the oil stream will take us back to the Alto Madre de Dios River, where our canoe will be waiting for us.

DAY 4: Pantiacolla Lodge-Tambo Blanquillo
From Pantiacolla Lodge we head downriver to Blanquillo and the macaw lick on the Madre de Dios River, where we will spend the night. As night falls we take a short walk to Lake Blanquillo to go moonlight caiman spotting.

DAY 5: Visit to the Macaw Lick
At first light we head to the macaw lick to watch the dazzling spectacle of hundreds of parakeets, parrots and macaws eating clay. In the afternoon there will be an excursion to one of the nearby lakes to look for monkeys, lakeside birds and the rare giant otter. We leave Blanquillo in the late afternoon for a short boat ride to Manu Wildlife Center, where we will be spending the next two nights. Here, at dusk we make a short hike to an amazing clay lick to wait for the Amazon's largest land mammal, the Brazilian tapir to appear. Studies have shown there is a 50% chance to see a tapir there, usually at a distance of about ten metres.

DAY 6: Macaw and Mammal Lick
This day gives those who would like to, the chance to visit either the macaw or the tapir lick again. The rest of the day is spent on the trails or on the Blanco River looking for anaconda and capybara.

DAY 7: Blanquillo-Boca Manu-Cusco
A short boat ride takes us to Boca Manu airport from where we take our return flight over the rainforest and the Andes to Cusco by light aircraft.