Peru Hummingbird Tour - 9 Days

We will pick you up from your hotel or the airport (morning flights) to explore by walk the most important cultural sites of Cusco City, the Temple of the Sun and the Cathedral. At appropriate time we will go down to the Sacred Valley to spend our first night in Ollantaytambo town at 2400 masl in order to acclimate ourselves for the next day.

Early in the morning we will go to Abra Malaga. we will visit the high places where the Andean Hillstar, Olivaceous and Blue-mantled Thornbill are usually appreciated in the area, we can also appreciate endemic or interesting birds such as Junin and Rusty-fronted Canasteros, Tawny and White-browed Tit-Spinetails, Puna Tapaculo, Stripe-headed Antpitta, Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant and more.

Our lunch will be a box lunch and at the appropriate time we will descend to the eastern side of the Andes where we will spend the night at 1650 high in the middle of the Cloud Forest.

Early in the morning we will go to a Cock-of-the-Rock lek and after that and with better light we will go in search of the hummingbirds of the area such as the Green-and-White, Swallow-tailed, Speckled Hummingbird, Blue-tailed Emerald, Long-tailed Sylph, Chestnut-breasted Coronet, Bronzy Inca, Fawn-breasted Brilliant, Amethyst-throated Sunangel and Violet-throated Starfronlet among 10 other species.

At the indicated time we will return through the Abra Málaga towards the town of Ollantaytambo to catch the train to the town of Aguas Calientes, where we will spend the night.

We will start our Machu Picchu Birdwatching Tour at 5:30 am with a peaceful walk towards the Ruinas bridge. Once we get there, we will explore the area in order to look for Machu Picchu birds like woodpeckers, tanagers, flycatchers, but especially we will look for the Machu Picchu endemic birds known as Masked Fruiteater and of course Hummingbirds as Booted Raquet tailed, Buff-thighed Puffleg, Collared inca, Great Sapphirewing, Lesser violetear and more.

According to the time, we will continue on the way to Mandor cascades. The landscape is flat and it will give us the chance to look for other Machu Picchu birds.

At appropriate time we will return to Aguas Calientes town to have our lunch (Lunch is not included)

At 1:00 pm with our guide, we will catch the bus to go uphill to the Machu Picchu citadel to begin the one-hour and a half tour of this magical place. In some areas of Machu Picchu citadel (on the bamboo patches) you will have the opportunity to find other Machu Picchu endemic birds known as Inca wren and Cuzco Brushfinch

At indicated time (30 minutes before your train schedule) you will be ready to board the train to go back to the train station of Ollantaytambo. After arriving we move on foot to the selected hotel.

This day we will start not too early, at 7:00 am we will move to the Ensifera Camp hummingbird garden, place where more than 10 species have been registered and where the Sword-billed Hummingbird, white bellied woodstar, White-tufted Sunbeam and occasionally the Bearded Mountaineer and Great Sapphirewing stand out.

In the middle of the morning, we will continue through the Sacred Valley of the Incas towards the town of Pisaq and from there we will continue along an affirmed road towards the Manu Cultural Area. Our night will be at the Wayquecha biological station

From the moment we wake up we can begin to observe the hummingbirds at the feeders and trails of the biological station such as the Sapphire-vented Puffleg, Collared Inca, Rufous-capped Thornbill, Scaled Metaltail, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Amethyst woodstar, Green-tailed Trainbearer, Mountain Velvetbreast and more.

At the appropriate time we will continue descending towards the Amazon through the Manu Road and in a few kilometers, we will be at the Cock of the Rocks hostel. Of course, on the route we will have strategic stops in search of other species of birds.

This will also be a very quiet morning, because from the dining room we will be able to observe more fantastic hummingbirds in the area, among which Great-billed Hermit, Green hermit, Many-spotted Hummingbird, Peruvian Piedtail, Rufous-webbed Brilliant, Sapphire-spangled Emerald, Violet-front Brilliant, Violet-throated Starfrontlet, Wire-crested Thorntail stand out and others.

At a convenient time, we will continue with the descent to the lowest area of our destination, about 1000 masl. On the route we will continue making strategic stops until we reach the Villa Carmen Biological Station.

On this last day of bird watching in Manu we will visit an incredible garden of orchids and hummingbirds. A strategic place for the most beautiful photos. Here we will have the opportunity to wait for the Blue-fronted Lancebill, Buff-tailed Sicklebill, Fork-tailed Woodnymph, Golden-tailed Sapphire, Gould's Jewelfront, Gray-breasted Sabrewing, Long-billed Starthroat, Rufous-creasted Coquette, Violet- headed Hummingbird, White-bearded Hermit and White-necked Jacobin

At mid-morning we will start the return spending the night once again at the Biological Station of Wayquecha.

Early in the morning we will continue with our return to the City of Cusco. In this last section we will have a brief stop in Huambutillo and Huacarpay wetland in a final search for the Bearded Mountaineer (in case we had not seen it before).

Arrival in the City of Cusco and end of the program in the Main Square, selected hotel, airport or bus / train station.

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