Day 1
UK – Cusco

The excitement starts at the airport in London, where we meet for the first time and catch our group flights to Cusco in Peru.

Our local challenge leader welcomes us upon our arrival and we transfer to our hotel in the city. This stunning ancient Inca capital enjoys a mountainous backdrop and streets bursting with colourful cultural history.

Once we’ve settled into our hotel, we finish the day with an exciting briefing from our challenge leader.

Day 2
Cusco – Acjanaco – Pillahuata (2,700m) | approx. 8km/4 hours trekking

After a restful night and breakfast, enjoying the luxuries of a hotel, we journey into the wilderness of the high Andes.

Waking early, we transfer (approx. 5 hours) to our starting point in Acjanaco (3,600m) at the entrance of the Manu Biosphere Reserve, stopping at the charming village of Paucartambo (2,700m) along the way.

We couldn’t have asked for a better place to commence our challenge. The amazing Manu National Park covers a whopping 1,716,295.22 hectares, extending from the High Andes to the lowlands of the Amazon Jungle.

That’s an area nearly twice the size of Jamaica – and you can bet that every inch of it is beautiful, every square mile alive with tropical wildlife!

Heading down the eastern slopes of the Andes, we hike through humid puna grassland, dotted here and there with orchids, ferns and bromeliads. The terrain will range from an old footpath down the mountains and a gravel road, which may be muddy if it's a rainy day.

We keep our eyes peeled for the rare spectacled bears that live here, plus over 150 bird species, from brightly coloured emerald toucanets to handsome hawks and caracaras.

The cloud around us thickens as we venture deeper into the forest, creating a sense of magic and shrouding us in a world void of every-day stresses.

Finally, we reach Pillahuata, where we set up camp and settle down for dinner. We sleep in cosy tents.

Day 3
Pillahuata – San Pedro – Rio Tono | approx. 10-11km/6 hours trekking

A freshly made breakfast at our camp set us up for a longer trek today. Winding our way through forested mountains, we’re now in birds’ country, so we recommend you bring your binoculars with you.

Our challenge leader, who knows this area inside out, will point out the many different plants, birds and other animals we’ll pass, eyes attuned to spotting them even with their intricate camouflage, in some cases.

We’re likely to see the national bird, the bright red Cock of the Rocks (Rupicola peruviana) and hooded mountain tanagers, among many others, including hummingbirds, the golden-headed quetzals, a small bird whose gold head, green wings and red breast may make you think of Christmas!

If we’re lucky, we might glimpse a woolly monkey swinging between the branches above us.

Stopping for lunch, we continue through the cloud forest to our minibus and transfer to the Park Guard Station at the Rio Tono (850m).

Here, we set up our camp by the stream in the lower cloud forest. Now, we can tuck into dinner and settle down in our tents, surrounded by an array of tropical flora, alive with the chattering of birds and insects. We may even hear the whine of a monkey.

Day 4
Rio Tono – Atalaya – Boca Manu – Maquisapayoj Lodge, Manu Lowland/approx. 5-8km

We have an easy day, beginning with a coach drive past the village of Pilcopata and across the neighbouring river to the small port town of Atalaya. Along the way, we jump on the chance to visit a stunning local orchid garden and stroll along the road to spot monkeys and still more birds.

It will be slow going these next few days trekking in the lowland rainforest, through thick vegetation and possibly some roots underfoot to avoid, with a few creek crossings.

We’ll look out for all kinds of animals as we catch our scenic motorised canoe ride to the Manu lowland. Kingfishers, fasciated tiger herons, vultures and skimmers may perch by the riverbank or even dart down into the water in front of us to catch their prey.

We might also spot caimans (crocodiles) basking in the sunshine and the fantastic thirteen species of monkeys enjoying the humid habitat.

We take a short break from the boat to stretch our legs and wander around the beautiful Boca Manu (or Fitzcarrald), the main village of Manu. This gives us the amazing opportunity to meet the local residents and gain insight into their harmonious way of life.

Then, it’s back in the boats until we find the Maquisapayoj Lodge, our home for the night, whose name translates to “Place of the Black Spider Monkey”!

Eager to stretch our legs, we finish our day with a night walk to watch out for snakes, insects, frogs and of course, black spider monkeys!

Then we settle down at the lodge to enjoy a touch of luxury, sleeping in double rooms with private bathrooms.

Day 5
Maquisapayoj Lodge – Maquisapayoj Tapir Lick/approx. 5-8km

Waking at daybreak, we’re out into the wilderness to watch out for the early birds and listen to the dawn chorus of the jungle. We return to the lodge for breakfast and set off to enjoy nature at its best.

Following no trail we can see with our untrained eyes, our guide leads the easiest way through the dense jungle. This wild terrain may be tricky underfoot, but the chances to encounter the extraordinary animals and plants hiding here are worth a thousand times the challenge!

Hiking through this unique habitat gives us the opportunity to spot more species than is possible anywhere else on our planet. Parrots, Pavonine Quetzal and Manakins fly overhead, while sloths, saddle-backed tamarins, black spider monkeys and red howler monkeys roam the trees.

These aren’t any old trees either. As we walk, our guide points out the varying plants we pass, including giant water lilies, rubber trees, the walking palm tree, spiky passion flowers, monkey trees and many, many more. If we’re lucky, we’re also in for a chance of spotting anteaters and jaguars!

Fuelling up with lunch, we’re back on our feet this afternoon to hike through the primary rainforest to the mammal salt lick of the reserve. Salt licks or clay licks are the rainforest’s equivalent to the African savannah.

Here, we have the best chance to see different animal species, especially tapirs, as they come to feast on the salt and other nutrients that they can’t get from the rest of their diet.

The excitement doesn’t end here. We now set out building shelters, using only the resources provided by Mother Nature! Our challenge leader gathers the resources and teaches us how to construct them in the way of the Natives!

After dinner, we may have the chance to feel the fruits of our labour and sleep in the shelters we’ve constructed. Otherwise, we’ll lay out our roll mats by the mammal salt lick to maximise our chances of seeing more of these incredible animals by night. You may also choose to sleep back at the lodge if you prefer.

Day 6
Maquisapayoj Tapir Lick – Blanco Lake – Tapir Lick/approx. 5-8km

Beginning the day with another early morning, those of us who slept in our shelters or by the tapir lick return to meet those who rested at the lodge for breakfast.

Gathering our things, we hike to Cocha Blanco (Blanco Lake) a beautiful oxbow lake full of waterlilies. We find catamarans banked at the lake and clamber in for a chance to encounter the giant otters swimming here!

As the name implies, these adorable mammals are the longest of the weasel family and the noisiest of the otters! Sadly, like most of the animals hiding in the Amazon Rainforest, they’re critically endangered, thanks to decades of poaching and the destruction of their habitat.

We’re likely to find this chance to spot them bittersweet, as it weren’t for protected havens, like the Manu Biosphere Reserve, they could be driven to extinction in our lifetime.

Taking in the lake’s serene surroundings on a boat ride, we have another chance to see caimans, monkeys and all sorts of flora soaking up its waters.

After we’ve bid the otters a fond farewell, we return by boat to the lodge. Fuelling up with lunch, we take our wildlife watching further in the afternoon by exploring another trail. Now a little more accustomed to the rainforest, we know what to look and listen out for.

Tonight, we have the option again to sleep at the lodge or on a platform by the mammal salt lick or at the lodge near the river.

Day 7
Maquisapayoj Lodge – Colorado – Cusco

Waking at the mammal salt lick or at the lodge, we tuck into our final breakfast in the rainforest, before catching a scenic boat ride (approx. 2.5 hours) to the small gold mining town of Colorado. Here, our car awaits to transfer us (approx. 1 hour) to Puerto Carlos.

Crossing the river with small boats, we meet our coach in the small town of Santa Rosa. From here, we journey to Cusco, enjoying our last view of the mystical cloud forest and the spectacular Ausangate Mountain in the Andes.

Tonight, we toast our success at having conquered this Amazon-azing adventure, with a delicious celebration dinner, before a great night’s sleep at our hotel in Cusco!

Days 8 & 9
Cusco - UK

Today is free for you to spend as you wish in Cusco before our journey home tonight.

You might want to check out the incredible Koricancha, a golden temple said to be the holiest site in Incan mythology, including the Santa Domingo Church (or the Iglesia de Santa Domingo) and/or get a load of the colonial architecture, enormous Inca stones and beautiful local handicrafts.

Otherwise, simply kick back and enjoy the spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

Please make your own lunch arrangements today – a final chance to make the most of the delicious local food.

Later in the day, we reunite and transfer to the airport for our overnight flight back to the UK.

Touching down in London on Day 9, we say goodbye and you make your own way home, your mind and camera bursting with unbeatable memories!