Manu Rafting to Choquequirao and Machu Picchu Trekking 18 Days

Duration
Difficulty
Adventure
Rapids Class
Rafting Distance
Rafting Duration
River Speed
Water Quality
Bugs?
Trekking Distance
Total Distance
Min Elev.
Max Elev.

18D/17N
3.5 of 5
9 of 10
2+
243km/151mi
6 + 2 hrs
5-9kph/3-6mph
Excellent
Yes
36km/22.4mi
342km/212mi
150m/500ft
4108m/13480ft

Day 1    Cusco - Atalaya
We leave Cusco around 10 am towards the south then climb up and over the mountains passing by the Chulpas of Ninamarca. We'll have lunch in Paucartambo before descending further another 3.5 hrs reaching the jungle town of Atalaya. Dinner at a local restaurant in Atalaya. Night in basic hostal.

Meals LD

Day 2    Atalaya - Lake Machuwasi - Colpa Camp
After a typical Peruvian breakfast at the local restaurant we'll take a short walk down to the Alto Madre de Dios river. We'll inflate our rafts and get to know the gear. We'll have a training session before setting off down into an Amazonian paradise. raft downriver 1 hr until we reach an entrance into the forest which will lead to Lake Machuwasi. We'll hike 20 mins to the lake then use local catamarans (log rafts) to paddle around the lake spotting hoatzin "Shanshos", capybaras, green parrots, turtles, egrets and kingfishers. Afterwards, we'll return to the river and have lunch before a 2 hr float downriver to our campsite near the "Colpa de Loros" (Clay Lick). In the afternoon we can go on a nature walk or swim in the river before dinner. Night walk options. Night hammock camping.

Meals BLD

Day 3    Clay Lick - Shintuya - Shintuya Lodge - Waterfalls - Hot Springs
Early this morning we'll wake up early and walk to the parrot clay lick "Colpa de Loros" located on the river banks where many species of parrots such as the Blue-headed parrot and White-eyed parakeet can be seen licking the clay to get minerals and salt supplements very important for their diet of seeds and fruits. The clay is negatively charged and helps rid them of toxins. We'll have breakfast here after the show then we'll set off again on our packrafts for approx. 3 hours along the Pantiacolla mountain range and its overhanging primary forest canopy until we reach the community of Shintuya. Here, we'll dock our boats and explore this pueblo, try fresh coconut milk, shop at the stores etc. We'll raft again another 20 mins until we reach our lodge where we will have lunch. In the afternoon we'll trek up to the Shinuya waterfalls. Arriving at the waterfalls, we can relax in the pools or jump off the 12-15 ft cliffs! We'll return to the lodge for dinner and to rejuvenate in the natural hot springs at the lodge. Night walk options. Night in lodge.

Meals BLD

Day 4    Shintuya Lodge - Alto Madre de Dios River
This morning we can again take another dip in the hotsprings before setting off again downriver, now leaving our point of no return where the road ends. We'll raft for about 6 hrs reaching a halfway point between Shintuya and Boca Manu. At any point for stopping off for lunch or bathroom breaks we can find tracks left in the mud or sand. Bring a monocular, binoculars or long lens so that you don't miss much from your raft. We'll decide on a spot together which has a clump of trees to accommodate our hammocks. Night hammock camping.

Meals BLD

Day 5    Alto Madre de Dios - Boca Manu
This morning after breakfast we will continue rafting another 5 - 6 hrs looking for wildlife on the way. The river here often splits and rejoins but we have the best opportunities to see wildlife by sticking to the far left or right banks. It's easy to float right by river otters, turtles and caiman and much easier to see overhead Kites, Herons and Swifts. Most animals prefer the calmer waters of small eddy-like turn offs, creeks and pools. We will explore these banks according to our speed and remaining daylight.

Meals BLD

Day 6    Madre de Dios - Puerto Azul
This morning after breakfast we will continue rafting another 5 - 6 hrs east where now the Alto Madre de Dios and Madre de Dios (Reserve Zone river) rivers meet. Shortly after leaving Boca Manu we reach a forgotten port. It's the old airstrip. We can paddle into this calm inlet and explore. There are old forgotten boat parts and if we are feeling adventurous, we can follow the Tapir tracks and hack our way towards the strip to see what still remains. Afterwards, we'll continue downriver where it now begins to wind more. At times we'll be rafting around peninsulas, learning how to spot the faster channels. In this stretch we'll begin to hear the Macaws clattering and find pairs crossing from one side of the river to the other. We have many opportunities for wildlife at the river banks if we look closely. After stopping for lunch we set off again now passing by a community of friendly locals and available (but limited) medical services at Puerto Azul. After another hour or so rafting we'll choose our campsite just before Tambo Blanquillo.

Meals BLD

Day 7    Madre de Dios - Madre de Dios (* Blanquillo Option)
This morning after breakfast we will continue rafting another 1 hr or so to Blanquillo. This marks our home stretch to Boca Colorado and today our goal is to make it to the halfway point to Boca Colorado. Blanquillo is a favorite for Birders and is often included in tours to Manu's reserve zone. During the months of June, July and Aug there is much less activity and the lodge does not promise Macaw sightings during this season. Nevertheless this is a nice lodge where fruit and cold drinks are available including wifi. You have the option to stay a night to see the clay lick in action the following morning. In this case, add a day to your itinerary. Otherwise we can continue on or add a day further down where there are more oxbow lakes to explore and possibly some on our own. We'll raft another 4 - 5 hrs until we find a nice campsite. Options for night walks and exploration are different at every site including monkeys, small non-poisonous tropical snakes and the occasional tarantula.

Meals BLD

Day 8    Madre de Dios - Boca Colorado
After breakfast we will continue rafting another 5 - 6 hrs towards our ending point and the mining town of Boca Colorado. In this area we can find small sidelets and canals with overhanging trees. In these areas we can easily spot hawks, Caracaras, Caiman and other mammals. We will plan an exploration of these canals if time allows and can add a day here to see more. There is also a couple of oxbow lakes with entrances from the main river which could be worthwhile for getting closer to the animals with great photo opportunites. Quietly packrafting a small canal provides the best opportunty for seeing animals with the absence of a loud motor on a tour group boat. Further downriver it gets wider still and begins to slow down as we get closer to Boca Colorado. After stopping for lunch we'll arrive in the afternoon and check into a local basic hostal with showers. We'll have the night to enjoy dinner and cold drinks in this busy town.

Meals BLD

Day 9    Boca Colorado - Cusco
After breakfast we will book a transfer car south 1 hr to the Inambari's river edge where we will catch a ferry to take us to the other side of the river. From there we will transfer again by car south to the bigger town of Mazuko and to the bus terminal. We will book a comfortable tour bus to Cusco and arrive at night.

Meals BL

Day 10    Cusco
Today we rest in Cusco with the option to take a City or Sacred Valley tour.

Meals LD

Day 11    Cusco - Cachora - Capuliyoc Mirador
At 6 am we leave Cusco on a double decker tour bus and arrive at Ramal de Cachora where we take a car through the town of Cachora and to the Capuliyoc Mirador arriving in the early afternoon. We have the rest of the day to enjoy scenic views of the snow-capped Padreyoc mountain and surrounding canyons from our glass sided bungalow. Night in bungalow.

Meals LD

Day 12    Chiquiska - Santa Rosa
At 7 am we begin our hike. Our mulateer will arrange our equipment and personal belongings on mules so we can enjoy the sites without the added weight. Today we will again see the majestic Padreyoc mountain as well as Corihuayrachina's glacier. The hike on this first day is 11km/7mi. On the way we can also see the Wayna Cachora snowfields, the Capuliyoc mirador lookout point and a beautiful mountainous descent towards the Apurimac river reaching the abandoned "Playa Rosalina" campsite (1550m/5085ft) for lunch before a difficult 2 hr ascent up to the Santa Rosa Baja campsite (1,966m/6,450ft).

Meals BLD

Day 13    Marampata - Choquequirao
Early morning at 5 am we continue our hike up to the pueblo of Marampata followed by Choquequirao. After arriving to Choquequirao in the early afternoon we will have time to visit the Agricultural Sector and House of the Waterfall which is 20 mins down from our campsite. There we can learn about Inca construction and terracing techniques which utilized adjacent canals along steps and pathways for year round irrigation. In the late afternoon we'll return to our campsite inside Choquequirao park.

Meals BLD

Day 14    Choquequirao Ruins - Pinchaunuyoc Ruins
This morning after a hearty breakfast we'll explore more of Choquequirao's ruins. We'll learn about the significance of the Inca's construction of double niches and niches for both sacred objects and mummified ancestors. From the campsite we'll go up to visit the Llama Sector on the west side followed by the Main Plaza, Ancestral Structure, Inca King's House, House of the Brothers (mummy room) and Hanan. After we make our way to the highest point we'll continue up further following a small unknown overgrown trail until we reach the Choquequirao Pass (3,300m/10,827ft) then down to a lookout point with a breathtaking view of the Vilcabamba mountains and Yanama and Apurimac river confluence. We'll continue down switchbacks for another 2 hrs through chaparral sage brush areas until finally arriving at the ruined terraces of Pinchaunuyoc (2,426m/7,960ft) where we will have dinner and make our campsite for the night on one of the many terraces.

Meals BLD

Day 15    Pinchaunuyoc - Rio Blanco - Maizal
Leaving Pinchaunuyoc we'll descend to 1869m/6134ft and to the Rio Blanco, "White River" named for the continual whitewater breaking over boulders. We can cool off in pristine clean water and rest a while before beginning another uphill hike. This day is very similar to our first day descending to the Apurimac then up to Santa Rosa Baja. We'll soon find ourselves in the Bosque Relicto "Relic Forest" which means an endemic species can be found there. Here it's possible to find wild fruits such as tomatillos and bean pods as well as vibrant butterflies and even Walking stick (Phasmids) insects. Long sleeves work best here for both flying insects and overhanging sage. Soon we pass through this ecological niche and find ourselves again heading for the clouds until we reach Maizal at 3032m/9946ft where we find a fork in the path and can either go left to a more touristic campsite or right to either Romulo or Zacharias' house to camp on one of the terraces. The view here tonight from your tent is surreal and it feels like sleeping in the clouds when the mist moves in and becomes lit by the moon "Mama Quilla".

Meals BLD

Day 16    Maizal - Yanama Pass - Yanama
This morning after breakfast we'll again head upwards through cloud forest finding a few blast mines along the way called the Victoria Mines. We'll reach the pass at 4,108 m/13,480ft around lunch time where we can relax and take in the panorama. Then we'll begin a 2 hr descent to Yanama 3,547m/11,638ft again passing by mines cut straight into the mountain. The views here are more crisp at this higher "Altiplano" elevation. We leave behind the humid jungle setting and prepare for a colder night near a campfire. Tonight marks the end of our difficult portion of the trek. Tonight we can celebrate with a soda or beer from the nearby tienda. Night camping with full/basic facilities.

Meals BLD

Day 17    Yanama - Hidroelectrica - Aguas Calientes
Today we begin with a passenger van ride through altiplano backcountry ~4 hrs. We'll first head up he valley to the Totora Pass where we may have to do some light maintenance where the river intersects with the road. This is a nice break from the duration and gives us a chance to snap photos of the surrounding landscape. After crossing the pass by car we head down towards Totora where it becomes greener and warmer. We continue by car through Colcalpampa (Salkantay Trek intersection) and down into jungle, watching the Santa Teresa River wind it's way along the road. Finally we reach Santa Teresa around 11 am and take a transfer with our backpacks to the Hydroelectric station "Hidroelectrica". After a short 10 min ride we begin a 2 hr walk along flat ground a follow the tracks until we reach Aguas Calientes early afternoon. Soon we're checked in to our hotel, cleaned up and ready to explore this very touristic town. Night in Hotel.

Meals BLD

Day 18    Machu Picchu - Train to Ollantaytambo - Cusco
Today we visit Machu Picchu. We'll begin by bus until we reach he entrance. After we meet up with our guide we'll tour these ruins for 2 hrs followed by 2 hrs Free Time to explore or take photos. Around noon we'll descend again to Aguas Calientes where we are on our own for lunch until our train departure time. We'll also have Free Time to see Aguas Calientes before we embark on a 1.5 hr train ride through the Peruvian jungle and along the Urubamba "Vilcanota" river. After reaching Ollantaytambo your bus transfer will be waiting at the station ready to take you back to Cusco arriving at night.

Meals B (Boxed Lunch)