Birding Tour To Machu Picchu, Cloud Forests, Andes & Inca Trail

We will leave the Cusco hotel at 6:00 AM and drive for 1 hour and 30 minutes towards the small community of Yanahuara, located in the Sacred Valley. Early mornings are usually the most active hours for hummingbirds, making this the perfect time to begin our birding day.

In Yanahuara Community, we visit the Ensifera Yanahuara, where we spend a few hours around the Ensifera feeders and nearby vegetation looking for species such as the Sword-billed Hummingbird, Giant Hummingbird, and Green-and-white Hummingbird. Some mornings can be very active, with several species moving constantly between the flowers and feeders. This place offers up to 12 species of birds to spot. If you are lucky, you can observe approximately 8 species.

After birding, we continue towards the famous Maras Salt Mines, where hundreds of salt pools cover the side of the mountain. Local families still harvest salt here using traditional methods that have existed since pre-Inca times.

Depending on our time, we can have lunch before the Maras Salt Mines or after. Your guide will let you know, and you will get to one of the nice local restaurants.

After lunch, we visit Moray, a unique archaeological Inca site in the Cusco region, formed by circular terraces built at different elevations, which creates different types of microclimates. The surrounding landscapes are beautiful, especially the Urubamba Mountain Range, which is spectacularly seen from this place, and especially on clear days when the mountains open across the valley.

After the tour, we drive to our hotel located in the Sacred Valley.

• Hotel: Casa Andina Premium Sacred Valley, Tierra Viva Sacred Valley, or a similar hotel.

Our guide will meet you at your hotel at 7 AM for another great birding day. Then you drive for 1 hour and 15 minutes towards the valley of San Salvador (still part of the Sacred Valley). The morning is focused on the Colibrí Sanctuary (Sacred Garden), where several species of hummingbirds can be observed at the gardens and feeders. 

Depending on the season, it is possible to observe species such as the Bearded Mountaineer, Sparkling Violetear, Green-tailed Trainbearer, Rusty-fronted Canastero, and other small Andean birds moving through the shrubs and polylepis bushes surrounding the sanctuary.

Today, besides the birdwatching experience, San Salvador Village offers a very different atmosphere from the busy tourist places in the Sacred Valley, with traditional extensive farming areas of quinoa, corn, and potatoes. Open valleys and mountain scenery make the area feel peaceful and unique. 

After having enough time at the Sacred Garden, we drive to the Pisac Archaeological Site; Pisac is one of the most impressive Inca sites in the Sacred Valley. The ruins lie along the mountainside overlooking the valley below and include massive agricultural terraces, trails, ceremonial areas, panoramic viewpoints, and the largest Inca cemetery in the Cusco region.

While exploring the ruins, there are some chances to spot highland species soaring above the cliffs or moving through the dry Andean vegetation, like the Andean Flicker or the Andean Tinamou, if you are lucky. 

After visiting Pisac, we will drive back to your hotel in the Sacred Valley. 

• Hotel: Casa Andina Premium Sacred Valley, Tierra Viva Sacred Valley, or a similar hotel.

Today, we will start early in the dawn, at 4 AM, our guide will come to your hotel in the Sacred Valley and drive towards Abra Málaga for 2 hours, one of the best birding areas in the Sacred Valley. As we gain elevation up to 14’160 ft/ 4316 m, the landscape slowly changes from green valleys to the dry highland mountains.

The morning will be spent exploring different sections of the cloud forest, searching for some of the species that make this area so special among birders. Depending on the weather and activity, we may encounter colorful tanagers feeding quietly in the canopy, Rufous Antpitta underneath the thick vegetation, or hummingbirds appearing briefly along the roadside vegetation, which are often found in this type of forest. You can also find some orchids along the road.

Birding here can feel very different from the open valleys around the Sacred Valley. This cloud forest is quieter, lush, and constantly changing with the fog drifting through the mountains and valleys.

After having enough time for birding, we will continue driving to Tunkiwasi Lodge, a simple but welcoming place managed by a local family located in a cloud forest, where you can still spot birds around the lodge. Staying here allows us to spend more time in the area and experience the slower rhythm of life in the mountains.

At night, you will enjoy a delicious, fresh dinner prepared by a local family.

• Overnight at Tunkiwasi Lodge (a lodge run by a local family).

Today, a nice and succulent breakfast will make us ready for another great birding day. We will spend another morning birding around the cloud forests, this time focusing on some of the feeders and forest edges, where activity is usually best during the early hours of the day.

One of the highlights is visiting a local feeding station where several species of tanagers often gather at close range. Depending on the season and conditions, it is possible to observe Flame-faced Tanagers, Blue-gray Tanagers, Beryl-spangled Tanagers, and sometimes the striking Versicolored Barbet moving quietly around the fruit feeders and nearby trees. Hummingbirds are also common here, constantly moving between flowers and feeders throughout the morning.

After the feeder, we will visit a special place, where the Andean Cock-of-the-rock can usually be seen, the national bird of Peru. Males are sometimes seen displaying near the forest slopes, their bright orange-red plumage standing out against the dark green cloud forest.

The day is relaxed and flexible, allowing time to enjoy the cloud forest and continue observing species that may have been missed the previous day.

In the afternoon, we will drive back to our hotel in the Sacred Valley.

• Hotel: Casa Andina Premium Sacred Valley, Tierra Viva Sacred Valley, or a similar hotel.

Today’s adventure starts at 5:40 AM from your hotel in the Sacred Valley, and we will head to the train station in Ollantaytambo. The train departs at 7:05 AM, following the Urubamba River as the landscape gradually changes from the Sacred Valley into the greener cloud forests closer to Machu Picchu.

The train takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to reach the trailhead called Km 104. Upon arrival at this point, we will register at the main checkpoint, as we will hike within the Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, an area extremely protected by the national government. After the registration, we will begin the Short Inca Trail, one of the most scenic sections of the original Inca road system. The trail passes through humid forest, stone pathways, and archaeological sites like Chachabamba and Wiñaywayna (the most beautiful one) while offering occasional opportunities to observe birds moving through the vegetation along the route, like the Gray-breasted Mountain-Toucan.

As we continue hiking, the forest becomes denser and more lush, with orchids, moss-covered trees, and the constant sound of birds. Depending on the activity during the day, species such as tanagers, hummingbirds, and flycatchers can often be seen around the forest edges. This hike takes approximately 7 hours from the beginning to Machu Picchu.

One of the highlights of this hike is reaching Inti Punku (Gate of the Sun), where the first panoramic view of Machu Picchu appears in the distance after several hours on the trail.

From there, we continue down toward Machu Picchu Citadel, where we will take our time to enjoy the afternoon views of this unique, iconic Peruvian landmark, as the afternoon is when the place becomes less crowded. After that, we will reach the checkpoint and take the bus to Aguas Calientes Town.

• Hotel: Tierra Viva Machu Picchu, with Casa Andina Standard Machu Picchu as an alternate option.

Today, we will start the day early at 5:30 AM from your hotel to take one of the first buses up to Machu Picchu. Visiting the site early in the morning usually offers some advantages: a quieter atmosphere, with mist slowly moving through the mountains as the citadel begins to reveal itself.

The morning will be for a comprehensive guided tour, where you will learn about the history of this great site and the natural environment surrounding it. The cloud forest around the sanctuary is also home to many species of birds, and it is not unusual to hear or spot species moving through the vegetation near the ruins during the quieter hours of the morning.

After having enough time to enjoy and experience this place, we will take the bus back to Aguas Calientes Town, where you will have time for lunch before taking the train to Ollantaytambo.

At 2:55 PM or 3:48 PM, we will board the train to Ollantaytambo, following once again the scenic route along the Urubamba River. Upon arrival at Ollantaytambo train station, our private transportation will meet us at the station for the final drive back to Cusco, where we will expect to arrive at around 7:30 PM.

• Hotel: Casa Andina Premium with Tocuyeros as an alternative option.

We will start early at 4:00 AM and will drive for approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes toward the small community of Chonta, located above the impressive Apurímac Canyon and surrounded by great views.

Part of the road is not asphalt and passes through remote Andean landscapes, traditional farming areas, and mountain valleys before reaching the trailhead. From here, we continue on foot along a scenic path overlooking the canyon. This hike takes 1 hour and 30 minutes, and it is one of the best places in the Cusco region to observe the Andean Condor.

As the morning warms up and air currents begin to rise from the canyon, condors are often seen gliding across the cliffs at surprisingly close range. Watching these massive birds flying over the deep canyon is usually one of the most special moments of the entire journey.

Besides the condors, the area can also offer sightings of other high Andean species moving across the open mountainsides and rocky slopes surrounding the canyon. One of the species to spot is usually the Andean Parakeet.

After spending enough time at the viewpoints (there are several observatory viewpoints) and enjoying the landscapes of the Apurímac Canyon, we will return on foot to the Chonta Village, from where we will take our private transportation back to Cusco.

• Hotel: Casa Andina Premium with Tocuyeros as an alternative option.

After spending 9 days of birding, visiting ancient sites, and immersing in the local culture, and after having a memorable time, it is time to go home. We will pick you up from your hotel 2 hours and 30 minutes prior to the flight departure time, and transfer you to the airport. End of the birdwatching adventure.