The Birds of Northern Peru

Tour Code: PER01

An 18-day holiday combining the best of northern Peru's birds, wildlife and culture, travelling from the verdant Amazonian lowlands to the breathtaking Maranon Canyon, across the Western Cordillera of the Andes, through dry foothills and desert, before finishing at the Tumbesian lowlands and Pacific coast.

18 days from
£6,895

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£5,895

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Highlights

Summary

We will explore northern Peru on this adventurous tour, travelling from the verdant Amazonian lowlands to the breathtaking Maranon Canyon, across the Western Cordillera of the Andes, through dry foothills and desert, then to the Tumbesian lowlands and crashing surf of the Pacific coast. Northern Peru is home to some of South America’s most iconic wildlife as well as rich in endemic birds and other wildlife. From the Marvellous Spatuletail to Spectacled Bear, river dolphins and the pyramids of ancient peoples, northern Peru is perhaps the overlooked highlight of a diverse and spectacular country … and on this comprehensive tour we’ll go in search of its many natural and cultural treasures.

Marvellous Spatuletail, Andean Cock-of-the-rock & Amazonian Umbrellabird
Tumbesian rarities such as White-winged Guan & Tumbes Tyrant
Spectacled Bear possible at Chaparri
Sechuran Fox, White-tailed Deer & many monkey species
Hummingbirds, tanagers, sunangels & vultures
Visit the stunning Maranon Canyon & pre-Inca pyramids at Pomac
The Chachapoya fortress of Kuelap (rivals Machu Picchu’s grandeur)
Stay in Amazonian lodges & explore on foot & by boat
Led by expert naturalist guides

Grading

Easy day walks only.

Northern Peru is arguably the overlooked highlight of a truly diverse and spectacular country. With a mountainous backbone dissected by the mighty Marañon River and its tributaries, this vast region is a biogeographic jigsaw that is surely yet to reveal many hidden wildlife secrets. We will explore it on this adventurous tour, as we travel from the midst of the verdant Amazonian lowlands to the breathtaking Utcubamba Canyon, over the Western Cordillera of the Andes, and through desert and dry foothills before concluding at Chaparri Lodge and the crashing surf of the Pacific.

This will be a spellbinding journey offering a wealth of opportunities to enjoy the region’s spectacular scenery and rich archaeological heritage, as well as an ornithological feast that may include such legendary gems as the remarkable Marvellous Spatuletail, endemic Incafinches, the endangered White-winged Guan (which was thought to be extinct for over 100 years), and a huge variety of more widespread species such as Andean Condor, King Vulture and Andean Cock-of-the-rock. Without doubt, this is one of the world’s most tantalising birding destinations!

We begin our tour with a flight to Iquitos, from where a short boat ride will deliver us to a well-appointed Amazonian lodge which allows us to embark on our holiday in style! Here we will explore a variety of Amazonian habitats, seeking the birds and wildlife of the region. We will pay special attention to an area of rare white-sand forest where there are several endemics, some only recently discovered, and to the inhospitable habitats on the islands in the river where several specialist species have also evolved. We should also see monkeys, river dolphins, caiman and much more as we explore this region on foot and by boat.

We next spend two days exploring the humid forests to the east of the Andes, home to such species as Royal Sunangel and huge mixed species flocks teeming with colourful tanagers. The lower elevations here also accommodate such sought-after species as Andean Cock-ofthe- rock and Amazonian Umbrellabird. We will eventually bird our way up to the high pass of Abra Patricia. The stunted forests around the pass, amidst the most awe-inspiring scenery of the tour, are home to some of Peru’s least known species. The birders’ lodge here, Owlet Lodge, is ideally placed overlooking the forested ridges falling away to the east, and will be our base for the next two nights. The Longwhiskered Owlet (after which our lodge is named), is one of the great ornithological mysteries of the continent. Discovered in 1976, it was for many years only ever encountered by a handful of mist-netting researchers. Finally, in February 2007, it was discovered naturally by researchers and has been seen by a regular trickle of keen birders since then.

Remaining in the Andes, we next explore the drainage basin of the mighty Marañon, one of Peru’s principal Amazonian tributaries. The area comprises an incredibly complex topography and it is here in these mountains that another suite of endemic species has evolved. Travelling up the spectacular Utcubamba Valley to the Andean town of Chachapoyas, we will, over the course of two days in the region, explore the area for birds, and also sample the remnants of the incredible Chachapoya culture which include the fortress of Kuelap (considered by many to rival Machu Picchu for its grandeur and location).

After crossing the Marañon itself, we will spend a night in the town of Jaen to search the nearby areas for such endemics as Marañon Thrush and Little Inca-finch. Next, we cross the lowest pass in the Andean chain (at just 2,200 metres) and, leaving the Andes behind, move on towards the dry coastal lowlands of the Tumbesian region of Peru, one part of the most diverse centre of bird endemism on the planet. Based at the rustic and charming Chaparri Ecological Reserve (run by the local community), the traditional cabins provide a comfortable base from which to go in search of such species as the critically threatened White-winged Guan and the endemic Tumbes Tyrant, as well as such mammals as White-tailed Deer and Sechuran Fox.

This coastal plain was once also home to a diversity of pre-Inca civilisations, including the Muchik who left behind a rich heritage of fine gold and silver jewellery in their adobe pyramids. We will see some of these huge structures at the Pomac Archaeological Sanctuary (which is also home to many of the endemic birds of the region) and, during a short visit to the Tumbas Reales Museum in Lambayeque, we will be able to marvel at the treasures of the Lord of Sipan. These were discovered as recently as 1988 and are now displayed in a splendid new museum that was recently named as one of the world’s 10 best small museums by the Art News magazine of New York.

DETAILED INFORMATION

Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1

Fly Lima

Day 2/4

Muyuna Lodge

Day 5

Iquitos

Day 6

Reserva Alpahuayo, Tarapoto

Day 7

Moyobamba

Day 8/9

Owlet Lodge, Abra Patricia

Day 10

Puerto Pumas

Day 11

Kuelap, El Chillo

Day 12

Jaen

Day 13

Tucume

Day 14/15

Chaparri Ecological Reserve

Day 16

Chiclayo

Day 17

Lima/in flight

Day 18

Arrive in UK

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What's Included

What's Included?

Flights
Accommodation: A mixture of the best available lodges and hotels, some very comfortable, some more rustic though clean; most with private facilities.
Food:
All food included in the price.

Reviews

The tour was excellent. The itinerary was uninterrupted and ran smoothly. Our tour guide Alejandro's knowledge of the birds, and his ability to identify them both by sight and hearing was amazing!
BM, Australia, Oct 19
This trip to Northern Peru was designed to seek out the birds of Peru, particularly endemics and to give us an insight into the pre-Inca cultures. It succeeded on all fronts. Excellent tour leaders with amazing birding skills escorted us into the Amazon, over the Andes and through the dry plains of western Andes to the Pacific Coast, their skills and knowledge enhancing the birding experience. The humidity and rains of the Amazon did nothing to dampen our enjoyment of walking forest trails and boating the tributaries and oxbow lakes seeking out the local wildlife, and we found loads! Equally birding the high hairpin roads, passing through remote villages and the warm welcome of the people contributed to an amazing holiday culminating in a visit to pre-Inca ruins and a superb museum of ancient artefacts .
D.P. Devon
Over 17 days we travelled from the Amazonian rainforest over the Andes to the Pacific coast of Northern Peru. The birdlife was outstanding and we saw several rare, even threatened, species such as Marvellous Spatuletail and Wattled Curassow. But it wasn't just birds as there were many other memorable experiences too - butterflies, mammals including the Amazon Pink River Dolphin - fantastic as they played around our small boat. Perhaps our most memorable time was listening to the night sounds in the thick dark forest - awesome!! The cultural history of Peru is just as interesting as the natural aspects and we visited two wonderful sites, Kuelep hill fort and The Lord of Sipan Museum. The accommodation and food was good to excellent throughout with our time staying in a Homestead and the end of tour seafood banquet, in a restaurant overlooking the Pacific Ocean, being our favourites. Finally our guides were of the highest quality - knowledgeable and friendly, and contributed significantly to the success of the trip. Overall it was a fantastic trip!
T.J. Leicestershire

Having been on your Macaws and Machu Picchu trip I was particularly keen to see more of Peru and this visit to Northern Peru was exactly what I had hoped for. It covered a wide range of habitats, which gave rise to a stunning variety of birds, animals, insects, plants and fungi. Northern Peru deserves to be far better known and appreciated. The scenery is magnificent, its archaeological remains easily comparable to those found further south, the people are delightful and friendly, and the hotels, I think without exception, were comfortable and welcoming. True there was a lot of travelling but what better way to see the country and appreciate its strengths and problems. The travelling was no more than on the Macaws and Machu Picchu trip and if the pre-trip information uses the word pioneering you know more or less what to expect and its not Hilton hotel-style luxury or lazy days spent by a swimming pool (thankfully). Of course a trip like this is busy at times but the rewards are enormous and well worth the effort. Rob was a knowledgeable and enthusiastic leader, the local guides were generous in sharing their considerable expertise and very proud of what their country had to offer. Ive been lucky enough to have two Naturetrek holidays this year and both have been excellent. I like the way you arrange the trips and your organisation is first-class. I also like the fact that you don't ignore local culture and history; the tours are well rounded and diverse. Of course there will be hitches but when they occur they are dealt with efficiently, quietly and quickly. It is also very encouraging that you listen to your customers and take note of what they say. I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this Northern Peru trip and Naturetrek to anyone and I look forward to travelling with you again in the near future.
S.S. Surrey

The Reserves for the Long Whiskered Owlet and the Marvellous Spatuletail are doing a great job and provided great views of these special rare birds. It was good to see the native people working to save their own flora and fauna and they were pleased to have foreign visitors to see their work.
M.W. Lancashire

Alejandro was the best field guide I have ever travelled with.
L.C. Surrey

The Lord of Sipan Museum was quite stunning which was an unexpected highlight. The trip to Kuelap was also a very memorable day: a very impressive ruin in a stunning setting.
T.R. Hampshire

This was a really excellent tour with spectacular scenery - it more than lived up to what we had expected/hoped for. Sitting in a boat in the middle of the Amazon with a picnic breakfast and observing the pink river dolphins was magical.
J.P. Buckinghamshire

This was intended as an opportunity to see a wide range of common species of birds characteristic of certain habitats plus localised endemics. The leader was outstanding in spotting and identifying birds as well as explaining about their ecology and taxonomic relationships.
D.P. Hertfordshire

Alejandro is probably the best guide I've travelled with, which is saying a lot. Overall, possibly the best trip I've ever done.
C.M. Gloucestershire

The major plus points were the superb leader Alejandro Solano, the itinerary which stayed just the right amount of time in each locality and the excellent accommodation. Alejandro could not be faulted as a leader as he has superb birding skills together with a desire for everyone to see each species. His scope abilities to get everyone on to each target (species) were exceptionally quick.Obviously the quality and quantity of species also made this tour particularly memorable. Easily the best birding experience in 40 years of tours.
T.D. Northumberland

A really good birding holiday with excellent cultural interest. Alejandro very good. His birding skills are superb and his group management and communication very good - top leader!
Mr & Mrs P. Devon

Overall the tour was excellent, covering a wide variety of habitats, birds and mammals, and with a bit of culture thrown in for good measure. The lodges we stayed at were fantastic - beautiful locations, friendly and obliging staff, and very good food.
K.P. Buckinghamshire

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Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost

Thu 2nd Oct – Sun 19th Oct FULL £6,895

Flights:

Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.

Flights are included in the tour cost

Regional Departures:

On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.

Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051

Land only cost:

The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.

£5,895

Single Room Supplement:

Single Room Supplement.

£595

Tour Leader:

Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary

Alejandro Solano

Tour Leader: Alejandro Solano

2026

Departures Availability Cost

Fri 2nd Oct – Mon 19th Oct SPACES £6,895

Book Tour Show Details

Flights:

Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.

Flights are included in the tour cost

Regional Departures:

On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.

Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051

Land only cost:

The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.

£5,895

Single Room Supplement:

Single Room Supplement.

£695

Tour Dates or Itinerary Don't Suit?

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Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

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Tour Reports

Tour report - October 2012

Tour report - October 2011

Tour report - October 2010

Tour report - October 2009

Tour report - October 2008

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