Birding & Culture peru
Explore Peru’s History and Birdlife
A Journey Through Nature and Heritage
Peru offers a unique blend of birding and cultural exploration, making it a top destination for travelers seeking nature and heritage. Beyond its diverse bird habitats—from cloud forests to the Amazon rainforest—Peru is steeped in history as the heart of ancient civilizations like the Inca Empire. Iconic cultural sites such as Machu Picchu, the Sacred Valley, and historic Cusco reveal Peru’s legacy, while modern traditions in art, music, and cuisine showcase a vibrant fusion of indigenous and colonial influences. Our birding and culture tours are led by expert guides knowledgeable in both natural and cultural history, offering an immersive journey through Peru’s landscapes and heritage
Explore Peru’s coast, Andes, and Amazon with our field guide birding tours or customized birding trips. Not sure where to start? Check our suggested itineraries or contact us for a personalized experience.
@alexandrah976
Amazing experience!
We had an incredible experience with Manakin Expeditions. We were staying in the Sacred Valley and wanted to see some cloud forest birds, so we took a day tour to Abra Malaga. Miguel, who helped us set up the tour, was incredibly helpful. Danny Vargas, our guide, was an expert ornithologist, a conservationist, and a source of knowledge about the Sacred Valley and its surrounds. The tour was both extremely professional and very personalized, and we learned about the birds (and even picked up some birding techniques), the history, and the biology of the area. Our box lunches were delicious, our driver was friendly and professional - just an amazing experience with an extremely professional operation. I would recommend Manakin Expeditions to anyone travelling to the Cusco area or beyond, for any reason, but particularly for those wanting to spot some of Peru's amazing birds.
@CtheworldCtheworld
Amazing birding adventure with guide from Manakin Expeditions
Apr 2024 • Couples
We were whisked away from Cusco with Danny a few years back for an epic birding adventure prior to the formation of Manakin. I recall that he would hear a bird and identify it while driving, without even seeing the species. We spent time viewing the Cock of the Rock and then we spent almost a week in Manu, exploring the vast and magnificent untouched beauty. We were quite remote and we had the most wonderful time. Danny led a wildlife count each evening accompanied by photos, we played games, ate wonderful food, and basked in the wildness and remoteness of the area. We also stopped in many highland areas to view hummingbirds and ruins. We saw many species of monkeys, saki, tamarin, capuchin troops, spider, woolly monkey (left me breathless), sloth, tapir, caimans, hoatzin, and too many birds to mention. This was one of the most memorable trips I have been on, and I would book time with Danny again in an instant. I always felt safe and he is extremely knowledgeable about all creatures great and small.
@christopherjoel
Amazing birding adventure with guide from Manakin Expeditions.
We met Danny Vargas at our beautiful hotel in Cuzco to embark on a trip to the Manu Wilderness Lodge. On the way, Danny had the driver stop several times to see rare birds and we saw a beautiful troop of wooly monkeys.
I'm a serious birder and I studied my field guide, "Birds of Peru," for at least a year prior to the trip but Danny proved to be highly competent. I quit keeping notes when I discovered how good Danny was about putting together a list of sightings each evening from memory.
We saw the much sought after Andean cock-of-the-rock and Vanessa, a mostly wild tapir.
We soon came to share his love of what I call chicken restaurants where chickens come in until the owner chases them out. They're great places to have indigenous Peruvian food.
I've had excellent birding guides all over the world and Danny was one of the greatest of the great. I got 176 life birds on my life list, due in no small part to Danny's competence as a birder.
@J9964LQjamesp
Professional, dedicated, and completely customizable!
Danny and the team at Manakin Expeditions are professional and beyond comparison in terms of their ability to create customized tours to suit your individual interests. I took a 16-day tour with Danny that was specifically catered to tracking down an extensive list of target bird species throughout northern Peru, and he put together an amazing itinerary that allowed us to see nearly every bird on my list! His expertise in the field and knowledge on local spots is unparalleled, and his dedication and patience for tracking down even the most elusive birds for a client is impressive. I'm a fairly experienced birder that has had many bird guides around the world and Danny is among the best I've had. The drivers we had were also professional and very friendly. The accommodations and food were great and were picked based on my budget. If you are looking for someone who will go above and beyond to give you a customized experience rather than just a one-size-fits-all bird tour, this is absolutely the company to do it with.
@U2352AOstevenl
Great Day at Abra Malaga. I spent an entire day with Danny from Manakin Expeditions. We went to Abra Malaga and had a great day of birding. We saw spectacular vistas and over 31 species.
Food was provided which was a nice unexpected surprise.
Danny is personable, reliable and knows where to go to find the birds.
I wouldn't hesitate to use him again.
@NaNaOakland
Birding & cultural tour in Peru. Danny is so knowledgeable, engaging, caring, and patient.
With Danny's guidance, my birding & photography skills improved. It was the trip of a lifetime. We got to experience diverse ecosystems and encounter rare species that are a part of the delicate web of life specific to each region. We also got to see historic cultural sites, meet artisans and craftspeople, and tour the salt spring and learn about the community.
I highly recommend Danny as a guide and trip leader!
Food was provided which was a nice unexpected surprise.
Danny is personable, reliable and knows where to go to find the birds.
I wouldn't hesitate to use him again.
