Day 1: The tour starts at Ayacucho Airport (AYP), with morning flights from Lima. This afternoon, we will visit a site for "Western" Bearded Mountaineer, and should see many more species like Ornate Tinamou, Green-tailed and Black-tailed Trainbearers, the endemic Rusty-fronted Canastero, Black-backed Grosbeak and more.

Day 2: This first full day will be a very long one, but it is the only way to get a couple of restricted endemics! Birding the surrounds of Rumicacha, in search of Ayacucho Antpitta, Ayacucho Thistletail, "La Mar" Ampay Tapaculo, and more species usually seen further north like Black-spectacled Brushfinch or Fiery-throated Metaltail. We will then drive back towards Ayacucho for an overnight.

Day 3: Today will mostly be a transit day, with some birding stops along the way to look for Pale-tailed Canastero amongst others. We will then spend two nights at Abancay, in the Apurimac Canyon.

Day 4: Visiting Bosque Ampay above town, we will be looking for a set of Apurimac Canyon endemics like Apurimac Spinetail, Ampay Tapaculo and Apurimac Brushfinch, but also numerous other interesting species like Yungas Pygmy Owl, Scaled Metaltail, White-tufted Sunbeam, "Apurimac" Violet-throated Starfrontlet, Creamy-crested Spinetail, Rusty-fronted Canastero, and Chestnut-breasted Mountain Finch. We may get lucky with the endemic Taczanowski’s Tinamou, while spotlighting will target "Apurimac" Koepcke’s Screech Owl and "Apurimac" Peruvian Pygmy Owl.

Day 5: After some birding around Abancay, we will continue eastwards towards Ollantaytambo for two nights. On the way, we will be looking for Vilcabamba Tapaculo, the fantastic "Eastern" Bearded Mountaineer, and have more chances for Taczanowski’s Tinamou and any missing Apurimac endemics.

Day 6: Full day to explore the Abra Malaga area, in search of the Critically Endangered Royal Cinclodes, along with Puna Tapaculo, White-browed and Tawny Tit-Spinetails, Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant, Cuzco Brushfinch and many more.

Day 7: After an early start, we’ll be birding some high elevation forest in search of Urubamba and Red-and-white Antpittas, Puna Thistletail, Marcapata Spinetail, Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant, Cuzco Brushfinch, Parodi’s and White-browed Hemispinus. We will then make our way to Vilcabamba for two nights.

Day 8: One full day birding in the Vilcabamba area to look for more range-restricted endemics like Vilcabamba Thistletail, Junin Canastero, and Vilcabamba Tapaculo. We also have a back-up site for Royal Cinclodes here if required.

Day 9: This morning we’ll have some back-up time for anything we would still need, and make our way towards Quillabamba for an overnight.

Day 10: We will be driving towards Cuzco today and looking for any endemics we might still need like Gould’s Inca, and can perhaps pay another visit at Abra Malaga. We will overnight in Cuzco, World Heritage Site and ancient capital city of the Inca Empire!

Day 11: Today we make our way towards Pillahuata, where we will spend one night at Wayqecha Biological Station. We will bird on our way, looking for specialties like White-tufted Sunbeam, Tit-like Dacnis, "Rufous-crowned" Marcapata Spinetail, and many more. We will begin our explorations of the highest reaches of the famous Manu Road, at dusk hoping to see a Swallow-tailed Nightjar.

Day 12: We will spend the day birding the higher to middle elevations of the Manu Road, looking in particular for Hooded Tinamou, Stripe-faced Wood Quail, Yungas Pygmy Owl, Red-and-white Antpitta, Hazel-fronted Pygmy Tyrant, Unadorned Flycatcher plus many more, before transferring lower down to our base for the next three nights.

Day 13-14: We’ll have two full days at middle elevations on Manu Road, hoping to find Peruvian Piedtail, Cabanis’s Spinetail, Yellow-rumped Antwren, Rufescent Antshrike, the range-restricted Slaty Gnateater, Cinnamon-faced Tyrannulet, Cerulean-capped and Yungas Manakins, or even the rare Solitary Eagle or Black-and-chestnut Eagle. A bit lower down, we’ll also search for some scarce south-west amazonian specialties like Peruvian Recurvebill and Bamboo Antshrike.

Day 15: After some last birding, we will transfer to the lowlands of Pillcopata, where we will spend the next three nights.

Day 16-17: Two full days in the lowlands. On one morning, we will ascend a little ridge and hope to find the rare Rufous-webbed Brilliant and White-browed Hermit. Also present are Peruvian Piedtail, Round-tailed Manakin and many more foothill specialties. Lower down, we have chances to connect with Starred and Rufous-breasted Wood Quails, Razor-billed Curassow, Sapphire Quail-Dove, a huge array of Antbirds like Bluish-slate Antshrike, Goeldi’s, Brownish-headed and White-lined Antbirds, Amazonian and Thrush-like Antpittas, Grey-throated Leaftosser, Plain Softtail, White-cheeked and Black-backed Tody-Flycatchers or even Spectacled Bristle Tyrant. There is also a slim chance of finding Rufous-vented Ground Cuckoo. 

Day 18: We will work our way back to Cuzco, birding along the way in search of any missing targets.

Day 19: The tour ends after breakfast with a transfer to Cuzco Airport (CUZ). 

MADRE DE DIOS EXTENSION (DETAILS TBC)

Day 1: Early morning start with flight to Puerto Madonaldo and transfer to Inkaterra Biological Station for three nights.

Day 2-3: Birding Inkaterra for Rufous-fronted Antthrush etc.

Day 4: Back to Puerto Madonaldo for two nights.

Day 5: Full day birding around Puerto Madonaldo for Bar-bellied Woodcreeper, Peruvian Recurvebill etc.

Day 6: Included flight back to Lima International Airport (LIM) for end of tour this afternoon