Day 1: Cusco-Sacsayhuaman-Ollantaytambo-Aguas Calientes
The tour begins with a 5 am flight from Lima to Cuzco.
We’ll take a short drive around Cusco's main plaza with the cathedral and a short stop if time permits to bird close to the impressive Inca ruins of Sacsayhuaman above town Creamy-crested Spinetail, Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch, Peruvian Sierra-Finch, Yellow-billed Tit-Tyrant, Chiguanco Thrush, Red-backed Hawk, Black-backed Grosbeak, Sparkling Violetear and Golden-billed Saltator are all possible here.
We then travel over the Chincheros plain with gasping views of the glaciers of the Vilcanota range.
We will leave our main luggage at the hotel and repack our day pack with enough clothes and toiletries to last us until tomorrow evening.
Around 11.53 AM we take train to Aguas Calientes. From the train, we shall look out for Torrent Duck, White-capped Dipper, and Torrent Tyrannulet in the stream that runs along the railroad track. Usually, these are also seen in Aguas Calientes depending on the water levels. To save some time, we carry a box lunch to be eaten on the train.
After checking in at our hotel we will take the bus to Machu Picchu citadel for an afternoon visit. A little-known fact is that the light for photography at Machu Picchu is much better in the afternoon than early morning and there are far fewer people. Close to the ruins, one can find the endemic Inca Wren, White-winged Black-Tyrant, Dull-colored Seedeater, Highland Elaenia, sometimes Peregrine or Orange-breasted Falcon and Green-and-White Hummingbird.
Back in Aguas Calientes at dusk, those who want can look for Lyre-tailed Nightjar near the hotel. Hotel in Aguas Calientes. We recommend upgrading just this night with Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. The birding there in the afternoon and the next morning is very good and not available for non-guests.
Day 2: Birding Machu Picchu.
An early start with a predawn breakfast. The area below the ruins is rich with birds and many good species can be seen such as: Torrent Duck, White-capped Dipper, Mitred Parakeet, Barred Parakeet, Andean Guan, Andean Cock-of-the Rock, Ocellated Piculet, White-eared Solitaire, Highland Motmot, Variable Antshrike, Black-streaked Puffbird, White-crowned, Sierran and Highland Elaenias, the endemic Masked Fruiteater, Saffron-crowned, Flame-faced, Rust-and-Yellow and Beryl-spangled Tanagers, Mottled-cheeked and Sclater's Tyrannulet and many more. We do some additional birding at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel gardens with those who have upgraded their stay. Here both hummingbirds and tanagers attend the feeders. We return to Ollantaytambo after a late lunch, to have enough time to also visit the impressive Ollantaytambo ruins.
Day 3: Birding Abra Malaga
If you are fit, you will leave at 5.30 for the drive to the Abra Malaga pass at 4200m, where we shall make a short but quite strenuous walk to the Polylepis woodland full of endemic and rare birds such as Royal Cinclodes, Ash-breasted Tit-Tyrant, and White-browed Tit-Spinetail. Among other specialties are Giant Conebill, Line-fronted and Junin Canastero, Puna Tapaculo, Stripe-headed Antpitta, Thick-billed Siskin, Tawny Tit-Spinetail, Red-rumped Bush-Tyrant, and Puna Thistletail.
While the fitter participants do their walk, the driver will go back to Ollantaytambo to fetch those who have decided not to do the hike.
At 10 am we all meet up at the pass to continue to the north side of the pass and the wet temperate forest at Canchayoc. The scenery is stunning.
Here we may see Diademed Tapaculo, Unstreaked Tit-Tyrant, Golden-collared Tanager, Violet-throated Starfrontlet, Parodi´s Hemispingus, Marcapata Spinetail, Tit-like Dacnis, Plushcap, Cuzco Brushfinch, and Rufous-bellied Bush-Tyrant. Leimebamba, Urubamba, and Undulated Antpitta are often heard but can be tricky to lure out into view.
Returning to Ollantaytambo we stand a good chance of encountering Andean Parakeet, Tit-like Dacnis, Junin Canastero, Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch, and Golden-billed Saltator.
Day 4. Abra Malaga, Ensifera Camp, Maras Salt Mines, and Laguna Huyapo.
With an early start, we shall return to Abra Malaga to look for species that we may have missed the previous day. Mid-morning we return to Ollantaytambo, pick up our luggage, and then continue to a new resource called Ensifera Camp with feeders that attract several good birds including the Sword-billed Hummingbird, Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch and White-tufted Sunbeam.
After the hummingbirds and lunch buffet at a hacienda with nice gardens we continue to the spectacular salt mines of Maras. The mineral-rich Maras salt is well-known among connoisseurs.
We end our birding at Laguna Huaypo for some marshland birding including Many-colored Rush-Tyrant, Puna Teal, Yellow-billed Pintail, Andean Lapwing, Andean Gull, Andean Flicker, and Andean Duck.
In the last hours of the day we drive to the charming town of Pisac. We stay at a basic small charming hotel right on the square.
Day 5. Pisac Ruins, Sacred Garden Hummingbird feeders, Tambomachay, and Kenko.
Although the Pisac Ruins are not as impressive as they were some years ago, and visiting the Sun temple here is now a quite strenuous walk since the more level trail has been closed due to a landslide some years ago, we must include the site for the spectacular views. Very fit people may want to make a dash for the sun temple but we need to limit our visit between 7 and 9 AM to have enough time during our jam-packed day.
Afterward, we shall visit Sacred Garden hummingbird feeders - a new resource for birders and bird photographers. Here the starbird is the Bearded Mountaineer. Other birds included Black-tailed and Green-tailed Trainbearers, White-bellied Hummingbird, Sparkling Violetear, Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch, Black-backed Grossbeak, Golden-billled Saltator, and Andean Tinamou.
We backtrack to Pisac for lunch, before we head back towards Cuzco. We shall visit Awana Kancha, where you can get up close and feed llamas, vicuñas, and alpacas, and get fascinating insights into the traditional process of making Peruvian textiles. We also visit the Inca sites of Tambomachay and Kenko, before we get back to our hotel close in Cuzco close to the main square.
Dinner is not included.
