Deluxe Machu Picchu and Abra Malaga: The lost city of the Incas with Endemics and Condors

Day 1: Cusco-Sacsayhuaman-Ollantaytambo-Aguas Calientes

The tour begins with a 5 am flight from Lima or pick up at 7am at your hotel in Cusco if you arrived there earlier. (Note that if you come straight from Lima, it is better to take the early flight than staying overnight in order to avoid altitude sickness). We travel over the Chincheros plain with gasping views of the glaciers of the Vilcanota range. 

We will leave our main luggage at the Pakaritampu hotel and repack our day pack with enough to last us until tomorrow. If time permits we shall do some birding specifically looking for Bearded Mountaineer before taking the 10:30 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 seen also in Aguas Calientes depending on the water levels.

After checking at our hotels and lunch we’ll 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 less people. Close to the ruins one can find the endemic Inca Wren, Cuzco Brush-Finch, 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 Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. 

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 Pueblo Hotel gardens where both hummingbirds and tanagers attend the feeders. We return to Ollantaytambo after a late lunch, to have enough time to visit also the impressive Ollantaytambo ruins, or birdwatch in the Pakaritampu hotel gardens. 

Day 3: Birding Abra Malaga

We will get up very early for the drive up beyond the Abra Malaga pass at 4200m and 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, Cuzco Brushfinch and Rufous-bellied Bush-Tyrant. Rusty-breasted, Rufous (occubambae race) and Undulated Antpitta are often heard but can be tricky to lure out into view. Returning to the pass around mid-morning we will do an optional short, but quite strenuous walk to the Polylepis woodland on the ridge beside us.

This is the most accessible high Polylepis woodland that holds the very rare 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. As we come out of the valley, we stand good chance of encountering Andean Parakeet and Tit-like Dacnis. Back on the main road in roadside scrub we often find Junin Canastero, Chestnut-breasted Mountain-Finch and Golden-billed Saltator. 
Night in Pakaritampu hotel, Ollantaytambo. 

Day 4: Ollantaytambo – Apurimac Valley

In the morning we shall visit a new nearby resource which has sword-billed Hummingbird and many other species coming to feeders. Later we pass Laguna Huaypo for some marshland birding with Many-colored Rush-Tyrant, Wren-like Rushbird, Yellow-winged Blackbird, Andean Lapwing, Puna Teal, Yellow-billed Teal, Yellow-billed Pintail, Andean (Masked) Duck, Puna Ibis, Andean Gull and many more.

At around 2-3 pm we’ll reach Chonta, which is the start of the walk to see and photograph Andean condor sometimes at close range. The hike takes a little bit more than an hour and it somewhat streneous due to the altitude. Those who do not want to hike will be take to the countryside lodge where we are staying. 

Some night birding at the lodge, may reward us with the Apurimac forms of Peruvian Pygmy Owl and Koepcke’s Screech-Owl, and with lots of luck perhaps Buff-fronted Owl.

Day 5: Apurimac Endemics

We’ll start looking for Pale-tailed Canastero and Spot-eared Puffbird near Moyopata and then spend the rest of the morning birding on Salcantay road. Apurimac Spinetail, Apurimac Brushfinch, White-tufted Sunbeam, Chestnut-breasted Warbling-Finch, Undulated Antpitta and Vilcabamba Tapaculo are found here. We travel to Cusco for a brief city tour and will be able to make late afternoon flights to Lima or for those who wish stay the night in Cusco.