Wild Northern Peru: A Wildlife and Birding Safari
Trip Overview
Tucked between the Andes and the Amazon Basin, northern Peru is one of South America’s most extraordinary yet lesser-explored wildlife destinations. Here, tropical forests, winding rivers, wetlands, and mist-shrouded mountains create a remarkable mosaic of habitats, each home to its own fascinating collection of wildlife. From tiny, brilliantly colored poison frogs to elusive primates and some of the world’s most spectacular hummingbirds, this journey reveals a side of Peru that few travelers experience.
Our adventure begins in the warm foothill forests near Tarapoto, where we’ll explore lush river corridors and search for monkeys, sloths, colorful birds, and other rainforest inhabitants. As we travel north through the Alto Mayo Valley and climb into the cool cloud forests of Abra Patricia, the wildlife changes dramatically. We’ll seek out rare and endemic species, including the San Martín Titi Monkey, the elusive Long-whiskered Owlet, and the extraordinary Marvelous Spatuletail, a hummingbird whose elaborate tail feathers must be seen to be believed. Along the way, we’ll also look for Andean Cock-of-the-rocks, dazzling tanagers, and a remarkable diversity of mammals, amphibians, and other wildlife.
With expert local guidance, visits to protected forests and conservation reserves, including the Alto Mayo Protected Forest, and time to appreciate wildlife encounters as they unfold, this small-group expedition is about far more than checking species off a list. It’s an opportunity to discover the incredible biodiversity of northern Peru, explore landscapes that remain off the radar for most visitors, and gain a deeper appreciation for the conservation efforts protecting these irreplaceable ecosystems.
Itinerary
Day 1 | Tarapoto & the Forests of Cordillera Escalera
Our journey begins in Tarapoto, where the eastern Andean foothills meet the warmer forests of the Amazon basin. Depending on arrival time, we’ll begin exploring the Cordillera Escalera area before settling into Pumarinri Lodge.
Some of our first wildlife encounters may require looking closely. Among the forest’s smaller inhabitants are brilliantly patterned poison frogs, including species found only in Peru. With our guide’s help, we’ll search the understory and leaf litter, learning to notice animals that are easily overlooked.
As daylight fades, a different community becomes active. We’ll listen and look for owls. Their calls offer an introduction to the forest after dark, when much of its wildlife is heard before it is seen.
Accommodations: Pumarinri Lodge
Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Please note this trip starts and ends in Tarapoto, Peru. We recommend arriving to Lima on October 10 and spending the night there. We can assist with pre- and post-trip hotels.
Day 2 | Wildlife Along the Huallaga River
Today we explore the Huallaga River corridor, where water, riverbanks and surrounding forest create a different set of wildlife opportunities.
The river gives us a broader view of the landscape we began exploring yesterday.
We’ll take time to watch how birds use different habitats, while remaining alert for mammals, reptiles and other wildlife along the way.
Accommodations: Pumarinri Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3 | Foothill Forests & the Journey to Moyobamba
We return to Cordillera Escalera for more time in the foothill forest. Here, watching a fruiting tree or following movement through the canopy can reveal a lively gathering of birds.
Our guide will help us make sense of the activity around us, from birds that are feeding high overhead to quieter movement in the understory. These forests reward patience and there’s time to enjoy the encounters that develop.
Later, we continue to Moyobamba, our base for exploring the wildlife of the Alto Mayo Valley.
Accommodations: Puerto Mirador Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4 | Monkeys & the Wildlife of Moyobamba
Today’s exploration includes the Ikam Expeditions Reserve and the Alto Mayo wetlands, with particular attention to the region’s mammals.
We’ll search for San Martín Titi Monkeys, a species found only in Peru, as well as Illiger’s Saddle-back Tamarins. A movement in the branches or a call from within the forest may provide our first clue. We’ll also watch for sloths, whose stillness can make them surprisingly difficult to spot.
Birdlife adds another dimension to the day. Rufous-crested Coquettes and White-necked Jacobins are among the hummingbirds we may encounter, while manakins and tanagers draw our attention into the surrounding vegetation. In wetland habitat, we’ll listen and look for more secretive birds such as Rufous-sided Crake.
Exploring a local reserve also gives us an opportunity to learn about the forest around Moyobamba and the work involved in protecting habitat for its wildlife.
Later, we continue to Moyobamba, our base for exploring the wildlife of the Alto Mayo Valley.
Accommodations: Puerto Mirador Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5 | Alto Mayo Wetlands to Andean Cloud Forest
We begin in the Alto Mayo wetlands, searching for wildlife associated with waterways and their forested margins.
Kingfishers are a particular highlight here. From the substantial Ringed Kingfisher to the tiny American Pygmy Kingfisher, each encounter gives us a chance to appreciate differences in size, behavior and hunting style. We’ll also look for herons, aracaris and monkeys, with possible sightings of howler monkeys, capuchins and squirrel monkeys. Otters, capybaras and coatis are among the mammals our guide will help us search for.
Later, we leave the valley and climb toward Abra Patricia. As the air cools and the cloud forest surrounds us, the transition from our first days becomes clear. We are entering a new place with a new cast of species.
This evening, conditions permitting, we’ll venture out in search of the Long-whiskered Owlet. Finding this elusive Peruvian endemic requires patience, attentive listening and luck.
Accommodations: Owlet Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6 | Hummingbirds & Mammals of the Cloud Forest
Today we explore the forests of Alto Mayo and Abra Patricia, where hummingbirds provide some of the most engaging wildlife encounters. Their varied shapes become even more interesting when we have time to watch them feed, perch and interact.
We’ll keep looking beyond the hummingbirds, too. These forests offer opportunities to search for Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkeys and Andean Night Monkeys, two primates found only in Peru. Sightings can be challenging, but searching for them encourages us to look carefully into the canopy and listen to the forest around us.
With another night at Abra Patricia, we have time to become more familiar with this landscape and its wildlife.
Accommodations: Owlet Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7 | The Marvelous Spatuletail & Utcubamba Valley
Today we explore the Pomacochas area and Utcubamba Valley, with the Marvelous Spatuletail among our principal wildlife interests.
Found only in a small part of northern Peru, this hummingbird has an extraordinary tail. Adult males are adorned with long outer feathers that end in broad, paddle-like tips. We’ll spend time at a viewing location selected by our guide, hoping for an opportunity to watch this distinctive bird.
The spatuletail provides a compelling connection between wildlife watching and conservation. For a bird with such a limited range, protecting habitat in this landscape matters enormously.
We return to Abra Patricia for the evening.
Accommodations: Owlet Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 8 | Cock-of-the-rock & Cloud Forest Discoveries
We spend today exploring the forests around Abra Patricia and Alto Mayo, looking for wildlife we have yet to encounter and enjoying more time with the region’s birds.
The Andean Cock-of-the-rock is a particular interest. Its vivid plumage makes it one of the most recognizable birds of the eastern Andes, though finding it still depends on choosing the right habitat and timing.
By now, we’ll have experienced how much the wildlife changes between river valleys, foothills and cloud forest. Today gives us another opportunity to appreciate those connections while following the activity our guide finds.
Accommodations: Owlet Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9 | Final Wildlife Stops & Return to Tarapoto
Our final day takes us back toward Tarapoto, with wildlife stops in the Alto Mayo area as time and flight schedules allow.
As we descend toward the warmer forests, we retrace the habitat changes that have shaped our journey. From tiny frogs and river birds to cloud forest primates and remarkable hummingbirds, northern Peru has given us many reasons to slow down, listen and look closely.
Our trip concludes with a transfer to the Tarapoto airport.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
About Your Expedition Leader
Carly Crow from Reefs to Rockies will co-lead this wildlife expedition alongside our local Peruvian guide. A passionate birder and field biologist, Carly has been immersed in avian research since 2017, specializing in bird banding and field studies. Her work has taken her across the U.S. and around the world, giving her a deep appreciation for the incredible diversity of birdlife and ecosystems. With experience leading research and educational projects in Costa Rica, Mexico, and Ecuador, Carly brings a spirit of curiosity, discovery, and enthusiasm to every trip she leads.
Details
Price: $4625* per person based on double occupancy accommodations. Due to the small nature of the lodges, private rooms may not be available. If you’re interested in a private room, contact us for availability and pricing.
Tour cost includes accommodations; airport transfers on arrival and departure days; private transportation on days 2-8; two expedition leaders; all meals starting with lunch on Day 1 through lunch on Day 9; daily birding and wildlife viewing with spotting scope available; activities as listed; and entrance fees. A donation to support conservation efforts in Northern Peru.
Exclusions: flights; passport fees; travel insurance (quotes available); gratuities; pre- and post-hotel stays; optional activities; and personal expenses.
*Reflects payment by ACH. Credit card fees, if applicable will be assessed at time of booking.
Level of Difficulty – Easy: This trip is suitable for travelers with a wide range of fitness levels and requires minimal physical exertion. Most wildlife viewing takes place near roads or along short, relatively easy trails. River excursions are conducted in motorboats, while wetland explorations use paddled canoes. Life jackets are provided for all boating activities.
For guests who prefer to limit walking, alternative wildlife-viewing opportunities, such as relaxing at hummingbird gardens, can often be arranged. The itinerary emphasizes unhurried exploration and wildlife observation rather than strenuous physical activity.
Group size: 6-9 participants + 2 Expedition Leaders. We are known for having smaller group sizes with a better birder to guide ratio than most companies offering similar itineraries.