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Peru is considered the second-birdiest country in the world (after Colombia) with close to 2,000 species recorded there! The Andes mountains, arid deserts near the coast, and tropical Amazonian forests all support this abundance of bird diversity (and biodiversity). With so many feathered friends around, it's hard to pick one area to bird. Never fear—we've picked it for you! San Martín, a coffee- and cacao-producing department in northern Peru offers a beautiful palette from which to partake in a Peruvian bird and coffee adventure, and the cities of Tarapoto and Moyobamba are a perfect place to start our excursions. We'll fly there from Lima and end in Lima for a little more culture, delicious Peruvian food, and a couple of mornings of coastal birding. Bring your bins and a healthy appetite!
White-bellied woodstar photo credit, Kerry Snyder
Itinerary
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Lima; some will arrive early after an overnight flight, others will arrive late that night. For those who arrive early, we'll start the trip birding with Peru Women Birders at Pantanos de Villa Wildlife Refuge in the southern part of Lima. Afterward, we'll have lunch and visit a museum or other cultural site in Lima, then it's dinner and early to bed for a very early departure on Day 2. Those who arrive in the evening will be picked up at the airport in the evening and taken to the hotel. Overnight in Lima.
Day 2: Up early for a short flight to the San Martín region in northern Peru! We'll arrive in Tarapoto and drive to Moyobamba where we'll settle in at Waqanki Lodge for a couple of nights. Wanqanki has large grounds featuring and orchid garden, many other types of flowers, and hummingbird feeders where we can find a variety of species, including the rufous-crowned coquette, black-throated mango, and many, many more. Its eBird hotspot has registered an incredible 677 species! Optional owling that night. Overnight in Moyobamba.
Day 3: After an early breakfast, we'll head out for a bird walk up the mountain behind the lodge where we will look for rufous motmots, bay-headed tanagers, green-and-gold tanagers, and more. Later, we'll head to nearby coffee farm Finca San Camilo for a birding-coffee adventure! We'll look at birds, learn more about coffee production, and taste the fantastic organic coffee produced there. Overnight in Moyobamba.
Day 4: Early birding, breakfast, then we're off to Owlet Lodge in Amazonas! We'll spend two nights there looking for the long-whiskered owlet and more! Overnight in Amazonas.
Day 5: We'll have a very early start to drive to Pomacochas and Puerto Canoas Ecological Reserve where we will hope to see the marvelous spatuletail and other hummingbirds! After a delicious lunch in Pomacochas, we'll return to Owlet Lodge for more birding and some owling in the evening. Overnight in Amazonas.
Day 6: We'll do some early birding around the lodge, then leave for Arena Blanca where we will see all the birds! We'll be on the lookout for the wire-crested thorntail, blue-fronted lancebill, and more. We'll spend time there and learn about the local Awajún culture and see their famous pottery and jewelry. We'll return to Waqanki Lodge for the evening and enjoy evening birding. Overnight in Moyobamba.
Day 7: Early birding before breakfast, check out of the lodge, and head to Tarapoto where we'll have a more relaxed day, birding around the lodge or resting, then we'll visit Centro Urku, a center dedicated to conservation, environmental education, rescue and recuperation of endangered species, and research and revitalization of Amazonian ancestral knowledge. Overnight in Tarapoto.
Day 8: Early departure for Pelejo and a visit to ABIOFORP, a local community association dedicated to ecological restoration of the Lower Huallaga River basin. ABIOFORP manages a community concession of almost 7,000 hectares (over 17,000 acres) of seasonally flooded forest in the Peruvian Amazon. We'll go birding by boat and see all of the kingfishers, horned screamer, anis, and a variety of shorebirds on the lake. After lunch with the organization, we'll head back to Tarapoto stopping at the Koepcke's hermit hummingbird tower to catch a glimpse at a few more hummingbirds. Overnight in Tarapoto.
Day 9: We'll get up and say goodbye to San Martín and the Peruvian Amazon as we head back to Lima. There, we'll have a day to eat delicious Peruvian food, shop at the local artisan market, and we'll dine at the foot of a huaca--an ancient pre-Incan ceremonial site. Overnight in Lima.
Day 10: Those who leave early will head to the airport after breakfast. Those who leave in the afternoon or night will be able to get in one last birding walk with Peru Women Birders! After the bird walk, we'll pack up and head to the airport to end our journey and say goodbye to the incredible, birdy country of Peru.
*Please note, due to unexpected changes in local weather or other events out of our control, the itinerary could change slightly.
Date: June 8-17, 2027
Cost: $3,925 per person double occupancy; $600 single occupancy supplement (international flights, some meals, and required traveler health insurance are not included–see registration for details)
Registration: $1,200 deposit due by December 11, 2026. Remainder due by February 11, 2027.
Difficulty level: Moderate
We'll be hiking and birding in some hilly and slippery terrain and standing for long periods of time. We will bird by boat one day and Good Birders will need to be able to get into and out of a boat.
Good Birders: 5-8 people
Marvelous spatuletail photo credit, Kerry Snyder
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