Amatista Amazon Cruise

Arrive at Jorge Chávez International Airport in Lima, Peru, any time and be transferred by private vehicle from the airport to the hotel. Explore the city of Lima on your own, perhaps choosing one of the following optional activity suggestions (to be arranged on your own at additional cost). Normal check-in times apply at hotels, but guests can usually store luggage at the hotel for the day if arriving early. Return to the hotel in time for the important welcome meeting, meet the group and review the details of the trip with the guide.

Optional Added-Cost Lima Activity:

Lima Cooking Class

Get a taste of Peruvian cuisine, visit local markets, sample exotic fruit, select fresh ingredients and try your hand at preparing unique Peruvian dishes influenced by China, Italy, West Africa and Japan.

Catch an early flight to Iquitos and transfer to the Amazon riverboat. Once on board the ship, relax and soak in the natural beauty of the wild rainforest. Step on deck to watch the riverbanks go by and keep your eyes peeled for wildlife such as grey and pink dolphins. Expert guides lead jungle walks, give lectures and point out unique species of bird and marine life while exploring the smaller tributaries of the river. Take advantage of the nighttime boat ride in the wild and watch the Amazon become a different domain. Be on the lookout for bats, capybaras, black caimans, poison frogs and a vast number of other species. See if flashlights reflect the red eye shine of the black caiman or show the glowing yellow eyes of a jaguar.

Head out into Pacaya Samiria National Reserve on a boat excursion and search for monkeys, sloths and macaws. Awake early for the opportunity to enjoy this bird-watching haven, as over 200 bird species call the Amazon home: parrots, macaws, herons, kingfishers, swallows, martins, falcons, black collared hawks and many more. While cruising, guides point out the interesting wildlife species that inhabit the riverbanks and unusual fish and vegetation that can be found in the river. Stay on the lookout for squirrel and woolly monkeys, caimans and sloths. In the afternoon, take a walk through the jungle and visit a local community to learn about their traditions. After dinner, opt to go on a night excursion to Piranha Creek.

Explore the town of Nauta before continuing to cruise down the Amazon River. Ride local motorcars and browse the local market during this included tour. Try your hand at bargaining and pick up some souvenirs. In the afternoon, continue along the Amazon River, enjoy a jungle walk, learn about medicinal plants, search for monkeys and keep an eye out for reptiles. Search for turtles along the Sapisapi River.

In the constantly changing Amazon, flexible itineraries are key to exploring the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. Onboard naturalists tailor each departure to the surroundings and seasonal water levels to ensure the most memorable Amazon small ship cruise. Over the next few days, enjoy a range of included, optional shore excursions, night excursions, educational lectures, a visit to a local shaman, an indigenous village and the incredible wildlife of this lush area.

Included Possible Excursions:

Amazon Jungle Excursion

Go on an early morning excursion to watch the rainforest world awaken. Look for iguanas, river turtles, cormorants and wattled jacana; gain insight into another side of the jungle.

Pacaya-Samiria Reserve Excursion

Rise early to visit the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, Peru’s largest national park and home to more than 200 bird species and 10 primate species. Have the chance to view cocoi and striated herons, macaws, squirrel and woolly monkeys, caimans and sloths. Follow a route that crosses the tributary waters of the Marañon. Along the way, the guides point out the interesting wildlife species that inhabit the riverbanks and unusual fish and vegetation that can be found in the river.

Ucayali River Walking Excursion

Walk along the banks of the Ucayali River to explore the Yucuruchi region of the Amazon and have the opportunity to see the Victoria Regia water lily—a gigantic aquatic plant with leaves that measure up to 10 feet in diameter. Keep a watch out for the Amazon River dolphin, giant otter and the Amazonian manatee, all of whom make their home in Ucayali’s waters.

Local Family Visit

Be welcomed into the home of a local indigenous family. Share conversation over a midday meal and be introduced to their culture and way of life. Participate in an unforgettable opportunity to gain insight into a new and different world.

Local Shaman Visit

Gain rare, firsthand insight into Shamanism while meeting a practicing shaman in a river village. Be introduced to spiritual healing craft and learn about rainforest plants that are known to possess curative properties.

Night Time Boat Excursion

Take advantage of this nighttime boat ride in the wild and watch the Amazon become a different domain. Be on the lookout for bats, capybaras, black caimans, poison frogs and a vast number of other species. See if your flashlights reflect the red eye shine of the black caiman or show the glowing yellow eyes of a jaguar!

Rise early and set out to explore the impressive biodiversity of the area’s unusual ecosystem. Look for a quiet spot to enjoy a picnic breakfast, followed by a trip to explore Choroyacu. Ride up the Nahuapa River for piranha fishing. Visit Choroyacu Creek for the opportunity to climb in a dugout canoe and explore this scenic area with locals. Explore the shoreline by motorized skiff, keeping your eyes out for birds, monkeys and sloths.

Leave the peacefulness of the river behind and en route to Iquitos stop in Nauta at the Manatee Rescue Center. Learn about the efforts of the Amazonian Manatee Rescue Center, an organization focused on rescuing orphaned manatees that were the victims of poaching. The center helps to rehabilitate and reintroduce these very rare and endangered mammals back into the Amazon Basin. Take this opportunity to observe these amazing and lovable animals and be sure to bring your camera. Fly back to Lima and enjoy the evening in the city.

Depart at any time or enjoy the city with extended optional activities (to be arranged on your own at additional cost).

Optional Added-Cost Lima Activities: 

Lima City Tour 

Discover Lima’s highlights on this half-day guided tour. Visit the San Francisco Church and its impressive catacombs, walk around Plaza de Armas and get to know some of Lima’s lovely neighborhoods. Stop to enjoy some authentic Peruvian tapas and be introduced to pisco sours during a demonstration and tasting before heading back to the hotel. (Note: a full-day version is also available.) 

Lima Cooking Class 

Get a taste of Peruvian cuisine, visit local markets, sample exotic fruit, select fresh ingredients and try your hand at preparing unique Peruvian dishes influenced by China, Italy, West Africa and Japan. 

Huacas & Larco Museum by Night 

Tour three different Huacas in the city which were built during pre-Inca times in the middle of Lima. Then, visit the Larco Museum and enjoy a 3-course dinner in its restaurant. 

Bike Miraflores & Barranco 

Head out on a ~8-mile bike tour through Miraflores and Barranco, visiting iconic districts in Lima along the way. Take in the colorful atmosphere while passing by historic houses in the Bajada de Baños district and visit the famous Puente de los Suspiros.