Peru Amazon River Cruise - Jun to Nov - ZAFIRO - 4 Nights

You will be picked up at the airport and brought to the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotels Iquitos where you will enjoy a delicious lunch before being transferred by private vehicle to Nauta to board the cruise ship.

Our staff will show you to your suite, which will be equipped with comfortable beds, 100% Peruvian Pima cotton sheets, cotton bathrobes, air conditioning and a private bathroom with a shower and amenities.

Before setting sail, our bartender will serve you a cocktail prepared with local fruit and pisco, the most popular liquor in Peru. You can sip it while enjoying 360° views from the observation deck or a panoramic view from the indoor or outdoor lounge.

After setting sail, our naturalist guides will offer an overview of the travel itinerary, including activities, routes, information about wildlife and vegetation, geographical and historical context, as well as other useful info. If you have any doubts or concerns, our guides are always available to answer your questions.

We will then enjoy the welcome dinner. Start your journey by sampling the selected wines and dining Peruvian cuisine with an Amazon flare. There are many options on our menu, including vegetarian alternatives. Please let us know in advance if you have any special dietary needs.

After dinner, you will be able to take in stunning views of the starry night sky while we start our journey to San Joaquín de Omaguas.

Before breakfast, you can go out for a boating expedition on the Amazon River to explore the local flora and fauna.

When you get back, you will enjoy our breakfast buffet, which offers a daily selection of traditional dishes, Peruvian specialties, freshly baked goods and freshly squeezed juices.

After breakfast, we will hear a talk on the source of the Amazon River and later head out to see the confluence of the Ucayali y Marañón rivers. We will then take a walk to Puerto Prado to see the “Victoria Regias”, the largest water lily in the world. There, we will also see a market set up by women from the community to sell their handmade crafts.

By midday, we will be back at the boat for some lunch and rest before heading out to Nauta Caño, where you’ll see the “Forrest of Mirrors”. This is the perfect place to spot toucans, parrots, macaws, iguanas, sloths and monkeys in the treetops.

Before heading back on board, we’ll take a nighttime outing in search of caimans, tarantulas and other species that make an appearance only after the sun goes down.

Evening at leisure

After having some breakfast, we will take a skiff out on the Yanayacu de Pucate River and do some piranha fishing using local techniques.

We will then head back for lunch aboard the Zafiro. Before starting the afternoon activity, there will be a talk about the philosophy of the Amazon.

Afterward, we will take a walk over hanging bridges, where you can admire the riches of the rainforest from the treetops.

Once we are back on the Zafiro, there will be time for resting and enjoying live music while we await the gala dinner with the captain.

In the morning, we will enjoy a nice picnic on the Samiria River, where you will be able to kayak and swim in the black waters. We will head back to the boat for lunch by midday.

After resting, our guides will offer some information about the myths and legends of the Amazon, which will help during our afternoon activity: a visit to the local San Regis community, where we will learn about the local way of life and traditions.

We will also learn about their ancestral traditions with a shaman. With our guides as interpreters, you will be able to ask questions about spiritual connections and healing the soul. We will then continue the ceremony by planting a tree as a positive contribution to the environment.

Back on the Zafiro, you will have some time to relax and enjoy live music before the presentation by the crew and farewell dinner.

Before breakfast, we will visit Nauta, the second-largest city in the region. Upon arriving, w will take a motorcycle taxi to the local market where you will see what business in the city is like firsthand.

Later, we will visit the Sapi Sapi lagoon, where arapaima, the second-largest freshwater fish in the world, is raised. Discover a new habitat surrounded by fruit trees. We will also see Arrau turtles, butterflies and different species of birds and fish that call this lagoon home.

After, we will head back to the Zafiro for breakfast.

After breakfast, we will begin disembarking. On the way to the airport, we will stop by the Amazon Rescue Center (CREA), where biologists and volunteers take care of manatees – an endangered species – rescued by the authorities. We will see how the manatees are cared for and prepped for reinsertion into their natural habitat. We will also get to see other animals that have been rescued from attempts to turn them into pets and other dangerous situations.

Afterward, you will be transferred to the airport.