Amazon Riverboat Adventure In Depth
9 days, Lima to Lima
Itinerary
Day 1Lima
Arrive at any time (arrival transfer included).
Overnight in Lima, the nation's capital and largest city.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Day 2Lima/Río Marañon
Fly to Iquitos. Take a city orientation tour and visit a manatee rescue centre. Transfer to the boat and cast off onto the Amazon River.
The day begins very early to catch our flight to Iquitos and transfer to the Amazon Riverboat, our privately chartered home for the next seven days.
Once on board the ship, relax and soak in the natural beauty of the wild rainforest. Step out on deck to watch the riverbanks go by, and keep eyes peeled for wildlife such as gray and pink dolphins.
The ship casts off and wends its way to the confluence of the Marañon and Ucayali Rivers. It is generally (but not universally!) considered that the Amazon River begins here, at least in name.
Over the next five days, explore the wonders of the Amazon Rainforest. Expert guides will lead jungle walks, give lectures, and point out unique species of bird and marine life as you explore the smaller tributaries of the river.
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Iquitos Orientation Tour
Get acquainted with Iquitos on an orientation tour. Explore its unique architecture, which is a 19th-century vestige of the era when European commercial barons held sway over life and culture here. Discover quiet places and shaded retreats amid the hustle and bustle of daily life in this jungle port city.
Amazonian Manatee Rescue Centre Visit
Learn about the efforts of the Amazonian Manatee Rescue Centre, an organization focused on rescuing orphaned manatees that were the victims of poaching. The centre 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 – be sure to bring your camera!
Amatista Riverboat
Hop aboard and float on to the next stop.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 3Río Marañon/Río Ucayali
Begin to explore with a boat excursion on the Amazon River and some of its tributaries to see the wonders of the rainforest. After lunch, enjoy a presentation on the Amazon River then walk along the shores of the Ucayali River.
Over the course of the next few days, the skiff and land excursions will be in the morning and late afternoon, when wildlife is at its liveliest. During the hotter hours of midday, expedition staff will present enthralling lectures on everything from the history and culture of the region to the Amazon’s prolific flora and fauna. There will be plenty of time to relax and enjoy the comfort of Amatista's observation deck.
Amazon River Excursion
Take an excursion by motorized skiff down the Amazon and some of its tributaries to see the wonders of the rainforest. Keep an eye out for monkeys, sloths, and a variety of birds while exploring.
Free Time
Take some time to relax on the deck and enjoy the river.
Ucayali River Walking Excursion
Walk along the banks of the Ucayali River to explore the Yucuruchi region of the Amazon, and to have the opportunity to see the Victoria Regia water lily — a gigantic aquatic plant with leaves that measure up to 3m (10 ft) in diameter. Keep a watch out for the Amazon River dolphin, giant otter, and the Amazonian manatee, which all make their home in Ucayali’s waters.
Amatista Riverboat
Hop aboard and float on to the next stop.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 4Río Ucayali/Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve
Take a morning skiff excursion into the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve for more wildlife viewing. In the afternoon, visit a village to meet a local shaman and discover the mystical world of spiritual healing.
Rise early to visit the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. Once back on board, gather for breakfast followed by a presentation on the life, history, and culture of the Amazon's main tribes.
After lunch, listen to an introductory discussion about shamanism to help understand the traditions of the people living in the rainforest. Touch upon the spirit realm, paying a visit to a local shaman.
Shamanism is practiced around the globe, and is universally distinguished by a trance state called shamanic ecstasy. In these "out of body" travels, the shaman enlists denizens of the spirit world to help him with a variety of duties, from healing the sick to assisting a deceased person's soul into the afterworld — all the while, the shaman remains conscious. Gain rare insight into the complexities of this phenomenon when you meet an actual practicing shaman in a river village. He'll introduce the group to his spiritual healing craft and talk about rainforest plants that indigenous peoples have, for untold centuries, held to possess curative properties.
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 will point out the interesting wildlife species that inhabit the riverbanks, and unusual fish and vegetation that can be found in the river.
Free Time
Take some time to rest after the morning excursion, but don't miss this afternoon's lecture on Shamanism.
Your Wellness Moment: Local Shaman Visit
Gain rare, firsthand insight into Shamanism in meeting a practicing shaman in a river village. Be introduced to his spiritual healing craft and learn about rainforest plants that indigenous peoples have, for untold centuries, held to possess curative properties.
Amatista Riverboat
Hop aboard and float on to the next stop.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 5Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve
Today get off the boat and meet a local family, enjoy a home cooked meal and experience the Indigenous culture. At night take a boat to go search for wildlife that comes active after dark.
Continue to explore the Amazon. Be sure to relax this afternoon, and rest up for a late-night excursion to discover the wildlife that comes out at night in the jungle.
Amazon Jungle Excursion
Go on an early morning excursion to watch the rainforest world wake up. Spot iguanas, river turtles, cormorants, or wattled jacana, and gain insight into another side of the jungle.
Your Local Living Moment: Local Indigenous 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.
Free Time
Enjoy the afternoon at leisure.
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 our flashlights will reflect the ‘red eye shine’ of the black caiman or show the glowing yellow eyes of a jaguar!
Amatista Riverboat
Hop aboard and float on to the next stop.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 6Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
Take a trip to explore Choroyacu, go piranha fishing, and explore the mangroves in a dugout canoe. Opt to go swimming in the Amazon. In the evening, go on another night wildlife excursion.
After the excursion, return to the riverboat to relax and opt to enjoy a video about the flooded forest.
Take another chance to witness the nocturnal life of the rainforest after dinner this evening, and venture out in small boats onto the Marañon River.
Choroyacu Wildlife Excursion
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 to have the opportunity to climb in a dugout canoe and explore this scenic area with the locals.
Your Hands-On Moment: Piranha Fishing
Head out on a fishing trip like no other! Cast your line to see if you can catch "the most ferocious fish in the world” (to quote Teddy Roosevelt) – the piranha. (Piranhas aren't terribly selective about what they eat, making piranha fishing fairly easy.) They are a dietary staple for many of the Amazon rainforest’s indigenous people, and, while fearsome, piranhas also esteemed as some of the best eating fish in South America.
Swim in Choroyacu Creek
Take a plunge into the river for a swim, perhaps sharing the water with some pink or grey river dolphins – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not to be missed.
Free Time
Enjoy some time this afternoon to rest. Sit on deck and watch the jungle as you float by.
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 our flashlights will reflect the ‘red eye shine’ of the black caiman or show the glowing yellow eyes of a jaguar!
Amatista Riverboat
Hop aboard and float on to the next stop.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 7Pacaya Samiria National Reserve/Iquitos
Return to Iquitos with en-route stops at the Sapisapi River and the port town of Nauta.
During the day, the ship returns to its home port of Iquitos. Before docking, there are a few more unique experiences to look forward to.
In the morning, call on the town of Nauta, where the Ucayali and the Marañon — the major headstreams of the Amazon — join together.
During the evening, celebrate with a farewell dinner and party, complete with live music, aboard the ship.
Nauta Visit
Pay a visit to the jungle town of Nauta. Ride the local motorcars and browse the local market during this included tour. Try your hand at bargaining and pick up some souvenirs!
Sapi Sapi Lake Visit
Visit the Sapi Sapi lake, a small lake where you can spot turtles and the giant arapaima fish.
Amatista Riverboat
Hop aboard and float on to the next stop.
Meals included:
Breakfast | Lunch | DinnerDay 8Iquitos/Lima
Disembark at Iquitos. Transfer to the airport for the flight back to Lima. Free afternoon to explore the capital of Peru.
Once arriving in Lima, you will be met by a G Adventures representative and transfer to the hotel.
Spend a final night in the City of Kings and enjoy a Pisco Sour or try some Peruvian ceviche!
Plane
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's... yup, it is a plane, actually.
Free Time
Enjoy your last night in Peru with some free time to explore or to hit one of the trendy fusion restaurants.
Meals included:
BreakfastDay 9Lima
Depart at any time.
Departure Day
Not ready to leave? Your CEO can help with travel arrangements to extend your adventure.