Amazon River Experience

Upon arrival at the airport, a team will greet and welcome you to the city of Iquitos. Take a shuttle bus to the Embarcadero Turistico port of embarkation where a skiff will be waiting to take you to the Crucero Amazonas, your home on the water for the next four days.

Once all guests are on board, the ship will gather you for a captain’s welcome and crew introduction while enjoying the refreshing cocktails. Before comfortably settling into your rooms, the guides will explain the safety procedures and give you a brief orientation tour of the facilities. 

Once settled in, it is time to start a culinary experience to remember. The onboard chef will pamper your palate with an exciting menu, using locally sourced ingredients from your 'Amazon pantry' outside. In the afternoon, set off on your first boat excursion to meet the guardians of the Amazon rainforest, visiting the Kukama Native Community. Enjoy live music and dancing and learn about the customs and traditions that have been passed through their generations, and are still in practice today.

Return on board for a well-deserved rest and enjoy a special evening prepared by the bartender. The bartending lesson will include learning the history and distillation techniques of the country’s signature drink, pisco. You will also taste several varieties of traditional Pisco Sour cocktails, all prepared with local exotic fruits, and finish the day with a delicious dinner.

After a hearty buffet-style breakfast, venture to the Monkey Island Rescue Center. This sanctuary receives a wide range of monkeys that are commonly hunted or traded and sold as pets. Observe these rescued primates in their natural environment and learn about how they are saved, rehabilitated and ultimately released back into the wild. When you least expect it, a spider monkey or a red-faced Uakari might even approach you and try to interact!

Return to the ship to enjoy the delights the chef has prepared for lunch. In the afternoon, visit the Yagua native community, where the local chief will tell you how their ancestors decided to settle around the impressive Lupuna tree, which is believed to guard the forest. Learn more about their customs and ake the opportunity to practice your aim with the Pucuna, a traditional blowgun that is still used to hunt for food. You cannot leave without engaging in a very special ceremony, planting life in the heart of the Amazon. In cooperation with the Cuceos Amazonas reforestation efforts, leave your positive impact in the rainforest by planting your own tree.

Back on the cruise ship, the chef will lead a very entertaining cooking class. The local shaman will visit after dinner and share some of his spiritual practices and traditional medicine made from medicinal plants.

Start the day early to enjoy the stunning sunrise from the Amazon River, a morning sky lit up in brilliant shades of red, orange, purple, and hints of pink. After that, join a small excursion to Indiana, a lovely village where you will see a colorful display of many rainforest products, fruits, vegetables, fish, and spices, and many local people doing their daily shopping. Return to the Cruceros Amazonas to enjoy a delicious breakfast on board and recharge batteries for the rest of the day.

Next up is a visit the butterfly farm located in San Rafael village, the Morphosapi Butterfly Sanctuary. This initiative is 100% owned and operated by the San Rafael community, promoting environmental education and the preservation of the sixteen different butterfly species that live there. Learn about their reproductive cycle and admire their beautiful colors and curious shapes. To finish, enjoy releasing some butterflies into nature so that they can help the bees pollinate flowers.

Head back to the ship to enjoy a delicious lunch as you travel towards the Nanay River. After some free time for resting and relaxation, take a boat trip to observe the colors of the sunset over the Momon River. Wait until night to listen to the sounds emitted by the jungle after sunset. This evening, after dinner, enjoy a memorable farewell cocktail with your fellow passengers and the crew. 

Your final breakfast on board will be a little earlier so that you have plenty of time to pack up and check out. Disembark at the Embarcadero Turistico, where the bus will be waiting to take you to your last stop before saying goodbye. Make one last memory at the Manatee Rescue Center, a very special kind of animal orphanage for Amazonian manatees. This is where aquatic mammals and other endangered wildlife are rescued, rehabilitated, and finally released into the wild.

After visiting the rescue center, the bus will take you to the airport, where ship staff will be on hand to offer extra help if needed.

Note: The itineraries and programs may vary depending on the climate, water level of the river, or migratory cycle of the animals. Therefore, the navigation route, schedules, and excursions may need to be modified at the guide’s or cruise captain’s discretion. The visit to the native communities is an excellent way to contribute to their development since the villagers have the opportunity to sell their one-of-a-kind handicrafts. There is no commitment, but if you are planning on buying a gift or souvenir, please bring some cash with you.