Only 28 guests per departure.
Call (866) 639-0079 for available dates.
| When We Go: | Winter and Fall |
| Duration: | 8 days |
| Price: | Starting at $4495 |
| Arrive: | Lima, Peru |
| Depart: | Lima, Peru |
| Trip Type: | River Expedition |
| Trip Capacity: | 28 Guests |
The Amazon River
To say the word “Amazon” is to conjure emerald rainforests, vast waters, and exuberant life. Early explorers risked everything navigating the river in the quest for riches, and those who returned told of an endless realm of jewel-bright parrots, pink river dolphins, and chattering troops of monkeys too numerous to count.
On this extraordinary journey of discovery, you can watch for inquisitive tamarins foraging on the banks, prehistoric hoatzins plunging into the water to escape predators, and three-toed sloths creeping ponderously along low-hanging branches. During the day, you can venture into quiet backwaters of the Pacaya Samiria Reserve with an Orbridge Naturalist; in the evening, after a fine meal with good friends and fellow alumni, you can attend a lecture, relax in the observation lounge, or just listen to the sounds of the rainforest at night.
Destination Highlights:
- Travel deep into the Pacaya Samiria Reserve, the largest protected natural area in Peru
- Experience the diversity of the Amazon rainforest from the gleaming decks of the Delfin II, a modern, luxurious river ship
- Enjoy lectures and excursions with Senior Naturalist Greg Greer, as well as with local guides and experts
- Visit a local village and learn how the riberenos make a living from river and rainforest
- Watch for the famous pink river dolphins, one of the few freshwater dolphin species in the world
- Marvel at the incredible diversity of primates that occupy almost every niche in the rainforest
- See the giant kapok trees towering high above the forest canopy
- Listen to the sounds of hundreds of parrots as they socialize and forage for food
Itinerary Preview
Day 1:
U.S. / Lima, PeruAfter a late arrival in Lima, Peru, and after clearing customs, transfer to the elegant Country Club Hotel, one of the finest hotels in the city.
Day 2:
LimaAfter a leisurely breakfast, take a city tour of Lima, including a curator led visit to the Larco Herrera Museum. After lunch at the museum, return to the hotel to relax before your welcome dinner this evening. (B,L,D)
Day 3:
Lima/Iquitos/Delfin IIThis morning visit Real Felipe Fortress in El Callao province and stop for a brief visit at a local school before heading to the airport for the flight to Iquitos, the farthest inland port in the world (over 2000 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. In Iquitos, take a scenic bus ride to Nauta, where you will embark the Delfin II. Dinner is on board this evening. (B,L,D)
Day 4:
Belluda Caño & El Dorado River / Pacaya Samiria Reserve This morning we board our excursion boats and set off to explore the beautiful, black-water Belluda Stream, a preferred habitat for pink dolphins. Also keep a lookout for squirrel monkeys, saddleback tamarins, pygmy kingfishers. After lunch on board, head out again mid-afternoon for the El Dorado River to look for more wildlife. This river is part of the Pacaya Samiria Reserve, a sanctuary for extraordinary numbers of primates, reptiles, and birds. On the return to the ship, just after dark, experience the thrill of looking for an entirely different world of nocturnal species. (B,L,D)
To view the complete 8-day itinerary, download it here.