Sail deep into the rainforests of the Peruvian Amazon aboard an elegant small ship, discovering the incredible biodiversity and enchanting waterscapes of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. Begin your journey with the cultural highlights of Lima, and opt for an extension to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.
Cruising the Amazon Waterways
Aboard the 44-guest Delfin III
9 days from $5,995
Sail deep into the rainforests of the Peruvian Amazon aboard an elegant small ship, discovering the incredible biodiversity and enchanting waterscapes of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. Begin your journey with the cultural highlights of Lima, and opt for an extension to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.
Overview
Please Note: This post-tour extension visits sites that are at higher altitudes including time in the Urubamba Valley (9,200 feet); Machu Picchu (7,972 feet) and the city of Cusco (11,152 feet) where the program will conclude. The trip is designed to acclimate guests for the final stop in Cusco which is at the highest altitude. We highly recommend guests discuss this trip with their health provider, especially if they have specific health concerns or are sensitive to higher altitudes. This post-tour extension will include plenty of walking and standing. There will be cobblestone streets with uneven steps, some without handrails. While touring at Machu Picchu there will be dirt paths with uneven steps and pathways that can have steep inclines and declines. This tour requires all guests to be in good physical condition. Economy class airfare from Iquitos to Cusco and Cusco to Lima to meet your return flight home is included in the quoted extension price. Air tickets will be distributed on tour.
Post Tour Extension dates:
February 8-14, 2025*. At the conclusion of the February 1-9, 2025 main program.
March 8-14, 2025*. At the conclusion of the March 1-9, 2025 main program.
October 18-24, 2025*. At the conclusion of the October 11-19, 2025 main program.
November 1-7, 2025* At the conclusion of the October 25-November 2, 2025 main program.
*date includes overnight return flight to the U.S.
Day 1 – Lima/Cusco/Urubamba Valley
This morning, all guests who took part in the Main Program will disembark the ship and fly from Iquitos to Jorge Chavez International Airport Lima airport. From there guests joining the post tour extension will continue their journey with a connecting flight to Cusco. Upon arrival in Cusco, enjoy a scenic drive to the Urubamba Valley, also known as the Sacred Valley of the Incas, to the hotel. The elevation at the hotel is 9,200 feet. Dinner will be served at the hotel this evening. (B, L, D).
Casa Adina Premium Valle Sagrado Sacred Valley
Day 2 - Moray Terraces/Maras Salt Mines/Chinchero
Set out this morning to explore the Sacred Valley of the Incas. Stop at the Moray Terraces, one of the most famous Incan ruins near Cusco. Descend the circular terraces and ponder their purpose, which has been debated by archeologists and anthropologists for nearly a century. Today, it is widely believed that the terraces were used as an experimental farm by the Incas over 500 years ago. Continue to the Maras Salt Mines to see the more than 6,000 salt ponds believed to have been built by the Wari civilization, predating the Inca Empire. In operation for over 500 years, the ponds are still mined by local families. Stop in the colorful community of Misminay and gather with a multi-generational family for a visit to their home. Learn about their customs and traditions, and enjoy a traditional meal in their dining room. Continue on to Chinchero, and learn about ancient weaving methods villagers have used for centuries to support themselves in this challenging Andean mountain environment. While in town, visit with local citizens to learn about their daily life in this remote area. Return to the hotel late in the day for an evening at leisure. (B, L)
Casa Adina Premium Valle Sagrado Sacred Valley
Day 3 – Ollantaytambo/Machu Picchu
After breakfast, checkout of the hotel and depart for a visit to the massive Fortress of Ollantaytambo, which successfully withstood Spanish attack in the 16th century. Built on top of an Incan settlement, the current town of Ollantaytambo is the surviving example of Inca town planning. Continue to the Ollantaytambo train station and board a train for the spectacularly scenic ride through the Sacred Valley to Aguas Calientes, the town at the foot of Machu Picchu. Enjoy a sumptuous lunch on board the train. Nestled in a cloud forest, the Lost City of the Inca arguably is the most important archaeological site in the Americas. Surrounded by steep agricultural terraces, this masterfully planned site once was a center of worship, astronomical observatory and a private retreat of the Inca ruler Pachacútec. Meander through stone temples, grassy plazas, palaces and workshops with an expert guide. Explore the Temple of the Three Windows, the Sacristy, the Hitching Post of the Sun and the Temple of the Sun. The elevation at Machu Picchu is 7,972 ft. Arrive at your hotel late in the day, then gather with fellow travelers for dinner. (B,L,D)
Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel
Day 4 - Machu Picchu/Cusco
Spend some of the morning at leisure. Then depart for the train station to begin your trip to Cusco, traveling by both train and motor coach. Arrive in to Cusco late in the day and check-in to your hotel. Dine independently and enjoy the evening at leisure. (B)
Palacio del Inka, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Cusco
Day 5 - Cusco/Sacsayhuaman
Depart the hotel on a guided tour of this sacred city perched 11,152 feet above sea level. Visit the Cathedral on the Plaza de Armas and the Santo Domingo Temple (or Koricancha); a Dominican Church and convent built on the foundations of the Koricancha or ‘place of gold,’ the Incas principal religious building, dedicated to the worship of the sun. Enjoy a group lunch in town, then travel outside Cusco to visit the ruins of Sacsayhuaman, a testimonial to Incan architectural skills. Compiled of massive stones fitted together with incredible precision without a single drop of mortar to hold them in place, this ancient fortress is where the greatest battles between the Spanish and Incas took place. Enjoy views of the countryside and back towards the city of Cusco with its famous red-tiled roofs. This evening gather for a farewell reception. Enjoy dinner and the remainder of the evening at leisure. (B,L,R)
Palacio del Inka, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Cusco
Day 6 - Depart Cusco for Lima and U.S. Gateway City
Enjoy a final morning at leisure before transferring to the Cusco airport for the domestic flight to Jorge Chavez International Airport Lima. Upon arrival you’ll connect to your overnight international flight. (B)
Day 7 - Arrive U.S Gateway City
Arrive in to the U.S this morning and connect to your domestic flight to your home city.
To see itinerary, please click on an option below.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Depart U.S. for Lima, Peru
Fly to Lima and transfer to your hotel in the upscale Miraflores neighborhood. Enjoy time to relax and settle in before meeting your fellow travelers at a welcome reception and dinner. (R,D)
Day 2 - Lima
After breakfast at the hotel, travel into the historic heart of Lima for a guided walking tour of this World Heritage site. Founded by Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535, Lima was known as the City of Kings and was the most important city in Spain’s South American empire for some 300 years. View the historic buildings on the Plaza Mayor and visit the beautiful Convent of San Francisco and its haunting catacombs. Meander through the magical Casa Aliaga, a colonial home still occupied by the descendants of the original 16th-century owners. Sit down to a lunch of Peruvian specialties in the lush gardens of the Museo Larco, housed in an 18th-century mansion. Then take a guided tour of the museum’s renowned collection of pre-Columbian art and artifacts. Gather this evening for an exclusive dinner at Casa Garcia Alvarado, a private home that has been designated a National Historical Building. Tour the stunning property and dine with one of the owners while enjoying music by local musicians. (B,L,R,D)
Day 3 - Lima
Spend the morning exploring the bohemian Barranco neighborhood, a 19th-century beach town filled with street art, museums, cafés, and stately summer homes. See the district’s famous Bridge of Sighs, and visit the Jade Rivera Museum, dedicated to Peru’s most celebrated muralist. After lunch at a local restaurant, enjoy the remainder of the day to explore Lima as you wish. (B,L)
Day 4 - Iquitos/Nauta
Transfer to the airport this morning and board a flight to Iquitos, a port city during the Spanish colonial era and now gateway to the Peruvian Amazon. On a drive through this bustling city, see colorful auto rickshaws and elegant 19th-century mansions financed by the rubber boom. Travel through the jungle to the town of Nauta, perched on the banks of the Marañon River. Along the way, enjoy a picnic lunch while witnessing scenes of everyday life in the “terra firma” forest—where the jungle floor is not flooded. Settle into your suite aboard the lovely Delfin III, and enjoy an introduction to the flora, fauna, and indigenous cultures of the Amazon by your naturalist guide as you set sail. Watch the sun set over the rainforest and enjoy a dinner of local specialties tonight. (B,L,D)
Day 5 - Amazon River Basin
After breakfast, climb into skiffs for a morning excursion on the Samiria River and its winding tributaries. In the thick forests at the water’s edge, watch and listen for capybaras and squirrel monkeys as well as scarlet macaws, toucans, and umbrellabirds. With luck, you may catch a glimpse of a pink dolphin or a river otter swimming in the water, or a prehistoric-looking hoatzin roosting on a branch just above the river. After lunch on board, head into the forest to discover the medicinal uses of native plants on a nature walk that includes a canopy walk. The indigenous people of the Amazon use more than 1,000 species that cure or prevent illness and injury. Tonight, enjoy a lecture by your expert and dinner, then soak up the enchantment of the jungle after dark on a nighttime river safari, searching out caimans and other nocturnal creatures. (B,L,D)
Day 6 - Amazon River Basin
Venture into one of the most pristine areas of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, a protected area of flooded forests that harbors extraordinary biodiversity. Follow the Yanayacu and Pucate Rivers to small streams and lagoons, on the lookout for wildlife with a naturalist guide. You may choose to kayak the placid waterways and you may have the opportunity to swim with pink dolphins. Pay a visit to a traditional river community to meet the ribereños (villagers) and learn about their everyday life. After lunch and a discussion about modern-day Peru, set out on foot on jungle trails to discover the plant and animal life of the terra firma forest. Here you may spot poison dart frogs, rainbow boas, and perhaps the elusive two-toed sloth. (B,L,D)
Day 7 - Amazon River Basin
Glide along quiet waterways this morning, discovering hawks, herons, and monkeys along the edges of hidden lagoons. Pass timeless villages where the riberenõs go about their daily activities, and try your hand at fishing for piranhas, an important food source for forest communities. Return to the Delfin III for lunch and a lecture by your expert. This afternoon, cruise to the confluence of the Ucayali and Marañon Rivers, known by many as the headwaters of the Amazon River. Toast your Amazon voyage at a festive farewell reception and dinner on board this evening. (B,L,R,D)
Days 8 and 9 – Nauta/Iquitos/Lima
Disembark after breakfast and visit the Manatee Rescue Center to learn about efforts to protect this vulnerable species that is native to the Amazon. Observe manatees up close and see other rescued animals, including howler monkeys, sea turtles, and macaws. Continue to Iquitos for your flight to Lima and check in to day rooms at a conveniently located hotel upon arrival. Late this evening, board your overnight flight home. (B,L)
Included meals are denoted as follows: Breakfast (B), Lunch (L), Reception (R), Dinner (D)