Amazon Cruise - Zafiro

Day 1 — Iquitos

On arrival at Iquitos airport you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Iquitos for overnight. Please note that you may instead choose to use this included hotel night at the end of your cruise, depending on flight timings.

Day 2 — Iquitos › Nauta › Marañón River › Nauta Cano

This morning you will be met and transferred to Nauta port to board Zafiro. Settle into your suite with its comfortable beds, pure Peruvian pima cotton sheets, cotton bathrobes, air conditioning and private bathroom with shower and amenities. Before sailing, enjoy a welcome pisco sour while enjoying a full view of the river from the observation deck, or a panoramic view in the indoor or outdoor lounge. The naturalist guides will present an overview of the trip program, such as activities, routes, information on wildlife and vegetation, the geographical and historical background, as well as other useful details. There is time to rest before your first outing on skiffs to Nauta Caño for a night excursion in search of alligators, tarantulas, frogs and other nocturnal species. Return to the ship for dinner on board.

Day 3 — Marañón River › Yanayacu de Pucate › San Regis

Early in the morning, head to the third deck to observe the transit of migratory birds. Afterwards, head out by boat to the Yanayacu de Pucate area, one of the best preserved and protected areas of the Pacaya Samiria reserve, enjoying a special breakfast in the middle of nature. Before returning to the ship, those who wish can take a kayak ride. Others might choose to swim in the refreshing black waters of the river. Back on board, the bartender awaits you with a Peruvian cocktail demonstration before lunch. After lunch enjoy a talk on Amazonian philosophy from your guides.

This afternoon visit the native community of San Regis and learn about ancestral traditions from the local shaman. Your guides will act as interpreters, allowing you to ask questions about spiritual connections and the shaman’s abilities to heal the soul. After further interactions with the community there is time to relax on board with live music before dinner.

Day 4 — Marañón River › Amazonian Natural Park › Nahuapa River

After breakfast enjoy a walk through the jungle, followed by a canopy walk, admiring the richness of the jungle from the top of the trees. Return to the ship for lunch then enjoy a talk about the animals in the area that are in danger of extinction. This afternoon, explore the Nahuapa River by boating, trying your hand at piranha fishing using local equipment and techniques. Before returning to the Zafiro take a night excursion in search of alligators, tarantulas, frogs and other nocturnal species.

Day 5 — Marañón River › Casual › Amazon River

After breakfast, take a walk in Casual in search of wildlife such as poisonous frogs and other exotic species. In this area you will see the well-known giant trees called Avatar and the “Victoria Amazonica” also known as Victoria Regia or water lilies, the largest aquatic plant on the planet. There you will also have the opportunity to purchase handicrafts made by local women artisans. Back on board there will be a cooking demonstration by the executive chef.

After lunch, do not miss the talk about the origin of the Amazon before you embark on an excursion to the confluence of the Ucayali and Marañón rivers, the place where these two rivers join, also known as the origin of the Amazon River. This area is very popular for watching the curious pink river dolphins. Return to the ship and have some free time until dinner.

Day 6 — Amazon River › Nauta › Iquitos

Before breakfast visit Nauta and its market where you will learn first-hand what the commercial life of the city is like. Return to Zafiro for breakfast, then disembark and transfer to Iquitos. On your way to the airport, visit Amazon Forever Bio Park, also known as Manatees Rescue Center, where biologists and volunteers care for manatees, an endangered species. Learn how manatees are treated and prepared for their return to their natural habitat. Likewise, other animals are also rescued, treated and reinserted in their natural habitat. Arrangements end on arrival at the airport.

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2027

What’s included

• 1 night pre cruise accommodation in Iquitos
• 4 nights’ accommodation onboard in your category of choice
• 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, and 4 dinners
• Welcome drink (a pisco sour), coffee, tea, juices, and water
• Soft drinks, local beer, house wine, or pisco sours with lunch and dinner
• Shared arrival and departure transfers when travelling on recommended flights
• Shared excursions as per the itinerary
• Pacaya Samiria National Reserve fee
• All equipment including boots and rain ponchos

Not included

• All other beverages not listed as included
• Flights to/from Iquitos
• Gratuities

The whole trip, one booking

We arrange your international and regional flights alongside your journey — in whichever cabin suits — with stopovers, travel insurance and the rest of your time in South America, so it’s all priced, ticketed and looked after together.

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Why book through us

A South American itinerary takes real co-ordination: flights across the Pacific, internal flights between countries, trains, lodges, guides and the occasional boat. Booking through Fine Travel, you benefit from partners on the ground who have been chosen and tested over many years by our specialist partners — and you deal with one TAANZ-accredited agency in New Zealand.

One consultant, first call to home again

Your Fine Travel consultant looks after your enquiry and your booking from the first conversation to your return, with the operator’s on-the-ground partners behind the journey itself.

Complimentary documentation

If you prefer printed copies of your travel documentation, we’ll courier a full hard-copy set to you at no cost — a service few agencies still offer, and one our clients tell us they value.