trip specifics

price

Cabin Ctgy	Suites	Twins	Master	Suites
4 Nights	$2,322	$2,108	$2,686	$2,365
3 Nights	$1,787	$1,594	$2,108	$1,808

Interested in experiencing the most diverse and lush natural resource while cruising in style on the largest river basin in the world? Then the Delfin Amazon Cruise is the perfect match to fulfill your Amazon Rain Forest and River exploring fantasies. Aboard the Delfin, you will venture into a world of exuberance and dramatic sceneries filled with the most exotic wildlife and vegetation on the planet. The Delfin is committed in protecting the flora, wildlife and local native livelihood, therefore not only will you get up close and personal with the Amazon, but you will learn about keeping it safe and thriving while doing so.

Day 1 - Arrive Iquitos and Embark Amazon Cruise
Plan to arrive in Iquitos on the afternoon flight from Lima arriving at 5:00pm. After arriving at Iquitos International Airport, you will be assisted by our guides and transported by bus for about 1 ½ hours to Nauta. Nauta lies between Iquitos and the Marañon River, where the DELFIN is waiting for you. Upon boarding the DELFIN your experienced crew will help you settle into your stateroom, and introduce you to their extraordinary vessel.

Just before dusk, as the Delfin starts its journey into the rainforest, our barman and staff will provide you with a wide variety of drinks and cocktails including Peru’s finest and most famous cocktail, the pisco sour, made of Pisco, a Peruvian grape brandy. Fine regional cigars will also be available. Dinner is served in our cozy dining room located at the back of the ship’s second deck. Aside from providing you with your first rainforest adventure, the Delfin is also a unique culinary experience, offering the best of Amazonian-Peruvian cuisine in a cosmopolitan gourmet setting. Our chef prides himself in serving dishes in different styles and seasoned with a wide variety of herbs and spices, as well as exotic fruits.

After a delicious meal, head to the top observation deck where our guides will use charts and short videos displayed on our flat LCD screen to conduct a brief orientation, outlining details of your journey, including the places you will visit, the wildlife you will see, as well as a summary of the history and geography of the Amazon basin.

Finally, under the beauty of an Amazonian night filled with hundreds of stars or perhaps a full moon, and wafted by the gentle breeze of the rainforest, our multi-talented staff will entertain you with a little live music, while you enjoy an after dinner drink and the tropical Amazonian breeze.

Accommodations: Delfin I or Delfin II
Included Meals: dinner

Day 2 - Belluda Caño – Dorado River
Dawn and dusk are ideal times for nature observation, and an early rise is therefore highly recommended. Itineraries will vary depending on season.

During the rainy season (Dec – May), when river levels are high, board the skiffs to explore the black water Belluda Stream and start learning about the rainforest. In Pacaya Samiria national reserve you will have the chance to see amazing wildlife including parrots, macaws and monkeys. Explore primarily by skiff reaching deep into the Amazon rainforest.

During the dry season (Jun – Nov), disembark at the native village of Belluda Cano for a morning hike with excellent opportunities for spotting transitional species such as the snail kite, black tailed ant bird, manikins, tanagers, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, nun birds, orioles, blackbirds, etc. An hours hike reaches a lovely lagoon where two dugout canoes await us in the midst of one of the most remote, least visited rainforests in the world. Hike back to the skiffs before returning to the Delfin for lunch and continue cruising upstream towards our next destination.

In the afternoon we will explore the El Dorado River, within the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve. Here we hope to have an unforgettable encounter with gray and pink river dolphins. On the river you will experience abundant wildlife and nature in all its exuberance while we search for the Amazon River’s transitional forest specialties such as snail kites, festive parrots, endangered scarlet macaws, olive spotted hummingbirds, Amazonian parrotlets, and wood creepers, among others. Prehistoric looking iguanas laze in the sun while we travel along the shoreline searching for whatever the jungle has to offer us. Squirrel Monkeys are very active at this time of the day, when they move in large noisy troops at mid- to upper-levels of primary and secondary lowland forest. Enjoy another delectable dinner and cocktail hour while the sun begins to set and casts an amber glow over the Amazon.

Accommodations: Delfin I or Delfin II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 3 Atun Poza Lake – Rio Pacaya
During the Rainy Season (Dec – May), cruise in our skiffs along lake Atun Poza looking for several species of egrets, herons, hawks, long-legged neo-tropical cormorants fishing for their dinner, and unusual horned screamers. Explore black water lagoons linked to this huge lake were guides will point out rainforest curiosities like how wattled jacanas compete and how social spiders webs embrace huge parts of a tree.

During the Dry Season (Jun – Nov), hike through the Atun Poza ecosystem, passing through a classic tropical rainforest with canopy trees reaching 180 feet high. Biologically this forest is one of the richest habitats on earth, supporting the most species of plants and animals per unit area. If we’re lucky, we’ll also see giant otters with their large bodies, dark fur with spotted throat and noisy calls. This forest is also very good for spotting birds such as the bluish-fronted jacamar seen in pairs in middle and lower parts of forest edges, or collared trogons, red capped cardinals, etc.

This afternoon, back aboard the Delfin, we continue cruising up the Puinahua River towards the Pacaya River, our destination at the very heart of the Pacaya Samiria Reserve and the largest wetland protected reserve in the world. Filled with lakes, palm swamps and streams, the reserve becomes a flooded forest in the rainy season and is one of the most beautiful places you’ll ever visit. Aboard comfortable skiffs explore magnificent views and wildlife opportunities searching for red howler monkeys, the largest in the Amazon basin. Enjoy a colorful sunset over the black water of the Pacaya River, which has been called the forest of reflections (it’s hard to know where the jungle begins and the water ends).

Continue after dark on a night safari. Armed with powerful spot lights the skiffs explore in search of night herons, pauraques, spectacled owls, fish bats and caimans. Guides will point out star constellations while fireflies light up the jungle around us. Return to the Delfin for dinner.

Accommodations: Delfin I or Delfin II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 4 - Caro Curahuayte Lagoon
After an early breakfast board the excursion skiffs heading for Caro Curahuayte Lagoon to try you hand at piranha fishing. During the rainy season, the forest is flooded and many trees flower and bear fruit in conjunction with the flooding. Many fish, including piranhas, swim among the flooded tree trunks devouring the fruit or chewing at their skins. Obviously, the piranhas’ reputation as super-carnivores is an exaggeration! There are 25 different species of piranha in the Amazon basin, including black, white and red bellied.

During the dry season, board the skiffs in search of shore-birds. When the river is very low, broad white sandy beaches emerge and river islands form, creating a special ecosystem that harbors sandpipers, terns that hover and dive to catch fish, black skimmers with their peculiar low flight over the waters surface, egrets, jabirus, wood storks, and kingfishers.

Return to the Delphin and cruise back down the Puinahua River towards Iquitos. After lunch visit the riverside community of Yanallpa. You will have a chance to visit with local villagers and learn about their unique way of life with a focus on nearby fruit trees and how they harvest them. Return to the ship for happy hour where the guides provide a review of all you have seen on the trip. We will sail all night long as the Delfin continues its smooth journey downstream.

Accommodations: Delfin I or Delfin II
Included Meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner


Day 5 Amazon River – Yarapa River – Puerto Miguel Community and Nauta
On board our skiffs we will stop at the village of Puerto Miguel to meet local villagers. You will have the chance to learn about their culture, traditions and folklore. You may also visit one of the villager’s homes, to see how they live and the simplicity of their lifestyle and purchase some of the handcrafts they make.
Return to the Delfin for the final Amazon cruise to Nauts. After lunch disembark in Nauta and transfer to Iquitos. Upon arrival at the Iquitos Airport the crew will help you check in and say goodbye.

Accommodations: Delfin I or Delfin II
Included Meals: breakfast and lunch


Notes on Itinerary: We may occasionally alter itineraries slightly for safety, or to take advantage of weather, wildlife, and unplanned discoveries. Our ability to be flexible makes our style of cruising unique.

Single Travelers: Delfin offers single occupancy at an 50% supplement.

Children Age Requirements: Minimum Age 7 years. Children between the ages of 7-11 are eligible for a 20% discount.

Cost Includes: All meals onboard. All Excursions. Transfer to and from vessel when arriving on recommended flights from Iquitos. Entrance fee to Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. Naturalist guides.

Not Included: Airfare from US to Iquitos; excess baggage charges; tips to local staff and items of a personal nature such as soft drinks or alcoholic beverages, laundry fees and insurance of any kind.

Arrival and Departure: This trip begins and ends in Iquitos. Plan flights to arrive by noon on Day 1 and depart late afternoon on the last day. Airport transfers are included for travelers arriving and departing on scheduled arrival/departure days.

Payment and Cancellation Policy: A $200 deposit is required at the time of booking. For our cancellation policy Please see AdventureSmith Explorations Terms and Conditions. We highly recommend our travelers protect their investment with

Accommodations Aboard: Delfin I consists of - Two Suites with a king-sized bed and Four twin-bedded cabins with comfortable orthopedic mattresses, fine pure natural cotton sheets, bath towels and robes, silent A/C Units, Spanish style hot water shower heads and fine wood finishing, all with 110/220 Volts poweroutlets and organic friendly amenities.

Delfin II consists of Four 233-square feet Master Suites with king-sized beds, two on the main deck and two on the upper deck. Four 200-square feet Suites with king-size beds, two located on the main deck -each interconnected with a twin-bedded cabin- and two located on the upper deck. Six 200-square feet twin-bedded Suites with convertible large king-sized beds, four on the main deck and two on the upper deck. All Suite Cabins have large panoramic windows. All 14 Suites are finished with fine woods, pure Peruvian natural cotton fiber sheets, bath towels and robes, Spanish style hot water shower heads, all equipped with 110/120 Volts power outlets and organic friendly amenities.

Qualifications: This trip will be enjoyed by anyone who is in good health and leads an active life. Daily excursions from the boat will be made in a smaller skiff. Trip members will hike from the landing point to specific areas for wildlife observation. Hiking time for most landings will be a couple of hours round trip with lots of time to stop to study, photograph and enjoy the flora and fauna. Most landings are dry but some may be "wet", requiring cautious footing on slippery rocks. The boat staff will be on hand to assist.

Extending Your Trip: Call AdventureSmith Explorations about the possibilities of combining this trip with our Peru: Machu Picchu extensions.

General Information: This trip is subject to AdventureSmith Explorations Terms and Conditions. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A packing list, extensive pre-departure and travel insurance information is sent upon confirmation. We strongly recommend the purchase of Trip Insurance through AdventureSmith Explorations. If purchased within 14 days of sign-up, the pre-existing condition exclusion is waived.

We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! Call today.

return to top of page

AdventureSmith Explorations

Travel Specialists  |  Contact Us