Itinerary Expand all Lima to Lima Day 1 Start Lima Arrive anytime today in Lima, Peru, the nation’s capital and largest city, and transfer to our overnight hotel. Accommodation: Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima (or similar) Day 2 Fly Lima to Iquitos and embark Fly over the Andes to Iquitos. Visit the Manatee Rescue Centre, where biologists and volunteers care for endangered Amazon manatees that conservation authorities have rescued. Learn about efforts to help these endearing mammals and see how the manatees are cared for and prepared for reintroduction into their natural habitat. Board the elegant riverboat, Zafiro, home for seven nights. Enjoy stargazing and storytelling with our local guides while cruising slowly on the Amazon River toward the confluence of the Marañón and Ucayali Rivers. Accommodation: Zafiro Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 3 Confluence of the Amazon River & Río Ucayali We awake this morning on the Amazon River, seeing some of the ever-changing panorama of jungle life as the ship continues upriver. Small villages dot the shoreline, and channels weaving through island mazes provide close-up views of a variety of birds. The confluence of the Ucayali and Marañón Rivers is famous as the beginning of the Amazon River in Peru. Amazingly, we are about 2400 miles from where the river flows into the Atlantic. The river drops only about 350 feet the entire way! On our Amazon Voyage adventure, travel waterways aboard sturdy excursion boats to areas where we may find marsh birds such as Oriole blackbirds, Green ibis, Yellow-headed caracaras, Black-capped donacobis and White-headed marsh-tyrant. We turn into the Río Ucayali, where we’re likely to find Gray river dolphins and Amazon Pink dolphins cavorting near the boat and along the shoreline. Later we take an excursion into the surrounding rainforest in search of giant water lilies and elusive wildlife such as monkeys and sloths. As dusk approaches, fishing bats begin their night’s foraging. Accommodation: Zafiro Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 4 Pacaya-Samiria Reserve After a peaceful breakfast along the black-water Sapote Creek, we explore a small tributary of the Ucayali aboard excursion boats. Look for animals including primates, sloths and an enormous variety of birds. Our adventure continues upriver to the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve. Although scientific studies are far from exhausted, the Pacaya-Samiria is the known home to 450 bird species, 102 species of mammals, over 130 species of reptiles and amphibians, and countless plants. This afternoon, an excursion into this largest wetland reserve in the world provides the opportunity to see 13 species of primates, including Monk sakis, Red howler, Saddle-backed tamarin and Squirrel monkeys. Explore Caro Lake, connected to the river by way of a very small stream, where we may find flocks of Greater ani, often seen following monkeys in search of insects disturbed by the monkeys’ foraging. We enjoy a night-time boat excursion for a chance to find caimans, capybaras, Common potoos, frogs and other nocturnal wildlife. Accommodation: Zafiro Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 5 Rio Pacaya & Pacaya-Samiria Reserve Spend the day exploring this flooded realm, seeing wading birds such as herons, Wattled jacanas and Horned screamers. Venturing deep into the rainforest, tour an igapo (seasonally flooded forest), where plant life is very different from what we see along the main course of our Amazon cruise, and walk through the forest. Lucky guests may release turtle hatchlings. A delicious lunch energizes us for afternoon excursions with our expert naturalists, where we may find Scarlet macaws, hoatzins, Black-collared hawks and Red howler monkeys. Accommodation: Zafiro Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 6 Pacaya-Samiria Reserve After an early breakfast, we board excursion boats for access even further into the heart of these vast wetlands. As we cruise the narrow waterways, we’ll find birds such as Canary-winged parakeets and spectacular Blue-and-gold and Scarlet macaws. Primates also are common, including noisy Squirrel monkeys. Once we arrive at a remote ranger station, enjoy a refreshing swim. Gradually make our way back to the riverboat through the maze of waterways. Enjoy an al fresco lunch and time to relax before our afternoon excursion. Accommodation: Zafiro Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 7 Río Ucayali Head back downriver, with a morning wildlife or other activity. Visit a village along the river, with the chance to learn about the lives of the “Ribereño” people who live there. Accompanied by guides who grew up along the river, this is a fantastic opportunity to stroll through gardens learning about medicinal plants and folklore or to join in a game of football. The children are especially excited to see their faces on digital cameras and to show off their school and sing Peruvian songs. Depending on the villages visited during your tour, you may also have the opportunity to see a water treatment plant. The clean drinking water provided by these plants is having an enormous positive health impact in remote river villages. Learn about medicinal plants and enjoy a blessing ceremony by a respected village shaman. Aboard the ship, learn to make traditional Peruvian dishes or enjoying an enriching lecture. After dark, go out in excursion boats to listen to the sounds of the rainforest and look for nocturnal wildlife. Accommodation: Zafiro Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 8 Amazon River Wake up early for a morning birdwatching excursion along the Yarapa River. After breakfast, try your hand at piranha fishing in Ubos Lake. Piranha are very common in the slower-moving water. With luck, we may catch Red-breasted, White or Black piranha, and feast on our catch this evening at dinner! Once back aboard your luxury Amazon River cruise ship, we enjoy a farewell dinner. Accommodation: Zafiro Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 9 Fly from Iquitos to Lima On an early morning excursion to Pilpintuwasi Rescue Centre, see Two- and Three-toed sloth, Red uakari and even a jaguar which have been rescued. Fly back from Iquitos to Lima, arriving late this afternoon. Upon arrival back in Lima late this afternoon, check into the hotel. Either make use of the room overnight or just as a day room if you wish to connect with your independently arranged flights this evening. Accommodation: Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima Airport (or similar) Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Day 10 End Lima End Lima
Lima Extension Code: XTNLIM Experience vibrant Lima as you delve into some of the city's most interesting sights! Day 1 Arrive Lima Arrive in Lima, Peru, where you are met and transferred to the Swisshotel (Meals Aloft) Day 2 Colonial Lima This morning tour the historic district of Lima. Visit the cathedral, where Francisco Pizarro is entombed, the Plaza de Armas, the monastery and vast catacombs of the Iglesia de San Francisco before visiting Casa Aliaga, a private home dating back to the Conquistadors. This afternoon we enjoy lunch overlooking the pyramid, Huaca Pucllana. Afterwards, we tour the ruins built by a Pre-Incan indigenous coastal civilization. Late this afternoon, we return to the hotel. This evening, enjoy the night in Lima on your own. Consider using this evening to experience some of Lima's world famous cuisine. (B,L) Day 3 Lima Today we begin with a visit to the vibrant Indian Market where crafters display a wide variety of handmade items, jewellery, and art. We have lunch at a local restaurant and explore the surrounding shops before returning to the hotel to refresh before a late afternoon visit to the Larco Herrera Museum. This museum is housed in an 18th century vice-royal mansion built over a 7th-century pre-Columbian pyramid and surrounded by beautiful gardens. The museum was founded in 1926 and has the finest gold and silver collection from Ancient Peru. The galleries provide an overview of 3000 years of development of Peruvian pre-Columbian history. After our visit, we enjoy dinner at the museum's restaurant, Museo Larco, noted as one of Lima's finest dining options. We return to the hotel this evening and prepare for the next mornings' flight to Iquitos to begin our tour of the Amazon Rainforest. (B,L,D)
Wings Over Peru: Nazca Lines & Ballestas Islands Pre-Extension Code: XTNNAZ Make the most of your travel to South America by combining the Amazon tour with our pre-tour extension to Peru's Nazca Lines. The Nazca Lines are among the most astonishing early human creations — a series of large geometric shapes and depictions of animals, humans and plants carved out of the desert by a civilization that lived here between 200 BC and 600 AD. Their purpose has been the subject of intensive scientific investigation as well as all kinds of speculation. Since the Nazca Lines are best seen from the air, aboard this Wings Over Peru journey, you soar above the lines on a flightseeing excursion. We’ll also go by boat to the Ballestas Islands to see an incredible spectacle, with tens of thousands of roosting seabirds and colonies of sea lions patrolling the beaches. This extension adds two days to the length of your journey. Day 1 Arrive Lima Our expedition begins with our flight to Lima. On arrival, we meet our guide and transfer to the Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima Airport Hotel for the night. (Meals Aloft) Day 2 Lima / Paracas / Nazca / Paracas We depart Lima early this morning and drive south to the town of Paracas, where we board a small plane for our flight over the Nazca Lines. Among the many figures we see are the “hummingbird,” “monkey” and “dog,” along with some of the many lines that run through the desert. Returning to Paracas, we enjoy an afternoon at leisure and overnight at La Hacienda Bahia de Paracas. While here you can relax seaside or treat yourself to a massage at the spa. (B,L,D) Day 3 Ballestas / Lima This morning we take a boat ride to the Ballestas Islands to see thousands of seabirds: Humboldt penguins, Inca terns, two kinds of boobies and three kinds of cormorants. More than 200 species have been recorded here. Noisy sea lions also inhabit the beaches and waters. We continue on for more wildlife viewing, including Chilean flamingos. After our boat ride, we return to Lima. We have the evening to relax at our hotel. The rest of our group arrives this evening ready to begin our Amazon Rainforest Cruise tour. (B)
Rainforest Canopy & Lodge Extension Code: XTNRAIN From first light until after dark, immerse yourself in the sensations of our Amazon rainforest tour while enjoying our comfortable, air-conditioned lodge artfully constructed to exist in harmony with the surrounding environment. Explore a different side of Amazon rainforest travel as you head high into the canopy at day break, encountering birds and other wildlife in the treetops. Day 1 Arrive Lima Fly independently to Lima, Peru, and overnight at the Costa del Sol. (D Aloft) Day 2 Ceiba Tops Fly across the Andes to the lively frontier city of Iquitos. Enjoy an interactive visit to the Manatee Rescue Center, where biologists and volunteers care for endangered Amazon manatees that conservation authorities have rescued. Board a speed boat and head out onto the Amazon River toward Ceiba Tops Lodge. This evening, join our guide for a jungle hike, visiting the immense ceiba tree for which the lodge is named. (B,L,D) Day 3 Ceiba Tops After a hearty breakfast, travel to a Yagua village. The Yagua people live scattered throughout the Amazon Basin, supporting their communities with small-scale agriculture, fishing and light hunting. Additionally, the Yagua are known for their craft-making skills, and you have ample opportunity to purchase wooden animal carvings, decorative blowguns, and a variety of necklaces, bracelets and jewelry fashioned from natural materials such as seeds and fibers. Call on the Amazon Medical Clinic operated by former IE guest Dr. Linnea Smith. The clinic provides river communities with their only access to modern medical care. Before returning to Ceiba Tops, stop at a library offering a book club, computer classes and special activities for students at local schools. (B,L,D) Day 4 Canopy Walkway Walk the trail to the Canopy Walkway. Wooden steps take us from the forest floor to suspended pathways and platforms. Ascend the walkway to a height of more than ten stories, emerging above the seemingly endless canopy. Enjoy a close-up view of life in the canopy: plants and bright flowers attracting gorgeous birds and other creatures. After lunch at the lodge, visit the ReNuPeRu Ethnobotanical Garden, where plants are grown for use in local medicine and healing ceremonies. (B,L,D) Day 5 Iquitos / Embark Awake to the sounds of the forest, joining your naturalist for an early morning bird walk. Transfer by boat to Iquitos. Head out onto the Amazon River to Monkey Island. Monkey Island is a private reserve whose free-roaming inhabitants include wooly, saki and titi monkeys as well as tamarins and marmosets. After lunch, meet your fellow passengers and embark on your Amazon Cruise. (B,L,D)
Peru Visas are not required by UK citizens, Western European nationals, Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans and most other nationalities. If you are in any doubt please contact the nearest Peruvian Embassy.
Peru There are no mandatory vaccination requirements. Recommended vaccinations are: Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid, Hepatitis A. Zika fever is a mosquito‐borne viral disease and a known risk in places visited on this trip. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, we therefore strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites. If you are travelling to the Tambopata reserve in the Amazon rainforest, the risk of malaria is slight, but you may wish to consult your GP or travel health clinic for further advice. We also strongly recommend that you obtain a Yellow Fever vaccination. Dengue fever and/or Chikungunya are known risks in the Amazon region. Both are tropical viral diseases spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for either, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites: always apply insect repellent and wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers while in the rainforest to avoid being bitten.
M/V Zafiro, Luxury Vessel Travel aboard the Zafiro, a luxurious vessel, which blends stylish design and modern comforts. Classic touches include magnificent floor-to-ceiling windows and for those on the Upper Deck, private balconies. A ship staff and crew of 25, including a cruise director and local naturalist guides, help to ensure an unprecedented level of service. All 19 spacious suites are air-conditioned and feature en suite bathrooms, a desk and ample closet space. CABINS Lower Deck Suite: Cabins with convertible twin or California King-sized bed and panoramic floor-to-ceiling window. Approx. 226 sq. ft. Upper Deck Suite: Cabins with convertible twin or California King-sized bed, panoramic floor-to-ceiling window and balcony. Approx. 226 sq. ft. Master Suite: Cabins with convertible twin or California King-sized bed, panoramic floor-to-ceiling window with 90° view. Approx. 248 sq. ft Zafiro Suite: Cabins with convertible twin or California King-sized bed, panoramic floor-to-ceiling window with 180° view, balcony and Jacuzzi-style bathtub and convertible sofa bed. Approx. 480 sq. ft. PUBLIC SPACES There is a large indoor lounge with comfortable furnishings which make a perfect spot for relaxing with a book or enjoying the passing scenery. The Zafiro has a luxurious Observation Deck with cushioned loungers under a soaring canopy — ideal for avoiding the sun’s glare. The Zafiro’s outdoor Jacuzzi is a great place to relax after a shore excursion. You can also indulge in aromatherapy or a massage in the spa, which is staffed by a wellness specialist.
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