Day 1 • Friday
U.S. / Lima
Fly to Lima, Peru — the nation’s  capital and largest city — and transfer to our hotel for the night. (D Aloft)

Day 2 • Saturday
Iquitos / Embark Amazon Riverboat
We fly over the Andes Mountains to Iquitos, where time permitting we take a brief city tour before boarding our riverboat, home for the coming week. Games on board introduce kids to plants and animals of the Amazon. Tonight, enjoy stargazing and storytelling with our local guides as we cruise slowly up the Amazon. (B,L,D)

Day 3 • Sunday
Amazon River / Río Ucayali
We awake on the Amazon, seeing some of the ever-changing panorama of jungle life. Small villages dot the shoreline, and channels weaving through island mazes provide close-up views of a variety of marsh birds. The confluence of the Ucayali and Marañón Rivers marks the beginning of the Amazon River. We turn into the Río Ucayali, where we may find gray and bubble gum pink dolphins. Later, we practice monkey calls on an excursion into the surrounding rainforest in search of giant water lilies and elusive wildlife, such as monkeys and sloths. (B,L,D)

Day 4 • Monday
Río Ucayali / Pacaya-Samiria Reserve
We explore a small tributary in search of red-breasted, white or black piranha. With luck, we may feast on our catch this evening! We look for primates, sloths and an enormous variety of birds. We continue upriver to the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve, the largest wetland reserve in the world. An excursion here provides the opportunity to see primates including monk sakis, red howler, saddle-backed tamarin and squirrel monkeys. We explore Caro Lake, connected to the river by a very small stream, where we may find flocks of greater ani. We enjoy a nighttime boat excursion for a chance to find caimans (keep your hands in the boat!), capybaras, common potoos, frogs and other nocturnal wildlife. (B,L,D)

Day 5 • Tuesday
Pacaya-Samiria Reserve
We spend the day exploring this flooded realm, seeing wading birds such as herons, wattled jacanas and horned screamers. Parrots including the endangered scarlet macaw are common. We watch for increasingly rare giant river otters, and may also see black caimans and manatees. We enter an igapo (seasonally flooded forest), where plant life is very different from what we see along the main course of the Amazon, and walk through the forest. (B,L,D)

Day 6 • Wednesday
Pacaya-Samiria Reserve
We board excursion boats for access even further into the heart of the vast wetlands. We’ll find birds such as canary-winged parakeets and blue-and-gold and scarlet macaws. Primates are also fairly common, including noisy squirrel monkeys. At a ranger station we may take a short hike to explore the forest — a great time to perfect our rainforest survival skills. After a picnic lunch, we make our way back to our riverboat through the maze of waterways. Once aboard the riverboat, join in as our ship’s crew plays local instruments. (B,L,D

Day 7 • Thursday
Río Ucayali & Tributaries
This morning we head downriver, with a wildlife excursion or other activity. This afternoon, if conditions permit, we explore the narrow Tapiche River. After dark we’ll take our excursion boats to listen to the sounds of the rainforest and look for nocturnal wildlife. (B,L,D)

Day 8 • Friday
Río Ucayali / Amazon River
We visit a village along the river, with the chance to learn about the lives of the “Ribereño” people who live there. We’ll visit their school (you can bring school supplies to donate) and kids may even join in a game of soccer. We continue downriver towards Iquitos, with time to complete our wildlife checklists, and enjoy a farewell dinner. (B,L,D)

Day 9 • Saturday
Iquitos / Lima / En Route
We disembark in Iquitos and fly to Lima. We tour Lima, seeing the Cathedral and Plaza Mayor, before lunch at a local restaurant. The afternoon is free, with dayrooms at our hotel before we transfer to the airport for flights to the U.S. (B,L)

Day 10 • Sunday
U.S.
We arrive in the U.S. and connect with flights home. (Meals Aloft)


Please Note: Itineraries may vary because of changes in air schedules, weather and local conditions.