Peruvian Amazon · River cruise

Aqua Expeditions Amazon Cruises

Aria Amazon · Aqua Nera · From Iquitos

Small-ship luxury on the Peruvian Amazon, from Iquitos into the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve. Booked and supported by Destination Peru.

Cruises by

Check sailing dates See the ships

From $4,050 per person

Peru specialists since 2012 · 1,000+ guests · Offices in Cusco & Salt Lake City

The Aria Amazon sailing at golden hour with a skiff alongside — Photography: Aqua Expeditions

Why Aqua

The best way to see Iquitos.

We love working with Aqua Expeditions because they run the river the way we would. Their ships are the finest on the Peruvian Amazon, and the sailing from Iquitos is, in our experience, the best way to see this part of the country: you wake up inside the reserve, not on the edge of it.

Aqua describes it as a voyage into the most biodiverse rainforest and river system on Earth, home to one in every ten species of plant and animal, with the comforts of a world-class hotel on board. Having spent years in Iquitos, we can say that is not an exaggeration.

Why this cruise

The river, in comfort.

River-facing suites.

Every suite looks onto the Amazon through floor-to-ceiling windows. You unpack once; the forest changes outside each morning.

Two guided excursions a day.

Morning and late afternoon, by skiff and kayak, with Aqua’s naturalist guides inside the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve.

Meals and excursions included.

All meals on board and every guided excursion are part of the fare. The days are planned; you decide how much of them to take.

Guests on a skiff excursion through the flooded forest of the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve — Photography: Aqua Expeditions

Kayaks along the forest edge of a quiet Amazon channel — Photography: Aqua Expeditions

The ships

Two ships, one river.

We’ll recommend one for your dates and party, and confirm the suite category in your written proposal.

Aqua Expeditions

Aria Amazon

16 suites, all river-facing, with floor-to-ceiling windows. A small ship with an outdoor lounge, a dining room serving Amazonian cuisine and skiffs for the daily excursions.

From $4,050 pp

Aqua Expeditions

Aqua Nera

Aqua’s second ship on the Peruvian Amazon, with river-facing suites, a quieter, darker design and the same excursion program into the reserve.

3 nights from $5,560 pp · 4 nights from $7,420 · 7 nights from $12,260

Sailings

Three, four or seven nights.

Departures several times a week; we match the sailing to your dates. All three lengths sail into the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve.

3 nights

From $4,050 pp

Two full excursion days in the reserve
Skiff and kayak excursions, a community visit and a night excursion
The right length when the Amazon is one chapter of a longer Peru trip

4 nights

From $5,400 pp

Three full excursion days in the reserve
The middle option: more river, more wildlife, still inside a week
The right length when you want the Amazon to breathe without giving it the whole trip

7 nights

From $9,010 pp

Deeper into the reserve, including quieter channels and lakes
More wildlife, more communities, more time on the water
The right length when the Amazon is the trip

Aria Amazon, 2027 departures, per person based on two sharing, first-deck suite. Holiday departures and upper-deck suites cost more. Flights not included.

Typical pattern: Aria Amazon sails round trip from Nauta (3 nights Friday to Monday, 4 nights Monday to Friday, 7 nights Friday to Friday); Aqua Nera sails between Iquitos and Nauta (3 nights Saturday to Tuesday, 4 nights Tuesday to Saturday, 7 nights Saturday to Saturday).

From $4,050 ppAria Amazon, 3 nights; we confirm the fare for your dates and suite
Several departures a weekwe match the sailing to your dates
Flightsnot included; we book them for you

Tell us your month and party size and we’ll reply within 24 hours with the sailings available and a written fare for your suite. Nothing is booked and no payment is taken with your inquiry.

Seasons

When to sail.

The Amazon has no bad season, only two different ones. Rain falls year-round; what changes is the water level.

High water, December to May

The rivers rise several meters and the forest floods. Skiffs and kayaks glide between the trees, so you reach places that are dry land for the rest of the year. Days are warm and humid, with short, heavy rain most afternoons.

This is the season for canoeing through the flooded forest and for pink river dolphins close to the boat.

Low water, June to November

The water drops, sandbanks and beaches appear, and trails open on foot. Wildlife concentrates along the shrinking channels, so birding and caiman spotting are at their best. It is slightly drier and a little cooler at night.

This is the season for walking, fishing and the widest range of birds.

A river-facing suite on the Aria Amazon with floor-to-ceiling windows — Photography: Aqua Expeditions

Rainforest reflected in still water on the Peruvian Amazon — Photography: Aqua Expeditions

Questions

Before you book.

How do you get to Iquitos?

Iquitos has no road connection, so you fly. Direct flights from Lima take about two hours, and Aqua Expeditions meets you for the transfer to the ship at Nauta. We book the flights as part of your trip and time them to your sailing.

3, 4 or 7 nights?

Three nights is a full introduction: two days of excursions in the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve and the river at dawn and dusk. Four nights is the middle option, with a third excursion day and more time on the water, still inside a week. Seven nights goes deeper into the reserve, with more time for wildlife, communities and the quieter channels. Choose three if the Amazon is one chapter of a longer Peru trip, seven if it is the trip.

Is the cruise suitable for children?

Minimum ages apply; ask us. Tell us the children’s ages and we’ll confirm what Aqua allows for your dates and whether a three-night sailing is the better fit.

Can I add Machu Picchu?

Yes. Most of our guests do. We add Lima, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cusco before or after the sailing, with private guides and every connection handled. Our Amazon & Andes journey shows the full ten-day version.

What is included on board?

All meals on board, two guided excursions a day by skiff and kayak with Aqua’s naturalist guides, and the airport transfers between Iquitos and the ship. Flights, gratuities for the crew and beverages beyond those Aqua includes are extra. We confirm the exact inclusions for your sailing in writing.

Check sailing dates

Tell us when you’d like to sail.

A real person on our team replies within 24 hours with the departures available and a written fare for your suite. Add Cusco and Machu Picchu if you like; it is optional.

“We loved the itinerary and the knowledge & helpfulness of the team.”
drbeth1 · TripAdvisor · 5.0 · 41 reviews

Phone +1 801-797-2777 · WhatsApp +51 919 528 246 · reservations@destinationperu.com