What a river cruise gives you
Aqua Expeditions sails from Nauta, near Iquitos, into the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, over five million acres of protected flooded forest. The ship is your hotel. You unpack once, and each day it moves to a new stretch of river while you are out on a skiff or in a kayak with a naturalist guide.
The Aria Amazon has 16 suites, all river-facing, with floor-to-ceiling windows; the Aqua Nera is Aqua’s second ship on the Peruvian Amazon. Meals, guided excursions, skiffs and kayaks are included. Sailings run three, four or seven nights, with departures several times a week; we match the sailing to your dates.
The cruise suits travelers who want wildlife variety, a high standard of comfort and no effort between excursions. Pink river dolphins, monkeys, sloths and a long list of birds are the usual sightings.
What a lodge gives you
Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica sits on the Madre de Dios River in the southern Amazon, a short boat ride from Puerto Maldonado and one flight from Cusco. You stay in one place, in a cabana that opens onto the forest, and go out with the lodge’s guides on foot, by boat and along a canopy walkway.
A lodge goes deeper into one piece of forest rather than wider across a region. Days are structured but flexible, and three nights is the right length. It is the Amazon chapter of our Exploration of Peru journey.
Time, cost and connections
The cruise needs a Lima–Iquitos flight at each end and a fixed sailing date (see how to get to Iquitos). Count on four nights for a three-night sailing once travel days are included, and plan the Andes around it. The lodge connects from Cusco in a single short flight, so it fits more easily into a trip that is already built around Machu Picchu.
On cost, the cruise is the larger item. Aqua Expeditions’ 3-night sailings start from about $4,050 per person in 2027, for a private suite, all meals and daily excursions on a small ship. The lodge is less, with more variation by room category, and is included in the from-price of Exploration of Peru. Either way, flights are quoted separately. Your written proposal confirms the total.
| Lodge: Inkaterra Reserva Amazónica | Cruise: Aqua Expeditions | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | Madre de Dios River, near Puerto Maldonado, southern Amazon | Sails from Nauta, near Iquitos, into the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve |
| Nights | 3 | 3, 4 or 7 (count four nights for a three-night sailing) |
| Connection | One short flight from Cusco | Lima–Iquitos flights at each end; fixed sailing date |
| From-price | Within Exploration of Peru, 10 days, from $5,495 per person, two sharing | From about $4,050 per person for a 3-night sailing in 2027; flights separate |
| Best for | A three-night contrast to the Andes, families, the simplest connection from Cusco | When the Amazon is a main reason for the trip, ten days or more, comfort on the water |
For when to go, see our guide to the best time to visit the Amazon.
Which we recommend, and when
Choose the cruise when the Amazon is a main reason for the trip, when comfort matters, or when you have ten days or more. Choose the lodge when the rainforest is a three-night contrast to the Andes and you want the simplest connection from Cusco. A 10–12 day trip can combine the lodge with the private 5-day Inca Trail with Inca Trek by Destination Peru.
Destination Peru is a U.S. and Peruvian-owned travel company founded in 2012, with teams in Cusco, Peru and Woods Cross, Utah. Our founder spent close to ten years in Iquitos, so we know the northern river first-hand. Tell us your dates and how much the Amazon matters to you, and we’ll say which one fits. Our Amazon & Andes journey is the cruise version in full.