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- Amazon Basin
- Arequipa & Canyon Country
- Central Highlands
- Cusco & Machu Picchu
- Huaraz & The Cordilleras
- Lake Titicaca
- Lima
- North Coast
- Northern Highlands
- South Coast
MV Aria - Amazon Cruise
MV Aria Amazon is the sister Amazon River Cruiser to the MV Aqua and offers one of the best luxury cruises on the Amazon.
Designed by renowned Peruvian architect, Jordi Puig, MV Aria embraces a sophisticated boutique hotel feel to the interiors of all 16 Design Suites on this lovely river cruiser.
Peru’s Amazon wilderness is only ever visited by a fortunate few and MV Aria allows guests to cruise the Amazon in comfort and style on 3, 4 and 7 night Amazon River Cruises.
MV Aria’s excursions on comfortable launches lead guests out in search of pink dolphins and six-foot-wide water lilies, to fish for sharp-toothed piranha, and to interact with the local people who barely have contact with the outside world.
The Aria is spacious yet intimate enough to feel entirely exclusive and features generous lounging and dining areas.
Spacious (23 sq. m.) cabins feature soft lighting, natural wood flooring and neutral hues which create a calm and indulgent backdrop framed by floor to ceiling windows.
What’s so Special?
Aqua Expedition’s latest Amazon Cruiser offers one of the best luxury cruises on the Amazon.
The feeling is intimate and exclusive with a maximum of only 32 guests.
Day 1: Embarkation and Check-In
Transfer from Iquitos Airport to the MV Aria Amazon.
From the moment you step on board, enjoy the Aria Amazon's low-key luxury.
As you settle into your handsomely appointed, generously proportioned suite, you will feel the vessel begin to move –the beginning of one of your life’s great adventures.
After dinner learn about life on board, and have the first nightly briefing about your next day’s Amazon adventure.
You will meet the Aria's naturalist guides and your cruise director, who will use video, photos, and maps to introduce the details of your journey deep into the Peruvian Amazon.
Overnight Aria Amazon. Breakfast and dinner included.
Day 2: Amazon - Yacapana - Yarapa - Clavero Lake
The locals call Yacapana Islands "The Islands of the Iguana" because of the large number of these reptiles - like tiny dinosaurs - which inhabit them.
You will also see the famous Amazon River dolphins, pink or gray, along our route.
Amazonian people believe that these dolphins possess the power to turn into men and women of great beauty.
You will pass close to lush islands, giving you the opportunity to take good pictures of the tropical flora and fauna.
Return to the Aria Amazon for breakfast.
After breakfast, you will board our comfortable skiff to sail from the Amazon River to the Yarapa River.
As you float down the Yarapa, past the occasional fishermen paddling in their canoes, keep your binoculars ready to spot wildlife: terns, tropical songbirds, black collared hawks and sloth share this wonderful world with us.
Upon our arrival at Lake Moringo, use your hooks to try to catch some of the ferocious piranhas and other fish species.
As you fish, trained naturalist guides will tell the story of the lake and its inhabitants.
Return to the Aria Amazon, free time & lunch.
After lunch enjoy canoeing and swimming at Lake Clavero
Observe villagers paddle in their traditional dugout canoes. You may wish to swim in the lake’s calm waters and visit the community.
Return to the Aria Amazon at dinner time. Enjoy a Pisco sour on the upper deck while watching the sunset.
Overnight Aria Amazon. All meals and activities included.
Day 3: Ucayali - Yanallpa - Dorado River - Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
This morning, board the skiffs to explore a fascinating black water stream, part of the vast Amazon flooded forest within the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.
Your guides will tell you about the jungle as we explore what scientists call a "gallery forest," because of its dense vegetation that creates a tunnel of leaves.
As you explore this type of riparian vegetation, watch above for parrots, macaws, and fluffy monk saki monkeys.
Return to the Aria Amazon at lunch time.
After lunch, lecture in the lounge by the Aqua's naturalist guides.
In the afternoon, you will take a magical journey through the "Jungle of the Mirrors," where towering trees are reflected in the dark river.
Move on to the Dorado River where you may observe enchanting parrots, macaws and a variety of primates, unperturbed by our presence.
Return to the Aria Amazon at dinner time.
Overnight Aria Amazon. All meals and activities included.
Day 4: Amazon Birthplace - Village visit - Nauta city - Airport transfer
This morning, the Aria Amazon skirts the edge of the vast Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, a flooded forest covering five million acres at the headwaters of the Amazon basin.
Get up early to see one of the great spectacles of the Southern Hemisphere: the sun rising over the origin of the Amazon River.
Here, the junction of two major tributaries, the Ucayali and the Marañon, form one of the greatest waterfalls in the world – certainly this is nature at its most captivating.
Your morning excursion will be accompanied by abundant bird song, as you glide in our small boats past large-billed terns, laughing falcons, exotic short-tailed parrot, and dozens of other vibrantly hued birds.
You will travel by boat to a community located along the Marañon River, where you will meet and interact with local villagers in this remote part of the world and learn about their traditions and folklore.
Walk around with our naturalist guides to see how Aqua Expeditions works with these communities to improve their natural resource management.
You will also have the opportunity to shop for local handicrafts directly from the artisans.
Return to the Aria Amazon for a light lunch.
In the afternoon you will visit the Manatee Rescue Center, a kind of animal orphanage for Amazonian manatees to rescue, rehabilitate and release them back into the wild.
Later, stop at the Amazonian Indian Market San Juan.
Guides will help with check-in at the airport and stay with you until you have boarded your flight back to Lima.
Day 1: Embarkation and Check-In
Upon arrival at Iquitos Airport, you will be transferred to Nauta's main wharf to voard on the MV Aria Amazon.
Enjoy a scenic one-and-a-half hour drive through the Peruvian countryside to the small village of Nauta.
You will be traveling along the only road out of town and it only goes as far as Nauta.
From the moment you step on board, enjoy the Aria Amazon's low-key luxury.
Before dinner, a routine safety drill will take place.
Then it’s into the air-conditioned lounge, where you will learn about life on board, and will have the first nightly briefing about your next day’s Amazon adventure.
You will meet the Aria's naturalist guides and your cruise director, who will use video, photos, and maps to introduce the details of your journey deep into the Peruvian Amazon.
Overnight Aria. Breakfast and dinner included.
Day 2: Marañon River - Yanayacu - Pucate River -Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
On the black water river you can observe the vibrant flora and fauna while looking for macaws and several species of primates like the capuchins and squirrel monkeys as well as the famous Amazon River dolphins, either pink or gray.
You will also have the opportunity here to fish for the ferocious piranha.
Return to the Aria at lunchtime.
Lecture in the lounge by naturalist guides who will tell you about sustainable development projects carried out in this part of the Peruvian Amazon.
In the afternoon you will visit a community located along the great river Marañon where you will meet the native people of Amazonia.
You will be invited to visit the lands where they practice subsistence farming and see how they cultivate wild plants and trees to earn income.
In the primary forest, your guides will also teach you about the fruit trees and medicinal plants hidden in the jungle.
Return to the Aria at dinner time. Meet your crew.
Overnight Aria. All meals and activities included.
Day 3: Samiria River - Village visit - Nauta Caño - Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
Exploration, breakfast on board and walk along the Samiria River.
This morning your naturalist guide will talk about sustainable development projects in Amazonia.
You will visit one of the projects, where villagers are planting palms to obtain oil.
Your guide will also show you the artificial nests created in the sand to protect turtle eggs.
Then you will go into the jungle to encounter wildlife and learn first-hand about the value of medicinal plants found here.
Keep an eye out for the famous Ceiba tree, the highest in the Amazon.
You will have the opportunity to make brief trips in traditional Amazonian canoes and to swim in the waters of the Samiria River.
Return to the Aria, cooking lesson and lunch.
Nauta Caño is part of the Pacaya Samiria Reserve, also known as the Forest of Mirrors due to its dark lagoons, which reflect the scenery.
In this area you will observe toucans, macaws, and iguanas, among many other species.
Return to the Aria at dinner time.
Overnight Aria. Breakfast and dinner included.
Day 4: Marañon River - Casual Terra Firme Forest walk - Yanayacu Yacapana
After breakfas, sail along the Marañon River, watching the different species of flora and fauna as we approach the Casual community where you will hike on land.
Here you will see a plethora of wildlife, so keep your binoculars ready to observe tanagers and orioles as well as various reptiles and amphibians.
Keep an eye out for the beautiful and eye-catching but poisonous frogs along this fascinating trail, as well as trees and medicinal plants.
Canoeing at Sapira Creek - Marañon river (Optional)
Return to the Aria at lunch time.
In the afternoon, Yanayacu Islands Exploration Yacapana and fishing.
The locals call Yacapana Islands “Islands of the Iguana" for the large number of these reptiles - like tiny dinosaurs - that inhabit them.
You will pass by in the skiff, giving you the opportunity to take plenty of pictures.
On arrival at one particular spot, you may use your hooks to try to catch some of the ferocious piranhas and other fish.
Your naturalist guides will tell the story of the lake and its wildlife while you watch the sunset.
En route, you will also go in search of the world's largest aquatic plant called “Victoria Regia."
As the sun goes down, photograph the freshwater Amazon dolphins both gray and pink.
Back to Aria. Once back on board, the ship will continue its journey down stream, sailing toward Iquitos through the night.
Meet in the lounge with our naturalist guides for the Crew Presentation.
The guides will introduce some of the crew members whom you may not have met, who worked "behind the scenes" to ensure your memorable trip has been filled with countless exceptional experiences.
Dinner.
Overnight Aria. All meals and activities included.
Day 5: Disembark - City Tour - Transfer to the airport
Depending on the weather, you will explore the flood zone that borders the city of Iquitos and observe the houses and shops that actually float on the Itaya River for several months of the year.
Then you will visit the traditional market of Bellavista Nanay, bordering the Nanay River, to see products from the Peruvian Amazon including exotic snacks like the Amazon Caterpillar.
After lunch, you will enjoy a tour in Iquitos, glorious city in the days of the rubber boom.
Visit the Manatee Rescue Center, a kind of animal orphanage for Amazonian manatees to rescue, rehabilitate and release them back into the wild.
Later, visit the Amazonian Indian Market San Juan.
Guides will help with check in at the airport and stay with you until you have boarded your flight back to Lima.
Day 1: Embarkation and Check-In
Transfer from Iquitos Airport to the MV Aria Amazon.
From the moment you step on board, enjoy the Aria Amazon's low-key luxury.
As you settle into your handsomely appointed, generously proportioned suite, you will feel the vessel begin to move –the beginning of one of your life’s great adventures.
After dinner learn about life on board, and have the first nightly briefing about your next day’s Amazon adventure.
You will meet the Aria's naturalist guides and your cruise director, who will use video, photos, and maps to introduce the details of your journey deep into the Peruvian Amazon.
Overnight Aria Amazon. Breakfast and dinner included.
Day 2: Amazon - Yacapana - Yarapa - Clavero Lake
The locals call Yacapana Islands "The Islands of the Iguana" because of the large number of these reptiles - like tiny dinosaurs - which inhabit them.
You will also see the famous Amazon River dolphins, pink or gray, along our route.
Amazonian people believe that these dolphins possess the power to turn into men and women of great beauty.
You will pass close to lush islands, giving you the opportunity to take good pictures of the tropical flora and fauna.
Return to the Aria Amazon for breakfast.
After breakfast, you will board our comfortable skiff to sail from the Amazon River to the Yarapa River.
As you float down the Yarapa, past the occasional fishermen paddling in their canoes, keep your binoculars ready to spot wildlife: terns, tropical songbirds, black collared hawks and sloth share this wonderful world with us.
Upon our arrival at Lake Moringo, use your hooks to try to catch some of the ferocious piranhas and other fish species.
As you fish, trained naturalist guides will tell the story of the lake and its inhabitants.
Return to the Aria Amazon, free time & lunch.
After lunch enjoy canoeing and swimming at Lake Clavero
Observe villagers paddle in their traditional dugout canoes. You may wish to swim in the lake’s calm waters and visit the community.
Return to the Aria Amazon at dinner time. Enjoy a Pisco sour on the upper deck while watching the sunset.
Overnight Aria Amazon. All meals and activities included.
Day 3: Ucayali - Yanallpa - Dorado River - Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
This morning, board the skiffs to explore a fascinating black water stream, part of the vast Amazon flooded forest within the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.
Your guides will tell you about the jungle as we explore what scientists call a "gallery forest," because of its dense vegetation that creates a tunnel of leaves.
As you explore this type of riparian vegetation, watch above for parrots, macaws, and fluffy monk saki monkeys.
Return to the Aria Amazon at lunch time.
After lunch, lecture in the lounge by the Aqua's naturalist guides.
In the afternoon, you will take a magical journey through the "Jungle of the Mirrors," where towering trees are reflected in the dark river.
Move on to the Dorado River where you may observe enchanting parrots, macaws and a variety of primates, unperturbed by our presence.
Return to the Aria Amazon at dinner time.
Overnight Aria Amazon. All meals and activities included.
Day 4: Amazon Birthplace - Village visit - Nauta city
This morning, the Aria skirts the edge of the vast Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, a flooded forest covering five million acres at the headwaters of the Amazon basin.
Get up early to see one of the great spectacles of the Southern Hemisphere: the sun rising over the origin of the Amazon River.
Here, the junction of two major tributaries, the Ucayali and the Marañon, form one of the greatest waterfalls in the world – certainly this is nature at its most captivating.
Your morning excursion will be accompanied by abundant bird song, as you glide in our small boats past large-billed terns, laughing falcons, exotic short-tailed parrot, and dozens of other vibrantly hued birds.
You will travel by boat to a community located along the Marañon River, where you will meet and interact with local villagers in this remote part of the world and learn about their traditions and folklore.
Walk around with our naturalist guides to see how Aria Expeditions works with these communities to improve their natural resource management.
You will also have the opportunity to shop for local handicrafts directly from the artisans.
Return to the Aria for a light lunch.
Afternoon visit to the town of Nauta, founded in 1930.
Nauta is the main point where villagers from around Amazonia come to sell the products they harvest in their rural communities.
Explore the Lupunillo or Marayali Creek, a tributary of the Marañon River.
Return to the Aria at dinner time and meet new passangers joining the cruise for you for the next four-night trip.
Overnight Aria. All meals and activities included.
Day 5: Marañon River - Yanayacu - Pucate River -Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
On the black water river you can observe the vibrant flora and fauna while looking for macaws and several species of primates like the capuchins and squirrel monkeys as well as the famous Amazon River dolphins, either pink or gray.
You will also have the opportunity here to fish for the ferocious piranha.
Return to the Aria at lunchtime.
Lecture in the lounge by naturalist guides who will tell you about sustainable development projects carried out in this part of the Peruvian Amazon.
In the afternoon you will visit a community located along the great river Marañon where you will meet the native people of Amazonia.
You will be invited to visit the lands where they practice subsistence farming and see how they cultivate wild plants and trees to earn income.
In the primary forest, your guides will also teach you about the fruit trees and medicinal plants hidden in the jungle.
Return to the Aria at dinner time. Meet your crew.
Overnight Aria. All meals and activities included.
Day 6: Samiria River - Village visit - Nauta Caño - Pacaya Samiria National Reserve
Exploration, breakfast on board and walk along the Samiria River.
This morning your naturalist guide will talk about sustainable development projects in Amazonia.
You will visit one of the projects, where villagers are planting palms to obtain oil.
Your guide will also show you the artificial nests created in the sand to protect turtle eggs.
Then you will go into the jungle to encounter wildlife and learn first-hand about the value of medicinal plants found here.
Keep an eye out for the famous Ceiba tree, the highest in the Amazon.
You will have the opportunity to make brief trips in traditional Amazonian canoes and to swim in the waters of the Samiria River.
Return to the Aria, cooking lesson and lunch.
Nauta Caño is part of the Pacaya Samiria Reserve, also known as the Forest of Mirrors due to its dark lagoons, which reflect the scenery.
In this area you will observe toucans, macaws, and iguanas, among many other species.
Return to the Aria at dinner time.
Overnight Aria. Breakfast and dinner included.
Day 7: Marañon River - Casual Terra Firme Forest walk - Yanayacu Yacapana
After breakfas, sail along the Marañon River, watching the different species of flora and fauna as we approach the Casual community where you will hike on land.
Here you will see a plethora of wildlife, so keep your binoculars ready to observe tanagers and orioles as well as various reptiles and amphibians.
Keep an eye out for the beautiful and eye-catching but poisonous frogs along this fascinating trail, as well as trees and medicinal plants.
Canoeing at Sapira Creek - Marañon river (Optional)
Return to the Aria at lunch time.
In the afternoon, Yanayacu Islands Exploration Yacapana and fishing.
The locals call Yacapana Islands “Islands of the Iguana" for the large number of these reptiles - like tiny dinosaurs - that inhabit them.
You will pass by in the skiff, giving you the opportunity to take plenty of pictures.
On arrival at one particular spot, you may use your hooks to try to catch some of the ferocious piranhas and other fish.
Your naturalist guides will tell the story of the lake and its wildlife while you watch the sunset.
En route, you will also go in search of the world's largest aquatic plant called “Victoria Regia."
As the sun goes down, photograph the freshwater Amazon dolphins both gray and pink.
Back to Aria. Once back on board, the ship will continue its journey down stream, sailing toward Iquitos through the night.
Meet in the lounge with our naturalist guides for the Crew Presentation.
The guides will introduce some of the crew members whom you may not have met, who worked "behind the scenes" to ensure your memorable trip has been filled with countless exceptional experiences.
Dinner.
Overnight Aria. All meals and activities included.
Day 8: Disembark - City Tour - Transfer to the airport
Depending on the weather, you will explore the flood zone that borders the city of Iquitos and observe the houses and shops that actually float on the Itaya River for several months of the year.
Then you will visit the traditional market of Bellavista Nanay, bordering the Nanay River, to see products from the Peruvian Amazon including exotic snacks like the Amazon Caterpillar.
After lunch, you will enjoy a tour in Iquitos, glorious city in the days of the rubber boom.
Visit the Manatee Rescue Center, a kind of animal orphanage for Amazonian manatees to rescue, rehabilitate and release them back into the wild.
Later, visit the Amazonian Indian Market San Juan.
Guides will help with check in at the airport and stay with you until you have boarded your flight back to Lima.
All 16 Design Suites on the Aria Amazon across the first and second deck measure 23 square metres (250 square feet), with individual air conditioning, polished timber flooring and a wall of floor to ceiling glass facing the Amazon River.
En suite bathrooms with rain shower and organic bath amenities incorporate the latest eco-sensitive technology.
Soft lighting, natural fibers and neutral hues create a relaxing and luxuriously comfortable enclave.
The only challenge may be to decide whether to gaze upon the Amazon from atop the California king size bed (which can be separated into two twin beds) made with 100% Peruvian cotton high thread count sheets or while lounging on the cosy window-side day bed, binoculars in hand.
Please note: There is no Internet connection on board the Aria Amazon, though guests report periodically connecting via roaming on their Blackberry, iPhone and other handheld devices, depending on our proximity to more developed areas.
For cellular phone contact you may need a special telephone that can operate on a foreign signal although, keep in mind that most areas outside Iquitos are so remote that you will be unable to get a signal.
If you need to contact your home or office for any emergency, the Aria Amazon is equipped with a satellite phone.
The Aria Amazon will inform you, prior to calling, of the current price of an international call and you may pay for these directly on board.
3-Night Aria Amazon Cruise
- 3 nights from £2,960 pp
3 night cruise operates from Friday to Sunday
4-Night Aria Amazon Cruise
- 4 nights from £3,827 pp
4 night cruise operates from Monday to Friday
7-Night Aria Amazon Cruise
- 7 nights from £6,530 pp
7 night cruise operates from Friday to Friday
Includes
- Return flights from Lima
- All taxes
- Accommodation in Design Suite
- All meals
- Non alcoholic drinks, selected wines & beer
- Airport and road transfers
- All excursions and equipement
- Pacaya Samiria National Reserve Entrance Fee
Not includes
- Premium brand drinks
- Insurance
- Personal expenses and tips
Please note that itineraries vary depending on water levels.
This is a guide price only, based on travel in low season.
Prices will vary according to availability of airfares on the dates of travel and seasonal hotel and airfare surcharges.
Please ask us for any current special offers.
Contact Us:
All of our Peru Holidays are completely tailor made and we can put together any kind of itinerary to suit your interests and budget.
Call us now to speak to a Peru holiday expert about your Peru holiday or honeymoon to Peru.
Call us now on 0333 7000 747
Please let us know your preferred cruise:
We're open from 9 until 9 daily and our 0333 number is a local rate number included in most call packages.
