Itinerary
- Day 1
Lima
You'll land in Lima and your guide picks you up for the drive to your hotel. Early check-in gets you settled, then there's an expedition briefing later that evening to go over what's coming next on your trip.
Included Activities
- Early hotel check-in
- Expedition briefing
Optional Activities
- Scheduled flight with renowned airline from Frankfurt to Lima in economy class (from approximately €1,500.00)
- Day 2
Lima to Cusco to Paucartambo to Pillcopata
An early flight takes you from Lima to Cusco where you pick up rubber boots before heading out. Your minibus climbs through semi-dirt mountain roads in the high Andes, passing ancient Aymara burial towers at Ninamarka and stopping in the colonial town of Paucartambo with its white-walled buildings and local museum. The road drops down into the Amazon region, and keep an eye out for the Andean rock cock, Peru's national bird.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Flight from Lima to Cusco
- Provision of rubber boots
- Visit to Ninamarka ancient Aymara burial towers with short walk
- Visit to Paucartambo town
- Visit to Paucartambo local museum
- Transport through Andes mountains to Amazon region
Landmarks/POIs Ninamarka Paucartambo - Day 3
Pillcopata to Manu National Park
Start with a walk through Pillcopata village, checking out the central square, local market, and hospital. From there you head through jungle roads to visit an animal rescue station with tapirs, monkeys, caimans, and sloths getting prepared for the wild. A small orchid farm is next where you might spot up to 12 hummingbird species. Later you board an expedition boat at Atalaya port heading to your jungle lodge. By afternoon, paddle small wooden rafts on a jungle lake looking for tropical birds and giant otters, then do a 2-hour night hike with your nature guide.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Village tour of Pillcopata
- Visit to animal rescue station
- Expert guided tour of orchid farm
- Jungle lake exploration by wooden raft
- 2-hour night walk in jungle with nature guide
Landmarks/POIs Manu National Park - Day 4
Manu National Park
Travel to Shintuya, a Matsiguenka village, and visit the high school to chat with students about jungle life and their plans. Next you'll reach a volcanic thermal spring in the jungle where the hot water is really soothing. Stop at a small jungle observation lodge to freshen up before a dusk hike through the forest. Watch for the 3-meter-high tapir platform at a mineral corner where tapirs sometimes come to lick minerals, and these animals can weigh up to 250 kg.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit to Shintuya village school
- Visit to volcanic thermal spring
- Stop at jungle observation lodge
- Dusk jungle hike with nature guide
- Visit to tapir platform at mineral corner
Landmarks/POIs Shintuya - Day 5
Manu National Park
Leave before sunrise heading deep into jungle to where your boat team waits with breakfast ready. Spend the full day on the water in remote areas watching for macaws, parrots, capybaras, monkeys, caimans, sloths, butterflies, toucans, tropical birds, big cats, boas, anacondas, and tarantulas. You'll stop in the indigenous village of Diamante to talk with locals, then reach Boca Manu, a supply village started during the rubber boom by the legendary Fitzcarraldo. Check out the local shipbuilder to see how boats get made, and afterward have a cold beer with locals in village pubs.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast provided by boat team), Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Before-sunrise jungle trek to boat
- Long boat journey through remote Amazon
- Stop at indigenous village of Diamante
- Visit to shipbuilder in Boca Manu
- Evening beer with locals in village pubs
Landmarks/POIs Diamante Boca Manu - Day 6
Boca Manu to Colorado to Puerto Maldonado
At dawn you reach a viewpoint overlooking a parrot salt lick where hundreds of giant macaws gather, perfect for binoculars. Drive past illegal river gold mines to the village of Colorado, which still has that wild gold mining feeling. Taking jeeps, adventurous ferries, and minibuses over unpaved roads and the Trans-Oceanica highway (finished in 2019), you reach the lively town of Puerto Maldonado. Walk through the bustling market with fruit, vegetables, and fish, and try copoazu juice made from a jungle fruit. An optional local dance bar visit is available in the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Parrot salt lick viewing with binoculars
- Visit to Colorado village
- Market visit in Puerto Maldonado
- Breakfast and lunch
Optional Activities
- Visit to local dance bar with traditional cumbia live band
Landmarks/POIs Colorado Puerto Maldonado Market - Day 7
Puerto Maldonado to Tambopata National Park
Early morning boat trip on the Madre de Dios River to Monkey Island where you see various monkey species including maquisapas, achunis, frailes, and leoncitos. Trek three kilometers through jungle to Lago Sandoval, a secluded lake with endangered giant otters and black caimans. Canoe around the lake with indigenous nature guides. After lunch you continue to a remote shaman's location in Tambopata National Park where an optional ayahuasca ceremony is available in the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Boat trip to Monkey Island
- Jungle trek to Lago Sandoval
- Canoe exploration of Lago Sandoval
- Transport to shaman's location
Optional Activities
- Ayahuasca ceremony with shaman guidance in evening (approximately 60 USD, payable directly to shaman)
Landmarks/POIs Monkey Island Lago Sandoval Tambopata National Park - Day 8
Tambopata National Park to Bolivia Border to Bolivia
After a leisurely breakfast, hand your luggage to the boat team to meet later in Bolivia. Travel on the Trans-Oceanica to the Peruvian border station for your exit stamp, then continue deep into jungle until the minibus can't go further. Walk between 200 meters and 2 kilometers to reach a remote Bolivian police and military post for passport stamping and entry into Bolivia. Continue on partially paved roads to a supply village on the Rio Madre de Dios where your boat team waits with your luggage. Relax with a cold beer at a farmers' and prospectors' pub while the cook prepares jungle specialties on the barbecue.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at small restaurant in Peru before or after border crossing), Dinner (Jungle specialties prepared by cook on barbecue)
Included Activities
- Peru-Bolivia border crossing
- Jungle walk to Bolivian border post
- Transport to Rio Madre de Dios supply village
Landmarks/POIs Rio Madre de Dios - Day 9
Bolivia
Early morning boat ride along the edge of the Manupiri and Humayta nature reserves on the Madre de Dios River. Stop at Brazil nut cultivation settlements to learn how the nuts get harvested from trees that stand 55 to 60 meters tall and can live 300 years. Each hard shell holds 10 to 25 seeds collected from the ground during rainy season and transported by tractor through jungle. By early afternoon you reach another Brazil nut settlement for a 2-hour jungle hike among these huge trees, then refresh yourself in a small river under a waterfall.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Expedition boat journey on Madre de Dios River
- Visit to Brazil nut cultivation settlement
- Learning session on Brazil nut harvesting
- 2-hour hike among Brazil nut trees
- Swimming at waterfall
Landmarks/POIs Manupiri nature reserve Humayta nature reserve - Day 10
Bolivia
Take an expedition boat along the Rio Madre de Dios to where river gold diggers work. Board a gold miners' boat to learn exactly how they extract gold and how they live with their families. If it's open, visit the school in the Brazil nut and gold mining settlement called America. By early afternoon you reach the small village of Sena and leave the boat. Drive about 3 hours through jungle on an open pick-up or truck to reach the colonial town of Riberalta for a short walk through town.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Expedition boat journey on Rio Madre de Dios
- Visit to gold diggers' boat
- Visit to mining settlement school (if open)
- Truck transport through jungle to Riberalta
- Exploratory walk through Riberalta
Landmarks/POIs Riberalta - Day 11
Riberalta
Visit a Brazil nut processing plant in the morning where hundreds of tons of precious nuts get cracked, washed, and sorted by hand into quality grades by many workers. Brazil nuts, rubber, and tropical woods are the most important income sources for local people. In the evening, head to the main square where the whole town rides small mopeds and motorcycles for evening entertainment.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit to Brazil nut processing plant
Optional Activities
- Evening entertainment at main square
Landmarks/POIs Riberalta - Day 12
Riberalta to Brazil Border to Porto Velho
Early cab transfer takes you to the Bolivian-Brazilian border at the Rio Marore river for a ferry crossing into the remote Rondonia region in Brazil. Mass deforestation and fires were common here until recent years, but now 80% of burnt agricultural land sits fallow waiting for cattle, stopping further deforestation. You reach your simple city hotel by afternoon. If time allows, check out the old signal box with ancient railroads from the rubber baron era at the port, which was built 130 years ago to settle this previously untouched Amazon region. An optional first Brazilian caipirinha and dance session is available.
Included Activities
- Ferry crossing at Rio Marore
- Visit to old signal box with historic railroads (if time permits)
Optional Activities
- Try Brazilian caipirinha
- Dancing and evening entertainment
Landmarks/POIs Rio Marore Porto Velho signal box - Day 13
Porto Velho to Manaus
A very early morning flight takes you to Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state, arriving by morning. Visit the Teatro Amazonas, a Renaissance-style opera house built in the middle of what used to be jungle. This architectural marvel stands as both a remnant of the era of prosperity and the city's landmark.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Flight from Porto Velho to Manaus
- Visit to Teatro Amazonas
Landmarks/POIs Teatro Amazonas - Day 14
Manaus
Explore Manaus, the multicultural gateway to the Amazon filled with South American energy. Visit the Mercado Municipal Adolpho Lisboa, built in 1883, a historic market hall on the Rio Negro banks with fruit and spices. Check out the nearby fish market with its huge selection of giant Amazonian fish. Take a boat trip to where the dark Rio Negro and the warmer Solimoes (4°F/2°C warmer) meet to form the Amazon. Hike through jungle searching for the rare Vitoria Regia water lily. In the evening, have a typical caipirinha in one of the small samba bars in front of the beautifully lit Teatro Amazonas.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Discovery tour of Manaus
- Visit to Mercado Municipal Adolpho Lisboa
- Visit to fish market
- Boat trip to meeting point of waters
- Jungle hike for Vitoria Regia water lily
Optional Activities
- Evening caipirinha and samba bar entertainment at Teatro Amazonas
Landmarks/POIs Mercado Municipal Adolpho Lisboa Fish Market Meeting point of the waters - Day 15
Manaus to Santarem by Cargo Ship
Board a cargo ship from Manaus port heading for Santarem. Hang your hammock on the upper hammock deck and watch busy hands skillfully load hundreds of tons of cargo into the ship over several hours. Get close contact with the local population while your guide translates interesting conversations. Eat meals together with locals, provided by the ship's cook.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Cargo ship journey from Manaus to Santarem
- Watching cargo loading process
- Meals with local passengers
- Day 16
Santarem to Alter do Chão or Pindobal
You arrive in Santarem by early evening and head to either the village of Alter do Chao with Ilha do Amor nearby, or to Pindobal with its miles of dream beaches. Both are secluded paradises offering authentic Brazilian food experiences. Sit under trees or palm trees watching stranded hippies sell nature jewelry and children play. Spontaneous live music often plays in the evening, pure Brazil.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Authentic Brazilian dinner in village setting)
Included Activities
- Arrival in Santarem
- Transfer to Alter do Chão or Pindobal
- Dinner in village setting
Landmarks/POIs Alter do Chão Ilha do Amor Pindobal - Day 17
Alter do Chão or Pindobal
The Rio Tapajos water is crystal clear and pleasantly warm. Put your chairs in the water and enjoy wonderful caipirinhas and delicious pinchos with meat or grilled cheese. Relax on the dream beaches. Optional excursions are available if you want to be active, including boat trips on the Rio Tapajos, excursions to the Tapajos nature reserve, or visits to Caboclo and the Ford settlement of Belterra.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Boat trip on Rio Tapajós
- Excursion to Tapajós nature reserve
- Visit to Caboclo settlement
- Visit to Ford settlement of Belterra
Landmarks/POIs Rio Tapajós Tapajós nature reserve - Day 18
Alter do Chão or Pindobal to Belém
A scheduled midday flight takes you to Belem, the Amazon delta. Known as the 'cidade das mangueiras' (city of mango trees) for its mango-lined streets in the city center. By late afternoon head to the formerly dangerous port area of Estacao das Docas. These historic port warehouses now house modern stores, restaurants, the Amazon Beer brewery, and the city's best ice cream parlor. End your evening in this cozy atmosphere.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Scheduled flight to Belém
- Visit to Estação das Docas
Landmarks/POIs Estação das Docas - Day 19
Belém to Ilha Marajó
Visit the famous Ver-O-Peso market at the old harbor where herbalists sell 'health' from Amazon forests using shamanic knowledge. You'll find powders, roots, tree bark, and exotic remedies like pickled scorpions. Take a public ferry to Ilha Marajo, Brazil's largest island, characterized by untouched nature and historic ceramic culture. Water buffalo and zebu herds work the marshland fields. The island hosts over 100 bird species including flamingos, herons, parrots, ducks, falcons, toucans, and scarlet ibises. Enjoy buffalo steak for dinner.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Buffalo steak dinner)
Included Activities
- Visit to Ver-O-Peso market
- Public ferry to Ilha Marajó
- Observation of local wildlife and bird species
Landmarks/POIs Ver-O-Peso Market Ilha Marajó - Day 20
Ilha Marajó
Ride adventurous moto-taxis through a fazenda where scarlet ibises perch on trees hunting crustaceans in the mud. After 40 minutes reach secluded Caju Uno beach and walk along the shore to a colorful fishing village untouched by tourism. Relax and photograph before heading by motorcycle to palm-fringed Praia Barra Velha for lunch. The beach is popular with locals serving cold coconut water and fish dishes with music. Visit potter Ronaldo in the afternoon who creates beautiful ceramics using traditional indigenous techniques with wild boar tusks and stingray spines. After a minibus ride, switch to a speedboat on the Camara River, reach a typical buffalo fazenda jetty, then continue to the main farm building for dinner at a long table.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Fish dishes and cold coconut water at beach bars), Dinner (Dinner at long table on buffalo farm)
Included Activities
- Moto-taxi through fazenda with scarlet ibises
- Walk along Caju Uno beach to fishing village
- Motorcycle ride to Praia Barra Velha beach
- Lunch at beach bars
- Visit to potter Ronaldo
- Speedboat journey on Camara River
- Dinner at buffalo fazenda
Landmarks/POIs Caju Uno beach Praia Barra Velha - Day 21
Ilha Marajó
Spend the whole day experiencing fazenda life. Perhaps ride through ranch fields with the vaqueiros, the Brazilian cowboys, driving buffalo herds to their night quarters, suitable for beginners and advanced riders alike. Alternatively, take boat trips through small canals of the world's largest river island to see caimans and toucans and visit acai and manioc plantations. End the day after a romantic sunset with hearty dinner on the farm.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Hearty farm dinner after sunset)
Included Activities
- Ride through fazenda with vaqueiros
- Drive buffalo herds to night quarters
- Boat trip through island canals
- Visit to açai plantation
- Visit to manioc plantation
- Sunset dinner on farm
Landmarks/POIs Île de Marajó canals - Day 22
Ilha Marajó to Belém
Before breakfast, go with vaqueiros to the milking and taste fresh buffalo milk at a typical farm breakfast. Head out to farm fields to ride buffalo under expert guidance, the calm animals fitted with nose ring and rope for steering. Alternatively, take another boat tour. In the afternoon, make your way back to Belem by ferry. In the evening, head to a typical restaurant at the harbor to toast an exciting adventure together in typical Brazilian style with fresh caipirinhas.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Traditional farm breakfast with fresh buffalo milk)
Included Activities
- Buffalo milking experience
- Farm breakfast with fresh buffalo milk
- Buffalo riding experience under expert guidance
- Return ferry to Belém
- Harbor restaurant dinner celebration
Optional Activities
- Alternative boat tour instead of buffalo riding
- Day 23
Belém Departure
Say goodbye to South America after a trip you'll remember for the rest of your life. After breakfast, head to Belem airport where your flight to Europe awaits.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Breakfast
- Transfer to Belém airport
Optional Activities
- Scheduled flight with renowned airline from Belém to Frankfurt in economy class (from approximately €1,500.00)
