We're a winner of Conde Nast Traveler's 2022 Readers Choice Awards
Sail into the Amazon’s cathedral of green
There’s a pulse to the Amazon, an undercurrent. Inky waters backed by layers of green forest. Wild bird calls fill the air. A leafy branch shakes to reveal a troop of clamoring monkeys. The river water levels can rise by feet overnight, creating new networks of tributaries in what used to be only forest. With nimble, custom-made skiffs we explore this flooded forest, venturing into places no human has seen. With the exquisite Delfin II as your base camp, you’ll discover the pristine upper reaches of the legendary Amazon in style.
Spend a full day exploring the fabled Machu Picchu archaeological site with hand-picked guides
Discover the cobbled lanes and monuments of Cusco, imperial capital of the Inca
Journey to Iquitos and the Amazon for a five-day voyage aboard the 28-guest Delfin II riverboat, venturing out daily in nimble skiffs and kayaks to explore tributaries brimming with wildlife
Peru’s Pacaya-Samiria Reserve is the largest protected seasonal flood forest in South America. The legendary river provides sustenance and utility for the communities who live along the banks and fosters a staggering level of biodiversity. The exquisite 28-guest Delfin II is perfect for our daily explorations; it'sdesigned for the river environment and to keep you connected to it.
Delfin II is a most gracious and lovely river ship. Spacious and clad in gleaming hardwood, she is both modern and authentically of the Amazon. Her public spaces are beautifully appointed—with tropical flowers and native handicraft decorative details.
The Best Time to Visit the Amazon: High Season Vs. Low Season
The Amazon, the “King of All Rivers,” supports the world’s most biodiverse rainforest. All life along it adapts to its seasonal fluctuations. What are these river fluctuations in this seasonally flooded forest, and when should you go?
When you explore the Upper Amazon aboard Delfin II, you'll experience spectacular wildlife, top-notch accommodations, and unparalleled expertise from our team of naturalists.
6 Fascinating Birds to Find on an Amazon River Expedition
Exploring the Amazon’s Pacaya Samiria Natural Reserve has an uncanny way of inspiring travelers who’ve never gone bird-watching before to start scanning the trees and the sky for the most stunning, elusive, eccentric birds. Here are a few to look out for on your adventure.
Sail in tropical style & comfort with a small band of explorers. Delfin II accommodates just 28 guests in 14 beautifully appointed outside suites. This stately riverboat redefines modern elegance. Airy open spaces are detailed with clean lines in tropical hardwoods.
Any given visit to the many small and medium-sized streams, known locally as 'caños,' is simply fascinating! This morning we spotted many colorful bird species: woodpeckers, tanagers, cotingas, jacamars, and kingfishers.
Carlos Romero, Expedition Leader, January 27, 2022
See, do, and learn more by going with engaging experts who have been exploring this region for decades. Go with an expedition leader, naturalists, and local experts on birding, history, and more.
Expedition Leader
Veteran expedition leaders are the conductors of your experience. Many have advanced degrees and have conducted research or taught for years. They have achieved expedition leader status because they possess the skills, the experience, and the depth of knowledge necessary to continually craft the best expedition experience for our guests.
Every Amazon expedition offers an exclusive service—a Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic certified photo instructor. This naturalist is specially trained to offer assistance with camera settings and the basics of composition to help you become a better, more confident photographer.
Most of the naturalists were born in towns along the riverbanks and educated in schools in Iquitos. Each hand-picked guide is specially trained before joining the Lindblad expedition team. All are fluent in English, and their personal knowledge, gained from village elders, along with their scientific training makes for fascinating storytelling, as authentic as it is well informed.
Colombian filmmaker and photographer Federico Pardo specializes in natural history, environmental, and human stories. He received a National Geographic grant in 2019 for his Vanishing Primates project, and garnered two Emmy awards—one with National Geographic's “Untamed Americas” and another with Univision's “The Amazon: A Paradise for Sale.”
Wildlife photojournalist, filmmaker, and field biologist Tim Laman uses his cameras as tools for telling the stories of rare and endangered wildlife and revealing some of Earth's wildest places. He has published more than 20 feature stories in National Geographic magazine and worked on films for the National Geographic Channel, BBC, and Netflix. Tim's work has garnered numerous awards, including Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016.
Ami Vitale is a National Geographic Explorer, photographer and filmmaker, as well as an ambassador for Nikon. She is also the founder and executive director of the women-led nonprofit Vital Impacts, which supports humanitarian projects around the world.
Praises to the chef and his crew for the best Lindblad foods so far. Wow! I loved the use of local fruits, etc., and special sauces. Keep the chef. He is excellent and we are foodies.
Kay G.
Making a Difference
Lindblad Expeditions supports stewardship efforts in the places we explore, and one way we do that is through the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic (LEX-NG) Fund. Traveler contributions to the LEX-NG Fund in the Amazon currently support our regional partner, Minga Peru, in its efforts to promote sustainable change for indigenous women and their communities.
Our day began with an early breakfast on board Delfin II . We had spent the night close to a small creek known as Yanayaquillo. It was an overcast morning that invited us all to go out and explore this section of the Pacaya Samiria Reserve. We cruised on the skiffs through this little creek. Pink dolphins were sighted feeding right where the black waters got mixed with white waters. Different species of birds filled the air with their melodious songs. Five species of primates were also spotted by our naturalist. It was a very productive morning. At Renacal lagoon, our naturalist explained to us about the dynamic of this ecosystem. We saw several juvenile spectacled caimans basking in the sun. Flocks of blue and yellow macaws were also appreciated by our guests. Back on board, Naturalist Javier gave a presentation on the different edible fruits found in the Upper Amazon. We all enjoyed the flavors of these tropical fruits. The afternoon activity was held in Nauta Creek. Kayaks were offered to our guests as one of the excursions, while others went to explore on skiffs. Mother Nature allowed us to enjoy the foraging behavior of the squirrel monkey and the elusive Isabel Saki. It was a great day in the Pacaya Samiria Wildlife Reserve.
Before breakfast on our first day of expedition on the Upper Amazon of Peru, we explored the Yanayacu Creek, one of the many tributaries of the Amazon River. It was truly lovely feeling the fresh morning breeze gently hitting our faces as we explored with our skiffs this densely forested area. As is always the case here, we could listen to many calls of the many creatures that live here as the forest was waking up. We got great views of wattled jacanas, parrots, parakeets, macaws, saddle-backed tamarins, herons, and egrets of many kinds before returning to the Delfin II for a wonderful breakfast. Later today we visited the Casual Forest Preserve run by a local community, and here we had the opportunity to walk in the forest with the help of some locals that served as scouts for us, searching the forest that they know so well. We had great sightings of brown-throated sloths, anacondas, and tiny, colorful poison dart frogs. It was indeed a perfect first day on the Upper Amazon of Peru.
We are ending a fantastic expedition in the Upper Amazon. Today we visited Pahuachiro Creek before breakfast, and Casual Forest for the late morning. Casual Forest was our final location for an exploratory walk in the magnificent rainforest, in search of wildlife. Amazonas Community is a very interesting example of how development can help sustain their traditions and environmental care. These concepts work when Amazon communities are motivated and supported. Today the community members make some amazing handicrafts, and have reforested the land along the river that had lost most of the native trees.
We started early today and by 0730 we were heading to the deepest part of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve for more exploration in search of new sightings. As we left Delfin II we spotted a large troop of squirrel monkeys mixed with capuchin monkeys. The sightings were possibly the best of the trip! Our rewards for the day were the ferruginous pigmy owl, the flocks of large-billed terns, the numbers of king fishers, and the troop of howler monkeys resting in the trees.
This is another day in paradise! We started navigation along the Ucayali River and our stop for the morning was Clavero Lake. Here we took some time to look for the elusive pink river dolphins! This afternoon we explored Cedro Creek. Along the way we spotted squirrel monkeys, a tarantula, some long-nosed bats, and many other creatures! This area is home to many species of raptors such as the yellow-headed caracara and the black-collared hawk.
FAQs
FAQs and key information
From climate conditions, to electrical outlets, to packing the right footwear, find answers to the questions Expedition Specialists get most often.