Richseen Private Journeys · South America

Amazon: Into the Last Great Wilderness

River Expedition — Lima · Iquitos · Amazon River
6 Days · 5 Nights
From USD 18,000+ per person
"Into the world's most biodiverse ecosystem — refined, immersive, irreplaceable."
The Journey

Into the
Last Wilderness

The Amazon is not a destination — it is an encounter with a world that operates entirely outside human terms. More than 40,000 plant species, 1,300 bird species, and 3,000 species of fish inhabit a basin that contains ten percent of all species on Earth. To travel into it aboard a purpose-built expedition vessel is to experience nature at a scale and density that no other place on the planet can match.

This six-day journey combines a night in Lima — Peru's extraordinary culinary capital — with a flight to Iquitos, the world's largest city unreachable by road, and embarkation aboard Aqua Expeditions, the finest small-ship operator on the Amazon River. The vessel carries a maximum of thirty-two guests, carries a team of expert naturalist guides, and is designed with the same attention to detail as a boutique hotel.

Each day brings guided excursions into the flooded forest by skiff: river dolphins, giant otters, sloths, macaws, caimans, pink river dolphins, and the extraordinary silence of a forest canopy that has existed for fifty-five million years. This is expedition travel at its most refined — the wilderness entirely intact, the experience entirely without compromise.

Signature Moments

Rare Encounters,
Remembered

Six moments that define this journey — each one unrepeatable, each one entirely your own.

01
Dawn Skiff into Flooded Forest
Pink river dolphins surface without warning at arm's reach — the Amazon at first light, before the forest wakes.
02
Nights Anchored in a Remote Tributary
Aboard the Aqua Nera, moored in absolute silence — the forest the only sound, the stars the only light.
03
Private Access to Pacaya-Samiria Reserve
Fewer than a thousand visitors enter each year. A specialist naturalist guides each step into one of the most biodiverse places on Earth.
04
An Evening in Lima Before the Journey Begins
One night above the Pacific cliffs of Miraflores — dinner at one of South America's defining restaurants, a deliberate prelude.
05
Giant Otters at Dusk on the Blackwater Lakes
A spectacle most Amazon visitors never witness — observed from the skiff in the last light, without disturbance.
06
Award-Winning Cuisine on the Open Deck
Peruvian chefs, the river moving below, the forest closing in on both banks — the Amazon as dining room.
Curated Highlights

What Defines This Journey

01🛥️
Aqua Expeditions — Small-Scale Expedition Vessel
Maximum 32 guests aboard a purpose-built river vessel designed with the precision of a boutique hotel. Every cabin faces outward; every detail is considered. The Amazon, without compromise.
02🌿
Expert Naturalist Guides Throughout
Each skiff excursion is led by a specialist naturalist — ornithologist, biologist, or indigenous guide — who transforms what you see into something you genuinely understand. Encounter becomes knowledge.
03🐬
Rare Wildlife Encounters
Pink river dolphins, giant otters, caimans, sloths, macaws, harpy eagles, and over 1,300 bird species. The Amazon basin holds ten percent of all species on Earth — concentrated into a river system of extraordinary density.
04🏨
Design-Focused Onboard Experience
Aqua Expeditions vessels are among the most design-considered expedition ships in the world. Peruvian artwork, floor-to-ceiling windows, open-air observation decks, and cuisine crafted by award-winning Peruvian chefs.
05🍽️
Lima — Culinary Capital of South America
One night at Miraflores Park, a Belmond Hotel — positioned above the Pacific cliffs of Lima's most refined neighbourhood, minutes from the restaurants that have made Peru the world's most celebrated culinary destination.
06🌅
Remote Tributaries & Flooded Forest
Daily skiff excursions into the flooded várzea forest — where the river rises twelve meters and trees grow underwater, fish navigate between branches, and the forest opens into channels accessible only at this scale.
Sample Itinerary

Key Moments & Movements

The Amazon operates on its own terms — wildlife encounters, river conditions, and forest access vary with season and weather. What is guaranteed is that every element of this journey is extraordinary regardless. The forest simply offers a different face each day.

Every Richseen journey is individually crafted. Your private consultant will tailor each day to your preferences, pace, and passions.

Day 1
Lima Arrival — Miraflores Park
Arrive in Lima. Transfer to Miraflores Park, a Belmond Hotel — positioned above the Pacific cliffs of Miraflores, Lima's most refined neighbourhood. Evening at leisure in one of South America's greatest culinary cities: Central, Maido, or Astrid y Gastón minutes from the hotel.
Miraflores Park, A Belmond Hotel
Day 2
Iquitos — Embarkation
Morning flight to Iquitos — the world's largest city unreachable by road, accessible only by air or river. Transfer to the dock and embark aboard the Aqua Nera or Aria Amazon. Afternoon: first skiff excursion into the river system as the vessel begins its journey upstream into the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve.
Aqua Expeditions Vessel
Day 3
Amazon Exploration — Flooded Forest
Morning and afternoon skiff excursions guided by specialist naturalists into the flooded várzea forest. River dolphins surface alongside the vessel; giant otters patrol the tributaries; macaws cross overhead in pairs. At dusk: caiman spotting by torchlight on the black water tributaries of the reserve.
Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve
Day 4
Deep Amazon — Remote Tributaries
The vessel navigates deeper into the reserve — into channels where the forest canopy closes overhead and the light becomes green and diffuse. Wildlife encounters become more concentrated: sloths in the upper canopy, hoatzins on overhanging branches, and the extraordinary birdsong of a forest that has not been silent in fifty-five million years.
Remote Amazon Tributaries
Day 5
Final Exploration — Sunrise on the River
Dawn skiff excursion at first light — the Amazon at sunrise is a different world entirely: mist on the water, the forest waking, the first birds crossing the pale sky. A final afternoon of exploration before the vessel begins its return journey toward Iquitos. Farewell dinner aboard with the team of naturalists.
Aqua Expeditions Vessel
Day 6
Departure — Return to Iquitos
Morning disembarkation in Iquitos. Transfer to Iquitos Airport for onward flight to Lima or direct international departure. The Amazon remains behind — entirely as it was, entirely unchanged — as the aircraft climbs above the forest canopy.
Luxury Stays

Where You Rest Matters

Miraflores, Lima, Peru
Lima — 1 Night
Miraflores Park, A Belmond Hotel
Miraflores, Lima, Peru
Positioned above the Pacific cliffs of Lima's most refined neighbourhood, Miraflores Park combines Belmond's characteristic attention to detail with immediate access to the restaurants that have made Peru the world's most celebrated culinary destination.
Amazon River, Peru
Amazon — 4 Nights
Aqua Expeditions — Aqua Nera or Aria Amazon
Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Peru
The finest small-ship expedition operator on the Amazon River. A maximum of thirty-two guests aboard a vessel designed with floor-to-ceiling windows, open-air observation decks, and cuisine crafted by award-winning Peruvian chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino.
Exclusive Experiences

Moments Designed for You

🐬
River Wildlife
Pink River Dolphin Encounters
The boto — the pink river dolphin — is one of the most extraordinary animals on the planet and one of only five freshwater dolphin species in the world. Skiff excursions into the tributaries bring you into their world.
🌿
Expert Guidance
Naturalist-Led Skiff Expeditions
Each excursion is led by a specialist — ornithologist, biologist, or indigenous naturalist guide. The forest reveals itself differently under expert direction: species you would have walked past become the focus of an afternoon.
🌅
River Dawn
Sunrise Skiff on the Amazon
The Amazon at first light — mist rising from the river surface, the forest canopy waking, and the absolute silence that precedes the morning birdsong of one of the world's most biodiverse ecosystems. One of the journey's defining moments.
🍽️
Culinary
Peruvian Cuisine — Lima & Aboard
One night in Lima — the world's current culinary capital — before four nights of award-winning Peruvian cuisine aboard, crafted by chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino using ingredients sourced from the river and the forest surrounding the vessel.
Visual Journey

Through the Lens

Begin Your Story

Craft Your
Private Journey

Every detail — from your arrival in Lima to your final morning on the river — is composed entirely around you. Speak with your dedicated Richseen journey consultant today.

From USD 18,000+ per person

Plan Your Journey