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Amazon River Cruises

Amazon River Cruises

Explore the mighty Amazon river deep into the heart of the rainforest on our exciting adventure cruises.

The mighty Amazon River winds for 4,080 miles and stretches from its source just 100 miles from the Pacific in the Peruvian Andes, across Brazil to Belem on South America’s Atlantic coast. The Amazon is home to the richest variety of life on the planet, and the vast tropical rainforest of Brazil is a treasure trove of extraordinary plants and animals, many yet to be discovered.

Cruise Collection 2024/ 2025

Finding Cruises
  • Peruvian Amazon & Machu Picchu Exploration

    Uniworld
    Aria Amazon
    Lima plaza 15 Nights Fly Cruise from £11789pp Exclusive Blue Water Prices! Lima, Peru, Lima - Fly to Iquitos (Nauta), Yanayacu-Pucate River - Maranon River, Samiria River - Nauta Cano (Amazonian Natural Park), Ucayali River - Pacaya River, Pacaya River - Ucayali River - Tapiche River, Clavero Lake - San Jose De Sarapanga Forest, Nauta (Iquitos) - Fly to Cusco - Urubamba (The Sacred Valley), Urubamba - Ollantaytambo - Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu), Aguas Calientes (Machu Picchu) - Cusco, Cusco - Fly to Lima

    Experience the very best of Peru over 16 days of wonder and amazement, from Lima to the legendary Machu Picchu and the Amazon Rainforest

  • Rhythms of the Brazilian Coastline

    Scenic
    Scenic Eclipse
    Rio de Janeiro 11 Nights Fly Cruise from £6425pp Save up to 30% plus free flights and special solo prices! Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , Búzios, Ilha Grande, Abraão, Paraty, Ilhabela, São Sebastião Island, Pontal do Sul, Ilha do Mel, São Francisco do Sul, Punta del Este, Uruguay, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • The Heart Of The Amazon

    Seabourn Cruise Line
    Seabourn Venture
    Amazon 9 Nights Cruise Only from £8699pp Manaus (Brazil), Amazon River, Manaus (Brazil)
  • Peruvian Amazon Luxury Expedition Cruise

    Aqua Expeditions
    Choice of Ships
    Amazon excursions 7 Nights Exclusive £500pp discount! Iquitos (Peru) - Nauta - Maranon River, Yanayacu-Pucate River - Lisboa Town, Samiria River - Nauta Caño River, Nauta - Village Visit, Ucayali River - Yanallpa River - Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Puinahua River - Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve, Ucayali River - Village Visit - Clavero Lake, San Jose Paranapura Town - Nauta  

    Venture into the untouched Amazon on this luxury expedition cruise into the heart of the Peruvian rainforest, and explore the hidden lakes, lagoons and jungle trails of the Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve accompanied by experienced naturalist guides

  • Amazon Expedition

    Amazon Nature Tours
    Tucano
    River Amazon 6 Nights No Single Supplement on Selected Departures! Manaus (Brazil), Exploring the Rio Negro, Manaus  

About Amazon Cruises

The Amazon is home to the richest variety of life on the planet, and the vast tropical rainforest of Brazil is a treasure trove of extraordinary plants and animals, many yet to be discovered. This vast river system can be navigated by large ocean ships up to Manaus in northern Brazil, whereas smaller, more intrepid vessels are needed to explore the tropical wilderness further upstream.

From the Amazon’s mid-point at Manaus, the 18-passenger MY Tucano ventures 200 miles up the Rio Negro to explore small tributaries and see abundant flora and fauna at close quarters, with naturalist guides, observe exotic birds, anteaters, caiman and porcupines.

Luxury expedition ship MS Hanseatic is one of the few vessels with a draft shallow enough to sail the length of the navigable Amazon beyond Manaus – a distance of 2250 miles. The wild and undisturbed section of river west of Manaus is little-explored, and this itinerary is a rare opportunity to venture deep into the rainforest from MS Hanseatic’s fleet of zodiacs. Accompanied by expert guides, visit hidden villages, discover exotic wildlife and a dazzling variety of plant species.

A massive tree in the AmazonA massive tree in the Amazon

Amazon Highlights

Iles du Salut

One of these small islands was once a penal colony where Dreyfus was held, and famous as the setting for the novel and film, 'Papillon'. The prison was shut down in 1953, and the islands are now a popular tourist destination.

Iles du Salut (French Guiana)Iles du Salut (French Guiana)

Manaus

The thriving city of Manaus on the Amazon River is a mixture of high-rise and 19th-century buildings, rising from the jungle. The elegant and colourful Palacio Rio Negro was renovated in the 1980's, and contains works by Brazilian artists and fine furniture. Other buildings of note include the magnificent Teatro Amazonas, and the Mercado Municipal, built in Gothic style with stained-glass windows, and housing a busy food market.

Manaus (Brazil)Manaus (Brazil)

Parintins

Parintins is a small city populated by Amazonian Indians, situated on Tupinambarana Island. The harbour is next to a flea market selling wood carvings, paintings and lace, and a colourful floating market. Close by is Parintins' Cathedral. Visitors are often welcomed by Bumbas Dancers, as seen in the annual June Bois Bumbas Festival. Further west, there are sandy beaches at Alter de Chao, and water buffaloes, herons and iguanos are often seen on the river-bank at Guajara.

Customer Reviews

We have just got back from Brazil, the holiday was fantastic and everything we expected and more! The boat was not 5 star luxury but just what you would expect and the food was superb. The guides were very good and knew their stuff. The evening canoe trips were magic, the sounds and smells of the rainforest. I would recommend it to anyone but you have to be fairly fit and not expect hot and cold running water (you shower in chlorinated river water) and luxury.

It is an active holiday in that you do several canoe trips or walks daily and you are up at 5.30 every morning to get the best of the morning wildlife. There was a good mix of people - we English, Canadians, Americans and Australians. We think that we experienced the true Amazon, animals, birds, insects etc were just as they should be and we had to work hard to find them as you would expect - these animals havent evolved over millions of years to pop out for the tourists (as I did saywhen someone said they would have liked it if the pink dolphins had danced around the boat)! One piece of advice I would give for women is not to take your expensive underwear as you do have to swill it out in river water, dont bother to take too many clothes - it is far too hot (and informal) to wear anything other than shorts on the boat, and you definitely need long trousers and long sleeved clothes for the walks in the rainforest, I didnt use my hairdryer or wear makeup - it is not the kind of holiday where these things are necessary and a waste of case space. Mosquitoes werent too troublesome on the Rio Negro, but Malarone still necessary.

I feel that so much of the trip you cannot capture with a camera, just being in the rainforest is an experience in itself - the smells and sounds. The canoe trips are a significant part of the holiday as you have to use them to get on and off the boat. I wouldnt spend too much money on long trousers and shirts as you have to wash them in the shower when you get back from the rainforest walks and they dry on the top deck of the boat, I used the same set each time. You have to shower when you get back for hygiene reasons and also because it is so humid (85%) you sweat profusely. You wont be the height of fashion but neither will anyone else! I would takethree pairs of shorts and several T shirts. Good walking trainers or shoes are essentialand the crew wash and brush these after each rainforest walk - but on the boat I wore my walking sandals. The opera house in Manaus is quite interesting but Manaus is a hot, busy and industrial city. Anyway, thankyou for your help in organising the holiday - trip to remember.

The hotel at Manaus has seen better days but the cruise was excellent. There were only six of us on board, three couples, in a boat that could take eighteen people. If full probably overcrowded.

The food and staff excellent and the guide and organised trips each day full and varied. No complaints at all.

We flew Varig who have emerged after bankrupcy. No in flight entertainment, service OK. We got there and home more or less on time but the good news at half the price at least from any other airline, 710 return from LHR to Manaus via Sao Paulo return.

We stopped over at Rio for five days, well worth the trip

Richards and Lesley Yoffey

Total Reviews: 2