Voyage to the Heart of the Amazon

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1 (Sat): Manaus-Embarkation-Tucano-Rio Negro.

Early this morning (7:00am) all guests board the vessel the M/Y Tucano and depart upstream on the Rio Negro. Through the morning we will cruise through the world’s largest river island system, the Anavilhanas Archipelago. From the observation deck we scan the magnificent tangle of vegetation at the water’s edge. By mid-afternoon the vessel has gone beyond the frontier of settlement and entered a wilderness area. Both shores are covered by dense rainforest. Though we cannot predict what we will see, we have a good chance of observing pink river dolphins and a large collection of exotic birds. Most certainly we will be treated to magnificent forest vistas and the spectacular trees themselves. In the late afternoon we embark in the launches and hunt for wildlife. We may also go for a swim in some of the world’s most clean and refreshing water.

We return to the Tucano for hors d’oeuvres on the observation deck and a toast to the rainforest sunset. Following dinner, we will embark in our launches in search of nocturnal creatures such as the Caiman, the Amazon’s crocodilians. We may also see one of the large night birds such as a Potoo with its bulging eyes and large mouth adapted to swallow the huge Mariposa Moths. Overnight aboard the ship. (L,D)

Day 2 (Sun): Tucano-Lago Turia.

Early this morning we explore the rainforest along the water’s edge in our launches or kayaks, each group with a naturalist guide. We should hear and perhaps see howler monkeys and we should hear a morning serenade of toucans. After breakfast we go for a walk in the forest where we will get a good start on understanding Amazon ecology. Around midday we return for lunch and the vessel will get underway, perhaps stopping at a place to swim. In the late afternoon we will again explore the forest in our launches and listen to the sunset chorus of birds and frogs. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)

Day 3 (Mon): Tucano-Lago Buriti.

This morning there will be an early exploration of the waking forest. We will keep our eyes open for monkeys… on most trips we see them often. We return for breakfast followed by either a walk in the forest or an excursion in the launches. The ship will travel during the middle of the day and we stop in the afternoon for an excursion. Tonight the vessel may travel a bit more as we marvel at the night sky crowded with stars. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)

Day 4 (Tue): Tucano-Rio Jauaperi.

After our two morning excursions the Tucano will navigate along the heavily forested shore, scouting for wildlife. We may stop for a visit at a settler’s home carved out of the forest. In the early afternoon we will be near an extraordinary river called the Rio Jauaperi. Here we will see a kind of forest known as the varzea. We will scout along the shoreline for some of the extraordinary creatures found only in this unique environment. Weather permitting, we will have a night excursion to observe nocturnal creatures. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)

Day 5 (Wed): Tucano-West Bank of Rio Negro.

Today we will voyage to the west side of the Rio Negro and continue to scout in our launches and walk in the forest. We will explore according to the weather and water depth areas rarely visited by anyone else. Tonight the Tucano goes downstream and river depth permitting, will enter an east bank affluent of the Rio Negro and explore on deep into the rainforest on this small river. After our nocturnal exploration of the rainforest in our launches and we return to the Tucano for “Caipirinha Night” on and perhaps try a bit of samba on the top deck. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)

Day 6 (Thu): Tucano-Encontro das Aguas-Manaus.

We begin the day with a dawn excursion hunting for wakening wildlife followed by a full Brazilian breakfast. We will then go one last time into the forest. In the mid-afternoon we will begin to journey downstream to arrive late in the day at the “Encontra das Aguas” a stark several milelong line where two of the world’s largest rivers, the Amazon and the Rio Negro join in a turbulent maelstrom. Here the dark water of the Negro runs beside the opaque brown water of the Amazon. At sunset the Tucano will once again turn her bows upstream on the Rio Negro and journey to our overnight anchorage north of the City of Manaus. As we pass in front of Manaus, we will marvel at the scale of one of the world’s largest and most vibrant port cities, that is over one thousand miles from the sea. Tonight we will have a farewell dinner and prepare for an early departure in the morning. Overnight aboard the ship. (B,L,D)

Day 7 (Fri): Tucano-Disembarkation-Manaus.

Early this morning, after a hearty breakfast, all guests disembark from the Tucano. (B)

B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner