Voyage into the Heart of the Amazon on M/Y Tucano

The Tucano river cruise has close to 30 years experience exploring deep into the heart of the Amazon. This is a trip for the true expedition type. As Amazon Nature Tour’s puts it, “[it is for those that] want to experience to the fullest, in the most authentic and thoughtful way, the astonishing natural history of the Amazon.” It is the only vessel that travels into an UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site: the Central Amazon Conservation Complex.

Trip Length: 5 or 7 Days
Destinations: Manaus, Anavilhanas Archipelago, Encontra das Aguas – the Amazon, Brazil
Lodging: 18 passenger, Midrange Motor Yacht
Activities: small group naturalist excursions by boat & forest hikes, sit-on-top kayaking, birding, fishing

WHY THIS TRIP

This is a true expedition voyage that explores deep into some of the most untouched rainforest in all of the Amazon. The M/Y Tucano is the only vessel that travels into a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site: The Central Amazon Conservation Complex.

Venture far up the least inhabited major river in the Amazon Basin on the Tucano expedition vessel. Weave in and out of small channels on the Rio Negro to explore areas very rarely visited and to seek out the mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest and in the heart of wild nature.

TRIP DESCRIPTION

Truly the best way to get to know the Amazon is on an expedition cruise. On the M/Y Tucano we have a passion for exploration and we hunt deep into the small tributaries that weave their way into the wilderness.

On these heavily forested streams the Amazon’s most interesting creatures still thrive…. as they have for millions of years. Our expedition cruises enable travelers to experience magnificent flora and fauna that are almost always invisible to travelers on more typical cruises.

Our small-ship is in many ways specifically designed for this kind of deep forest exploration. The M/Y Tucano with a shallow draft, a fleet of exploration craft, and comfortable accommodations, is the ideal way to go farther and deeper into the Amazon.

Our mariners are also pilots because some of the remote tributaries that we explore are literally uncharted waters. We almost never see any other people or other boats.

This is what has preserved the natural environment and what makes our cruises spectacular experiences that few people ever will be able share… in their entire lives. On the M/Y Tucano we Go farther, go deeper, and go for it!

LOCAL OPERATOR: AMAZON NATURE TOURS

Amazon Nature Tours had their beginnings in the lumber business. In the early 1980’s they would buy lumber from sawmills in the Amazon and distribute it to factories and outlets in the United States.

By 1988 they became aware and convinced that rainforest conservation was one of the most important goals of our time, so in 1989 they did an about face and used their business to offer some of the first “ecotours”.

White Throated Tucan Drawing on Motor Yacht Tucano The first ecotours were rugged expeditions into the Amazon and guests had to be prepared for inconvenience and discomfort. Nowadays travelers can voyage deep into remote wilderness in considerable comfort.

The M/Y Tucano retains the essential elements that make a wilderness cruise successful: small groups, deeply skilled guides, remote and unspoiled places to explore, a comfortable vessel, and operations that have minimal environmental impact and are sustainable.

Most importantly, Amazon Nature Tour’s staff in the Amazon have prospered. For many of the crew members, their children are the first in their families to be able to go to school.

The many years of operation show not only that ecotourism has struck a chord with the travelers, but also proves the success of a compelling idea: that small scale nature tours can help support local communities while at the same time helping protect the environment.

Though not all trips promoted as “ecotours” meet this standard, mostly the goals of ecotourism are being met. Travelers worldwide are helping local communities gain income while preserving the environment.

Itinerary

Click the Abbreviated Itinerary to see the Detailed Itinerary

Itinerary

Voyage to the Heart of the Amazon (7 Days / 6 Nights)
Day 1: Board the M/Y Tucano & Rainforest Exploration - Anavilhanas Archipelago
Day 2: Rainforest Exploration - Kayak the Waters Edge & Forest Hike
Day 3: Rainforest Exploration - Waking Forest Walk
Day 4: Rainforest Exploration - Varzea Forest
Day 5: Rainforest Exploration - Kayak the Waters Edge & Forest Hike
Day 6: Rainforest Exploration - Encontra das Aguas
Day 7: Depart

Day 1: Board the M/Y Tucano & Rainforest Exploration: Anavilhanas Archipelago

Early this morning all guests board the vessel the Motor Yacht Tucano and depart upstream on the Rio Negro. Board the vessel on a short walk from the lobby of the Hotel Tropical in Manaus.

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 M/Y 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: On board the M/Y Tucano
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner

Day 2: Rainforest Exploration: Kayak the Waters Edge & Forest Hike

Early this morning we explore the rainforest along the waters 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: On board the M/Y Tucano
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Rainforest Exploration: Waking Forest Walk

This morning there will be an early exploration of the waking forest. We will keep our eyes open for monkeys. We see them on most trips. We return for breakfast followed by either a walk in the forest or an excursion in the launches.

M/Y Tucano 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: On board the M/Y Tucano
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Rainforest Exploration: Varzea Forest

After our two morning excursions the M/Y 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 Jaueperi. 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: On board the M/Y Tucano
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Rainforest Exploration: Kayak the Waters Edge & Forest Hike

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 M/Y 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 Motor Yacht Tucano for “Caipirinha Night” on and perhaps try a bit of samba on the top deck.

Overnight: On board the M/Y Tucano
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Encontra das Aguas: the Joining of Rio Negro & Amazon Meet

We begin the day with a dawn excursion hunting for wakening wildlife followed by a full Brasilian 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 mile long 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 M/Y 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: On board the M/Y Tucano
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Depart

Early this morning, after a hearty breakfast, all guests disembark from the M/Y Tucano.

Meals Included: Breakfast

NOTE: The day to day schedule must be considered approximate. The exact order of the days and specific features may be altered due to navigational considerations.

Into the Wild Amazon (5 Days / 4 Nights)
DAY 1: Depart Manaus & Voyage North on the Rio Negro
Manaus, Rio Negro: Afternoon depart and voyage north on the Rio Negro.
DAY 2: Rainforest Exploration - Anavilhanas Archipelago
DAY 3: Rainforest Exploration: Waters Edge & Forest Hike
Rio Negro: Excursions in the forest during the day, at night travel downstream toward the Amazon River.
DAY 4: Rainforest Exploration - Encontra das Aguas
DAY 5: Disembark in Manaus

DAY 1: Depart Manaus & Voyage North on the Rio Negro

This afternoon we embark on the Motor Yacht Tucano in Manaus, Brasil. We depart on the Rio Negro and as the vessel glides upstream we will have our first talk about Amazon environments.

By late afternoon we enter one of the world’s largest river island systems, the Anavilhanas Archipelago. The boat will weave along a winding channel with rainforest on both sides in a riot of brilliant vegetation.

Weather permitting, we will go for a launch excursion in the gnarled and dense flooded forest known as the igapó. Along the river bank we may see some Squirrel Monkeys and we may hear the other-worldly growls of Howler Monkeys echoing through the primitive rainforest.

The Amazon has one of the greatest collection of birds in the world and we are sure to see some of these brightly colored jewels perched in the treetops.

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: On board the M/Y Tucano
Meals Included: Dinner

DAY 2: Rainforest Exploration – Anavilhanas Archipelago

Shortly after sunrise this morning we explore the Anavilhanas Archipelago, a reserve that includes the world’s largest system of river islands and also areas of tall dense rainforest.

Here we will see the strange environment called the igapó, the black water flooded forest where dense forests grow right out of the dark water of the Rio Negro. Mid morning we return to the vessel for a hearty Brasilian breakfast.

After some time to relax, weather permitting we will disembark at mid-morning and will go for a walk in the type of rainforest known as the terra firme.

Here we have a good chance to see the markings, if not the animals themselves, of some of the Amazon’s great mammals like peccaries (wild pigs) or even a jaguar.

Around mid-day return to the vessel for lunch and a siesta. In the afternoon we will excursion in our launches along the edges of the dense forest and listen to the sunset chorus of birds, howler monkeys, and frogs.

Weather permitting, tonight we will have an excursion to spot caiman (the Amazon’s crocodiles) and other nocturnal creatures. We very often see arboreal porcupines or sloths scrambling high in the limbs.

Overnight: On board the M/Y Tucano
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 3: Rainforest Exploration: Waters Edge & Forest Hike

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 M/Y 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 Motor Yacht Tucano for “Caipirinha Night” on and perhaps try a bit of samba on the top deck.

Overnight: On board the M/Y Tucano
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 4: Rainforest Exploration – Encontra das Aguas

We begin the day with a dawn excursion hunting for wakening wildlife followed by a full Brasilian breakfast. We will then go one last time into the forest.

Overnight: On board the M/Y Tucano
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 5: Disembark in Manaus

Early this morning, after a hearty breakfast, all guests disembark from the M/Y Tucano.

Meals Included: Breakfast

travel logistics

Getting To and From the Trip:

You will need to arrive in Manaus one day prior to the start of the trip. You can arrive any time on this day. Hotel is not included, but can be added upon request. The cruise will disembark early in the morning on Day 1.

Therefore, it is not possible to fly into Manaus and meet up with the trip all the same day. The cruise ends in the morning of the last day. It is possible to depart Manaus on the same day that the cruise ends.

There are a handful of direct international flights into Manaus (Miami and Orlando offer direct flights from the United States). Most travelers will need to first fly into either Sao Paolo or Rio de Janerio before connecting through to Manaus.

Trip Start: Manaus, Brazil. You will need to arrive one day prior to the cruise start date. A hotel is not included in the cost of the tour, but can be added upon request.
Complimentary transfers are included from the following hotels: Hotel Juma Opera and Hotel Villa Amazonia. For those not staying at one of these hotels, you will need to go to the Tucano Rendezvous Lounge at Sete de Setembro, Praça Dom Pedro ll, Centro, Manaus.
Following check in, health screening, and baggage sterilization, travelers will be transferred to the M/Y Tucano.

5 Days / 4 Nights Cruises: Embark at 11:30am
7 Days / 6 Nights Cruises: Embark at 7:30am

Trip End: Manaus, Brazil. You disembark from the cruise at 7:30am, and you will be transfered to the Tucano Rendezvous Lounge (Sete de Setembro, Praça Dom Pedro ll, Centro, Manaus). If you are staying at Hotel Juma Opera and Hotel Villa Amazonia, you will have a complimentary transfer to one of these hotels. End of services. It is possible for a same day departure flight (any flight after 12:00 pm).

5 Days / 4 Nights Cruises: Disembark at 7:30 am
7 Days / 6 Nights Cruises: Disembark at 7:30 am

Complete Your Trip

Prices & Dates

2023 PRICES:

Please enquire for current prices.

Stateroom Categories: There are three stateroom categories on the M/Y Tucano. Please see the accommodations tab for details.

Triple Occupancy: There is one triple cabin: Yellow Stateroom 0. When used as a triple cabin, each person pays the Green Category rate.

Single Occupancy: Solo travelers who request a private stateroom are charged the Blue Category rate for a Blue or Green Stateroom. If the traveler wants to reserve a Yellow Stateroom, the single supplement is 100%.

Willing to Share: No single supplement is charged if a solo traveler is willing to share a stateroom with another same gender passenger. A willing to share traveler will be charged the Green Category rate, even if a roommate is not available.

Discounts for Children: Children that are 12 years of age and under who share a room with an adult receive a discount of 50% off the Cruise Rate for whichever stateroom category they select, subject to availability.

2024 PRICES:

Please enquire for current prices.

Stateroom Categories: There are three stateroom categories on the M/Y Tucano. Please see the accommodations tab for details.

Triple Occupancy: There is one triple cabin: Yellow Stateroom 0. When used as a triple cabin, each person pays the Green Category rate.

What's Included / Not Included

INCLUDED:

Accommodations (based on double occupancy)
English-speaking guided excursions
Meals as indicated in the itinerary
Bottled water served free of charge, but travelers are provided with a complimentary water bottle and encouraged to refill it
Very stylish (complimentary) straw hat
Complimentary transfers to/from select hotels in Manaus (must be arranged in advance)

NOT INCLUDED:

Flights to/from Manaus (can be arranged on your own, or booked with our flight partners at Exito Travel)
Airport transfers (can be added upon request or you can take a taxi)
Accommodations in Manaus – you must spend at least 1 night in Manaus before the cruise starts but 2 nights is recommended (can be booked on your own or added upon request)
Services in Manaus
Travel Insurance (highly recommended)
Alcoholic & Non-alcoholic Drinks
Tips to guide and crew

Accommodations

All of the 9 staterooms on Tucano are outside facing the river, with large windows and private bathrooms. Each staterooms is air-conditioned with its own thermostat. All of the staterooms are comfortable and all have private baths.

The Salon is at the front of the boat affording splendid views of the rainforest throughout the day. The Salon is also air-conditioned, though in the cool of the day we generally leave the windows open to breathe the fresh air scented by Amazon blossoms.