Amazon Rainforest Holidays Brazil
Amazon Rainforest
Holidays
The lungs of the earth — 5.5 million sq km of rainforest containing 10% of all species on the planet, pink river dolphins, caimans, macaws, piranhas and the chance to sleep under the jungle canopy
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Flight Time
11–12h to São Paulo or Rio, then 3h domestic flight to Manaus (MAO)
Best Time
June to November (dry season — lower water, beaches exposed, better wildlife spotting); December to May (wet season — flooded forest, pink dolphins more visible, spectacular scenery)
Country
Brazil
Suppliers
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Amazon Rainforest Holiday Guide
The Amazon is best visited on a 3–4 night jungle lodge package from Manaus — enough time to experience the main activities (caiman spotting, piranha fishing, jungle walks, canoe trips, dolphin watching) and get a genuine sense of the forest. Longer stays (5–7 nights) allow for deeper exploration and the chance to visit more remote areas.
Getting to Manaus: Fly to São Paulo (GRU) or Rio de Janeiro (GIG) from London (11–12 hours direct), then take a domestic flight to Manaus (MAO) — approximately 3 hours, from approximately £60–100 one way. LATAM, Gol and Azul all fly the route. Manaus airport is 15km from the city centre.
Jungle lodges: Most lodges are 1–3 hours from Manaus by boat. The lodge will arrange all transfers from Manaus airport. Prices range from approximately £80–150 per person per night (basic lodges) to £300–500 per person per night (luxury eco-lodges), usually including all meals and guided activities.
Health: Yellow fever vaccination is strongly recommended for travel to the Amazon — check current requirements with your GP or a travel health clinic. Malaria prophylaxis is recommended for travel to the Amazon — consult your GP. Bring strong insect repellent (DEET-based), long-sleeved clothing and a good torch.
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Popular Areas in Amazon Rainforest
Average Temperatures
Jan
27°C
Feb
27°C
Mar
27°C
Apr
27°C
May
28°C
Jun
28°C
Jul
28°C
Aug
29°C
Sep
30°C
Oct
30°C
Nov
29°C
Dec
28°C
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Call 01282 960 460Top 8 Things To Do in Amazon Rainforest
The pink dolphins, caimans, jungle lodges, river life and extraordinary biodiversity that make the Amazon the most extraordinary wildlife destination on earth.
Pink River Dolphins — The Amazon's Most Magical Creatures
The Amazon river dolphin (boto) is one of the most extraordinary animals on earth — a large, pink freshwater dolphin found only in the Amazon and Orinoco river systems. The boto is the largest river dolphin in the world (up to 2.5m long and 185kg) and is a vivid pink colour — the result of blood vessels close to the skin surface. Unlike marine dolphins, botos are solitary and slow-moving, and are often encountered at close range from a boat or canoe. In the wet season (December to May), when the river floods the forest, botos swim between the trees of the flooded forest and can be seen at very close range. Local legend holds that the boto transforms into a handsome man at night and seduces women — the boto is a protected species in Brazil and killing one is considered extremely bad luck.
Meeting of the Waters — A Natural Wonder
The Meeting of the Waters (Encontro das Águas) is one of the most extraordinary natural phenomena in the world — the point 10km east of Manaus where the black Rio Negro and the sandy-coloured Solimões River (the upper Amazon) flow side by side for approximately 6km without mixing, before finally merging into the Amazon River. The two rivers have different temperatures (the Rio Negro is 28°C, the Solimões is 22°C), different speeds (the Rio Negro flows at 2km/h, the Solimões at 4–6km/h) and different densities — these differences prevent the waters from mixing for several kilometres. The Meeting of the Waters is visible from boat trips from Manaus (30 minutes downstream) and is one of the most photographed sights in the Amazon. The contrast between the black and sandy waters is striking and clearly visible from the air.
Jungle Lodge Stays — Sleeping Under the Canopy
The best way to experience the Amazon is to stay at a jungle lodge — an eco-lodge deep in the forest, accessible only by boat, where the sounds of the jungle replace the sounds of the city and the night sky is extraordinary. Jungle lodges range from basic wooden platforms with hammocks (for the adventurous budget traveller) to luxury eco-lodges with private decks, air conditioning and gourmet food. Most lodges offer a programme of guided activities: canoe trips through the flooded forest, night caiman spotting, piranha fishing, jungle walks with a naturalist guide, visits to local indigenous communities and dawn bird watching. The standard Amazon lodge package is 3–4 nights, which is enough to experience the main activities and get a genuine sense of the forest.
Night Caiman Spotting by Canoe
One of the most thrilling experiences in the Amazon is a night caiman spotting trip by canoe — paddling silently through the flooded forest or along the river bank in the dark, with a guide using a torch to spot the red eyes of caimans on the bank or in the water. The Amazon has three species of caiman (the spectacled caiman, the black caiman and the dwarf caiman) — all are crocodilians and can grow to impressive sizes. The black caiman is the largest predator in the Amazon (up to 5m long) and is genuinely impressive at close range. The guide will often catch a small caiman by hand to show guests before releasing it — a memorable experience. Night trips also offer the chance to see nocturnal animals: owls, nightjars, bats, tree frogs and (occasionally) giant river otters.
Piranha Fishing — The Amazon's Most Famous Activity
Piranha fishing is one of the classic Amazon activities — sitting in a canoe on a jungle lake or river backwater, using a bamboo rod and a piece of raw meat as bait, and catching the fish that has one of the most fearsome reputations in the animal kingdom. The reality is somewhat less dramatic than the reputation — piranhas are cautious fish that are more likely to flee than attack, and the main danger is their extremely sharp teeth when handling a caught fish. The red-bellied piranha (the most common species in the Amazon) is the one with the fearsome reputation; the Amazon also has over 20 other piranha species, most of which are harmless. Piranha fishing is a fun and memorable activity that is included in most jungle lodge programmes. Caught piranhas are often cooked for dinner — they are surprisingly good eating.
Manaus — The City in the Middle of the Jungle
Manaus is one of the most extraordinary cities in the world — a metropolis of 2 million people in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, 1,500km from the coast, accessible only by air or river. The city was built on the wealth of the rubber boom (1850–1920) and its most famous landmark — the Teatro Amazonas (the Amazon Theatre) — is a magnificent opera house built in 1896 at the height of the boom, with a dome covered in 36,000 ceramic tiles in the colours of the Brazilian flag. The theatre still hosts opera and classical music performances. The Mercado Municipal Adolpho Lisboa (the Municipal Market, built in 1882) is modelled on the Les Halles market in Paris and is the best place in Manaus to eat local food and buy Amazon produce. Manaus is the gateway to the Amazon — most jungle lodge trips begin and end here.
Indigenous Community Visits
The Brazilian Amazon is home to over 300 indigenous peoples, speaking over 170 languages — the most linguistically diverse region on earth. Several jungle lodges and tour operators offer visits to indigenous communities near Manaus, where guests can learn about traditional forest knowledge, see traditional crafts and music, and understand the relationship between indigenous peoples and the forest. The most commonly visited communities near Manaus are the Dessana and Tukano peoples of the Rio Negro. It is important to choose a tour operator that works in genuine partnership with the communities, pays fair prices for visits and respects the communities' right to control access to their territory. Visits that are organised by the communities themselves (rather than by outside operators) are generally the most respectful and the most rewarding.
The Flooded Forest — The Amazon's Most Extraordinary Season
The Amazon floods every year — the river rises by 10–15m between the dry season (June to November) and the wet season (December to May), inundating millions of square kilometres of forest and creating the extraordinary flooded forest (igapó and várzea). In the flooded forest, trees stand in 5–10m of water, fish swim between the trunks, pink dolphins hunt in the canopy and the entire ecosystem transforms. Canoe trips through the flooded forest — paddling silently between the trees, with the water reflecting the canopy above — are one of the most extraordinary experiences in the Amazon. The wet season is also the best time to see pink dolphins (they are more active and more visible in the flooded forest) and the best time for photography (the green of the forest reflected in the still water is extraordinary).
Explore Amazon Rainforest on the Map
Key areas, beaches and attractions across the island.
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