Manaus Destination Guide

Located on the banks of Rio Negro (called the Black River because of its dark-coloured water), Manaus is an important ecological tourism centre. Ponta Negra beach located 13 kilometres (8 miles) away from the city centre is one of the popular tourist attractions. Here the river is quite low and the sands of the river bed are visible below the surface. The sand looks beautiful in contrast to the dark river waters. The environs of Manaus are home to a vast variety of wildlife, including the rarest primates of Brazil.

Manaus is centrally located and functions as a common departure point for tourists who are visiting the Amazon region.

There are a number of amazing things to see and do in the town of Manaus, as well as the surrounding Amazon region. Our Manaus Destination Guide below tells you all about them, allowing you to plan which highlights you'd like to see. Taking one of our tours in Manaus is a great option for seeing the sights and exploring this spectacular jungle region of Brazil. More general information about what there is to do in the rest of Brazil can be found in our Brazil destination guide. You should also check out some of the exciting things to see and do in other great Brazilian destinations such as Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, and Fernando de Noronha.

Things to See & Do in Manaus

Follow the links to the right or scroll further down the page for details on some of the many interesting tourist attractions in Manaus:

As an interesting place located at Japanese colony with many species of fresh water fish, this museum has contributed with its knowledge about the river to the Amazonian society and this is the only place in Manaus where you can find the famous Pirarucu, the Amazonian Cody fish, that can reach 3 meters long and is considered the best fish for the local cuisine.

The Museum is open from Monday to Saturday at 08:00 am to 05:00 pm

Tickets cost is R$ 12,00 per person

The public zoo of Manaus is located in the middle of the military zone. This place is very important because it helps to preserve many species of the local fauna. At this place it is possible to see Anacondas, Jaguars, monkeys and other animals typical of the Amazon Region.

The Zoo is open from Tuesday to Sunday at 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Manaus has a huge market every day early morning and is possible for guests to see many people bringing their products to sell in Manaus. The market shows many products from everywhere in the Amazon such as river fish, vegetable, fruits and the famous local handcrafts made by native people. The market is open every day from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm.

As one of the most visited places in Manaus, the beach offers many attractions for those who love the night life. It is a privileged area with restaurants, bars and handcraft stores and some places is possible to enjoy a nice swimming on the Negro river. According to the level of the water it is possible to see white sand or only water. Ponta Negra is located on the western part of Manaus, 30 minutes by car from the downtown and is just 10 minutes walking from the Tropical Hotel that is located in the same area.

This museum is interesting because of many indigenous material that shows for its visitors, belonging to the Salesians church, they have collected many material during mission in the jungle helping the Indians with medical treatments during the 60`s until early 80`s. Those materials gave them a chance to build this nice museum that today is visited mostly by students looking for information from Indian Tribes. The museum is located in the downtown and is open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.

As one of the most beautiful places in the Amazon with around 300 waterfalls spread in the middle of the jungle, this place offers a fantastic trip for those who come to visit. The city is located 107 km far from Manaus in the same road that goes to Venezuela and Roraima. This magic area offers many comfortable hotels called pousadas that gives a chance to rest in the middle of this lost paradise. If you are interested in visiting Figueiredo, please contact us for further information.

This is a place that you cannot miss in your trip. The Opera House was built during the rubber period and nowadays is considered as one of the most beautiful Opera Houses in the world. By mixing different styles the Opera House is open every day for guided visitations. It is located in the heart of the downtown, open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The Owner Waldemar Schultz was considered as one of the ten most rich rubber barons. The Rio Negro palace was built in 1900 to be a marriage gift for his wife and after the rubber declination the palace was sold to the state and became the Government cabinet that was used until 1999, and after a completely restoration that took 4 years the Palace became a cultural center in Manaus used for exposition of different kinds of arts. It is located at Av. September 7th, right in the center of Manaus and is open every day from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Recently restored the Provincial Palace is another tour option for you in the downtown with 5 museums inside of a historical building. This place offers a beautiful square where it is possible to see many birds of the busy area in Manaus. The Provincial Palace is located at Getulio Vargas St. downtown and is open every day from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Located in front of the Opera House the Cultural Center Largo São Sebastião is the best place in Manaus for visitors to walk and see a bit of the local`s history, surrounded by historical houses and the catholic church of St Sbeastians. This place offers nice buildings to take pictures and a family ambience able to receive many people during the festivals that happen in the Opera House.

Inpa can be considered the last remaining green area in the middle of Manaus. At this place it is possible to see the only specie of fresh water manatee in the world, the river manatee is considered a friendly animal due to its easy approaching to the human being and is easily killed by people. The fat of this animal used to be one of the most important products consumed in the Manaus during the rubber boom time used to light up the lamps in town of Manaus. Nowadays this animal is protected by federal laws and at Inpa it had reproduced for several times making the manatees' population increase again. It is not only this at Inpa is possible to see the other researchers made by biologist, botanic, geologists and other kind of professionals. Inpa has a large green area where you can walk and see different species of plants and animals, places to rest and snack bars, there`s a place called the Science House where you can see and learn about the projects that has been done in the Amazon to preserve and protect the forest and its inhabitants. Inpa is open from Tuesday to Sunday at 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

In the middle of the jungle it is possible to find the jungle lodges. The jungle hotels were built in rustic style to offer the best impression of the jungle and the local fauna and flora. In the Amazon state it is possible to find around 14 jungle lodges which are suitable for every one with different characteristics but all with the same aim to show and give a contact with the nature for its guests as much as possible. Most of these lodges offer full packages with meals, transfers and excursions all included. The excursions are jungle walk, piranha fishing, early morning tour, alligator spotting and more. If you are interested in staying in one of these lodges, please visit our tours page and choose the best lodge for you.

If you are looking for a different way to see the Amazon, you have a regional cruises option. This is the best way to visit several spots in the Amazon with comfort and style. On board of these fantastic boats you will see a different Amazon by visiting remote communities and learning about their way of living. On board of these cruises you have all services included in packages that goes 2 days and 1 night till an entirely week. If are interested in this trip, please visit our tour page and choose the best cruise for you and your family.

Novo Airão is a small town located 165 km from Manaus and with the population of about 20,000 inhabitants. This town is possible to reach by car (2 hours) or speedboat (4 hours). At this place in front of the public beach you can swim with pink dolphins. There are total 12 types of animals that live in the area. Every day you can feed and swim with pink dolphins or visit the town. You can take a bus in the early morning at the bus terminal in Manaus. The bus will leave at 6:00 am or if you prefer you can purchase a private tour with tour guides and comfortable cars to visit the city and feed the dolphins. If you interested in this tour and want more information, please visit our tour page and learn more about this tour.