Top Manaus Sightseeing: Find Your Perfect Amazon Tour

So, you’re planning a trip to Manaus, are you? What an outstanding pick, seriously! Located smack dab in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, Manaus gives you the chance to get up close and personal with the biggest, most species-diverse rainforest on our planet. The place comes jam-packed with spots you could check out and, naturally, experiences you shouldn’t skip. If you’re like your average tourist visiting Manaus, seeing the city really is a starting point for an excursion into the actual Amazon. Deciding just what Amazon tour meets your needs is arguably a bit much, though. That is the case with such an array of different outfitters and such a diverse selection of different tour options. I mean where do you begin to consider options. Now I give you what I consider the top five Manaus sightseeing tours, which can actually help to narrow down the playing field as you’re deciding.

1. Meeting of the Waters Tour

Anyway, seeing the “Meeting of the Waters” truly is probably one of the things that is really cool you can check out just right outside Manaus. The Rio Negro, that is a dark, basically almost blackwater river, joins up with the Rio Solimões, a muddy, tan river which runs solid with sediment. For actually miles and miles, the two rivers basically run next to each other without actually mixing, due in part to, like, differing densities, flow rates, and temperatures, basically! Tour providers in Manaus will typically cart you to a spot that overlooks where this all takes place by boat, and believe me, you would be amazed. Quite a few tours add stops that showcase nearby riverside communities, floating marketplaces, and some spots just where you can potentially spot Amazon wildlife, like those funny sloths and noisy parrots.

Read our full review: Meeting of the Waters Tour Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Meeting of the Waters Tour)

2. Amazon Jungle Survival Tour

Now, for something that really is seriously more adventurous, I would say there are jungle survival tours operating from Manaus can potentially really deliver an outstanding dose of that classic Amazon adventure we’re always looking for. These tours may take anything from a few days to something like even over a week, really deep-diving, too it’s almost a pun there, into the heart of the Amazon. Experienced local guides could show you exactly how to find food and safe drinking water, construct provisional shelters, identify a crazy amount of plants that have either great healing or rather toxic properties, and potentially travel through the rainforest with really nothing but what the bush can potentially provide! Be very ready to literally detach, physically push, and mentally try things beyond what feels easy. I mean a jungle survival tour honestly will bring you way closer to the awesome and intense world that really is that Amazon Rainforest.

Read our full review: Amazon Jungle Survival Tour Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Amazon Jungle Survival Tour)

3. Anavilhanas Archipelago Tour

Anyway, the Anavilhanas Archipelago just right up the Rio Negro from Manaus actually contains among the hugest river island clusters anywhere across our globe. The crazy labyrinthine landscape with so many waterways and literally thousands of islands really turns this right into a spectacular region just begging to be explored. Some tours often feature taking smaller canoes through flooded forests, some visits to isolated beaches, and potentially chances to really spot different sorts of Amazon wildlife. River dolphins often are pretty regular sightings in this area too, which is an added bonus. Seriously, if getting completely lost inside the heart of that flooded forest basically appeals to you, then just grab one of those Anavilhanas tours leaving Manaus regularly.

Read our full review: Anavilhanas Archipelago Tour Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Anavilhanas Archipelago Tour)

4. Indigenous Community Visit

And for anybody that’s wanting experiences with cultures, tour outfits around Manaus will often set up some visits to some local indigenous villages scattered here and there around that Amazon area. These particular tours do feature learning just about local traditions, art forms, and potentially just what everyday living is like. Getting respect for indigenous peoples often can really impact how anyone views everything when visiting regions that feature indigenous populations. Always, make very certain you only use tour operators known for both fair dealing and potentially promoting real cultural sensitivity to protect just what is precious culturally. These tours can honestly become a fantastic opportunity to really gain a more in-depth view of that close bond these communities actually share with that rainforest environment.

Read our full review: Indigenous Community Visit Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (Indigenous Community Visit)

5. City Tour of Manaus

Actually, even though most people checking out Manaus end up focusing on the jungles surrounding it, that city does have quite a lot to offer to travelers wanting interesting sights and stories, just like your average place. Manaus thrived way back during that rubber boom, as you see quite obviously just in some parts with old, gorgeous construction going on there that shows real boomtown splendor, very much. Pay visits to some such interesting spots that include Amazonas Opera House, actually an architectural showpiece, as well as Mercado Adolpho Lisboa which has been really busy just as long as I can really recall. If, though, you prefer taking things slow or even taking in local society without much structure you may simply walk right into some local tour providers, who are ready to showcase some different, fun bits within that city! Seriously, though, take your time looking at Manaus! If you pass straight to other stuff straight away you risk failing to grasp literally all that it’s truly offering.
Read our full review: City Tour of Manaus Full Review and Details See Prices, Availability & Reserve Now (City Tour of Manaus)