Amazon rainforest tours in Brazil
Embark on a voyage deep into the Amazon rainforest, where you’ll follow in the path of early adventurers and explorers, and you’re bound to return with a bulging knapsack of sensory memories. The most vivid are sure to be the bewitching sounds of the rainforest at night; of birds, reptiles, monkeys and insects chorusing away in the inky blackness among the trees, over the river’s gentle ripple. Atmospheric? You don’t know the half of it.
Our Brazil Holidays
Brazil holiday, tailor made
Wildlife & culture roundtrip through Brazil, all tailormade
From
€3695
23 days
ex flights
Brazil holiday, Jaguar spotting & Amazon
Brazil holiday with Jaguar spotting, hiking and snorkeling
From
US $4792
25 days
ex flights
Small group tour in Brazil
An in depth discovery tour of Brazil including the Amazon
From
£5687 to £5917
15 days
inc UK flights
Wildlife holidays in Brazil, tailormade
From macaws to jaguars in the Pantanal and Amazon, plus Rio
From
£5200
13 days
ex flights
Harpy Eagle birdwatching tour in Brazil
The only specialist Harpy Eagle tour worldwide
From
£4350
9 days
ex flights
There are 390 billion trees in the Amazon, spanning 16,000 species, over 2,000 species of animal and, it is estimated, some 2.5 million species of insect – a practically unlimited canvas of biodiversity stitched over countless fragile ecosystems, and 60 percent of it within the borders of Brazil. Yet while it’s impossible to overstate the importance of the Amazon to the health of our planet, and the survival of the human race itself, the rainforest still faces enormous threats. Joining a responsible organised tour of the Amazon is a way to make a positive contribution to wildlife conservation here, to support traditional ways of life, and to show politicians and businesses that the Amazon’s natural resources have the potential for more than just agriculture and forestry.
Amazon tours can either be the principal focus of a Brazil holiday, or form part of a wider itinerary perhaps taking in Rio de Janeiro and the Pantanal region. The usual departure point for cruises is Manaus, on the banks of the Rio Negro, a city whose rapid growth during the 19th century rubber boom is perhaps best exemplified by the astonishing and magnificent opera house. An opera house! In the heart of the Amazon basin with thick jungle all around. Just the first of many marvels you’ll encounter.
Amazon tours can either be the principal focus of a Brazil holiday, or form part of a wider itinerary perhaps taking in Rio de Janeiro and the Pantanal region. The usual departure point for cruises is Manaus, on the banks of the Rio Negro, a city whose rapid growth during the 19th century rubber boom is perhaps best exemplified by the astonishing and magnificent opera house. An opera house! In the heart of the Amazon basin with thick jungle all around. Just the first of many marvels you’ll encounter.
The Amazon by boat
“Manage your expectations. The trip is for good travelers, not tourists ... if you expect the luxuries of a modern cruise ship you will be disappointed. You will have the opportunity to make four excursions each day. During the rainy season you will get rained on during three of the four. Your clothes will dry out... Even at times when there was no wildlife, the sounds of the jungle were captivating.” - Jim Schwarz on a small group Amazon river cruise
If you want to get deep into the Amazon rainforest then you need to take a river cruise, travelling by small boat, one which can take you down small tributaries and channels such as the Jauaperi River to explore wildlife and communities that larger vessels cannot hope to reach. The typical Amazon riverboats that feature in our tours are well equipped expedition vessels, comfortable but not luxurious, and often with custom built observation decks useful for spotting animals amid the tangled vegetation on the riverbanks, but also for dancing samba and sipping caipirinhas in the gloaming. You may also venture out into more narrow bodies of water in smaller motorised boats or kayaks.
You might cruise the vast Anavilhanas Archipelago in search of pink river dolphins, paddle a kayak around Lago Turia and through flooded grasslands, or fish for piranhas from the deck, with your catch perhaps appearing on the evening’s dinner menu. You will see pristine parts of the forest that have lain untouched for millions of years, and fascinating natural spectacles including the Encontra das Aguas, or Meeting of Waters, where the black Rio Negro meets the sandy coloured Amazon without mixing, in a turbulent confluence several miles long.
Our top Brazil Holiday
Brazil holiday, Jaguar spotting & Amazon
Brazil holiday with Jaguar spotting, hiking and snorkeling
From
US $4792
25 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Brazil or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
01273 823 700
Call us Monday after 10am
Calling from outside the UK
The Amazon on foot
Not all itineraries involve spending the entire time on a boat. There are opportunities to visit Caboclo villages to find out about lives that depend entirely on the river and the rainforest, or to stay in an ecolodge that serves as a base for nighttime walking safaris. Skilled naturalist and conservationist guides, often drawn from local communities, lead you through the hot and humid rainforest in search of orchids; to explain the use of different types of medicinal plants, and to spy by torchlight three-toed sloths, howler monkeys, wild pigs and iguanas, and the telltale red pinpricks in the dark that show you’re being silently watched by caimans.
It’s worth pointing out here that the Amazon foliage tends to be very dense and dark compared with destinations such as the Pantanal. Wildlife viewing here is not always easy, even with the assistance of torches and specialist guides – that doesn’t mean you won’t get lucky, but it’s better to focus on the overall atmosphere of an Amazon cruise, rather than count on seeing a particular creature and risk being disappointed if you don’t.
More about Brazil
The best time to visit Brazil may well be swayed by the carnival in Rio or temperature & rainfall with the Pantanal and Manaus both experiencing varying conditions as displayed in our easy to use chart.
Find out more about what we rate & what we don’t as you samba your way through our comprehensive Brazil travel guide, leaving no stone unturned when it comes to how to travel like a local.
Reading up on travel times in Brazil as well as classic highlights & itineraries is always a great idea before travelling and our interactive Brazil map is an equally advisable option.
Explore Rio de Janeiro, go wildlife crazy in the Pantanal, cruise the Amazon or get soaked at the Iguazu Falls, things to do in Brazil never cease to amaze, enthrall and inspire in equal measure.
The Iguazú Falls span the frontier between Argentina and Brazil, and what a sight it is - the largest waterfall system on Earth, a ceaseless spectacle of foaming river plunging over hundreds of cascades.
The open marshland of the Pantanal wildlife reserve is unquestionably the best place for wildlife-spotting in Brazil, with an astonishing variety of flora and fauna to see here, including the elusive jaguars.
Situated on Brazil’s gorgeous Emerald Coast, Paraty is a popular destination for a laidback getaway, home to over 100 beautiful beaches and waters teeming with marine life from whales to penguins.
The Rio Carnival, held every year in the week before Lent, is the world’s biggest party, with millions of revellers taking to the streets to watch as flamboyant dancers parade alongside floats and bands.
Home to iconic landmarks such as the Christ the Redeemer statue, world famous beaches and a legendary nightlife scene that pulsates with rhythm, Rio de Janeiro is Brazil’s most popular visitor destination.
Discover activities for families in Brazil and what to do with little ones from experts like Guy Marks and Anna Scrivens who have been travelling in Brazil with kids and would happily return and do it all over again.
This page is packed full of Brazil travel advice and tips from our friends in Brazil so all you have to do is sit back and read all about it as you find out how to travel safely in Brazil.
Responsible tourism in Brazil concerns the important issues affecting the environment, culture and the people living in the favelas within Brazil’s inner cities, and what you can do to travel better in Brazil.
.jpg){kind=link}