Best of Manaus
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Port
Manaus, Brazil
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Activity Level
Strenuous
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$229.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 6½ Hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
Leave from the floating port of Manaus, designed to move with the river tide of the Rio Negro.
As you travel, you will pass the Customs House -- prefabricated in Liverpool and shipped to Manaus a hundred years ago. Watch for the Palacio Rio Negro -- it started out as the private residence of a German rubber baron and eventually became the Governor’s office.
Meet the inhabitants of the Amazon region at the Bosque da Ciencia -- an open-air museum and Amazonian Research Station. The facility’s most famous project is the species revival of the Amazon River manatee. Observe these strange creatures in danger of extinction as they swim in a glass tank. Part of the museum is open-air with access via trails; the other part is an indoor exhibit of scientific projects under development. See the world’s largest and smallest leaves, both found in the Amazon. Otters, electric eels, alligators, orchids and bromeliads are also housed here.
Visit the Military Zoo, where wildlife and Amazonian fauna are housed and stop for lunch at a barbecue restaurant.
Finally, the city’s most famous landmark awaits you. The lavish pink-and-white Opera House, known as the Teatro Amazonas, will be the highlight of your tour. Built in 1896, this marvel of architecture features a dome of 36,000 vitrified ceramic tiles imported from Europe, set in a mosaic of the colors of the Brazilian flag. Oddly, the fantastic painting that graces the inside of the dome is a recreation of the view you would have if you stood under the Eiffel Tower and looked up. The dazzling auditorium boasts perfect acoustics and performances here range from single guitar concerts to entire ballet companies and philharmonic orchestras. As stunning as the building is, perhaps its most extraordinary element is the fact that it is located in the heart of the Amazon jungle, in the city of Manaus -- homage to the affluence that accompanied the rubber boom of 1896.
Notes:
Shade is limited, and temperatures are always high; to avoid sunburn, wear light, long clothing suitable for use as a cover-up. Bring a hat and sunglasses; wear biodegradable sunscreen. Bring bottled water. Bring a light, waterproof outer layer. Bring insect repellent. The Military Zoo is somewhat primitive, with some animals kept in cages rather than in a natural habitat. The rainy season in the Amazon extends from December through March. Limited tourism infrastructure is part of the charm here, and you are trading breadth of guide experience for authentic interaction. Please bring your spirit of adventure and bear with any language difficulties your guide may encounter and with any operational surprises that may crop up. Tour does not operate on Mondays.