After dark
Piranha evening
With an alligator watch
- From$90
- Length5 hours
- GroupAt most 10
Size up your group price
Amazon river fishing tours from Manaus: piranha and sport fishing
Full-day Amazon River tour from Manaus
★ 4.2 · Rated by 431 guests
Look at 4 options
Starting cost of a fishing outing
Choose an outing and how many anglers are coming to see the starting cost.
- Piranha evening5 hours · each person, from $90
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View - Rio Negro fishing dayPrivate, 10 hours · each person, from $292
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View - Full-day river tourSightseeing · each person, from $55
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View - Short river day5 hours · each person, from $60
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View
Starting prices as on the booking platform, converted at the ECB reference rate. You see the exact price at booking.
Amazon river fishing tours from Manaus run from a 5-hour piranha evening to a private day on the Rio Negro. Here is what each costs, how long it lasts and what the licence rules say.
Editorial team, amazonrivertour.quest · Updated November 12, 2026 · 7 mins to read
Overview
- A nightAn evening of piranha fishing with an alligator watch takes 5 hours and starts from $90.
- A dayA private day of fishing on the Rio Negro lasts 10 hours and starts from $292.
- The licenceThe federal licence costs BRL 20 for shore fishing and BRL 60 for boat fishing.1
- How longThe licence is valid for 1 year across Brazil.2
- Farther afieldBarcelos is a sport fishing destination on the Rio Negro.3
What fishing tours leave from Manaus
Fishing near Manaus comes in two shapes in the listings we compared. The first is a short outing from the city: an evening of piranha fishing with an alligator watch. The second is a long day on the Rio Negro with a private group. Beyond those fishing trips from Manaus, a serious expedition means traveling to a base far up the river, such as Barcelos. The river day sold on this site is not a fishing tour, so read it as a sightseeing day and keep your tackle for the trips below.3
The evening trip takes 5 hours and 10 guests at most, with pickup and an English-speaking guide, from $90. The day on the Rio Negro lasts 10 hours for a private group, with pickup included and guides who work in English, Spanish and Portuguese, from $292. The gap between them is the gap between a taste of fishing and a day devoted to it, and the price follows the hours and the private boat.
Both listings keep the usual terms: free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance, and a reservation that you can pay for later. Neither says what tackle or bait you use, how many fish you may keep, or whether you release them, so ask the operator for each before you book, and ask it to confirm the answers in writing.
Fishing options
Fishing from Manaus compared
| Trip | Length | Group | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piranha and alligator evening | 5 hours | At most 10 | $90 |
| Day of fishing, Rio Negro | 10 hours | Private | $292 |
| Full-day river tour (sightseeing) | 1 day | Shared | $55 |
The amounts are starting prices rather than quotes, and the river tour is a sightseeing day, not a fishing trip.
Piranha fishing and the alligator watch
The evening trip is the simplest way to fish near Manaus. It takes 5 hours, caps the group at 10, starts from $90 and has 62 reviews averaging 4.2. The packing line asks for long trousers, sleeves that cover your arms, repellent and torches, which tells you that the evening is spent on the water and under the trees.
Treat the alligator watch as a look, not a show. A night on the river is the time to be quiet, keep your hands inside the boat and follow your guide's instructions to the letter. The guides speak English on this listing, so say at the start if you have questions about safety or about handling a fish.
A piranha has sharp teeth, and the people who handle them for a living do it with care. Let the guide unhook your catch, keep fingers away from the mouth and do not take a fish out of the water for a long photo. If you want to eat it, ask the operator whether lunch or dinner uses what you catch, and be ready to hear that the answer is no.
Hours on the water
How long each fishing outing runs
- Piranha evening5
- Private Rio Negro day10
- Waterfalls day12
Hours per the listings; the waterfalls day is there only as a land-based yardstick.
A day of fishing on the Rio Negro
A day of fishing on the Rio Negro lasts 10 hours for a private group, with pickup included and a guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese. It starts from $292, and the listing has 4 reviews averaging 4.4, a sample too small to draw conclusions from. The price covers the group, so the useful comparison is the total divided by the people you bring.
The Rio Negro is the large dark river that meets the brown Solimoes near Manaus.5 Europe's space agency ranks it as the biggest black-water river on Earth and the Amazon's largest tributary, carrying little sediment and clear to more than 9 m at times.5,6 For an angler, that clear, dark water means fishing by sight and by feel more than by murk.
Water levels shape any fishing day. A local boat operator reports rivers rising from November to a June peak, with some spots out of reach once the dry season arrives. According to the state tourism agency, the rivers sink between June and November and leave islands and freshwater beaches showing.7 Ask the operator which channels and lakes it fishes on your date.
Your catch
Which fishing outing suits you
Say how much time you have and how serious you are about fishing.
If I want a taste of piranha fishing
The piranha evening
5 hours from $90, up to 10 guests.
If I want a whole day on the water
The Rio Negro fishing day
10 hours from $292 for a private group.
If I want to fish for peacock bass
A trip to Barcelos
The season runs September to February, 405 km from Manaus.3
If I only want to see the river
The river day
It starts from $55 and is not a fishing trip.
If I am not sure about the licence
Ask the operator first
Pick your outing
A night, a day or a river day
All day
Rio Negro fishing day
Private group
- From$292
- Length10 hours
- GuideEnglish, Spanish
For the river
River sightseeing day
No fishing
- From$55
- LengthFull day
- GuideEnglish
Going farther: Barcelos and the peacock bass
Barcelos is the name anglers know for river Amazon sport fishing and tours. The Amazonas tourism agency describes it as a municipality on the right bank of the Rio Negro, 405 km from Manaus, and one of the main sport fishing destinations in Brazil.3 It says the peacock bass called tucunare-acu is the most sought after fish of the region and can weigh up to 12 kg, and that the sport fishing season runs from September to February.3
The agency's Barcelos page gives 405 km, while its article on freshwater beaches gives 399 km, so treat the distance as approximate and expect a long trip by boat or plane.8,3 A fishing trip there is a multi-day expedition with its own lodge or boat, not a day out from the city. The listings in our set do not sell it, so this site cannot give you a price for it.
The same agency says Barcelos is also home to the Mariua archipelago, with more than 1,600 islands in an area 140 km long and 20 km wide.8 For an angler, that is a lot of water. For a visitor who wants only a day of fishing from Manaus, the Rio Negro day above is the realistic choice, and the evening trip is the lighter one.
A fishing outing
From pickup to the return
Pickup
In Manaus
Both fishing listings include pickup.
On the water
The Rio Negro
The private day spends 10 hours on the Rio Negro.
Dusk
Piranha and alligators
The evening trip lasts 5 hours and asks for flashlights.
Back on shore
Your catch
Ask the operator beforehand what happens to the fish.
Next day
Plan more water
A river day starts from $55.
The fishing licence: fees, validity and who can apply
Brazil requires an amateur or sport fishing licence, issued at federal level. The federal fee is BRL 20 for fishing from the shore and BRL 60 for fishing from a boat, payable by PIX, credit card or boleto.1 The licence is valid for 1 year across Brazil, except in places protected by federal, state or municipal rules, and some states may require a supplementary licence.2
Every applicant, including those who are exempt, first receives a provisional licence valid for 30 days.9 The federal service page says any Brazilian or foreign citizen with a valid CPF who pays the annual fee can apply.10 A CPF is the Brazilian taxpayer number, which many visitors do not have, so ask your operator how foreign guests handle the licence before you book.
Fees on the page are in reais, and the converted price of the tours above is in dollars, so keep the two apart in your budget. A guided evening or day tour may arrange the licence as part of the service, or may fish under a rule that does not apply to you, and the listings do not say which. Ask in writing, and do not fish without an answer.
Video
Piranha fishing on the Amazon River
Kara and Nate on YouTube · Until you tap play, no video is loaded.
Conservation efforts, particularly community engagement in resource monitoring and sustainable use, have shown positive outcomes, such as in the recovery of pirarucu populations.
Angler's checklist
Before you go fishing
Papers and rules3
- The federal fishing licence, if your trip needs one
- What happens to your catch, in writing
- The free cancellation window
Clothing3
- Long pants and a long-sleeve shirt
- Insect repellent
- A hat and sunscreen for the day trip
Your kit3
- A flashlight for the evening
- A waterproof bag for your phone
- Your questions on safety, ready for the guide
Pirarucu and why fishing is managed
Pirarucu is a huge Amazon fish, and it is one of the reasons fishing is managed carefully. IUCN notes that community engagement in resource monitoring and sustainable use has shown positive outcomes in the Central Amazon Conservation Complex, such as the recovery of pirarucu populations.4 That is a conservation result built on local people counting and protecting the fish.
For a visitor, the lesson is practical: follow your guide, release or keep only what the rules and the operator allow, and never buy fish or meat of doubtful origin. IUCN also reports that the park managers neither admit nor ticket visitors at Anavilhanas, which leaves the choice of a careful operator with you.11
Ask your operator these things: where it fishes, what it does with the catch and whether its guides are from the area. Those are fair questions, and a good operator answers them without fuss. A small group is easier to manage on the water, and the evening trip's cap of 10 people is a sensible size, while a private day lets you set the pace yourself.
What to bring and how to choose
Bring what the listing asks, and add the sensible extras. For the evening trip, wear long trousers and a shirt with long sleeves, and bring repellent and torches. The river day sold on this site lists insect repellent, a raincoat and sunscreen, which is a fair kit for a day on the Rio Negro too. Add a hat, a water bottle and a dry bag for your phone and documents.
Rain falls through the year, and the INPA records for Manaus show the wetter half running from December to May, so a raincoat earns its place in either season.12 Before you leave, ask a travel clinic about the yellow fever vaccine that CDC advises for Amazonas from the age of 9 months, and about malaria medicine for certain areas.13,14
To choose, start from your time. If you have an evening, book the piranha trip from $90. If you have a day and a small group, ask about the private Rio Negro day from $292. If you have a week and a serious interest, plan an expedition to Barcelos in the season the agency names, and go through an operator that sells it, with the licence and the catch rules settled before you pay.3
FAQ
Brief questions, brief answers.
Can you fish for piranha near Manaus?
Yes, on an evening trip.
An evening of piranha fishing with an alligator watch takes 5 hours and starts from $90.
How much is a fishing day on the Rio Negro?
From $292 for a private group.
A private day of fishing on the Rio Negro lasts 10 hours and starts from $292.
Do I need a fishing licence in Brazil?
When is the sport fishing season at Barcelos?
September to February.
The Amazonas tourism agency gives the sport fishing season at Barcelos as September to February.3
What is the biggest fish at Barcelos?
The peacock bass up to 12 kg.
The Amazonas tourism agency says the tucunare-acu, the most sought after fish of the region, can weigh up to 12 kg.3
What should I wear for night fishing?
Long pants and a long-sleeve shirt.
Trousers and sleeves that cover, repellent and torches are on the evening trip's list.
Sources
- Brazilian federal government (gov.br) · Solicitar Licença de Pescador Amador ou Esportivo ↩
- Brazilian federal government (gov.br) · Solicitar Licença de Pescador Amador ou Esportivo ↩
- Amazonas State Tourism Agency (Amazonastur) · Barcelos ↩
- IUCN World Heritage Outlook · Central Amazon Conservation Complex ↩
- European Space Agency (ESA) · Earth from Space: Meeting of waters ↩
- European Space Agency (ESA) · Earth from Space: Meeting of waters ↩
- Amazonas State Tourism Agency (Amazonastur) · Férias: conheça cinco praias de água doce para curtir o verão no Amazonas ↩
- Amazonas State Tourism Agency (Amazonastur) · Férias: conheça cinco praias de água doce para curtir o verão no Amazonas ↩
- Brazilian federal government (gov.br) · Solicitar Licença de Pescador Amador ou Esportivo ↩
- Brazilian federal government (gov.br) · Solicitar Licença de Pescador Amador ou Esportivo ↩
- IUCN World Heritage Outlook · Central Amazon Conservation Complex ↩
- National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA, Acta Amazonica) · Acta Amazonica 35(1) ↩
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · Brazil - Traveler view ↩
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · Brazil - Traveler view ↩