A night out
Overnight river tour
Simple and short
- From$420
- Length2 days
- CanoeNo cover
Size up your group price
Amazon river cruise from Manaus: every way to spend time on the water
Full-day Amazon River tour from Manaus
★ 4.2 · Rated by 431 guests
The quick version
An Amazon river cruise from Manaus ranges from a day boat to a multi-day Rio Negro trip, a floating lodge or a slow local ferry, and ocean ships call at the port in season.
Cruise essentials
Look at 4 options
Starting cost of a night or more afloat
Choose a boat and set the number of travelers to see what the voyage starts at.
- Full-day river tourThe one sold here · each person, from $55
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View - Overnight river tour2 days · each person, from $420
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View - Rio Negro cruise3 to 4 days · each person, from $800
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View - Floating lodge3 to 5 days · each person, from $1,100
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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.
An Amazon river cruise from Manaus can mean a day boat, a night in a canoe camp, a multi-day Rio Negro trip or a local ferry. Here is what each one costs and what it is like.
Editorial team, amazonrivertour.quest · Updated November 12, 2026 · 7 mins to read
Overview
- Day boatThe river day sold here starts from $55 and runs for a full day.
- A night outA 2-day river tour with an overnight stay starts from $420.
- Multi-day cruiseA 3 to 4-day Rio Negro and Anavilhanas river cruise starts from $800.
- Floating lodgeA floating lodge stay of 3 to 5 days starts from $1,100.
- Local ferryA ferry to Santarem lasts 36 hours and starts from $150.
What an Amazon river cruise means when you start in Manaus
Searching for an Amazon river cruise returns very different products, so it helps to sort them. From Manaus there are day boats, overnight river tours, multi-day cruises on the Rio Negro, floating lodges and local ferries that carry passengers and cargo. Ocean ships also call at the port in season, and that is a different thing again. This page covers the river boats that leave from Manaus; the ships that sail from Iquitos in Peru run on the upper river and are a separate trip.
The tourism ministry says that travel from Manaus is often done by boat or ferry rather than by bus.1 That is the everyday truth of the region: the river is the road, so a boat is not only a tourist product here. It also means the choice is wide, from a full-day tour starting from $55 to a floating lodge starting from $1,100.
Our own tour is the way in: it fills a day with a boat to Lake Janauari, the Meeting of the Waters, canoes among the lilies and a fish lunch, led by a guide who speaks English, and 431 reviews average 4.1. Treat it as a taste of river travel, and read on if you want a night or more aboard, since every longer option below builds on the same ground.
All the options
River cruise options out of Manaus
| Option | Length | Group | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day boat (ours) | 1 day | Shared | $55 |
| Speedboat day | 7 hours | Shared | $63 |
| Overnight river tour | 2 days | Private or small | $420 |
| Rio Negro cruise | 3 to 4 days | At most 10 | $800 |
| Anavilhanas lodge | 3 to 4 days | At most 10 | $690 |
| Floating lodge | 3 to 5 days | At most 12 | $1,100 |
| Ferry to Santarem | 36 hours | Shared | $150 |
| Local boat to Belem | 5 days | Shared | $150 |
All fares start at the amount shown and move with date and party size; the lengths and group caps are the listings' own.
Day boats and the overnight river tour
Day boats are the simplest cruise. The 7.5-hour excursion starts from $58, with guides in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The 7-hour speedboat day begins at $63 and breaks for lunch at the Janauari Ecological Park. The 9-hour river day costs from $140 and its 117 reviews average 4.8.
For a night on the water, the 2-day river tour with an overnight stay is the simplest option. It starts from $420, suits private or small groups and has 67 reviews averaging 4.8. The listing is candid: the canoe on the Rio Negro part has no cover, and the tour aims for an authentic feel rather than luxury. If you like your cruise with a cabin, a pool and a bar, this is not it, and the Rio Negro cruise further down is the next step.
The same listing notes that cruise-ship passengers can ask for a special start time, and it gives Spanish, English and Portuguese guides. Sleeping out on the Rio Negro in a short window makes a good test of whether you enjoy basic river life, before you book a longer trip. Take a flashlight, a change of dry clothes in a waterproof bag and plenty of repellent, and keep your expectations simple.
Days aboard
The longest stay each river option offers
- Day boat1
- Ferry to Santarem1.5
- Overnight river tour2
- Rio Negro cruise4
- Floating lodge5
- Boat to Belem5
Maximum stays as the listings state them, though several can be booked shorter.
Multi-day cruises and floating lodges
Longer trips combine travel, lodging and activities in a single price. The Rio Negro and Anavilhanas cruise lasts 3 or 4 days and starts from $800; the party is capped at 10 and the guides work in Spanish, English and Portuguese. Its 35 reviews average 4.0, with 4.1 for the guide, 4.4 for transportation and 3.8 for value for money, so read recent comments before you commit.
The listing says guests may sleep in hammocks, with mosquito nets sold in Manaus. The meal plan has no vegetarian, halal or kosher option, and every guest should be fit enough to hike and climb. That tells you the trip is a field experience, not a floating hotel, and it should be planned like one, with the packing list at the end of this page in hand.
A floating lodge is the more comfortable cousin. A stay of 3 to 5 days starts from $1,100 in a small group of at most 12, with pickup included and guides in English and Portuguese. Its 39 reviews average 4.7, and the guide scores 5.0. Luggage is limited to 12 kg a head, so pack light. A lodge in the Anavilhanas area, from $690 for 3 to 4 days, is the middle option.
Your voyage
Which river cruise suits you
Say how much time and comfort you want and take the boat that fits.
If I have a single day
The full-day river tour
From $55, with the Meeting of the Waters named in the listing.
If I want a night on the water
The 2-day river tour
Overnight from $420, with an uncovered canoe.
If I want several days afloat
The Rio Negro cruise
3 to 4 days from $800, party limit 10.
If I want a bed in one place
The floating lodge
3 to 5 days from $1,100, luggage limited to 12 kg.
If I want a real ferry
The boat to Santarem
36 hours from $150; bring cash for food.
Pick a boat
Overnight, cruise or floating lodge
Field trip
Rio Negro cruise
Anavilhanas route
- From$800
- Length3 to 4 days
- SleepingHammocks possible
Stay put
Floating lodge
On the water
- From$1,100
- Length3 to 5 days
- GroupAt most 12
Local river boats: Santarem and Belem
Cruises on the Amazon River include the working boats, the low-cost way to spend days afloat. The Manaus-Santarem ferry takes 36 hours and begins at $150; 59 reviews average 4.0. The listing describes a working ferry that moves passengers and says it is a poor choice if jungle sightseeing is the goal, and it adds that a hammock can be brought or bought as an add-on. Carry cash, since meals and drinks are bought on board.
A local boat from Manaus to Belem takes 5 days and starts from $150, and the tourism ministry gives the same 5-day length for the Belem trip.1 Aboard you sleep either in a hammock, in areas split between women and men, or in a suite, and you are told to bring extra money and food. Its 49 reviews average 3.5, so read recent comments before you book.
Both listings warn that boats run on river time, so punctuality is not guaranteed, and that internet and mobile signal are missing for most of the journey. That is the honest cost of the cheapest cruise on the river: time, not money. It suits travelers who want to be on the water for its own sake and have days to spare.
Time on the water
From a day boat to a long voyage
A day
Day boat
The river day sold here starts from $55.
A night
Overnight river tour
The 2-day river tour starts from $420.
A long weekend
Rio Negro cruise
The 3 to 4-day cruise starts from $800.
A working week
Floating lodge
The 3 to 5-day lodge starts from $1,100.
Slow travel
Ferry to Belem
The 5-day boat starts from $150.
Which river: the black Rio Negro or the brown Solimoes
The two rivers feel different from a deck. Europe's space agency ranks the Rio Negro first among Amazon tributaries by size and as the largest black-water river on Earth.2 Rivers of that type carry hardly any sediment, so the water can be clear to a depth beyond 9 m, and they count among the cleanest natural waters anywhere.3 White-water rivers are yellowish and often rise in the Andes, carrying sand, mud and silt.4
The Rio Negro is the dark river that runs beside the muddy Solimoes at the Meeting of the Waters, as the ministry puts it.5 The listings above name the Rio Negro and its Anavilhanas archipelago, which lies 100 km from Manaus and holds about 400 islands.6 IUCN adds that the archipelago holds more kinds of electric fish than anywhere else.7
The water level matters as much as the river. One Manaus boat operator says the water climbs from November, crests in June and, once the dry season sets in, shuts some places off. The tourism agency says the rivers fall from June to November.8 Ask the operator which channels are open on your dates, because a cruise on a narrow creek is a different trip at high and low water.
Video
Manaus and an Amazon River adventure cruise
Trent Futrell on YouTube · Until you tap play, no video is loaded.
Rio Negro (visible flowing east-southeast) is the largest tributary of the Amazon and the world’s largest black-water river.
Boat checklist
Before you board an Amazon boat
Documents and money3
- Your free cancellation window
- Cash for food and drinks on the ferries
- A way to lock valuables
Comfort on board3
- Insect repellent and a mosquito net for hammocks
- Sunscreen and a hat
- A light layer for the evenings
Planning3
- Spare days, because boats run on river time
- Your dietary needs, flagged early
- Your fitness for hikes on the longer trips
Ocean cruise ships, and what the luxury end looks like
Ocean-going ships also reach Manaus, but they belong to a different market. For the 2026 season the state tourism agency planned six calls, with 6,396 passengers and crew expected across Parintins and Manaus.9 The first, MS Insignia, arrived with 594 passengers and 394 crew after leaving Miami on 15 January.10 MS Marina docked in the center of the city with 1,125 passengers and 720 crew.11
If a luxury Amazon cruise means a ship with cabins, you book that with the cruise line, not with a day-tour site. What a Manaus visit adds is the port day, and the page on a cruise ship day in Manaus plans it. For travelers who want a ship experience on the river itself, the nearest products in our listings are the 3 to 4-day Rio Negro cruise and the floating lodge above.
We do not rank luxury ships or name a favorite, because a made-up league table helps nobody. What you can check is the length, the group size, the guide languages and the cancellation terms on each listing, and the table below lines those up. If a listing leaves a point out, such as the exact route or the start time, ask the operator before you pay, and keep the answer in writing.
Is a river cruise worth it, or is a lodge better
It depends on what you want from the river. A cruise keeps you moving and lets you cover more water, while a lodge keeps you in one place and spends the time in canoes and on trails. The jungle lodges page prices the lodge side, with stays from $200 on the most reviewed listing, which has 918 reviews averaging 4.2.
IUCN notes that nobody checks in or sells tickets for the Anavilhanas park, so the choice of a careful operator falls to you.12 Choose an operator that runs small groups, keeps to its route and does not crowd the channels. The groups on the multi-day listings, at most 10 or 12 people, are small by design.
If you only have a day, take the river day sold here. If you have a night, take the 2-day river tour. If you have 3 or more days and a taste for field life, look at the Rio Negro cruise or a lodge. And if you only want the ride, the ferry to Santarem is real river travel at a low fare, with its own rules about cash and patience.
FAQ
Brief questions, brief answers.
Where does an Amazon river cruise start?
Manaus is the usual port.
The listings here start at Manaus, with pickup from a hotel included on most.
How much does an Amazon river cruise from Manaus cost?
From $55 to $1,100.
A day boat starts from $55, a 3 to 4-day Rio Negro cruise from $800 and a floating lodge from $1,100.
Are there luxury cruises on the Amazon from Manaus?
Mostly ocean ships and lodges.
Ocean ships call at the port in season, with 6,396 visitors planned in 2026, while the closest listings here are a floating lodge and a Rio Negro cruise.9
Can I sleep in a hammock on the river?
Yes, on some trips.
The Rio Negro cruise lets guests sleep in hammocks, and the Belem boat lists hammocks or suites.
How long is the boat from Manaus to Belem?
About 5 days.
A local boat trip from Manaus to Belem takes 5 days and starts from $150.
Is there internet on the river boats?
Not for most of the trip.
The ferry and Belem boat listings both warn that internet and mobile signal are missing for most of the journey.
Sources
- Ministry of Tourism of Brazil (Viaje pelo Brasil) · Manaus (AM) ↩
- European Space Agency (ESA) · Earth from Space: Meeting of waters ↩
- European Space Agency (ESA) · Earth from Space: Meeting of waters ↩
- European Space Agency (ESA) · Earth from Space: Meeting of waters ↩
- Ministry of Tourism of Brazil (Viaje pelo Brasil) · Manaus (AM) ↩
- Ministry of Tourism of Brazil (Viaje pelo Brasil) · Manaus (AM) ↩
- IUCN World Heritage Outlook · Central Amazon Conservation Complex ↩
- Amazonas State Tourism Agency (Amazonastur) · Férias: conheça cinco praias de água doce para curtir o verão no Amazonas ↩
- Amazonas State Tourism Agency (Amazonastur) · Temporada de cruzeiros 2026 é aberta com a chegada do MS Insígnia ao Porto de Manaus ↩
- Amazonas State Tourism Agency (Amazonastur) · Temporada de cruzeiros 2026 é aberta com a chegada do MS Insígnia ao Porto de Manaus ↩
- Amazonas State Tourism Agency (Amazonastur) · Maior cruzeiro da temporada chega a Manaus com mais de 1,8 mil visitantes ↩
- IUCN World Heritage Outlook · Central Amazon Conservation Complex ↩