Region

North Brazil

Base in Manaus or Belém; fly between the two, and take boats or small planes only for the places you came for.

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Field checked: Someone checked it on the ground, with the date shown.
Plan calculated: Worked out by Voykit from its own data (times, distances, budgets). A calculation, not a measurement.

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Key facts · Brazil

Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Brazilian real (BRL, R$)
Language: Portuguese
Plugs: N · C · 127 V (Rio, São Paulo) or 220 V (Brasília, much of the Northeast)
Time zone: Brasília time UTC−3

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 7Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the fir…

South America ↗Above 2,500 m (Bogotá, Quito, Cusco, La Paz) keep the first day light; sleep lower where you can (Sacred Valley before Cusco) and descend if headache comes with vomiting or confusion.
South America ↗A yellow fever certificate is required on arrival in French Guiana, and asked for on some routes into Bolivia, Paraguay, Suriname and Guyana, or when arriving from Amazon areas — vaccinate at least 10 days before travel and carry the card.
South America ↗Overnight buses are the norm in Argentina, Chile and Peru, but pick top-tier companies and keep valuables on your body; on-board thefts from overhead racks are the common loss.
Brazil ↗US, Canadian and Australian citizens need an e-visa (about US$81 — check) applied for online at the official VFS portal before travel; EU and UK citizens do not. Check your passport with Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs before booking.
Brazil ↗Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for many areas, including the Amazon and Pantanal; check with a travel clinic at least 10 days before travel.
Brazil ↗Keep your phone out of sight in the street and on beaches; phone theft is the most common crime against visitors in big cities.
Brazil ↗Carnival 2027 runs about 5–10 February (Tuesday 9 February; Salvador from 4 February): book Rio, Salvador and Recife/Olinda months ahead or avoid those dates.

North Brazil is the Amazon basin plus the Guiana Shield: rainforest, black-water rivers and savanna, spread across seven states that are each bigger than most countries. Distances are the whole problem — Belém to Manaus is a 1,300 km river trip or a 4-hour flight, and Manaus to Boa Vista is another flight. Pick one or two bases, book the rainforest lodge or river boat in advance, and treat everything else as a separate trip.

Where to sleep

5 places in this region

Sleep base

ManausCity guide
Amazon lodges and river boats; the main air gateway.
Best Jun–Jul
JFMAMJJASOND
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BelémCity guide
River-mouth food city; gateway to Marajó and the northeast.
Best Jun–Sep, Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
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Day trip

MacapáCity guide
On the Equator, on the Amazon's north channel; flights via Belém or Manaus.
Best Aug–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
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Porto VelhoCity guide
Madeira river and BR-364 access to Acre and the southeast.
Best May–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
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SantarémCity guide
Tapajós river meeting point; river boats between Manaus and Belém stop here.
Best Aug–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Santarém →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

5 nights: Manaus 1 + Amazon lodge 3 + Manaus 1
7 nights: Belém 2 + Marajó or river trip 2 + flight to Manaus + lodge 3
10 nights: Belém 2 + Santarém 2 + Manaus 2 + lodge 4

The Amazon is a full-day commitment each way from any city; a 2-night lodge stay is mostly transit.
River-boat schedules change with water levels and cargo; never book a same-day onward flight.
Rain is heaviest December to May, and the Trans-Amazonian highway is worse then.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Amazon rainforest lodge	Manaus	180 min	unknown	Most lodges are 2–4 h by road and boat; transfers run on fixed days, so a 3-night minimum is normal.
Marajó island	Belém	240 min	unknown	Ferry or bus-and-ferry; check the day's schedule before you commit.
Presidente Figueiredo waterfalls	Manaus	150 min	unknown	Full-day road trip; go with a driver, not on a whim.

Bags between cities

Luggage storage in Manaus and Belém is the practical answer: lodges and boats limit you to one soft bag, and river boats have no secure storage.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Manaus	×	×	×	×	×	go	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	×
Belém	×	×	×	×	×	go	go	go	go	ok	go	×
Macapá	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	go	go	go	go	×
Porto Velho	×	×	×	ok	go	go	go	go	go	ok	ok	×
Santarém	ok	×	×	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	ok
Brazil (country-wide)	ok	ok	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	go	ok

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Manaus and the central AmazonAmazonas, Pará west	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	wet	wet
Belém and the river mouthPará east, Amapá	wet	wet	wet	wet	wet	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	wet	wet
Roraima and the savannaRoraima, Tocantins, southern Pará	wet	wet	wet	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	ok	wet	wet

ok: workablewet: daily rain

Manaus and the central Amazon: Hot year-round, 30–34 °C (86–93 °F); the drier window is roughly June to November, when river levels fall and beaches appear.Hot year-round, 86–93 °F (30–34 °C); the drier window is roughly June to November, when river levels fall and beaches appear.
Belém and the river mouth: Equatorial rain most afternoons; the least rainy stretch is roughly August to November.
Roraima and the savanna: A drier, more seasonal pattern; the far north around Monte Roraima is wettest mid-year.

There is no cool season. Plan around water levels rather than temperature: high water (roughly February–June) means canoe access deep into flooded forest; low water (roughly September–November) means river beaches and easier hiking.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
São Paulo (GRU)	Manaus (MAO)	Nonstop flight	~4 h	The most frequent long-haul link into the region; also nonstop from Brasília and Rio.
São Paulo (GRU)	Belém (BEL)	Nonstop flight	~3 h 30	Belém also has nonstops from Fortaleza and other northeast cities.
Manaus	Belém	Flight, or river boat	~4 h by air; 4–5 days by boat	The boat is a real trip, not transport: hammock space, no cabins on most services.
Boa Vista	Manaus	Flight	~1 h 30	Road access from Boa Vista to Manaus is long and partly unpaved; fly.
Tabatinga	Manaus	Flight or river boat	~2 h by air; several days by boat	Triple border with Colombia and Peru; flights are not daily.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Regional flights

buy

Book Manaus and Belém legs early; fares rise sharply in the June–November dry season and around holidays.

River boat (Manaus–Belém, Manaus–Santarém)

check

Cheap and slow; hammock class is the norm, cabins limited. Schedules shift with cargo — confirm at the port.

Amazon lodge packages

buy

Most lodges sell 3–4 night packages including transfers and guided activities; a la carte nights are rarely cheaper.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Tacacá, tucumã, açaí (savory)	Belém: Ver-o-Peso market and around	Açaí here is served with fish and farinha, not sweet. Market stalls are busiest in the morning.
Pato no tucupi and maniçoba	Belém and the Pará interior	Heavy, slow-cooked dishes; maniçoba takes days to prepare and is a weekend staple.
Freshwater fish: tambaqui, pirarucu, tucunaré	Manaus and river towns	Grilled or in broth; pirarucu is farmed in many places now, so ask.
Regional breakfast: tapioca, bolo de macaxeira, coffee	Everywhere	Cheap and fast before an early boat or flight.
Street snacks: pastel, caldo de cana, guaraná	Manaus: Mercado Adolpho Lisboa area	The market closes in the late afternoon; go before lunch.

Go next

Northeast Brazil

Flight from Belém or Manaus via Fortaleza or Recife

Beaches and dry sertão; a natural pairing with Belém.

Southeast Brazil

Nonstop flight to São Paulo or Rio

The usual onward leg for international flights home.

Porto Velho

Flight from Manaus, ~1 h 45

Gateway to Rondônia and overland routes toward Cuiabá.

Cuiabá

Flight from Manaus or Porto Velho

Pantanal access if you want wildlife after the rainforest.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Not yet checked

Where to sleep: 2 bases
Day trips: 3, 2 h 30 to 4 h
Nights suggested: 5–10 nights
Ways in: 5 listed
Best months: No month is best in every zone

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Open Brazil Up to Brazil

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialVisit Brasil — official tourism board
officialInstituto Chico Mendes (ICMBio) — federal parks
officialAgência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC)
officialInstituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET)
secondaryWikivoyage: North (Brazil), revision 5197175 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ask about North Brazil

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