The Amazon rainforest, Brazil

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Jardim Botânico Adolpho Ducke

Top choice in Manaus


Spanning over 100 sq km, this 'garden' is actually the world’s largest urban forest. There's a network of five short trails (guides and closed shoes required, two to three hours, free with admission) and an open-air museum that includes rotating exhibits on Amazonian flora and fauna and a spectacular 42-meter-high observation tower. It's busier on weekends and free on Tuesday.

Comfortable shuttles (92 99286-9888, R$30 roundtrip, 45 minutes) leave from outside the tourist office (CAT) at 9am and 4pm. Otherwise, catch Bus 676 (R$3, one hour) from Praça da Matriz.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Manaus attractions

1. Bosque da Ciência (INPA)

6.91 MILES

Occupying a lush forest plot within the city, Bosque da Ciência (aka INPA, for the research institution that runs it) has enclosures for rescued manatees,…

2. Encontro das Águas

9.09 MILES

Just beyond Manaus, the warm dark Rio Negro pours into the cool creamy Rio Solimões, but because of differences in temperature, speed and density, their…

3. Centro Cultural dos Povos da Amazônia

9.19 MILES

At the heart of this massive cultural complex is the excellent Museu do Homem do Norte (Museum of Northern Man), which contains an incredible array of…

4. Museu Amazônico

10.04 MILES

Housed in a converted mansion, the Museu Amazônico has a small but excellent collection of indigenous items and artifacts from around the Amazon, many…

5. Teatro Amazonas

10.22 MILES

This gorgeous theater was built at the height of the rubber boom, using European designers, decorators and even raw materials. The original driveway was…

6. Centro Cultural Palácio Rio Negro

10.25 MILES

The former home of eccentric German rubber baron Waldemar Scholz, the Centro Cultural Palácio Rio Negro was built in the early 1900s and served for many…

7. Palacete Provincial

10.42 MILES

The ‘Image and Sound’ center at this handsome cultural complex has a huge collection of films, including century-old documentaries by Portuguese filmmaker…

8. Centro Cultural Usina Chaminé

10.47 MILES

Also known as the Museu dos Cinco Sentidos (Museum of the Five Senses), this innovative museum uses the five senses to evoke and illustrate indigenous and…