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# Best time to visit the Amazon: high water vs low water

Published October 11, 2026 · 2 min read

The Amazon is hot all year, so the real choice is between high water (canoeing through flooded forest) and low water (jungle trails and river beaches). Here is how to pick your month.

Contents

1. [The two seasons](#the-two-seasons)
2. [Month by month around Manaus](#month-by-month-around-manaus)
3. [Don't miss: the Parintins festival](#don-t-miss-the-parintins-festival)
4. [Practical tips for any season](#practical-tips-for-any-season)
5. [Where to start](#where-to-start)

The Amazon is warm and humid all year, usually between 25 °C and 33 °C. What changes with the seasons is the **water level**. Around Manaus the rivers can rise and fall by roughly ten metres over the year, which completely changes what you can do. So instead of asking "when is it sunny?", ask: **do you want to explore by canoe or on foot?**

## The two seasons

### High water (roughly December to June)

The rains are heaviest from about December to May, and the rivers keep rising until they peak around May and June. The forest floods, and you can paddle a canoe between the treetops of the _igapó_ (flooded forest).

* **Best for:** canoe trips through flooded forest, seeing birds and monkeys at canopy level, river dolphins swimming into the trees.
* **Trade-offs:** fewer trails are walkable, and the river beaches disappear under water.

### Low water (roughly July to November)

As the rain eases, the rivers drop, reaching their lowest point around October and November. Forest trails dry out and white-sand beaches appear along the Rio Negro and the Tapajós.

* **Best for:** jungle walks, wildlife spotting along the riverbanks, beaches such as [Alter do Chão](/visit/brasil/alter-do-chao), and fishing.
* **Trade-offs:** some smaller channels become too shallow for boats, and it is the hottest time of year.

## Month by month around Manaus

1. **January to March:** rainy, rivers rising, green and lush, few visitors.
2. **April to June:** highest water, the best months for canoeing through flooded forest.
3. **July and August:** rivers falling, drier weather, and busier because of Brazilian school holidays.
4. **September to November:** lowest water, trails and beaches at their best, hot.
5. **December:** rains return; lodges fill up over Christmas and New Year.

The Peruvian Amazon around Iquitos follows a similar pattern. Timings shift by a few weeks from one region to another, so check with your lodge or guide.

## Don't miss: the Parintins festival

At the end of June, the island town of Parintins hosts one of Brazil's biggest folk festivals, the duel between the Garantido and Caprichoso _bois_. Boats and flights from Manaus sell out early. See [upcoming events](/events) for dates.

## Practical tips for any season

* **Book early** for July, Christmas and the Parintins weekend.
* **Mosquitoes:** the acidic "black water" of the Rio Negro is known for having fewer mosquitoes than "white water" rivers. Cover up at dusk either way.
* **Health:** visit a travel clinic before you go. Yellow fever vaccination is commonly recommended for the Amazon region.
* **Pack light and quick-drying.** Our [Amazon packing list](/travel-tips/packing-list) covers everything for jungle and river trips.

## Where to start

Most trips start in [Manaus](/visit/brasil/manaus), the gateway to the Rio Negro and the Meeting of the Waters. Browse [lodges and tour operators](/discover), or pick a [curated experience](/experiences) with a local guide who knows how the river changes month by month.