This guide is for you if you want to stand in the Amazon forest without leaving Manaus, or if you have children who would rather see a manatee than an opera house. It covers the choices that decide whether the half day works: which day of the week, which start time, what to wear on the trails, and who should skip the tower.
Two forests, two institutions
Both stops belong to science before tourism, and that shapes the visit.
The Museu da Amazônia, known as MUSA, was created in 2009 on 100 hectares of the Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke, which belongs to INPA, the national institute for Amazon research. The reserve is terra firme forest, the upland kind that does not flood, and scientists have been studying it for more than sixty years. MUSA has trails through it, small exhibitions, aquariums, a nursery of orchids and bromeliads, and a lake with giant Victoria amazonica water lilies, whose flowers last about two days.
The Bosque da Ciência is INPA's own public park, opened on 1 April 1995 on about 13 hectares of forest inside the city. It is where the institute shows its work: tanks of Amazonian manatees, a giant otter enclosure, caimans, a suspended trail, and a small island on a lake. Monkeys and agoutis move freely among the visitors.
Pick the day first
This tour has two closing days, one for each stop. MUSA closes on Wednesdays for maintenance. The Bosque da Ciência opens Tuesday to Sunday, so it is shut on Mondays. That leaves Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If your only free day in Manaus is a Monday or a Wednesday, take the city tour or the Meeting of the Waters that day instead.
Opening hours at both places have changed over the years, and public holidays can shift them. Check the official channels before you go.
Then the start time
The tour starts at 07:00 or 13:00. For this one, take the morning if you can.
MUSA opens at 08:30. On the 07:00 start we stop for breakfast on the way and reach the gate as it opens, so you have the trails and the tower before the heat of the day. You then reach the Bosque in the middle of the morning, with plenty of time before it closes.
The afternoon start is possible, but it is tighter at the second stop. INPA gives the Bosque's closing time as 16:30, and on the plan you arrive there at about 15:30. MUSA has also stopped letting visitors through its gate at 16:00. If the afternoon is all you have, tell us which of the two matters more, and we will put that one first.
Rain is part of forest life here. In Manaus the first months of the year are the wettest, with March usually wetter than February, and things get drier from about June. After rain the trails can be muddy, which is one more reason for proper shoes.
The tower
The MUSA tower is 42 metres high and reached by a long staircase, with the canopy of the Ducke reserve below you at the top. It is also the stop to be honest about. It is not for anyone uneasy with heights, and the climb is steady work in humid air. Take it slowly.
MUSA also runs separate activities on the tower at sunrise, at sunset and for birdwatching, booked in advance with the museum and charged on top of the entrance. They do not fit inside this four-hour tour, but if birds are the point of your trip, book one with the museum for another day.
Booking and what to bring
The MUSA entrance, and any guided trail inside, is paid at the museum on the day. Entry to the Bosque da Ciência is free but has to be booked on its website before you go. We can make the booking for you; just give us the names when you book the tour.
- Closed shoes. MUSA has required trainers or boots on its trails. Sandals will not do.
- Insect repellent, for the forest edge and the lakes.
- Light long trousers if you react badly to bites.
- Water, and a hat for the open parts of the Bosque.
- A small umbrella or rain jacket in the wet months.
- Cash or a card for the MUSA entrance and a drink.
At the Bosque, keep food in your bag. The monkeys and agoutis roam freely, and they are wild animals.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
It suits families above all. The manatees and the otters at the Bosque are the favourite with children. MUSA has asked that visitors under fourteen come with a responsible adult, which you will be.
- Someone is afraid of heights or cannot manage stairs. They can stay at the base of the tower and walk the trails while the others climb. Tell us when you book.
- You want the rivers rather than the forest. Manaus in a Day takes you to the Meeting of the Waters; the forest stops can replace the boat on that tour if you ask.
- You want to swim in the forest. That is the waterfall country of Presidente Figueiredo, a full day to the north.
- You are a group of more than 16. Two vehicles travel together on one booking. Message us with your numbers.
Questions people ask
Will we see wild animals?
At the Bosque, very likely: monkeys and agoutis live loose in the park, and the manatees, otters and caimans are in their enclosures. In the MUSA forest, it depends on the day and on how quietly you walk.
Which time zone are the times in?
Manaus time, one hour behind Brasília and São Paulo.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. The details are on our cancellation page.
Booking the half day
Choose a day that is neither a Monday nor a Wednesday, take the 07:00 start, and wear closed shoes. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the MUSA tower and Bosque da Ciência private tour page, where you can book. To compare it with our other Manaus days, read our guide to private tours in Manaus.
