diff --git a/pyiceberg/table/snapshots.py b/pyiceberg/table/snapshots.py
index 980399a2ab..78cbe17ace 100644
--- a/pyiceberg/table/snapshots.py
+++ b/pyiceberg/table/snapshots.py
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 import time
 from collections import defaultdict
 from enum import Enum
-from functools import lru_cache
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, DefaultDict, Dict, Iterable, List, Mapping, Optional
 
 from pydantic import Field, PrivateAttr, model_serializer
@@ -231,13 +230,6 @@ def __eq__(self, other: Any) -> bool:
         )
 
 
-@lru_cache
-def _manifests(io: FileIO, manifest_list: str) -> List[ManifestFile]:
-    """Return the manifests from the manifest list."""
-    file = io.new_input(manifest_list)
-    return list(read_manifest_list(file))
-
-
 class Snapshot(IcebergBaseModel):
     snapshot_id: int = Field(alias="snapshot-id")
     parent_snapshot_id: Optional[int] = Field(alias="parent-snapshot-id", default=None)
@@ -249,6 +241,9 @@ class Snapshot(IcebergBaseModel):
     summary: Optional[Summary] = Field(default=None)
     schema_id: Optional[int] = Field(alias="schema-id", default=None)
 
+    # Private attribute for caching the manifests
+    _manifest_cache: Optional[List[ManifestFile]] = PrivateAttr(default=None)
+
     def __str__(self) -> str:
         """Return the string representation of the Snapshot class."""
         operation = f"{self.summary.operation}: " if self.summary else ""
@@ -258,10 +253,14 @@ def __str__(self) -> str:
         return result_str
 
     def manifests(self, io: FileIO) -> List[ManifestFile]:
-        """Return the manifests for the given snapshot."""
-        if self.manifest_list:
-            return _manifests(io, self.manifest_list)
-        return []
+        """Return the manifests for the given snapshot, using instance-level caching."""
+        if self._manifest_cache is None:
+            if self.manifest_list:
+                file = io.new_input(self.manifest_list)
+                self._manifest_cache = list(read_manifest_list(file))
+            else:
+                self._manifest_cache = []
+        return self._manifest_cache
 
 
 class MetadataLogEntry(IcebergBaseModel):
diff --git a/tests/utils/test_manifest.py b/tests/utils/test_manifest.py
index ef33b16b00..4f72803ffc 100644
--- a/tests/utils/test_manifest.py
+++ b/tests/utils/test_manifest.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 # pylint: disable=redefined-outer-name,arguments-renamed,fixme
 from tempfile import TemporaryDirectory
 from typing import Dict
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
 import fastavro
 import pytest
@@ -306,6 +307,31 @@ def test_read_manifest_v2(generated_manifest_file_file_v2: str) -> None:
     assert entry.status == ManifestEntryStatus.ADDED
 
 
+def test_read_manifest_cache(generated_manifest_file_file_v2: str) -> None:
+    with patch("pyiceberg.table.snapshots.read_manifest_list") as mocked_read_manifest_list:
+        # Mock the read_manifest_list function relative to the module path
+        io = load_file_io()
+
+        snapshot = Snapshot(
+            snapshot_id=25,
+            parent_snapshot_id=19,
+            timestamp_ms=1602638573590,
+            manifest_list=generated_manifest_file_file_v2,
+            summary=Summary(Operation.APPEND),
+            schema_id=3,
+        )
+
+        # Access the manifests property multiple times to test caching
+        manifests_first_call = snapshot.manifests(io)
+        manifests_second_call = snapshot.manifests(io)
+
+        # Ensure that read_manifest_list was called only once
+        mocked_read_manifest_list.assert_called_once()
+
+        # Ensure that the same manifest list is returned
+        assert manifests_first_call == manifests_second_call
+
+
 def test_write_empty_manifest() -> None:
     io = load_file_io()
     test_schema = Schema(NestedField(1, "foo", IntegerType(), False))