3-week Brazil wildlife holiday

Day 1 - Arrive in Foz do Iguaçu Falls

Today you will arrive in Foz do Iguassu and a private car with English speaking guide will drive you to your hotel.

Accommodation: Wish Foz do Iguacu in a superior room with daily breakfast for 3 nights.

Day 2 - Private tour of the Brazilian side of the falls

Get ready for THE most stunning panoramic views of the greatest water spectacle in the world. The 275 falls of the Iguassu River spread out into a 2,700 meter-semicircle – approximately 800 meters in the Brazilian side, and 1,900 meters in the Argentinean side – right in front of you very eyes!

Upon arriving at the park, there will be a short bus ride to the beginning of the trail, during which you can start to admire the beauty of the largest remaining stretch of Atlantic Forest in Southern Brazil.

It is home to a rich biodiversity, consisting of representative species of the Brazilian fauna and flora, that includes the jaguar, broad-snouted caiman, purple parrot, harpy eagle, peroba pink ariticum, araucaria, and many others. The walkway is 1,200 meters long and offers several lookout points for a closer view of some of the falls.

Day 3 - Private tour of the Argentine side of the falls

Such is the greatness of the Iguazu Falls that they spread across natural parks of two different nations! On the Argentine national park, we will board an ecological train that take us on a beautiful ride to the beginning of three different circuits.

The lower circuit (2,800m round-trip) invites you into the jungle, on an immersive walk that offers close contact with the splendorous falls – be prepared to get wet!
The upper circuit (3,400m round-trip) offers amazing panoramic views of the upper Iguazu River along its flat pathways. The Argentine side experience is more rustic and immersive than the Brazilian side, with its varied and exuberant trails.

Day 4 - Flight to Cuiaba and transfer to Araras Eco Lodge

Private transfer-out to Foz do Iguassu IGU Airport with driver-guide and pick-up at Cuiabá Airport to start our journey to Araras Lodge.

The transfer goes through a section of the scenic Transpantaneira Park Road. While crossing the area it is possible to spot lovely sights of the local flora & fauna.

Arrival at Araras Pantanal Eco Lodge, with a welcome drink and accommodation with full board and tours for 3 nights.

Days 5 and 6 - Two full days of wildlife spotting in the Pantanal

After breakfast, the program of activities to explore the fascinating fauna and flora of the Pantanal begins every day.

The tours are strategically scheduled for the early morning or late afternoon. This choice not only provides a more pleasant experience, avoiding the intense heat of the region, but also favours the best times for observing wildlife.

The afternoon activity returns in the late afternoon, setting the scene for dinner and the overnight stay at Araras Eco Lodge.

Activities can include: rowing boat trip with piranha fishing, night spotting in a safari truck, horseback riding (morning), and more.

Day 7 - Transfer to Porto Jofre and overnights at Hotel Pantanal Norte

A walk at dawn to follow the awakening of this unique ecosystem. Breakfast will be served before departure.

After the morning drive (120 km approx.) along the iconic transpantaneira highway with its unique landscape, you arrive at the Hotel Pantanal Norte around midday for check-in, lunch and an afternoon boat trip.

The adventures continue, now along the river to enjoy another part of this biome and hopefully spot the jaguars. It is in this region of Porto Jofre that there is the highest concentration of jaguars in the world! Return to the hotel in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Pantanal Norte.

Accommodation: Hotel Pantanal Norte with full board and activities for 2 nights.

Day 8 - Time to spot some jaguars!

After breakfast, we will have a whole day dedicated to a boat trip along the Cuiabá River and its tributaries, to maximise our chances of seeing and photographing jaguars.

Although jaguar sightings are not guaranteed, this region offers the best chance of encountering what are among the most powerful and elusive felines in the world. Our outings will always be during the day, when we will look for the felines that come to the banks of the rivers in search of food, water or just a cool breeze.

These rivers are also home to groups of giant otters, as well as many
capybaras and caimans. Lunch during the tour. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Pantanal Norte.

Day 9 - Land transfer to Cuiaba

After breakfast, we will take a long drive back to Cuiabá, covering the entire northern Pantanal and the Transpantaneira highway. We’ll have a leisurely drive, stopping to take in the scenery. We expect to arrive in Cuiabá at around 2pm.

Overnight at Hotel Deville Prime Cuiaba in Deluxe Room with breakfast for 1 night.

Day 10 - Fly to Campo Grande

Private transfer from Campo Grande to Caiman lodge after landing from the domestic flight from Cuiaba.

Overnight at Refúgio Ecológico Caiman in Standard room – Caiman House with full board and activities per program for 3 nights.

During your stay at the Caiman Ecological Refuge, you will have the opportunity to enjoy activities carefully planned by the lodge over the next few days, providing a unique chance to observe the diversity of fauna, especially birds and mammals, that inhabit the Pantanal wilderness.

Day 11 and 12 - Activities and Oncafari Full Day

The activities on offer include Safari, Night Focus, Canadian canoeing, Hiking trails, Horseback riding and birdwatching subject to availability. 

INCLUDED IN ONE OF THE FULL DAYS: ONCAFARI FULL DAY & EVENING TOUR 

Spend a full day and an evening with the Jaguar Habituation Team. Go out with us in the morning and get involved in our daily activities. Help our team search for the elusive jaguar. Our team spends a vast amount of time searching for the animals as well as for clues that will point us in the right direction.

The experience does not end when the sun sets as this is often the best time to see Jaguars. You may have a chance to enjoy tracking on foot with our expertly African trained trackers, to see first-hand pictures taken by our camera traps and experience all the technological features available to us.

Day 13 - Transfer to Bonito

Time to say goodbye while listening to the sounds of the region’s birds. After breakfast at the lodge, check-out at scheduled time.

Private transfer from Pantanal to Bonito.

Overnight at Pousada Olho D’Água in standard room with breakfast for 3 nights.

Day 14 - Rio da Prata with lunch - shared tour

One of the most beautiful tours of the area, where the visitor enjoys a true natural spectacle, with a great diversity of species of fish and a rich aquatic vegetation.
Arriving at the farm, you will be guided to the equipment sector, where general information is given. Equipped, you will begin an interpretative trail of approximately 2.200 meters, covered in 50 minutes.

At the source of the Rio Olho d’Água you will have a moment of contemplation before suiting up for floating on the river moved by the gentle current (2 hours). There will be a stop on a small deck for diving and experiencing the beauty of the bed underneath. It is 1800 meters up to the meeting with the Rio da Prata. At this time, you can choose to continue floating for another 600 meters or climb aboard a motor boat till the end of the tour.

Day 15 - Buraco das Araras - shared tour

A huge crater open in the cerrado, with about 500 meters in circumference and 100 meters in depth, the largest sinkhole in Latin America. The tour is done on a track of 970 meters contemplation around the hole, which is located within a Private Natural Heritage Reserve – RPPN.

In both viewpoints, visitors can observe the beauty of the place, which echoes the sound of nearly a hundred red macaws, among other species of birds that live there.

Early in the morning or late afternoon visitors witness the special show that these birds give, it is the moment when groups come out to feed and return. However, these groups take turns, making it possible to see many macaws throughout the day.

Day 16 - Bemvindos a Rio!

Welcome to the Cidade Maravilhosa! A private transfer from Bonito to Campo Grande airport is included so that today you can fly to Rio de Janeiro.

You will land and an English speaking guide will be waiting for you at the airport’s arrival to drive you in a private vehicle to your hotel.

Accommodation: Ipanema Inn hotel in a superior room with daily breakfast for 4 nights.

Day 17 - City tour of Rio - shared

Discover this wonderful city! This city tour includes all the must-see highlights so you can be amazed by the thrilling beauty of this tropical metropolis.

We will visit Christ the Redeemer, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, at the top of Corcovado Hill, via road access with car/van. Get ready for the most beautiful 360 degree views of Rio, a huge cityscape amidst hills, stretches of forest, bays and sandy beaches.

We’ll also get a glimpse of the city’s rich historical and cultural heritage as we stop near the cathedral, the colourful stages of Lapa and the charming bohemian neighbourhood of Santa Teresa.

A cable car ride to the picturesque Sugarloaf Mountain, with views of the exclusive Urca neighborhood and Botafogo cove, completes this unforgettable tour that gives a taste of all that Brazil has to offer.

Day 18 - Bossa Nova walking tour - shared

In this walking tour lasting approximately 3 hours, you will visit 10 different places (in Ipanema and Copacabana), such as bars, specific points on the beach, streets and houses where the Bossa Nova music was written, played and composed.

Our ‘musician-singer-guide’, an all-in-one professional, will tell you the history and curiosities of Bossa Nova, as well as play guitar and sing live songs along the way.
Walking this charming circuit, you will discover all about Bossa Nova, the Brazilian musical style that is the ‘trademark’ of Rio: how and where it began, who were the main composers and performers, such as Tom Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes, João Gilberto and others.

From Ipanema and Copacabana and back, our team will tell and sing stories, curiosities, songs, the secrets and the main events of this musical style that is the face of Rio. Walk through the same streets where the Girl from Ipanema walked and in the words of our musician-singer-guide, transport yourself to the Rio of the 50s and 60s, and relive the memory of the golden years of Bossa Nova.

Day 19 - Favela tour at Morro da Babilonia - private

We will start our tour to Morro da Babilônia, which is located between the neighbourhoods of Leme, Copacabana, Botafogo and Urca, and therefore has spectacular views of the beaches of Leme and Copacabana, Praia Vermelha da Urca and Pão de Açúcar, in addition to the cove of Botafogo and Corcovado with Christ the Redeemer.

Accompanied by a guide from the community itself, we will learn more about the way of life and the structure of the Favelas, as well as the daily lives of its residents and the political and social aspects behind the development of the Favelas in Rio de Janeiro. By taking this tour, you will be making a donation to the Morro da Babilônia Residents’ Cooperative, which is responsible for reforesting the area and for other social actions in the community.

Day 20 - Departure

Time to say goodbye to Brazil!

At a convenient time, a private car will drive you to Rio airport for your flight back home.

We hope you loved Brazil and go home with lots of memories and unforgettable experiences.