Wildlife in Brazil - 20 Days
Rio de Janeiro, Manaus, Rio Negro Cruise, Northern Pantanal, Iguazu Falls, São Paulo
Would you like to laze on a river boat whilst watching passing caiman? Walk nearby flooded plains or dramatic clifftops? Or perhaps you’d like to feel the spray and hear the roar of waterfalls. On this Wildlife in Brazil itinerary you can do all that and more whilst on the lookout for wildlife. Brazil is a large country, the fifth largest in the world, and so has many different ecosystems. In this 3 week period you will travel from the famous city of Rio de Janeiro with it’s soaring iconic vistas to the dense jungle of the Amazon Basin, with a relaxing cruise along the Rio Negro and all the opportunities to spot wildlife and learn about river life, Next travel down to the world’s largest flood plans of the Pantanal. In the north where you will visit there is the highest chance of seeing Jaguars on the continent of South America. Travel further into Mato Grosso state where you can take long, yet relatively easy, hikes on remote paths, through gorgeous landscapes with clifftops and waterfalls to admire. Finish off with the largest waterfall system in the world with a visit to Iguazu Falls.
In Brief
Day 1: Arrival in Rio de Janeiro and Transfer to Your Hotel
Day 2: Full Day Iconic Corcovado and Sugarloaf Tour
Day 3: Transfer to Rio de Janeiro Airport – Flight Rio de Janeiro to Manaus – Transfer to Manaus Hotel
Day 4: Half Day Manaus Tour
Day 5: Transfer to Manaus Cruise Port – Tucano Motor Yacht Activities
Day 6 – 8: Tucano Motor Yacht Activities
Day 9: Tucano Motor Yacht Activities – Transfer to Manaus Airport – Flight Manaus to Cuiabá – Transfer to Cuiabá Hotel
Day 10 – 12: Araras Lodge Activities
Day 13: Araras Lodge Activities – Chapada dos Guimarães Visit
Day 14: Chapada dos Guimarães Visit
Day 15: Chapada dos Guimarães Visit – Transfer to Cuiabá Hotel
Day 16: Transfer to Cuiabá Airport – Flight Cuiabá to Foz do Iguaçu – Transfer to Foz do Iguaçu Hotel
Day 17: Visit Iguazu Falls (Brazilian Side) and the Bird Park
Day 18: Visit Iguazu Falls (Argentinian Side)
Day 19: Transfer to Foz do Iguaçu Airport – Flight Foz do Iguaçu to São Paulo – Hotel Shuttle Transfer to São Paulo Hotel
Day 20: Hotel Shuttle Transfer to São Paulo Airport
- 20 Days / 19 Nights
- Group Size: Customised Itinerary for You
- Accommodation: Hand-Picked Hotels
- Start: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Finish: São Paulo, Brazil
Included
- 19 Nights Accommodation
- All Breakfasts
- 8 Lunches
- 9 Dinners
- Domestic Flights as Mentioned
- English and Portuguese Speaking Guides
- Private & Shared Tours
- Private Transfers
- In country English, Spanish or Portuguese Speaking 24 Hour Assistance
Not included
- International Flights
- Travel Insurance (Mandatory)
- Meals Not Mentioned
- Drinks
- Tips
- Personal Expenses
- Additional Entrances not Specified in the Itinerary
- Visas
Day by Day Itinerary:
Day 1 - Arrival in Rio de Janeiro and Transfer to Your Hotel Welcome to Rio de Janeiro and Welcome to Brazil!
Welcome to Rio de Janeiro and Welcome to Brazil!
After clearing immigration and collecting your luggage, make your way out of the airport building where your driver guide will be waiting for you. You will make the 30-45 min to your hotel.
Settle into your hotel and relax after your long trip.
Overnight in Rio de Janeiro
Day 2 - Visit the Corcovado with the Statue of Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain
After a delicious breakfast you will meet your driver guide who will be taking you on a private guided tour to the most emblematic postcards of Rio! We will embark on a 30 minute tram ride uphill to the top of Corcovado Mountain. The summit offers the best views of the entire city and features the iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer, with its wide open arms.
Everything begins on board a centenarian eco-friendly electric tram. It travels uphill through a well-preserved stretch of the Atlantic Forest, part of Tijuca’s National Park, ending at the most iconic attraction of Rio de Janeiro: the Christ the Redeemer statue. At the feet of one of the Seven New Wonders of the Modern World, you will be amazed by some of the most stunning views of the city.
After a stop for lunch (not included), we will head to the famous Sugarloaf Mountain. From its base, on Praia Vermelha beach, we will take a 40 minute trail which winds up the hill through lush forest. We will make a stop at a lookout point that offers spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean and Rio’s surrounding mountains. With a bit of luck we will come across some of the area’s monkeys and birds. The hike ends on top of Morro da Urca (220m), an excellent spot to take pictures. From there we take the cable-car lift to the Sugarloaf hill summit (396m), where we enjoy unparalleled 360 degree views of the surrounding areas and a unique sunset.
The ride on the Sugarloaf hill cable car reveals 360º scenery of breathtaking views that include the Leme, Copacabana, and Flamengo beaches, the Pedra da Gávea, Maciço da Tijuca and Corcovado mountains, the Guanabara Bay, the downtown area, the Rio-Niterói bridge, and the Serra do Mar mountain range backdrop, with the famous Dedo de Deus (‘God’s Finger’) peak.
Overnight in Rio de Janeiro
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 3 - Fly to Manaus and Transfer to Your Hotel
In time for your flight, you will be transferred by private car to the airport in Rio de Janeiro for your flight to Manaus.
Flight: Rio de Janeiro -> Manaus
On arrival in Manaus you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of your day is at leisure to take some time getting used to the heat and humidity of the Amazon region.
Overnight in Manaus
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 4 - Manaus City Tour
Leaving your hotel with your private guide, you will enjoy a half day tour of Manaus city.
The charming promenade in Ponta Negra, waterfront riverside of the most noble district of the city. You’ll visit the centre of Manaus to see the Amazonas Theatre which opened in 1896 and is one of the most noted sights of Manaus. This city exemplifies the symbol of the rubber era, where all the wealth and grandeur is revealed in its art, halls and corridors. From there, you will enjoy the beautiful building of the Amazonas Palace of Justice and the charming Largo de São Sebastião. The tour continues in the centre with a panoramic visit to contemplate the beauty of the historic buildings, architectural examples of the golden period of the rubber. You will continue on to visit the art nouveau style Municipal Market Adolpho Lisboa. The Mercadão, or market, is an important trading centre of regional products and is a great insight into the habits, culture and traditions of the Amazonian people.
Overnight in Manaus
Included meals: Breakfast
Note: this tour will not run on Sundays or Mondays as the majority of Manaus is closed on those days. A free day to wander will replace this tour should it fall on one of those days.
Day 5 - Rio Negro Cruise On Board M/Y Tucano
Day 6 - Rio Negro Cruise On Board M/Y Tucano
Shortly after sunrise this morning you will explore the Anavilhanas Archipelago, a reserve that includes the world’s largest system of river islands and also areas of tall dense rainforest. Here you will see the strange environment called the igapó, the black water flooded forest, where dense forests grow right out of the dark water of the Rio Negro. Mid-morning we return to the vessel for a hearty Brazilian breakfast. After some time to relax, weather permitting, we will disembark in mid-morning and dividing into very small groups we will go for a walk in the type of rainforest known as the terra firma. Here we have a good chance to see the markings, if not the animals themselves, of some of the Amazon’s great mammals like peccaries (wild pigs) or even a jaguar.
Around midday, you will return to the vessel for lunch and a siesta. In the afternoon there will be an excursion in the launches along the edges of the dense forest to listen to the sunset chorus of birds, howler monkeys, and frogs. Weather permitting, tonight you will have an excursion to spot caiman (the Amazon’s crocodiles) and other nocturnal creatures. We very often see arboreal porcupines or sloths scrambling high in the limbs.
Overnight on River Cruise
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 7 - Rio Negro Cruise On Board M/Y Tucano
Today you will voyage to the west side of the Rio Negro to continue to scout for wildlife in the launches and walk in the forest. You will explore, according to the weather and water depth, areas rarely visited by anyone else.
Tonight the M/Y Tucano goes downstream, and river depth permitting, will enter an east bank affluent of the Rio Negro to explore deep into the rainforest on this small river. After your nocturnal exploration of the rainforest in the launches we return to the Tucano for “Caipirinha Night” and perhaps try a bit of samba on the top deck.
Overnight on River Cruise
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 8 - Rio Negro Cruise On Board M/Y Tucano
Beginning the day with a dawn excursion, you will go hunting for wakening wildlife followed by a full Brazilian breakfast. You will then go one last time into the forest for a walk.
Midafternoon, you will begin to journey downstream to arrive late in the day at the “Encontro das Aguas”. The “Meeting of the Waters”, as it is known in English, is a stark miles long line where two of the world’s largest rivers, the Amazon and the Rio Negro, join in a turbulent maelstrom. Here the dark water of the Negro runs beside the opaque brown water of the Amazon, they do not mix.
At sunset, the M/Y Tucano will once again turn her bows upstream on the Rio Negro and journey to your overnight anchorage north of the City of Manaus. As we pass in front of Manaus, you will marvel at the scale of one of the world’s largest and most vibrant port cities over a thousand miles from the sea. Tonight you will have a farewell dinner and prepare for an early departure in the morning.
Overnight on River Cruise
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 9 - Fly to Cuiabá and Transfer to Your Hotel
Early this morning, after a hearty breakfast, all guests will disembark from the M/Y Tucano.
You will be met by your driver who will transfer you to the airport in Manaus for your flight to Cuiabá.
Flight: Manaus -> Cuiabá
On arrival in Cuiabá you will be met and transferred to your hotel.
Overnight in Cuiabá
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 10 - Northern Pantanal activities at the Araras Eco Lodge
Today you will venture into the world’s largest flooded plain, the Pantanal.
You will be collected either by a private driver or in a shared transfer by the Araras Eco Lodge, this will depend on which option you prefer and choose at the time of booking. The journey to the Araras Lodge will take approximately 2 hours and passes along a stretch of the scenic Transpantaneira Park Road. As you pass through the area, you can see beautiful landscapes along with spotting the local flora and fauna.
On arrival at Araras Eco Lodge, you will be welcomed with a refreshing drink and be shown to your accommodation. Later, you will meet your bilingual guide for your first activity, a late afternoon walk around the lodge, arriving at the Mirante da Garça, a 12 metre high observation tower that offers an unparalleled view of the sunset.
Every moment at Araras Eco Lodge offers a unique opportunity to connect with the region’s exuberant nature. After dinner, a stargazing walk to the sound of the Pantanal.
Overnight in Pantanal
Included meals: Breakfast, dinner
Note: During transfers, luggage should be limited to one piece per passenger. The lodge offers storage space in the office in Cuiabá for any extra luggage.
Day 11 - Northern Pantanal Activities at the Araras Eco Lodge
Note: The programmes may change depending on weather conditions, the season and the interests of the visitors.
Overnight in PantanalIncluded meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 12 - Northern Pantanal Activities at the Araras Eco Lodge
Another day to enjoy the programme of immersive activities in the tranquillity of the Pantanal. Combining morning activities, lunch and rest before the afternoon ride, the experiences illustrate the rhythm of life in the Pantanal. The program includes a morning horseback ride and in the afternoon a walk along the easily accessible 3.6km Rondon trail to enjoy the sunset.
Overnight in Pantanal
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 13 - Travel to Chapada dos Guimarães and Explore the Historic Centre
A fresh dawn walk to follow the awakening of this unique ecosystem. Breakfast will be served and check out will follow afterwards.
From Araras Eco Lodge you will travel to Chapada dos Guimarães. The National Park of Chapada dos Guimarães, not only is dramatically beautiful with plunging cliffs and waterfalls, it also is home to the geographical centre of the continent of South America. A hikers and nature lovers paradise you will also take some of the most naturally magnificent photos possible.
To give you a insight into this area, you’ll start with a panoramic overview of the historic centre of the town of Chapada, and visit the viewpoint of the Geodesic Landmark of South America for a breathtaking view of the plain in the Chapada dos Guimarães National Park.
Overnight in Chapada dos Guimarães
Included meals: Breakfast, dinner
Day 14 - Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 7 Waterfalls Hike
After breakfast, it’s a day dedicated to hiking the circuit of waterfalls in the Chapada dos Guimarães National Park. The wind and rain have carved intriguing shapes into the sandstone covered by the rich vegetation of the Cerrado, the songs of the birds and the crystal clear waterfalls make your experience a rare one of joy. This hike will take you along a circuit of 7 waterfalls where you can bathe, observe nature and watch birds. It’s an easy but long hike, lasting all morning. The walk ends at the 86m high «Véu de Noiva» waterfall, where you will enjoy a traditional meal at the local restaurant, overlooking a huge canyon.
Return to your accommodation and in the late afternoon, we recommend climbing the lodge’s tower (12 m) to watch the sunset, a light/easy walk to keep your muscles going.
Overnight in Chapada dos Guimarães
Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 15 - Return to Cuiabá
A light sunrise walk around the lodge to observe the Cerrado waking up and to enjoy your last day in the middle of this gorgeous area. You will then have breakfast before farewelling Chapada dos Guimarães and returning to Cuiabá.
The rest of the day is at leisure in Cuiabá.
Overnight in Cuiabá
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 16 - Fly to Foz do Iguaçu and Transfer to Your Hotel
In time for your flight, you will be transferred by private car to the airport in Cuiabá for your flight to Foz do Iguaçu.
Flight: Cuiabá -> Foz do Iguaçu
On arrival in Foz do Iguaçu you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of your day is at leisure.
Overnight in Foz do Iguaçu
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 17 - Visit the Iguazu Falls on the Brazilian Side and Visit the Bird Park
A full but amazing day is in store for you today combining a visit to the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls, to feel the rush of the water, and the Bird Park, where you will be able to remember all the birds you have seen so far on your Wildlife in Brazil trip.
Get ready for the most stunning panoramic views of the greatest water spectacle in the world. The 275 falls of the Iguazu River spread out into a 2,700 metre semi circle – approximately 800 metres on the Brazilian side and 1900 metres on the Argentinian side – right in front of you!
You will have the chance to almost walk into the most famous fall in the park, the Devil’s Throat, and feel the colossal power and deafening intensity of this natural wonder.
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 1200 metres long and offers several lookout points for a closer view of some of the falls. There are a variety of angles and possibilities for photographers to capture the Brazilian falls with some of the Argentina side falls in the background. At the end of the over-water boardwalk is a stunning panorama of the Devil’s Throat fall from just downstream.
The most visited attraction, after Iguazu Falls themselves, is the Bird Park. A mandatory stop for those who visit Foz do Iguaçu.
Located near the Iguazu Falls, its 16.5 hectares of lush Atlantic Forest are home to more than 1320 birds of about 143 different species. Many are rescued victims of traffic and ill treatment, and are no longer able to return to their natural habitat. The Bird Park’s mission is to offer them the best possible quality of life and its focus is the care and protection of endangered species, in partnership with several NGOs with the same purpose.
In the park it is possible to see the Mutum de Alagoas, an animal that is extinct in nature, but that remains in the park with attempts of reproduction and reintroduction into nature. You will have the chance to offer the birds a ‘lollipop’ of alpiste (seeds) and watch them feed up close. During this unique and unforgettable experience you will come across incredible birds from all corners of Brazil and various parts of the world, like toucans, harpy eagles, owls and parrots and you may even spot reptiles such as alligators and anacondas.
Overnight in Foz do Iguaçu
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 18 - Visit the Argentine Side of Iguazu Falls
Note: For this tour it is necessary to cross the border to Argentina. Please, contact the responsible authorities to verify the visa requirements for your nationality and ensure you take your passport with you on the tour.
Note: The access circuit to the Devil’s Throat at the Argentine Falls is under renovation due to the last major flooding in October 2023. Forecasted completion of the works is for July.
Day 19 - Fly to São Paulo and Transfer to Your Hotel
In time for your flight, you will be transferred by private car to the airport in Foz do Iguaçu for your flight to São Paulo
Flight: Foz do Iguaçu -> São Paulo
On arrival in São Paulo you will be met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of your day is at leisure.
Overnight in São Paulo
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 20 - Departure from São Paulo
Enjoy your last morning waking up in Brazil. In time for your flight, you will be transferred by private car to the airport in São Paulo for your onward flight.
Included meals: Breakfast
Sadly your arrangements with Real Local Experiences, and your time in Brazil has come to an end.
You will take home with you memories of a lifetime, many photos and perhaps a few great souvenirs!
