Cuiabá & North Pantanal Wildlife Tour - 6 Days

Highlights

• Spot nocturnal animals like ocelots on a night tour
• Go on photo safaris and boat tours to see caimans and jaguars
• Ride horses alongside real Pantanal cowboys

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive & Explore Cuiabá

Welcome to Cuiabá, the capital of Brazil's Mato Grosso state! Upon arrival at the airport, a personal driver will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. You'll then have the day free to enjoy this fascinating city, which is the gateway to the famous Pantanal, the largest wetland ecosystem in the world.

The city of Cuiabá is steeped in colonial history, having been founded by the Portuguese in the early 18th century. Learn all about this legacy on a visit to the Palacio de Instrucao history museum. Another noteworthy sight is the Senhor Bom Jesus de Cuiabá, a massive Art Deco Catholic temple. And if shopping is your thing, there are crafts markets on weekends and plenty of stores to buy traditional cowboy attire like boots and hats to wear during your Pantanal excursion. 

Day 2: Cuiabá to North Pantanal, Nocturnal Wildlife Tour

This morning, you'll leave Cuiabá on a trip to the northern Pantanal region. It's about a three-hour ride up the Transpantaneira Highway to the outpost of Porto Jofre, located on the Cuiabá River and adjacent to Pantanal Matogrossense National Park. Upon arrival, you'll check in to your pousada (guesthouse). This will be your base for excursions into the northern Pantanal, an area home to the highest concentration of wildlife in the Americas.

Get your first glimpse of the region's animals after dinner when you embark on a nocturnal wildlife tour. Throughout this 1.5-hour experience, you'll travel to the best wildlife-viewing areas and use a spotlight to search for creatures. Some active wildlife you're likely to see include capybaras, anteaters, foxes, and caimans. Get lucky, and you might even spot an ocelot—a big cat that's one of the most incredible nocturnal animals in the region.

Day 3: Sunrise Over the Pantanal, Boat Tour & Horseback Riding

Rise early today to meet a local guide aboard a paddleboat or canoe and head out on the water while the sky is still dark. As you paddle along, witness the sun rising over the forested wetlands, gilding the sky and water. Accompanying this spectacle are the songs of the various birds like jabiru storks and the bright blue hyacinth macaw, the largest parrot in the world.

The river theme continues later with a one-hour motorboat tour down the Rio Claro. Along the way, you'll witness the wildlife of the riparian forest. Its centennial trees are home to monkeys and exotic birds, while mammals like tapirs and capybaras frolic on the shore. In the water are even more exotic specimens like river otters and caimans, and even anacondas. 

Day 4: Pantanal Jaguar Safari

It's another early start today as you head out on safari to find one of the star residents of the Pantanal. Leave the pousada before sunrise and travel about 62 miles (100 km) to a small settlement on the Cuiabá River. Here, you'll have breakfast before setting off on a full-day wildlife tour to locate the famous jaguar. The lion may be the king of the jungle in Africa, but make no mistake: the jaguar is the monarch of Central and South America.

The best place to see these animals in the wild is in the northern Pantanal—there's a higher concentration of jaguars here than in any other place on Earth. As their natural habitat is in the vegetation lining the banks, you'll hop in a boat and travel down the river in search of these big cats. If you do spot a jaguar (and most people see at least one during the tour), they'll probably be hunting along the river, relaxing in the sun, or even silently scanning the area from high in a tree.

Day 5: Hiking the Pantanal, Photo Safari

This morning, lace up your hiking boots for a three-hour trek through the Pantanal wetlands. Keep an eye out for wild animal tracks along the hike, which could lead to seeing animals like capybaras, tapirs, and deer. In the trees, you're sure to spot monkeys and perhaps even hyacinth blue macaws. The route also passes some scenic areas, such as lakes and wooded savannas.

This afternoon's tour is another great opportunity to enjoy the Pantanal's diverse array of wildlife. You'll meet the open-topped vehicle in front of your pousada and then head off on a two-hour safari that runs about 10 miles (16 km) down the Transpantaneira Highway. Along the way, there will be ample opportunity to glimpse animals on land, in the trees, in the water, and in the air. Animals you may see include howler and capuchin monkeys, capybaras, anteaters, deer, caimans, anacondas, hyacinth macaws, jabiru storks, and many more.

Day 6: North Pantanal to Cuiabá, Depart

You'll transfer from the Pantanal back to Cuiabá's airport, where you'll catch your international flight home. See you soon!

More Great Brazil Itineraries