South-America/Birding tour in Brazil

Brazil, Pantanal and Chapada dos Guimaraes

The Brazilian Savannah, Pantanal wetlands and a little taste of the Amazon, 15 days

We start our journey at the wonderful Jardim da Amazonia Lodge exploring the Amazon rainforest in search of Amazonian Umbrellabird, Cone-billed Tanager and a range of Amazonian birds and mammals.
Next, we visit Chapada dos Guimaraes offering breath-taking scenery with dry habitats home to Greater Rhea, Red-legged Seriema, endemic birds and the rare Maned Wolf.
We explore the famous Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland from two lodges and on board a floating hotel. Pantanal is a refuge to iconic wildlife including Jaguar, Brazilian Tapir, Giant Otter, Hyacinth Macaw and large concentration of waterbirds.

Facts

• 15 days birding and wildlife watching in Brazil
• Starting and finishing in Cuiabá
• Visiting 3 very different habitat types
• Staying at 5 ecolodges plus 3 nights on the floating hotel

Hotels

• 3 nights at Jardim Amazonia Ecolodge
• 2 nights in Chapada Dos Guimaraes
• 2 nights in Pouso Alegre
• 2 nights in Pantanal
• 3 nights on the Transpantaneira Floating Hotel
• 2 nights Pantanal Mato Grosso

Departure Dates

September 2026

Price

from 7,280 USD + 1,470 USD(single room supplement)
Ask for the actual price

Itinerary

Arrival at Cuiaba Airport before midday and transfer to Jardim da Amazonia Lodge. This is a unique place, where the Brazilian Savannah meets the south Amazon.
We will take boat tours and short hikes on the riverbank near the pousada to look for our main targets. Good chances of seeing the largest member of the Cotinga family, the Amazonian Umbrellabird. The Parrots are also remarkable, with a great number of species, like the Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Yellow-faced Macaw, Madeira Parakeet, Blue-winged Macaw Red-shouldered Macaw, and Blue-headed Parrot. This is also the best place in the world to see the mysterious Cone-billed Tanager, a species rediscovered by researchers only in 2003. During our time in south Amazon, we will be accompanied by the distinctive whistling of the Screaming Piha, the “voice of the tropical jungle”.
Other targets are: Bare-necked Fruitcrow, Red-throated Piping-Guan, Red-necked Aracari, Lettered Aracari, Green-backed Trogon, Bronzy Jacamar, Brown Jacamar, Pompadour Cotinga, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Black-girdled Capito, Spotted Puffbird, Silver-beaked Tanager, Turquoise Tanager, Blue-necked Tanager, Point-tailed Palmcreeper, Yellow-tufted Woodpecker, Bar-breasted Piculet, White-banded Swallow, Amazonian Antshrike, Black-throated Antbird, Black-faced Dacnis, Flame-crowned Manakin, Fiery-capped Manakin and Short-tailed Pygmy-Tyrant (the smallest bird of Brazil).
Besides the amazing birds, we will also have chances for astonishing primates, like the Grove’s Titi, the Mittermeier’s Tapajós Saki and Black-faced Black Spider Monkey. On these days we overnight and have the meals at the pousada.

On day 4 we will have our last morning in the Amazonian part of the tour, and after lunch, head to Chapada dos Guimaraes for the next two nights. A very different scenario awaits us, a high plateau in the Brazilian Savannah with wonderful landscapes, open vegetation, but unlike Pantanal, dry forests. The fauna here is different from our last location and yet different from Pantanal too. The lodge, Pousada do Parque, it’s very well located, and we will have good opportunities of wildlife sights.
Some targets: Greater Rhea, Red-legged Seriema, Channel-billed Toucan, Red-and-green Macaw, Yellow-faced Parrot, Peach-fronted Parakeet, Pearl Kite, Pheasant Cuckoo, Amazonian Motmot, Pale-crested Woodpecker, Swallow-winged Puffbird, White-eared Puffbird, Rufous-winged Antshrike, Planalto Slaty-Antshrike, Great Antshrike, Chapada Flycatcher, Helmeted Manakin, Band-tailed Manakin, Collared Crescentchest, Blue Finch, Coal-crested Finch, Stripe-tailed Yellow-finch, Black-throated Saltator, White-rumped Tanager, White-banded Tanager, Cinnamon Tanager, Black-faced Tanager, Burnished-buff Tanager, Plumbeous Seedeater and much more! Also, from the red cliffs at the viewpoint we will be able to see the flying Biscutate and White-collared Swifts and maybe a King Vulture! Chances for the endangered Chaco/Crowned Eagle. The Maned Wolf is a very rare species, but this is his territory and we will keep alert.

Now we reach the famous Transpantaneira Road. We will stay at two lodges that are complementary in terms of species, first at Pouso Alegre Lodge (two nights) and then at Piuval Lodge (two nights).
The targets for the Transpantaneira Road are all the same, and the locations of animals will vary with fructification, flowering, and dry/wet areas. Pantanal is very dynamic with its water variation, and we will spend good time driving the roads, stopping at hotspots and also counting on unexpected encounters too.
Some targets are: Great Rhea, Chestnut-bellied Guan, Chaco Chachalaca, Bare-faced Curassow, Southern Screamer, Chestnut-eared Aracari, Long-tailed Ground-Dove, Plumbeous Ibis, Sunbittern, Hyacinth Macaw, Yellow-collared Macaw, Turquoise-fronted Parrot, Monk Parakeet, Nanday Parakeet, Blue-crowned Parakeet, Jabiru, Maguari Stork, Wood Stork, Purple Gallinule, Sungrebe, Pied Lapwing, Black Skimmer, Boat-billed Heron, Whistling Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, Black-collared Hawk, Great Black Hawk, Blue-crowned Trogon, Barred Antshrike, Rufous Cacholote, Purplish Jay, Greater Ani, Little Cuckoo, White-lored Spinetail, Chotoy Spinetail, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, Black-bellied Antwren, Mato Grosso Antbird, White-fronted Woodpecker, Pale-crested Woodpecker, Great Rufous Woodcreeper, Red-billed Scythebill, Dull-capped Attila, Black-backed Water-Tyrant, Thrush-like Wren, Black-capped Donacobius, Orange-backed Troupial, Ashy-headed Greenlet, Rusty-collared Seedeater, Red-crested Cardinal, Yellow-billed Cardinal and much more!
Pantanal is the place you can see all five species of Kingfisher: Ringed, Amazon, American Pygmy, Green, and Green-and-rufous Kingfishers. With a bit of luck, by night we will see the Black-banded Owl, Pauraque and Little Nightjar. The impressive Great Potoo shouldn’t be overlooked.
We can also expect to see Capibaras, Tapirs, Yellow Armadillo, Marsh Deer, Pampas Deer, Gray Brocket, Red Brocket, Anteater (rare), River Otter, Azara’s Agouti and Crab-eating Fox.

On day ten we will transfer to Porto Jofre to onboard on our Jaguar adventure!
After lunch, a small boat will take us to the Ferry Hotel (check in at 14h00) where we stay for three nights. On this first afternoon we will start our adventure and take the speedboat to look for the animals.
The speedboats leave once in the mooring and once in the afternoon, in different routes to increase the chances to find the jaguars, all the boats and local guides are in touch by radio communication to share the jaguars’ spots too. The overnights and meals are all at the Ferry Hotel by the Encontro das Aguas State Park. There are no tours during the night.
Besides the Jaguars, we also might see: Giant Otters, Sungrebe, Pied Lapwing, Black-collared Hawk, Great Black Hawk, Large-billed and Yellow-billed Terns and Black Skimmers.

After enjoying our last morning looking for jaguars, on day thirteen, we will check out of the Ferry Hotel and head to our final destination, back in the Transpantaneira Road. We will stay for the last two nights at Pantanal Mato Grosso Hotel, where we take a boat tour on Pixaim River for second chances of missing species, with chances for Agami Heron. We will also have access to two observation towers.

Transfer to Cuiaba Airport for departures.