Brazil Wildlife Holiday with Iguacu Falls & Buenos Aires

Day 1 - Rio

After you clear baggage reclaim, your guide meets you and takes you by private transfer to your hotel. On the way, you will hear stories about the city and pick up some useful tips for your stay. The rest of the day is yours to settle in.

Day 2 - : Rio de Janeiro, Corcovado and Sugar Loaf

After breakfast, a full day tour shows you Rio’s two great landmarks. Drive along the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon to the foot of Corcovado, then ride the rack railway up to Christ the Redeemer, 700 metres above the city. From the top, the view sweeps across the bay and beaches and shows exactly why Rio is called the Marvellous City.

Lunch is at Carretão Ipanema, a traditional churrascaria where grilled meats are carved at your table and a generous buffet sits alongside. In the afternoon, glass cable cars carry you up Urca Hill and on to the summit of Sugar Loaf Mountain. From there you get a full circle view over Copacabana, Botafogo, Corcovado and downtown Rio. Drinks and desserts at lunch are not included.

Day 3 - Rio de Janeiro at leisure

Today is free to enjoy Rio at your own pace. You could stroll along Copacabana towards Arpoador, then explore Ipanema and Leblon with their boutiques, cafés and beachfront restaurants. In the evening, the city comes alive over dinner and drinks.

Day 4 - Rio de Janeiro to the Pantanal

Your guide collects you from the hotel and takes you to Galeão airport for your flight to Cuiabá. On arrival, a shared road transfer brings you into the Pantanal and on to your lodge, surrounded by open wetlands and abundant wildlife. Dinner is at the lodge.

Day 6 - The Pantanal

Your first full day in the Pantanal is spent with the lodge’s naturalist guides, who know this wetland well. Depending on conditions, you might set out on a boat safari along the rivers, where caimans rest on the sandbanks and capybaras graze nearby, or take a jeep excursion across the open plains looking for monkeys and deer. After dinner, a guided night outing gives you the chance to see the nocturnal creatures that only come out after dark. All meals are included at the lodge.

Day 7 - The Pantanal

Today you see the wetland at a slower pace. Gentle nature trails and a quiet canoe trip through the backwaters bring you close to the region’s birdlife. Look out for hyacinth macaws, jabiru storks and kingfishers along the water’s edge. In the early morning and late afternoon the light softens and the wildlife is at its busiest, so these are the best times to be out. All meals are included at the lodge.

Day 8 - The Pantanal to Cuiabá

After a final morning in the Pantanal, you transfer back to Cuiabá for an overnight stay before heading into the Amazon.

Day 9 - Cuiabá to Alta Floresta and Cristalino Lodge

Take a short flight to Alta Floresta, the gateway to the southern Amazon. From here, you travel on by road and then by boat to Cristalino Lodge, a four star eco lodge set within one of the most biodiverse corners of the rainforest. Dinner is at the lodge.

Day 10 - The Amazon

Your first full day in the rainforest starts early, with a climb up one of the lodge’s observation towers to watch the sun rise over the forest canopy. As the mist lifts, toucans, parrots and macaws fly between the treetops at eye level. Later, a naturalist guide leads you along forest trails and explains how this complex ecosystem works. All meals are included at the lodge.

Day 11 - The Amazon

Today you explore by water. A canoe trip along the dark, still waters of the Cristalino River brings you close to kingfishers, herons and the occasional river otter. Back on land, look out for towering Brazil nut and mahogany trees, and keep watch for the harpy eagle, one of the region’s most impressive residents. All meals are included at the lodge.

Day 12 - Alta Floresta to Sao Paulo

Return to Alta Floresta for your flight to Sao Paulo, ehere you break the journey before continuing to Iguacu

Day 13 - Sao Paul to Iguacu

Take a morning flight to Iguacu Falls. In the afternoon, tour the Brazilian side. A path leads down into the canyon, with panoramic views across more than 240 waterfalls. The two national parks protect one of the most important remaining rainforests in southern South America, and both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Day 14 - Iguacu Falls

Visit the Argentinian side of the falls. Cross the Tancredo Neves Bridge into Argentina’s Iguazú National Park, where a small train takes you through the rainforest to the upper and lower walkways. The highlight is the platform at the very edge of the Devil’s Throat, the largest of the cascades.

Day 15 - Iguacu to Buenos Aires

Rather than flying back via Rio, you transfer across the border to the Argentine airport for a direct flight to Buenos Aires. On arrival, you are met and taken to your hotel. Spend the evening at your leisure, perhaps with a late dinner at a traditional parrilla or a tango show.

Day 16 - Buenos Aires

A guided half day tour introduces you to the Argentine capital. Highlights typically include Plaza de Mayo and the Casa Rosada, the cobbled streets of San Telmo, the colourful houses of La Boca and the elegant avenues of Recoleta. The afternoon is free to explore further on your own.

Day 17 - Depart Buenos Aires

Transfer to the airport for your overnight flight back to the UK.