Tailor-made trip · Itinerary proposal for Mr and Mrs Wolfangel
Twenty days across Brazil: the peaks and beaches of Rio, the jaguars of the Pantanal, a jungle lodge on the Rio Negro and a week on the Atlantic coast in Recife.
The route
We start in Rio de Janeiro, fly to Cuiabá and drive down the Transpantaneira to Porto Jofre, in the heart of jaguar country. From there we fly to Manaus and head into the forest on the Rio Negro, before ending with a week on the Atlantic coast in Recife.
Arrival in Rio de Janeiro (GIG), departure from Recife (REC). International flights are not included.
Included services
Three domestic flights, accommodation for 2 people in a double room, all transfers, and the tours, guides and entrance fees listed below. Transfers are private unless marked as shared.
26 to 29 September · 3 nights
29 to 30 September · 1 night
30 September to 3 October · 3 nights
3 to 8 October · 5 nights
8 to 15 October · 7 nights
3 flights · 29 September to 8 October
Day by day
Flight and transfer times are indicative and will be confirmed when the tickets and bookings are issued.
Day01
Sun 26 Sep · Rio de Janeiro
Transfer: Reception at the airport by your English-speaking driver-guide and private transfer to the Windsor Palace, in Copacabana.
Free time: Rest of the day free. Suggestion: walk the wave-patterned promenade designed by Burle Marx to the Copacabana Fort, and watch the sunset from Arpoador rock, between Copacabana and Ipanema.
Meals: Meals at your leisure.
Overnight: Night at the Windsor Palace.
Day02
Mon 27 Sep · Rio de Janeiro
Meals: Breakfast at the hotel.
Tour: Full day (about 8 hours) with your private English-speaking driver-guide at the two icons of the city.
Corcovado. The cog train, running since 1884, climbs through the Tijuca Forest, one of the largest urban forests in the world, replanted in the 19th century. At the top, 710 metres above the sea, Christ the Redeemer (1931) opens his arms over the lagoon, the Maracanã stadium and Guanabara Bay.
Sugar Loaf. The cable car goes up in two stages, with a stop on Urca Hill, and your tickets give you fast access. From the summit, at 396 metres, the view runs from Copacabana to downtown, across the Rio–Niterói bridge and the mountains around the bay.
Overnight: Night at the Windsor Palace.
Day03
Tue 28 Sep · Rio de Janeiro
Meals: Breakfast at the hotel.
Free time: Day at your leisure. Ideas: the beaches of Ipanema and Leblon, the Botanical Garden or the Selarón Steps in Lapa. We are happy to arrange a guide or a restaurant for you.
Overnight: Night at the Windsor Palace.
Day04
Wed 29 Sep · Cuiabá
Meals: Breakfast at the hotel.
Free time: Morning free.
Transfer: Private transfer to Santos Dumont airport with your driver-guide.
Flight: 17h35 · Flight Rio de Janeiro → Cuiabá with GOL, connecting in Brasília (1h30 connection). Arrival at 21h35.
Transfer: Reception and private transfer to the Deville Prime Cuiabá.
Note: Cuiabá is one hour behind Rio de Janeiro.
Overnight: Night at the Deville Prime Cuiabá.
Day05
Thu 30 Sep · Pantanal
Meals: Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer: Private 4x4 transfer to Porto Jofre, at the end of the Transpantaneira, about 5 hours. The dirt road crosses the northern Pantanal, with the first stops for birds and caimans along the way. From today until 3 October, a private English-speaking guide is with you.
Overnight: Check-in at the Santa Rosa Pantanal Hotel, in a River Chalet facing the river and the Pantanal sunset.
Meals: Full board at the hotel.
Overnight: Night at the Santa Rosa Pantanal Hotel.
Day06
Fri 1 Oct · Pantanal
Boat: Full day by private boat with your English-speaking guide along the banks of the Cuiabá river and its channels, around the Encontro das Águas State Park. This is the jaguar season (May to October): the aim is to find jaguars resting or hunting on the riverbanks.
Along the way, giant otters, caimans, capybaras and many waterbirds.
Meals: Full board at the hotel.
Overnight: Night at the Santa Rosa Pantanal Hotel.
Day07
Sat 2 Oct · Pantanal
Boat: Second full day by private boat with your guide, exploring other channels and riverbanks for a new chance to see jaguars and giant otters.
Meals: Full board at the hotel.
Overnight: Night at the Santa Rosa Pantanal Hotel.
Day08
Sun 3 Oct · Manaus
Meals: Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer: 09h00 · Private 4x4 transfer back up the Transpantaneira to Cuiabá airport, about 5 hours, with your guide.
Flight: 16h40 · Flight Cuiabá → Manaus with LATAM, connecting in Brasília (2h00 connection). Arrival at 23h15.
Transfer: Reception and private transfer to the Novotel Manaus.
Overnight: Night at the Novotel Manaus.
Day09
Mon 4 Oct · Amazon
Meals: Breakfast at the hotel.
Boat: 09h00 · Pick-up for the shared transfer to the Manati Lodge: about 1h30 by air-conditioned vehicle, then about 45 minutes by speedboat on the Rio Negro.
Tour: First outing: paddling a wooden canoe through the creeks, as the riverside people do, with good chances of seeing monkeys, sloths and kingfishers.
Tour: After dark, night spotlighting by canoe to find caimans, frogs and owls by torchlight.
Meals: Full board at the lodge.
Note: Luggage is limited to 10 kg per person because of the speedboat. Larger bags can be stored in Manaus at no cost.
Overnight: Night at the Manati Lodge.
Day10
Tue 5 Oct · Amazon
Tour: Sunrise on the Rio Negro by motor canoe (optional, early start at 5h30).
Tour: Pink river dolphins watched in their natural habitat, without interaction.
Tour: Piranha fishing on the lakes, with your guide.
Note: Outings are on open wooden boats, for a 360° view of the forest. The lodge sets the order of the activities each day, according to the weather and the river.
Meals: Full board at the lodge.
Overnight: Night at the Manati Lodge.
Day11
Wed 6 Oct · Amazon
Tour: Guided walk in the igapó, the forest that floods in the high-water season, looking for birds, monkeys and sloths.
Tour: Visit to a manioc flour house, where cassava is turned into flour, tapioca and tucupi, staples of every Amazonian home.
Tour: Visit to the small riverside community of Acajatuba.
Meals: Full board at the lodge.
Overnight: Night at the Manati Lodge.
Day12
Thu 7 Oct · Amazon
Tour: Walk in the terra firme forest, the higher ground that never floods, among tall trees, giant leaves and lianas climbing to the canopy, where the guides spot animals camouflaged in the branches.
Tour: Sunset on the Rio Negro.
Meals: Full board at the lodge.
Overnight: Night at the Manati Lodge.
Day13
Fri 8 Oct · Recife
Meals: Breakfast at the lodge.
Boat: 09h40 · Shared transfer by speedboat and road to Manaus airport, arriving by 12h00.
Flight: 15h30 · Flight Manaus → Recife with GOL, connecting in Brasília (1h20 connection). Arrival at 23h20.
Transfer: Reception and private transfer to the Fifty Hotel.
Overnight: Night at the Fifty Hotel.
Days14–19
Sat 9 – Thu 14 Oct · Recife
Meals: Breakfast at the hotel.
Free time: Six days at your own pace. Ideas: Boa Viagem beach, the colonial hillside town of Olinda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the old quarter of Recife around Marco Zero. We are happy to arrange a guide or a restaurant for you.
Free time: Optional, not included: a diving or snorkelling trip off the Pernambuco coast, which we can quote for you.
Overnight: Nights at the Fifty Hotel.
Day20
Fri 15 Oct · Recife
Meals: Breakfast at the hotel.
Transfer: Private transfer to Recife airport for your international flight.
End of our services. Boa viagem!
Domestic flights included
| Date | From | To | Departure | Arrival | Airline | Stops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep | Rio de Janeiro (SDU) | Cuiabá (CGB) | 17h35 | 21h35 | GOL | 1 stop · Brasília (1h30 connection) |
| 3 Oct | Cuiabá (CGB) | Manaus (MAO) | 16h40 | 23h15 | LATAM | 1 stop · Brasília (2h00 connection) |
| 8 Oct | Manaus (MAO) | Recife (REC) | 15h30 | 23h20 | GOL | 1 stop · Brasília (1h20 connection) |
Economy class, non-refundable fares, with one 23 kg (50 lb) checked bag per person.
Your investment
50% at confirmation
€ 5,650.00Balance by 27 August 2027
€ 5,650.00To secure the flights and accommodation at these rates, please send us a copy of your passports as soon as possible. As this itinerary is fully tailor-made, rates and availability may change until final confirmation.
Our price-match commitment: if you receive a competing proposal, we’ll be happy to compare it with ours, provided the services and conditions are equivalent.
Our cancellation conditions, together with payment, insurance and liability, are set out in our Terms and Conditions.
Good to know
All payments are securely processed through WeTravel. For your convenience, you can pay in your local currency via credit card or bank transfer with no hidden transaction fees.
To confirm your trip, send us a copy of your passports. We then place all the bookings and send you the payment link for the deposit. Once the deposit is received, your bookings are confirmed and we send you the domestic flight tickets.
One cabin bag of up to 10 kg, within the airline’s size limits, usually around 55 × 35 × 25 cm (22 × 14 × 10 in).
One small item as well, such as a backpack, laptop bag or purse, that fits under the seat in front of you.
We always book fares that include one 23 kg checked bag per person. If you would rather travel with carry-on bags only, just let us know.
Tip: For the Amazon, the Manati Lodge allows 10 kg per person on the speedboat; larger bags can wait for you in Manaus.
We book non-refundable economy fares. There is no business class on domestic routes in Brazil, although some airlines offer priority boarding and roomier seats at the front of the cabin. If you would prefer refundable tickets, more flexibility or extra services, let us know and we will quote them for you.
Choosing seats on domestic flights in Brazil usually costs extra, about US$10 to US$15 per passenger per flight. Travelers on the same booking are usually seated together at check-in at no extra cost. If you would like specific seats guaranteed in advance, just ask and we will reserve them.
Airlines may occasionally change flight schedules after tickets have been issued. If a change affects your itinerary, our team will assist you in finding the best possible solution and coordinate any necessary adjustments. We will also support you in dealing with the airline if the change results in additional costs or significant disruption to your trip.
Check whether your credit card includes travel insurance; cancellation insurance usually has to be taken out within 48 hours of payment. For the Amazon, ask your doctor about the yellow fever vaccine.
Before departure you receive access to the trip app, with transfer and tour times, booking references and hotel contacts.