Private Journeys

Wildlife Brazil: Jaguars of the Pantanal

11 days from £5,167pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Brazil / Iguazu Falls

Places visited

Overview & Highlights

On this holiday to two of Brazil’s most wildlife-rich destinations, the Pantanal wetlands and the Iguazú Falls, the highlight is the very real possibility of spotting a shy jaguar in the wild.

Brazil is a blissful destination for wildlife lovers, with many of its natural landscapes offering the promise of multifarious sightings of birds, butterflies, reptiles and mammals. None more so than the yawning open reaches of the Pantanal, the largest freshwater wetlands in the world.

You’ll be staggered by the quantity of birds, floating in clouds over the savannah or dipping into waters of the region’s floodplains; and caimans, basking silently on the river beaches like hordes of summer tourists. Most alluring of all is the possibility of spotting a jaguar or other wild cat – although there are no guarantees, during the dry season of May to October your chances at your lodge here are among the best on the continent.

We’ve combined a stay in the Pantanal with a few days at Iguazú, famed for its gigantic waterfalls but just as mesmerising for the variety of tropical birdlife on display in the surrounding rainforest.

Half-day guided excursion to the Brazilian side of the Iguazú Falls
Full day guided exploration of the Argentine side of the Iguazú Falls
Guided safari expeditions from Pantanal lodge
Full day guided jaguar experience in the Pantanal
Guided excursion to Corcovado and the statute of Christ the Redeemer

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Travel Expert

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Outline itinerary

Day 1

Arrive at Foz do Iguaçú airport and transfer to your hotel 5km from the national park.

Day 2

Guided tour of the Brazilian side of the Falls.

Day 3

Guided excursion to the Argentine side of the Falls.

Day 4

Fly to Campo Grande in Brazil’s sun-baked heartland.

Day 5

Transfer to Refugio Caiman, an upmarket eco-lodge deep in the Pantanal.

Day 6

Activities at the lodge.

Day 7

Full day and evening jaguar experience.

Day 8

Further exploration of the Pantanal from the lodge.

Day 9

Transfer to Campo Grande airport and fly to Rio de Janeiro.

Day 10

Guided excursion to the Christ the Redeemer statue and Tijuca Forest.

Day 11

Transfer to Rio’s airport for your international flight.

View full itinerary

Things to do

We proudly offer the widest range of activities, excursions and one-of-a-kind experiences across all our destinations, tried and tested personally by our travel experts.

Visit the Iguazu Bird Park

BRA_IguazuFalls_iStock-157475972_freewithcredit

Visit the Brazilian Side of Iguazu Falls

Visit the Argentine side of Iguazu Falls

Go wildlife spotting in the Pantanal

Track jaguars in the Brazilian Pantanal

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Visit the Hyacinth Macaw Project

Accommodation

Browse our unrivalled portfolio of accommodation . Every option has been carefully chosen by our team of travel experts, so you can rest assured that you’ll relax in utter comfort.

Brazil / Iguazu Falls – Brazilian side

Wish Foz do Iguaçu

Panama / Panama City

Hotel DeVille

Brazil / The Pantanal

Caiman

Brazil / Rio de Janeiro

Windsor Miramar

Itinerary Essentials

What our clients say

As always, JLA provides very experienced guides and this ensures the success of the trip. They are very knowledgeable and go out of their way to ensure clients get a great experience.
VH, Australia
Jan 2015
Every day was a highlight - loved the train from Puno to Cusco, and then there is Machu Picchu.
RK, Dorchester
Jul 2019
This isn't a specific part of the trip, but I do think that the variety of locations and activities available is excellent. It is a busy tour but, personally, I enjoyed this and am pleased that the coverage is as good as it is of such large countries as, travelling that far, I do want to see and do as much as possible. I also found the extension I did suited my requirements well.
JP, Holmfirth
Jan 2018
We knew from the itinarary that alot of travelling would be involved. Given the amount we saw it was well worth time spent in the bus. We compared this itinerary to several other adventure travel companies, and this was by far the most comprehensive. We have had alot of good tour leaders over the years, but we have never one so generous with his time. Max was always happy to take us anywhere we wanted to go -from an ATM to a 3 hour walking tour.
JN, Peterborough
Mar 2018
The tour makes you realise how diverse Peruvian history is, and is more than just the Incas and Spanish Conquistadors.
JDC, Sheffield
Jun 2019
For me, the Uros Reed Islands. I loved it. The Islands, the boat trip, the people. Incredible. Loved seeing the condors. Loved Cusco and Areequipa. Loved the cable cars. Loved Lake Titicaca. Loved the Sacred Valley. Loved Ollantaytambo.
CS, Winscombe
Sep 2019

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Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

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Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert
Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.
Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert
Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.
Lina Fuller - Travel Expert
Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.
Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert
After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!
Carrie Gallagher - Travel Expert
A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.
Ben Line - Travel Expert
Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.