7 Days · Pantanal · Amazon Rainforest
Your Trip Overview
Trip start date: you can choose any starting date you want for your trip, because all our trips have private departures. That is, you won't be traveling as part of a group.
Trip duration & lodging:
7 days / 6 nights.
Lodging for 6 nights Included.
13 first‑class tours with the best tour guides (5 of them are private tours). All necessary entrance fees to national parks included.
4 airport transfers included
6 breakfasts + 6 lunches + 5 dinners included.
Worry‑free planning & first‑class service
Hear from our guests and contact them2 destinations included:
- 3 nights in Pantanal (Best place to see jaguars and largest wetlands on Earth. Home to the highest concentration of wildlife in the Americas) - YOUR STAY HERE IS ALL-INCLUSIVE (breakfast, lunch, and dinner included, with non-alcoholic beverages. Also snacks during tours.)
- 3 nights in Amazon Rainforest (The most bio-diverse ecosystem on Earth, chosen as one of the "New 7 Wonders of Nature" by over 100 million voters) - YOUR STAY HERE IS ALL-INCLUSIVE (breakfast, lunch and dinner included, with 2 non-alcoholic beverages per meal)
In the Pantanal we work with the most exclusive lodge in the area, called Refugio Ecologico Caiman. This place is the only area where you have a significant chance to spot jaguars year-round, and because of the high density of jaguars in and around the hacienda, and their habituation to the place, sightings are more probable, and encounters tend to be closer and longer than in other spots in the Pantanal. Besides running a very nice lodge with good food, Caiman takes their tours professionally: every tour is guided by a local "Pantaneiro" who has the expertise to track any of the unique animals found there, and also by a naturalist, some of them having had academic training in biology.
In the Amazon, we have designed an exclusive and unique experience for our guests, including all private tours with a private guide just for yourself (as opposed to the group tours offered everywhere else). Besides covering all of the more iconic Amazonian experiences, we include an adventurous jungle hiking & exploration experience led by a team of former members of the Brazilian Military specialized in jungle rescue operations, who will introduce you to jungle survival techniques such as obtaining drinking water, making fire, differentiating edible plant species, setting up traps, building a shelter, and the Amazonian "peconha" technique to gather fruit from trees; to finally enjoy a jungle BBQ in the thick of the Amazon rainforest!
Having considered all Amazon lodges in detail, we chose Amazon Ecopark Lodge as the best base for this program, because it's the only lodge where such a combination of private tours is possible. An added plus of Ecopark is that you won't need to waste precious vacation time by spending a night in the city of Manaus, as you'd need to do if you stayed at many other lodges.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Pantanal
Staying for 3 nights, with 7 tours included
Day 1: You arrive in Pantanal
Flight arrival in Campo Grande. Welcome at the airport and transfer to the Pantanal lodge with private vehicle and guide.
Note: the order of the tours are determined by Caiman Refuge a few days before the tour dates, so they won’t necessarily be in the same order as listed here. The staff will hand you the program for your stay when you arrive.
Getting Acquainted with "Caiman Ecological Refuge": 130,000 Acres of Wetlands and Wildlife
It’s time to immerse yourself with a newfound knowledge and understanding of how the Caiman Ecological Refuge’s work with conservation and eco-tourism helps provide an amazing balance between humans and nature. We’ll learn all about the inner-workings of the refuge and the Pantanal’s history and ecosystem, as well have the awesome opportunity to closely observe the spectacled caimans who call the wetland waters home.
This is a half-day group tour.
Day 2: Pantanal
A 4x4 Jeep Safari Excursion through the Pantanal Wetlands
The exotic and exciting wildlife of the Pantanal wetlands awaits, as it’s time to explore on a jeep safari the mosaic of flooded grasslands, savannas, and tropical forests that make up this richly diverse and vast expanse of land! We’ll travel through open fields, lagoons and flooded areas in search of the many intriguing animals that call these wetlands home, including the royalty of the Pantanal... the jaguar!
This is a half-day group tour.
A Sunset Canoeing Expedition to Spot Wildlife around the Pantanal Lakes
It’s time for an up close and personal experience with the lush vegetation, majestic wildlife and the cacophony of nature’s sounds of world’s largest wetlands as we paddle our way through marshes and lagoons on a canoeing adventure that involves witnessing a beautiful sunset while on the waters of the Pantanal.
This is a half-day group tour.
Pantanal in the Dark: a Night-Spotting Experience
As darkness falls upon the Pantanal wetlands and we return on our vehicle to the lodge from our afternoon tour, we’ll experience the unique orchestra of sounds of the Pantanal’s wildlife, and we’ll take this opportunity to spot the animals that wake up and become active as the coolness of the night sets in. Beneath the starry skies of these exotic wetlands, we may see owls, brocket deer, tapirs, foxes and waters filled with caimans, whose eyes glow in the dark under the moonlight.
This is a 20 to 30-minute group tour.
Day 3: Pantanal
Through the Lens: Pantanal Photo Safari Experience
Immerse yourself in the vibrant, lush wetlands scenery while capturing awesome shots of Pantanal wildlife with your lens as you embark on a photo safari. Get your camera ready as we cruise through open fields and flooded areas in search of the perfect picture!
This is a half-day group tour.
A Hike Through Pantanal: The World’s Largest Wetlands
The incredibly diverse and exotic wildlife of the largest wetlands in the world and a sense of adventure awaits us as we take a trek through the Pantanal in search of fascinating biodiversity, including the star of Pantanal: the majestic jaguar!
This is a half-day group tour.
Pantanal in the Dark: a Night-Spotting Experience
As we return from our afternoon tour, we’ll ride our safari-adapted vehicle in a mini-excursion to spot the night-time wildlife of the Pantanal.
This is a 20 to 30-minute group tour.
Day 4: Last day in Pantanal
Transfer with private vehicle and guide to Campo Grande airport.
Amazon Rainforest
Staying for 3 nights, with 6 tours included
Day 4: You arrive in Amazon Rainforest
Flight arrival in Amazonas. Welcome at the airport and transfer with group vehicle and group boat to your lodge. The approximate total transfer time is 60 minutes (40 minutes by car and 20 by boat).
A Nighttime Canoeing Expedition in the Amazon (private tour)
It’s pitch black darkness in the Amazon Rainforest, as we’re embarked aboard a motorized canoe on an expedition to contemplate and listen to the myriad of sounds coming from the nocturnal creatures of the Amazon Rainforest. With many animals being nocturnal, the Amazon Rainforest comes alive at night, giving us the chance to experience the Amazon’s animal “orchestra” while hopefully spotting some of its nocturnal wildlife, as well as seeing the glowing eyes of a caiman swimming in the dark right beside our boat!
During our outing, we’ll be able to take in the constant and enthralling sounds of chirping and singing from the nearby birds and insects as we’re surrounded by the ambience of nighttime on the Amazon.
This is a 1 hour private tour.
Day 5: Amazon Rainforest
Hands-on Survival Techniques and Full-day Trekking in the Thick of the Amazon Rainforest (private tour)
Get ready for a most adventurous exploration in the thick of the Amazon rainforest! We’ll spend an entire day in the jungle, hiking and learning a wealth of hands-on jungle survival techniques from a team of former members of the Brazilian Military, specialized in jungle rescue operations.
Our trained professional team leaders will take us on a hiking tour and will introduce us to jungle survival techniques, such as obtaining drinking water, making fire, differentiating edible plant species, setting up traps, building a shelter, and the Amazonian “peconha” technique to gather fruit from high up on trees.
For lunch we’ll make a genuine Amazonian barbecue served with sides and fruits.
This is a full-day private tour for people of all ages (5 and up) and it’s designed to be safe and easygoing. The total hiking distance is normally around 4 miles (6 kilometers) but can be adapted to as little as 1200 feet (400 meters) or even less for guests with limited mobility. The tour, in sum, is designed for almost everyone and, although it is adventurous and exciting, it is certainly not challenging.
This tour includes lunch with non-alcoholic beverages.
Day 6: Amazon Rainforest
Navigating the Amazon River and Witnessing the
Unique Phenomenon of the "Meeting of the Unmixable Waters"
Get ready to discover one of the many amazing features of the largest river on Earth: the Amazon River, whose flow is even larger than the flow of the next eight largest rivers in the world combined!
We’ll hop on our boat for a full day exploration on the Amazon river. We’ll first navigate to the confluence of the two rivers that form the Amazon River: the pitch-black Rio Negro and the cream-colored Solimoes River. That confluence is known as “the meeting of the unmixable waters.” Due to a unique quirk of nature, the waters of these two tributary rivers flow side by side for about 8 miles (12 kilometers) without mixing, due to a large difference between the rivers’ flowing speeds and temperatures. The difference in color between the two rivers is so stark, in fact, that the two “unmixable” waters can even be distinguished from satellites orbiting in space!
This is a full day tour with a private guide, in a group boat with up to 60 passengers. It includes lunch without alcoholic beverages at a floating restaurant on the Amazon river.
Day 7: Amazon Rainforest
A Taste of Amazon Life: an Amazon Dweller Shows Us His Traditions, Customs and Distinctive Perspective on Life (private tour)
It’s time hop on our boat and navigate down the Amazon river to visit one Caboclo (Amazon dweller). We’ll learn first-hand about the traditions, customs and distinctive perspective on life of a caboclo. We’ll learn about his life, customs, and how Caboclos make a living off the jungle that surrounds them. This is a unique chance to experience and interact with one of the locals that call the Amazon basin their home.
This is a 1 hour private tour.
Visiting a Wild Monkey Conservation Center (private tour)
We’ll set out on a boat to visit the facilities for rehabilitation and re-introduction of wild animals into their habitats (known as "the Monkey Forest"). This center was created in 1991, with the intention of receiving animals confiscated from illegal commerce. In this center, the animals are evaluated and taken care of by a team of veterinary doctors and biologists.
One of the species mostly present at the site is the “macaco barrigudo” (woolly monkey), which has a protected status as a result of abuse by illegal traders and their slow reproductive rate. You’ll also see wild monkeys, that come out every day for food, and maybe even some resident monkeys that live in the center, for rehabilitation purposes.
This is a 40 minutes private tour. The tour is not always available, because the reserve is sometimes depleted when monkeys are readapted to the wild.
A Fishing Adventure in Search of the Amazon’s Most Voracious Creature: the Piranha (private tour)
Grab your fishing pole and bait as we embark on a fishing adventure in the Amazon River in search of a fish famed for its aggressiveness and extremely sharp teeth: the piranha. Among the 2,200 species of fish living in the Amazon basin (more species than in all of the rivers of Europe combined!), piranhas have become the most famous due to their voracity. Due to their keen sense of smell for blood, they can attack at the scent of it, swarming by the thousands and stripping an animal to the bone in mere minutes!
Our expert guide will take us out in search of a good spot where he thinks we’ll have the best chances to fish piranhas and other species, while we take in the lush atmosphere of the surrounding Amazon river!
This is a 1 hour private tour.
A late checkout is included, you can use your room until 2 PM on your checkout date.
Transfer with group vehicle and group boat to Manaus airport. The approximate total travel time is 1 hour (40 minutes by car and 20 by boat).
The normal check-out time at Amazon Ecopark Lodge is at 10:30 AM. However, your trip includes a late check-out at so you can use your room (depending on your flight departure time) until 2 PM, and the lodge's facilities until the airport transfer time.We look forward to welcoming you again in Brazil!
Lodging for 6 nights Included
suggested comfort category lodging
- Pantanal: 3 nightsCaiman Ecological Refuge
Caiman Ecological Refuge - “superior” category room at baiazinha lodge: 3 nights
“superior” category room at baiazinha lodge - Amazon Rainforest: 3 nightsAmazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge
Amazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge - "superior" category bungalow: 3 nights
"superior" category bungalow
suggested deluxe category lodging
- Pantanal: 3 nightsCaiman Ecological Refuge
Caiman Ecological Refuge - suite at cordilheira lodge: 3 nights
Suite at cordilheira lodge - Amazon Rainforest: 3 nightsAmazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge
Amazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge - "superior plus" category bungalow: 3 nights
"superior plus" category bungalow
Domestic Flights Duration & Route
Brazil is a huge country, the 5th largest in the world, so flights tend to be long, because of the long distances. Also many flights have connections. Needless to say, traveling by land is unfeasible in almost every case.
We can take care of booking all the needed domestic flights for your trip.
| Flight Route | Total Flight Duration |
|---|---|
| Campo Grande to Manaus | 6 hours and 50 minutes (there is no direct flight, so a connection is needed) |
For a worry‑free travel experience, we strongly advise letting us take care of your domestic flights. It’s common for local airlines to make several flight changes before (and sometimes during) a trip. Taking care of domestic flights will allow us to closely monitor any flight changes, adapting your trip itinerary as needed.
Our flight issuing service includes: flights booking, daily tracking of flight status and changes, reconfirmation with the airline of each flight before each departure, booking of your flight seats, web check-in (not available for all flights) and assistance with your flights arrangements if there is any flight delay, change or cancellation before or during your trip.
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Our goal is that you don't have to worry about a thing. We take care of:
We actively manage your domestic flight arrangements so you can enjoy a worry‑free travel experience. |
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A Sneak Peek Inside Your Travel Booklet
You'll receive your Travel Booklet in two convenient formats: a printed version via FedEx and a digital version via email.
Starting Price per Person in U.S. Dollars
(does not include flights)
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Prices below include all hotels, tours, airport transfers and meals mentioned in this itinerary. Domestic airfare is not included. | |||
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| Room Basis | Comfort Category Lodging | Deluxe Category Lodging | |
| Double occupancy room | |||
| Triple occupancy room | |||
Discounts available for groups of 4 or more travelers. Request a quote for 4 or more travelers or for a single traveler. Prices vary based on travel dates, season, and availability. We accept all major credit cards with no surcharge. Our prices are final — you won’t have to pay anything extra. The starting price for the 1 domestic flight needed is $ 131 per person. Airfares vary with availability — the sooner we book your flights, the lower the airfare. Our airfares include:
Most travel agencies and flight websites quote airfares that do not include any of the above, nor the possibility to book seats in advance, but we always book all-inclusive airfares that allow these. Our goal is that you don’t have to worry about a thing. We take care of:
We actively manage your domestic flight arrangements so you can enjoy a worry‑free travel experience. | |||
Frequently Asked Questions
Pricing, Booking & Payment
What’s included in the price?
- All hotels, tours, airport transfers and meals mentioned in this itinerary proposal
We include all the necessary entrance tickets to national parks, as well as all other tour-related fees, which are sometimes not included or even mentioned by other travel agencies.
And beyond the travel services themselves, your trip price includes:
- A worry-free experience — our 24/7 assistance team, plus local representatives in every destination, taking care of you and every detail during your entire trip
- Full concierge service before and during your trip: restaurant suggestions and bookings, local tips, and any special arrangement you need — no request is too big or too small
- Close monitoring of all your flights — online check-in handled for you, and immediate rebooking if an airline changes or cancels anything
- Your personalized Travel Booklet, full of useful tips and information to help you make the most out of your trip experience, delivered as a printed copy by FedEx and a digital version
What’s not included in the price?
International airfare to and from Brazil.
Domestic flights for this trip are quoted separately from ground services.
Tips to hotel staff, tour guides, etc.
Visa issuing expenses to enter Brazil. Travelers from USA, Canada, and Australia are required to obtain a visa to visit Brazil. We'll provide full assistance with the Brazilian visa application process, ensuring a seamless and worry-free experience.
Anything not expressly mentioned in this itinerary proposal.
How does the booking process work — and how do I pay?
The trip booking process generally takes from 2 to 4 business days. Once all services are booked, we will send you an invoice with the trip booking confirmation and payment instructions. If your trip start date is in fewer than 60 days, we’ll request a full trip payment. If not, we’ll request a first payment of about 40% of the total trip cost, with final payment due 60 days before your trip start date.
We accept all major credit cards. You can also pay with bank wire transfers or check deposits. Our prices are final, you won't have to pay anything extra no matter what payment method you use.
Can I change my itinerary after booking?
Before booking, everything is adjustable — dates, hotels, tours, destinations. That’s the point of a personalized itinerary: we’ll go back and forth with you until it’s exactly the trip you want.
After booking, we always book flexible domestic airfares: flights can be changed to future dates with no change penalty as long as the same airfare is available for the new dates (if not, you only pay the airfare difference). For hotels and tours we’ll always do our best to accommodate changes, subject to availability and the conditions of the service suppliers.
What is your cancellation policy?
For all payments which have already made at the time we receive written notice that you must cancel your trip, the following fees will be charged:
- » When only the first payment (approximately 25% to 40% of the total payment depending on the trip) has been made: up to 80% cancellation fee over the first payment will apply, as most domestic flight tickets are non-refundable after being paid for and issued.
- » After your total payment has been made and longer than 60 days to the trip starting date: up to 50% cancellation fee over the total payment will apply. Or up to 60% if the itinerary includes the Pantanal (as lodges have stricter cancellation policies).
- » After your total payment has been made and 36 to 60 days before the start date of the trip: up to 70% cancellation fee over total payment is applicable. Or up to 80% if the itinerary includes the Pantanal (as lodges have stricter cancellation policies).
- » After your total payment has been made and 20 to 35 days before the start date of the trip: up to 90 % cancellation fee over total payment is applicable.
- » After your total payment has been made and 19 days before the trip starting date, or later: there will be no right to refunds.
We’ll always try our best to get as much of a refund as possible, depending on the trip cancellation date, and the conditions of the service suppliers.
Important note: certain hotels, boats, lodges and airlines may have deposit terms and cancellation policies which vary from our own. We may need to collect an additional deposit from you to hold some reservations. The cancellation penalties on payments will be determined by these individual organizations and will override our policy.
Refunds will only be issued to you once we have received the funds back from the supplier(s). Generally, flight tickets cannot be refunded if they are partially used. We are not responsible for a supplier’s failure to pay a refund.
Should I buy travel insurance?
We strongly recommend travel insurance covering trip cancellations (reimbursement of non-refundable costs if you must cancel due to illness, family emergencies or other unforeseen events) and flight disruptions (extra expenses if flights are canceled or rescheduled due to weather, strikes or other uncontrollable circumstances).
Important: health insurance is mandatory for traveling to Argentina. Your plan must include coverage for medical expenses due to accident or illness, as well as emergency evacuation and repatriation. Health insurance is usually bundled with cancellation insurance.
We do not endorse any specific provider, but we have seen US guests choose companies like Travel Guard or Travel Insured.
Why Exploration Journeys
Why should I choose you for my Argentina trip?
In 20 years of organizing Argentina trips, our guests have consistently rewarded us with a 5.0 rating across Google, Facebook and Yelp. And more than 750 past guests — who published their testimonials on our website with their full names, itineraries and trip photos — have volunteered to speak directly with future travelers, so you can ask them anything you’d like before deciding. We believe there’s no better way to earn trust than letting our past guests speak for us.
Don’t take our word for it — read our guests’ testimonials and contact any of them directly.
What makes Exploration Journeys different from large multi-country travel agencies?
Most big international operators selling Argentina rely on third-party companies to actually run your trip on the ground. We don’t. We design and operate every trip directly — the team planning your itinerary is the same team taking care of you and every detail while you travel. This allows a level of personalized care that companies that outsource simply cannot achieve. And we have specialized in just Argentina for 20 years, while most operators sell dozens of destinations, without the deep Argentina expertise we’ve built.
What if something goes wrong during the trip — a cancelled flight, someone gets sick?
Our team monitors your trip 24/7 and is ready to help with anything you need. We closely monitor all your flights — and if an airline changes or cancels anything, we immediately secure the best available alternative and rearrange any ground services as needed. In many cases, we’ve solved it before you even know about it.
We meticulously select, train, and monitor all our service providers — our top priority is that your trip runs smoothly and you take home the best memories.
The same goes for anything personal during your trip — a doctor, a pharmacy, a translation, or help with anything needed or unexpected: our team is one call away at any hour, and we stay on it until it’s solved. Our goal is that every guest feels cared for like family.
Other Questions
Are there fixed departure dates? Do I travel with a group?
You can choose any start date you wish for your trip, because all of our trips have private departures. That is, you won’t be traveling as part of a group.
How do you select your tour guides? Do they all speak English fluently?
We don’t just plan your days — we choose who you spend them with. Every guide is hand-picked, and most have worked with our guests for over 10 years, so they know exactly what we expect in terms of experience and care. And yes: all our guides speak fluent English.
After 20 years of operating trips, we keep working only with the guides our guests consistently rate as exceptional — 95% of our guests complete a detailed satisfaction survey after their trip.
Do we need a visa or vaccines for Argentina?
US citizens do not need a visa for tourist visits to Argentina, and your passport only needs to be valid during your stay — Argentine immigration requires no minimum validity period. No vaccinations are required to enter Argentina, though health insurance is mandatory (see the insurance question above).
How does money work in Argentina — cash, credit cards, tipping?
Credit cards are widely accepted at hotels, restaurants and shops in all the destinations you’ll visit (Visa is the most common, followed by Mastercard), though a few popular restaurants only take cash. US dollars are also widely accepted — bring newer-design bills in excellent condition, plus small bills for tipping — and some Argentine pesos are practical for taxis, markets and small purchases.
Tipping is customary and not included in the trip price: up to 10% at restaurants for good service (less than the 15–20% typical in the US), and no tip expected in taxis. Your Travel Booklet includes our complete, current guidance on money, exchange rates and tipping for every situation — guides, drivers, transfers and hotels.
How fit do we need to be? Can you accommodate mobility or dietary needs?
Your itinerary is designed around you — including its pace. All tours have detailed information on their difficulty, and almost every experience can be adapted. If anyone in your group has mobility limitations, tell us and we’ll plan accordingly; our guides are exceptional at making sure nobody misses a thing.
Dietary restrictions are no problem either — vegetarian and other dietary needs are handled at restaurants and on tours; just let us know in advance.
Your Travel Booklet — a Preview
Every trip we organize includes a personalized Travel Booklet — a printed copy delivered to your home by FedEx, plus a digital version for your phone. It’s written for your exact trip: your dates, your hotels, your tours. A taste of what’s inside yours:
- Your Day-by-Day, Organized: your complete itinerary with pickup times for every tour and transfer.
- Always Just a Call Away: our 24/7 assistance contacts, plus local representatives in every destination you’ll visit.
- All About Flights: airline info, flight details, luggage allowances, and mileage programs for a seamless, worry-free trip.
- Manage Money Like a Pro: make the most of your money — secure the best rates, when to use credit cards or cash, avoiding fees and much more.
- Tipping Made Easy: clear tipping guidelines for tour guides, drivers, restaurants, and more.
- Savor Local Cuisine: the best local restaurants with our curated list, including menus, addresses, phone numbers, and payment options.
- Master the Parrilla: your insider’s guide to Argentine grills — navigate the menu and order the perfect steak like a pro.
- A Taste of Local Culture: how to make “mate”, Argentina’s beloved traditional drink — and our easy empanada recipe to bring Argentina’s flavors home.
- Packing Made Simple: packing tips tailored to each destination and specific suggestions for your tours.