9 day safari

Prices from

£5100

Excluding international flights

Tour Highlights

  • 4 full days of Jaguar boat safaris on iconic Cuiaba river
  • Maximum of 6 clients per boat
  • Expert local naturalist and boatman
  • Quality spacious lodge, not basic Flotel

Brazil Jaguar Safari with Four Full Days of Boat Safaris on the Cuiaba River

There are several different types of major habitats accessed by using the Transpantaneira road and you will have quality time in two of them. In particular, the Cuiaba River (and its tributaries) where approximately 90% of the jaguar sightings take place during boat safaris. You cannot visit this area for just a couple of days and expect to see Jaguars and you can certainly not expect to see them if you do not go to the end of this famous road and spend some quality time on the water. Most other operators return to their lodges or houseboats for lunch, but we take packed lunches and stay out all day. Unlike other big cats around the world, Jaguars are sighted often in the middle of the day; either relaxing under the shade of the riverine forest, or sometimes hunting Capybara, Caimans or other prey species.

When to Go:
  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec

Best time to visit -

SEP

Safari Style -

Small Group

Sep 23

ARRIVE IN CUIABA

On arrival at Cuiaba airport you will be met by your expert guide, who will transfer you to Pousada Alegre (a journey of approximately 3 hours). The second half of this journey marks the starting point of the unsealed road and your first wildlife viewing opportunity. As well as hundreds of birds, caimans and maybe even the odd Neotropical Otter. You will enjoy the change of scenery as the Pantanal landscape, dominated by large ranches, comes into view

Accommodation : Pousada Alegre

Sep 24

EARLY MORNING AND NIGHT TIME VEHICLE SAFARIS

Full day of very early morning safari looking for Giant Anteater and Tapir, and late afternoon safari followed by nocturnal drive looking for wildlife such as Ocelot and crab eating Foxes. Opportunities to walk, take gentle horse-back safaris or explore areas by safari vehicle.

Accommodation : Pousada Alegre

Sep 25

DRIVE SOUTH TO THE END OF THE TRANSPANTANEIRA ROAD TO PORTO JOFRE

Early morning safari close to the lodge before driving 3-4 hours (with stops) to the end of the Transpantaneira road where you will find the best lodge on the Cuiaba River – Hotel Pantanal Norte. No small houseboat on the river for our clients, where you can hardly move and there are many mosquitoes around. We have chosen the best quality accommodation on the Cuiaba river and with its extensive gardens, swimming pool and private jetty’s just a stones throw away from your private bungalows; you couldn’t be in a better place to enjoy your Pantanal jaguar safari.

Accommodation : Hotel Pantanal Norte

Sep 26-29

FOUR FULL DAYS OF PRIVATE BOAT SAFARIS ON THE CUIABA RIVER

Four full days of morning and afternoon small group boat safaris in one of the best locations in the world to see Jaguars. There is also a chance to see Tapir, Giant River Otters, Black Howler Monkeys, Iguana, lots of Caimans and some beautiful birds. Our intention is to be out all day with packed lunches to maximise our chance of incredible Jaguar encounters, but also to profit from less boats on the river during the afternoon siesta of the other groups on the river.

Accommodation : Hotel Pantanal Norte

Sep 30

DRIVE BACK NORTH TO CUIABA AND OVERNIGHT AT A QUALITY HOTEL

We can have a relaxed breakfast and final walk around the grounds where there is sometimes a pair of nesting Hyacinth Macaws before getting in our minibus and driving back to Cuiaba. We will stop at one of the riverside lodges for lunch and arrive at our hotel early evening.

Accommodation : Hotel Deville

Pricing Info & Dates

Costs £5100 based on two people sharing and not including flights. Valid for the dates shown above in September 2025

Includes:

  • £100 donation to Panthera to protect Jaguars across their entire range
  • A private minibus shared with a maximum of 6 clients
  • A boat designed for 10 with a maximum of 6 clients
  • Expert local naturalist and separate boatman

Excludes:

  • The cost of international flights (we can quote on request)
  • Costs of applicable Visas and travel insurance
  • Lunch and dinner on final day
  • Gratuities for boatman and main naturalist

Tour Route Map

What

Our Clients Say About Us

★★★★★
Amazing Experience

We travelled through the Pantanal in Brazil. Our guide was fantastic. He met us at our hotel and accompanied us throughout. Transportation (4x4) with a driver was very comfortable, particularly as was mainly mud roads! The first few days we spent at Pousada Alegre, Bird sightings were great, but also fox, monkey and tapir to name but a few. Majority of our trip was spent looking for Jaguar o the river. And we definitely were lucky! We had some amazing sightings, including a number of mum and cubs. Allan's organisation of the trip was spot on. Everything worked like clockwork and the guide he chose spoke perfect English and went out of his way to ensure that we were always in the best places / positions to photograph the wildlife. We have used Allan on on several wildlife trips in the past and this one was up to his usual high standards. Allan takes the time to get to know you, your preferences and understand exactly what you wish to do / see and works with you to achieve the type of holiday you wish. Thanks again Allan - looking forward to Tanzania in February!

ByIsabell and Steve
★★★★★
A Pantanal Adventure

We re-visited the Pantanal having enjoyed a previous trip so much. This time, with Eduardo as our guide, it was truly an adventure. His enthusiasm and excitement about all of the wildlife is so ectious. We had some fabulous sightings of jaguar, some totally exclusive to us. Eduardo is equally keen on all that the Pantanal has to offer & energetically pursues experiences for his guests to share. He & I had the most amazing encounter with a giant anteater with a baby on her back. His excitement for this was palpable & it greatly enhanced my experience. We also had some very special daytime tapir viewings and this is entirely due to his observations of their behaviour and the likely directions they may take. So for this and the giant anteater sighting, the viewing was extended by his ability to predict what might happen next. Even staying at his lodge (JER) was a continuation of wildlife experiences as he actively seeks to find all the creatures that he can. Plus I found his lodge delightfully quirky & fun. Eduardo took great & very personal care of us & he was a joy to be with & very knowledgeable. Allan & Kirsty Blanchard make Wildlife Trails perfect for our needs. They have got to know us over time and the experience of working in partnership with them to plan our trips means that our holidays come to life through the planning process. So by the time we set off we can feel confident that our trip will be exactly what we want. Thanks for doing such a grand job.

ByAvril and Brian
★★★★★
An excellent wildlife holiday

We are so delighted that this interesting combination of the Pantanal, Chapada dos Guimarães and the southern Amazon worked out so well. It was a real pleasure organising this bespoke zilian wildlife tour for you and we hope you have a treasure chest of memories. Wildlife Trails arrangements worked very well.

ByScott
★★★★★
Tremendous Pantanal and Iguacu experience with Wildlife Trails

Spent 2 weeks in October in the Southern and Northern Pantanal, and amongst numerous other encounters with a range of animals, got to spend time with Giant anteaters, Tapirs, Jaguars, Capuchin and ler monkeys, and of course the King of the Pantanal, the magnificent capybara! To spend time close to a wild animal, who knows you are there, but continues to act entirely naturally, remains one of the best experiences you can have. Magical. Thanks to Allan and Kirsty at Wildlife Trails for their patience while customising our trip, all connections and transfers were perfect, and our guides Stefan and Tito were great. The 4 days we enjoyed at Iguacu falls were the perfect end to the trip. We have been working with Wildlife Trails for nearly 12 years, since we first went to India and have never been disappointed. Everything is individually customised from the itinerary to choice of lodges/hotels, and all at very reasonable cost. Highly recommended.

ByDel and Sheila
★★★★★
Brazil. Pantanal plus City visits.

Three of us had a three week holiday with included visits to Salvador, Rio, Iguasu Falls and Ilhe Grande, fitted in around 13 days in the Pantanal and Cristalino Lodge. We flew, via Lisbon, into vador for a three night stay after the trans-Atlantic flight. Three internal flights took us to Alta Floresta for Cristalino River Lodge. The "wildlife" section of the holiday really exceeded our expectations, the Cristalino river was a great place, not only for mammals, but especially for birds. From the lodge you had a selection of river trips, treks and a trip up a 50 metre tower above the forest cover. A flight back to Cuieba allowed us to be collected by our guide who took us all around our Pantanal visit. The Pantanal was shown to us from three different lodges, all of which have different animals and birds, the highlight of these visits were several sightings of Jaguar, plus giant and neotropical otters. We then had flights to get to Iguasu Falls for a two day visit, prior to flying to Rio and Ilha Grande for a few days before flying back to UK, once again via Lisbon. This is the fourth time we have used Wildlife Trails to arrange a holiday for us. Once again Allan has come up trumps - the preliminary discussions started almost twelve months in advance to get the best dates to visit the Pantanal for Jaguar sightings, once these had been agreed, provisional bookings were made for the lodges of choice, plus our excellent guide, Tito, was engaged. We then discussed the add-on visits we were considering, which Allan then arranged, including adjusting hotels to suit. Internal and international flights were arranged for our convenience - flying directly into Salvador from Manchester!! Everything was always available to check, and there was always someone to discuss or answer any questions or queries we had. On the actual holiday there were no problems in transfers, or any of the minor nitty gritty parts of the holiday.

ByRoger, Debbie and Liz