- Brazil Private Tours
- Rio, Iguazu and the Jaguars of the Pantanal - Private Tour
Discover Brazil’s highlights, from the wildlife-rich Pantanal, home to the world’s highest jaguar density, to the majestic Iguazu Falls and its lush surroundings. Experience Rio’s iconic sights, including Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf Mountain, and explore Salvador’s vibrant Afro-Brazilian culture, colonial charm, and lively coastal atmosphere.
Dinner
On arrival, you will be met by your guide at the airport and transferred to your hotel for check-in. You’ll have the afternoon at leisure to relax and settle in after your flight. In the evening, enjoy a unique cultural experience as you are taken to the Rafain Churrascaria. Here, you’ll not only savour a traditional Brazilian barbecue, but also be treated to a vibrant folklore show, featuring music and dance from Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and other South American countries. This lively evening offers a perfect introduction to the region’s culture.
If you are arranging your own international flights, free airport transfers are available and included in the price. Transfers need to be booked with us at least two weeks before the tour starts and you will need to provide your inbound and outbound flight details.
Breakfast
After breakfast, head out on a scenic drive across the Tancredo Neves Bridge towards the Iguaçu National Park in Argentina. A small train will take you through the park, where you’ll visit both the upper and lower circuits, offering exceptional views of the falls and the surrounding nature. The walking trails wind through lush forests filled with orchids, birds, and wildlife. The highlight of your day is visiting the Devil’s Throat platform, offering an up-close experience with the largest waterfall in the park. You’ll be surrounded by the sheer power and beauty of the falls. The full day tour lasts approximately 7 hours.
Breakfast
After breakfast, check out and transfer to the Brazilian side of Iguaçu Falls for a final exploration. The Brazilian side provides magnificent panoramic views of the falls and the surrounding jungle. Afterward, enjoy a scenic walk along the canyon trails, then board a glass elevator to reach a platform that offers even more breathtaking views. Once the tour concludes, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your afternoon flight to Rio de Janeiro. Upon arrival in Rio, you’ll meet your local guide and enjoy a transfer to your hotel, where you can relax for the remainder of the day.
Breakfast
After breakfast at your hotel, begin your city tour with a scenic drive around the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon before heading to Corcovado Hill to visit the world-famous Christ the Redeemer statue. At 2,300 feet above sea level, the statue provides sweeping views of the city, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana Beach, and beyond. After your visit, continue to Sugarloaf Mountain, one of Rio's most iconic landmarks. Take a cable car to the top, where you’ll enjoy panoramic views of the bay, surrounding islands, and the city itself. The tour lasts approximately 6 hours, and lunch is at your leisure. The rest of the day is free for you to explore more of Rio, perhaps by visiting Ipanema Beach or exploring the vibrant local markets.
Breakfast & Dinner
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before checking out. Transfer to the airport for your morning flight to Salvador. Upon arrival, your guide will meet you at the airport and provide a private transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax or explore the neighbourhood surrounding your hotel.
Breakfast & Lunch
Start your day with a full tour, which combines both panoramic and historical views of Salvador. The tour begins in the Barra district, famous for its lighthouse and views of the Bay of All Saints. From there, you will travel to the historic centre, where you can admire colonial-era buildings, colourful streets, and vibrant squares. You'll visit important landmarks such as the São Francisco Church and Pelourinho, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Next, explore the Itapagipe Peninsula, a peaceful area of the city with lovely waterfront views. This full-day tour lasts approximately 8 hours and gives you a comprehensive look at the city’s rich history, culture, and natural beauty.
Breakfast & Dinner
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your indirect flight to Cuiaba (via Brasilia), the gateway to the Pantanal, which is the world’s largest tropical wetland and the best place to spot jaguars. During the dry season (June to October), sightings increase, and you may hear their vocalisations. Males bark and growl while females emit a distinctive cough. Look out for signs like claw marks and territorial droppings, particularly along riverbanks, as that’s where they search for their prey. Upon arrival, your guide will meet you and take you on a scenic transfer to your lodge in the Pantanal. Along the way, you’ll pass through the small village of Mimoso, where you'll learn about the life of Brazilian explorer Candido Rondon. The drive through the landscape offers the first glimpses of the diverse wildlife and natural beauty of the region. Upon reaching the lodge, you’ll be introduced to the area and the upcoming activities. In the evening, enjoy a traditional dinner, including a delicious piranha soup.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, head out on horseback to explore the jungle and the edge of Siá Mariana Bay. The Pantanal is famous for its diverse wildlife, including capybaras, caimans, and a variety of bird species, which can be observed during your ride. After returning to the lodge for lunch, embark on a boat ride along the Mutum River for a photographic safari. This river is home to giant otters, stingrays, and colourful fish. The area is also a birdwatcher's paradise. In the evening, enjoy a nocturnal jeep safari to spot the Pantanal’s elusive wildlife. Dinner will be served at the lodge.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Start the day with an ecological walk through the jungle and open fields, focusing on wildlife and birdwatching. With the largest concentration of bird species in the world, the Pantanal is a paradise for nature lovers. After lunch, head out on a boat trip along the Mutum River, Siá Mariana Bay, and Chacororé Bay, stopping to enjoy the sunset at Siá Mariana. In the evening, join a piranha fishing experience and then enjoy cayman feeding using the fish you’ve caught. Afterward, head out for another nocturnal safari to spot creatures like capybaras and anteaters.
Breakfast
Wake up early for a canoe ride on the Mutum River to witness the beauty of the Pantanal at dawn. This peaceful experience offers a chance to see the wildlife as it awakens for the day. After breakfast, you’ll check out of the lodge and be transferred to the Cuiaba airport for your flight back to the UK, or extend your stay with an optional extension.
If you are arranging your own international flights, free airport transfers are available and included in the price. Transfers need to be booked with us at least two weeks before the tour starts and you will need to provide your inbound and outbound flight details.
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The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
It is your responsibility to check your passport validity. To enter Brazil your passport must have an ‘expiry date’ at least 6 months after the day you plan to leave. Sources of information include; https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice.
A visa is not required to Brazil for up to 90 days tourist visit, however further advice should be sought from the applicable tourist authority for other nationalities and for general queries. We strongly advise you check your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy for the most up-to-date guidelines regarding passport validity
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
Expect a more dynamic itinerary with longer days of exploration. Walking may extend beyond four hours per day, including some uphill or uneven terrain and changes of altitude. Travel times between destinations may be longer and involve overnight trains, requiring better stamina and mobility. Ideal for those who enjoy a higher level of activity and want to experience as much as possible.
The currency in Brazil is the Brazilian Real, known as BRL. (R$) You can exchange currency at exchange stores and Cash Machines are available in all major cities. Local stores only accept the Brazilian Real, however Credit and Debit cards are widely accepted.
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.
It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive. There are foreign exchange offices and cash machines available in most places during your tour. Your tour guide can assist you in each country with currency exchange. Credit and debit cards are accepted in most hotels and some shops and restaurants; a charge is sometimes added for using them.
You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks as well as your lunch and dinner on each day when not included. Approximately £600-£700 per person should be sufficient for the tour.
Tipping
It is customary to tip both your driver and guide and is at your discretion. We would recommend approximately £5.00 ($6.00) per person per day in total. This will be collected at the end of your day and can be paid in both local currency and US dollars. Tipping at Restaurants/Hotels etc is discretionary, but on average is around 10%.
This is an escorted tour where we use Local Expert guides in each city. You will be guided by a local specialist in each of the cities you visit.
Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and South America. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.
Breakfast is always western style and served in the hotel each morning. Dinner (when included) will be taken in local restaurants or at the hotel. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way.
Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information.
On your arrival in Foz do Iguassu, you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Blumar, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Blumar representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your national guide will be on hand 24 hours a day should you have any queries.
Brazil: Blumar Rua Siqueira Campos, 43 - cob 02 Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, 22031-901 Telephone: 0055 21 2142 9300 E-mail: juliepires@blumar.com.br
Please find below the 24 hour emergency contact details: 0055 21 99109 7256
