Tailor-made Brazil trip: a private 20-day route from Salvador to Rio via the Pantanal, Bonito and Iguaçu

The wide Iguaçu falls seen from the Brazilian side — The Iguaçu falls

This tailor-made Brazil trip takes you through four very different sides of Brazil in 20 days. You start in Afro-Brazilian Salvador da Bahia, spend three nights at a river lodge in the South Pantanal, snorkel for five days in the crystal-clear rivers of Bonito, see the Iguaçu Falls from both the Brazilian and the Argentine side, and finish in Rio de Janeiro.

It is my recommended route, offered as a private trip: you travel with your partner, family or friends on the dates you choose, with no group and no tour escort. Airport pickup, hotels, domestic flights and Bonito vouchers are arranged in advance, and in the Pantanal and Bonito you choose between self-drive and a private driver.

At a glance

Recommended duration: 20 days (14 to 24 days possible)
Format: private, fully arranged, tailor-made
Start: any day, you choose the dates
Transport: three domestic flights (included); self-drive or private driver in the Pantanal and Bonito; private transfers in the cities and at Iguaçu
Comfort level: Budget, Comfort or Premium
Price from (indicative price): €3,260 pp excluding flight (based on 2 travellers); flight approx. €900–1,250 pp, not included, depending on the month
Travelling as four: about 11% less per person · travelling solo: about 55% more
Best months: June to September

Comfort level	Self-drive	With private driver
Budget	€3,260	€3,690
Comfort	€3,840	€4,260
Premium	€5,310	€5,710

Prices are per person, based on 2 travellers, excluding the international flight. They are indicative estimates and may change once partner quotes are in.

Best time to travel

June to September is the dry season inland. In the Pantanal the water retreats and wildlife gathers around the remaining rivers and pools, so you see the most. In Bonito the rivers are at their clearest.

A river reflecting trees in the Pantanal — The Pantanal

July is the Brazilian school holiday and high season in Bonito, so we book excursions as soon as your dates are confirmed. August and September are wildfire season in the Pantanal; for those months we keep a backup plan ready.

The route and why it runs this way

Three domestic flights replace days on the road.

Colourful colonial facades in the Pelourinho district of Salvador — Pelourinho in Salvador

Salvador (3 nights): a driver meets you at the airport; then a full city day in the Pelourinho (UNESCO), the gilded São Francisco church, the Lacerda lift, the Bonfim church and a visit to a capoeira school. On day 3 you take a day trip to Praia do Forte, with the TAMAR sea turtle project and, from July, a chance of humpback whales.

South Pantanal (3 nights, full board): after a night in Campo Grande you drive, yourself or with your driver, about 4 hours to a lodge on the Miranda River (at Comfort level the Pantanal Jungle Lodge). Expect boat and canoe trips, walks, an open-vehicle safari and a spotlight night safari. Caimans, capybaras, jabirus and hyacinth macaws are near-certain; jaguars are possible but never guaranteed.

Bonito (5 nights): seven excursions:

snorkelling floats down the Rio da Prata and the Rio Sucuri;
the macaw sinkhole of Buraco das Araras;
the Boca da Onça waterfalls;
the blue lake of Gruta do Lago Azul;
a boat trip on the Formoso River;
the São Miguel cave.

Iguaçu (3 nights): one day for the grand panorama on the Brazilian side, one day across the border for the walkways above the Devil's Throat in Argentina.

Rio de Janeiro (3 nights): Corcovado by train, Santa Teresa, Lapa and the Selarón Steps, sunset on Sugarloaf, Tijuca Forest, Copacabana and Ipanema, and a boat trip on Guanabara Bay.

For this route I chose a holiday home on the Formosinho River in Bonito and a sea-view apartment in Rio. For a couple, a family or four friends these are lovely options at Premium level or on request; otherwise you stay in pousadas and hotels at the comfort level you choose.

See the full day-by-day itinerary

Self-drive or private driver?

Brazil is too big to drive around, so the long distances are flown. But in Mato Grosso do Sul, between Campo Grande, the Pantanal and Bonito (days 5 to 13), a rental car works well: you pick it up and return it in Campo Grande with no one-way fee, the main road is quiet and good, and in Bonito it gets you to the excursions, whose vouchers do not include transport. A Belgian licence and passport are enough (an international permit is recommended). Don't drive after dark: wildlife crosses the road.

Sugarloaf mountain and the bay of Rio de Janeiro — Sugarloaf mountain in Rio

If you'd rather not drive, a private driver takes you from Campo Grande to the lodge, on to Bonito, to each excursion and back to the airport. In Salvador, Foz do Iguaçu and Rio you never drive yourself: transfers and drivers are arranged in both formulas, including a driver authorised to cross into Argentina.

We book the capped Bonito excursions as soon as your dates are fixed, along with timed tickets for Corcovado and both Iguaçu parks. You also have a WhatsApp line with me and a personal 24/7 number.

Practical tips

Visa (Belgian passport): no visa for Brazil for stays up to 90 days. The e-visa Brazil reintroduced in 2025 applies to US, Canadian and Australian citizens, not to Belgians. A passport is required, also for the day in Argentina (an ID card is not enough). Argentina also asks you to declare that you have health insurance, so bring a certificate.
Health: Wanda (ITG) recommends yellow fever vaccination for all travellers to Brazil; the Pantanal, Iguaçu and the Argentine side are in the risk zone. Get vaccinated at least 10 days before departure. There is no malaria in Salvador and Rio and only a low risk in the Pantanal and at Iguaçu. Dengue and chikungunya occur, so protect yourself against mosquitoes. See a travel clinic or wanda.be in good time.
Flights and time: no direct flight; 13 to 15 hours via Lisbon. During Belgian summer time Brazil is 5 hours behind (6 hours in Mato Grosso do Sul).
Guides: only where required: a licensed guide on every Bonito excursion (by law) and the lodge's nature guides in the Pantanal. Prefer a guide? I can add a local guide to any activity.
Meals: Breakfast is included every day, as are the meals at the Pantanal lodge and the two fazenda lunches in Bonito, where there is no alternative. For the other meals you get my restaurant recommendations, but you are completely free to choose where and when you eat: I never steer you to expensive restaurants in return for a commission.

Travel advice

The Belgian FPS Foreign Affairs does not advise against any region on this route, but asks for vigilance because of high levels of violent crime in big cities. It advises avoiding favelas and warns about the drugging of tourists, dating-app extortion and methanol-contaminated drinks. For Argentina there is no negative advice for the Iguazú region, though theft around the falls is common. We go through the safety tips in the intake meeting and in your travel guide; in the cities you use only pre-booked transport and visit Santa Teresa and Lapa by day (with a guide if you like). Read the latest advice on diplomatie.belgium.be.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be a strong swimmer for Bonito?

No. You float with the current wearing a life vest and wetsuit, with a licensed guide. You should feel comfortable in the water.

Can I travel solo or change the route?

Yes to both. Solo travellers pay about 55% more because the room and transport are not shared; four travelling together pay about 11% less per person. You can change the number of days, the order, the hotels and the activities.

How active is the trip?

Moderate. There are steps at Boca da Onça and the caves, early starts in the Pantanal and two long travel days.

Plan your trip

There are no fixed departures: you leave whenever you like. It starts with a personal intake meeting, at your home or by video. You then receive a tailor-made proposal, with my recommended route as the starting point. Plan a call via the interest list or email info@steennot-travels.be. Before we start selling trips, we take out the legally required insurance against financial insolvency. Prices remain estimates until then.

Sources

Last updated: 26 October 2026. Prices and dates are indicative estimates and may change.