The Brazilian Pantanal is undoubtedly South America’s greatest destination for wildlife watching and nature photography. Shared with Bolivia and Paraguay but mostly located in the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, the Pantanal is the world’s largest freshwater wetland ecosystem. Unlike the vast rainforests of the tropics, the Pantanal is a mostly open environment where wildlife is visible and abundant. Many wading birds such as herons, storks, and ibises take advantage of seasonally available resources as the flood waters recede each year during the dry season, and the variety and concentrations of birds and mammals here is unrivalled in South America. Evocative tropical birds such as Hyacinth Macaw, Toco Toucan, Jabiru, Greater Rhea, Red-legged Seriema, Sunbittern and Sungrebe are all expected on this tour.

The dry season (June to October) in the Pantanal presents one of South America's great wildlife spectacles. By the end of the rainy season, the many rivers draining the Pantanal will have spilled over their banks, adding to the standing water which collects in the saturated, low-lying marshes. As the flood waters begin to recede, they leave behind newly nourished plant life and a renewed ecosystem. More importantly for the eco-tourist, the many fishes which take refuge in flooded areas run the risk of being stranded in ephemeral pools as the Pantanal begins to dry out. Millions of herons, storks, and egrets converge on the Pantanal during the dry season to take advantage of this fantastic food resource. A drive down the bumpy Transpantaneira 'highway' during the dry season is a great way to behold this sight firsthand; roadside stops at the many wooden bridges along the way provide the opportunity to drink in the scene: imagine a pond roiling with oxygen-starved fish frantic to escape, while hulking Jabiru and ungainly Wood Storks pick off their hapless prey; scores of caiman stacked alongside river banks intermingle with families of Capybara, a large aquatic hog-like rodent; hawks and kingfishers wait patiently beside the water, scanning for lunch from exposed perches. Drive ahead to the next bridge, rinse, and repeat.

Add to that two days of boat safaris dedicated to finding and photographing Jaguar, South America's top predator and a truly magnificent big cat, and you have the elements of memorable natural history experience. We visit the best birding lodges in the South and North Pantanal. The birding here is both easy and extremely productive, and we should record more than 100 species of birds on several days during this tour. We will be up early every morning and will offer optional night drives on several evenings. There will be several exciting boat rides, including during two full days dedicated to the best areas for Jaguars and Giant Otters. We have excellent chances to see and photograph both of these impressive predators.

The Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, located just 65 km from Mato Grosso's state capital, Cuiabá, is a stark contrast to the Pantanal. Situated atop a scenic plateau punctuated by red sandstone cliffs and remarkable rock formations, the area possesses a rich biodiversity in its cerrado savannah-scrubland and the lush gallery forests which lie in the intervening valleys. This scrub habitat is defined by its distinctive wildfire-resistant plant life, and herein occurs a unique set of endemic birds.

Agami Nature Tours is a Brazilian tour operator specializing in birding and natural history tour to all corners of Brazil. We are based in Mato Grosso, home to the Pantanal, and our experienced guides know the region and its wildlife intimately. We believe that the guide makes all the difference when it comes to a natural history tour. Our guides are experienced, obsessive birders who are patient, persistent, and good humoured, and all of our guides are fluent in English.

Yes! The trip is limited to a maximum of 6 participants. 

Unlike most commercial tours to the Pantanal, this trip is capped at 6 participants and will run with just two participants. Small group sizes mean everyone gets better views of the birds and mammals.

Yes!  The published price is for a trip with just 2 participants. 

If the trip has 3 participants, the cost will be $5600 USD (double) / $6200 USD (single).

If the trip has 4 participants, the cost will be $5300 USD (double) / $5900 USD (single).

If the trip has 6 participants, the cost will be $4500 USD (double) / $5100 USD (single).

We will adjust the tour price according to the number of bookings before the final invoice is sent.

Just click on the "Book Now" button to secure your space!

Payment of the tour deposit can be made using a secure payment link, just follow the steps after clicking on "Book Now" button. 

If you'd like to contact us for further information before you decide, please send us an email at bradley@agaminature.com or tours@agaminature.com

Yes, you can read reports on some of our past tours here: https://agaminature.com/trip-reports/

 The tour begins in the city of Campo Grande, capital of Mato Grosso do Sul state. Campo Grande (IATA code: CGR) can be reached by daily flights from São Paulo and other major Brazilian airports. Upon arrival in Campo Grande, you will be met by your guide at the airport and taken to a comfortable hotel in the modern city of Campo Grande. The tour begins officially with a welcome dinner this evening.

Night in Campo Grande.

After breakfast at our hotel in Campo Grande, we depart in our air-conditioned vehicle to make the 4-hour drive to our first destination, Pousada Aguapé, undoubtedly one of the best lodges for birding in the Southern Pantanal. We'll make some opportunistic birding stops along the way, likely seeing our first Red-legged Seriemas and Greater Rheas of the tour, and there is very good chance for our first Giant Anteaters on this drive. 

After check-in and lunch at the lodge, we can take our first birding walk on the lodge property where we are likely to see our first Hyacinth Macaw and Blue-and-yellow Macaws of the trip, in addition to Toco Toucans, Nanday Parakeets, Chaco Chachalacas, Campo Flicker, Plush-crested Jay and much more. 

Night at Pousada Aguapé

We have a full day plus an afternoon and a full morning to explore the Pousada Aguapé property. Aguapé is a family-run lodge situated near the banks of the Aquidauana river, and we shall explore the area on foot, by boat, and using open safari vehicles. First thing in the morning it can be difficult to get very far from the lodge, as the birding on the grounds is remarkably productive, with Hyacinth Macaw, Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Nanday Parakeet, Bare-faced Curassow, Chaco Chachalaca, Red-crested Cardinal, Toco Toucan, and Plush-crested Jay amongst the usual suspects seen during and after breakfast!

The safari trips here typically offer excellent opportunities to observe the enigmatic Giant Anteater, a species which can be difficult to find farther north in the Pantanal. We are certain to see families of Capybaras, gangs of the emu-like Greater Rhea, stately pairs of Red-legged Seriemas, the massive Jabiru, and a great deal more. There are a handful of birds we’ll want to target at Aguapé, birds which do not occur or are rare in the northern Pantanal: Blue-and-yellow Macaw, Nanday and Blaze-winged Parakeets, Spectacled Owl, Spot-backed Puffbird, Chestnut-capped Foliage-gleaner, and White-fronted Woodpecker, to name just a few. A night safari on the property could yield more anteater sightings, and there is a chance for Ocelot here.

Nights at Pousada Aguapé.

We have another full morning at Pousada Aguapé. After lunch we pack up and return to Campo Grande. If there is time for some birding nearby Campo Grande, we may visit a local park to bird dry cerradão forest, or possibly visit some remnant patches of grassland where Sharp-tailed Tyrant is possible. We spend the night at a comfortable hotel in Campo Grande.

Night in Campo Grande.

Having seen the best of the Southern Pantanal at Pousada Aguapé, today we take a short commercial flight (1 hour) to Cuiabá, the capital city of the neighbouring state of Mato Grosso. From Cuiabá it is a 2-hour drive to the beginning of the Transpantaneira, the dirt road that penetrates 150 km into the northern end of the Pantanal. 

* The Campo Grande - Cuiabá flight is scheduled for 2 pm, so we are likely to do some birding nearby to Campo Grande in the morning. 

Night at Pousada Piuval.

Pousada Piuval hosts a variety of habitats on its vast property, and there will be plenty to keep us busy during our two nights at this location. The open dry areas along the lodge entrance road tend to be good for Guira Cuckoo, White-rumped Monjita, White Woodpecker and Blue-crowned Parakeet. Areas of gallery forest and dry forest host a number of species we may not find elsewhere during the trip, and we will be on the lookout for White-eyed Attila, Amazonian Motmot, Mato Grosso Antbird, White-lored Spinetail, and Saffron-billed Sparrow in the morning. 

Piuval is a particularly good area for several species of cracids, and we hope to find Bare-faced Curassow and Chestnut-bellied Guan. Open areas between natural forest patches are good for Red-legged Seriema, which only occurs in drier parts of the Pantanal, along with the elegant Whistling Heron, Greater Rhea, and Nacunda Nighthawk. The forests themselves could yield Red-billed Scythebill or its massive cousin, the Great Rufous Woodcreeper. After dinner there will be an optional night safari to search for night birds and mammals, including perhaps an encounter with a Brazilian Tapir or the enigmatic Giant Anteater.

Night at Pousada Piuval.

We have another full morning to bird at Pousada Piuval. Immediately after lunch we'll pack up and head south on the Transpantaneira in the heat of the afternoon, making a few birding stops as we go. We'll be familiar with the many of the species we encounter already, but we could add Capped Heron, Black-backed Water-Tyrant, Scarlet-headed Blackbird, or Fawn-breasted Wren. The drive to Porto Jofre takes a few hours at a birding pace, so there will be quiet stretches we can skip over in order to make the Campos do Jofre, an expansive open marsh near the end of the road, by late afternoon. Here we should see many waterbirds dotting the swampy plain, and we'll hope for our first Maguari Storks amongst the sea of caiman, capybaras, egrets, and herons. As the day draws to a close, we drive the final few kilometres to our destination for the next three nights, the comfortable Hotel Pantanal Norte (often simply referred to as ‘Hotel Porto Jofre’) overlooking the Cuiabá river.

Night at Hotel Pantanal Norte.

We have two full days to dedicate to our search for the largest cat in the Americas, the powerful Jaguar. This elusive apex predator is nearly impossible to find across much of its range, but the area surrounding the Encontro das Aguas State Park, centered along the lower reaches of the Three Brothers river in the northern Pantanal has become famous over the past fifteen years as the most reliable place in the world to see Jaguars. While these solitary predators are secretive and elusive, we have excellent chances to observe and photograph multiple individuals during our two full days on the Cuiabá, Piquiri and Three Brothers rivers. Each day will consist of a full morning and an afternoon river safari using comfortable motorized launches with powerful 4-stroke engines that allow us to reach all the best locations quickly and quietly. We’ll be looking for Jaguars as they rest in the shade, drink at the water’s edge, or stalk the river banks in search of their favoured prey – Capybaras and caiman. Additionally, we expect to encounter multiple family groups of Giant Otters, and many birds including all five South American kingfishers, Black Skimmers, Yellow-billed and Large-billed Terns, Pied Lapwings, Blue-throated Piping-Guan, Jabiru, Roseate Spoonbill, Black-collared Hawk, Blue-crowned Trogon, Little Cuckoo, Cinereous-breasted and Rusty-backed Spinetails, Orange-backed Troupial and much more.

Nights at Hotel Pantanal Norte.

This morning we backtrack north along the Transpantaneira for a couple of hours to our hotel on the banks of the Pixaim river. After lunch at the hotel, we take an afternoon boat trip on the lovely Pixaim river where we have good chances to find Sungrebe, Green-and-rufous Kingfisher, and perhaps even one of two secretive herons, the Zigzag Heron and the spectacular Agami Heron. 

Night at Hotel Mato Grosso.

Before breakfast we can check out the gallery forests near our hotel, where we might find Helmeted Manakin, Flavescent Warbler, or Undulated Tinamou. After breakfast we depart and drive back to Cuiabá, where we stop for lunch before continuing to the small town of Chapada dos Guimarães. We should arrive in time for some late afternoon birding near the town.

Night in Chapada dos Guimarães.

We have two full days to bird in and around Chapada dos Guimarães, where we’ll focus on the area’s specialties. First thing in the morning this will mean we’ll chase down a number of cerrado endemics such as White-rumped Tanager, Shrike-like Tanager, White-eared Puffbird, Rufous-winged Antshrike, Chapada Flycatcher, Curl-crested Jay, Collared Crescentchest, Black-throated Saltator, White-vented Violetear, and with a bit of luck, the spectacular Horned Sungem. As the morning heats up we retreat to the shady gallery forests that hug watercourses in valleys such as the Jamacá valley. This habitat holds a different set of birds, with targets including Amazonian Motmot, Band-tailed and Fiery-capped Manakins, Southern Antpipit, Pheasant Cuckoo and White-shouldered Fire-eye. Birding in rocky cerrado close to the sandstone cliffs along the escarpment might turn up the scarce Blue Finch or a Stripe-tailed Yellow-Finch, while scans for raptors and swifts could yield sightings of a King Vulture, Black-chested Buzzard-Eagle, or flocks of Biscutate Swifts. An afternoon visit to an area of cerrado farther afield will target the endemic Yellow-faced Parrot and the scarce Checkered Woodpecker.

Nights in Chapada dos Guimarães.

This morning we return to Cuiabá in time to take outbound flights to São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro for outbound international connections. 

End of tour.