The best place in South America I’ve been for wildlife photography is The Pantanal. In fact, it’s one of the top 3 (some say #1) most bio-diverse places on the planet, and definitely the best place to see jaguars in the wild.
The most incredible waterfall I’ve ever seen is Iguaçu Falls. In fact, I’ve never even seen another waterfall that comes close. Angel Falls, Victoria Falls, and Kaieteur Falls are amazing, but they don’t touch Iguaçu.
So what happens when you put the most epic wildlife photography location and coolest waterfall on earth into one photo tour? Well, you get one of the most epic photo tours on the planet.
The next scheduled Brazil photography tour is set or September 2028.
Information
Dates / Prices
Dates = August 15-24, 2028
Start City = Cuiaba, Brazil
End City = Sao Paulo, Brazil
Cost = €6,300 per person
What’s Included?
- Internal flights and transport within Brazil.
- Meals while on the Pantanal Excursion
- All accommodation on tour days (based on twin share).
- All park entrance fees
- All local guides / naturalists
- Photography instruction by Brendan van Son
What’s Not Included?
- Meals outside the Pantanal
- Alcoholic beverages in the Pantanal
- Optional tips for local guides
- Travel to/from Brazil
- Visas for Brazil or Argentina (if needed)
Itinerary
The itinerary for this trip is more or less set in stone as we do need to book our accommodation in The Pantanal 2 years in advance.
The day-to-day itinerary, however, will shift based on the conditions for photography. A more detailed itinerary will also be provided for those who book.
Day 1: Arrival day in Cuiaba
Day 2: Breakfast, then a drive to Porto Jofre and into the Pantanal
Day 3: full day on the rivers of the Pantanal searching or jaguars, capybara, and other wildlife
Day 4: Second full day on the Pantanal
Day 5: Day three on the Pantanal.
Day 6: Sunrise on the Pantanal, then back to Cuiaba for a flight to Sao Paulo.
Day 7: Morning flight to Iguacu Falls. Sunset on the Brazilian side of the falls.
Day 8: Full day on the Argentinean side of Iguazu Falls.
Day 9: Evening Flight to Sao Paulo
Day 10: Tour ends after breakfast.
Or… Days 10-13: Rio de Janeiro Add-on
Rio de Janeiro Add-on
It would be a travesty to go all the way to Brazil and then miss out on Rio de Janeiro. This add-on includes 2 full days of photography in Rio and flights from Sao Paulo.
The add on looks like this:
August 24 – Included flight to Rio de Janeiro. Sunset photo location
August 25 – Full day photography in Rio. Pão de Açúcar, and other photo spots.
August 26 – Another full day of photography. Dois Irmaos view, Ipanema, optional doors open helicopter flight (not included), and other locations.
August 27 – Sunrise photo location, then tour ends after breakfast in Rio.
The cost of the add-on is 2,000 Euros. There is no need to book this now, it can be added up to 1 month prior to departure.
**Note: If you book the add-on, your departure city will become Rio de Janeiro.
Book Now
Terms and conditions of booking:
Before booking, please read the terms and conditions here.
If the tour is sold out, or if you have any questions, please reach out to me at brendanvanson at gmail dot com.
The Payment Structure for Brazil 2028
Due to the need for booking the Pantanal (for which accommodation generally sells out over a year in advance) there will be a second deposit for this trip. You can see how the payments work in my terms and conditions page.
The payment schedule for this trip is as follows
- Deposit – made upon bookings
- Second Payment – €2,000 to be paid August 1st, 2027 in advance of the trip.
- Final Payment – Remaining balance is due 120 days prior to the tour’s start date.
About the Pantanal
When people think about wildlife photography in Brazil, their minds usually go straight to The Amazon. However, they should really talk about the Pantanal.
This is the one of the most biodiverse places on the planet and home to just a staggering number of animals.
The true star of the show here are the Jaguars. The reason we travel here in September is because it’s also the best time to spot them. The water levels are low enough that the beaches along the river are exposed, so we can see the Jaguars hunting caiman, and other animals.
Beyond the Jaguars we’re also likely to see capybara, caiman (there are about 3 million in the Pantanal), agouti, macaws, and a bounty of other bird life. If we’re very lucky, we may also spot the other elusive cats such as ocelot, jaguarundi and margay.
Of all the places I’ve done wildlife photography, no place on the planet has exceeded my expectations more than the Pantanal.
About Iguaçu Falls
When I was 24 I went to Niagara Falls. It was the most disappointed I’ve ever felt in seeing a natural wonder. It was surrounded by hotels, casinos, and though the power of the water was impressive, it left me a little bit underwhelmed.
Iguaçu Falls, on the other hand, had the total opposite impact on me. In fact, in my 15 years travelling to over 100 countries, never have I seen another waterfall that even compares to Iguaçu Falls.
On our trip, we’ll arrive and stay on the Brazilian side.
The following day, we’ll spend the entire day exploring the Argentinean side of the falls. Both sides are cool, but the Argentinean side definitely has more variety. In fact, on the Argentinean side, it doesn’t feel like you’re photographing just one waterfall, but a group of them. There is so much to explore and photograph.
Beyond the waterfall, there are also plenty of wildlife photography opportunities in the national park. There are Toucans, Macaws, plenty of lizards, and the occasional troop of cheeky Coatis.
FAQs About the Brazil Photography Tour
In the cities, we’ll be in nice 4-star accommodation. The accommodation in Brazil is generally very nice. In the Pantanal, we’ll be staying at an interesting lodge, and we’re surrounded by the wildlife and beauty of the Pantanal.
The tour is based on twin share. In short, that means that if you book the Brazil photography tour as an individual, you will be matched with a roommate of the same gender. If you wish to have your own private accommodation, you’ll need to pay for a single supplement. On this trip, that cost is an additional 2,000 Euros
From Cuiaba, it’s about a 5 hour drive to the river. The drive itself is incredible and there are plenty of wildlife spotting moments on the drive as well. In fact, years ago I spotted an ocelot right on the road!
Once we’re in the Pantanal, we’ll be on small boats that will give us a great perspective of the wildlife congregating along the river.
As it’s the drier season, there are fewer bugs. But, it is a massive water plain, so it’s not to say that there aren’t bugs. As someone from the edge of the Canadian prairies, the only way I can put it is that there are definitely less bugs than summer on the prairies. And it’s nothing a bit of bug spray and long clothing can’t solve.
Some trips require a massive deposit to hold spaces on unique items or permits. For example, the Pantanal sells out all the accommodation and permits about a year in advance. As such, we need to secure the spaces by paying up front.
As such, we need larger deposits than some trips that don’t require these special permits.
Participants have the option to pay the second payment immediately, or they can pay it 365 days before the tour’s start date.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out to me via email at brendanvanson at gmail dot com.
Book Now
If you’re interested in joining this photography tour to the Pantanal and other spots in Brazil, please pay the deposit via the product link.
Before you book, please read the terms and conditions here.
If you have any questions, or the trip is marked as sold out, please reach out to me at brendanvanson at gmail dot com.
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