How a private Brazil trip works

US citizens: yes. Since April 10, 2025 Brazil requires an e-Visa for US (as well as Canadian and Australian) passport holders. The application is fully online via the official portal (brazil.vfsevisa.com), costs US$80.90, and the visa is valid for 10 years with multiple entries and stays of up to 90 days per year. It must be approved before you fly, airlines check it at check-in, so apply a few weeks ahead; processing usually takes a few business days. EU citizens (including Germany, Austria and Switzerland) still enter visa-free for up to 90 days. We confirm the current requirement for your nationality during your consultation call. (Last verified: July 2026.)

It depends on the region. The coast and Florianópolis shine from December to March; the Pantanal is best for wildlife in the dry season (roughly June to October); the Amazon is year-round. We time your trip to the destinations you choose.

The honest answer is specific rather than yes or no, and it is worth reading in full. Risk in Brazil is concentrated in particular places and particular hours, mainly petty theft in crowded tourist spots and certain neighbourhoods after dark, and almost every situation a visitor worries about is one a private local guide removes before it arises: which transfer to take, which street at 9pm, which beach. You are met at the airport, every transfer is arranged, and your guide reads the city the way you read your own hometown. We would also say this plainly: read your own government advisory, the US State Department and the German Auswärtiges Amt both publish one, and then ask us what it means for the specific places on your route. That second conversation is the useful one, and we have it with every guest.

A large international operator gives you real things: a call centre in your time zone, a polished catalogue and the consumer protections of your home market. I would rather name those than pretend they do not exist. What I give you instead is the layer that actually runs the trip. I contract the lodges, select the guides and answer the phone myself, I have inspected the places I propose, and I am in the same time zone as your trip when a domestic flight is cancelled on a Sunday evening. You can also verify the business in about two minutes: every legitimate Brazilian operator is listed in CADASTUR, and ours is public under CNPJ 56.930.161/0001-39.

For peak season (December to March) and the Pantanal, 3 to 6 months ahead is ideal. We also arrange shorter-notice trips when availability allows, which is worth knowing if you are booking on a typical US timeline of 6 to 10 weeks.

A tailor-made, privately guided two-week trip usually starts at about US$3,000 per person for the time on the ground, before internal and international flights. US$200 to US$400 per person per day is a realistic planning range. The destination mix, season, accommodation standard and number of private tours can move the price substantially, so this is an orientation figure rather than a package price. Your proposal gives the exact total and inclusions in USD, EUR or BRL.

A 30% deposit of the total trip price confirms the booking once you have accepted the written itinerary and terms; it is due within seven days of the invoice. The remaining 70% is due no later than 45 days before the trip begins; bookings made within 45 days are paid in full at once. Payment is available by bank transfer or credit card through Stripe, in USD, EUR or BRL. The proposal and invoice name the agreed currency, due dates and any provider fees before payment.

The exact supplier-specific conditions are stated in your proposal and contract before payment, and cancellation must be sent in writing. Our standard schedule is a sliding scale on the total trip price: 10% more than 120 days before departure (minimum the equivalent of US$250), 20% from 120 to 91 days, 30% from 90 to 61 days, 50% from 60 to 31 days, 75% from 30 to 15 days, 90% from 14 to 8 days, and 100% at 7 days or fewer or for a no-show. Some suppliers, for example lodges, charter flights and dated events, impose stricter terms; where that applies, your quotation states the schedule for your trip and it replaces the standard one. You may always show that our loss was lower than the charge, and the charge is reduced accordingly. If we cancel or fail to fulfil a contractual or legal obligation, no cancellation charge applies. Travel cancellation insurance is strongly recommended.

Absolutely. Most of our trips link two, three or more regions. Tell us your total time and interests and we’ll route it sensibly.

Absolutely, a private, guided trip works beautifully for one. You travel with your own guide and driver, so there is no group to join and no minimum group size. Hotels usually charge a single supplement (roughly 20 to 50 percent depending on the property and season); we show it transparently in your proposal and recommend lodges and boutique hotels where solo travellers feel at home.

Yes, and they are some of our favourites. Because every trip is private, we build the pace, the activities and the rooms around your family. We arrange connecting or family rooms, choose lodges and hotels that are used to children, and pick activities that work across ages, from gentle wildlife boat trips to beach and pool days. Your own guide and driver handle every transfer and logistics, so parents can relax, and we plan honestly around comfort, distances and safety. Just tell us the ages travelling and we tailor the rest.