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Iguazú, Southern Pantanal & Bonito: Route Guide

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Iguazú Falls pouring around its jungle horseshoe
Photo: Geographer · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Begin with Iguaçu Falls and Itaipu, follow the Paraná through Guaíra and Dourados, then spend two pre-booked days at a Southern Pantanal lodge before Jardim and Bonito's sinkholes, caves and river landscapes. The ten-day drive needs separately arranged car hire, stays, guides and nature visits. Choose activities for current conditions and your ability; wildlife sightings, clear water and swimming are never guaranteed.

Iguazú, Southern Pantanal & Bonito is a 1200 km one-way journey (self-drive). It works best as a 10-day trip; the plan below is the 10-day version for July, built from 9 verified places, with planned transit times, opening hours and daylight checked.

10
days
1200km
distance
6
Stops
9
curated stops

View ready-made plans 10-day plan · best time to go

The route

Foz do Iguaçu→ 25 kmIguaçu National Park→ 315 kmGuaíra→ 185 kmDourados→ 405 kmSouthern Pantanal (Passo do Lontra)→ 270 kmBonito

What you'll see

Foz border and Itaipu orientation
Start with the Paraná border story on a booked Itaipu visit, then orient yourself in Foz before the long inland journey.
Foz do Iguaçu
Brazilian Iguaçu Falls circuit
Give the Brazilian park a full day for its internal bus, waterfall trail, viewpoints and time for weather or crowds.
Iguaçu National Park
Guaíra river and Sete Quedas memory circuit
Use Guaíra’s municipal museum to understand the submerged Sete Quedas landscape, then read the Paraná from the public riverfront.
Guaíra
Dourados heritage and park circuit
Break the overland journey with Dourados’s municipal history collection and a public park or square tied to its Paraguayan, Japanese and frontier communities.
Dourados
Southern Pantanal lodge wetland circuit
Follow the booked lodge’s condition-led wetland programme, learning to read the floodplain without turning any species into a promise.
Southern Pantanal (Passo do Lontra)
Bonito arrival and voucher orientation
Arrive in Bonito with time to settle in and verify the vouchers, guides, transfers and safety details for the two managed nature days ahead.
Bonito
Southern Pantanal lodge culture circuit
Spend a second hosted day on Pantanal livelihoods, foodways and conservation through the programme your lodge has actually confirmed.
Southern Pantanal (Passo do Lontra)
Jardim sinkhole and river conservation circuit
Pair a booked sinkhole walk with a suitable Rio da Prata conservation programme, leaving room for transfers and the operator’s safety briefing.
Bonito

Choose your length

10-day plan9 stops · 24.2 h transit0.9 stops/day · 2.4 h transit/daySee the full plan →

When to go

Best months: May, June, July, August, September

The wetter season can swell Iguaçu and renew the Pantanal floodplain, but heat, storms, flooding and road access can change the route. Reconfirm every road, lodge transfer, park ticket and nature activity; wildlife and water conditions are never guaranteed.

See the month-by-month breakdown →

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View ready-made plans