Pousada Trijunção: Brazil’s Cerrado Tour
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Pousada Trijunção: Brazil’s Cerrado Tour

Cerrado
4 Nights·5 Days
CerradoSafari & WildlifeConservation Adventures

Overview

Pousada Trijunção sits at the triple border of Bahia, Goiás, and Minas Gerais, on a 28,000-hectare private reserve at the heart of the Cerrado in Brazil, the tropical savanna that National Geographic named in its Best of the World 2025 list. With seven suites and the Villa Jatobá, it is one of very few places to stay inside the biome itself.

Many visitors come to see the maned wolf. Organized with Onçafari, a conservation nonprofit protecting natural areas and supporting local communities, early-morning open-top vehicle safaris suit the animals’ nocturnal habits. The program also features two trails, sunset and night safaris, kayaking on Lagoa das Araras, and fat biking.

At Trijunção, practices aimed at having a positive impact on territorial development, the environment, and the local economy are continuously introduced. This ecolodge runs on solar energy, rainwater harvesting, recycling, and supporting Cerrado artisans and residents of the region, which means the comfort does not come at the biome’s expense.

  • Full itinerary: maned wolf sighting with Onçafari, birdwatching, the Botanical and Sussuarana trails, sunset and night safaris, a day in Grande Sertão Veredas National Park, kayaking, and a fat-bike ride.
  • Maned wolf-sighting run with the Onçafari conservation project, starting before sunrise from open vehicles under the team’s safety guidelines.
  • More than 270 bird species around the property, including woodpeckers, hawks, and macaws, plus a botanical trail through a flora of 13,000 identified plant species.
  • A full day inside Grande Sertão Veredas National Park (230,000 ha): the Mirante Três Irmãos lookout, the Carinhanha and Preto rivers, and the Mato Grande waterfall and trail.
  • An exclusive stay at Pousada Trijunção: only seven en-suite rooms plus the Villa Jatobá, on a 28,000-hectare private reserve.
  • Activities guided by bilingual local biologists, in Portuguese and English.
  • All-inclusive experience: 4 nights at the lodge, all meals with all-day breakfast, every regular guided activity, and bilingual guides throughout.

  • Please note: the day-by-day plan below is a suggested itinerary. Activity order and timing are confirmed on arrival and can change with the weather, the season, and the lodge’s daily schedule. Wildlife sightings (maned wolf included) can never be guaranteed.

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival at Pousada Trijunção / Sunset contemplation at Mirante Trijunção

  • Driving Brasília → Pousada Trijunção334 km · ~5h30
  • Sunset safariMirante Trijunção · 3 h

The drive from Brasília covers 334 km and takes about 5 and a half hours. Check-in is flexible, but leaving Brasília by 9 AM gets you there in daylight. Settle in and have lunch at the lodge.

In the late afternoon, head out on a 3-hour safari to Mirante Trijunção, the lookout over the point where Bahia, Goiás, and Minas Gerais meet. It is the clearest view you will get of the scale of this Cerrado reserve, and a good first read on the landscape you will spend the next four days in.

Meals included: All-day breakfast / Lunch / Dinner / Snacks

Wide open Cerrado savanna at Pousada Trijunção with tall buriti palm trees rising above golden grassland and dense green woodland under a blue sky
Aerial panoramic view of Pousada Trijunção's vast Cerrado landscape at sunset, with a vivid red laterite ridge cutting through dense green savanna under a pastel pink and blue sky
Two women standing at a wooden railing viewpoint at Pousada Trijunção, gazing over a vast golden-lit Cerrado landscape at sunset
Two guests clinking champagne flutes at Pousada Trijunção during a golden Cerrado sunset, with a chilled bottle in the background

Day 2

Birdwatching / Botanical Trail / Night safari at Lagoa das Araras

  • Birdwatching270+ species · Led by a biologist
  • Botanical Trail2 h hike
  • Night safariLagoa das Araras

An early start, led by a biologist. For birdwatching, the Cerrado in Brazil rewards the alarm clock, with more than 270 species, including woodpeckers, hawks, and macaws.

After lunch, the Botanical Trail is a 2-hour walk through the Cerrado’s flora. The biome holds 13,000 identified plant species, and the guide works through what they are used for in food, medicine, and crafts.

After dark, a safari at Lagoa das Araras turns up nocturnal animals like dwarf caimans, ocelots, and armadillos—all under a night sky untouched by city light.

Meals included: All-day breakfast / Lunch / Dinner / Snacks

Two blue-and-yellow macaws in flight above a tall palm tree against a clear blue sky at Pousada Trijunção in the Cerrado
A bearded traveller in a wide-brim hat raises binoculars to scan golden Cerrado grassland during a birdwatching excursion at Pousada Trijunção
A lone hiker in a sun hat walks a narrow trail through dense pink-flowering shrubs on the Pousada Trijunção botanical trail, with tall Cerrado palms glowing in the backlight
A raptor with rich brown and rufous plumage soars with wings fully spread against a pale blue sky at Pousada Trijunção in the Cerrado
Silhouette of a macaw perched on a weathered dead tree trunk against a warm amber sunset sky at Pousada Trijunção
View from inside an open safari vehicle at Pousada Trijunção, headlights illuminating a sandy dirt track cutting through dense Cerrado bush under a deep orange twilight sky
Extreme close-up of a dwarf caiman's head half-submerged in a shallow Cerrado waterway at Pousada Trijunção, its amber slit-pupil eye gleaming in the dark
Silhouette of a wildlife photographer with a telephoto lens raised to their eye, standing among tall Cerrado grasses against a vivid orange and blue sunrise sky at Pousada Trijunção

Day 3

Maned wolf sighting with Onçafari / Grande Sertão Veredas National Park

  • Maned wolf sightingwith Onçafari · Pre-dawn start
  • National parkGrande Sertão Veredas · 230,000 ha

Your Cerrado tour reaches the day the lodge is known for. The maned wolf sighting is run with the Onçafari team under careful safety guidelines. Since this is an animal with nocturnal habits, the safari starts before sunrise from open vehicles.

In the late morning, drive into Grande Sertão Veredas National Park, a 230,000-hectare area of protected savanna. The itinerary includes visits to the Mirante Três Irmãos lookout, the Carinhanha and Preto rivers, and the Mato Grande waterfall and trail, followed by a return to the lodge for rest.

Meals included: All-day breakfast / Lunch / Dinner / Snacks

A maned wolf stands among green cerrado shrubs at Pousada Trijunção, bathed in golden sunset light across a vast open savanna landscape
Aerial view of two 4x4 vehicles on a sandy dirt road cutting through dense Cerrado woodland at Pousada Trijunção, bathed in golden sunset light
A maned wolf with russet fur and black legs walks across the red laterite soil at Pousada Trijunção, sparse dry grass tufts visible around its feet
Oncafari jaguar-spotted safari truck with guests on board paused on a dirt track at golden-hour sunset in the Cerrado at Pousada Trijunção

Day 4

Sunrise at Lagoa das Araras / Sussuarana Trail / Kayaking

  • Sunrise breakfastLagoa das Araras
  • Sussuarana Trail3 h · moderate
  • Kayaking and swimmingLagoa das Araras

Setting out before dawn proves completely worthwhile as you arrive at Lagoa das Araras. With the sky’s vibrant orange and pink hues reflecting off the still water, you enjoy breakfast right on the pier as the sun comes up.

In the afternoon the 3-hour Sussuarana Trail runs between the Formoso and Correntes rivers at the foot of the Red Wall. Afterwards, bike or take a 4×4 back to Lagoa das Araras for a swim and a kayak outing. Keep your eyes open for sightings of the Brazilian savanna wildlife!

Meals included: All-day breakfast / Lunch / Dinner / Snacks

A fully set breakfast table on a wooden pier at Pousada Trijunção, with a gingham tablecloth, fresh flowers, coffee pots and fruit, silhouetted against a vivid golden sunrise over a glassy lake
Still waters of Lagoa das Araras at Pousada Trijunção reflecting a tall palm tree and golden marsh grasses under a clear blue sky
A couple silhouetted at the end of a wooden pier at Pousada Trijunção, a canopied breakfast table behind them and kayaks moored to the left, as a golden sunrise blazes across the glassy lake
Three blue-and-yellow macaws in full flight against a clear blue sky at Pousada Trijunção in the Brazilian Cerrado
Two paddlers in a yellow tandem kayak gliding across the calm green waters of Lagoa das Araras at Pousada Trijunção, with dry Cerrado woodland stretching along the far shore beneath a sunny blue sky

Day 5

Fat-bike ride / Departure

  • Fat-bike ridelodge trails
  • Check-out and transfer→ Brasília · 334 km · ~5h30

Enjoy a fat-bike ride through Pousada Trijunção’s properties to admire and view and spot more animals (mostly birds) before it's time to check out and head back to Brasília.

Meals included: All-day breakfast / Snacks

Two cyclists riding fat bikes along a sandy Cerrado trail at Pousada Trijunção, surrounded by native cerrado shrubs under a vivid blue sky
A young deer stands alert among tall green grass near a tree at Pousada Trijunção, in the heart of the Cerrado
Aerial view of two cyclists riding fat bikes along a winding dirt trail through Cerrado scrubland at Pousada Trijunção, with a blue lagoon visible in the background

What is Included

  • 4-night stay at Pousada Trijunção in your chosen suite category (en-suite room)
  • Meals (full board): all meals, including all-day breakfast, snacks and non-premium beverages
  • Guided tours (birdwatching, the Botanical and Sussuarana trails, sunset and night safaris, kayaking and a fat bike ride)
  • Maned wolf sighting with the Onçafari conservation project
  • Bilingual guides (Portuguese and English) throughout the regular itinerary

Not included

  • Flight tickets
  • Transfers: road transfer to and from Pousada Trijunção (can be arranged separately)
  • Premium drinks and fine wines
  • Travel and health insurance
  • Personal expenses, tips, souvenirs and gratuities
  • Any services not previously mentioned

FAQ

Reviews

“It's the perfect lodge for anyone who wants to dive deep into the Cerrado biome. The team of guides (all biologists) is extremely competent, attentive, and, most importantly, passionate about the Cerrado and all its beauty and specificities. It's impossible not to get involved and fall in love too. I'm certainly leaving Trijunção committed to being (trying to be) one more voice in defense of Brazil's biomes (there you realize they're all interconnected). The experiences, all included in the daily rate, provide a genuine immersion in the biome, and the pousada provides all the necessary infrastructure (binoculars, meals, equipment, transportation) so that the experiences take place safely and comfortably. Between one outing and another, the wellness and leisure side is a comfort: you can take a dip in the pool, or a moment in the hot tub, even a massage at the spa, all with a view of the Cerrado (or all at once! An idea I only had now while writing this, and I regret it! Hahahaha...) The gastronomy, which fits perfectly with the typical cuisine of the three states represented here, besides paying homage to the novel Grande Sertão: Veredas, with the kitchen inside and outside, could be a chapter of its own: the dishes I tried were all prepared with a lot of technique, care and, above all, seasoning. Really tasty food, with options for vegans and vegetarians (my case). One day, I asked for a change to a dish and the request was well received and granted. It's a pousada with soul. A special hug to Maria, Maycon and Ana Clara, who served me at the restaurant, and to the guides Rayane, Alan, Pedro and Vinícius, who knew how to pass on to me all their passion and care for the Cerrado.”

— Aline Cristina

“We were fortunate enough to stay here for 3 nights. It is an absolute gem in Brazil and even though it takes it bit of travelling you should visit! The place is magical. Staff and guides are absolutely amazing and there is so much love and attention for the guests that you will leave with a heavy heart. Food it outstanding but most of all you should go here in search of the maned wolf. You will do so with Oncasafari who try to give you an amazing experience. The Brazilian savannah is fading fast and it is great to see this effort to keep it alive and well.”

— Hans

“After maybe a 60-90 minute drive off road and you first walk into this hotel, the garden you enter is like a mini haven, a secret garden - beautiful! The staff were adorable, friendly and just lovely. Alan greeted us on reception along with Hi (forgive me, I have probably spelled her name wrong!) and the pair were fabulous. Our room (number 5) was clean, cool and very nicely presented, the bed was super comfortable; although a beautiful tree stump isn't big enough as a bed side table, for me anyway ;-). The swimming pool was a lovely relief after a tour and I very much enjoyed the jacuzzi and used the massage table for my back stretches daily. The food was delicious and the restaurant team were always available to get a snack of a cup of tea! Vinney's bird watching tour should not be missed, he easily called the birds over to for a closer viewing with the use of his Bluetooth speaker hanging from a nearby tree. Laundry service was quick and efficient. The tours provided were all terrific and well thought out.”

— Jacqui Taylor

“This is a marvellous place. It is set in lovely gardens. The rooms are beautiful with wooden fittings that meet their mission to be sustainable. The food is excellent , using locally sourced ingredients. The highlight of this pousada is the staff who are delightful, always eager to help and ensure that you have everything you need. The room is cleaned at least twice a day. Laundry is offered. The guides are knowledgeable and passionate. Their enthusiasm is infectious. The presentation prior to the maned wolves safari is very informative and really sets off the safari. The conservation work they are undertaking is crucial to the survival of the environment that enables the maned wolves to thrive. My husband has poor mobility. Every effort was made by the staff to assist him to undertake all of the activities. I can’t thank them enough and a particular shout out for the manager and Vinny.”

— Kristina

“Stylish, comfortable property in a beautiful location with lots of opportunities for nature lovers to explore. Lots of hot water and good, free wi fi. Food was lovely with many ingredients from the lodge’s garden. The staff were very helpful and friendly and the guides extremely knowledgeable.”

— Milonga

“Jalapão surprised me with its beauty and our experience could only be like this thanks to the work our guides. Thank you for the wonderful days, trails and knowledge about Jalapão. The tour back to the park was sensational.”

— Marina M

“Our experience couldn't have been better... Everything was very well organized, and our guide, together with the guides from the local communities, were incredible, sharing their knowledge of the cerrado with us and showing us the place where they grew up and live... It was also very enriching to get to know the communities that live there and to experience the cooking and handicrafts...”

— Mariana M

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$ 1,950/ per person