Plan Your Trip to Bonito, Brazil: Where to Start
What to Book First for Bonito: Booking Order and Checklist
In Bonito, the order of your bookings decides whether you get a place on the main tour. What to book first, how far ahead and what to do at each stage.
Updated September 24, 2026 · Guia de Bonito editorial team
The order that works for Bonito, Brazil is: flights, accommodation, the most popular tours (with the environmental fee), rental car or transfers, the remaining tours and, last, special restaurants. If you are adding the Pantanal, book the lodge at the same time as the popular tours. In high season, the most sought-after tours need to be booked 60 to 90 days ahead; outside it, you can book later, but secure your main tour before you travel.
The reason is simple: each attraction in Bonito has a daily visitor cap enforced through the voucher system. Whatever sells out first shapes the rest of your plan.
Booking order
| # | Booking | When | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flights | 90 to 180 days ahead | few direct flights; they fix every other date |
| 2 | Accommodation | with the flights | good guesthouses fill up in holidays |
| 3 | Popular tours | 60 to 90 days ahead | Rio da Prata, Blue Lake Cave, Anhumas, Nascente Azul |
| 4 | Environmental fee (TCA) | for each batch of tours | required before each voucher is issued |
| 5 | Rental car or transfers | 30 to 60 days ahead | small fleet; transfers depend on tour times |
| 6 | Other tours | about 30 days ahead | waterfalls, river beaches, rafting, tubing |
| 7 | Special restaurants | 7 to 15 days ahead | dinners and special occasions |
| 8 | Pantanal (if included) | 60 to 90 days ahead | Pantanal lodges have few rooms |
Why flights come before tours
There are few direct flights to Bonito and the schedule changes by season. Your arrival and departure days decide how many tours fit and in what order. Booking tours before flights is the most common way to end up rescheduling everything. International visitors usually connect in São Paulo or fly into Campo Grande; see getting to Bonito from abroad.
The fee for each batch
The environmental fee costs R$15 per person per tour day (2026 reference) and must be paid before the voucher for that day is issued. If you book in two rounds, you pay the fee twice, once for each set of days.
Car: do not wait until you arrive
Bonito’s rental-car fleet is small and sells out in July and December. If you plan to drive, book early or pick up the car in Campo Grande. Check the rules for foreign drivers in driving in Brazil and renting a car in Bonito.
Lead times by season
| Period | Popular tours | Other tours |
|---|---|---|
| High: July, December to February, Brazilian long weekends | 60 to 90 days | about 30 days |
| Mid: March and August to November | book before you travel, with margin | 15 to 30 days |
| Low: April to June | book before you travel | can be booked in town |
Some less busy tours, such as Barra do Sucuri and Rio do Peixe, usually need 15 to 30 days’ notice. In low season, leaving some tours to book in town has an advantage: you can adjust the plan to rain and water clarity. The seasons follow the price and crowd calendar in the best time to visit Bonito; for tours with very few daily places, such as Anhumas, book early even outside high season. August is usually cheaper, but the Winter Festival week fills up: see events in Bonito.
Checklist: 90 / 60 / 30 / 7 / 1 day before
90 days before
- Flights and accommodation.
- Choose tours and group them by area.
- Book the popular tours and pay the fee for those days.
- Ask for the cancellation policy in writing.
60 days before
- Rental car or transfers.
- Pantanal, if included.
- Travel medical insurance.
- Check the minimum age for children on each tour.
30 days before
- Remaining tours, with the fee for those days.
- Check every voucher you receive (names, dates and times).
- Buy water shoes, a dry bag and, if you like, a waterproof camera.
- Check entry requirements for Brazil for your passport.
7 days before
- Watch the weather forecast.
- Download offline maps of the region.
- Pack a jacket if you travel in June or July.
1 day before
- Save your vouchers offline: signal is weak or absent at rural attractions.
- Note the pick-up time for each tour.
- Have some cash for small expenses.
- Set your watch to Mato Grosso do Sul time, one hour behind Brasília and São Paulo.
Cancellations and no-shows
- Cancelling: each agency has its own policy. In high season, the free-cancellation deadline can be 15 or 20 days before the tour.
- No-show: missing a tour is usually charged in full. Arriving late for your time slot can have the same effect.
- Cancelled by the attraction: after heavy rain or when the water turns cloudy, the attraction decides. If it cancels, the agency reschedules or refunds.
- Flight changes: tell your agency immediately; it will rearrange the voucher times.
- Environmental fee: refunds are requested from Bonito City Hall, not from the agency.
Two decisions reduce the risk: book everything through one agency, which reschedules the whole plan if the weather turns, and put your most important tour on the second or third day, never the last. If the water turns cloudy, you still have time to reschedule within the trip.
To estimate the cost of everything you are booking, see Bonito travel costs.
Related tours
River snorkeling · Jardim
Rio da Prata River Snorkeling
The longest river snorkel in the Bonito region: over 2 km of drifting with the current, a forest trail and lunch included, 50 km from town.
- 50 km from town
- 4h
- Minimum age: 5+
from R$470 *
Cave
Blue Lake Cave (Gruta do Lago Azul)
Bonito's postcard: a limestone cave with a deep, electric-blue lake, 21 km from town. A walk-and-look tour with no swimming.
- 21 km from town
- 1.3h
- Minimum age: 6+
from R$120 *
Adventure
Anhumas Abyss (Abismo Anhumas)
A 72-meter rappel into a cave with a lake at the bottom, then snorkeling or scuba diving among limestone cones. Bonito's most expensive and most restricted tour.
- 23 km from town
- 4h
from R$997 *
River snorkeling
Nascente Azul Spring Snorkeling and River Park
A short snorkel in a deep blue spring, with a full day-use river park to spend the rest of the day, 32 km from Bonito on the road to Bodoquena.
- 32 km from town
- 2.5h
- Minimum age: 4+
from R$374 *
Frequently asked questions
How far ahead should I book tours in Bonito?
In high season (July, December to February and Brazilian long weekends), book the most popular tours 60 to 90 days ahead. Other tours can wait until about 30 days before. In low season you can leave some tours to book in town, but the main ones are still worth securing in advance.
What should I book first, tours or accommodation?
Flights first, because there are few direct flights and they fix your dates. Book accommodation together with the flights. Then, straight away, the most popular tours: Rio da Prata, Blue Lake Cave, Anhumas Abyss and Nascente Azul.
Can I get a refund if I cancel a tour?
It depends on the agency's policy. Each agency sets its own rules, and in high season the free-cancellation deadline can be as early as 15 or 20 days before the tour. Ask for the policy in writing before you pay.
What happens if I miss a tour?
No-shows are usually charged in full. Arriving late for your voucher time slot can also mean losing your place. If your flight is delayed or plans change, message the agency right away so it can try to rearrange times.
What if a tour is cancelled because of rain or cloudy water?
The attraction decides. If it cancels, the agency reschedules or refunds. That is why it pays to book your most important tour on the second or third day of the trip, never the last, so there is room to reschedule.
