Ready-made itinerary · 7 days
7-day itinerary in Chapada dos Veadeiros
The whole Chapada, unrushed: the National Park, the Segredo reserve, the Alto Paraíso cluster and three days in the turquoise north of Cavalcante and the Kalunga territory.
A week is the ideal amount of time to see the Chapada calmly, including waterfalls the shorter itineraries leave out. Stay four nights in the south — São Jorge and Alto Paraíso — and three in Cavalcante, in the north. Each day is built around a base, with the sights grouped by proximity to keep driving to a minimum.
7 days · 17 attractions. Tap each attraction for the full page: how to get there, trail, fees and season.
- 1
Day 1 — Arrival: Vale da Lua and Maytrea
Base: São Jorge
An easy arrival day. Visit Vale da Lua in the late afternoon, when it empties out, and head to sunset at Jardim de Maytrea, the open cerrado field between Alto Paraíso and São Jorge.
- 2
Day 2 — National Park trails
Base: São Jorge
A full day inside Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park. The Trilha dos Saltos reaches the two giant Rio Preto falls (120 m and 80 m) and the Carioquinhas pools. Get in early — entry has a cut-off time — and bring water and lunch.
- 3
Day 3 — Segredo reserve and Mirante da Janela
Base: São Jorge
A day in the private reserves next to the Park. Cachoeira do Segredo and Cordovil are among the most beautiful in the region, with trails through forest and canyon. Finish at Mirante da Janela, looking out over the Rio Preto falls from afar.
- 4
Day 4 — Almécegas and São Bento
Base: Alto Paraíso
Move your base to Alto Paraíso. Almécegas I and II sit on the same farm — one a tall, imposing drop, the other with a wide swimming pool — and São Bento closes the day with a short, almost fully paved access.
- 5
Day 5 — Complexo dos Couros and Loquinhas
Base: Alto Paraíso
A calmer day among the smaller falls and pools around Alto Paraíso. Cataratas dos Couros is a free-entry sequence of waterfalls; Loquinhas and Cristais have shallow pools, great for relaxing.
- 6
Day 6 — Up to Cavalcante and Engenho II
Base: Cavalcante
In the morning, drive up to Cavalcante (about 3 hours from Alto Paraíso). In the afternoon, enter Engenho II, in the Kalunga territory: Santa Bárbara is the Chapada's postcard, turquoise water over a pool that looks like a swimming pool. The visit is always with a guide from the community itself and has a limited daily quota — book ahead.
- 7
Day 7 — Last falls and departure
Base: Cavalcante
On the last day, relax at the easy falls near Cavalcante — Poço Encantado and Cachoeira das Araras — before taking the road back to Brasília or Goiânia.
Best time to go
The best window is the dry season, May to October: firm trails, passable dirt roads and sun most days. In the rainy season (November to March) the waterfalls run full and green, but there's a flash-flood risk and some roads and sights may close.
- Vale da Lua and Cachoeira Santa Bárbara carry a flash-flood risk in the rains (Nov–Mar); avoid them on heavy-rain days.
Other itineraries
3 days
3-day itinerary in Chapada dos Veadeiros
The essentials in a long weekend: Vale da Lua, the National Park and the waterfalls around Alto Paraíso.
View itinerary5 days
5-day itinerary in Chapada dos Veadeiros
The classic Chapada: the National Park and Alto Paraíso's waterfalls, plus the trip north to the turquoise waters of Cavalcante and the Kalunga territory.
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