Trekking Chapada dos Veadeiros, Brasil: 7-Day Waterfall Expedition
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Trekking Chapada dos Veadeiros, Brasil: 7-Day Waterfall Expedition

Brazil
6 Nights·7 Days
Chapada dos VeadeirosHiking & TrekkingMulti-Day Treks

Overview

Trekking in Chapada dos Veadeiros means walking 70 km across the Kalunga territory, the largest quilombo by land area in Brazil. This 7-day expedition crosses the Vão do Moleque, a remote valley in Cavalcante, Goiás, on the eastern side of these highlands. Camp on family lands, eat meals cooked by host families, and reach six waterfalls on foot!

The route is a point-to-point traverse: legs of 18 km, 22 km, 18 km, 16 km, and 8 km on the five hiking days, with a 4×4 support vehicle carrying the camping gear so you can walk with a light daypack. Difficulty is rated 3 out of 5 for both technical terrain and physical effort, so you need to be comfortable with long days on uneven trails and one day with about 1,320 m of ascent. Two guides lead the group—an expedition guide (our partner) and a local Kalunga community guide.

This is community-based tourism in the Cerrado, Brazil’s vast tropical savanna. Expect rustic camping with ecological bathrooms, traditional Kalunga cooking, and six waterfalls along the way: Santa Bárbara, Salto do Curriola, Juliana, Guardião, Correntão, and Pedra Furada.

  • Full itinerary: a ~70 km point-to-point trek over 5 hiking days, visiting Santa Bárbara Waterfall, Salto do Curriola, Juliana Waterfall, Guardião Waterfall, Correntão Waterfall, and Pedra Furada Waterfall.
  • Five days on foot (18 km, 22 km, 18 km, 16 km, and 8 km), with a 4x4 carrying your camping gear so you hike light.
  • Six named waterfalls in the Kalunga territory, with river swim stops along the way.
  • Six nights camping on Kalunga family land, with ecological bathrooms and a support kitchen.
  • Community-based tourism: meals cooked by Kalunga host families and access fees that support the community directly.
  • Activities led by an experienced guide and a local Kalunga community guide.
  • All-inclusive experience: round-trip transport from Brasília, all camping gear transport, full board on the trail, both guides, waterfall fees, travel insurance, and satellite tracking.

  • Please note: the day-by-day plan below is the standard route. Exact timings, distances, and the order of activities can change on the ground for weather, river levels, or group pace. The guides confirm the plan upon your arrival.

Itinerary

Day 1

Brasília to Engenho / Transfer & Camp Setup

  • Driving Brasília → Alto Paraíso → Engenho· ~5h (≈3h + ≈2h)
  • Departure from Brasília· 9:45 AM
  • First night camping at Engenho

The expedition leaves Brasília at 9:45 AM. The drive runs about 3 hours to Alto Paraíso de Goiás, then roughly 2 more hours to Engenho, the trailhead inside the Kalunga territory on the eastern edge of the Cerrado. Arrive in the afternoon, set up camp, and settle in for the first night on Kalunga family land.

Meals included: Dinner.

An empty two-lane road curves through dry Cerrado savanna toward flat-topped sandstone escarpments under a dramatic sky, a lone car ahead on the trekking Chapada dos Veadeiros route
A tall waterfall cascades down a layered sandstone cliff into a dark still pool during trekking in Chapada dos Veadeiros, with flat quartzite rocks in the foreground and green vegetation clinging to the canyon walls

Day 2

Engenho to Maquiné / Santa Bárbara Waterfall & Salto do Curriola

  • Trekking Engenho → Maquiné· 18 km · +325 m / −220 m
  • Santa Bárbara Waterfall & Salto do Curriola

The first full hiking day covers 18 km to Maquiné, climbing about 325 m and descending 220 m. Stop at Santa Bárbara Waterfall, one of the best-known waterfalls of this Chapada dos Veadeiros tour, and at Salto do Curriola, with time to swim in the clear pools.

Meals included: Breakfast / Trail Snacks / Dinner

A group of hikers with backpacks descends a grassy ridgeline trail during trekking in Chapada dos Veadeiros, with forested green hills and a blue sky stretching ahead.

Day 3

Maquiné to Rio Curriola / Juliana Waterfall

  • Trekking Maquiné → Curriola River· 22 km · +130 m / −680 m
  • Juliana Waterfall

The longest day of the traverse: 22 km to the Curriola River, mostly descending (about 680 m down, 130 m up). The reward is Juliana Waterfall, where you rest and cool off before reaching camp by the river.

Meals included: Breakfast / Trail Snacks / Dinner

A hiker with a red backpack stands on a rocky ledge overlooking a cascading waterfall and a narrow river canyon lined with green cerrado trees during a trekking chapada dos veadeiros expedition
A tall waterfall drops through a narrow sandstone canyon into a green pool on a trekking chapada dos veadeiros route, with cerrado scrub and rocky outcrops lining the banks under a clear blue sky
The Milky Way stretches vertically across a deep purple star-filled sky above a dark ridgeline and a single small tree lit from below, seen during a trekking chapada dos veadeiros expedition.
Multiple white-water cascades spilling over broad, rust-colored quartzite rock faces into a dark pool below, surrounded by Cerrado scrub vegetation and a blue sky with scattered clouds on a trekking chapada dos veadeiros route

Day 4

Curriola River to Corrente River / Guardião Waterfall

  • Trekking Curriola River → Corrente River· 18 km · +180 m / −120 m
  • Cachoeira do Guardião

An 18 km day with gentle elevation change (about 180 m up, 120 m down) brings you to the Corrente River. Along the way, visit Guardião Waterfall, set deep in the Vão do Moleque valley.

Meals included: Breakfast / Trail Snacks / Dinner

A silky waterfall tumbles over layered rock into a clear turquoise pool on the trekking chapada dos veadeiros route, surrounded by dense green forest with light filtering through the canopy
A small waterfall cascades over layered sandstone rocks into a clear turquoise natural pool, framed by dense green trees on a trekking chapada dos veadeiros route through the Vão do Moleque valley.
A hiker rests on a rock beside a natural pool fed by a waterfall cascading through a narrow rock canyon on a trekking chapada dos veadeiros route, with lush trees framing a blue sky above
A group of five hikers with backpacks walking through open Cerrado grassland toward a rocky escarpment under a clear blue sky on a trekking chapada dos veadeiros expedition

Day 5

Corrente River Base Day / Correntão Waterfall

  • Day hike from Corrente River· 16 km · +1,320 m / −290 m
  • Correntão Waterfall

The most demanding day of the Chapada dos Veadeiros trekking tour is a 16 km hike with about 1,320 m of ascent from your base camp at the Corrente River. The climb leads to Correntão Waterfall, one of the most powerful waterfalls on the route. You return to the same camp for the night.

Meals included: Breakfast / Trail Snacks / Dinner

Five hikers with backpacks walking in single file through tall Cerrado grassland on a trekking chapada dos veadeiros route, with forested hills and a clear blue sky in the background
A rustic wooden viewing platform perched on a rocky cliff edge during trekking in Chapada dos Veadeiros, overlooking a deep green valley with a river winding far below and distant mountain ridges under a partly cloudy sky

Day 6

Correntinho River / Pedra Furada Waterfall

  • Trekking to Correntinho River· 8 km · +130 m / −680 m
  • Pedra Furada Waterfall

A shorter 8 km day, descending about 680 m to the Correntinho River. Finish at Pedra Furada Waterfall, named for the natural opening worn through its rock, the last of the six waterfalls on this trek.

Meals included: Breakfast / Trail Snacks / Dinner

Close-up portrait of a white-fronted marmoset with amber eyes and a distinctive white forehead patch, perched beside a green leaf during a trekking chapada dos veadeiros expedition
A lone hiker in a straw hat sits on a rock at the edge of a clear turquoise natural pool, looking up at Pedra Furada Waterfall cascading down a rocky cliff face framed by Cerrado vegetation and blue sky during a trekking chapada dos veadeiros expedition.

Day 7

Correntinho River to Brasília / Morning Bath & Return Transfer

  • Morning regenerative bath· Rio Correntinho
  • Return transfer to Brasília· ~5h

The last morning of trekking in Chapada dos Veadeiros is a slow one, with a regenerative bath in the Correntinho River before you pack up camp. From there, the support vehicles drive you back to Brasília, about 5 hours away.

Meals included: Breakfast

Aerial view of a deep Cerrado canyon with multiple waterfalls cascading in sequence through dense green vegetation, seen on a trekking chapada dos veadeiros expedition

What is Included

  • Round-trip transport (Brasília ⇌ Kalunga territory, Vão do Moleque)
  • 6 nights camping on Kalunga family land (double-occupancy tent included)
  • Meals (full board) on the trail: breakfasts, trail snacks, and dinners cooked by Kalunga host families
  • 4x4 support vehicle carrying all camping equipment and extra baggage
  • Waterfall access fees
  • Travel insurance
  • Radio communication and satellite tracking
  • Guided tours (5 hiking days visiting different waterfalls: Santa Bárbara, Salto do Curriola, Juliana, Guardião, Correntão and Pedra Furada)
  • Local expedition guides and Kalunga community guides (English and Spanish-speaking guides can be hired for an additional fee)

Not included

  • Flight tickets
  • Road meals and beverages on Day 1 and Day 7
  • Lunch on the final day
  • Sleeping bag and thermal mat (available to rent)
  • Private tent (available to rent)
  • Personal trekking equipment (boots, daypack, poles, headlamp, etc.)
  • Beverages and personal expenses
  • Accommodation in Brasília

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$ 1,300/ per person