2-day wild camping and hiking: Mantiqueira Forest crossing
Camp under the stars and trek through hidden Atlantic forest on this remote Mantiqueira route
A 2-day wild camping and hiking trip across the Serra da Mantiqueira in Southeast Brazil, following a route from Monte Verde to São Francisco Xavier through preserved Atlantic forest. You hike with a professional guide, camp in tents both nights, and eat all meals provided. The guide handles navigation and camp setup while you walk the preserved stretches and pass through elf grove, one of the crossing's most distinctive sections.
Options for this experience
2 optionsStep-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Monte Verde to Pico da Onça
- Start crossing with camping
- Camp overnight
- Have dinner
Day 2: Pico da Onça to São Francisco Xavier
- Continue crossing with camping
- Have breakfast
What’s included
- Professional guide leading the route.
- all meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner across both days.
- overnight accommodation in tents at camp.
- hotel pickup and drop-off if you select that option at checkout.
Times
- Every day 07:00
Before you book
Operated by Nossa Viagem
Prices and times updated 6 days ago
Traveler reviews
The experience
The route crosses the border between Minas Gerais and São Paulo states, moving through terrain that sees few visitors despite being one of the most sensational passages in the range. Day one takes you from Monte Verde toward Pico da Onça with a professional guide leading. You camp that night in a tent. Day two continues from Pico da Onça down to São Francisco Xavier. The guide manages the route, sets up camp, and handles the logistics. You focus on the hiking itself and the forest around you.
All meals come with the trip: breakfast before you start each morning, lunch during the hike, and dinner at camp. Overnight accommodation is in tents, so you're sleeping in the landscape rather than returning to a town. The crossing passes through stretches of preserved Atlantic forest and reaches elf grove, a distinctive ecosystem within the range that most day-hikers never see. The guide is there to navigate the less-traveled sections and manage the camp setup, which matters on a multi-day trip where you're carrying gear and managing fatigue across two days of hiking.
Hotel pickup and drop-off are available as an option at checkout, so if you're staying in a nearby town you don't need to arrange your own transport to the trailhead. Public transportation options exist in the area if you prefer to make your own way. You'll need a moderate level of physical fitness for back-to-back hiking days, and the trip isn't suitable for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnancy.
Is this one for you?Book this if you want to hike a less-traveled section of the Mantiqueira and sleep in the landscape rather than return to town each night: the 2-day format and tent camping are what make the elf grove and the deeper forest sections reachable, and what separate this from a day hike out of Monte Verde or São Francisco Xavier.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (6 to 12 years); Infant (under 6).
Do I need to bring my own tent and sleeping bag, or is everything provided?
Overnight accommodation in tents is included, meaning the tent and camping setup are part of the package. Bring layers and rain gear suitable for mountain weather. The guide will advise on what else to pack when you book.
What's the elf grove, and why is it worth the hike?
Elf grove is a distinctive ecosystem within the Mantiqueira that the crossing passes through: a section of the Atlantic forest with its own character. Most day-hikers and standard routes don't reach it, so it's one of the things that makes this particular crossing sensational rather than routine.
What happens if the weather turns bad during the two days?
The guide manages the route in real time and will make decisions about pace and safety based on conditions. Bring waterproof layers and be prepared for mountain weather. The crossing is still possible in rain, though the experience changes.
2-day wild camping and hiking: Mantiqueira Forest crossing
2d
from US$ 200 per person
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