Special 4: Rio, Capoeira, and the Amazon

• Pickup at the Rio de Janeiro Airport and transfer to your comfortable hotel. See our wonderful selection of recommended Rio de Janeiro Hotels.

• You will ride along the famous beaches of Rio to the Sugarloaf cable car. Ride first to the "Morro da Urca" mountain at 270 meters (886 feet) above sea level and then continue to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, 395 meters above sea level. After Sugarloaf, you will continue on with a city tour during which you will visit the cathedral, the Samba Stadium (Sambodromo), the historical center of Rio, and the Maracana football stadium.
• After a delicious lunch, you will ascend the 2,460ft mountain peak of Corcovado (Hunchback), famous for the statue of Christ the Redeemer, one of the New 7 Wonders of the World and Rio's most famous landmark. A train ride through the forest will lead you to the top of the Corcovado Mountain.
• After descending by train, the tour continues through the "Rebouzas" to Barra da Tijuca, Rio’s most recently developed beach area. The tour returns via the beaches of Sao Conrado, Vidigal, Leblon and Ipanema to Copacabana.
• See our Rio de Janeiro Guide that includes recommended Rio de Janeiro Restaurants and other interesting and useful information about this Brazilian gem.

• After breakfast at the hotel, you will have the entire day to explore the ‘Marvelous City’ at your leisure or choose one of our optional tours for further guided exploration. Find out more about Rio de Janeiro attractions and Rio de Janeiro shopping, and the Top 5 Events to Catch on a Brazil Vacation.

• Transfer to the airport for your flight to Salvador Bahia.
• Pickup at the airport and transfer to your comfortable hotel. See our selection of fantastic Salvador de Bahia hotels.

• You will take a half-day historical tour through Salvador de Bahia, where you will trace the development of the city from its humble beginnings to its current place as the third largest city in Brazil. We will visit the Farol Da Barra Lighthouse at the entrance to the vast bay as well as the UNESCO Heritage Site of Pelourinho, which is the largest complex of colonial architecture in the South America. We will also visit the church of São Francisco with its gold-leafed Baroque interior and the Pelourinho square which is the heart of the old town.

• After breakfast at the hotel, you will have the rest of the day to explore this fascinating city. There is much to see in the second most visited city of Brazil: no other place is better for catching a spectacular capoeira fight or to see the country’s African influences. Walk though the historical city center in Cidade Alta to see handsome colonial architecture that has been restored to its original glory. Once the bohemian heart of Salvador, the city center’s art scene is being revived with open-air cafes, bars and artist ateliers. Our Additional Services below offer interesting activities and tours in and around Salvador.

• In the morning, transfer to the airport for your flight to Manaus.
• Pickup at the airport and transfer to the Amazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge.
• Upon arrival, you will have a chance to visit the Monkey Jungle, a rehabilitation center for primates that were rescued from illegal sales. Here you will have the opportunity to photograph a variety of these whimsical creatures.
• A delicious dinner will be followed by an exciting alligator spotting tour!

• After breakfast, you will be taken on a guided nature hike where you will learn more about the Amazon Rainforest.
• After a tasty lunch and a brief siesta, we will visit the home of local Amazonian residents (“caboclos”) and have an opportunity for fishing.
• Dinner will be served at the lodge.

• After breakfast at the lodge, we will set sail to one of the highlights of the Amazon: "The Meeting of the Waters”, where the black waters of the Negro River and the brown waters of the Solimoes River unite to form the Amazon River. There we will spot an array of exotic flora and fauna which may include the striking pink and grey freshwater dolphins.
• Lunch will be served at a restaurant which offers regional cuisine.
• An optional piranha fishing trip will be held before a delightful dinner prepared by the staff at the lodge.

• This morning you will have breakfast at the lodge followed by free time to enjoy natural pools and swim at the riverbank before you take a transfer to the Manaus airport.

Hotel prices during Reveillon (Brazil’s New Year’s Eve festivities) and Carnival increase. Please ask a Travel Advisor how prices for your Brazil Vacation may differ during this time.

• 9 nights at comfortable hotels based on US standards.
• Guided visits with English speaking tour guides.
• All transfers and entrance fees.
• All breakfasts. 4-star and up hotels offer breakfast buffets.
• Lunch on the Sugarloaf and Corcovado tour.
• All meals in the Amazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge.

PLEASE NOTE:

A tourist visa is required upon entry to Brazil for citizens of the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Travelers not within this group are advised to check with the Brazilian consulate where they reside for visa requirements and inquiries. For more information on obtaining a Brazil tourist visa, please visit our Latin America For Less Travel Blog.

This tour begins with a stroll along the beautiful beaches of Rio. Afterwards, enjoy a spectacular Brazilian samba show and experience the rhythm that pulses through the veins of Brazilians. Samba, like the country where it originated, has its roots in African and European rhythms. The music and dance are now synonymous with Brazil’s world famous Carnival celebrations.

Take a beautiful trip to Petropolis climbing the "Orgaos" Mountains. Each curve will bring you different spectacular sight of lush subtropical vegetation and mountain views. In Petropolis, the famed summer resort city, you will visit the former Palace of the Emperor, Dom Pedro II, today the Imperial Museum. There you will be able to admire the beauty of the antique furniture, jewelry and tapestries of an age of splendor. After this visit, we will see the best example of Gothic Cathedral called Sao Pedro de Alcantara, built in honor of the Emperor of Brazil, where you will be able to see the tombs of the Imperial Family. Our lunch will be served at the Quitandinha Palace that was opened in 1944 to be the gambling capital of the country and had its glamour as a Hotel and Casino until 1946 when gambling was prohibited in Brazil. It is now a Convention and Tourist Center, keeping the old architecture with ballrooms, galleries, theater, convention center, balconies, etc.

This trip has been acclaimed as one of the most charming attractions in the entire Rio area. Drive by 1 1/2 hour through numerous fields, banana plantations and villages along the way to the small fishing village of Itacurussa. Embark on a "Saveiro" (schooner from the northeast of Brazil) for a leisure cruise in the calm waters of the Sepetiba Bay. Stop for swim on a deserted island, and then continue to a private island to enjoy a tantalizing buffet luncheon served in a tranquil and rustic atmosphere. After the meal, guests will be free to explore the island's charm by strolling along the beach, swimming or just working on their Rio tan. Special features can be arranged to enhance the day even more: treasure hunt, beach Olympic games, snorkeling, water skiing, etc. The return cruise to Itacurussa is refreshing and allows guests to appreciate the view of the bay and mountains at sunset.

A comfortable schooner cruise to two (Frades Island and Itaparica Island) of the 36 islands in this sparkling bay, a day of rest and relaxation with great views of the city both on the outbound and homeward journeys. Lunch is included as well as optional transport to the colonial town of Itaparica, just a short distance away, for a light walking tour of the charming waterfront town.

A full-day tour of Praia do Forte, a fishing village 80 kms north of Salvador, home to some of the best beaches in Bahia. Stops include: Barra do Jacuípe where the river meets the ocean, the Sapiranga reserve where you will learn about the delicate restinga ecosystem, the ruins of the Garcia D’Ávila castle (1556) which was once the home of the largest landowner in the New World, as well as the headquarters of the national sea turtle preservation project and one of Brazil’s most successful ecological programs. There will also be time to relax on the beach or browse in the many local handicrafts stores before returning to Salvador. Lunch is included in this tour.

You will enjoy a night of Bahian entertainment and cuisine in the 18th century colonial complex of Solar do Unhão, an estate with its own church, sugar mill, manor house and slaves’ quarters. The performance is a showcase of the multiple African traditions that are still alive in Bahia. The presentation begins with the sacred dances of the Candomblé, and then puxada de rede in honor of Yemanjá, the goddess of the sea, followed by maculelê, an acrobatic stick and sword dance from the cane fields. The highlight of the show is an exhilarating display of capoeira, the stunning martial art/dance of Angolan origin. The show ends with the samba de roda, a spinning, swirling version of this exuberant national dance. Dinner is a buffet of international and Bahia fare.