Recife Tour: The Venice of Brazil

• Upon arrival to Recife, a Brazil For Less representative will welcome you at the airport and take you to your confirmed hotel. Check out our selection of comfortable hotels in Recife.
• You’ll have the rest of the day to start exploring the city on your own and soak up the laid back atmosphere of this charming colonial town.

• Today you’ll enjoy a fascinating cultural tour of the sister cities: Recife and Olinda. The half-day tour will start at your hotel, where your expert guide will meet you and take you to the most important sites.
• You’ll first get a panorama of Recife, seeing the three islands that comprise the city center (Recife, Santo Antonio and Boa Vista) and the bridge of Mauricio de Nassau. You’ll continue on to Praça de Republica flanked by the Governor’s Palace, Santa Isabel Theatre, and Law Courts, as well as the Casa de la Cultura, a beautiful building dating back to the 19th century.
• Next on your tour is a visit to Recife’s sister city, the magical Olinda. The historical district of this lovely colonial town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. You’ll visit the churches of Se and Misericordia in the Alto da Se district. Olinda is particularly famous for its Carnaval, when colorful parades of giant puppets and dancers fill the streets.
• After the tour, you’ll return to your hotel in Recife and have the remainder of the day to enjoy at your leisure.

• Today you can relax and explore Recife at your own pace. Visit the city’s beautiful beaches, soak up the sun, or take one of our exciting additional tours.

• Check our exciting additional Recife tours if you want to extend your stay, or meet your transfer to the airport for your journey home or on to your next destination.
• Browse our full range of Brazil travel destinations for additional vacation ideas, and feel free to ask your travel advisor for any suggestions.

Note: Hotel prices during Reveillon (Brazil’s New Year’s Eve festivities) and Carnival increase. Please ask your travel advisor how prices for your Brazil vacation may differ during these periods.

• 3 nights in Recife in hotels based on US standards
• All tours stated in the itinerary with expert English-speaking guides
• All transfers and entrance fees
• All breakfasts

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 read our blog on how to apply for a Brazil visa.

This exciting full-day tour will teach you about Recife’s fascinating culture, art, and history. You will discover the region of Pernambuco with a visit to the Museum of Northeastern Man, founded by the sociologist Gilberto Freyre; the Institute Ricardo Brennand with its impressive collection of art, arms and armors; and the studio of renowned Brazilian artist, Francisco Brennand.

You will then continue exploring Pernambuco’s unique Jewish history with a visit to the Camaragibe Sugar Estate, the Mauricio de Nassau bridge (built by Jewish engineer Baltazar da Fonseca), the Rua do Bom Jesus (formerly known as the “Jews Street”), and the Sinagoga Kahal Zur Israel, first synagogue in South America. The tour will end with a catamaran cruise around the rivers of central Recife so you can enjoy breathtaking views of the area, before returning to your hotel.

One of the most beautiful beaches in the region, and arguably in the country, Porto de Galinhas boasts glistening, crystalline waters, exotic marine wildlife, and vast coconut groves. During this full-day private tour you’ll visit the charming, authentic fishing village and enjoy the natural beauty of the area.

Formerly a port for the clandestine slave trade in the 19th century, Porto de Galinhas today is believed to be one of Brazil’s most attractive beach resorts. Enjoy the day on the beach soaking up the sun. You can also take an optional janganda tour (traditional fishing raft) through the reef pools or take a buggy trip to the nearby beaches of Pontal de Maracaipe and Muro Alto.

This full-day private tour will take you to one of Brazil’s earliest colonial towns, Igarrassu. Here you will visit one of Brazil’s oldest churches, Igreja de Santos Cosme e Damiao, built in 1535. After your tour of Igarrassu, you will continue on to the beautiful island of Itamaraca. This exotic coastal island is a treasure of nature, history, and beauty, as well as a great destination for water sports of all kinds. You will also visit the Forte Orange, a fortress built by the Dutch in the 17th century, see the Marine Manatee Centre, and take a catamaran tour to Coroa de Aviao, a heavenly sand bar where migratory birds generally flock.