Brazil Travel Deal: Rio Carnival

Arrive at the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro where the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooks the city and welcomes all. Be transferred to your comfortable hotel where you can spend the evening relaxing.

After a delicious breakfast in your hotel, ride along the famous beaches of Rio to Sugarloaf Mountain. You will take the cable car to the "Morro da Urca" Mountain, 886 feet above sea level. Then continue to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, 1295 feet above sea level. From there, you will have a 360-degree view of the Atlantic Ocean, famous beaches, and the whole of Rio.

Continue on to a tour of the city. First 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 Corcovado, the Hunchback Mountain, via a train through the forest. This 2,460 feet peak is world-famous for the towering statue of Christ the Redeemer that overlooks the city of Rio.  

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 to your comfortable hotel to spend the rest of the evening at your leisure.

As the Carnival celebration begins in Rio, you can dive into the festivities at your own pace. Hit the lively streets, relax on the soft sands of Copacabana, or take an optional guided excursion of Rio’s many historical sites, necessary for any complete Brazil vacation.

To catch the Carnival kick-off, claim a spot in the Sambadromo, the Samba Stadium built specifically to host the annual Carnival parade. Over the Saturday and Sunday, nearly 70,000 cheering spectators pour into the stadium to watch the parade of samba dancers, lavishly decorated floats, and breathtaking special effects.

Samba Schools, or organized groups of samba dancers, compete to steal the hearts of spectators and judges alike. Samba, an African-Brazilian dance, has developed into many varieties over the past century. Since the 1930s, samba schools have competed during Carnival. A samba school begins with a row of greeters who salute the crowd, then ladies with large dresses gyrate, followed by singers and musicians, plus the old guard – former samba heroes – as well as many other bare-bellied, elaborately costumed dancers. These dances, costumes, and floats often take a year of planning to prepare. 

A separate ticket is required to attend the Sambodromo Carnival parade. If you wish to include this event in your tour, you will be transferred directly into the Sambadromo to your grandstand Sector 9* seats located in the heart of the stadium halfway down the avenue. Your seats offer a panoramic view, allowing you to fully experience the brilliant colors, animated dancing and rhythmic music of the Rio Carnival. Festivities continue throughout the evening well into the early morning. You will have the opportunity to depart the Sambadromo at anytime, as transfers to your Rio hotel will be available between performances.

*Another option is Frisas seating in Sector 9. These private boxes seat six people around a table and are as close as you can get to the Rio Carnival parade!

Enjoy a relaxing morning and afternoon at your leisure. Explore the famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, walk along the streets of Rio decked out with festival-goers, seek out the many street bands and street parties, and taste the refreshing Brazilian fruit juices available from many street vendors.

By evening, you will want to return to the Sambadromo for the second round of the Rio Carnival parade. On this second day, seven new schools have the chance to strut their stuff and blow away the crowds with the fantastic variety of samba styles. After you have experienced Rio Carnival, you will be able to say you’ve experienced the world’s biggest party, and you’ll ring in the Lenten season with the biggest and grandest Carnival in the world.

After a well-earned rest, you will be transferred to the airport to return home or to the next leg of your Brazil vacation.

We highly recommend that you remain in Rio de Janeiro for the Champions Parade, which takes place on the following weekend. During this parade, the best of the best perform once again for partygoers who just can´t get enough of Rio Carnival, and fireworks top off the show. Between parades, you will have the perfect amount of time to visit the nearby local favorite beach town Búzios, or the quiet island of Ihla Grande, or the many other pearls of Brazil.

For more ideas on what to do in Rio de Janeiro, see our Travel Guide.

• 4 nights at a Rio de Janeiro hotel based on US standards
• All guided visits are with English speaking tour guides
• All transfers and entrance fees except into the Sambodromo
• All breakfasts