A twelve-day journey across Brazil linking four destinations by domestic flight.
The circuit opens with three nights in São Paulo, with a guided city tour of the historic centre and Avenida Paulista. It continues with two nights in the Amazon near Manaus, with a boat trip on the river, piranha fishing and a visit to a Caboclo village. It then moves to Rio de Janeiro for three nights, with half-day tours to Sugarloaf (Pão de Açúcar) and to Corcovado, where the Christ the Redeemer statue overlooks Guanabara Bay. It closes with three nights at the Iguaçu Falls, visited from both the Brazilian and the Argentine sides. Accommodation is offered in the 4-star category.
Highlights
São Paulo city tour: historic centre and Ibirapuera Park
Amazon near Manaus: boat trip, piranha fishing and a Caboclo village
Sugarloaf (Pão de Açúcar) and central Rio de Janeiro
Corcovado and the Christ the Redeemer statue
Iguaçu Falls from the Brazilian and Argentine sides, with the Garganta del Diablo
Domestic flights São Paulo – Manaus – Rio de Janeiro – Foz do Iguaçu – São Paulo
Day-by-day itinerary
Day1
Day 1: Arrival in São Paulo
Arrival at São Paulo airport, where our driver meets you and transfers you to the hotel.
Day2
Day 2: São Paulo city tour
After breakfast, guided city tour. It begins in the historic centre: Sé Square and its cathedral, the largest Japanese quarter in the world, the city's Foundation Square, the Tea Bridge, the Municipal Opera and Ballet Theatre, Station Square, the Municipal Market, República Square and the Italian Terrace Building. It then explores the modern part of the city: Avenida Paulista and Ibirapuera Park, with its water channels, lakes, spreading trees, playgrounds and bike trails, the Obelisk in honour of the heroes of the 1932 revolution, and the Bandeiras Monument. The tour ends in the residential areas of modern architecture and the graffiti district.
Day3
Day 3: São Paulo – Manaus
Transfer to the airport for the flight to Manaus. On arrival, meeting and transfer to the hotel. Dinner and evening programme. From Manaus you enter the jungle, where accommodation is in lodges: you can walk in the jungle or go fishing for piranha, and on a night safari, amid the sounds of the jungle, spot the eyes of the caimans.
Day4
Day 4: Manaus
Breakfast at the hotel. Boat tour along the Amazon River, with the chance to catch piranha from the boat. Visit to a Caboclo village to get acquainted with the life, traditions and customs of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon. Walk through the jungle to discover the local flora and fauna; the guide teaches how to survive in the jungle, how to tell poisonous plants from edible ones and how to shoot arrows.
Day5
Day 5: Manaus – Rio de Janeiro
Transfer to the airport for the flight from Manaus to Rio de Janeiro. On arrival, your driver meets you and transfers you to the hotel. Rio de Janeiro is green hills, blue sky, bays, islands and marvellous beaches; one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with famous beaches such as Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon.
Day6
Day 6: Rio de Janeiro — Sugarloaf
After breakfast, half-day tour (about 4 hours) to Sugarloaf. The first stop is on Morro da Urca, with a wide viewing area. From the summit of Sugarloaf you look out over Rio, Copacabana beach, the bay, the mountains, the ocean islands, the Niterói bridge and the statue of Christ on Corcovado. Then, by car, you tour the central areas of old Rio, with churches, monasteries, the cathedral and colonial-style buildings.
Day7
Day 7: Rio de Janeiro — Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer
After breakfast, half-day tour (about 4 hours) to Corcovado. An eco-friendly train climbs through the forest to the summit. On either side of the railway open views of the Tijuca forest, home to monkeys and other animals. At the top of Corcovado, at an altitude of 700 m, stands the symbol of Rio: the 38 m statue of Christ the Redeemer, erected in 1931, overlooking the metropolis, the Niterói bridge, Guanabara Bay, the Botanical Garden, the Maracanã stadium and Sugarloaf.
Day8
Day 8: Rio de Janeiro – Foz do Iguaçu
Transfer to the airport for the flight to Iguassu. Arrival in Iguassu and transfer to the hotel.
Day9
Day 9: Iguaçu Falls — Brazilian side
Breakfast at the hotel. Then, an excursion to the amazing falls. The Iguaçu Falls lie on the borders of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, with 275 water flows falling from a great height. They sit within a national park of unique flora and fauna. Each waterfall has its own name, and all rush with a crash into the canyon of the Garganta del Diablo, with water plunging from a height of 72 metres.
Day10
Day 10: Iguaçu Falls — Argentine side
After breakfast, you reach the Argentine side of the falls over the Tancredo Neves Bridge, built over the Iguaçu River. The Argentine side is different from the Brazilian one: here you are above and below the falls at the same time, very close to the power of the water, and you can enjoy the natural park around them. You see the birth of the Garganta del Diablo.
Day11
Day 11: Foz do Iguaçu – São Paulo
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for the flight to São Paulo. Transfer to the hotel.
Day12
Day 12: Departure from São Paulo
Breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to the airport for your flight home.
Suggested hotels
Slaviero São Paulo Ibirapuera
Superior
São Paulo
4-star option in São Paulo (3 nights).
Evolução Ecolodge
Superior
Manaus
4-star option in Manaus (2 nights).
Arena Leme
Superior
Rio de Janeiro
4-star option in Rio de Janeiro (3 nights).
Vivaz Cataratas
Superior
Foz do Iguaçu
4-star option in Foz do Iguaçu (3 nights).
Essential, Premium and Luxury categories available. Final accommodation is confirmed by date and availability.
What's included
Included: Accommodation in the listed hotels or similar, with breakfast
Included: Transfers with a driver according to the programme
Included: Private guided excursions in São Paulo, Foz do Iguaçu and Rio de Janeiro
Included: Group tours with an English-speaking guide in Manaus
What's not included
Not included: International airfare
Not included: Domestic flights São Paulo – Manaus – Rio de Janeiro – Foz do Iguaçu – São Paulo
Not included: Airport and tourism taxes and visa fees
Not included: Meals not mentioned in the programme, and food and drinks during transfers
Not included: Drinks unless explicitly stated
Not included: Tips and gratuities
Not included: Personal expenses and optional excursions
Not included: Travel insurance
Not included: Anything not expressly mentioned as included
Optional services
Optional, at extra cost:
The Meeting of the Waters — By speedboat to the Meeting of the Waters, where the Rio Negro and the Amazon River run side by side without mixing, their dark and light waters marking the line where they meet.
Optional, at extra cost:
Swimming with pink dolphins — A swimming experience with the Amazonian pink dolphins, with the chance to feed them and take photographs.
Optional, at extra cost:
Helicopter flight over Rio — A flight of about 8 to 10 minutes over Rio de Janeiro, with views of the beaches, the statue of Christ and the city. The helipad is on Sugarloaf or at Lagoa.
Optional, at extra cost:
Macuco Safari — An open-jeep ride of about 3 kilometres through the jungle, with a guide who explains the ecology of the region, and a motorboat ride to the foot of the falls.
Optional, at extra cost:
Bird Park — A visit to large open-air enclosures where birds of extraordinary colours fly or walk freely among the rainforest.