Plan Your Trip
On this almost 2-week tour of vibrant Brazil, you will discover much more than carnival and soccer. Beginning in the “Marvelous City” – Rio de Janeiro – you’ll find an amazing, magical city surrounded by stunning mountains, white sandy beaches, and tropical rainforest. Indeed, Rio has one of the most spectacular sceneries and ecosystems of the world. On this tour, You can venture through the city, climb Sugarloaf mountain, trek to the imposing Christ the Redeemer statue, visit the multiple and diverse beaches in the city, and even take a favela tour for a once in a lifetime heart expanding experience. Later, you will travel to the scenic coastal town of Paraty, whose historic district possesses well-preserved houses and churches that dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Its streets that were paved by slaves with ancient stones and free of car traffic give the town its own unique paradisiacal look and feel – where it’s worth getting lost in the streets where you may find something new around every corner. Moving onward, you will visit Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands, considered one of the best places in the country for wildlife watching – especially jaguars and yacare caiman. The activities that you can experience here include hiking trails, canoeing, horseback riding, and cycling trails, while the local cuisine is rich in fish and barbecue style eats. Finally. You will travel to Iguazu Falls, which is nothing less than a "New Wonder of Nature," according to the New Seven Wonders Foundation. It is hard to imagine any person who has visited Iguazu Falls and was not delighted with the strength and beauty of the falls, a series of 275 waterfalls reaching up to 90 meters high.
“Everything about Surtrek was amazing. The hotels, the food, the tours. Everything exceeded our expectations. I cannot recommend Surtrek highly enough!”
AM/PM: Today you will land at the airport in Rio de Janeiro, where you will be welcomed at the airport and driven to your hotel, where you can rest up for your almost two-week journey ahead.
Accommodations: Sofitel Rio de Janeiro in a Superior Room
AM: After breakfast, we will head out on an eco-friendly electric train through the well-preserved Atlantic Forest, which is part of Tijuca's National Park, our destination for this morning: the emblematic Crist the Redeemer Statue (one of the Seven “New Wonders of the Modern World”), to find the most beautiful view overlooking Rio de Janeiro. After contemplating this astonishing vista, we will ride to the Sugarloaf Mountain cable Car for even more breathtaking views of the city and its famed beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema, Flamengo, Leme and Leblon, as well as the downtown area, the Santos Dumont Airport, Governador island, neighboring cities and the Serra do Mar mountain backdrop, with the famous Dedo de Deus (“God’s Finger”) peak. The cable car ride is included in the tour.
PM: For lunch, we will travel to the San Teresa neighborhood located on top of the Santa Teresa Hill. In addition to a magnificent view of the city, this neighborhood has retained its colonial charm with its winding, narrow streets and is famous for being an artistic hotspot. It is currently a popular site for locals and tourists alike, as the area has a good number of restaurants with live music, cultural centers, and other attractions, as well as bars and nightclubs.
Accommodations: Sofitel Rio de Janeiro in a Superior Room
AM/PM: You can stay in Rio de Janeiro for more than a month and still find plenty of things to do! From museums to beaches, botanical gardens, art tours, markets, and hiking, there are activities for everyone. Great places to eat include the Bar da Urca, Açai in Santa Teresa, Confeitaria Colombo and Cervantes.
Accommodations: Sofitel Rio de Janeiro in a Superior Room
AM: This morning, you will be privately transferred from Rio de Janeiro to the scenic town of Paraty (255 km / 4 hours approx.), on the coast and to the south of Rio.
PM: Upon our arrival, we can go on an easy 3-hour private walking tour of Paraty, a UNESCO nominated World Heritage site. Your expert local guide will take you back in time to the Portuguese “discovery” of Brazil and trace the development of Paraty through the economic booms of sugar, gold and coffee production. Beautiful colonial architecture, street design ahead of its time, exiled Portuguese royalty and the dark past of the slave trade are just some of the ingredients that make up Paraty’s rich and colorful history.
Accommodations: Pousada Literária Hotel (Suite)
AM: this morning we will pick up at the hotel and go on a full-day boat tour of Paraty Bay, visiting the nearby island and beaches.
PM: In the evening, you will be returned to your elegant hotel suite for the night.
Accommodations: Pousada Literária Hotel (Suite)
AM/PM: Take your time to walk along the streets and observe the colonial architecture, and try the sweets that the locals sell on the street.
Accommodations: Pousada Literária Hotel (Suite)
AM: Private transfer from Paraty to Rio de Janeiro (approx. 248km - 4h15m), and from there a private transfer to your to lodge in Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands. Over the next few days, you will experience a variety of activities in the region. Two activities are included each day: one in the morning and another in the afternoon after lunch. The activities will be carefully selected, though these depend on the climate and time of year. As a guest, you will be notified of the schedule the evening before. Activities include boat tours, jeep tours, canoeing, horseback riding, hiking, and others.
Accommodations: Refúgio da Ilha
Activities at the lodge, according to your selection.
Accommodations: Refúgio da Ilha
Activities at the lodge according to your selection.
Accommodations: Refúgio da Ilha
AM: This morning, you will be privately driven from Pantanal lodge back to Rio de Janeiro.
PM: After lunch in Rio, you will then fly to the town of Foz do Iguaçu, where you will be accompanied to your hotel, Hotel Das Cataratas, to check in.
Accommodations: Hotel das Cataratas Belmond in a Superior Room
AM/PM: After breakfast, we will leave out for a private 6-hour tour of the Argentinean side of the spectacular Iguazu Falls, located 30 kilometers from downtown Foz do Iguassu and 24 kilometers from Puerto Iguazu. After passing through the Visitor Center and the Iguazu National Park Entrance, we will board a gas-propelled train in order to reach the catwalks from where you can observe the most spectacular cataract of the falls: the Devil’s Throat. Once you are at the Devil’s Throat Station you will walk for 1,100 meters on a flat catwalk built above the Upper Iguassu River. This catwalk crosses several islands where there are snack bars to cater to visitors. Once you get to the end of the catwalks, don´t miss the spectacular strategic lookout point resting on the side of the gorgeous Devil’s Throat. During this visit, the falls can be experienced from up close, allowing for the detailed appreciation of both the flora and fauna, as well the falls themselves, which are literally within arm’s reach. (For visitors in wheelchairs, access is facilitated through the Visitors Center and catwalks on all tours, except to San Martin Island.)
Accommodations: Hotel das Cataratas Belmond in a Superior Room
AM: This morning, you begin a private tour of the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls, which will give you a completely different perspective compared to the Argentine side. This 3-1/2 tour ends at the upper part of Iguassu Falls, which is accessed through a panoramic elevator. From there you will follow a track to as far as the Espaço Porto Canoas (“The Port Canoas Space”), where you will find a picturesque lookout point with a view of the upper Iguassu River. The Port Canoas Space also has the Porto Canoas Restaurant and snack bars, handicraft shop, toilets and a medical first aid outpost.
PM: After lunch, you will go on a private tour of Bird Park, which keeps over 900 birds from 150 species, the majority being Brazilian birds, with one-third of these species considered threatened. All of the birds in the Park have come from zoos or IBAMA-authorized breeders. Bird Park covers 17 hectares of second-growth vegetation, of which only 4 hectares are reserved for tourism, and the rest set aside for preservation. This park was created in 1994 and is run by professionals in the fields of biology and veterinary agronomy; plus, well-trained keepers and maintenance staff are responsible for the welfare of the animals and gardens.
Accommodations: Hotel das Cataratas Belmond in a Superior Room
AM: Private transfer from hotel to the airport in Iguazu Falls.
| Persons | |
| Hotel Category | Single Supplement |
| First Class | US$ 2,620 PP |
| 2 Persons | Persons | |
| Hotel Category | Double | Single Supplement |
| First Class | US$ 6,673 PP | US$ 3,049 PP |
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