Day 1
Upon arrival in Rio, transfer to your hotel. Afternoon at leisure. Note: check-in is normally after 2 pm. Early check-in may be granted subject to availability (not confirmed).
Day 2
Full-day Sugar Loaf, Corcovado Mountain and Tijuca rainforest Drive along Rio's famous beaches to the Praia Vermelha cable car station, where you will be taken to the Urca Mountain (mid-way station) with its gardens and lookout points. Then, the second part of the ride will take you to the peak of Sugar Loaf Mountain, 1,300 feet above sea level. Continue to the Cosme Velho train station. The cogwheel train will climb up through the Tijuca rainforest and will bring you to the steps of the Christ statue. At 2,300 feet above sea level, it is a breathtaking view of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Guanabara Bay, Sugar Loaf Mountain, the nine-mile Rio-Niterói Bridge, the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean. Lunch included.
Note: This is a group tour and may involve wait times picking up other passengers at different otels. We recommend that this tour be done privately in order to avoid this, at an additional cost of $170 per person, based on two people ($425 based on one person).
Day 3
Day free to enjoy Rio, or choose from one of our optional day tours.
Tonight, enjoy Rio by night! The night tour includes dinner at a barbecue restaurant followed by a Brazilian music presentation at Rio Scenarium. Rio Scenarium is one of the premier places to listen to the best of Brazilian music. Located in Lapa, where the real carioca spirit of bohemian way of life can be felt. This venue is an antique shop during the day and a live music bar during the night. The programming changes every month. The clients are sophisticated listeners who really enjoy good music. After the show, around midnight, return to the hotel stuffed with tunes.
Note: Transfers are done via bus and may involve wait times picking up other passengers at different hotels. We can offer private transfers at an
additional cost of $76 per person, based on two people ($152 based on one person).
Day 4
Curitiba
Arrival in Curitiba and transfer to hotel. Dinner will be served in one of the best restaurants in town. Overnight in the Hotel Bourbon or similar (5 stars).
Day 5
Morretes – Antonina – Curitiba
After breakfast we depart to the train station where our luxury train is waiting for us. Around 09:00 we depart in the direction of Morretes. We travel over a spectacular railway with amazing views and pass by a memorable forest – Atlantic Rain Forest. It is one of the parts of this ancient forest that has been preserved as a national park. On board we pass through tunnels and over viaducts. At around 12:15 we arrive in Morretes, and enjoy a tour of this small and historical city.
We continue our way in the direction of Antonina by a luxury bus. Antonina is a colonial city, which was established by the Portuguese in 1714 and here we will have a city tour and enjoy a typical lunch. In the afternoon we will return by car via Graciosa Road, stopping at the São João da Graciosa Belvedere; and overnight in Curitiba.
Day 6
Curitiba – Vila Velha – Tibagi
After breakfast we check out of the hotel and visit the city. The capital of the state Paraná is modern and has one of the best indexes for quality of life in the country. We visit the botanical garden, the historical centre, the Oscar Niemeyer Museum and the memorial of the Ukrainian immigrants. Before leaving for national park Vila Velha, we have lunch.
In national park Vila Velha there are rock formations created by the wind forming the rocks into different figures. This large park is a first choice for nature lovers. The caves and characters are very impressive. Our tour continues to Tibagi where we spend the night at Pousada Itaytyba or similar, (3 stars) located in a beautiful region with chalets and apartments, the Hotel is integrated in a farm of 11,000 hectares, with a preserved area of 1800 hectares. Dinner and overnight.
Day 7
Tibagi (Canyon do Guartelá) – Castro – Ponta Grossa
After breakfast in the hotel we go through the ranch by micro-bus (25 km) to see a panoramic view of Guartelá-Canyon, considered the sixth longest canyon in the world; it is 32 km long and offers fascinating nature. The rock formations have been shaped for more than 400 millions years. During this interesting excursion you will explore the surroundings with the possibility of hiking and taking a bath in a river or under a waterfall.
After lunch in the farm’s restaurant, we travel by luxury bus to the small city of Castro.
We will visit the historic part of Castrolanda town, an agricultural cooperative that was founded in 1951 by the Dutch, which has the largest windmill outside Netherlands, more than 30 meters high. We will continue to Ponta Grossa. During the trip you can enjoy a drink of your choice and relax in comfortable seats. Arriving Ponta Grossa, we go to a four-star hotel, where dinner will be served and where you will spend the night at the Hotel Ponta Grossa or similar.
Day 8
Ponta Grossa – Irati – Guarapuava
In the morning after having visited the city of Ponta Grossa, we leave to Irati and
Guarapuava. Today we have a pleasant day in the train with enchanting views of the surroundings. After visiting Irati, we have lunch in the train. Take the time to choose from the kitchen while the landscapes pass by. Upon departure or arrival at the stations you are welcomed by local artists who will receive you warmly. Upon arrival in Guarapuava, our luxury bus will bring us to the hotel Spa Med Vale (3 stars). Dinner will be at a famous restaurant with Portuguese cuisine.
Day 9
Guarapuava – Cascavel
In the late morning, after a visit to the city Guarapuava, we depart with the train in the direction of Cascavel. The journey to Cascavel is very splendid with beautiful landscapes, tunnels and viaducts. Upon arrival in Cascavel the bus will bring us to a restaurant where you can choose from all kinds of meats of the best quality. For the vegetarians there are plenty of other options. In Cascavel we take a tour through the city. We pay a visit to the large cathedral and the statue of the virgin which protects the building. After this visit we travel by luxury bus in the direction of Foz do Iguaçu. Arrive in Foz do Iguaçu and transfer to Mercure Grand International, Rafain Palace or similar on the Brazil side of the falls.
Day 10
Morning, guided tour to the Argentina side of the waterfalls. Pick-up at your hotel and transfer to visitor center inside Iguazu National Park. To get from the visitor center to the beginning of Upper Path, Lower Path and Devil’s Throat, you will board a little train that runs from the visitor center to the paths and between each one of them. You may also walk from the visitor center to the upper and lower paths but not to Devil’s Throat because it is more than 4 kilometers from the visitor center.
Great Adventure: This tour combines a jungle trip with a boat trip to the falls. Trip starts in the jungle of the National Park in 4 by 4 trucks without roof for best visibility of the trees and to take good photos. Then we take a zodiac boat to the lower Iguazu River upstream to discover the falls little by little with a panoramic view of the Iguazu Falls. Be prepared to get wet under the falls! Afternoon return to your hotel.
Note: this boat tour involves some light trekking and climbing of steep stairs. You need to be in reasonably good shape since it can become somewhat strenuous. Please ask your travel consultant about this.
Day 11
Morning tour of the Brazil side of the waterfalls. Located in Iguazu National Park, one of the largest reserves of subtropical jungle, these world-famous falls are formed by 240 different cascades. Descend the walkway for fantastic views and return by a panoramic elevator. Transfer to the airport for flight to Rio de Janeiro where you can connect with international flights back home or overlap with the Yampu add-on of your choice.
Brazil
Great Brazil Express
Iguazu Falls Devil's Throat
Train Interior
