Day 1
Overnight flight to Rio de Janeiro.
Day 2
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 3
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 hotels. 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 4
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 5
Transfer to airport for flight to Cuiaba. Upon arrival transfer to the Araras Lodge in the Pantanal. Lunch at a local restaurant in Pocone, and photo-safari during transfer to appreciate the local flora and fauna. Evening sunset observation hike. After dinner, night tour to see the nocturnal life at the lowlands.
Day 6
Full day to observe the Pantanal’s flora and fauna at the private reserve of the Araras Lodge. A specialized guide will lead you by car, hike or canoe, through this ecosystem, allowing you to learn and understand the local environment.
Day 7
Discovery trip on the Pantanal’s raised dirt roads, including the Transpantaneira. Canoe tour to spot aquatic wildlife, birds and flora, and possibly some piranha fishing. Picnic lunch. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8
After breakfast, depart to Cuiaba for photo-safari along Transpantaneira dirt road. Arrival at 11 a.m. and drop-off at hotel. Day of leisure in Cuiaba
Day 9
Morning transfer to the airport to take the flight to Manaus.
Reception at the Manaus airport and transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon we will have a city tour of Manaus. We will visit Ponta Negra Beach, historic downtown, Palace of Justice, the Amazon Opera House and the residential neighborhoods. After the tour, transfer to your hotel.
Day 10
In the morning, we will pick you up from the hotel and depart for the lodge in a van for a three-hour drive into the jungle. Upon arrival, you will have a welcome cocktail followed by a tour of the lodge. Lunch at the lodge. Afternoon, departure through Anavilhanas Islands in regional watercraft. The numerous canals (paranás), lakes and islands of the largest river archipelago in the world are explored. Visitors disembark on one of the islands to examine its unique ecosystem, observing regional plant and wildlife. Dinner at the lodge. After dinner, caiman sightseeing. The unique sensation of living and feeling the forest at night is experienced in canoes during the exploration of riverbanks in search of caimans.
Day 11
Early morning breakfast, followed by forest hike. Led by experienced local guides, you will explore the forest, where it is possible to observe some of the greatest Amazonian mysteries. You will also receive instructions on trees, wild fruit, herbs and jungle survival. The trail can be done entirely on foot, but you can also return to the lodge by means of a delightful canoe ride. Lunch. Afternoon, visit the Amazonian dolphins and go piranha fishing. This is a fun fishing expedition in wooden canoes through regional riverbanks, where you will be able to catch some piranhas as well as other fish while admiring the sights, sounds and smells of the forest. Dinner followed by a lecture on the Amazon region and Anavilhanas.
Day 12
Sunrise contemplation and bird watching. Leaving before dusk, you will be led to a lake in Anavilhanas where you can observe birds and other animals in transit and contemplate the colors and nuances of Amazonian skies. Breakfast. Visit to handicraft studios and naval shipyard in Novo Airăo. You will visit two regional craft centers, where you can see the work of local craftsmen in their workplace and later visit a shipyard of regional wooden watercraft. After lunch, depart to Manaus and transfer to the airport to take the flight to Sao Paulo. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel.
Day 13
Morning of leisure in Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo has great museums, shopping, restaurants and nightlife. Afternoon, transfer to the airport to take the flight back home.
Note: hotel check-out is at 12 p.m. Late check-out may be granted same day, subject to availability.
Brazil
Pantanal
Araras Lodge
Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge
