Itinerary

Day 1

Airport pick up (time and flight number to be confirmed) and transfer to the hotel. We settle in, and then visit town with our English-speaking guide.

Climb to the Corcovado, universally known symbol of the town of Rio.

By car, we climb to an elevation of 700 meters above sea level. Once on the summit, we take the time to appreciate the unique and enchanting panoramic view of the "cidade maravilhosa" (magnificent city).

Rio spreads under our feet, majestic and languid. This advantageous viewpoint gives us a better understanding of the physical and "social" topography of the town.
We descend via Santa Teresa, which used to be one of the wealthiest residential neighborhoods of Rio, at the time when the town was the capital of Brazil and all the principal powers where located there.
Surrounded by the agglomeration, the neighborhood has lost its exclusive character, and the wealth of the area has moved to the Southwest of Rio, to Barra da Tijuca.

Santa Teresa shelters today an unconventional population, constituting the bohemian quarter of modern Rio.
We stroll through this neighborhood to get a taste of its quaint and dated atmosphere.
Along its narrow and winding streets, we can admire some splendid houses dating from the 19th century and catch a glimpse of the soul of a Rio from another time.
The best way to realize this nostalgic trip is to take the bondinho, a little wooden tramway, a miraculous vestige from the start of the 20thcentury, and the most famous symbol of Santa Teresa.

During the descent to Lapa, we visit the colored staircase or "Escadaria do Convento da Santa Teresa", decorated by Jorge Selaron.
This autodidactic Chilean artist is one of the best-known personalities of this neighborhood.

After exhibiting his paintings around the world, he settled in Brazil in 1983 and spontaneously decided to decorate this staircase with a multicolored mosaic in perpetual evolution.

His ambition is to link the neighborhoods of Lapa and Santa Teresa, by covering the staircases with thousands of azulejos (ceramic tilework). We might have the opportunity to see him at work…

We, later, reach the cable cart taking us to the summit of the Sugarloaf (el. 400 m.a.s.l.) the symbol of Rio, marking the entrance of the Bay of Guanabara. Return to our hotel at 17:00.

Entrance fee to Corcovado and Sugarloaf included. Meals not included. Night in hotel.

Day 2

Departure from the hotel at 09:00 by minibus (group service, 4 to 9 person max). A specialized guide takes us on an "off-the-beaten-path" visit: the favelas. These incursions of a few hours in a different reality of Rio, gives us a complete and realistic vision of life in Carioca, far from the images of violence or of poverty that are the only ones transmitted by a media lacking originality.

At the heart of these popular and "lawless" neighborhoods (the favelas are originally illegal land occupations), Brazilians organize themselves and live in a dignified and solitary manner.

In the afternoon, visit of Rio's city center, where in a few minutes we pass from a colossal avenue framed by imposing glass buildings to quaint, small streets and their little affordable shops. Many styles, one frame of mind, this is the best definition to describe the architectural cocktail of the center, where past and modernism coexist in harmony.



Among the possible visits (to be coordinated with the guide depending on opening times, of your centers of interest, of eventual manifestations organized that day): Imperial Municipal (replicate of the Opera Garnier in France), foundation Banco do Brasil, casa da França (old custom house), national History museum, largo da Carioca, convento Santo Antônio, metropolitan cathedral, plaza Tiradentes ...

And if you feel like it, go for a cold beer at Luis' bar where the decor seems to not have changed since its construction… at the beginning of the 19th century.

Return to the hotel at 17:00.

Entrance to museums and monuments included. Meals not included. Night in hotel.

Day 3

Departure from the hotel with a private vehicle, for a transfer to the airport, 3 hours before departure time. Domestic flight Rio – Iguaçu (not included / departure airport, flight time and number to be confirmed). Pick up at the airport and transfer to the hotel (or, depending on arrival time, directly to the site).
In a private vehicle and with our English-speaking guide, we head for the Brazilian side of Iguaçu Park and a stunning panoramic view. The national park of Iguaçu, 185,000 acres, was created in 1939 and its ecological reserve registered as a Natural Heritage site by UNESCO. We skirt hundreds of small falls before reaching the last one, Floriano Fall. This one offers an arresting panoramic view over "Devil's Canyon", across the way.

Return towards Foz de Iguacu. On the way, we stop at the bird park (parque das aves), where hundreds of different varieties of birds from Brazil are sheltered, but also from other tropical countries.

Entrance fees included. Meals open. Night in hotel.

Day 4

At 08:45 we meet at the hotel with our English-speaking guide. Transfer to the Argentine side of the park (about 40 minutes). Stop at the symbolic panoramic triple border point Paraguay - Brazil - Argentina. Visit of the falls from the Argentine side, from where we get closer to the water, and of impressive "Devil's Canyon" opening at our feet. Then return to our hotel on the Brazilian side in the afternoon.

Entrance included. Meals open. Night in hotel.

Day 5

Private transfer from the hotel to the airport 2 hours before take off time. Domestic flight Iguaçu – Manaus (not included / departure airport, flight time and number to be confirmed).

Pick up and transfer to the hotel (usually before noon).

At 14:00 meeting at the hotel with our English-speaking guide for a guided visit of the town.

The capital of this immense territory is a town like others, except for its geographical situation (it is located in the heart of the Amazon) giving it a unique style: the atmosphere is tropical, saturated with humidity, and from the beach of Ponta Negra or from the floating pier, we are astounded by the size of Río Negro (Black River), running peacefully, as far as the eye can see. A few miles lower, it mixes its water with those of Río Solimoes to form, all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, the Amazon River.



Our stroll takes us to the Opera, which ceiling represents the Eiffel tower seen from the ground (closed on Mondays). Then visit of the floating pier built by English engineers at the beginning of the 20th century, a real technological feat for the time.
Finally, mandatory stop at the market, where we may desire to be left to ourselves, early in the morning, to attend the ballet of the Dockers discharging fruits, vegetable, but especially impressive fish … Return to the hotel at the end of the day.
Entrance fee included. Meals not included. Night in hotel.

Day 6

Departure from the hotel at 07:30 for the site where the waters encounter. The dark and amber water of Río Negro seem to hesitate before mixing with the more yellowish water of Solimoes. We go and observe from a motorboat the surprising show of these two waterways, running side by side over a few miles before mixing.

We, then, return to the Lodge. After 50 miles on the road (1-hour), we reach the village of Rio Preto da Eva, charming little beach resort visited during the weekends by the Manaus' inhabitants. There we exchange our vehicle for a motor-pirogue loaded with food.

We follow Rio Preto da Eva. The last traces of civilization disappear as we enter deeper in a labyrinth of water and vegetation. We follow the meanders of the river resembling a ribbon reflecting the sunlight.
Once we arrive at the lodge, we are welcome with a cocktail. After settling, we are invited to share a typical local lunch (fish / feijao (beans) / rice / raw vegetables / fruit).

In the afternoon, excursion by pirogue on the igarapés (canals flooded after the rainy season, dry the rest of the year) to meet a family of Caboclos.

Caboclos is the name given here to the people of mixed descent (Indians and Portuguese colons) living in the heart of the forest and keeping a very traditional rural lifestyle (subsistence agriculture, especially of manioc, fishing, domestically used handicraft...).
On the way back to the lodge, our guide will rapidly set up a fishing line equipped with a piece of white wire serving as a hook.
He attaches a piece of chicken to the end and in a few minutes, the piranhas arrive. The lodge cook will gill them, and shortly after serve them to us (their flesh, although full of bones, is delicious).
All included. Night in the lodge.

Day 7

After a hearty breakfast, we enter the forest in the company of our guide. The Indians have acquired empiric knowledge of the local wildlife and fauna that doesn't cease to impress visitors.

The animals with which they co-habit do not hold any secrets for them. They know their habitat, their eating habits; know if they are comestible, and the best way to hunt them…

Some plants are used in everyday life (construction, weaving, tool fabrication, utensils or arms…); others are known for such and such medicinal virtue. Each pain has its remedy. We become aware that we are walking through an immense outdoor pharmacy …
The adaptation of the Indians to their natural habitat is equally manifested in their capacity to orient themselves, precisely, without obvious landmarks and without the help of any navigation instruments, in the heart of a jungle where everything looks alike.

We return to the lodge for lunch. On the way back, we can cool down in the crystal clear waters of a waterfall.

If we are lucky, we might spot of few of the forest's animals: a group of monkeys snacking, a tapir loudly escaping in front of us, a few snakes sleeping in the middle of a path, a toucan…



The rest of the day is dedicated to a pirogue tour on the nearby waterways/or a bath in the cool waters of Rio Preto da Eva.
After dinner, our hosts invite us to take place around a blazing campfire on the white sand beach.

A frozen caipirinha in our hand, we enjoy the magic of the Amazonian night and the silence of a nature that nothing disturbs, except the crickets and the noise of the palms agitated by the breeze.

All included. Night in lodge.

Day 8

Before sunrise, our guide takes us to attend the ballet of the birds leaving their night shelter. Another walk in the forest can follow breakfast. After lunch, we return to Manaus (we take the same trail as on the way in). We may be lucky enough to see some sloths on the way. Loving tender leaves, we frequently find them on the highest branches of the trees, where they are easily visible. The observation of these mammals is easier after the rain, the sloths looking then for open places to dry their coat.

Arrival in Manaus and transfer to the airport: domestic flights Manaus - Salvador (not included /, flight time and number to be confirmed). Pick up at airport and transfer to the hotel.

Meals not included. Night in hotel.

Lunch included. Dinner open. Night in hotel.

Day 9

Meeting at the the pousada at 09:00 with our English-speaking guide who takes us to the discovery of the neighborhood representing best the heart and soul of Salvador.

In the morning, a visit to the lower part of town, starting with its monuments and its markets.

The Mercado Modelo (touristy) then Sao Joaquim market (authentic Bahianese market). We cross town towards the North to reach the Church of Bonfim, a pilgrimage site where we can admire, in the "miracle room", an impressive collection of votive offerings, testifying to the local popular devotion for Senhor do Bonfim.

We follow with a visit to the Museum of Sacred Art (open afternoons only, visit after lunch). Located at the heart of the antique Santa-Teresa convent, it exhibits a collection of unique pieces dating from the 16th to the 20th century: azulejos (ceramic tilework) panes, sculptures, silver and furniture.

In the afternoon, we visit the high part of town, dominated by the historical quarter of Pelourinho. Its prestigious architectural ensemble, renovated with its original bright colors, is constituted by magnificent colonial mansions and baroque churches one of them being the Church of São Francisco and its stunning azulejos fresco. By drawing from its African roots, the city created for itself a unique identity in Latin America, animating its daily life by the frenetic rhythms of Capoeira and religious ceremonies of Candomblé. Return to the pousada at the end of the day.

Entrance fees included. Meals not included. Night in a pousada.

Day 10

At 08:15 we leave our hotel to head for the pier in the company of our English-speaking guide. By boat (escuna or saveiro / shared by other travelers), (no guide other than the boat captain), we start our excursion in the superb Bay of Todos Os Santos. We cross to the island of Frade, for our first swimming break.

Lunch on the island (buffet included). We then continue on, still by boat, towards Ponte de Arreia and the island of Itaparica. Panoramic view over Salvador and its surroundings.

Return to Salvador late afternoon.

Lunch included. Dinner open. Night in a pousada.

Day 11

Departure at 09:00 in a private vehicle with our English-speaking guide towards the North and its beautiful coast.

In the program, a stop in the well-known hippie village of Arembepe (which houses among its inhabitants Janis Joplin and Mick Jagger), then, 53 miles more to the North, we visit Praia do Forte, 12 miles of fine sand beach fringed by coconut trees.
We can visit the ecological project "Tamar" dedicated to protecting turtles (entrance fee not included / about $ 1.5 US) or stroll through the numerous shops of the village.
If you wish to be quieter, it is possible to continue on towards Imbassai ("where the waters meet" in Tupi Guarani dialect) offering a choice between fresh and salt water for the swim. Return to Salvador at the end of the afternoon.

Meals not included. Night in a pousada.

Day 12

Departure from the hotel in private transportation 3 hours before the take off and transfer to the airport.

International flight (not included / flight number and schedule to be detailed).

Meals not included.

Extra Information

Extras -

{italic}Included and Not included mentioned in the programme.{-italic}