Natural Wonders of Brazil (10 Days)

Day 01 – Arrival Rio de Janeiro

Arrival to Rio de Janeiro International Airport (GIG). Our representative will meet you on arrival and accompany you on your private transfer to your downtown hotel.

Day 02 – Morning City Tour of Rio de Janeiro, Sugar Loaf and Corcovado with Samba

We begin with an idyllic coastal drive aside the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon to the base of Corcovado Hill. Then board the train which will carry you to the infamous Christ the Redeemer statue. Witnessing the all-encompassing view of Rio de Janeiro is a once in lifetime moment etched on your memory. Onward to the Sugarloaf Mountain where we can enjoy the spectacular glass cable-car rides. Firstly, with a view from Urca peak across the panoramic bay. Secondly, onward and upward to the crest of the Sugar Loaf with vistas of metropolitan Rio, Corcovado with Botafogo and Copacabana Beaches. Your evening is made complete with dinner as you witness a mesmerizing samba show of colorful Brazilian dancers replete with their decadent costumes and hypnotic Latin rhythms.

Day 03 – Sail Boat Cruise on Guanabara Bay, Free Afternoon

The idyllic Guanabara Bay is nestled beneath Papagaio and Sugarloaf Mountains and truly is a picture postcard scene. This tour offers a host of views of the neighborhoods of Botafogo, Flamengo and Urca with the Fortress of Saint John of the Harbor. Through these very waters the colonial Portuguese navigated in January 1502 under the stewardship of Amerigo Vespucci and André Gonçalves, thus giving rise to the name Rio de Janeiro (January River). Today your luxury Brazil vacation will allow you sail and navigate the many attractions including Fundão and Governor’s Island before meandering west to view Rio de Janeiro. Along the eastern seaboard we also encounter the district of Niteroi. This is a quintessential journey aboard a beautiful schooner vessel into the heartland of Rio de Janeiro and her neighboring islet attractions.

Day 04 – Rio de Janeiro to Manaus Amazon Rainforest

Private transfer to the Rio airport and flight to Manaus. Manaus was famed for rubber production in the late 1800’s and was known as the Paris of the Tropics. Today access is primarily by boat or aeroplane and the region is still the secluded home of native Amazonian tribes. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by our staff and transferred to your beautiful Amazon Jungle lodge. Today you will have the opportunity to go canoeing through the enthralling Igapós flooded forest and along the Igarapés River in the heart of the Brazilian Amazon.

Day 05 - Manaus Amazon Rainforest

In the capable and trusted hands of our local guides, explore the diverse bounty of the dryland forests. Your insightful and educational guides will teach you of the immense variety of local trees, fruits and wild fruits, and even tips on survival strategies and the rainforests abundance of plants to create thousands of medicinal herbs. Today you will also get to do some boating on the archipelago with a special treat of seeing the Pink and Grey Dolphins which are native to the region.

Day 06 - Manaus Amazon Rainforest

Today we take a canoe adventure on the Rio Negro (Black River) and visit the native Caboclo community. This is a moving experience as you get to witness and learn their lifestyle, culture, agricultural methods and social structures. Then continue onward watching the Amazon world drift by in your canoe along the Igarapés River to enjoy some piranha fishing. However, in the dry season of September to December the fish migrate to the waters of the nearby national park, which prohibits fishing. As an excellent option at this time the dry weather allows you to explore on foot the previously submerged islands of the Anavilhanas Archipelago. This region offers an immense opportunity to explore the wide diversity of unique flora and fauna native to the Amazon rainforest.

Day 07 – Fly Manaus Amazon Rainforest to Iguazu Falls

Breakfast at your lodge and morning transfer back to Manaus to connect to your onward flight to Iguazu Falls. Arrival at Foz do Iguazu Airport, Brazil. Our guide will meet you and transfer to your hotel accommodation at Foz de Iguazu.

Day 08 – Iguazu Falls Brazilian Side

UNESCO declared the Iguazu Falls as a “Natural Heritage of Humanity” back in 1986 and the region is a gem of any luxury Brazil vacation. Our day begins at the Iguazu National Park trailhead and meanders down the valley which opens out to reveal a spectacular vista of in excess of two-hundred and forty waterfalls. You will have time to ride in a glass elevator to get the most spectacular views possible. The Brazilian side offers the best panoramic views of the falls. The park is an astounding 418 kms (260 miles) long and holds an area in excess of 185,000 hectares (458,000 acres), with the falls alone spanning 2,700 metres (8,900 ft). Here as a special treat you can take an optional helicopter overflight or alternately join a motor boat ride directly out to the falls. Bring a poncho and still be prepared to get wet under the heavenly roar of the torrential waters cascading down from above. Your senses will be awakened!

Day 09 – Iguazu Falls Argentine Side

The indigenous Guarani people told a story of their deity and his bride to be called Naipí. The beautiful Naipí eloped with her true love Tarobá in a canoe. In a fit of tempest, the deity severed the waters; Iguazu Falls were born and the entwined lovers plummeted to their mortal eternity. Today we explore the Argentinean Falls via the Tancredo Neves Bridge route to the Iguazu National Park in Argentina. We board the tren de la selva (jungle train) through the park until the second stop. Here we alight and begin the walking trail to reach the upper walkways. These upper reaches afford the best views and interaction with the rainforest environment. Our ultimate goal culminates in a visit to the suspended viewing platform at the abyss that is known locally as the Devil’s Throat (Garganta del Diablo) – the largest fall at 269 feet (82 meters). Your day on the Argentinian side of the falls is sure to live long in your memory.

Day 10 – Flight Iguazu to Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paolo

Following breakfast our guide will escort you to Foz do Iguazu Airport (IGU) for connection to your flight to Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paolo airport. You can reminisce on your wonderful adventures and share your stories of the wonders of your luxury Brazil vacation for many years to come.