Rio de Janeiro on the first day
When you get there, a private transfer will take you to your hotel. You have the rest of the day to visit some of our favourite places in Rio de Janeiro after getting settled in at your hotel. Play "Girl from Ipanema" and vibe on it as you walk along the boulevards that lead to the beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon. There are many huts along the way which sell freshly squeezed drinks and coconuts that will help you cool off, While you soak in the beautiful views of Rio de Janeiro. Soon enough, you'll understand why it's called "The Fabulous City"!
If you want to go out to dinner along the coast, you can witness the best sunset of your life at the beach first. Feijoada carioca is one of Brazil's most famous and traditional meals. It's a stew of beans with white rice and farofa. It goes well with a cold local beer.We really like Brahma and Skol! You can either sleep in your hotel after dinner or go to a samba bar in the area to dance the night away!
Day 2: City tour, Christ the Redeemer, and Sugar Loaf in Rio de Janeiro
This tour will pick you up at your hotel and take you to Rio de Janeiro's most popular sights. The initial route to get there is through the National Park of Tijuca. This will take you to the top of Corcovado Mountain, where the famous figure of Christ the Redeemer is. This statue was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. If you stand at the base of the 124-foot-tall statue, you'll have a great view of the city. After that, you'll go on a fun tour through the historic centre of the city, where you'll see old colonial buildings and cute stone streets with cobblestones.
Next, the group goes to the well-known Sugar Loaf Mountain. There, you will ride a cable car. You will also get the opportunity to taste the most popular and traditional drink in Brazil on this trip. You will also learn how to make a caipirinha!! The best way to end a wonderful day.
Day 3: Visit a favela in Rio de Janeiro
The meeting place is at the border between Ipanema and Copacabana. This is where your trip will start. Your experienced tour guide will give you an overview of the favelas and talk about their social and political background in relation to Rio de Janeiro as a whole. As you walk up to the favelas, you will come across an amazing collection of street art that you can enjoy and learn from. The activist and local Acme takes care of these interesting graffiti pieces, which act as a live museum. The works of art show memories, traditions, and historical stories from the favelas. Three entryways and 27 cloth houses are part of the works. They are all meant to tell the story of the favelas that are in this area. The art shows important events, like when runaway slaves looked for safety in the Maciço do Cantagalo and when the first shacks were built in the early 1900s. Through these works of art, the history of the favelas is told, all the way up to the present day, when more than 20,000 people fight for social inclusion and against the social segregation that favelas often face. These actions are meant to encourage useful urban growth and social and economic unity in the lively areas of Ipanema and Copacabana, which are famous all over the world as visitor spots. During the tour, you will have the chance to interact with the locals, learn about their daily lives, and get a better sense of the difficulties and strength of the people who live in favelas.
Your guide will give you useful information and help you connect with people, so you can enjoy the cultural diversity and lively spirit that these towns have to offer. It is important to know that this tour encourages tourists to be responsible and polite, with a focus on building relationships, conversation, and support for the local community. By taking part in this activity, you help to give the favelas more power and respect as important parts of Rio de Janeiro's complex social fabric.
Days 4 and 5: Artur Nogueira in Rio de Janeiro and an escape to Ilha Grande
The smooth boat ride to Ilha Grande starts in the small coastal town of Angra dos Reis, which is only a 3-and-a-half-hour drive south of Rio de Janeiro. You'll have plenty of time on board to enjoy the beautiful views of the mountains, jungle, cliffs, islands, bays, and the deep blue ocean. The boat will get to Vila do Abraão, the cute main town of Ilha Grande, after about 30 minutes. You can walk along the quiet coast to get to the island's main town, which has a cute church and lots of palm trees. Once you're settled in, you can go explore.
Since cars aren't allowed on the island to protect its natural beauty and peace, you'll have to walk to your Airbnb. For the rest of the day, you can go to one of the nearby beautiful beaches, like Praia Abraãozinho or Praia Crena, and enjoy the sun going down over the ocean.
Day 5: The Big Island
You can walk around on the roads and take it easy on the beaches of Ilha Grande today. That beautiful island called Ilha Grande has a very interesting past that you can learn about. It was first used as a leper colony and then as a jail hundreds of years ago. The first Europeans to come here were pirates ready to attack ships carrying gold that were leaving from Paraty and Angra dos Reis. Because of the island's troubled past, it took a while for people to move there. However, this slow growth has helped make Ilha Grande a beautiful paradise. The island has one of the world's richest environments.
To explore it, take one of the many nature trails that wind through the clean Atlantic rainforest and jungle, home to monkeys, butterflies, and exotic birds. These beautiful trails will lead you up hills to stunning views of the island and the ocean, as well as to waterfalls that are out of the way and beaches that are empty. The path that leads to Lopes Mendes beach is great for hiking. This beach is named one of the best in Brazil and the world every year. The long stretch of white sand will make you feel like you have this perfect beach all to yourself, even though it is one of the most sought-after paradises in the world.
Day 6: The Big Island
You can walk around on the roads and take it easy on the beaches of Ilha Grande today.
Day 7: The Village of Paraty, an old town
You need to get back on the road and head to Paraty. Back on land, take the boat to the Costa Verde, which is one of the most beautiful stretches of shoreline in Brazil. You will enjoy the trip no matter where you come from because you will be able to see the lush, green mountains covered in jungle that drop straight into the blue ocean. Drops of water can also be seen coming down the sides, and at the back of the beaches, between the palm trees, there are golden stretches of sand.
You can find the old town of Paraty between rocky peninsulas and quiet beaches. After getting settled in your hotel, you can take a leisurely walk through the gravel streets and admire the colonial buildings that have been painted white. One of the small restaurants that line the cobblestone streets is a great place to eat some of the best fish at night.
Day 8 & 9: Paradise
Today is your free day to walk around the lovely centre of Paraty, take a boat tour of its beautiful beaches, or take a car tour of its many natural areas.
Day 10: Take a plane to Foz do Iguazu.
Today, you'll be taken back to Rio de Janeiro's airport so you can catch your flight to Foz do Iguazu. For your comfort, a private transfer will take you to the hotel when you get there.
Day 11: Foz do Iguacu: See the falls in both Argentina and Brazil
It's finally here! Today you will see the Iguazu Falls from both the Brazilian and Argentinean sides. The countries of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay are all next to the Natural Wonder of the World. The Iguazu River is reached by this huge set of waterfalls that drop through a gorge.
There are 80 meters of height and more than 3 km of width. They look more beautiful than both Victoria Falls and Niagara Falls, and they are bigger than Victoria Falls. The falls shoot water into the air all the time, and rainbows keep decorating the sky. You will take a small train to your first stop in Argentina's Iguazu National Park. It is the scary-sounding Devil's Throat (Garganta del Diablo), which is Iguazu's tallest waterfall at over 262 feet. Finally, you'll be ready for the next part of your tour, which will take you along the wooden paths and walks.
You'll notice that the different paths that go through the woods and above and around waterfalls are made a few feet above the ground and lakes. You can get to hidden lookout places with amazing views of the whole National Park from these raised platforms. They also protect the natural environment of the jungle animals. After that, you'll cross the border into Brazil and walk along a 1.2-km trail that gives you a great view of more than 275 waterfalls. This is the best place to get a wide view of the world's most beautiful waterfall, especially the front view of Garganta del Diablo, also known as Devil's Throat. This is the waterfall that made Eleanor Roosevelt say, "Poor Niagara."
Day 12: Take a plane from Foz do Iguazu to get back home.
Today, you'll be taken back to the airport by private transfer for your trip home!
