9-Day Sao Paulo, Paraty and Rio de Janeiro

Arrival in Sao Paulo and private transfer to the hotel.

*** Meet your driver in the Arrivals Hall after you go through immigration and customs.

Evening free.

Meals included: n/a
Mid-Range Accommodations: Hotel Blue Tree Premium Paulista (Sao Paulo)

Get the feel of local life in Sao Paulo today on this unique city tour! After breakfast, take off from your hotel with your private guide on a walking tour in Sao Paulo (6-7 hours), visiting the main points in the city. During this tour local bus and metro will be used for guests to get a glimpse of the true Paulista lifestyle!

Meals included: Breakfast
Mid-Range Accommodations: Hotel Blue Tree Premium Paulista (Sao Paulo)

After breakfast, private transfer to Paraty (4h - 5h).

Arrival in Paraty, check in to hotel.

In the afternoon, your guide will meet you at your hotel and take you on an exciting historical and cultural tour of the quaint coastal village of Paraty (3h).

On this fascinating walking tour through the historic center of Paraty, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, your local guide will take you back in time to discover the essence of Brazil and trace the development of Paraty through the economic booms of sugar, gold, and coffee. In the narrow cobblestone streets, surrounded by stunning colonial architecture, you will immerse yourself in a narrative filled with curiosities and anecdotes that bring the city's history to life. Your guide will share fascinating stories that reveal how the past intertwines with the present. During the tour, you will have the opportunity to meet talented local artists, talk to them about their work, and be inspired by their unique creations. During the tour, we will have the opportunity to taste some typical products from the region.

Meals included: Breakfast
Mid-Range Accommodations: Pousada do Ouro (Paraty)

Private Full day Mamangua Sugar Loaf Peak Hike 8h
Unmissable views of the whole region from 440m peak located in the Mamangua tropical fjord, the only one of its kind in Brazil. We take the bus from Paraty to the old slaving port of Paraty Mirim to catch a boat into the fjord. After crossing the fjord by boat to get to the base of the peak it is a steep climb to the top. On the way back we stop for lunch and a swim on the beach before taking a boat back to Paraty Mirim to catch the bus.

Meals included: Breakfast
Mid-Range Accommodations: Pousada do Ouro (Paraty)

Morning sea kayaking Paraty Bay 2h
Paddle the warm, sheltered waters of the bay of Paraty on this guided kayak trip to islands and beaches. Swim, snorkel, see wildlife in the mangrove and escape the boat-tripping crowds! With deserted sandy beaches, tropical islands, rainforest covered hills and traditional Caicara fishing villages, Brazil's Costa Verde - just south of Rio de Janeiro - is fast becoming the hottest new international paddling destination! No previous experience necessary. We give paddling and safety instruction for sea kayaks.

Afternoon free.

Meals included: Breakfast
Mid-Range Accommodations: Pousada do Ouro (Paraty)

Private transfer to Rio de Janeiro (4h - 5h), arrival in Rio de Janeiro. Evening at leisure.

Meals included: Breakfast
Mid-Range Accommodations: Arena Leme Hotel (Rio)

Private tour Vida Carioca and Carnaval Experience by public transport 8h

After breakfast, we head to the city center to experience the city like a local "carioca" (the name given to the people of Rio de Janeiro). This full-day guided walking tour begins in the historic center. We will visit highlights such as the conical-shaped Cathedral of Sao Sebastiao and the Saara commercial district, a vibrant hub for bargain hunters. We will take a break at one of the many street vendors to try a fresh and delicious fruit juice. In this city, we can find everything from orange and pineapple to passion fruit and guarana.

We will end the morning with lunch at Cais do Oriente, a charming restaurant set amidst gardens located in the recently renovated port area of the city.

After lunch, we will relax by exploring the culture of Brazil's Carnival. There is no celebration in Brazil like Carnival. Over the course of a week (starting the Friday before Ash Wednesday), cities across Brazil explode with music, dance, and parades. In Rio de Janeiro, these celebrations embody all the joy that characterizes the cariocas. We will head to the Cidade do Samba (Samba City), a warehouse complex that houses the city's samba schools, where locals prepare year-round for the Carnival celebrations. Here, our guide will take us on a tour of Pimpolhos, a samba school for youth and an NGO that aims to promote social interaction and education through Carnival culture. It is an exclusive opportunity to go behind the scenes of Brazil's biggest party and learn about the history of samba music, see dancers practicing routines, and observe how the parades are organized. We will even have the chance to try on some real Carnival costumes and learn a bit of percussion to feel the Brazilian samba.

At the end of the tour, we will enjoy a delicious caipirinha, Brazil's national cocktail made with cachaaa (sugarcane liquor) and lime. After this, we will return to our hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
Mid-Range Accommodations: Arena Leme Hotel (Rio)

Full day Corcovado, General Glicerio street market and Sugar Loaf 8h
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No trip to Rio is complete without a visit to its most iconic landmark and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World: Cristo Redentor or Christ the Redeemer. Perched atop the 2,300-foot-high (700m) Corcovado Mountain, this giant representation of Christ looks down benevolently over the incredible city below with open arms. The statue was commissioned by a local Catholic group in 1920, and construction started in 1922, taking nine years to complete.

Your tour of this century-old landmark begins with a morning transfer from your hotel into Tijuca National Park, which at 8,300 acres is the largest urban park in the world. Once you reach the base of Corcovado, a train will take you up through the lush forest to the peak. There, you will find Cristo Redentor, the largest Art Deco statue ever built at 98 feet (30m) high. Every year, around two million tourists make the trip to marvel at this sculptural accomplishment - plus this is the best view of Rio. From here, you can see all of Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, the south beaches, and far north to the adjacent city of Duque de Caxias. You can even look out across the bay to the eastern cities of Niteroi and Sao Goncalo. After that, we will go to the General Glicerio street market and we can admire an excellent variety of fruits and other fresh ingredients, as well as enjoy some of the cariocas' favorite snacks, such as pastel, tapioca, and bolinho de bacalhau, accompanied by a delicious sugarcane juice. Starting at noon, it is also possible to enjoy a chorinho music show at this same market.

Then we continue to one of the best views of the city of Rio de Janeiro, the Pao de Acucar lookout. The ascent and descent to the top are made by traditional cable railway but we can also make the easiest and most famous track in Rio de Janeiro. The tour starts going by car to Praia Vermelha in the Urca neighborhood, where we find the cable car station to the Pao de Acucar. Walking from there, we will take the track Pista Claudio Coutinho also known as Caminho Bem Te Vi, which is 1250 meters. The hike takes 45 minutes at most going up slowly; it is great to enjoy the woods, its sounds, and animals like marmosets and numerous birds. At this first mountain, called Morro da Urca, we can pick an helicopter to do an amazing minutes flight over Rio (not included). In the end, we will take the cable car to Pao de Acucar. As we reach the top, we have chosen one of the best spots to enjoy the view at sunset drinking a caipirinha and celebrating this moment. The descent will also be done via cable car and finally, we return to the vehicle towards the hotel.

Private by night Botecos tour 4h

The botecos are bars where the locals come together to share snacks and a very cold beer at the end of their work day, where happy hour is guaranteed. We will start with the neighborhood of Lapa, an area with popular nightlife among the inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro, Next, we will visit three bars in Ipanema and Copacabana and we will have the option to enjoy the recommended food and drink (not included). It is worth trying to be a real carioca!

Meals included: Breakfast
Mid-Range Accommodations: Arena Leme Hotel (Rio)

At the appropriate time, according to our flight schedule, we will be met by our driver guide and transferred to the airport for your departing flight.

Meals included: Breakfast