13 days

Rio de Janeiro – Chutes de l'Iguaçu – Manaus – Jungle Lodge en Amazonie – Salvador da Bahia

It's your very first trip to Brazil and you have only about fifteen days, get yourself a Brazil Air Pass and just fly over the main tourist sites of the country: Rio of course with its Bossa Nova rhythm, the famous beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, Christ the Saviour and the Sugar Loaf; Iguaçu Falls which are reputed to be amongst the most spectacular on the planet; Manaus and it´s superb theatre; Amazonia, it´s flora and fauna and, last but not least , Salvador da Bahia, the African soul of Brazil.

You will love: Rio and its unique atmosphere, Iguaçu Falls, Teatro Amazonas and the municipal Market at Manaus, stay in a Jungle Lodge, the Afro-Brazilian ambience of Salvador – it´s music, it´s African rites and its exquisite cuisine.

Day 1: Welcome at the Rio de Janeiro airport, then transfer to your hotel. Afternoon and/or evening free.

Day 2: Rio de Janeiro

Leave in the morning for a guided tour of Rio (English speaking guide and private transport). Discover the Corcovado (Christ the Saviour) and the Barra da Tijuca. Then, visit the city centre before taking the cable car to the top of the Sugar Loaf to see the spectacle of the sun setting on the “cidade maravilhosa” (lunch in a typical restaurant included). Return to your hotel. Dinner and evening free.

Option for the evening: dinner + Samba show at the famous Plataforma.

Day 3: Rio de Janeiro – Forêt da Tijuca (jeep tour)

In the morning leave from your hotel in a 4-wheel drive (group service). Set out for an absolutely bizarre discovery of the Tijuca National Park , the only urban forest in the world. Walk on the narrow paths and stop at the look-out point called “Chinese Point”  for spectacular panoramic view of Rio and it´s lovely bay. Return to the hotel early afternoon and rest the day free for you to discover the city on your own, wandering along the beaches of Leblon , Ipanema and Copacabana or in the Santa Teresa bohemian area.

Day 4: Rio de Janeiro – Foz de Iguaçu

In the morning, transfer (private transport) to the airport for a flight to Foz de Iguaçu. Welcome upon arrival and transfer to your hotel. Rest of the day free.

Day 5: Iguaçu Falls (Argentina side) - Safari

Your English speaking guide will pick you up at 8.00 a.m. for transfer to the Argentinian Park. Stop to enjoy the panorama at the symbolic point of the three-country border of Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina, then a half-day visit of the falls getting as close to the water as possible, including the impressive "Devil's Gorge". After lunch (not included), safari in the falls. After a short trek through the woods, you board boats specially designed for total safety, to go up the Iguaçu river. Making their way through the rapids, they go as close as possible to the base of the falls. An unforgettable moment!

Day 6: Iguaçu Falls (Brazilian side) - Manaus

In the morning, visit the Iguaçu Park on the Brazilian side. Hundreds of waterfalls are tiered along a wide face. A sound and light show in a grand décor with wild lush vegetation. Nature in all its splendour! Lunch (not included) on the site, then transfer to the airport for a flight to Manaus. Welcome at Manaus, then transfer to your hotel. Evening free.

Day 7: Manaus – Jungle Lodge¹

Set out from Manaus early in the morning to go to your Jungle Lodge by road and river transport. Late morning, reach your destination in the midst of the forest. Settle down in your cottage, lunch, then get the feel of the place in a motorboat in the surrounding “iguarapes” and “iguapós” for an initial contact with the jungle, its flora and fauna. Return to the Lodge late in the afternoon, dinner then night walk to observe the caimans. Night at the Lodge.

Day 8: Jungle Lodge

During the day, your local guide (English speaking) will take you on a discovery tour of the vast wealth of Amazonian ecosystem as well as the very special way of life of the “caboclos” (Indian and European mixed race), unique inhabitants of these very remote regions. Night at the Lodge or, if you feel like it, camp amidst the forest.

Day 9: Jungle Lodge - Manaus

Get up at dawn for a last walk in the forest. Breakfast at the Lodge and leave for Manaus . On the way back, take a small detour to see the strange show of "Meeting of the Waters"the dark waters of the Rio Negro and the clear waters of the Rio Solimões which meet (to form the Amazon). Late morning, reach Manaus. Rest of the day free. Night at hotel.

Day 10: Manaus – Salvador de Bahia

Leave the hotel in the morning for a guided tour of the city (English speaking guide and private transport) to discover the vestiges of the golden age of rubber and especially the le famous Teatro Amazonas and the Municipal Market . Return to the hotel around noon. Lunch and transfer to the airport for your flight for Salvador de Bahia. Welcome at Bahia and transfer to your pousada. Evening free.

Day 11: Salvador da Bahia

In the morning, leave for a guided tour of the city (English speaking guide). Salvador da Bahia, the former capital of Brazil, is today the heart of Afro-Brazilian culture. Set in a background of colonial homes and churches gilded with fine gold leaf dating back to the 17 th century, Salvador breathes Africa : the rhythm of “afoxe” music, the capoeira, the candomble religion, the aroma of dende oil (palm oil), the colours of the Pelourinho, the São Joaquim market and the warm smile of Bahian women known as Baianas. Lunch (included) in a typical restaurant. Late afternoon, return to the pousada.

Day 12: Salvador da Bahia – Bay of All Saints

Leave the hotel to take an “escuna” for a cruise in the Bay of All Saints, a favourite of Jorge Amado . Magnificent, unpredictable, full of reefs, dotted with about thirty islands and ten islets, it offers a beautiful escapade. Lunch (included) and return to Salvador late in the evening. Dinner and evening free.

Day 13: Salvador da Bahia

In the course of the day, transfer to the airport.

Prix du séjour : nous contacter

Included: All accommodation in a hotel, lodge or pousada of “standard” category, in all a total of 12 nights, 12 breakfasts, English speaking guide at certain places listed in the programme, private transport wherever specified in the day-to-day programme, visits and excursions indicated, lunches and dinners mentioned as “included” in the programme (all meals and activities at the Jungle Lodge are included).

Not included: Your return international flight, local flights, (Brazil Air Pass must be bought in Europe), airport taxes (national and international), “options”, individual equipment, compulsory individual insurance, lunches and dinners not mentioned in the programme (calculate at the rate of 3 to 15 Euros/person/meal), visits not mentioned in the programme .

NB: As a measure of security and comfort of passengers in boats, large size suitcases will be kept at Manaus and returned to you on your return from the Lodge.

On request: list of accommodations, custom-made quotation, etc.

Possible extension of the tour: Chapada Diamantina or beaches along the Southern coast of Bahia, like Morro de São Paulo or Itacaré.