Brazil is a big country which varies tremendously from region to region. However, everyone agrees that much of what is best about Brazil: the beautiful beaches, amazing wildlife and stunning cities, can all be enjoyed in the southern 'cone' of Brazil. If you like, it's Brazil in a nutshell!
You'll start this Brazil holiday in Rio, where you'll visit the famous Christ statue and see the dry Atlantic Rainforest as well as visiting a slice of colonial history in the imperial summer capital of Petropolis, with its Crystal Palace and lovely colonial architecture. We'll then travel inland to the spectacular Iguazu Falls, before heading to the stunning Pantanal wetlands, which are the best place for enjoying wildlife in the whole of Brazil...
Day One - Your Brazil Holiday Begins!
Arrive in Rio on an evening flight as you begin your holiday in Brazil! You will be met at the airport and driven to your hotel in the stylish Copacabana area of the city in time to take a walk along the waterfront and perhaps to take in an evening meal on your first night here in Rio. Of course, since this is your first night on holiday in Brazil, then if you're feeling up to it then Copacabana is a great place for a night out...
Day Two - Tour of Rio: Corcovado and Tijuca National Park
You'll have some free time this morning to recover from your journey, and then this afternoon we will pick you up from your hotel and drive through Rio to the base of Mt. Corcovado. Here we will board a funicular railway which carries us up through the dense Tijuca Atlantic Rainforest to the top of the mountain and the base of the famous Christ the Redeemer statue that has become one of the most famous symbols of Rio, and indeed Brazil. The views over the city from the top are absolutely amazing and it's the perfect way to get your bearings and pick out where to visit next!
Day Three - Petropolis
We will pick you up this morning to drive you inland out of Rio de Janeiro into the forested hills of the Serra dos Órgãos. As the coastal haze drops away, we will arrive at the former Imperial capital, Petropolis. In the 19th century, this was the summer capital of the Portuguese Empire, as the Emperors actually lived in Brazil rather than Portugal. We will enjoy the grand colonial architecture, including the Crystal Palace and the Imperial museum, where we can see the Imperial crown jewels. The lovely setting and relaxed atmosphere make Petropolis a lovely place to spend the day before we head back to Rio in the late afternoon.
Day Four - Sugarloaf Mountain
After lunch today we will pick you up from your hotel and take you for a tour through downtown Rio. You will pass the famous Sambadrome, which is at the heart of Carnival every year, and the Metropolitan Cathedral, which stands like an immense 80-metre-high pyramid. We will also enjoy some of the older colonial and republican buildings such as the Municipal Theater, the National Library and the National Museum of Fine Arts. We will finish this section of the tour in the neighbourhood of Urca, at the foot of the iconic Sugar Loaf Mountain, where we will board a cable-car, heading first to Urca Hill, at a vantage point of 215 meters, for beautiful views of Guanabara Bay and its islands, the Rio-Niterói Bridge and Corcovado Mountain. A second cable car takes us the rest of the way to the top of Sugarloaf, from where you can enjoy the amazing view of Rio spread before you, with its hills, beaches, favelas and bays.
Days Five and Six - Free time in Rio
A holiday isn't a holiday if you don't have a chance to relax so today and tomorrow are all yours - you could head to some of Rio's famous sights, such as Ipanema or the bohemian Leblon area. You could take a trip to the Maracana or to the arty Santa Teresa area, or just kick back in Copacabana and go for a stroll along the waterfront...
Day Seven - Travel to Iguazu Falls
After breakfast this morning we'll pick you up and take you back to the airport to catch a short flight inland to the town of Foz do Iguacu, on the border with Argentina. We'll be there to meet you and take you to your hotel in this small town, which is the jumping-off point for visits to the amazing Iguazu Falls. You'll arrive in the late afternoon so you have plenty of time to wander around and enjoy the laidback atmosphere of Foz.
Day Eight - Iguazu Falls (Argentinian side)
This morning we will cross the border into Argentina for your first visit to the famous and spectacular Iguazu Falls. Higher than Niagara Falls, and wider than Victoria Falls, Iguazu takes your breath away with its sheer beauty and awesome power - you will visit the falls today from the Argentinian side, where a system of walkways projecting out into the middle of the waterfall system allow you to really feel the power of the waterfalls all around you.
Day Nine - Iguazu Falls (Brazilian side)
Today we will re-visit Iguazu Falls, but this time from the Brazilian side. Here a long walkway along the canyon top allows you to appreciate the scale of Iguazu as you work your way along to a point giving you a panoramic view of the famous Devil's Throat, where 14 separate falls combine in a drop of 350 feet, sending spray over 100 feet into the air for a permanent rainbow!
Day Ten - Into the Pantanal
This morning we will take you back to the airport in Foz to catch a flight into the heart of Brazil and the state of Masso Grotto. We will land at the state capital of Cuiaba and from here will travel up to the edge of the giant Pantanal wetlands. Covering an area larger than England, the Pantanal is the best place in Brazil for wildlife-spotting and on our trip downriver to the Rio Mutum lodge, we will hope to see some caiman, monkeys, capybaras and the hundreds of different species of birds.
Day Eleven - Rio Mutum
After an early breakfast we will head out on a horse-riding expedition into the Pantanal. Travelling on horseback gives us an excellent way to get into the dense forest, cross the many small rivers and streams, and generally give us the best chance of observing the area's wildlife, such as giant otters, iguanas, deer, anteaters and maybe even the big cats... We will have a picnic lunch and then continue on our way back to the lodge so you will have some time to relax before dinner. After dinner, those who wish can go on a sunset boat trip to enjoy the spectacular colours and views, and maybe see some of the Pantanal's night-time denizens...
Day Twelve - Last day in the Pantanal
Another early start today, as we rise at dawn for a canoe trip on the waters of the Pantanal. Dawn is a magical time here, with a stillness and beauty all its own. Being on the water as the world wakes up is also the best time to see many of the animals and birds that make their home here, as they rise to enjoy their own breakfasts before we head back to the lodge for ours. After our late breakfast, it's sadly time to check out and head back to Cuiaba for our flight back to Rio.
Day Thirteen - Free day in Rio
We've left this last full day of your Brazil holiday up to you. You can relax on one of Rio's excellent beaches, enjoy the shops or museums, or perhaps visit some of Rio's other attractions, like the Maracana. Of course, if you'd like us to organise something for you then you just have to ask!
Day Fourteen - Last day on holiday in Brazil
You will have some free time this morning to make sure you haven't missed an inch of Rio, and then sadly your Brazil holiday will be coming to an end, as we pick you up from your hotel to make sure your Brazil holiday ends perfectly by getting to the airport in plenty of time to catch the flight back home.
Easy upgrades
As we've said, we can tailormake your itinerary to your exact specifications, and you can have a look at our Brazil Guide or some of our other Brazil Holidays for ideas about how to add to our Brazil holidays, but we can also offer you some easy optional extras which fit into this exact itinerary:
Buzios - from £500pp
If you think you'd like to add in some quality relazation time to this trip and you're not sure that the beaches of Rio will be enough for you, let us take you north out of the city to the beautiful Buzios peninsula, where there is a different beach for everyone...
Boat trip at Iguazu Falls - from £90pp
There are many great ways to experience Iguazu Falls but if you want to feel the raw power of the water then the best way is to get out onto it! A boat trip takes you up the canyon of the Rio Iguazu, and right up to the Falls themselves - with an optional rafting trip on the way back down.
Fernando de Noronha - from £750pp
These beautiful tropical islands lie just off Brazil's northern coasts and their white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters are a favourite option for Brazil holidays and the perfect place to really relax and get away from it all...
Maracana - from £70pp
While you're in Rio, why not take some time to visit another famous symbol of Brazil and one of the true shrines of world football: the enormous Maracana stadium. Originally built to hold 200,000 spectators, it's even better when Flamengo are playing at home...
Tailormade for you
Of course, what we want you to remember is that we're here to offer you any guidance and advice you need. We're not about trying to sell you more than you want - we want you to have the holiday that's right for you, so give us a call or send us an email and we can start to find out which of our Brazil holidays is right for you!