Itinerary
- Day 1
Frankfurt to Iguassu
Your journey starts with flights departing Frankfurt, connecting through São Paulo before landing in Iguassu at the tri-border region. The route takes you across the Atlantic and then down through Brazil to reach this natural wonder.
Landmarks São Paulo - Day 2
Iguassu
After landing, you'll head out on the Brazilian side of Iguassu Falls for a guided hike that covers more than 2.5 kilometers of footbridges with views of the falls. You have free time in the afternoon to rest at your hotel, or you can opt for the Macuco boat safari using rubber dinghies to get closer to the water and feel the spray.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Guided hike on the Brazilian side of Iguassu Falls with footbridge viewing
Optional Activities
- Macuco boat safari - jungle crossing and rubber dinghy ride to view waterfalls from below
Landmarks Iguassu Falls - Day 3
Iguassu
This morning takes you to the Argentinian side where you'll walk the footbridges toward Garganta del Diablo, the Devil's Throat, where 14 waterfalls drop 90 meters. By afternoon you're back at the hotel for a swim and relaxation. Later in the evening, there's an optional folklore and samba show with dinner if you want to experience local culture.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit to Argentinian side of Iguassu Falls with Devil's Throat viewing
Optional Activities
- Evening folklore and samba show with dinner
Landmarks Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat) - Day 4
Iguassu to Manaus
You'll fly from Iguassu to Manaus, the gateway city for the Amazon rainforest. Once you arrive, your hotel transfer takes you to settle in for your jungle adventure that begins tomorrow.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Landmarks Manaus - Day 5
Manaus to Amazon Lodge
A boat takes you downstream to the Amazon Lodge while you watch for the Meeting of the Waters where two different colored river systems flow alongside each other without mixing. After dinner, you'll head out in small boats through the canals at night, searching for caimans with flashlights under the stars and listening to jungle sounds all around you.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
Included Activities
- Boat trip to Amazon Lodge with Meeting of the Waters viewing
- Evening boat tour through jungle canals searching for caimans
Landmarks Meeting of the Waters - Day 6
Amazon Lodge
With a guide leading the way, you explore the jungle to see orchids, butterflies, and giant tropical trees while taking in the forest sounds and smells. A boat tour through Amazon wetlands follows, and depending on water levels you might travel through flooded forests called Igapos. The afternoon at the lodge is for resting, though you can join an optional boat visit to a Caboclos community to learn about manioc flour production.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided jungle exploration with orchids, butterflies, and tropical trees
- Boat tour through Amazon nature and flooded forests
Optional Activities
- Boat trip to Caboclos to learn about river dweller customs and manioc flour production
Landmarks Amazon Rainforest - Day 7
Amazon Lodge to Manaus
The boat brings you back to Manaus where you visit the Palácio Rio Negro, a former rubber baron's residence with interesting history. Then you check out the lively markets filled with exotic fish, tropical fruits, and handicrafts. Your afternoon ends at the Teatro Amazonas, the famous opera house that shows the city's cultural heritage.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Boat return to Manaus
- Visit to Palácio Rio Negro
- Market exploration
- Visit to Teatro Amazonas opera house
Landmarks Palácio Rio Negro Teatro Amazonas - Day 8
Manaus to Rio de Janeiro
Flights take you from Manaus to Rio de Janeiro, the city dominated by Sugar Loaf Mountain. If you're up for it, you can grab a cocktail on Copacabana beach as evening arrives and the city lights come on.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Landmarks Rio de Janeiro - Day 9
Rio de Janeiro
Your Rio city tour includes a cable car ride up Sugar Loaf Mountain for views of the skyline and open ocean. Then you'll take the historic cog railroad up to Corcovado to see the 38-meter Christ statue. After all that activity, dinner at Churrascaria Palace features typical Brazilian food and it's close enough to walk from your hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Cable car ride up Sugar Loaf Mountain
- Cog railroad ride to Corcovado with statue of Christ viewing
Optional Activities
- Dinner at Churrascaria Palace
Landmarks Sugar Loaf Mountain Corcovado Christ the Redeemer - Day 10
Rio de Janeiro
You have the day to spend however you like on Copacabana beach or around Rio. The Museum of the Future combines art with sustainability themes and offers something different. You could also see the Museum of Contemporary Art with its Oscar Niemeyer architecture, or join an optional walking tour through the historic center past the cathedral to Santa Teresa ending at the colorful Selarón steps.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Visit to Museu do Amanhã (Museum of the Future)
- Visit to Museum of Contemporary Art by Oscar Niemeyer
- City walk through historic center, cathedral, Santa Teresa, and Selarón steps
Landmarks Copacabana Beach Museu do Amanhã Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Teresa Selarón Steps - Day 11
Rio de Janeiro to Salvador
After leaving Rio, you drive to the airport and fly to Salvador, Brazil's first capital. On the drive into the city, you'll get a sense of one of Brazil's largest urban areas and its mix of old and new development.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Landmarks Salvador - Day 12
Salvador
You explore Salvador's historic center where modern Brazil began, walking past some of the best-preserved colonial buildings in the Americas. The city shows how African, Portuguese, and indigenous cultures blended together. In the main square you might catch a capoeira demonstration, and the afternoon is yours to wander on your own. There's an optional Bahia by Night Show with dinner featuring old Bahian and African dances and rituals if you want evening entertainment.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Historic city tour with colonial architecture viewing
- Capoeira demonstration viewing (if available)
Optional Activities
- Bahia by Night Show with dinner - approximately two hours featuring Bahian and African dances and rituals
Landmarks Salvador Historic Center - Day 13
Salvador
The day is open for independent exploration, or you can take an optional trip 220 kilometers to the Rio Paraguaçu valley where Brazil grows tobacco. That route includes Cachoeira, once a small harbor town now considered the most important historical site in Recôncavo, and a tour of a cigar factory. Later everyone gathers for a farewell dinner to wrap up Salvador.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner (Farewell dinner)
Optional Activities
- Rio Paraguaçu valley excursion - Visit Cachoeira (historic harbor town) and cigar factory (220 km)
Landmarks Rio Paraguaçu Valley Cachoeira - Day 14
Salvador to Barreirinhas
You fly from Salvador to São Luís and then travel 250 kilometers through extensive palm plantations to reach Barreirinhas, which serves as the entrance to Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. The landscape changes from urban to agricultural to natural as you make your way to this unique destination.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Landmarks Lençóis Maranhenses National Park - Day 15
Barreirinhas to Lençóis Maranhenses
In the morning you can relax by the pool or explore the area on your own. Early afternoon brings off-road vehicles that cross the river and take you into Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, which covers roughly 155,000 hectares. You hike to Laoa Bonita for a refreshing swim in the natural pools.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Off-road vehicle transport to Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
- Short hike to Laoa Bonita with swimming
Landmarks Laoa Bonita - Day 16
Rio Pregiças Speedboat Tour
A speedboat tour on the Rio Pregias lets you see small canals, mangroves, and buriti palms while spotting herons and other birds along the way. You stop at Vassouras, sometimes called little Lençóis, to drink fresh coconut water and possibly see capuchin monkeys. Later you climb the 160 steps of Farol Pregias lighthouse in Mandacarú for rewarding views across the dunes.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Speedboat tour on Rio Pregiças
- Visit to Vassouras
- Climbing Farol Pregiças lighthouse (160 steps)
Landmarks Rio Pregiças Vassouras Farol Pregiças - Day 17
Departure
Your last morning in Brazil gives you time to reflect on everything from the past week. You'll head to the airport for your flight home, though you can also choose to extend with a relaxing beach stay if you want more time in Brazil.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Extend trip with optional relaxing stay at the beach
- Day 18
Arrival
You arrive at your departure airport and head home with memories from your Brazilian adventure across Iguassu, the Amazon, Rio, Salvador, and the Lençóis Maranhenses.
