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Iguaçu Falls - Porto Alegre - Itaimbezinho Canyon - Curitiba - Morretes - Paraty - Rio
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.
Land Price (14 days/13 nights)
De Luxe US$ 5,725
The land price includes escorted transfers, private excursions with professional guides and chauffeurs, entrance fees, indicated category of accommodations, all breakfasts and specified meals except beverages, all transportation except air flights, and travel insurance for guests through the age of 59 years. Over that age, there is a supplementary fee. All prices are per person based on two people sharing a guest room. For a detailed description of our services, see About Our Tours.
Intra-Tour Air Flights & Fares
Air fares are in addition to the land price. A "Visit Brazil Air Pass" is recommended.
This unforgettable two-week journey reveals some of Southeast Brazil's most famous natural wonders: from crossing the majestic Serra do Mar mountain range by train to rafting beneath one of the world's largest and most impressive cataracts: the Iguaçu Falls. Guests will also be shown some of Brazil's best kept natural secrets: the deep Itaimbezinho Canyon and the historical coastal town of Paraty with its archipelagos of densely forested islands, crystal-clear waters and secluded white, sandy beaches.
The South of Brazil
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.
This nature-oriented roundtrip starts in one of the world's most famous and beautiful cities: Rio de Janeiro. With a dreamlike beauty that exceeds even the greatest of expectations, Rio is a city that has to be seen to be believed. From its two famed peaks, the Sugar Loaf and Corcovado Mountain, atop which stands the statue of Christ the Redeemer with outstretched arms, Rio de Janeiro is truly "The Wondrous City", her spectacular landforms embracing sandy beaches, glittering bays, fine residential districts and towering forest-covered mountains. The landscape is so dramatic that even the largest areas of modern high-rise are still dwarfed by the overwhelming grandeur of numerous peaks and the largest urban tropical forest in the world, itself a monument to environmental preservation.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.
Day 1: Rio de Janeiro
Arrival at the airport, meet-and-greet with our local bilingual guide and transfer in private air-conditioned vehicle to the hotel. After check-in, free time to relax around the hotel and beachfront following the long journey. Time permitting, there will be a delicious grill dinner accompanied by a variety of spectacles ranging from authentic samba to folklore and rhythms such as capoeira, lambada and even a taste of Carnival, with samba school drummers and dancers in lavish costume presenting the best of Brazil in alluring, glittering shows. Overnight at the hotel.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.
Day 2: Rio de Janeiro
A combined jeep tour of Corcovado and Tijuca Forest. The tour proceeds through the Cosme Velho district to Corcovado mountain. Perched atop the Corcovado (Hunchback) at an altitude of 710m, the statue of Christ the Redeemer is certainly one of the world's best-known and most-visited monuments. Clad with a soapstone mosaic, the statue is also one of Rio's finest Art Nouveau monuments and at night becomes a shining landmark visible from all over the city. From the top there are breathtaking views of Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, the Botanical Gardens, Jockey Club and Rodrigo Freitas Lagoon. The tour proceeds over mountainous terrain deep into the heart of the Tijuca forest, the largest urban rainforest in the world. Blanketing the hills of Rio and easily accessible from the city, this lush tropical forest provides a sharp contrast to the "concrete jungle". The unique history of the meticulous reforestation process and the importance of the Atlantic Rainforest as a biodiversity reserve are explained. In the heart of the forest, the jeep stops at the Cascatinha (Taunay's Waterfall), where refreshments are sold. During the tour the visitor encounters different kinds of Bromeliads and large tropical fruit trees, attracting various kinds of exotic birds such as the toucan, and, with luck, monkeys and sloth can be seen. A final stop is made at Pepino Beach, a favourite landing point for hang-gliders. The evening is free to explore Rio's vibrant city centre. Overnight at the hotel.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.
The Serra dos Orgãos National Park (around 30,000ha), so-called because of its dramatic rock formations resembling rows of organ pipes, is most easily accessible from the city of Teresopolis. The vegetation in the park is clearly stratified: In the lower parts of the park, the Atlantic Rainforest dominates the landscape, giving way to plains and scrub vegetation as the altitude increases. The most famous peaks of the park are the Pico Dedo de Deus (1,692m), the Agulha do Diabo (2,050m), and the Pedra do Sino (2,263m), the tallest. Various trails go through the park, from easy walks to physically demanding hikes.
Day 3: Rio de Janeiro - Serra dos Orgos
Pick-up at the hotel in Rio de Janeiro and departure to the city of Petropolis, named after Emperors Dom Pedro I, who in 1830 purchased a ranch in the area, and Dom Pedro II, who turned the place into his summer residence in 1843. After visiting the town's highlights, including the Imperial Palace, the cathedral of São Pedro de Alcântara and the Crystal Palace, the tour proceeds to Teresopolis for accommodation and overnight.
Day 4: Serra dos Orgos
A full day to explore the Serra dos Orgãos National Park by walking along the trails. Depending on the conditions, the path leading to the top of Pedra do Sino can be followed. Even though the terrain is rugged and steep, there are easier trails for the less experienced hiker. Overnight at the hotel.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.
Porto Alegre, Brazil's sixth largest city is the country's main political and commercial centre south of São Paulo. Porto Alegre is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil, bordering on Uruguay and Argentina, with which it shares several cultural features. Creeping along the eastern border of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, the majestic Itaimbezinho canyon is one of Brazil's largest and most impressive canyons. The canyon's lush vegetation and rugged scenery is protected deep in the heart of the Aparados da Serra National Park (PNAS). A towering plateau sits as a giant trophy on the state's eastern boundary and its imposing cliffs plunge into abysses of densely forested canyons and lowlands. The name "Aparados da Serra" means "rugged transition between the high grassland plateau region and the coastal plain region".
Day 5: Serra dos Orgos - Porto Alegre (Itaimbezinho Canyon)
Morning hike in the National Park or free time to explore Teresópolis. Afternoon transfer along a scenic route to the airport for the short flight to Porto Alegre. Meet and greet with a local guide and drop-off at the hotel. In the evening, a dazzling night tour of Porto Alegre, the restaurants, bars and shows offering many ways of enjoying this vibrant city. After a panoramic view of Porto Alegre's night skyline, a generous grill dinner and folklore show entertain tourists to complete this unforgettable tour. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 6: Porto Alegre (Itaimbezinho Canyon)
Full-day excursion to the Itaimbezinho canyon in the Aparados da Serra National Park: The excursion to this challenging but spectacularly beautiful geomorphologic region starts from Porto Alegre and passes through the town of Taguara, winding up onto the high Campos de Serra Plateau, where the tourist is rewarded with a spectacular panoramic view over the Itaimbezinho canyon. Along the way, the tour stops at various viewpoints and sites of interest. A stop is also made for a typical "Gaucho lunch" in São Francisco de Paulo. After lunch, the excursion continues for an afternoon sightseeing tour and [easy] hikes along trails through the majestic landscape of the National Park before returning to Porto Alegre.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.
Iguaçu means "great river" in the indigenous Guarani language and there could hardly be a more fitting name. After rising in the Brazilian highlands near Curitiba, the Iguaçu river runs westward on a 1,100km journey, receiving some 30 tributaries on its course to the plateau where, just before merging with the great Paraná river, it plunges thunderously over an 80m high cliff in virgin forest. The Iguaçu falls are the most spectacular in South America. A total of 275 falls cascade over a precipice that is 3km wide, sending up an endless wall of spray laced with rainbows. Iguaçu is also the meeting point of three countries: Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Straddling the Iguaçu River, the twin National Parks of Foz do Iguaçu were set up to preserve the region's precious rainforest environment.
Day 7: Porto Alegre - Iguaçu Falls
Transfer to the airport for the short flight to Iguaçu. Pick-up and transfer to the hotel, followed by an afternoon visit to the Argentinan side of the falls, offering lovely views over the Iguaçu Canyon on the way to the National Park. The upper walkways are visited, allowing a birds-eye view of the falls and adjoining rainforest. A highlight of this trip is a visit to a suspended platform at the edge of The Devil's Throat. In the afternoon, there is the option of an exciting rubber motorboat tour of the falls. It's a thrilling sensation, bringing the adventurous tourist close to the thundering waters. Participants should be prepared to get wet, as the boat navigates through the rough waters and mist of the falls. In the evening a dinner and musical show that combines Broadway with folklore and typical dances, demonstrating the exuberant cultural manifestations of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Overnight at the hotel.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.
Day 8: Iguaçu Falls
Morning visit to the Brazilian side of the Iguaçu Falls. The excursion begins at the Iguaçu National Park Visitors' Centre, from where tourists board a vehicle for a drive through the park's lush sub-tropical vegetation. Near the falls, visitors leave the vehicle and proceed on foot along a walkway that leads into the canyon and onto a spectacular panoramic viewpoint of the falls. The awe-inspiring trip along a walkway, which takes the visitors right into The Devil's Throat, leads to a glass elevator that climbs the cliff face for a view of the upper falls. The Iguaçu National Park, along with its sister park in Argentina, is the most significant area of remaining rainforest in the southern cone, and, together with the cataracts, has been declared a National Heritage Site by UNESCO. In the afternoon, white water-rafting below the Iguaçu Falls: The adventure takes visitors to the bank of the River Iguaçu on foot, a specially-equipped motorboat then taking visitors to the falls. It's a thrilling sensation, bringing the adventurous tourist close to the thundering waters. As the boat negotiates the rough waters and penetrates the mist of the falls, passengers should be prepared to get wet.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.
Day 9: Iguaçu Falls - Pantanal
In the morning, there is a visit to the Bird Park, which is located at the entrance of the Iguaçu National Park and is fully integrated with its natural surroundings. The enclosures house more than 900 birds and 150 species. During the walk in the beautiful Mata Atlantica (Atlantic Rainforest) the visitor has the opportunity to interact with many spectacular native and exotic bird species, some of which are endangered. Toucans swoop low over tourists wandering along the special paths and, besides the different bird species, snakes, caimans, marmosets and beautiful butterflies can be seen. From here, visitors proceed to the Argentinean side of the Iguaçu Falls. Afternoon transfer to the airport for the flight to the Pantanal.
Luxury Brazil Tours & Travel.
Day 10 - 13: Pantanal
The Pantanal, a vast wetland area in western Brazil, which cuts across the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul (as well as western Brazil and northeastern Paraguay), is one of the world's great wildlife reserves. Because of the veldt-like open land, it is also the best place to see wildlife in Brazil. 650 species of birds, among which are storks (including the stately Tuiuiu or Jabiru stork), egrets, herons, coots, ducks and ibises, can be observed in the region. Animal life is represented by, among other species, alligators, jaguar, otters, emus, boa constrictors and monkeys.
In the Pantanal, and especially along the Transpantaneira Park Road, there are numerous lodges located in magnificent spots, the accommodation ranging from basic to luxurious according to customer preferences. During their stay, tourists will embark on excursions involving treks at sunrise to watch spectacular birds such as macaw, ibis and Tuiuiú; a discovery tour on horseback and fascinating canoe trips to enjoy the Pantanal and its wildlife from the water; piranha fishing; plus a safari along the Transpantaneira Park Road by car with several photo and film stops en route. The Transpantaneira has been described by many as the best stretch of road for wildlife spotting in South America. During the wet season, the road acts as an island, attracting large numbers of birds and other wildlife, whilst in the dry season, the roadside ditches act as ponds where many birds, capybaras and caimans gather. Wildlife along the Transpantaneira is therefore prolific and easily approached throughout the year. Excursions are usually for half a day, returning to the lodge for delicious buffet lunches and dinners.
Day 14: Pantanal - Home
After breakfast, visitors usually have some time at leisure around the lodge before the transfer to the airport for the flight to Rio de Janeiro and onward connections back home.
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