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Overview

Customized trip to Brazil

Travel to the heart of breathtaking natural sites, walk on world-renowned beaches, and discover cities where baroque architecture sits side-by-side with modern designs: during this customized trip to Brazil, our guides will show you a thousand treasures and take you to the very soul of this country!
Your customized trip to Brazil begins with Corcovado and a meeting with the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer, where you can savor a splendid panorama of Rio and its surroundings, including Sugar Loaf Mountain. You then dive into the heart and soul of a Brazilian city with a visit to Salvador’s distinctive districts: feast your eyes on the baroque churches, colonial mansions, azulejo frescoes, and magnificent architecture. Delight your ears with catchy African rhythms and the sounds of the capoeira!
You then start a 7-day excursion during which you discover cities, the great outdoors, villages, and picturesque destinations, for total immersion in Brazilian life.
From Lencois you head to Manaus, a unique town in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, stopping at Mamiraua ecological reserve on your way. Our guides will bring you face to face with luxuriant and untamed nature, whether it’s on foot, on a boat, or aboard a canoe. Travel through rivers and lakes and spot countless exotic birds, each more majestic than the other. Follow wild jungle trails and discover flora unlike any other in the world. You couldn’t hope to get closer to nature!
Your journey ends with a visit to Sao Paulo and Paraty, where you enjoy the area’s bays, islands, and beaches. Of course, swimming and scuba diving with thousands of fish are also part of the program…

Contact Uniktour’s Brazil expert for more information on this beautiful customized trip!

Itinerary

Day 1| International flight

Day 2| Arrival in Rio - Corcovado - Santa Teresa
A representative will greet you at the airport and take you to your hotel (please make sure they have your flight number and schedule). Settle into your hotel and visit the city with your English-speaking guide. Hop in a car and climb 700 meters to Corcovado, Rio’s most famous landmark and a world-famous symbol for this city. Once at the top, we take the time to appreciate the unique and enchanting panorama of the cidade maravilhosa: below lies Rio, majestic and languorous. From this privileged viewpoint, we get a better understanding of the city’s layout – both physical and social. We head back down via Santa Teresa, at the foot of the hill. When Rio was the capital of Brazil and its city center was home to all the important elements of the country’s power structure, this was one of the city’s wealthiest boroughs. Gradually surrounded by the suburbs, the area lost its exclusivity, and the rich moved to Barra da Tijuca, in southwestern Rio. Today, Santa Teresa is home to people from all walks of life and is considered modern Rio’s bohemian district.
We will take a stroll in the area to get a feel for the outdated atmosphere.
Along the narrow and winding alleys, we can take a look at the flamboyant 19th century homes and catch a glimpse Rio’s past. To make this walk down memory lane even more special, we hop on the bondinho: a miraculous relic from the beginning of the 20th century, this small lemon yellow wooden tramway is Santa Teresa’s most famous symbol.

As we head back down towards Lapa district, we visit "escadaria do Convento da Santa Teresa", a colored staircase decorated by Jorge Selaron. This self-taught Chilean artist is one of the neighborhood’s most famous characters. After having displayed his work across the world, he settled in Brazil in 1983 and suddenly decided to adorn a staircase with a perpetually changing multicolor mosaic of colors. His dream is to link Lapa and Santa Teresa by covering stairways with thousands of azulejos (earthenware). We just might get to see the artist at work…
Return to your hotel at around 5 pm. Entrance to Corcovado included. Meal not included. Overnight at your hotel.
Optional: Go to Dona Marta mirador where you can ride on a helicopter for a few minutes of airborne bliss.

Recommended for lunch: Sobrenatural restaurant
Close to largo dos Guimarães in the heart of Santa Teresa, Sobrenatural offers a welcoming and relaxed ambiance. Its varied menu caters to all taste buds. We particularly recommend the fish and seafood plates, accompanied with an ice-cold beer.

Day 3| Rio – City centre and Sugar Loaf Mountain
At 9am, our English-speaking guide will meet us at our hotel and take us on a visit of
downtown Rio. In a matter of minutes, we pass from colossal avenues lined with imposing glass buildings to small pristine alleyways filled with tiny shops and market stalls. Myriad styles, one state of mind: this is perhaps the best way to describe the center’s architectural cocktail, where the old and the new sit side by side in harmony. Possible visits include the imperial palace (Tuesday to Sunday), National museum of Fine arts (Tuesday to Sunday), Candelária church (Monday to Friday, Sunday morning), the Teatro Municipal (a replica of Paris’ Opéra Garnier), Banco do Brazil foundation, casa da Franca (old custom house), National Historical Museum, largo da Carioca, convento Santo Antonia, metropolitan cathedral, Tiradentes square, etc. Your guide can help you choose which option is best for you, depending on your preferences, opening hours, possible manifestations, etc.
If you’re in the mood, enjoy a refreshing beer at Luis bar, where the décor looks like it might not have changed since it was built – at the beginning of the 20th century. After lunch, we take the cable car to the top of another famous symbol of this city, Sugar Loaf Mountain, which marks the entrance to Guanabara bay. Return to your hotel around 4pm.
Entrance to Sugar Loaf included. Meals not included. Overnight in hotel.
Note 1: For a visit to the city center, it is best to avoid Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

Recommended for lunch: la Confeitaria Colombo (except on Sundays)
This place brings the era of the carioca back to life and is a reference for fine eating in the city. Its famous Belgian mirrors, passe-partouts, jacaranda window frames, balconies made from Italian marble, and intact luminaries make this restaurant an important part of the country’s history.

Day 4| Rio de Janeiro - Salvador
Private transfer from your hotel to the airport 3 hours before takeoff for a flight from Rio to Salvador (not included, flight schedule and number to be determined).
Staff welcome at the airport and transfer to the posada.
Meals not included. Overnight in a posada.

Day 5| Salvador
Your English-speaking guide will meet you at your hotel at 9am and take you to Salvador’s most representative neighborhoods. By exploring its African origins, this city has given itself an identity that is unique in Latin America, its daily life filled with capoeira rhythms and candomblé religious festivities.
In the morning, visit the Lower City. We begin with farol da Barra lighthouse, a solitary guardian at the entrance to All Saints’ Bay. Its construction was ordered by Tomé de Souza, first governor of Salvador. Then we head for the port area to visit Sao Joaquim market, an authentic Bahia bazaar. We continue north to Bonfim church and admire the room of miracles and its impressive collection of ex-votos, a testament to Senhor do Bonfim’s popularity. Our visit then takes us to Ribeira, a lively and popular neighborhood. In the morning there are auctions, lunch is served at midday (moqueca, a kind of fish and seafood ragout, is served here), and people come here to dance the night away.
After lunch, visit the High City, which is dominated by the Pelourinho, the city’s historical center. Its prestigious architectural heritage, restored to its lively original colors, includes magnificent colonial mansions and baroque churches. Your walking tour starts with a visit to Capoeira Fort from where we get great views of the bay. We climb up rua do carmo until we reach convento do Carmo (an old convent converted into a luxury hotel), and then continue to D'Klays jeweler, Jorge Amado museum, and the exuberant Sao Francisco church and its stunning azulejo frescoes. We end our afternoon with some window-shopping at Mercado Modelo, at the foot of Elevador Lacerda, which connects the high city with the low city.
Return to the posada at the end of the day.
Entrances included. Meals not included. Overnight in a posada.

Day 6| Salvador – Palmeiras – Caete Açu
A transfer will pick you up at your hotel at 6am and take you to the rodoviaria (bus station). The bus for Palmeiras leaves at 7am (journey time: 7-8 hours). Upon you arrival, a private transfer will take you to Caete Açu village where your English-speaking guide welcomes you.
You have some leisure time in the afternoon during which you can go for a stroll around the posada and in the valley, or enjoy some downtime in a hammock and get some rest to prepare for the next day’s challenges.
Meals not included. Overnight in a posada.

Day 7| Caete Açu – Vale do Pati – Casa Dona Raquel
18 km – 7-9h of walking - 600 m altitude difference - difficulty: demanding
We leave the posada on a 4X4 and reach the end of the valley (9km). The day begins with a one-hour climb to Gerais do Vieira, a long plateau covered with a mix of high grass and tropical groves. Once we reach the end of this plateau, we head right. The trail starts for the mountain via quebra bunda pass (“bum breaker”), an abrupt 150m climb, which we follow to Rio Preto plateau.
The ground is sometimes sandy, sometimes muddy, while the vegetation remains low. We progress effortlessly on the edges of the plateau and enjoy breathtaking views of the valley and the two enormous “morros” standing guard. Late in the afternoon, we descend into a spectacular steep gully into Pati valley, above which we had previously been hiking. A few more efforts and we reach Dona Raquel’s home, where we stop for the night.
Full board (picnic lunch). Overnight at a villager’s home (modest comfort).

Day 8| Casa Dona Raquel – Casa Sr Joia
13 km – 5-6h of walking - 400 m altitude difference – difficulty: moderate
We get back on the trail, walking in the shadow of Castelo and morro branco do Capao which dominate the valley with their imposing size. We follow the ups and down of a trail that goes all the way across the valley, following the river which runs at the bottom. The tropical vegetation is dense, and the setting magnificent. In the afternoon we reach the home of Sr Joia and are welcomed as we have been up to now, with a heartwarming blend of hospitality and respect.
Full board (picnic lunch). Overnight at a villager’s home (modest comfort).

Day 9| Casa Sr Joia – Andarai – Lençois
19 km – 7 - 8h of walking - 550 m altitude difference – difficulty: average
We exit the valley via ladeira do Imperio, an impressive wall across which we zigzag for at least three hours. The climb is difficult, but the rest of the day will be much less demanding as we hike through changing landscapes. After the isolated valley covered in lush vegetation, we hike across an area populated by cacti and groves.
We push forward for a few more hours before reaching Andarai, a village born from the diamond rush that took place here during the 18th century. There, a vehicle will be waiting to take us to Lencois (90min).
Picnic lunch included. Dinner not included. Overnight in a posada.

Day 10| Lençois - Salvador
We will be taken to the rodoviaria around noon for the 1 o’clock bus to Salvador (7-8 hours on the road). When we get there, someone will greet us and take us to the posada.
Meals not included (lunch on the road). Overnight in the posada.

Day 11| Salvador – Praia do Forte
Today you are free to visit Praia do Forte.
Meals not included. Overnight in a posada in Salvador.

Day 12| Salvador
Today you are free to spend your time as you please.
Meals not included. Overnight in a posada.

Day 13| Salvador - Manaus
A private transfer will pick us up at the hotel 3 hours before takeoff and take us to the airport.
Salvador – Manaus flight (not included, flight time and schedule to be determined).
Someone will meet you at the airport and take you to the posada. At 3pm, your English-speaking guide will pick you up at your hotel and take you on a city tour. This immense territory’s capital is a city like any other, except that its geographical location (sitting right in the heart of the Amazon rainforest) gives it a unique style: the atmosphere is tropical, dripping with humidity. Regardless of whether we are in Ponta Negra beach or on the floating port, we cannot help but be impressed by the size of the Rio Negro (black river) as it flows peacefully as far as the eye can see. A few kilometers downriver, it merges with rio Solimoes and becomes the Amazon River, flowing all the way to the Atlantic.
Our stroll will take us to the opera, whose ceiling depicts the Eiffel tower as seen from the ground (closed on Sundays). We then visit to the floating port, designed by British engineers at the beginning of the 20th century – at the time, this was an incredible technological achievement. Finally, a mandatory stop to the market, where we might just be tempted to come back on our own early in the morning, to watch the dockers unload their fruits, vegetables, and most of all, the impressive fish they have caught. Return to your hotel at the end of the day.
Entrances included. Meals not included. Overnight at hotel.


Day 14| Manaus – Tefe – Uacari Lodge (Fridays only)
Leave your hotel at 10am and head to the airport.
Flight: TRIP 5545 / Manaus - Tefe / departure 1pm / arrival 2:20pm
Someone will meet you at the airport and take you to on a motorboat to the heart of Mamiraua ecological reserve. Created in 1990, this reserve is home to approximately 400 bird species and over 45 species of mammals. During our boat ride (90mins), we might get to spot some of the area’s wildlife.
The lodge sits on the water. We enjoy our welcome cocktail upon our arrival and are then briefed on life at the lodge (meal times, water and energy use, tips for swimming, etc). We then settle into our quarters and have the rest of the day to enjoy the lodge as we please. Lunch not included. Dinner included. Overnight at the lodge.
Note: if our arrival at Tefe is delayed, we will spend the night in Tefe, at no extra cost. These services will be paid for by the Ucacari lodge.

Day 15| Mamiraua ecological reserve
After breakfast, we begin our first canoe ride on the area’s surrounding rivers and lakes, accompanied by our local bilingual guide (English/Portuguese). Return to the lodge for lunch, followed by a short nap. Those with energy to spare can instead watch a video on the various projects taking place in the reserve or try to catch some piranhas. When the sun’s rays become less oppressive, it’s time to get back on the motorboat and head for Araçazinho, a superb lake where we get to watch the bird colonies coming back home as the sun sets. Return to the lodge after sunset, which allows us to observe the jungle’s nocturnal inhabitants with flashlights.
Full board. Overnight at the lodge.
Note: when the waters run high (May to July), travel around the camp will be aboard a canoe. The rest of the year, excursions will take place on foot (about 3km).

Day 16| Mamiraua ecological reserve
We leave with our local guide as the sun rises. We walk on trails that zigzag through the jungle around the lodge. Our progress is slow and silent, allowing us to pay attention to the sounds of the forest as it comes to life. Return to the lodge late in the morning.
In the afternoon, we head for Mamiraua lake to spot “botos”, these pink-skinned freshwater dolphins unique to the Amazon, easily recognizable due to their elongated rostrum. As the sun sets, the air is filled with the noise of thousands of animal coming to drink on the lake’s shores. Return to the lodge under the cover of darkness. After dinner, the guides like to sit down with guests for some pleasant conversation.
Full board. Overnight at the lodge.

Day 17| Uacari Lodge – Tefe - Manaus
One last activity is on the menu for this morning. After lunch, transfer to Tefe airport.
Flight: TRIP 5540 / Tefe - Manaus / departure 1:10pm / arrival 3pm
Airport welcome and transfer to your hotel.
Lunch included. Dinner not included. Overnight at hotel.

Day 18| Manaus – Sao Paulo
A private transport picks you up at your hotel and takes you to the airport 2 hours before takeoff.
Manaus – Sao Paulo flight (not included, flight time and schedule to be determined)
Airport welcome and transfer to your hotel. Free time to visit the city in the afternoon. Meals not included. Overnight in hotel.

Day 19| Sao Paulo – Paraty
A private transport (with a/c) and lusophone driver will pick you up at 8am at your hotel and take you to Paraty; 4-5 hours driving on a paved road along the green coast (costa verde), a strip of lush greenery between the sea and the mountains. Free time for the rest of the day, during which you can walk around in the village’s historic center. Nestled between the sea and the first foothills of the serra do mar, Paraty is home to one of Brazil’s most beautiful colonial towns, classified as a UNESCO world heritage site. Walking in narrow paved alleys, we discover this exceptional site, a witness to the luxury of the 17th and 18th centuries. Sumptuous domains, four superb baroque churches, including Santa Rita de Cassia, which today houses a museum of sacred art. Paraty is also a very lively town, day and night, and has many beaches in its surroundings.
Meals not included. Overnight in a posada.
Optional: guided tour of Paraty with English-speaking guide

Day 20| Paraty – Boat ride in the bay –private service
At 9am the captain will take us to the docks where we will board his vessel, a fishing boat outfitted for pleasure cruises (cushions, benches, icebox, etc). Spend the day in Paraty bay, sailing from island to island, beach to beach, accompanied only by your ship captain.
You will drop anchor at a few swimming spots (ilha comprida, saco da velha, praia vermelha...) and sometimes dive in the middle of hundreds of fish (mask and snorkel will be provided).
Return to Paraty around 4-5pm
Meals not included. Overnight in a posada.
Optional: English-speaking guide

Day 21| Paraty – Rio - Departure
Leave your hotel 7 hours before takeoff and transfer to the airport for your international flight (not included. Flight number and schedule to be determined)
Meals not included.

Budget

**Rates published on this website are for information purposes only and are not legally binding (since departure dates are not given). Prices on this website are known to fluctuate frequently in relation to changes in currencies and hotel pricing. In order to obtain a definite quote, please click here.

Other fees

Lodging

Overview

Brazil, a lifestyle
For a long time now, Brazil's natural beauty and Carnival rendered it international fame, attracting thousands of tourists all year long. The number of foreigners visiting the country went from an average of 1.5 million per year in the 1990s to more than 4 million visitors per year from the year 2000 on, according to Embratur's (Brazilian Tourism Institute) Statistical Yearbook for 2003. But there is a very special attraction that you only discover when you come here: the Brazilian people. Much beyond the breathtaking scenery, the way these people live surprises everyone with its simplicity, willingness, hope, hospitality and happiness.

Studies carried out by Enbratur indicate that 75% of the tourists who seek Brazil as their vacation destination do so first of all because of the natural beauty. But once they arrive here, they find such hospitality that they soon become enchanted with the mixture of colors, races and cultures of the people as well.

According to surveys, when foreign tourists are questioned about Brazil, they indicate happiness as the main characteristic of our people. Happiness that can be perceived in every moment they stay in the country – whether in our music, the warmth of our northeastern beaches, the lively Rio de Janeiro nightlife or the exuberant Amazon.

From this warm and festive spirit, popular displays such as Carnival, New Year's Eve celebrations and June Parties arise, all famous for their liveliness and joy. It seems that the people's desire to show what is good about Brazil transforms this vigor into creativity, flashed about in contagious colors and sounds.

Research carried out with international tourists who have already had the opportunity to know Brazil reveal that the visitor truly finds the country to be beautiful. The results also show that 52% of this public goes back home valorizing yet another aspect of this land: its people. After all, besides appreciating some of the most beautiful spots on the planet – including countless beaches, ecological paradises and historical cities – the visitor is always accompanied by people who are willing to show the best points of every excursion, making the trip unforgettable.

Tourism

Electricity Voltage
Electricity voltages vary from one state to another. Check the voltage before connecting any electrical appliance to an outlet.

Car Hire
All the well know car hire firms have counters at the country's main airports and in the main urban centers. Tourists may also book cars through their travel agencies.

Taxis
The tourist may opt to take an ordinary taxi easily found in the streets or through radio taxi services. It is recommended that accredited taxi services at the airports and at points nearby the main hotels be given priority. It is not usual in Brazil to tip a taxi driver although it is common to round off the amount and let the driver keep the change as a gratuity.

Tips
Most bars and restaurants include a service charge of 10% in the Bill. It is usual to leave a little extra if the service has been satisfactory. When no service charge has been included then a tip of 10% to 15% is the general rule.

Currency
The Brazilian currency unit is the Real ($R). Dollars and Travelers Checks can easily be changed in hotels, banks or travel agencies. Most establishments accept credit cards.

Communications
To make an international call, dial: 00 + operator code* + country code + area code (if there is one) + telephone number For reverse charge international calls dial 0800 7032111.

Operators:
Brasil Telecom 14
Embratel 21
CTBC 34
GVT 25
Intelig 23
Telefónica 15
Telemar 31

Language
The national language is Portuguese but it is a little different from the Portuguese spoken in Portugal

Climate
The climate is predominantly tropical with some variation according to the region. The average annual temperature in the north is 28º C and 22º C in the south.

Time Zones
Because of its continental dimensions Brazil has 4 time zones. The official time is Brasília time and it corresponds to 3 hours less than GMT. From September to February the clocks are put forward one hour in most Brazilian States.

Geography

Brazil is the largest country in Latin America.
It spreads across almost half (47.3%) of South America, and occupies a total area of 8,547,403.5 km2. It is the fifth largest country in the world after Canada, the Russian Federation, China and the United States. Except for a small number of islands, Brazil is a single and continuous land mass. The Equator passes through the northern region, near Macapá, and the Tropic of Capricorn cuts through the south of the country, near São Paulo. Brazil's east to west extension (4,319.4 km) is almost equivalent to its north to south distance (4,394.7 km). The country borders French Guiana, Suriname, Guiana, Venezuela and Colombia, to the north; Uruguay and Argentina, to the south; and Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru, to the west. Ecuador and Chile are the only two countries on the South American continent that do not border Brazil. The Atlantic Ocean extends along the country's entire eastern coast, providing 7,367 km of coastline.

Climate

Brazil's climatic typology is very diverse.
The huge territorial expanse, allied with factors such as temperature, altitude, barometric pressure and proximity to the ocean, provide the country with climatic conditions that can please everyone. It is one of the richest and most complex ecosystems in the world, with extremely diversified vegetation and sceneries. The Brazilian territory is divided into climatic strips: 92% of the territory is located between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn. We can therefore say that the Brazilian climate is predominantly tropical, with equatorial and subtropical (temperate zones) strips distributed over the remaining 8% of the nation's territory. The predominance of lower altitudes throughout the country provides more elevated temperatures, with averages exceeding 20°C. The seasons are the exact opposite of those in Europe and the United States, except in the northern region of the country. The average annual temperature is approximately 28ºC in the northern region and 20ºC, in the south. Extreme temperatures are rare, but they may occur: in the winter, some cities in the south of the country experience negative temperatures, with frost and snow. And in Rio de Janeiro, in the peak of summer, the temperature may hit 40ºC. Now that you know about our climate, choose the temperature you find most pleasant and come fall in love with the beauty Brazil has to offer.