Rio de Janeiro – Paraty – Tiradentes – São João del Rei – Ouro Preto – Salvador – Recife
15 days/14 nights
Arrival in the afternoon and transfer to the hotel.
Half-day city tour, Sugarloaf and dinner.
You will visit several famous sites of the city: Sugaf Loaf, Municipal Theater and the colonial city center. From the hotel through the neighborhood of Botafogo and the park of Flamengo; after the Cathedral of Candelaria in the center. All around the Avenida Presidente Vargas are the modern business buildings of the metropolis. (The Avenidas are roads with 6-8 lanes). Returning via the Avenida Rio Branco, you can see the Municipal Theater, a copy of the Paris Opera, built-in 1909. From there via Cinelandia to the famous “Arcos da Lapa”, an aqueduct of the colonial era. We continue towards the modern cathedral of Sao Sebastiao and the Sugar Loaf Mountain in the district of Urca. The Sugar Loaf can be reached by a cable car, divided into two sectors. The first drive takes you to Urca Hill, 220 meters above sea level. After a first panoramic view and a short walk on the other side, you take the second train to the top, at 396 meters above sea level. From here you have an unforgettable view of the city. Then return to the hotel. Dinner in a country-style restaurant.
Full day
Full day: Beaches, Corcovado and Santa Teresa with lunch, visit of artists’ studios, the possibility to buy naive art and/or antiques. In the evening barbecue and Samba show. A short drive from the hotel to Fort Copacabana. Built-in 1914, the fortress offers a fantastic panoramic view of one of the most beautiful parts of this coast, as well as a military history museum with exhibits, videos and scale models.
From the Fort, we descend the famous Copacabana beach to the Botafogo district, along the Marina, with a magnificent view of the Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Urca district. After about 20 minutes, we reach the district of Flamengo. Visit of the Museum of Modern Art (“Museu de Arte Moderna”, MAM abbreviated). Opened in 1958, the museum is located in the heart of the gardens of the Flamengo Park (“Aterro do Flamengo”), on the shores of Guanabara Bay and close to the city center. When a fire broke out in 1978, hundreds of people around the world contributed to its reconstruction. Nowadays, MAM has a collection of about 1700 paintings, sculptures and engravings by Brazilian and foreign artists, as well as an art library and an important and well-visited cinematheque.
After lunch, visit the Imperial Museum – formerly the first mint factory in Brazil, today the Cultural Center. Here, we enjoy peace in the museum patio with a good dessert, a good coffee, or a cold drink in the Swiss bistro. The city’s theaters, in which Cinelandia is located next to the city library, the art museum and the Pedro Ernesto Palace, impress with their architectural concept and interior decoration. The noble building materials (Carrara marble, bronze, onyx), elegant mirrors and furniture, paintings and sculptures make this theater a true cultural temple for 2,200 spectators. Return to the hotel.
Dinner and visit of the sensational dance hall “Gafieira Estudantina” Established in 1932, Gafieira Estudantina was to serve as an alternative to the old-fashioned festivals of the early thirties. Today, there is a dance show that has made the house the most important dance hall and the highlight of Rio’s nightlife.
The Gafieira Estudantina is located on Praça da Republica, a place traditionally populated by artists. In the ballroom, the dancers move to the sounds of tango, bolero and samba. The band is made up of professional musicians who master a complete repertoire of Brazilian, Caribbean and Latin rhythms. A meeting place for revelers, singers and composers, the Estudantina attracts many visitors. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with up to 1,500 guests, show attitude and respect. A unique experience!
Full day at leisure:
Swimming, relaxing, shopping or whatever you want.
Transfer along the Costa Verde to the historic town of Paraty
(250 km away, about 4 hours drive).
Visit the city (on foot)
Paraty is a gem and is under the protection of monuments. It is one of the best-preserved colonial towns in Brazil: stately homes, Baroque churches, cobbled streets and Fort Defensor Perpetua are part of the picturesque scenery. Nearby, one of the most beautiful coastal regions of the country, dozens of virgin beaches and islands are easily accessible by boat.
Schooner trip through the bay of Paraty and several islands with lunch aboard. Return to the Pousada in the afternoon.
Departure in the morning, lunch on the way. Arrival in Tiradentes in the late afternoon.
The old gold mining town Tiradentes is picturesque between two mountain ranges. Your old town with churches, museums and beautiful villas is absolutely worth seeing. The city owes its name to the hero Joaquim José Silva Xavier, the famous “tooth-puller” (Tiradentes), who mounted a failed coup against the Portuguese colonial power in the mountain town. One of the most beautiful churches in Brazil, the Igreja Matriz de Santo Antônio and the Museu do Padre Toledo, furniture and religious art shows. In the shops of Tiradentes, one can buy authentic antiques, woodwork and silver jewelry. The afternoon departure by train from Tiradentes to São João del Rei (train only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday). Lunch in São João del Rei. then a little trick. Continue to Ouro Preto and arrive in the evening.
Ouro Preto was the center of gold fever in the 18th century.
The once fabulous wealth made it possible to build this city of picture books. Today, 30,000 people still live here. Ouro Preto delights its visitors with five museums, 13 churches built on hills, picturesque streets, pretty squares and lands of colonial houses. UNESCO declared Ouro Preto a World Heritage Site because of its historical treasures. Thereafter, a nostalgic train from Ouro Preto to Mariana (only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays); Transfer to Belo Horizonte airport. Flight to Salvador.
Morning: Visit the city of Salvador.
During this interesting tour of the city, we will experience historical Salvador with the fascinating old town of Pelourinho. From the hotel, we go first to Barra lighthouse and take a short walk around the tower. Then we continue to the upper town of Salvador. During the trip, you can see the famous “2 de Julho” street, Campo Grande and the theater square Castro Alves. From the upper part of the city, we enjoy the view of the suburbs and the sea. We walk through the old colonial-style streets and visit the cathedral, the Church of St. Francis (Golden Church) and well safe the old town around Pelourinho. The old town was built in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries and was declared in 1985, a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
In the evening: Salvador by night.
Dinner in the old town (Pelourinho) with a selection of Bahian and Brazilian specialties. Then musical performance with Afro-Brazilian dances (Orixás, Xango and Maculele), Samba de Roda and Capoeira show. (The program can always be customized according to your interests!)
In the morning, we leave the hotel 90 km along the coast “Linha Verde” (the green stripe). After about an hour we reach Praia do Forte with its enchanting sandy beaches, lined with coconuts. The old fishing village has become a very popular holiday destination thanks to the many small inns, comfortable restaurants, bars and small shops of recent years. We first visit the marine turtle protection station of Brazil’s official environmental protection organization (TAMAR). Then you have time to stroll and shop. After a typical lunch, we will go to Guarajuba, where you can enjoy life on the beach. In the afternoon, we return to the hotel.
Afternoon guided tour to Olinda and the old town of Recife
You visit one of the oldest cities in Brazil and (for leisure) dream beaches!
Transfer to the airport
Return flight or individual extension, eg. in Porto de Galinhas
Prices and conditions: on request
Departure: every day
Program: Individual adjustments to the trip are always possible! (e.g. shorter stay, different route choice, different hotels or room categories). Everything can be individually adapted and combined with other destinations. As a planning aid, you will find a huge selection of different options under Travel Modules