Highlights of Brazil – 14 Days
(This sample itinerary will be customized to suit your interests and budget.)
Day 1 ~ Arrival Manaus late evening and transfer to your hotel.
Tropical Manaus Eco Resort, Superior room, 1 night with breakfast
Welcome to Tropical Manaus Eco resort, a luxury Brazil vacation eco-resort located in the gateway to the majestic Amazon rainforest. An unforgettable experience, Tropical Manaus Eco resort offers state of the art technology and luxurious accommodations with the magnificence of the rainforest as a backdrop. Experience the exoticism of the Amazon Jungle while enjoying total comfort at the Tropical Manaus Eco resort. This resort offers a world class guest experience for hotels in Brazil by placing you right in the Amazon rainforest.
Day 2 ~ Cruise the Amazon – Rio Negro Itinerary
Begin with a private transfer to the pier for check in.
Board the Iberostar Grand Amazon for a 4 night cruise.
Begin sailing down Rio Negro. Enjoy the sunset on the top deck with classical music. Welcome cocktail and dinner on board.
Day 3 ~ Cruising the Amazon –
Morning hiking and/or boat tours through the Jaraqui Igarapés region. The palm trees and tall trees in this area are very important to local villages – some of them are used in the construction of houses and their trunks and leaves have great medicinal value.
Afternoon cruise among the islands of Três Bocas region which are part of the second largest freshwater river archipelago of the world. The vegetation of the islands is reflected in the dark waters producing a surreal and charming environmental scenario, ideal for fantastic photos. On the banks of the channels orchids, bromeliads, toucans and macaws can be seen.
Nighttime boat rides to spot alligators and listen to the night sounds of the Três Bocas region.
Day 4 ~ Cruising the Amazon –
Morning hiking on the trails in the Igarapé Trench region and visit Pink Dolphins in Novo Airão.
Afternoon visit to an indigenous community in Rio Cuieiras, where we learn about the local school, the clinic, the flour mill (production of cassava flour), dwellings and cultivated plants of this population. We will also have the opportunity to purchase local crafts.
Day 5 ~ Cruising the Amazon –
Amazon Awakening. (optional) Early morning boat ride in the region of Rio Ariaú, where birds can be seen as well as a beautiful landscape lit by sunrise.
Today, enjoy boat rides through the Igarapés and lakes of the Rio Ariaú region. The waters in this region are clear and the fauna is rich; we can see monkeys, sloths and birds (like collared hawk and kingfisher).
Also – Piranha fishing!
Afternoon boat rides in the Tupé region, a very beautiful area where we can observe the formation of beaches with fine white sand, and we also offer tours with stops for diving in Rio Negro.
Day 6 ~ Manaus – Iguassu
After breakfast and landing in Manaus. Disembark and enjoy a private tour of Manaus.
Manaus, established as a fort in 1669 and elevated to a city status in the early 1800’s, has over 344 years of history. Enjoy a guided adventure of the historical Opera House (Teatro Amazonas), visiting the Municipal Market (Mercado Municipal Adolpho Lisboa) area in the historical central district and the Port of Manaus (Porto do Manaus) places of many activities today. Included are visits to the 19th century Alfândega and Guardamoria buildings through the historical central district of Manaus and the waterfront of the Rio Negro and Ponta Negra or what is known as “Modern Manaus.”
Afternoon transfer to airport for your flights to Iguassu.
Upon arrival at Iguassu airport, private transfer to your hotel.
Belmond Das Cataratas, Falls View room, 2 nights
The only hotel located within Brazil’s Iguassu National Park, Belmond Hotel das Cataratas enjoys an unrivaled location just a short stroll from the sensational waterfalls.
Day 7 ~ Iguassu Falls
Private Half Day guided visit of the Brazilian falls.
Pick up in the lobby of the Belmond Cataratas at 08:00h. The beginning of the sightseeing walk is less than a minute from the Hotel from where Guests can get a wonderful panoramic view to the falls. The path is 1,5km long (about a mile) and it´s not physically demanding, it´s a very easy going one. At the end of the walk there is a catwalk over the Iguassu River which gives a nice angle to the Devil´s Throat and perhaps a refreshing spray. For a great finale there´s a comfortable way to finish the walk, a panoramic elevator up to a tower from where one can see the Falls from a higher perspective. The average time to do the Brazilian Side it´s about 01:30h, depending on how fast or slow you choose to do it.
Afternoon at leisure.
Day 8 ~ Rio de Janeiro
Private Transfer to Iguassu airport for domestic flight to Rio.
Upon arrival Rio de Janeiro, private transfer to your hotel.
Miramar Hotel by Windsor, Superior Executive room with ocean view, 3 nights with breakfast.
Day 9 ~ Corcovado & Sugar Loaf
Private Full Day tour including lunch.
From any place of the city, the visitor can see the most beautiful postcard of Rio de Janeiro: Christ the Redeemer statue in the mountain of Corcovado, located at 710 meters above the sea level and inaugurated in 1931. This tour begins in Cosme Velho’s neighborhood from where the cog train starts a trip through the Tijuca Forest, the largest urban forest in the world, up to the statue. Once there, a panoramic and extraordinary view of Rio will be seen including Sugar Loaf, Guanabara Bay, the beaches of Southern Zone and the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon.
After Corcovado you stop for lunch.
In the afternoon you will be taken to the neighborhood of Urca where one of the largest symbols of the city is located: Sugar Loaf. You will travel all the way to the top in two steps by cable car. The first cable car takes you to Urca Hill, a vantage point 215 meters high which already grants beautiful views of Guanabara Bay and its islands, the Rio-Niterói Bridge and Corcovado Mountain. From this stage, a second cable car takes you to the top. At 395 meters you’ll enjoy splendid views of Copacabana beach, the Santa Cruz fortress and several beaches of Niterói.
Day 10 ~ Rio de Janeiro
Enjoy this day, exploring at your leisure.
Day 11 ~ Salvador
Private transfer to airport for flight to Salvador.
Upon arrival, private transfer to your hotel.
Pestana Convento do Carmo, Deluxe room, 3 nights with breakfast.
Pestana Convento do Carmo is located in Santo Antônio Além do Carmo, the Historic Centre of Salvador, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Convent, initially built in 1586 by the First Order of Carmelite Friars, has been throughout the centuries the stage of many significant events of the Brazilian history, and is nowadays, after careful restoration works, the first luxury historic hotel in Brazil.
Day 12 ~ Salvador
Private Half Day City tour with lunch and Mercado Modelo.
Discover the essential sights of Salvador on a half day tour tracing the development of the city from its simple beginnings to what is now the third largest city in Brazil. After hotel pick up private guide takes you to the mouth of the immense bay and then via elegant tree-lined avenues and bustling city streets to the Pelourinho, a Unesco Heritage site and the largest complex of colonial architecture in the South America. We leave the vehicle at the Municipal Square, by the towering Lacerda Elevator, with great views of the bay stretching out to the lower city, and stroll through the narrow, bustling streets lined with buildings in pastel shades of an age gone by, soaking in the sights and sounds of this vibrant city. We visit the church of São Francisco with its exuberant gold-leafed Baroque interior and the Pelourinho square, the heart of the old town.
Day 13 ~ Salvador (Bahia)
Enjoy exploring the area at your leisure.
Day 14 ~ Departure
Private Transfer to airport for return flights home.
We encourage you to contact us so that we can design a custom plan for your journey to Belize. At GL Tours we always believe there is “more to explore!”