Rio Carnival & Costa Verde Adventure 10D/9N

Departure Time: 15:00 hrs

Duration: 10 days

Thursday (27February): 

Rio Arrival, Check-in, Welcome Caipirinha Cocktail & Briefing, Group Samba Dance Class, Face Painting, Night Out in LapaWelcome to Rio de Janeiro! Upon arrival at the airport, please make your way to your accommodation, which is located in Lapa, Rio's colorful bohemian centre, where many of Carnival's major events and bloco parties take place. You will enjoy a neighbourhood full of samba clubs, theatres, capoeira, trendy antique stores housed in historic buildings, funky bars and much more for you to discover. Feel free to arrive when you wish, however, remember check-in is from 3PM on.Around 6PM you will meet with the rest of the group for a meeting to revise the schedule of all the planned events.Then it's time to start partying! Enjoy your first caipirinha and get ready for the group samba class where you can show off all your skills. You'll also have the chance to get your face painted by our professional make-up artist. Then get ready to hit the streets of Lapa for your first night out in the most famous party zone of all Rio, right at your door-step. Your Tour Leader will lead you to where all the action is!!! Get ready to experience what street partying is all about!Pre-Tour Night: Please note an optional night is available before the beginning of the tour for an additional cost. We highly recommend that you book an extra night, especially if you’ve travelled a long way to get here, to give you time to recover, settle in and visit more of Rio’s sites before Carnival.

Friday (28 February): Rio City Tour, Make-up Artist, Sambadrome Parade (B)

During today's breakfast, your Tour Leader will be available to go through today's plans and answer any questions you may have. After breakfast, the Full Experience group will be taken on an all-inclusive tour of Rio de Janeiro. You will drive through the Tijuca National Park to Corvocado. After visiting the statue of Christ the Redeemer, you’ll be taken to the gorgeous suburb of Santa Teresa to be amazed by some very impressive old mansions, art galleries and the famous Santa Teresa trams. Next stop will be the tiled Steps of Selaron in Lapa - made world famous by the 2003 song ‘Beautiful’ featuring Snoop Dogg. The final stop on the tour will be Sugarloaf Mountain, which is ascended via cable car. You will have the chance to see Guanabara Bay, the Rio-Niteroi Bridge and Christ the Redeemer statue in all it's beauty. A second cable car will then take you to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain (295m), where the views are simply breathtaking!

After the city tour, you will be dropped back to your accommodation, where there will be time to prepare for the main Carnival event: Sambadrome Parade at Sambodromo! All of the city's best samba schools parade their outrageous floats and costumes down the runway here, and you will be able to view it all from the stands above. There are no fixed seats, but our section will be full of fun, rowdy revelers!

In preparation for this incredible event, you will have the opportunity to get your face painted by our professional make-up artist again, and have your picture taken by our photographer.

Saturday (1 March): Bloco Street Party OR Ipanema Beach, Lunch, Boat Party Cruise (B, L)

This morning, after breakfast, you will have the opportunity to be taken to one of the best blocos (street parties) in town. Each day your tour leader will tell you about and offer to take you to one of these incredible blocos, all in different locations around Rio. There will also be time to visit some of them on your own if you wish. OR if you would like a morning on the beach there will be another tour leader on hand ready to accompany you to Ipanema beach for a swim and a sun bathe. Of course the other third option is to have a rest and do nothing this morning! The choice is yours.

Later in the day the group will meet up at the hotel and stroll down together to the Marina da Gloria - enjoying a nice included lunch on the way. You will then all hop aboard a magnificent schooner boat that will cruise around Rio's spectacular Guanabara Bay for around 3-4 hours. Enjoy an open bar during the first hour of the cruise and make the most of the dance floor, music and chill-out area. Returning just after sunset, you'll have the chance to view the city, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Christ the Redeemer from a stunningly different light and angle.

After some relaxing time back in your accommodation, prepare yourself for another exciting night. You'll be shown the best nightlife the city has to offer!

Sunday (2 March): Bloco Street Party, Copacabana Beach Trip, Sunset drink (B)

Once again, you will start your day with a nice breakfast and the chance to meet up with your Tour Leader to check the itinerary for the day and ask any questions you may have. This morning, you'll be taken once again to the very best carnival bloco street-party in town. Feel free to wear your swimsuits underneath your clothes, and don't forget sunscreen. We make the most of this day, going to Copacabana Beach straight from the bloco. Time to relax and chill here. At the end of this perfect day we sip on a drink (out of a coconut if you wish!) and watch the sunset over the Dois Irmãos mountains from Arpoador Rock with beautiful views in all directions from Copacabana to Ipanema and Leblon. You'll then be accompanied back to the accommodation where you can either collapse into bed or get ready for another fun night on the town. Tonight, your Tour Leader will once again offer to take you to the very best Carnival parties that Rio has to offer!

Monday (3 March): Bloco Street Party, Afternoon Favela Tour, Farewell Churrasco Dinner (B, D)

If you’re up for another morning bloco street party, our Tour Leaders will be ready to accompany you to one of the best and last blocos of Rio Carnival! Or perhaps you’re ready for a bit of a sleep-in, a beach morning or a leisurely brunch somewhere lovely? Ask our Tour Leaders for their recommendations.

This afternoon you will be picked up for our half day Favela Tour. Meet the welcoming locals of this pacified Favela and discover the origins of Rio’s legendary Samba Schools during this excellent 3-hour tour. Our experienced local guide will take you to the top of the Favela, where you’ll get breathtaking views and see Rio from a completely different perspective. On the walk back down through the narrow streets, you truly get a unique insight into the vibrant spirit of the proud inhabitants. At the end, you'll have the opportunity to buy yourself a delicious icy açai from the local sellers – which will be sure to replenish your energy for the afternoon and night ahead!

Tonight is the last night of our Carnival package! We have a big finale night planned. Starting with a delicious Brazilian Churrasco BBQ dinner (return to the buffet/BBQ as many times as you wish). You will be accompanied to this restaurant by our Tour Leader and then given the option to party on with all of our crew for the final night of Rio Carnival – One last Party! - We’ll be sure to go out with a bang!

Tuesday (4 March): Accommodation Check-Out (B)

This great carnival experience comes to an end, however, your next adventure is ahead of you. Enjoy a night of good rest and head for your next adventure bright and early the next day!

Wednesday (5 March) Paraty, Historic Center Walking Tour

We will pick you up early in the morning at your hotel to begin this adventure, starting with a long journey straight to Paraty, a small town surrounded by mountains on the green coast of Brazil. Its colonial center features cobblestone streets and buildings dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, when it was a port during the gold rush. Arriving at lunchtime, you can plan your day, either with optional activities such as Boat Tours, Cachaça Tasting, or simply having lunch at a local place in the region. After some rest, we will meet for a Walk Tour, getting to know more about the city, such as the Capela de Santa Maria by the sea, a whitewashed church built in 1722. Later, we will enjoy all the surprises that the night may bring.

Thursday (6 March) Trindade Beach Trekking

After a hearty breakfast, we head to one of the most representative beaches in the area, a former fishing village known for its long sandy beaches and natural pools full of fish at the foot of the mountains. We will walk along the main beaches, enjoying these beautiful landscapes. You can dine at its lovely informal restaurants overlooking the sea and sample local marine products. In the late afternoon, we will return to Paraty to bid farewell to this beautiful city.

Friday (7 March) Lopez Mendez Trekking

Today we leave early with the idea of reaching paradise as soon as possible, arriving in Angra do Reis to take the boat that will take us to Ilha Grande. Part of an archipelago of 187 islands and islets located in the Ilha Grande Bay, on the west coast of the State of Rio de Janeiro, a region known as Costa Verde. The region is one of the most beautiful places on the entire Brazilian coast. The island legally belongs to the municipality of Angra dos Reis and the 3rd municipal district whose headquarters is the village of Abraao. Ilha Grande is also facing the municipalities of Mangaratiba and Paraty. The sea is predominantly green and hosts valuable natural biodiversity and beautiful scenes of mountains, jungle, and different beaches with waters of different colors. Once settled in our inn, we will take the taxi boat to Pouso, from where we will start our trek, an hour's walk to the famous Lopez Mendez beach, considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil and the world, where we will spend a relaxing afternoon in a truly paradise-like place.

Saturday (8 March) Departure day

On our last day, we will take the morning easy, with time for some last-minute shopping, souvenirs, and gifts from local stores, before returning to Angra where our transportation will be waiting to take us back to the marvelous city.

*Airport transfers are available, and we can assist with booking air tickets, hotels, and activities in Rio de Janeiro. We are here to help!