Connecting with the Land

DAY 1: WELCOME TO RIO DE JANEIRO

Arrival in Rio de Janeiro. Meet your guide at the airport for a private transfer to the Hotel Arena Copacabana, in a luxury sea view double room (check-in at 3:00 PM). Enjoy a briefing regarding your stay in Rio and a personalisation of your upcoming tours.

Hotel transfer with an Italian-speaking guide

DAY 2: RIO – CIDADE MARAVILHOSA (THE MARVELLOUS CITY)

Guided tour of the first metropolis to be named a UNESCO World Heritage site for its “Cultural Landscape” – a masterpiece where man and nature meet. You will visit iconic monuments, including Christ the Redeemer, surrounded by the Tijuca Forest, and Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar), offering breathtaking views of Guanabara Bay (Entrance fees not included).

6-hour City Tour with an Italian-speaking guide

DAY 3: EXPERIENCE RIO DE JANEIRO

Free day with our suggestions on how to live the “Cidade Maravilhosa.” In the evening, we suggest exploring the elegant neighbourhoods of Ipanema and Leblon with their characteristic butecos (local bars). For live music, head to Lapa; venues like Carioca da Gema and Rio Scenarium are not to be missed.

DAY 4: TRANSFER TO FOZ DO IGUAÇU

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Foz do Iguaçu. Upon arrival, you will be met by your guide and transferred to the Hotel Viale Tower.

Airport transfer with an Italian-speaking guide

DAY 5: FOZ DO IGUAÇU

Private tour of the Brazilian side of the falls, walking along the panoramic footpaths with a frontal view until you reach the platform overlooking the thunderous Garganta do Diabo (Entrance fees not included). In the afternoon, enjoy a private tour of the Argentine side of the park (Entrance fees not included). This visit involves a series of walkways over the upper falls, the longest of which leads to another platform to marvel at the Garganta do Diabo from a spectacular top-down perspective.

DAY 6: MANAUS – THE GATEWAY TO THE AMAZON

Transfer to Foz do Iguaçu airport for your flight to Manaus. Upon arrival, you will be met by a driver and transferred to the Hotel Seringal in a standard room.

Hotel transfer with a Portuguese-speaking driver

DAY 7-9: AMAZON TUPANA LODGE – INTO THE WILD

Transfer to Porto do Ceasa to board a boat for the river crossing to Careiro (30 min), passing the famous “Meeting of Waters” of Rio Negro and Rio Solimões. Continue by road (2 hours) to the Tupana River, followed by a final 20-minute boat transfer to the Amazon Tupana Lodge. Check into your Superior River View room and attend a briefing on the Lodge’s stay and activities provided in http://www.amazontupana.com/cigana-package-4days-3nights/. These activities include jungle treks, motorised and paddle canoe trips, piranha fishing, Amazonian sunrises and sunsets, and night safaris.

Group transfer Manaus-Amazon Tupana Lodge – 3 hours with a Portuguese-speaking driver/seaman

DAY 10: TRANSFER TO SALVADOR

After breakfast, transfer to Manaus airport for your flight to Salvador. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by your guide and transferred to the Hotel Catharina Paraguaçu in Rio Vermelho. This vibrant neighbourhood is the local heart of the city, famous for its squares where the Baianas do Acarajé – women in traditional dress – prepare acarajé, the icon of Afro-Brazilian cuisine.

Hotel transfer with an Italian-speaking guide

DAY 11: SALVADOR – THE “BLACK ROME”

Discover the “cradle” of Brazil, the former Portuguese colonial capital, where cultural and religious syncretism still defines the country’s largest Afro-Brazilian population. The historic part of the city is divided into Cidade Alta (Upper City) and Cidade Baixa (Lower City). Highlights include the Pelourinho, the most important colonial architectural complex in the Americas and a UNESCO World Heritage site, as well as the Lower City featuring the symbol of Bahian religiosity, the Igreja do Bonfim, and Brazil’s oldest market, the Feira de São Joaquim.

6-hour city tour with an Italian-speaking guide

DAY 12: EXPERIENCE SALVADOR

A free day to explore the “Roma Negra” (Black Rome) with our local recommendations. On Tuesday evenings, the Pelourinho comes alive with Terça da Benção (Blessing Tuesday), a festival where the sacred and the profane meet. Attend a historic mass in the first church in Brazil built for enslaved people, a surprising experience that blends Catholic rites with cultural elements of African tradition. After the mass, enjoy a walk through the alleys of the Pelourinho, animated by percussion bands.

DAY 13: RETURN TO ITALY WITH SAUDADE

Transfer to the airport for your scheduled flight.

Airport transfer 4 hours before departure