MANAUS & LENÇÓIS

Our private English-speaking guide meets us at the hotel at 09:00 for the visit of town. Climb to the Corcovado, universally known symbol of the town of Rio.
By car, we climb to an elevation of 700 meters above sea level. Once on the summit, we take the time to appreciate the unique and enchanting panoramic view of the "cidade maravilhosa" (magnificent city).
Rio spreads under our feet, majestic and languid. This advantageous viewpoint gives us a better understanding of the physical and "social" topography of the town.
We descend via Santa Teresa, which used to be one of the wealthiest residential neighborhoods of Rio, at the time when the town was the capital of Brazil and all the principal powers where located there.
Surrounded by the agglomeration, the neighborhood has lost its exclusive character, and the wealth of the area has moved to the Southwest of Rio, to Barra da Tijuca.
Santa Teresa shelters today an unconventional population, constituting the bohemian quarter of modern Rio.
We stroll through this neighborhood to get a taste of its quaint and dated atmosphere.
Along its narrow and winding streets, we can admire some splendid houses dating from the 19th century and catch a glimpse of the soul of a Rio from another time.
The best way to realize this nostalgic trip is to take the bondinho, a little wooden tramway, a miraculous vestige from the start of the 20thcentury, and the most famous symbol of Santa Teresa.
During the descent to Lapa, we visit the colored staircase or "Escadaria do Convento da Santa Teresa", decorated by Jorge Selarón.
This autodidactic Chilean artist is one of the best-known personalities of this neighborhood.
After exhibiting his paintings around the world, he settled in Brazil in 1983 and spontaneously decided to decorate this staircase with a multicolored mosaic in perpetual evolution.
His ambition is to link the neighborhoods of Lapa and Santa Teresa, by covering the staircases with thousands of azulejos (ceramic tilework). We might have the opportunity to see him at work…
We, later, reach the cable cart taking us to the summit of the Sugarloaf (el. 400 m.a.s.l.) the symbol of Rio, marking the entrance of the Bay of Guanabara. Return to our hotel at 17:00.
Meals not included. Night in hotel.
Options
- Helicopter flight of a few minutes from the mirador of Dona Marta.
- By night with samba show.

Open day to explore Rio.
You can relax in one of the famous beaches (Copacabana, Ipanema, etc), do some shopping or join another tour.
Meals not included. Night in hotel.
Options
- favela tour (half day)
- down town tour (half day)
- boat tour in Guanabara bay (half day)
- visit of Maracanã stadium (half day)
- visit of cidade do samba (half day)
- visit of the botanical garden (half day)
- samba lessons (half day)
- see kayaking (half day)
- Petrópolis tour (full day)

Departure from the hotel at 09:00 in air-conditioned vehicle with local driver towards Paraty (group service).
It is a 4 to 5-hour drive on a paved road along the Green Coast, lush corridor between ocean and mountains.
End of the day open that can be dedicated to strolling in the historical center of the village.
Nestled between ocean and the foothills of the Serra do Mar, Paraty, registered as a word heritage site with UNESCO, shelters one of the most beautiful colonial heritage of Brazil. Along narrow, paved streets, we discover this incredible heritage, bearing witness to the wealth of the 17th and 18th century: sublime mansions, four superb baroque churches, one being the church of Santa Rita de Cassia hosting today a museum of sacred art.
Paraty, a very animated town night and day, offers numerous nearby beaches.
Meals not included. Night in a pousada.
Options

• Private transfer.
• Guided visit of Paraty with English-speaking guide.

At 10:00, our guide drives us to the pier to embark on board a superb sailboat (escuna or saveiro), for a day in the Bay of Paraty, from island to island, beach to beach.
Stops planned on different sites suitable for swimming or snorkeling in the company of hundreds of fish (mask and snorkel included): ilha Comprida, saco da Velha, praia Vermelha...
Meals served on board, in a very Brazilian atmosphere (not included/reasonably priced).
Return to Paraty in the middle of the afternoon around 16:00 / 17:00.
Meals not included. Night in a pousada.
Note: depending on the tourist activity or the weather conditions the group tour maybe cancelled. In that case, we reimburse the excursion; the eventual expenses (for the location of private boat for example) are the client’s responsibility.
Options

• Private service (price equivalent for groups of more than five people)
• English-speaking guide.

Departure from the pousada at 09:00 in air-conditioned vehicle with local driver towards Rio (group service).
End of the day open.
Meals not included. Night in hotel.
Option: private transfer.

Departure from the hotel in private transportation 3 hours before the take off and transfer to the airport.

Basis 1 person                    1.685
Basis 2/5 persons               1.355
Basis 6/7 persons               1.330
Basis 8/15 persons             1.315

sup. single room                 175

Warning ! Indicatives fares subject to modification (air ticket).
Definitive fares at confirmation.

• 06 nights in hotel or pousada, standard room (breakfast included)
• land transfers with local driver as detailled in the itinerary
• bilingual guide for transfer on day 01
• full day tour in Rio with private bilingual guide, including entrance fees
• full day boat tour in Paraty (group service)

• international flight round-trip & airport taxes
• individual equipment
• personal insurance
• meals (starting at $ 6 / per / meal)
• visits and excursions not mentioned
• extras
• tips