Rio and Colonial Parati

Day 1 Rio
Meet at airport & taken to your for hotel for check in. Overnight.

Day 2 Rio (city tour, Sugar Loaf)
 After breakfast, a half day tour of the city and Sugar Loaf. With Corcovado Mountai, Sugar Loaf is one of Rio’s most emblematic landmarks. Two cable cars rise 396m above Rio, the first to the top of Urca Hill with its great view of Guanabara Bay and the winding coastline. The second cable car goes up to the peak. Rio lies at our feet, and we are offered visual proof that the city deserves its nickname ‘Cidade Maravilhosa’ (Marvellous City). The afternoon is free.

Day 3 Rio (Corcovado, Tijuca Forest)
After buffet breakfast at hotel you are picked up for a half day tour by jeep of Corcovado & Tijuca Forest.

The mountain of Corcovado, topped by the 32m statue of Christ the Redeemer, has to be the most famous and enduring image of Rio. The views are simply stunning: you can see the beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon and the Botanical Garden. On a clear day you can see as far as the downtown business sector. From another spot the main views are the Maracanã stadium, the Guanabara Bay and Sugar Loaf. Corcovado is located in the Tijuca Atlantic Forest, the largest urban forest in the world. The jeep tour takes you through this, and stops for a small walk in a forest trail up to the Cascatinha Fall. The afternoon is free.

Day 4 Rio (Petropolis)
After breakfast at the hotel, we leave Rio de Janeiro and head to imperial Petrópolis. When Rio became too muggy in summer, the imperial family escaped to this charming mountain retreat, some 53 kilometers (33 miles) north of Rio de Janeiro. The past of Petrópolis is inextricably linked with one of Brazil’s greatest historic figures, Dom Pedro II. His 50-year reign, starting in 1840, is regarded as the most prosperous period in Brazilian history. The son of the Austrian empress Leopoldina and Brazil’s first emperor, Dom Pedro II abolished slavery, encouraged mass immigration and forged a nation that would do away with the monarchy forever.

The first encounter with the summer hill resort, 2,654 ft above sea level, takes place at Palácio Quitandinha, a grandiose palace built in 1944 as casino and hotel. Afterwards the city’s main cultural site, the Imperial Palace, merits close attention. This perfectly-preserved summer palace, neo-classical in style, is an expression of Dom Pedro II’s character. Not to be missed are the imperial scepter and the 1.7 kg crown with its 639 diamonds and 77 pearls. After visiting the museum, we proceed to Dom Pedro II’s last resting-place in the Gothic-style Cathedral de São Pedro de Alcântara. A subsequent coach ride featuring buildings, parks and squares of historic interest reveals the city’s undeniable European face. Lunch at a local restaurant before returning to Rio. Breakfast, lunch (first class category, not economy).

Day 5 Rio - Parati
Buffet breakfast at your hotel, and then transfer to Parati and hotel check in. The beautiful colonial city of Parati is considered a National Historical Monument, preserving until today its many natural and architectural charms.

The village was founded in 1667 around the Church of "Nossa Senhora dos Remedios", its patron saint. The construction of its old housing and churches reflects the style of that time. The mysterious masonry symbols, which decorate its walls, lead our imagination back to the old times of Brazil. The prohibition of motorized vehicles in the center certainly adds to this feeling of "time travel".

The surrounding region includes the National Park of Bocaina, the Environmental Protection Area of Cairuçu (where the village of Trindade is located), and the Park Reserve of Joatinga. It also borders the State Park of Serra do Mar. So Parati is surrounded everywhere by the Mata Atlântica, the luscious Atlantic Forest.

Day 6 Parati
Breakfast at hotel. Free day to explore on your own.

Day 7 Parati
Breakfast at hotel. Free day to explore on your own..

Day 8 Parati
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to Rio de Janeiro airport.

Note: if no availability at the hotels quoted, we will offer similar ones with similar prices.