Short Brazil Vacation
Short Brazil Vacation
“Splendor of Brazil”
Rio de Janeiro, Pantanal and Iguazu Falls Tour
9 days
Experience a short Brazil vacation, with 3 days in the exotic city of Rio de Janeiro, including a visit to the Christ the Redeemer statue, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and Sugarloaf Mountain. Then head to the Pantanal Jungle for an exotic wildlife experience. More secluded than the Amazon, Pantanal allows for some fantastic flora and fauna viewing. After the jungle, head to another natural wonder of Brazil, the breathtaking waterfalls of Iguazu.
Day 1: Arrive Rio de Janeiro and private transfer to your hotel.
Day 2: Private Christ Statue (Cristo Redentor) and Tijuca forest excursions.
Day 3: Private Sugarloaf Mountain tour (Pão de Açúcar).
Day 4-6: Pantanal jungle excursion.
Day 7: Flight to Iguassu and free afternoon.
Day 8: Private Iguassu Falls tour (Brazilian & Argentinian sides).
Day 9: Departure day with a private transfer to the airport.
On all Southern Crossings tours, you’re taken care of from beginning to end: Domestic flights and airport pickups are included!
Depart any day on this short Brazil vacation and customize your tour at no extra charge!
Please note that these prices do not apply for Brazilian Carnival
What’s included in the trip
- Private airport pickup at the beginning of trip and drop off at end of the trip.
- Southern Crossings bilingual guides.
- Domestic Flights Rio de Janeiro -Cuiabá, Cuiabá- Iguazu.
- All other internal transport excluding transport to optional restaurants, sights and extra excursions.
- All entrance tickets for sites on the tour.
- Five nights of 4-star hotel accommodation, three nights of jungle lodge accommodation.
- Breakfast included with all hotel stays.
- Private Tour of Tijuca National Park.
- Private Christ the Redeemer tour .
- Private Sugarloaf Mountain tour with cable car transportation.
- 3-days plus one extra morning of jungle lodge excursions.
- Private full day excursion to Iguazu Falls, both the Brazilian and the Argentinian side.
- All meals included while at the rainforest lodge.
- 24-hour customer support line while on tour.
What’s not included
International flight arriving in Rio de Janeiro, departing from Iguazu, Brazil; domestic flight from Iguazu to Rio de Janeiro at the end of the trip; pre- & post- tour accommodation; visas to Brazil or Argentina; vaccinations; personal insurance; meals except where specified above; drinks; laundry; souvenirs; tips while on optional excursions and other items of a personal nature. Medical travel insurance is not included through Southern Crossings and cancellation insurance is advisable.
Trip itinerary – Short Brazil Vacation – “Splendor of Brazil”
Day 1 – Arrive Rio de Janeiro and private transfer to your hotel
Welcome to a short but exciting vacation in Brazil! Arrive in Rio de Janeiro any time today and private transfer to your hotel. If arriving in the day, there will be some free time to go out and get acclimatized to the city. If arriving late at night, you will transfer to your hotel for some rest before embarking on the tour the next morning.
Day 2 – Private Christ Statue (Cristo Redentor) and Tijuca forest excursions
This morning we head to Corcovado Mountain to visit one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Christ Statue. The tour begins in Cosme Velhos neighborhood from where the cog train starts a trip through the Tijuca Forest, the largest urban forest in the world, up to the Christ the Redeemer statue that stands tall over the city of Rio de Janeiro. Once there, take in and enjoy a panoramic and extraordinary view of Rio, see Sugarloaf Mountain, the Guanabara Bay, Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches and the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon. After visiting Corcovado, the tour will continue to the Sao Conrado area with a brief stop at Pepino beach.
Day 3 – Private Sugarloaf Mountain tour (Pão de Açúcar)
In the afternoon we visit the famous Sugar Loaf Mountain by cable-car. The cable car trip is in two stages: the first goes to Urca Hill, 220 meters high, and then a short walk to the other side leads you to the second station for the next part of the ride, up to the top of Sugarloaf itself. From 396 meters, we can take in some spectacular views of the surrounding sights and of the ocean bay. We will also get a better, clearer look of the Christ the Redeemer statue on the other side of the town. The top of Sugar Loaf has been landscaped and includes several pathways and a bar. Return to your hotel in the late afternoon.
Day 4 – Pantanal jungle excursion
You’ve got a lot packed in to this short vacation in Brazil! A morning private transfer to the airport is in time for your domestic flight to Cuiabá. After arriving, take a private transfer to the jungle lodge in Pantanal. On the way we can observe many kind of birds, small mammals and beautiful jungle scenery and landscapes. The transfer to our lodge takes about 3 hours and a half. After check-in, we have an introduction to the lodge and the area around it. In the evening a delicious piranha soup is served just before dinner, and then after dinner you´ll have a short briefing on the next day’s activities.
Day 5 – Pantanal jungle excursion
After breakfast, we set out on a horseback trail riding through the woods, up to the edge of Siá Mariana Bay. A great variety of birds, animals and reptiles can be observed throughout the year. We return to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon, we take a tranquil boat ride for some great photo ops, then we journey down the pristine Mutum River, where it’s possible to see giant otters, stingrays and huge schools of small fish. At the Mutum riverbanks, we have the chance to observe an incredible variety of birds. We return to the lodge for dinner, then off again on nocturnal animal spotting excursion by jeep in the lodge surrounding area.
Day 6 – Pantanal jungle excursion
After breakfast, we set off on a trek through the jungle to the open fields to observe the local wildlife. Since the Pantanal is one of the world’s best spots for birdwatching, we’ll have ample opportunity to see a huge variety of species. After lunch we take a trip by boat down the Mutum river banks, Siá Mariana Bay and Chaco Oré Bay to see more animals. Afterwards, we return by boat to the lodge, stopping to see the sunset at Siá Mariana Bay and do some piranha fishing*. In the evening, we’ll go Cayman feeding with the piranhas we caught from Siá Mariana Bay and then we’ll head out to look for other nocturnal animals! *Fishing is forbidden from October to March.
Day 7 – Flight to Iguazu Falls and free afternoon
An early rise this morning to go canoeing in the Mutum river to observe the sunrise and the beauty of wildlife at the break of dawn in the Pantanal jungle. Afterwards we return to the lodge have breakfast and check-out. Next we’re off to Iguazu Falls! Transfer to the Cuiabá airport in time for the domestic flight. For such a short Brazil vacation, there are many destinations and a lot of variety on this trip! Check-in to your hotel and you´ll have the rest of the afternoon free to relax.
Day 8 – Private Iguassu Falls tour (Brazilian & Argentinian sides)
After breakfast, your guide will pick you up at the hotel for a half day tour to the Brazilian side of the magnificent Iguassu Falls, one of the world’s most beautiful and spectacular natural spectacles. Following the walkways that border the canyon of the Iguazu River, it is possible to observe hundreds of small waterfalls until where the last fall, Floriano Falls, is reached. There you will have a complete frontal view of Devil’s Throat. In the afternoon we visit the Argentinean side of the falls, offering us a different perspective of the waterfalls. We head into Argentina through the Tancredo Neves bridge, built on the Iguazu River. Trails leading through the 55.500 hectares reserve provide the pleasure of a different, more complete view of the falls, especially the largest one, the Devil’s Throat. Lower and upper walkways permit a closer look at the waterfalls.
Day 9 – Departure day. Private transfer to the airport today
All good things must come to an end, and today you´ll have an included private transfer to the Iguassu international airport. You may book your international flight to Brazil into Rio de Janeiro and depart from Iguassu. If not, we can add an extra domestic flight back to Rio de Janeiro on this day. If you have some time before your departure, feel free to do some independent exploring before heading to the airport. Or, if time permits, we can add an extra activity. International flights can depart any time today.
“Splendor of Brazil” – Additional Info and Details
Extra accommodation
We will gladly arrange additional accommodation for you before or after your trip.
Accommodation Upgrades
This tour includes 4-star hotels. We would be happy to give you an upgrade to 5-star hotels. If you would like to select a specific hotel, let us know your preference. We can then work it into your custom itinerary.
Joining the tour
On all Southern Crossings tours, you are met at the airport by one of our representatives (holding a Southern Crossings placard), who will accompany you to our joining hotel. No bargaining or being swindled by airport taxis.
Is this trip for me?
Splendor of Brazil is a nine-day short Brazil vacation which includes a visit to a rainforest lodge, including walks around several sites, and the jungle tour will involve boat tours. Some light hiking will be done on this trip.
Climate
The climate in sites we will visit is as follows: Rio de Janeiro: Rio has a tropical savanna climate that closely borders a tropical monsoon climate and is often characterized by long periods of heavy rain from December to March. In inland areas of the city, temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F) are common during the summer, though rarely for long periods, while maximum temperatures above 27 °C (81 °F) can occur on a monthly basis. Nights are cool in Rio. Iguassu: Iguassu Falls experiences a subtropical climate with abundant precipitation and high temperatures year-round. Pantanal: Rainfall is common all year round. Temperatures average 25 °C (77 °F), with more or less consistent temperatures all year round.
Money guide
The unit of currency in Brazil is the Brazilian Real. Automatic cash points are available in Rio de Janeiro. Visa, MasterCard, Plus, and Cirrus are the most common usable types of cards. Traveler’s checks are difficult to cash (American Express is best, but you may be charged 5-8% to cash) or a Visa or MasterCard for cash advances are also options. Do not bring Money Grams or International Money Orders, as they are extremely difficult to exchange. Banks and exchange houses are available in Rio de Janeiro. For currency, U.S. dollars are recommended and most easily exchanged. Acceptable bills come out of the ATMs in country. Expect to spend about US$45 a day on food, US$3 on a beer, water or soft drink in Brazil. Currency Converter
Required documents Brazil
All travelers to Brazil are required to have a passport valid for at least six months from date of entry. Visas are not required for U.K., New Zealand and most E.U. passport holders (excluding Cypriots, Maltese, Estonians and Latvians). A visa is required for U.S., Canadian and Australian citizens. U.S. citizens, please visit the U.S. state department website Canadian citizens, please visit the Canadian State foreign affairs website and Australian citizens, please visit the Australian department of foreign affairs website. For other nationalities, please consult the nearest Brazilian embassy or consulate. An onward ticket and proof of funds may also be required at entry and should be available to show to immigration. Traveler’s checks, currency, or a bank statement, from the bank or printed off the internet, are sufficient for proof of funds.
Required immunizations Brazil
Brazil is listed by the World Health Organization(WHO) as endemic for yellow fever. Some airlines may require passengers to present a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate before being allowed to board flights out of the country. If in doubt, check with your airline. If you have travelled to a country that is considered to be in the yellow fever zone, you will need to show proof of vaccination at the border of Brazil, failure to produce a valid vaccination card may result in refusal of entry. Travelers may wish to receive hepatitis vaccinations and should be current on all other standard vaccinations. Please consult your physician or local health department for more information.
Required documents Argentina
All travelers to Argentina are required to have a passport valid for at least six months from date of entry. Visas are not required for E.U., U.S., Canadian, Australian or New Zealand passport holders. For United States citizens please see here for more detailed information: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/argentina.html. Traveler’s checks, currency, or a bank statement, from the bank or printed off the internet, are sufficient for proof of funds.
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