Cultural Buzz Of Brazil

The Trip

Day 1: Rio de Janeiro – Evening show and dinner / Porto Bay Rio
Day 2: Rio de Janeiro – Sugarloaf and Christ Redeemer / Porto Bay Rio
Day 3: Rio de Janeiro – Historical city tour / Porto Bay Rio
Day 4: Paraty – Schooner trip and transfer to Paraty / Pousada do Sandi
Day 5: Paraty – Cultural tour of Paraty / Pousada do Sandi
Day 6: Ouro Preto – Fly to Belo Horzonte and arrive Ouro Preto / Solar do Rosario
Day 7: Ouro Preto – Full day Ouro Preto and Mariana tour / Solar do Rosario
Day 8: Tiradentes – Congonhas and Sao Joao del Rei / Pousada do Largo
Day 9: Olinda – Fly to Recife / Pousada do Amparo
Day 10: Olinda – Full day tour of Recife and Olinda / Pousada do Amparo
Day 11: Salvador – Fly to Salvador. Evening dinner show / Solar dos Deuses
Day 12: Salvador – City tour of Salvador / Solar dos Deuses
Day 13: Salvador – Afro-Brazilian heritage tour / Solar dos Deuses
Day 14: Salvador – Transfer to airport for return flight

Jump straight in

As soon as you arrive into Rio de Janeiro your cultural journey through this fascinating city begins. For the next few days you’ll be staying at the luxurious Porto Bay Rio, located right next to the beach. Once rested up you’ll be whisked away to a Rio by night show and dinner to fully immerse yourself in Brazil’s culture.

Over the next few days you’ll really get stuck into some of Rio’s best sights and sounds. Our guide will take you up Sugar Loaf Mountain on a cable car to stare up at the famous Christ Redeemer that towers over the city as well as taking you on a historical tour of the city including a visit to Mosteiro de Sao Bento and the colonial church Nossa Senhora da Candelaria.

On the last day you’ll board a schooner yacht to explore Guanabara Bay sailing along the coast past some of Rio’s historical and modern architecture including the Contemporary Art Museum designed by Oscar Niemeyer.

The costa verde

Our guide will transfer you on the green coast to the blissful colonial town of Paraty. Here you’ll be staying at the Pousada do Sandi. This is a wonderful place to spend a few days. It’s not just the beaches, but the cobbled streets of its colonial centre that charms visitors.

Whilst you are here our local guide will take you on a tour focusing on both the history and legend of Paraty. Highlights include the Cultural centre and the Santa Rita Church, built in 1722 and now a Religious Art Museum.

There will be time, should you wish, to swim or snorkel in the emerald green waters just a short distance away from the town. We suggest you head to the port in the late afternoon to watch the sunset melt on the horizon.

Gold rush

Return to Rio’s airport for your flight to Belo Horizonte and onwards to the colonial town of Ouro Preto in the hilly green state of Minas Gerais. It’s this city that became the centre of the country’s great gold rush, and where you find churches and mansions adorned with the stuff.

Here you will stay at the Solar do Rosario. The following day you will explore the city which now constitutes the largest homogeneous collection of Baroque art in the world. Visit it’s masterpieces including the churches of São Francisco de Assis and Nossa Senhora do Pilar. You will also visit the pleasant little mining town Mariana, once the administrative centre of the regional gold mines.

Continue on your adventure through Minas Gerais through the towns of Congonhas, São João del Rei ending in Tiradentes where you will spend the night at the Pousada do Largo. This towns also have significant collections of Baroque art. Few visitors see these towns that remain locked in a time-warp – the place to see Brazil as it once was.

Recife and Salvador

Return to Belo Horizonte and fly to Recife in the north of the country. Here you will be taken to the pretty colonial town of Olinda where you will stay at the Pousada do Amparo.

With our local guide you will explore the two cities, meandering through narrow streets, discovering peaceful enclaves and marvelling at the old Mosteiro de Sao Bento and the church Igreja da Sé, that echoes with the sounds of choirs and chants of the old world.

Take a flight to the Afro-Brazilian capital Salvador, a nice with distinctly different ambiance and culture to anywhere previously visited. For your last few nights you will stay at the Solar dos Deuses.  On the first evening visit a dinner and night show which features some of the major Afro-Bahian cultural traditions such as samba de roda, maculele, hauling of the fishnets and candomble and capoeira.

The next two days will be spend exploring the city both historical through its architecture and culturally through its people. A visit the Oriza community at Tororo Dam, a stop at the Terreiro Ile Apo Ofonja where candomble celebrations are held are both included.

You’ll also have the opportunity to visit the vast stretches of beach for a relaxing end to your holiday of Brazil.