2024 Unique Brazil Tour

Arrival at the airport, reception and transfer to your hotel. Suite at the Unique Hotel.
In the afternoon, a half day museum tour including the Museu Afro Brasil, the largest museum of its kind in the world, covering over five centuries of cultural contact and mixing between and within Africa and the Americas. With over 6,000 artefacts and works of art squeezed into a Niemeyer-designed structure in Ibirapuera Park. The museum's collection traces the history of Brazil, with a particular focus on the African element to the country's much-touted cultural mix, showcasing paintings of Afro-Brazilian artisans, sculptures by the descendants of slaves in northeast region of the country, elaborate costumes from Carnival and other festivals, recordings of Afro-Brazilian samba musicians, and works by contemporary black Brazilian artists.

After breakfast, a half day city tour. We start our tour at the famous Bairro Orintal with its typical Japanese decoration. Then we proceed to the Cathedral ( Praca da Se) in the downtown area. From this point we walk towards the center of São Paulo (on the tropic of Capricorn) and visit the monument "The Immortal Glory of the founders of the city". From here we go to Higianopolis, the heart and soul of the modern Jewish community and where the wealthy families used to live during the Old Republic era. Next stop will be the most important financial center of South America the Paulista Avenue. From that point we go to the Governor's Palace and finish at the Ibirapuera Park and the Oscar Niemeyer buildings (1.6 million square meters) the largest of all the 32 public squares. Private transfer to Paraty. Accommodation at the Pousada Casa Turquesa in a deluxe suite.

Paraty is a lovely colonial town on Ilha Grande Bay, Brazil's southeastern coast.
In the 1700's when the mines of Minas Gerais were pouring out gold, the perfect bay of Paraty was a busy port, the second most important in Brazil during the Ciclo de Ouro, or Golden Century.
Private half day tour followed by a private schooner cruise around the bay with lunch. Overnight in Paraty.

After breakfast, free morning. Transfer to Rio de Janeiro. Arrival and transfer to your hotel. Copacabana Palace Hotel in a side, sea-view deluxe room.

After breakfast, a full day visit of the "marvelous city" including a sightseeing tour to Sugar Loaf Mountain. A two-stage cable car takes you to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain where you will enjoy a splendid view of Rio, Copacabana Beach, and Guanabara Bay. Afterwards, a visit to Corcovado, the mountain home to the world famous, Christo de Redentor statue for a magnificent 360° panoramic view of Rio. Return to your hotel.

After breakfast, a trip to the heart of Rio for a historical city tour including Santa Teresa, the Teatro Municipal and the Fine Arts Museum. The trip also includes a visit to the São Bento Monastery, the Candelaria (the candle-makers), Praça XV (where the royal family landed when they first arrived in Rio. Paço Imperial was their first residence), the "Travessa do Mercado", the Imperial Palace, the cultural centre located in the beautifully-restored Banco do Brasil and Casa Franca-Brazil (a masterpiece by the architect Grandjean de Montigny).

After breakfast, a half day visit to the hills behind Rio where the Brazilian Imperial Family once spent its summers. With its refreshing mountain climate and magnificent views, Petrópolis at an altitude of 809 meters above sea level, is just 53 kilometers from Rio along a modern highway. Its attractions include the Imperial Museum, once the Summer Palace of Brazil's Emperors, whose collections feature the Crown and Scepter of Brazil's last Emperor, Pedro II, as well as documents, jewels and works of art that once belonged to the Imperial family. Transfer onto Tiradentes with your guide. Accommodation at the Pousada Pequena Tiradentes.

After breakfast, full day tour of Tiradentes & São Joao del Rey. Tiradentes was the first settlement in the Rio das Mortes region when gold was found in 1702. Tiradentes, who was born here, became the national hero while participating in the Inconfidência Mineira (1789), a republican liberation movement in Minas Gerais that was repressed by the Portuguese.
A visit to the *Church of Santo Antonio (1710), the museum of Padre Toledo and the Fountain of São José das Botas (1749)
São João del Rei, was a settlement founded in 1703, when gold was discovered in the area. Being at the junction of the various roads that cut across the interior on the Capitania, São João always fulfilled important functions, such as the political centre and comercial axis. Significant urbane and religious architecture developed there. Highlights include the Churches of Pilar (1721), Carmo (1733) and São Francisco de Assis (1749). Transfer to Ouro Preto and transfer to your hotel, Pousada Solar do Rosario.

Founded in 1698, Ouro Preto is the masterpiece of colonial architecture in Brazil. Declared by UNESCO as a "Cultural Patrimony of Mankind". Due to its distance from the coast and the exhaustion of the mines after 1789,it is the one town in Brazil to remain as an outstanding artistic and architectural example of that era. Along the same period, there developed liberation movements inspired by the Iluminism ideas and the concreet example of the American Revolution. A visit to the Church of St. Francis of Assissi, an example of Brazilian religious architecture, designed by Aleijadinho, with wood and soapstone sculptures by the same artist; the Museum of the School of Mines: a complete mineralogical view of Brazil, in addition to displays of geological artifacts from the other countries; the Church of Our Lady of the Pilar: a church that marked the culmination of Golden Age architecture,with carved works painted entirely in gold and the *Oratorio Museum (www.oratorio.com.br). Taste the typical dishes of the region: Feijão Tropeiro and Tutu a Mineira. Lunch Restaurante Casa dos Contos (Regional buffet food).
A visit to the enchanting city of Mariana, founded in 1696, was, for a short time the capital of State of Minas Gerais. It was originally called Royal Village of Our Lady of Carmel. In 1745 it received its present name which was in honor of Queen Maria Ana. A walk down its picturesque streets allows you to see houses which date from the beginning of the XVIII century, with their balconies of wood, iron and even soapstone. Return to your hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to Diamantina with your guide. Accommodation at the Pousada do Garimpo Hotel. A 3 star hotel, but the best available.

After breakfast, private half day tour of the town before transfer to the airport at Belo Horizonte for the flight to Sao Luis. Arrival and private transfer to your hotel, the Luzeiros São Luis Hotel.

After breakfast, private half day tour of Alcantara, a quiet and charming town. In the past it was the main agricultural city of the state and still today keeps the old life style of the simple people. In Alcântara you will find the ruins of one of the most important cities of Maranhão (abandoned for most of the 20th century) sharing a great set of colonial restored houses and rich cultural African influence. After enjoy as half day city tour of São Luis, the capital of the state of Maranhão, located on an island off the Atlantic coast that bears the same name. It was founded in 1612 by Daniel de la Touche de la Ravardihre, a French naval officer, and named in honor of Louis XIII and was taken by the Dutch between 1641 and 1644. However, it is the Portuguese influence that is most visible in São Luis. The many huge mansions have the façade covered with tiles, as a recollection of the architecture of Century XVII and XIX.

After breakfast, private transfer to Barreirinhas. En route, visit the National Park Lencois Maranhenses, the largest in the Northeast and considered as the only "desert" in the country. In the rainy season (from Dec-July it rains 300 times more than in the Sahara desert) and the landscape undergoes a dramatic transformation, Lencois becomes a huge oasis with innumerable pools of crystaline waters that spread out over an area of 155000 hectares. Overnight accommodation at the Pousada Porto Preguicas.

After breakfast enjoy a full day tour of Cabure & Parnaiba by boat through the Delta, visiting the Canarias Island, the Dos Poldros island, igarape dos Periquitos and Morro Branco. Return to your hotel.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport in Sao Luis for your flight to Porto Seguro. Arrival, reception and transfer to your hotel in Trancoso, Pousada Estrela d´Agua. Solarium Suite.

Free day at leisure.

Free day at leisure.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport in time for your return flight to Sao Paulo and transfer to your hotel. Unique Hotel - Suite.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return flight home.