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WORLD CLASS BRAZIL ITINERARY

For more information and to secure your spot, contact Randall Quirk by phone at (407) 913-6590

Tuesday, August 1

Flight from Miami                     Sao Paulo                  Iguaçu

Wednesday, August 2

We arrive on the second at Iguaçu Falls and check into the iconic pink Hotel Das Cataratas, a Belmond Luxury hotel with an unparalleled view of the falls.

Macuoco Safari

A 3km ride in the jungle, a hike to Salto de Macuco waterfall, then a 4km Zodiac Boat Ride to get soaked under the "Three Musketeers" waterfall.

Parque Das Aves

A world-class aviary, full of macaws, toucans, guans & currassows. (*After 5:00 pm, the park is only for hotel guests!)

Sunset walk to photograph "Garganta del Diablo"

Dinner at Itaipu for grilled Pirarucu, a famous Amazonian fish.

Thursday, August 3

  • Cafe De Manha (Gourmet Buffet Breakfast)

  • 1-Hour van ride to the Argentine side of Iguaçu 

5km of hiking the trails built over the falls

Boat ride to Isla San Martin for the postcard shot of Garganta del Diablo

Lunch at the falls

Thankfully all hotels and pousadas in Brazil come with a wonderful Café da Manha, a buffet breakfast of tropical fruits, cheeses, home baked breads, and cafe con leche. 

Friday, August 4

  • Cafe de Manha (Gourmet Buffet Breakfast)

  • Last chance to photograph the hummingbird garden & yellow-bellied Caciques, frequently under siege from attacking Toco toucans

  • We leave Iguaçu Falls for two flights ending in Cuiabá.

  • An hour and a half drive up to 800  metres to Brasil's "Wild Wild West," the Chapada dos Guimarães

  • Check into Pousada do Parque Eco Lodge, close to teh National Parks Entrance

  • Dinner at the Hotel

Saturday, August 5

  • Cafe de Manha (Gourmet Buffet Breakfast)

  • After breakfast, we visit the 86-metre waterfall Véu de Noiva, one of Chapadás' most incredible views.

  • Then Circuito das Cachoiras, the waterfall trek to visit six separate waterfalls over 6km, requiring 5 or 6 hours of hiking.

  • Late lunch at Bistro da Mata with extraordinary views of the canyon below and the best grilled Pintado I have ever had.

  • Return to the Pousada bordering 150 hectares of preserved parkland

  • Home-cooked dinner at the Pousada

Sunday, August 6

  • Cafe de Manha (Gourmet Buffet Breakfast)

  • We leave the mountainous Chapada for a journey along the Transpantaneira Highway. This is actually 45 wooden bridges along a river bank, lined with the largest caiman population on the planet. The animals & birds here are so numerous, they look like they've been let out of the zoo!

  • Arrive at Pousada Araras Eco Lodge

  • This lodge is a mecca for the largest & rarest macaw in the world, found only here: The Hyacinth Macaw. It can be photographed from the tree-top birdwatching tower.

Monday & Tuesday, August 7 & 8

  • This part of the Pantanal offers extraordinary opportunities to view over 250 species of birds! Giant Jabiru storks spearing pirañha, toucans, herons & macaws gliding overhead, giant flowering Tababuia trees along the Rio Clarinho make this one of nature's marvels. Special visits to the Niñal, Rookeries with thousands of nesting woodstorks & scarlet ibis rearing their screaming chicks will be arranged.

  • Later, a nighttime safari for nocturnal animals and burrowing owls

  • Sunset boat rides

Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, August 9, 10 & 11

  • Cafe da Manha

  • Early morning photo session

  • We leave Pousada Araras Eco Lodge for a 2.5 hour return to Cuiabá

  • We then fly to Alta Floresta for a boat transfer to Cristalino Private Natural Heritage Preserve, where Mato Grosso ends & the Amazon begins

  • This is one of the top 15 places in the world for birdwatching! Cristalino has two 5-metre high observation towers and 20km of established trails to view birds and rare mammals, such as the bearded Saki Monkey, Tapirs, otters, & many species of macaws. It is untouched primary rainforest.

Saturday, August 12

  • We leave Cristalino Lodge after breakfast to Alta Floresta

  • Flights from Cuiabá to Belo Horizonte, to our destination: Rio de Janeiro, arriving late (10:10pm)

  • Check into Hotel Ipanema Plaza / Late Dinner

Sunday, August 13

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  • Pâo de Açucar - breathtaking cable car ride to a marvelous scenic view overlooking Rio

  • Tijuca National Park & Christ the Redeemer - The drive up to Corcovado is full of jackfruit trees and pygmy marmosets and culminate with astounding views of all of Rio, from the largest art-deco sculpture in the world.

  • Lunch at one of the famous Churrascarias, famous for the relentless visits of waiters bringing shiskebobs of meat, chicken, lamb, and fried cheese. We'll start with the famous Caipiriña, a famous Brazilian cocktail made from Cachaça mixed with limes, passionfruit, or pineapple

  • Late afternoon stroll around Ipanema & Copacabana beaches to sample local culture and fresh coconut water

  • Also, the shifting Feiras *produce markets) are a great place to sample Brazilian fruits like Jabuticaba, Acerola, Mamey & passion fruit

  • Dinner at Aprazível

  • This unique restaurant offers stunning views from the mountaintop of Santa Theresa overlooking the Sambadrome, where the famous Carnival is held in February. The gruilled hearts of palm salad and grilled seafood here are excellent.

  • A quick trip to the rooftop pool at the Ipanema Plaza will wrap up this day of Rio's classic panoramas

Three full days in Rio de Janeiro with

mini van and private driver start here! 

Monday, August 14

Today is Nature Day!

  • Morning will be a stop at Jardim Botanico, a botanical garden in the heart of Rio. They have a row of ancient royal palms at the entrance with the statue of Christ the Redeemer visible at the end, perched on top of the mountain. Brasil nut trees, huge Amazonian Victoria Regia lilies, Talipot and Açaí palms and huge Parkea trees make this memorable.

  • Afternoon - a visit to Sitio Burle-Marx - This garden was made famous by Roberto Burle-Marx, a world-famous landscape designer. It includes rare orchids & flowering trees from numerous tropical countries. Lunch at Boutique Hotel Santa Teresa, rio's finest with wonderful city views

  • I will arrange a private visit to the estate of Victor Fasano, a famous Brasilian actor and environmentalist. He breeds the endangered Harpy Eagle, as well as numerous rare cranes, currasows and macaws. The home is a balinese pavilion & the lanscaping is magnificent

  • Dinner at Oui-Oui for their famous tapas in Humaita

  • The evening's entertainment will be at the Vinicius Sholo Bar, the "Temple of Bossa Nova"

Tuesday, August 15

After breakfast we will visit Aqua Rio, Rio's new aquarium jsut completed for the Olympics. It ahs an amazing collection of Amazonian fish and animals. here we will see the giant Pirarucu fish. 

A few hours for last-minute shopping, then off to the airport for our international departuire at 8:40pm.

The price for this adventure is $8750 per person, and includes international and domestic airfare, all hotels, transfers, meals and park admission fees. Americans wishing to travel to Brazil must have a visa. For more information and to secure your spot, contact Randall Quirk by phone at (407) 913-6590

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