Day 1 - Friday
Today our guests will start arriving for the tour. Our hotel is in Lapa, right in the heart of Rio's magnificent bohemian section, where all the action takes place, where every major Carnival event and party is held. Hotel check-in starts at 2:00 p.m., but you are welcome to arrive at any time. Upon arrival our team will be there to greet you and show you to your room. At that time we will answer any questions you have and make sure you are fully informed on everything, take you on a personal tour of the hotel, and provide you with maps of the area.
Our hotel is just a 10-minute stroll from Rio's vibrant cultural scene and nightlife filled with theatres, Samba clubs, capoeira halls and a bevy of old historical structures that have been turned into restaurants, bustling bars and cafes, and antique stores filled with treasures. This is also where the legendary Lapa Arches are located. As you explore the area you will enjoy shopping in the outdoor markets, sip coffee at a sidewalk café while people watching, or indulge in a fabulous Brazilian manicure.
Our group will meet in the hotel lobby at 5:30 p.m. where you will be handed a pocket schedule of all the events and times. Then the festivities begin . . . starting with Caipirinha cocktails for everyone as we host a Cocktail Welcome Party.
After a few cocktails to loosen up, we'll take a group Samba class to get in the swing of things and have our faces painted before joining the crowds in the street to celebrate the first night of Carnival. Our team will be on hand escorting us to all the best parties. Since this is the first night of celebrations -
the town will be electric with excitement!
INCLUDED DAY 1: Orientation walk, Group Samba Class, Caipirinha welcome cocktail, Partying with the samba schools on Av. Presidente Vargas escorted by guide, Night out in Rio escorted by guide.
Day 2 -
Saturday
This morning at breakfast, as on every other morning of the tour, our guides will be there to remind you of the day's activities, answer your questions and make sure you have all the information you need.
'Céu na Terra' performs every Saturday morning in Santa Teresa during Carnival. They are among the very best and largest blocos in Rio and put on an amazing show. Our guides will gladly accompany those of you who want to see this performance!
In the afternoon, after an included lunch, we will be taken to Gloria Marina where we will all board an incredible private yacht for a leisurely 3 to 4 hour cruise enjoying the gorgeous sights around Rio's Guanabara Bay!
Being onboard gives us an opportunity to see the city from the water, which is an entirely different vantage point. We'll see Sugar Loaf and Christ at twilight, an amazing sight to behold. The schooner is equipped with bathrooms, dance floor, music, an area just to chill, and plenty of nibbles to munch on while enjoying an OPEN BAR for the first hour to get the party started!
Once we disembark from the boat, we can either party at Flamengo Beach, which is just a short stroll from the marina, or go back to the hotel to relax and get ready for another exciting night out on the town in Rio! We will have our guides on hand to explain all your options for enjoying the night before you.
INCLUDED DAY 2: Breakfast, Bloco street party escorted by guide, included Lunch & Boat Party Cruise around Bay (Open bar for 1 hour). Night out in Rio escorted by guide.
Day 3 - Sunday
This morning after breakfast, if you wish to enjoy the sun and scenery at the beach, you may convene at the lobby by 10am and a guide will lead you to the best areas of the Leblon & Ipanema beach.
If you are down for some more partying, our guides will escort you to the most electrifying bloco parties on offer today.
The main event of the entire week is tonight! Our guides will escort everyone to the Sunday Night Parade happening at the Sambadrome!! This is when all the top samba schools have these incredibly outrageous floats in the parade, with everyone wearing the most amazing costumes.
Before the Sambadrome Parade, we will all get together in the hotel lobby for our usual daily drinks, which are included, and to have your face painted by our amazing artist. We will have a professional photographer on hand to capture all the fun, so Sunday night would be the perfect night to get all dressed up in something fitting for celebrating Carnival! Just before we head to the Sambadrome, we will first make a meal stop at Rio?s famous Churrasco BBQ restaurants to line your stomach before the big night. This dinner should keep us going the whole night and into the very early hours of the morning.
Once at the Sambadrome, you?ll notice a ton of singing and dancing with the local Cariocas all coming out to support their own samba schools, just like we support our own football team! The Cariocas have the words to the "anthems" all memorized and will be singing their hearts out. This is a local tradition, a wonderful experience for all that continues on until the early the next morning!
Our tickets are in Section 12-13, which is known for being the liveliest and most fun because of all the locals. The seats are not assigned, as these are simply concrete bleachers. Everyone watching stands up and cheers while the samba schools cross the finish line! This is what Carnival is all about!! This section is located at the extreme end of the runway and it is also one of the most amazing locations to watch the event from. Everybody stands and cheers the samba dance schools as they parade the runway to the finish line! In this sector, the chances are high that you can salvage an abandoned costume to rock out in, or take home with you. This is because many of the dancers take off their costumes and leave them behind near our section.
INCLUDED DAY 3: breakfast, Group Trip to Ipanema Beach, Bloco street party with guide escort, Sambadrome Parade Ticket Sectors 12-13 with an escort to and from the hotel, pre-event drinks, face-painting and an All-you-can-eat Brazilian BBQ from Churrasco dinner.
Day 4 -
Monday
Some of you will certainly want to take some time to recover from the madness of last night's parade, so feel free to take the day off. BUT, for those who want to continue partying, you have the option of going with our guides this morning to one of the very BEST blocos ever. Sgt Pepper?s Bloco ( a tribute to the Beatles featuring over 100 Samba Percussionists). Come along with drinks, hats and water pistol. Also, wear swimwear under your clothes, it can get a little wet from all the water pistols.
For those of you who want to go as a group to the beach, our guides are happy to take you over to Copacabana for the afternoon. Our trip to the beach will end with us seeing the famous sunset over Dois Irmãos Mountains from Arpoador Rock. We will join the locals in clapping as the sun goes down on the horizon. Guests who want to remain and linger in Rio's South Zone, our guides will gladly help you find parties, restaurants or nighttime markets where you can shop in Copacabana.
INCLUDED DAY 4: Breakfast, Bloco street party escorted by guide ? hats & water-pistols, drinks, a tour to the Copacabana beach & Arpoador Sunset, Night out in Rio accompanied by guides.
Day 5 - Tuesday
This morning after breakfast we will drive through the Tijuca National Park to Corcovado for our half-day guided tour of Rio. The statue of Christ the Redeemer is one of the most iconic sights of Rio and we should get a fantastic view over the rest of the city as well - 710 metres up! After Corcovado we'll head to Santa Teresa, where our guide will point out the most impressive old mansions (most dating from the late 1800's when the rich moved up here to escape mosquito-ridden areas below), the most colourful of art galleries and the rickety old trams. Our final stop will be the tiled Steps of Selaron in Lapa, one of the most impressive homages to Brazil that you can imagine. Words do not do justice to this incredibly beautiful work of street-art.
Finally, we will head to the Sugarloaf Mountain! We board a cable car which will take us to the top of the Urca Hill (215 metres) which presents a great view of Guanabara Bay and its islands, the Rio-Niteroi Bridge and the Christ above the city. Just the perfect way to close a perfect day.
Tonight our guides will again seek out and escort us to the best parties in town.
INCLUDED DAY 5: Breakfast, Full Day Guided Tour of the City of Rio ? Christ the Redeemer statue and the Sugarloaf included, Night out in Rio accompanied by guides.
Day 6 -
Tuesday
Our amazing Carnival Package officially ends after breakfast today. Today is yours to do as you please. Hotel checkout is at midday.
INCLUDED DAY 6: Breakfast, Guide will be available to offer any advise and answer questions if you would be spending more time in Brazil.
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