Rio de Janeiro Carnival

Airport pick up (time and flight number to be confirmed) and transfer to the hotel.

Night at the Royal Rio hotel (breakfast included). Standard room.
Included : english speaking guide, reception with english-speaking guide, room & breakfast

The morning will be dedicated to the discovery of the famous samba. This music, result of a fabulous mix of influences, takes its deepest roots from the African musical tradition, imported to Brazil by the millions of black slaves torn from their homeland to provide labor in the sugar cane, cafe or cacao plantations, which, for a long time, were the only resources of Brazil.

At 09:30am, transfer to the Centro Cultural Carioca with your English-speaking guide. An English-speaking samba instructor will welcome you and will progressively initiates you for 2 hours to the rapid moves of the different samba dances (samba no pé, samba de gafieira, jongo), and teache you how to recognize between cuica, agogo and pandeiro, the rhythm to be followed by the body in harmony with the music.

Note: 2 hours activity best recommended in the morning.

A samba class is ideally associated with a visit to the cidade do samba (preferably between November and carnival) and a show at the Plataforma or at the cidade do samba (shows only on Thursdays).


Around midday your English-speaking guide will meet you at the hotel for the discovery of a different aspect of Rio’s carnival: its street carnival. From Copacabana to Ipanema via Flamengo and Santa Teresa, you will explore town searching for spontaneous street parades, totally unbridled and 100 % popular. The itinerary will be defined in accordance with the guide, in function of the "official" program. It can be modified at any time depending on unexpected events, spontaneous inspiration, or invitations that you may receive during the day. An opportunity to let yourselves be carried by the sweet madness of the carnival…
Night at the Royal Rio hotel (breakfast included). Standard room.
Included : english speaking guide, private transport, room & breakfast

At 08:00-09:00am, your English-speaking guide will meet you at the hotel for the discovery of a different aspect of Rio’s carnival: the street carnival. From Copacabana to Ipanema via Flamengo and Santa Teresa, you will explore the town searching for spontaneous street parades, totally unbridled and 100 % popular. The itinerary will be defined in accordance with the guide, in function of the "official" program. It can be modified at any time depending on unexpected events, spontaneous inspiration, or invitations that you may receive during the day. An opportunity to let yourselves be carried by the sweet madness of the carnival…

At 09:00am start a city tour with your english speaking guide, firstly going up to the Corcovado (el. 700 m.a.s.l.), worldly known symbol of Rio. Once up there, take the time to appreciate the unique and amazing panoramic view of the "cidade maravilhosa" (wonderful city).

Then way back down via Santa Teresa, which used to be one of the wealthiest residential neighborhoods of Rio, when the town was the capital of Brazil and all the principal institutions were located there. Surrounded by the agglomeration, the neighborhood has lost its former character, and the wealth of the area has moved to the Southwest of Rio, to Barra da Tijuca. Santa Teresa now shelters a diverse population in the bohemian quarter of the modern Rio. Walk through this area to get a taste of its quaint and old atmosphere. During the trip to Lapa, visit the colored stairs or "Escadaria do Convento da Santa Teresa", decorated by Jorge Selarón.

Return to the hotel at 14:00pm.

Option: Helicopter flight of a few minutes from the mirador of Dona Marta (check with us)

Night at the Royal Rio hotel (breakfast included). Standard room.
Included : english speaking guide, private transport, entrance fees, room & breakfast

Departure from the hotel at 09:00am (sundays and banking holidays at 10:00) in a minibus (group service, 4 to 9 person max). A specialized guide will take you on an "off-the-beaten-track" visit: the favelas. This visit of a few hours in a different reality of Rio, will give you a more real and complete view of the life in Carioca than the images of violence poverty which usually shown by the medias lacking of originality.

At the heart of these popular and "lawless" suburbs (the favelas are originally illegal land occupations), Brazilians organize themselves and live in a dignified and solitary manner.

Note: an association founded by people originally from the favelas organizes the visits to the favelas. This association donates a significant part of their income to the inhabitants of the area by financing development or social projects.

Your English-speaking guide will meet you at the hotel at 14:00pm.
You will go to the cable car which will take you to the summit of the Sugarloaf (400 m.a.s.l.), for a view of the city marking entrance of Guanabara Bay.

Return to the hotel at 18:00pm.


A bus will pick you up at the hotel around 20:00 (time to be arranged) to drive you with other spectators to the sambodrome. The parade will start from the Sambodrome at 21:00pm, and will go on until 05:00am…

Return buses to the hotels between each school parade.
Night at the Royal Rio hotel (breakfast included). Standard room.
Included : excursion (shared), local english-speaking guide , shared transport, english speaking guide, private transport, entrance fees, room & breakfast

Day free.
Night at the Royal Rio hotel (breakfast included). Standard room.
Included : room & breakfast

Departure from the hotel for a journey to Paraty with your local driver in private car with air conditioning. 4 ½-hour drive on a sealed road along the Green Coast, a vegetation corridor between ocean and mountains.

Night at the pousada da Marquesa (breakfast included). Luxury room.
Included : private transport, room & breakfast

At 09:00am, the captain will drive you to the pier to board a private craft, a fishing boat adapted for the tour (benches and cushions, cooler…). Day in the Bay of Paraty, traveling from an island to another and a beach to another. Stops planned on different sites suitable for swimming or snorkeling among hundreds of fishes (mask and snorkel included): ilha Comprida, saco da Velha, praia Vermelha... Return to Paraty around 04:00pm / 05:00pm.

Option: English-speaking guide.

Night at the pousada da Marquesa (breakfast included). Luxury room.
Included : local guide, private transport, room & breakfast

Departure at 09:00am with your very knowledgeable local driver. The first stop will be at the charming fishing village of Picinguaba, hidden in a beautiful Bay. A few miles away, you can stroll along the immense beach of fazenda, many miles of white sand, often absolutely deserted which will seduce you for a swim. You can lunch at some local stalls.

The homemade cooking (specialty: shrimps and fish) is simple, but delicious. You can complete this tasteful meal with a coconut "gelada" (cool coconut juice). Depending on the weather and how you feel, you will continue to the remote village of Paraty-Mirim, its colonial church, its long beach and its blue and green waters… On the way back towards Paraty, you will stop in a distillery of cachaça, (or "pinga", the production of this area is famous in the whole country).

Return to Paraty at the end of the day.

Option: English-speaking guide, contact us.

Night at the pousada da Marquesa (breakfast included). Luxury room.
Included : local guide, private transport, room & breakfast

Departure from the pousada 7 hours before departure for your transfer to the airport. Flight from Rio (airport, flight time and number to be confirmed).
Included : private transport, transfer departure