MARCH 1-6, 2019 ITINERARY
SIX DAYS From $6999
Day One ~ Rio de Janeiro
Late Evening: Welcome Dinner, Cocktails. Enjoy a sumptuous dinner as well as an open bar of caipirinhas, wine, Brazilian beer, water, soft drinks, and juices throughout the entire evening! Mix and mingle with fellow Zoom travelers in a beautiful setting.
Accommodations: The Copacabana Palace Hotel
Meals Included: Welcome dinner and open bar
Day Two ~ Rio de Janeiro
Included CORCOVADO EXPERIENCE: Experience one of the most unique things to do in Rio de Janeiro with our spiritual excursion to Corcovado Mountain. Savor a breakfast picnic at the feet of the Christ the Redeemer statue and watch as the sun rises over the vibrant city.
Afternoon at leisure to enjoy the beach or take in a little shopping.
Optional Copacabana Palace Magic Ball,Rio Carnaval’s most luxurious and exclusive ball attended by Rio’s local “who’s who” and international guests. It is a themed extravaganza of decorated sets, Carnaval entertainment, samba dancing, champagne, and food galore at the iconic and elegant Copacabana Palace Hotel. Black tie is required for men (we can arrange a tux rental). Luxurious costumes can be worn in place of a black tie (we can arrange a luxurious costume for you to wear as well).
Accommodations: The Copacabana Palace Hotel
Meals Included: Buffet breakfast
Day Three ~ Rio de Janeiro
Included Buffet Breakfast is served, poolside at the hotel.
Handcrafts & Art Fair of Ipanema
The official name is Feira de Artezanato de Ipanema (Handcrafts & Art Fair of Ipanema), but everybody still uses the original name, Hippy Market, reminiscent of the 70´s. Typical foods, handmade art, Brazilian leather goods, paintings, jewelry, and many more attractions are found at this weekly event. It is the perfect place to find a souvenir with local colors. Or just walk around leisurely, and enjoy the moment. This is a short walk from the hotel, and once there, you may choose to wander on your own within the market plaza and return to the hotel (or beach) whenever you choose. This market only takes place on Sundays.
Afternoon: Sugarloaf, helicopter tour, and lunch.
We will begin with a delicious Brazilian buffet lunch at a restaurant with a breathtaking view of Sugar Loaf Mountain. This afternoon we will see Rio from above while on a helicopter tour with breathtaking views of Rio’s best sites.
Today's optional excursions include a favella tour and tickets to Rio's Sambadromo parade.
Accommodations: The Copacabana Palace Hotel
Meals Included: Buffet breakfast and lunch
Day Four ~ Rio de Janeiro
Included Buffet Breakfast is served, poolside at the hotel.
Morning at leisure.
Late Morning/Early Afternoon: Carnaval Brunch, poolside
The buffet is situated in a long air-conditioned conservatory, set against the perfect blue swimming pool on one side and the sparkling green of the Atlantic Ocean on the other. Limitless champagne is served by creaseless waiters who pour with a smile. The ten meter-long buffet awaiting the mixture of Palace guests, well-to-do Cariocas, and intrigued others is straight out of a medieval costume drama, piled high with oysters, caviar, slow-cooked lamb, salmon, hams, and cheeses. A chef dressed in pressed whites cooks pasta on demand. The desert counter is divine, boasting five types of cheesecake. It really is all about the details. Suggested attire: country club casual, no jackets.
Tonight, enjoy what is widely considered to be the greatest show on Earth: Rio's Carnaval parade and celebration at the Sambadromo.
Accommodations: The Copacabana Palace Hotel
Meals Included: Buffet breakfast and lavish champagne brunch
Day Five ~ Rio de Janeiro
Included Buffet Breakfast is served, poolside at the hotel.
4P (approximately): Enjoy Canrival like a local and check out the Banda de Ipanema. There's much more to Carnaval than the Samba Parade. Street Carnivals are loads of fun, free, and happen all over the city. You are more than welcome to watch and participate. Today the Banda de Ipanema takes Ipanema by storm, starting at around 4 PM at the Hippy Market (Praça General Osório). The Banda of Ipanema is Rio’s most popular “neighborhood” parade, and the paraders are mostly drag-queens and others in flamboyant costumes. They come from all parts of the country and from abroad, to make it big in Ipanema. It was founded in 1964, and today it is listed as part of the city cultural heritage, attracting as many as fifteen thousand people! The end result is a whacky, wild, moving street celebration. There are many police too, ensuring that the chaos is safe and well, orderly. The easiest thing to do is to walk to the corner of Rua Farme Amoedo and Avenida Vieira Souto (the street in front of the beach). You can’t miss it.
Today's optional excursions include tickets to our favorite dance party of the week.
Accommodations: The Copacabana Palace Hotel
Meals Included: Buffet breakfast
Day Six ~ Rio de Janeiro
Included Buffet Breakfast is served, poolside at the hotel.
Departure for Paraty or for flights home.
Meals Included: Buffet breakfast
Carnaval is Rio's main event. It happens at the peak of summer, when Cariocas are at their best. Festivities attract thousands of people from all corners of the world. Carnaval, as spelled in Portuguese, is a 4-day celebration. It starts on Saturday, and ends on FatTuesday, or Mardi-Gras. Dates change every year, and Carnaval Sunday is seven weeks before Easter Sunday. The origins of Carnaval are unclear, but most agree that it started as a pagan celebration in ancient Rome, or Greece. Carnaval balls were imported from Italy in the late nineteenth century, and had their golden era in the thirties, with legendary balls at the Copacabana Palace, and the Municipal Theater. The Samba Parade began in the 30's - first timidly at Praça XI, and later on Av. Presidente Vargas. It found a permanent home in 1984 at the Sambodrome, in the downtown area. Today the event is broadcast to dozens of countries, and all Brazilian states. Many people think of it as the greatest show on earth.
Air: Airfare not included.
Passports: Your valid passport should have at least two blank visa pages and should be valid for at least six months after your planned departure from the country you are visiting.
Note: Passport pages titled "Endorsement Pages" are not visa pages.
Visas: Please note that currently US citizens must have a Brazilian Visa to enter Brazil. If you are not a US citizen, please contact your nearest Brazilian Consulate to determine your visa requirements.
While Zoom Vacations will assist when possible, please note that passport, visa, and vaccination requirements vary from country to country and are the sole responsibility of the traveler. If you are a US resident, you may click here for more information on passport, visa, and vaccination requirements for various countries.
*Land only Introductory rate, based on double occupancy. Prices are subject to change. Need a roommate? Zoom Vacations® is happy to match you with someone, at no additional charge. Or, you may pay a single supplement and go as a single.
Please read Terms and Conditions prior to booking.
For more information on entry and exit requirements, see here.
