Discover Brazil

Name: Discover Brazil
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 5 (2 reviews)

2 reviews

Activity

Culture

Overview

From Rio to the Amazon, get to know the soul of the country on this highlights-packed adventure

Fall in love with Brazil on this culture-packed adventure, which takes us from the rhythms of Rio to the atmospheric Amazon. Guided by our expert tour leader, we get to the soul of the country, climbing to the Christ the Redeemer statue, marvelling at the majestic Iguaçu Falls (from both Brazil and Argentina), and exploring the jungle-backed colonial town of Paraty. It ends in the Amazon with an immersive stay in a local community – a special opportunity to experience authentic indigenous culture and learn from the people about their lives in the rainforest.

Key Information

Trip Code: ABR
Ways to Travel: Guided Group
Countries: Brazil
Carbon Footprint: 129.6kg CO2e per person per day

What's Included

All accommodation: 10 Classic nights (7 hotel, 3 guesthouse)
All breakfasts, four lunches, four dinners
Immersive itinerary with all transport (minibus, internal flight, train, boat) and listed activities
Expert tour leader to enhance your adventure
Group arrival and departure transfers available

Don't Forget To

Request a single room if required, purchase travel insurance and arrange any visas and vaccinations.

Highlights

Discover the highlights of Brazil with the expertise of our local tour leader

Gaze over Rio from Christ the Redeemer, one of the Seven New Wonders of the World

Take the cable car up Sugarloaf Mountain for far-reaching views

See a different side to Brazil in the coastal colonial town of Paraty

Admire the majestic Iguaçu Falls from both Brazil and Argentina

Immerse yourself in indigenous culture with an Amazon community stay

Itinerary

First Destination: Rio de Janeiro
Next Destination: Manaus

Accommodation:Hotel Windsor Palace (or similar)
Meals included:Dinner

Accommodation:Hotel Windsor Palace (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

Accommodation:Pousada da Marquesa (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

Accommodation:Pousada da Marquesa (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation:eSuites Transamerica (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

Accommodation:JL Hotel by Bourbon (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

Accommodation:JL Hotel by Bourbon (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

Accommodation:Casa Perpétua (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Accommodation:Poranduba Lodge (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:Poranduba Lodge (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Rio de Janeiro
Next Destination: Manaus

Begin your adventure in Rio, an electric city of gold-sand beaches, samba music and lush mountains, all watched over by the iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer.

Around 6pm, say oi to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.

Your tour leader ensures a big welcome over a group dinner tonight.

Want more time in Rio? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Accommodation:Hotel Windsor Palace (or similar)
Meals included:Dinner

Our day begins with a scenic ride to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. We take two cable cars – one up to the first viewpoint, then the second to the top of Sugarloaf – though each ride doesn’t take more than a few minutes. Along the way, we enjoy panoramic views of Copacabana beach, the Tijuca and Corcovado mountains, downtown Rio, and more. At the top, we take time to admire the incredible views with time to visit the shops and cafes.

After lunch back in Rio, take the historic electric tram through Atlantic forest to an icon of Rio: the Christ the Redeemer statue. Standing at the feet of this New World Wonder, you can enjoy glorious views over the city, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Copacabana beach. A truly unforgettable experience.

Accommodation:Hotel Windsor Palace (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

Begin our morning in Tijuca National Park on the outskirts of the city – bring snacks, water, sunscreen, and insect repellent in a small backpack.

We embark on a 2hr 30min hike through the forest to discover key sites, including the Taunay Waterfall, Job de Alcântara Bridge and Mayrink Chapel.

We take trails once used by coffee farmers, walk alongside rivers, and reach the Cascatinha summit (1,720ft/525m) for views of the valley, mountain range and Pico da Tijuca. Along the way, learn about Rio’s history, rainforest and wildlife; after, cool down with a splash in the downstream of the waterfall.

From here, we bid farewell to Rio and take a private transfer (4hr 30min-5hr 30min) to the colonial town of Paraty. The setting is magnificent with jungle-cloaked mountains behind and a beautiful bay in front.

Accommodation:Pousada da Marquesa (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

Starting at Paraty Pier, we hop on a boat to cruise the turquoise coast. Not only is it a scenic way to see this UNESCO-listed town, it also uncovers its fascinating history as a one-time gold port and reveals its well-preserved colonial architecture.

We stop for a swim in the warm waters before heading to our lunch spot, a waterfront restaurant owned by local fishermen.

After, we explore the 18th-century architecture and history of Paraty on a guided walk through the historic centre. If we’re lucky, we may see the intentional flooding of the cobbled streets, when sea water is allowed to enter and naturally wash the roads.

Additionally, if you wish, your tour leader can take you to a cachaça merchant to try Brazil’s national spirit, which is made from sugarcane – seek out the Gabriela brand, which is made with an infusion of cloves and cinnamon.

Accommodation:Pousada da Marquesa (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch

Enjoy a free morning to explore. Take time to walk the streets, admire the colonial architecture, and try treats sold by local people. Paraty is also one of the most relaxing opportunities for shopping on the trip.

In the early afternoon, we transfer (four to five hours) to São Paulo to prepare for our morning flight tomorrow.

Accommodation:eSuites Transamerica (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

This morning, we head to São Paulo Airport for our 1hr 45min flight to the city of Foz do Iguaçu.

Upon arrival, we head directly to one of the world’s great natural wonders, the Iguaçu Falls, where we have three hours to explore.

Dividing Brazil and Argentina, it is twice as wide as Niagara Falls and comprises between 150 and 300 different cascades, depending on the season. Whenever you go, however, it’s spectacular.

Guided by our tour leader, we pass through the largest remaining stretch of Atlantic forest in southern Brazil to visit some of the most beautiful viewpoints in the park, including a dramatic panorama at the base of the Devil’s Throat, the most powerful waterfall within the falls system. Marvel at the waterfalls and expect to get sprayed!

Accommodation:JL Hotel by Bourbon (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

We hop over to Argentina today (remember your passports!) to see Iguaçu Falls from a completely different angle. Upon arrival, we ride the scenic Rainforest Ecological Train through Iguazú National Park up to the top of the falls.

After viewing the Devil’s Throat from the top of the falls, we walk the upper circuit (11,155ft/3,400m), which offers panoramic views of the water system. We may see various wildlife, including the South American coati, which populate the park.

If you’re craving a more adrenaline-fuelled viewing of the falls, you can opt to join La Gran Aventura: a two-hour exploration of the wild, taking adapted trucks and a powerboat to explore jungle trails and going directly into the waterfalls. Prepare to get wet!

Accommodation:JL Hotel by Bourbon (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast

Early this morning, transfer to Foz do Iguaçu Airport for our flight to Manaus, where our Amazon adventure begins. The journey usually involves a change of plane en route, typically in Sao Paulo. We take a very early morning flight, and the journey should take around eight hours, including the change in plane, though this can vary depending on flight schedules.

We enjoy a late lunch in Manaus, the capital of the Amazonas state, before settling into our accommodation. Tonight, the group is taken to one of our guide’s favourite local restaurants.

Accommodation:Casa Perpétua (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner

Today we embark along the Rio Negro to our Amazonian village stay. First, we travel by boat for around one hour to see where the Rio Negro meets the Amazon River. Then, we visit the Indigenous village of Tatuyo, where we learn about their history and traditions on a 45 to 60-minute cultural experience of music and discussion.

Then, we continue our journey along the Rio Negro for one hour, arriving at our community stay for our welcome lunch.

Once settled into our lodgings, we take an introductory walk around the village, getting to see the local way of living.

After dinner, we have the opportunity to join a night boat tour, which takes around one hour. We sail along the dark waters of the Rio Negro listening to nature and trying to spot nocturnal creatures.

Accommodation:Poranduba Lodge (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Wake before light for a short boat ride to watch the sunrise over the Rio Negro. Back at the lodge we enjoy breakfast.

Later this morning, we take a short boat ride to join our community-led tractor ride, travelling in comfortable sofa-style seating along a scenic trail for around 20 minutes each way, learning about the nature that lives here, stopping whenever our guides notice any animals, insects, or birds of interest.

Once further into the jungle, we take a walk (around 0.6mi/1km) through the vegetation to a small spring where, if you wish, you can cool off. After, we return to our tractor to head back to our boat for further river exploration.

Lunch is held at one of the river-community restaurants, where you can try local fish and fruits.

We spend the afternoon exploring the Anavilhanas National Park by speedboat, with the chance to spot various wildlife, including river dolphins, toucans, herons, and caimans. Enjoy the sunset over the river before heading back for dinner.

After dinner, we can join a night trail taking around one-hour. With our expert local guides, we listen as the forest comes to light after dark.

Accommodation:Poranduba Lodge (or similar)
Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Bid farewell to the Amazon after breakfast. Leaving at 9am, we have a 1hr 40min speedboat ride to Mirante Lucia Almeida in Manaus before transferring (25 minutes) to Manaus Airport.

If you’d like more time to explore Brazil, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay in Manaus.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

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Call us: 020 3733 5948

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View Details

Accommodation

Hotels

We aim to secure locally owned accommodation that is well located, offers good value for money, and plenty of comfort. To help you find your ideal adventure, each trip is given a Comfort Level rating, which indicates the overall standard of accommodation. For more on our ratings, see our Comfort Level guidelines.

Named accommodation: The itinerary indicates the typical accommodation used on each day; however, these may need to be changed for alternative accommodation of a similar standard.

Tailor your trip: Extend your adventure by securing extra hotel nights before or after the main itinerary. Speak to your sales representative to book.

Private rooms: Like most tour operators, we room solo passengers together. If you’d prefer to have a private room, it’s normally possible to do this for a supplement. Speak to your sales representative to book.

Essential Information

This trip is rated Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

Suitability: This trip is ideal for anyone with reasonable fitness levels. The hikes in Tijuca National Park and Iguaçu Falls involve a fair amount of walking in the heat. Please come prepared.

Journeys: There are some long days of travelling, particularly on the two days with internal flights.

Deposit: Upon booking, we will ask you for our standard deposit of 25% plus an extra 15% of the trip cost to secure your domestic flights. Please note, £475 (or the equivalent in your local currency) of the deposit is non-refundable/non-transferable; however, if for any reason we have to cancel the trip, you will receive a full refund. Depending on flight availability when you book your trip, an additional deposit supplement may also apply. If applicable, this will be communicated to you at the time of booking.

Visiting Argentina: We cross into Argentina on Day 7 of this adventure. While many travellers can enter Argentina visa-free, requirements can change, so it is essential you check before you travel.

Key information

Start hotel: Hotel Windsor Palace, R. Domingos Ferreira, 6 – Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22050-010
Phone: +55 21 2195-6600
Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today. There will be a welcome briefing around 6pm in the evening.
Airport: Rio de Janeiro Airport (GIG)

Getting to the start hotel

The start hotel is approximately a one-hour drive from the airport. We provide one group arrival transfer from the airport, which is timed to coincide with the arrival of a chosen flight. You may join this transfer at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the group arrival transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.

If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.

Catching your return flight

The final day includes the departure transfer to the airport for the group. If you are planning a post-stay in Manaus, please inform your sales representative and the local team can help organise a drop off to your hotel.

A yellow fever vaccination and anti-malaria medication are generally recommended for the Amazon, but this may not be required, always check with a doctor. You may also want to consider vaccinations for hepatitis A, tetanus, typhoid, rabies and tuberculosis. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Additionally, zika and dengue fevers, which are both spread by mosquitoes, are known risks in places visited. There are currently no vaccines or prophylaxes available; therefore, we strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Brazil

Travellers from the UK and EU do not normally need a visa to enter Brazil.

From 10 April 2025, US, Canadian and Australian passport holders require an e-visa. It is recommended to apply for your e-visa two months before travel to Brazil. Information on visas can be found here: https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-miami/information-about-visas-in-english. The e-visa application site is here: https://brazil.vfsevisa.com/.

Food is likely to be a mix of dishes using a lot of local produce. The local fruit is normally very good. Meat and fish are staples of the Brazilian diet, but vegetarians can be catered for throughout the trip. Please advise us at the time of booking if you have any special dietary requirements.

The regions of southern Brazil that we visit (Rio, Paraty and Iguaçu Falls) have a subtropical climate with hot summers (November to March) and cooler winters (April to October). It can get very hot in summer (more than 40C/104F) with rain most afternoons. Winter has little rain with highs of around 24C (75F) and lows of around 15C (59F) – layers will be useful at this time.

The Amazon has two distinct seasons: wet and dry. In the wet season (January to May), average temperatures are around 22C-31C (72F-88F). During the dry season (June to December), temperatures are 24C-31C (75F-88F) on average, although it can get much hotter.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

Reviews

Add new review

Peter Gillett

Added March 2026

Covering a huge area in this vast country of contrasts.

This was a full-on tour covering a huge part of Brazil, and although you by no means see the whole country this trip is a great taster and feels like you're getting deeply into different diverse regions and not just skimming the surface. The busy beaches and spectacular sites of Rio are as promised but a real surprise was the huge inner city rainforest park at Tijuca, just beautiful and a real oasis within the madness. South onto Paraty: a unique combination of preserved 17th-century Portuguese colonial architecture, vibrant culture, and natural surroundings. It is a UNESCO-listed site known for its charming cobblestone pedestrian streets, lively nightlife, boat trips to local islands, and exquisite local dining. There followed an early rise and drive to Sao Paolo to fly to Iguacu. Of couse the Falls didn't disappoint and for me fulfilled a long ambition to visit. We were told it was relatively quiet but still felt very crowded. But in the heat and spray there was no rush, and watching all the selfie-takers provides its own entertainment! Another flight to Manaus led us into the hot, humid rainforest Amazon region by boat, and a small lodge run by local people. They looked after and fed us well, and it provided a base for several boat trips and forest walks at day and night. It feels remote and peaceful and allows plenty of time for spotting wildlife in beautiful natural surroundings.

Most Inspirational Moment

To choose one single moment is difficult as this trip covers a wide area, and of course each day finds different experiences. One thing that surprised me was the excellent food. Brazil’s food culture is incredibly diverse, shaped by a blend of Indigenous, African, and Portuguese influences. Each region offers its own specialties, from seafood-rich dishes to hearty, meat-focused cuisine. Staples like rice, beans, cassava, and tropical fruits form the basis of many meals. Every time I ate fish it was fresh and beautifully presented. Meeting the indigenous people at the cassava processing place was a lovely time as they demonstrated the incredible uses for their staple crop.

Thoughts on Group Leader

The leader Frederico Crema (Fred) was the ideal guide for this kind of tour. He had extensive knowledge of the tourist sites and local customs, wildlife and a talent for logistics, organisation and communication. This was the first outing for this trip for Exodus but not for Fred. He had a lot of experience in trips of all kinds around Brazil and he handled everything with enthusiasm, ease and good humour. It was a small group and he kept us informed and entertained. He had a love of food and music and these things came in useful as he arranged for us to eat at some unique and special places, and suggested live music venues on several evenings. The Bottles Club (birthplace of the Bossa Nova) in Rio was a real highlight.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Pack light as it's a warm climate with varied environments. Breathable clothing, comfortable walking shoes, and swim wear for beaches/rivers. The walk in Tijuca can be steep and wet under foot. Water bottle to stay hydrated. Carry a copy of your passport, and a small day bag for outings. Power adapters are 3 pin Type N, but I'd buy one in Rio as they are much cheaper there and you probably won't need it outside Brazil. There are some long drives and early starts for internal flights, but as this trip was in development and our feedback to the leader is taken on board this could be adjusted in future trips. If Fred is your guide trust his judgement, if he suggests something just do it. You won't regret it 🙂

Susan Squires

Added March 2026

My holiday feedback

One of the most exciting and interesting holidays I have had out of my 200 plus overseas adventures. It was non stop for the full duration of the holiday partly because we visited 4 very different areas of Brazil substantial distances apart which required early mornings and long journeys.

Most Inspirational Moment

Spending the first evening at Club 1 in Rio just along the road from the hotel where the Bossa Nova music was invented for an evening of wonderful music, food and drinks.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Amazing! Fred was very knowledgeable about everywhere and everything in Brazil and found us the most amazing places to eat at night, which was very helpful with only 4 participants. He was very sociable, not just with us, but with local tour guides, drivers, restaurant staff etc. The best tour leader ever and I have nominated him for Tour Leader of the Year 2026.