Three Week Brazil Circuit

21 Days / 20 Nights

This 3-week Brazil Circuit combines our three classic destinations with two of our most scenic coastal journeys, and a little adventure along the way.

Rio de Janeiro has the big city vibes, the culture, the music and the history, plus beautiful city beaches and bays. Samba, world-famous carnivals, drums bands, dancers and more can be enjoyed along with Copacabana, Ipanema and the mountains of Rio.

Paraty and Lençois in Chapada Diamantina are small towns with their own history from the gold-rush and diamond-mining times, with mountains, waterfalls, spectacular pools, and lush vegetation to be enjoyed during the day, and the cobbled streets of the charming old towns at night.

Wildlife and ecotourism abound in the Amazon Rainforest and Iguazu Falls, with native wildlife enjoying the waters and vegetation, hikes and boat journeys taking you amongst it all to observe it all.

And to finish such a fabulous journey, there is no better place than the paradise island of Ilha Grande, with time to relax on the beaches or snorkel with the marine turtles!

There are also many options for changes to this tour, with more active and adventurous days in each destination possible to include. We also have alternative ideas for three week trips that you might like to consider, or even a combination of these two, or other destinations and activities that might suit your requirements a little better. However you prefer to spend your Three Weeks in Brazil, we´ll work with you to make it happen in the best possibly way.

Combines With: We can always add in even more destinations if you have the time!

Best Time to Visit: December to March has the Amazon wet season, and are also the hottest, most humid and busiest months for Rio, Iguazu and the Costa Verde. March and April also have more rain in the North-East of the country. May through to October would usually be the best combination but any time of year is possible.

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from $ USD

21 Days / 20 Nights

Destinations Visited

Rio de Janeiro
Sao Luis & Lençois Maranhenses
Costa Verde
Jericoacoara
Manaus
Amazon
Ilha Grande
Paraty
Iguazu Falls
Piaui & The Parnaiba Delta

Trip Style

Traditional

Activities Included

Wildlife Observation
Ecotourism
Beaches

Tailor Made Tours

All our Brazil and South America Tours, are completely flexible with regards to dates, duration or the tours, activities and accommodation that we can include. All the tours featured on our website are our recommendations based on our experience of how to make the very best of your time in South America. We can adjust these details in any way that you wish. We are here to organise a tour that suits you after all!

Itinerary

Day 1

Three Weeks in Brazil Begins!

Destination: Rio de Janeiro

Your Three Week Tour of Brazil begins on arrival in Rio de Janeiro, where your Brazil Adventure Tours guide describes the Marvellous City during the journey to your hotel close to Ipanema and Copacabana Beaches. You pass along the edge of Guanabara Bay, with first glimpses of the city, the statue of Christ The Redeemer and Sugar Loaf Mountain. After a little orientation of the city and the area around your hotel, the rest of the day is then free to explore Rio and perhaps enjoy your first coconut water or a caipirinha cocktail at sunset from Arpoador, the headland between the two main beaches. Evening brings the chance to enjoy Brazilian cuisine for the first time.

Day 2

Christ the Redeemer & Rio

Destination: Rio de Janeiro

Your first of many sights across Brazil is the iconic statue of Christ The Redeemer, standing 31m high on top of the 700m Corcovado mountain. A morning journey up allows you to enjoy spectacular views from the base across the city, beaches, mountains, the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, Guanabara Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. You then drop through bohemian Santa Teresa and the Selaron Staircase to see the historic side of Rio, the Municipal Theatre and the grand buildings that date from the 19th Century and earlier. The modern Metropolitan Cathedral and the antique Arches of Lapa are two more of Rio\'s postcard sights. Afternoon and evening are free to relax.

Day 3

Cable Cars and Sugar Loaf Views

Destination: Rio de Janeiro

Morning brings a journey around the lagoon to the Botanical Gardens in the shadow of Christ the Redeemer. The gardens contain an array of tropical species, with palms, orchids and the pau brasil tree that gave its name to the country watched over by monkeys and toucans. You then travel to Sugar Loaf Mountain to ride the cable cars to the 396m summit. The views take in Copacabana Beach, the mountains behind the statue and also those surrounding Rio on a clear day. Afternoon and evening are free with a typical Brazilian churrascaria barbeque being one option, while weekend evenings can bring a trip to the samba clubs of Lapa.

Day 4

Jeri - Brazil's Finest Beach Town!

Destination: Rio de Janeiro to Jericoacoara

You fly in the morning to Jericoacoara, one of Brazil's finest little beach towns, with the afternoon free for the beach or some activities. Sand-boarding is one of the most popular and also one of the most fun - especially watching somebody else trying it for the first time. Surfing and kite-surfing are especially popular too, while horse-rides through the dunes and along the beach appeal to many, or just a simple walk on an empty beach and a swim in the tropical ocean. Sunset and sunrise are always enjoyed from the top of the dune outside town, with full moon period being the most spectacular as the sun sets ahead of you and the moon rises above the dunes behind.

Day 5

Quadbiking Adventures in Jeri!

Destination: Jericoacoara

Your day in Jeri begins not so early as you leave the town by quadbike, passing through the town and behind the rocky headland to the long stretch of sand that is Praia do Prea. The first stop is at the postcard Pedra Furada, the holed rock that sits on the edge of the ocean below the lighthouse. A fun 12km on the sand, with various photo opportunities takes you to the village, where you head inland. The waters of Lagoa Azul and Lagoa Paraiso give ample opportunity for you to relax in the photogenic hammocks placed over the lagoon waters. Lunch can be eaten here, with the final part being the spectacular passage through the white sand dunes of the national park back to Jeri.

Day 6

Through the Parnaiba Delta

Destination: Jericoacoara to Parnaiba

In the morning you head further west, along the coastline to Mangue Seco, taking a boat around the mangroves of Guriú and the ruins of of Tatajuba. The village was buried by the encroaching dunes and abandoned to nature. The Lonely Palm and Beach of Love come next before you cross the Rio Coreaú to Camocim. The tarmac roads take you into Piaui State and the Parnaíba Delta for a lunch break. The Port of Aramadillos on Santa Isabel Island is the first stop in the delta. Here you take a launch along the creeks, rivers and estuaries, with monkeys, iguanas, snakes and scarlet ibis amongst many other animals. After a delta sunset, you can settle into your pousada.

Day 7

The Shifting Sands of Maranhao

Destination: Parnaiba to Atins

The day begins with the journey to Paulino Neves, a small town in the protected ambiental area of Rio Novo. The adventurous journey through the dunes of North-East Brazil is an eye-opener. By midday you arrive in Cabure, a village built on a disappearing spit of sand that guards the Lazy River from the open ocean. It has already been moved at least once! After arriving, you cross the river to Atins, the small town on the edge of the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. A sunset horse-ride takes you into the park nearby, traversing dunes and lagoons as the equatorial sun drops. You can also have a wonderful seafood dinner on the main beach just outside town!

Day 8

Dunes and Lagoons of Lençois

Destination: Atins to Barreirinhas

In the morning you take the boat up the slow-moving Lazy River to Barreirinhas, with stops for tourism along the way, including the Mandaracu lighthouse and the friendly monkeys in the village of Vassouras. On arrival in Barreirinhas you transfer to your accommodation in the small town that stretches around the meanders of the Rio Preguiças. You have time for lunch at one of the restaurants overlooking the Rio Preguiças before afternoon brings another chance to enjoy the Dunes and Lagoons of Lençois Maranhenses. You visit Lagoa Bonita, as the name suggests, one of the prettiest of the lagoons close to Barreirinhas, with the chance to swim in the crystal clear waters before sunset.

Day 9

From the Dunes to the Rainforest

Destination: Barreirinhas to Sao Luis & Manaus

A 30-minute flight over the park takes you for the bird\'s-eye view of the 1,500sqkm expanse of dunes at sunrise, with views over to the Atlantic Ocean behind. A morning trip into the Lençois Maranhenses National Park in the morning takes you to visit Lagoa do Peixe and Lagoa Azul, for more scenic sands and lakes. After returning to Barreirinhas for lunch, you then transfer to Sao Luis, a 3-hour highway journey before your late afternoons to Manaus. On arrival in the city at the heart of the Amazon you transfer immediately to your hotel close enough to pass by the Teatro Amazonas for a look, the famous opera house of Manaus.

Day 10

Journey to the Jungle

Destination: Manaus to Tariri Lodge

In the morning you will be picked up for the two and a half hour journey through the jungle, completing the journey to Tariri Lodge by boat amongst the sights and sounds of the Amazon. The lodge sits on the edge of Lago de Acajatuba, part of the Rio Negro river system. In the afternoon you can take a boat tour around the lake, visiting some of the houses of the river residents before returning to the lodge for dinner. In the evening you have the chance to look for the largest reptile in South America, caiman alligators, along the Amazon River system before you settle into your rustic cabin and fall asleep to the sounds of the Amazon Jungle around you.

Day 11

Amazon Jungle Activities

Destination: Tariri Amazon Lodge

Your time at Tariri Amazon Lodge can be spent engaging in Amazon activities - hiking through the jungle to learn about the forest plants; canoeing along the creeks and through the trunks of the flooded forests; fishing for piranha - the most famous Amazon fish is not always as dangerous to us as humans are to them. You can also learn how many uses of those sharp teeth there are in the Amazon. Visits to local indigenous communities to learn more about traditional ways life Amazon life and spending a night here or in the forest, sleeping in hammocks, are other possibilities. Night safaris may also give you a close-up look at the caiman.

Day 12

Amazon River Dolphins

Destination: Tariri Amazon Lodge

After breakfast you take a ride in regional canoes through the Amazonian Creeks and Flooded Forests in the warm Rio Negro waters and explore parts of the Amazon Jungle that are impossible to reach on foot or by motor boat. The tranquility allows you to enjoy the sights and sounds for yourselves. After lunch you can head out on boat to visit a local dolphin colony, including the pink Amazon River Dolphins. Your guide is always on hand with some expert local knowledge and the animals sometimes stay and play for half the afternoon, making this kind of personal interaction a highlight of your Amazon tour.

Day 13

Rainforest & Falls

Destination: Amazon Lodge to Manaus & Iguazu Falls

Sunrise is a spectacular start to every day in the Amazon, with a colourful dawn chorus as flocks of parakeets, macaws, parrots and many other species compete to make the most noise. After breakfast you begin the boat and road journey back to Manaus. From here you fly on in the afternoon to Iguazu Falls, and your first chance to see the 275 separate falls of the Rio Iguazu comes as you land. On arrival you will be met for immediate transfer to your hotel, with a late arrival necessary. Please be sure to wear appropriate clothing and footwear for Iguazu Falls, as the walkways, paths and yourselves become wet from the spray. Camera protection is also a good idea.

Day 14

Mesmeric Iguazu

Destination: Iguazu Falls

After a little lie in to recover from your late arrival, you cross to the Argentinean national park, where walkways built over the river, and around and alongside the falls allow you to experience the majesty of Iguazu from very close quarters. You can see, hear and feel the water falling 80m down from the plateau to the gorge. The undoubted highlight is the mesmeric experience of looking down into The Devil\'s Throat as the falling water pounds the bottom, creating the roar and mist that mean Iguazu Falls can be seen and heard for miles around. Your day finishes with the journey up the canyon on the adventure boat which takes you right under the falling curtains of water.

Day 15

From the Falls to the Costa Verde

Destination: Iguazu Falls to Sao Paulo & Paraty

In the morning, you will be picked up for your journey back to the airport, stopping off at the Brazil Falls National Park along the way for majestic panoramic views of Iguazu from across the gorge. You could also take the helicopter flight above them. After lunch, you fly to Sao Paulo and travel up the Costa Verde, Brazil\'s Emerald Coast, and possibly its most spectacular coastal route, with jungle-covered mountains towering up to your left, and tropical islands dotting the sparkling blue bays to your right. After checking in you can spend the evening exploring the historic centre of Paraty, whose harbour, cobbled streets and colourful colonial houses make a pleasurable wander day and night.

Day 16

Tropical Islands and Crystal Waters

Destination: Paraty

Your day begins with the short walk to Paraty\'s picturesque harbour, with brightly painted boats all waiting to head out into the bay. You leave the pier to visit some of the tropical islands, secluded beaches and crystal clear coves with stops for snorkelling, swimming and strolling along the sands. Lunch is usually served on board or perhaps on one of the islands. The pleasant cruise back arrives late afternoon as the sun dips behind the mountains, bathing Paraty in rays. Evening is free once more to appreciate the renowned seafood restaurants of the town. Shops also open late, with local cachaça of different flavours from the distilleries nearby being a favourite souvenir of Paraty.

Day 17

Gold Trails, Waterfalls & Hidden Villages

Destination: Paraty

The day is full of possibilities around Paraty, with the The Old Gold Trail that tour takes you up in the hills along the road that used to connect Paraty with the mines of Minas Gerais which were 30 days' walk away. You stop at waterfalls for swimming and perhaps even sliding down, and also visit an alambique to see how cachaça is made in a traditional rustic distillery. Alternative options include a trip over the hills of the Laranjeiras Peninsula to Trindade in the Serra da Bocaina National Park. You can also explore the old fort and some of the beaches close to town. Most tours begin in the morning and have you back in Paraty in the afternoon.

Day 18

Escape to Ilha Grande

Destination: Paraty to Ilha Grande

After breakfast you transfer by road further up the Costa Verde, where a 45min boat journey to the largest island in the bay, Ilha Grande, gives you plenty of time to admire the scenery. On arrival at Vila do Abraao, the main village of the island, you will be helped with your luggage as you walk to your hotel nearby. With no vehicles on the island, journeys on foot along the beaches may be necessary. After checking in, the afternoon is free to enjoy the beach, swing in a hammock under the trees, or perhaps walk the half an hour trail to the beaches at Praia Crena or Abraaozinho. In the shallows of Crena or Praia Canto, the main beach, you can often find sea turtles feeding, and snorkelling with them is an island treat.

Day 19

Lopes Mendes & More

Destination: Ilha Grande

The final day of your spectacular month-long trip around Brazil is free! One of the classic days on Ilha Grande is to visit Lopes Mendes, regularly voted as one of the very finest beaches on the whole of Brazil\'s 8,000km coastline. You can hike over the headlands for two hours or catch the taxiboats which take you most of the way there, leaving just the final part of the hike. The white sand and crystal clear waters of the beach are backed by tropical jungle and framed by mountains, and you may find few other people there during the week. Dois Rios is another possible trail to a beautiful beach with a river at each end, while Pico do Papagaio is the iconic mountain peak overlooking the main bay.

Day 20

Treasure Island Paradise

Destination: Ilha Grande

Your day will be spent on a boat trip around the island, so that you can see all of Ilha Grande\'s stunning coastline (if the wind is strong, the boat may be restricted to the continental side of Ilha Grande only, as the Atlantic waves become too rough). You make stops in the Blue and Green Lagoons, and off deserted beaches for snorkelling amongst the tropical fish and sea turtles feeding on the coral. You may also be able to spot one of the wrecks off the island - Ilha Grande has many in the surrounding waters, including a helicopter. After returning late afternoon you can enjoy dinner on the beach, under the stars, with nothing but the gentle sound of lapping waves and rustling palm leaves.

Day 21

Three Weeks in Brazil is Over!

Destination: Ilha Grande to Rio de Janeiro & Away

Your Three Week Tour of Brazil comes to an end with the return journey by boat to the mainland, and from there the road trip further up the coast to the international airport in Rio de Janeiro. The journey can be made in the morning for afternoon departures, or for evening departures on overnight flights north, then a free morning and lunch can come before departure in the early afternoon. This is just one idea for a 3-Week Brazil Tour, visiting some of our classic destinations, with other options also available on our website, or perhaps a mix of the two which might suit you better. There are also more active and adventurous ideas that we can work into your days.

Prices

* Domestic Flights Estimated Price
$950 USD

** Prices Per Adult based on two people travelling and sharing accommodation
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4 Stars
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5 Stars
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* Prices vary depending on travel dates and flight availability. Peak periods in Brazil including Carnaval, public holidays and Christmas/New Year usually require a minimum number of nights, so in these cases itineraries may need to be changed. ** Domestic flight prices are estimated on typical values when reserved six months before travel. Prices can never be guaranteed until reservations are made, and do usually become more expensive closer to the travel period.

* Domestic Flights Estimated Price ** Prices Per Adult based on two people travelling and sharing accommodation

$950 USD

Simple

3 Stars

4 Stars

Luxury

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* Prices vary depending on travel dates and flight availability. Peak periods in Brazil including Carnaval, public holidays and Christmas/New Year usually require a minimum number of nights, so in these cases itineraries may need to be changed.

** Domestic flight prices are estimated on typical values when reserved six months before travel. Prices can never be guaranteed until reservations are made, and do usually become more expensive closer to the travel period.