Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Brazil – Rio – Iguacu – Salvador de Bahia
100% customisable for you
Your Brazilian adventure begins today, so head to the airport for your 11-hour-and-40-minute flight to Rio. Upon arrival, transfer privately to Ipanema, where you’ll stay for four nights just steps from the sand. Your hotel sits on one of the neighbourhood’s liveliest streets, close enough to the beach to hear the surf and to the cafés for a late-afternoon coffee (or something stronger). Beach chairs, parasols, and towels are ready each morning, and bicycles are on hand for leisurely spins along the promenade, where Cariocas (Rio locals) treat sunset as a daily ritual.
One morning, head uphill to Santa Teresa with your private guide. Reached by tram and clinging to the hillside, ‘Santa’ has long attracted free spirits who have left their mark on its cobbled lanes. It remains Rio’s most bohemian quarter, where studios sit behind unassuming façades and views open over the bay. Stop at the Chacara do Ceu Museum for an impressive art collection (Matisse and Miro feel surprisingly at home here) before continuing to Porto Maravilha, where bold street art and waterfront spaces reveal a city that never stands still.
Another evening belongs to Rio after dark. In the company of a well-connected local, move between rooftop bars, polished Leblon hangouts or Lapa’s samba clubs. Expect live music, dancing that begins spontaneously and ends late…
There’s also time to look at the city from above. Visits to Corcovado and Sugarloaf can be arranged, as well as a guided hike up Pedra Bonita. From the summit, forest spills towards the sea, hang-gliders drift past, and Rio’s improbable geography makes perfect sense.
Take a private transfer to the airport and catch a two-hour-and-15-minute flight inland to Foz do Iguacu. On arrival, you’ll be driven to your hotel, set within a 13-hectare natural estate on the edge of Iguacu National Park. Over the next three nights, this is your subtropical base between rainforest excursions.
One full day is devoted to Iguacu Falls from the Brazilian side. We’ve arranged your tickets in advance, allowing you to head straight into the park. Walk the panoramic trails that reveal the full sweep of the falls, with 275 cascades stretched across nearly two miles of river. At the centre lies the Garganta do Diablo (‘Devil’s Throat’), where the water plunges dramatically into the gorge below. You’ll hear it before you see it: a deep, constant roar rising above the rainforest. It’s less a single waterfall than a natural amphitheatre of movement and sound.
For those wanting to discover further, we can organise a land-and-water safari that ventures deeper into the forest and closer to the spray. You can also cross into Argentina for an alternative perspective on the cascades. However you choose to experience it, Iguacu earns its reputation – definitely not subtle, but certainly unforgettable.
Say farewell to the falls today and catch a five-hour flight from Foz do Iguacu to Salvador, where you’ll transfer privately to your hotel in the heart of the historic centre. For the next three nights, stay at a beautifully restored pousada boasting views of the Sao Francisco Cathedral and the pastel façades of the Pelourinho, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Mornings begin with generous Bahian breakfasts, while a small plunge pool offers welcome relief in the heat of the afternoon. As evening falls, the rooftop terrace becomes the natural gathering point (and a well-made caipirinha feels entirely appropriate).
Spend one day exploring Salvador’s lower city. With a private guide, explore the Itapagipe Peninsula, where daily life unfolds along the waterfront. The Feira de Sao Joaquim is the city’s largest market and a riot of colour, scent and sound, with tropical fruit, spices, herbs and seafood laid out in abundance. Visit the serene Church of Bonfim and Monte Serrat Fort, which guards the entrance to the bay. In Pedra Furada, fishing boats line the shore and simple restaurants serve crab and fresh fish to the rhythm of live music.
Another day focuses on historic Salvador. On foot and accompanied by your guide, discover the colonial heart of the city, where 17th- and 18th-century architecture speaks to its once-prosperous past. Pause in Praca Tome de Souza, admire the Rio Branco Palace and take in the sweeping views across the Bay of All Saints.
Enjoy an evening performance at the Miguel Santana Theatre, which brings the city’s cultural heritage vividly to life. Through sacred dances of the Orixas, capoeira (Afro-Brazilian martial art) demonstrations and the infectious samba de roda, the show celebrates Bahia’s Afro-Brazilian identity in style.
Sadly, your Brazilian journey of coast, rainforest and culture comes to an end today. A private transfer will take you to Salvador Airport for your overnight flight home (taking between 12 and 13 hours with a stopover). Arriving home the following day, Rio’s sparkle, Iguacu’s roar and Salvador’s colour are forever etched in your memory.
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
