Rio de Janeiro, Ouro Preto, and Train Routes in Minas Gerais 10 Days of Culture and Nature off the Beaten Track Brazil | Rio de Janeiro, Ouro Preto, Serra do Caraca, Vitoria

Included: Airport Transfer (private)

Your English-speaking guide will be waiting for you at the airport in Rio de Janeiro and will take you to your hotel. You can spend the rest of the day, for example, strolling along Copacabana and taking in first impressions of the tropical metropolis.

Overnight: Hotel Arena Copacabana, Deluxe room with ocean view

Included: Corcovado and Sugarloaf Mountain (private, 8h) | Breakfast

On this day trip you will visit two sights that should not be missed during your stay in Rio de Janeiro: the world-famous statue of Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain. Your guide will pick you up at your accommodation and take you to the Cosme Velho district. A cogwheel railway will takes you up to Corcovado, where the 125- feet (38 m) - high statue of Christ watches over Rio de Janeiro and its inhabitants, the Cariocas. Located on top of the mountain at a height of 2,330 feet (710 m), Christ the Redeemer is certainly one of the most admired and most visited monuments in the world. You can see the statue from up close and enjoy a great view of the vibrant metropolis.

Afterwards you will visit the historical center of the city before heading to another unique landmark in Rio. A cable car will take you up the 1,295- feet (395 m) high Sugarloaf Mountain. You will first ascend toMorro da Urca, switch trains, and then be taken to the top by a second cable car. From there you will have a sensational 360-degree view over everything Rio de Janeiro has to offer: golden beaches, green forests, and an impressive city. On the way up and at various viewpoints your guide will tell you a lot of interesting facts about the city’s history, which is closely connected to the history of Brazil. Afterwards your guide will take you back to your hotel.


Overnight: Hotel Arena Copacabana, Deluxe room with ocean view

Included: Breakfast

After yesterday's full day trip, today is at your disposal. Explore the bustling beaches and streets of the city on your own. In anticipation of this day, your guide will be happy to give you tips on how to organize your stay.

Overnight: Hotel Arena Copacabana, Deluxe room with ocean view

Optionally, we can also offer you an excursion to other highlights of the city. Experience the city on a sightseeing tour by bike or enjoy the scenery on a boat trip through the Guanabara Bay. A visit to the Maracana soccer stadium and the new harbor or a day trip to the imperial city of Petropolis would complete the program.

Rio's historical center (private, 4h)

Rio's historic center by metro (private, 4h)

Sightseeing by bike (in-group, 3h)

Excursion jeep tour to the Tijuca National Park (in-group, 4h)

Boat trip Guanabara Bay (in-group, 4h)

Maracana Stadium and New Harbor (private, 4h )

Walk to Pedra do Telegrafo and visit to the beaches of the west coast (private, 8h)

Imperial Petropolis and lunch (private, 8h)

Included: Transfers Bus station (private) | Bus ticket Rio de Janeiro to Ouro Preto (public, 8h) | Breakfast

Early in the morning your guide will take you to the bus station, where you will get your ticket and travel in a comfortable intercity bus to the colonial city of Ouro Preto. You will arrive in the afternoon and will be met by your local English-speaking guide. He will accompany you to your hotel and give you valuable tips for the evening.

Overnight: Pousada Solar da Opera, Deluxe room

Included: Day trip to Ouro Preto and Mariana (private, 8h) | Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning you will be picked up by your guide for a panoramic train ride to Mariana, the oldest town of Minas Gerais. Both Mariana and Ouro Preto belong to the so-called “Gold Circle of Brazil.” In Mariana you will visit the Se Cathedral, the Minas Gerais Square, and the largest accessible gold mine in the world, the Mina da Passagem. Afterwards you will stroll through the steep streets of Ouro Preto with your guide and discover hidden corners, the oldest functioning opera house in Latin America, and the baroque buildings of the old town. The old city center was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980 because of its special architecture. Ouro Preto literally means "black gold," because the city owes its historical wealth to the enormous gold discoveries in the past. This sudden prosperity made Ouro Preto the largest city in the Americas in the 18th century.

Overnight: Pousada Solar da Opera, Deluxe room

Included: Transfer to Serra do Caraca (private, 2h) | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, your Portuguese-speaking driver will pick you up at your hotel and drive you to your accommodation in the Serra do Caraca mountain region. The ride leads through the largest mountain range in Brazil along the Royal Gold Route, which during colonial times connected Ouro Preto and Rio de Janeiro. Today the region is known for its huge iron ore deposits. After a drive of about two hours you will reach the Santuario do Caraca, a former monastery in the Caraca mountains. The monastery’s church was built in 1779 by a convent brotherhood and later extended by a school. The imperial family preferred the area of Caraca to be a health resort because of its mineral-rich water and mild climate. Today this magical place is famous for its richness of species, especially among birdwatchers. The afternoon is free and can be used for a walk or a refreshing bath. In the early evening, the hotel guests will gather at the entrance of the church to watch a family of maned wolves that pass by every evening.

Overnight: Pousada do Caraca, Suite imperial

Included: Day Trip in Serra do Caraca region (private, 8h) | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

At sunrise you will be picked up by your English-speaking guide, a birdwatcher who knows the area. You will go into the Atlantic Rainforest to get to know the numerous local animal species. The Caraca Nature Reserve is home to numerous endemic species of birds, monkeys and other mammals, fish, and reptiles. Since open-cast mining has increased considerably in the area in recent decades, the region acts as a refuge for the local fauna. Afterwards you will return to the hotel where a hearty breakfast awaits you. In the early morning you will have the opportunity to get to know the museum with your guide and visit a nearby waterfall. As the nature reserve has numerous hiking trails, you will have the choice between a shorter or a longer excursion. Passionate hikers will get their money's worth on a longer tour through the Atlantic Rainforest, and you should put together a packed lunch from the breakfast buffet as you will not return until after lunch. Besides exotic plants, huge trees, and a big waterfall, the hiking route offers a great view of the mountains surrounding the Caraca. On the path through the dense forest you may also encounter different species of monkeys, anteaters, and other smaller rodents, such as agutis.

After returning to the hotel, a typical regional dinner will be served and in the early evening there is again a very good chance to see the maned wolves. Given that they are very shy animals, they are rarely seen in the wild. Feeding them every evening at the church stairs offers the best opportunity to get to know this endangered species up close and to take pictures with a suitable camera. When the weather is good, the animals usually appear between 6:00 p.m. and midnight and even dare to approach a group of visitors very close. But do not worry, the maned wolves are mainly vegetarians and do not attack humans. As they are wild animals, it is not guaranteed that visitors will see them every evening.

Overnight: Pousada do Caraca, Suite imperial

Included: Transfer Train station (private) | Train Ticket Serra do Caraca to Vitoria (public, 8h) | Breakfast

After breakfast you will be picked up at the monastery by your driver and taken to the train station in Dois Irmaos. The train runs once a day between Belo Horizonte and Vitoria. In modern wagons with diesel locomotives, the journey goes through mountains and villages down to the Atlantic coast. In the comfortable large-capacity wagon you will be taken care of by the train service and will have enough space to enjoy the landscape through large windows.

Upon arrival in Vitoria in the evening, you will be welcomed at the station by your English-speaking guide and taken to your hotel.

Overnight: Hotel Ilha do Boi, Deluxe room

Included: City Tour of Vitoria (private, 3h) | Breakfast

In the morning your guide will pick you up at your hotel and drive you to Farol Santa Luzia. This lighthouse was built in Glasgow, Scotland in 1870 and was erected at the harbor in Vitoria. Here you can enjoy the view and learn valuable information about the history of the city. Afterwards you will visit Convento da Penha, one of the oldest monasteries in Brazil, which was founded in 1558 by a Spanish monk. It is located on a 490-feet (150 m) high cliff and offers great views of the beaches and the city.

The afternoon is at your disposal. Stroll along the beach promenade or just relax by the hotel pool.

Overnight: Hotel Ilha do Boi, Deluxe room

Included: Airport Transfer (private) | Breakfast

You will be picked up at your hotel and brought to the airport according to your flight time. If you would like to continue your journey by land, your guide will also be happy to take you to the bus station.