BRAZIL: CARNIVAL, RIO DE JANIERO February 4 8 2016 Land ~$1,770 (double occupancy), + Air ~$774 (details at end) $1,770 Priced with Granada Hotel (3 Stars) http://www.hotelgranada.com.br/en/hotel.html Pending Availability: Hotel Vila Gale in Lapa (4 Stars) https://www.vilagale.com/en/hotels/brazil/vila-gale-rio-de-janeiro/ Overview: Brace yourself for a trip to Rio de Janeiro for an unforgettable five days of Carnival. Not only will you witness first-hand the most spectacular show on Earth You ll also get to take part in it! You will have the opportunity to buy a real Carnival Costume, join a real Samba School, and parade along-side the locals inside the world-famous Sambadrome! And that s not all. We will have our local partner guides on-hand day and night to take you to all the very best of Rio s attractions, Blocos (street parties) and Carnival events. This 4-day package is jam-packed full of inclusions. We welcome you with a roof-top cocktail party flowing with caipirinhas, we cruise you around Guanabara Bay during our exclusive OPEN BAR boat party, we take you to the Sambadrome on the BIGGEST night of Carnival, we include drinks DAILY at our events, we give free Portuguese lessons, samba classes, facepaints, club entries, drink vouchers, we take you to Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon, Santa Teresa, Statue of Christ, Tijuca National Park, the City Cathedral, the Lapa Steps and more! Sure you ve been to Trinidad and Barbados but no other Carnival is as famous as Rio s and only a few other cities party as hard or have as much fun! Don t wait another year. Life s too short Book now! Day by Day Itinerary: Day 1: Thursday (04 February) Welcome to Rio! Today is an arrival day. Airport transfer service if you arrive with the group otherwise taxis are also readily available. Our hotel, Granada is located in Lapa, Rio s colourful bohemian centre, where all of Carnival s major events and parties take place. You can arrive when you wish, but check-in is from 2pm. Our crew will be on-hand waiting for you at the hotel to show you your room, give you maps, tell you what you need to know and take you on an orientation walk around the hotel area. The Granada Hotel is located in the center of the city, close to the big business of the city and to the big offer of leisure and culture activities you can enjoy in Rio de Janeiro. It is just 15 minutes away walking from the 1
Teatro Municipal, the Museu de Arte Moderna (MAM) and the Museu de Belas Artes. In addition, the Granada hotel is only 10 minutes walk from where Rio s best nightlife and cultural scene is; Samba clubs, theatres, capoeira halls, old historical houses converted into trendy antique stores, funky bars,restaurants, cafes and of course the famous Lapa Arches! You may wish to explore the area, go shopping in the nearby markets, get yourself a Brazilian manicure or simply people-watch over a coffee! Our group meeting is scheduled for 6pm (meet in the hotel lobby), after which the festivities will commence Caipirinha cocktails all-round! Tonight you ll be guests at our Roof-top Welcome Cocktail Party. After a few strong drinks and perfecting our samba moves (in our group samba class!) we can get our faces painted and head out into the streets for our first night in Rio! Our guides will be there to escort us to best parties in town. Tonight is the eve of the first day of Carnival. The atmosphere will be electric! INCLUDED: Airport transfer to Granada Hotel, Roof-top Welcome Cocktail Party Caipirinhas and Samba Class included, Night out in Rio accompanied by guides Day 2: Friday (05 February) (B) This morning after breakfast we will drive through the Tijuca National Park to Corcovado for our half-day guided tour of Rio. The statue of Christ the Redeemer is one of the most iconic sights of Rio and we should get a fantastic view over the rest of the city as well 710 metres up! After Corcovado we ll head to Santa Teresa, where our guide will point out the most impressive old mansions (most dating from the late 1800 s when the rich moved up here to escape mosquito-ridden areas below), the most colourful of art galleries and the rickety old trams. Our final stop will be the tiled Steps of Selaron in Lapa, one of the most impressive homages to Brazil that you can imagine. Words do not do justice to this incredibly beautiful work of street-art. This afternoon our guides will offer to take us to see our first bloco street party. This could be in Centro, Flamengo, Botafogo, Copacabana or Ipanema (depending on the bloco schedule, to be announced at the time). Today is the first official day of Carnival! Drinks will be included at the bloco to prepare us for a big night ahead! Back at the hotel our crew will be waiting for those who prebooked* a Samba School Costume, to be part of the Sambadrome Parade tonight! Costumes will be delivered to hotel rooms the day before. There will be plenty of time to get ready. Once everyone is dressed and prepped, our guide will accompany us to the meeting point on 2
Avenue Presidente Vargas. This will be one to two hours before the school s scheduled parade time (which could be any time between 7pm and 1am announced closer to the time). For those who decided not to buy a costume, you ll still be invited along to the meeting point on Av. Presidente Vargas to watch all the samba schools prepare.we guarantee you won t be bored! Have your cameras ready to get some awesome pictures! This will be a night you ll never forget INCLUDED: Breakfast, Rio City Tour - Christ Entrance included, Bloco street party accompanied by guides drinks included, Partying with the samba schools on Av. Presidente Vargas accompanied by guides OPTIONAL: Add-on a once-of-a-lifetime DANCE WITH A SAMBA SCHOOL IN THE SAMBADROME package available at an extra cost of $429. This Carnival Costume MUST be booked and paid for before arriving to Rio. You will need to give your costume size (small, medium or large) and European shoe size in advance. The exact band that we will play with be determined 2 months prior to departure. Day 3: Saturday (06 February) (B) This morning, as with every morning, our guides will be down at breakfast to give us information and remind us of what s on offer for today. One of the biggest and best blocos in Rio Ceu na Terra traditionally performs every Saturday morning of Carnival in Santa Teresa. Therefore our guides will accompany those who are keen to go! Then this afternoon, after lunch, we will be walked down to Gloria Maria to board our magnificent private schooner boat and the next 3-4 hours will be spent cruising around Rio s spectacular Guanabara Bay! Returning just after sunset, we ll have the opportunity to view the city in yet another light and from yet another angle with fantastic views of Sugar Loaf and Christ. Onboard there will be bathrooms, music, dance-floor, chill-out area, nibbles and OPEN BAR! After the boat cruise we will have the option of partying on at Flamengo Beach (located a short walk from Gloria Marina) or returning straight to the hotel to get ready for yet another big night out in Rio! Our guides will be there to give you all the options on offer for the night ahead. INCLUDED: Breakfast, Bloco street party accompanied by guide/s, Boat party cruise around Guanabara Bay (OPEN BAR on-board!), Night out in Rio accompanied by guide/s 3
Day 4: Sunday (07 February) (B) This morning you may wish to take an optional Favela Tour or visit Sugarloaf? Or perhaps a relaxing morning at the beach? If you want to go to the beach as a group, one of our guides will meet you in the hotel lobby at 10am and take you on the metro to the best part of Copacabana beach. If you re up for more partying, our guides will accompany us to the most vibrant bloco street party happening in the city! Drinks will be included at this bloco and there will be the option of a big group dinner tonight to line our stomachs for a long night ahead! Tonight our guides will escort us to the main event of the week: Sunday Night Parade at the Sambadrome!!! - When all the best of the best samba schools parade their outrageous floats and costumes down the runway, and we watch in awe from the stands above! We have Section 12-13 tickets, known to be the liveliest of all the sections with lots of fun, rowdy locals. There are no fixed seats, just concrete bleachers. Everyone stands and cheers as the samba schools arrive to the finish line! Alternatively you can upgrade to another sector for a closer view and a less rowdy crowd. You ll see that the local Cariocas really support their samba school (similar to supporting a football team!) with lots of singing and dancing. They know ALL the words to the anthems. It is a wonderful local experience and one that goes on until the wee hours of the morning! INCLUDED: Breakfast, Group trip to Copacabana Beach, Bloco street party accompanied by guides drinks included, Sambadrome Parade Tickets Sectors 12-13 with group escort to and from hotel OPTIONAL: Sugarloaf Tour, Favela Tour, Sambadrome Upgrades Day 5: Monday (08 February) (B) Our carnival package officially finishes after breakfast today. The rest of the day is yours. Check-out is at midday. If you re lucky enough to be staying longer in Brazil our guides will be happy to help you plan the rest of your time in Brazil! INCLUDED: Breakfast, Guide on-hand to give tips & advise if you re staying longer! 4
AIR RESERVATIONS You can secure air reservations on your own (see www.skyscanner.com sample search below). Or, Nomadic Souls will book your airfare for you ($50 booking fee) With such a short trip, we strongly urge you to book direct flights and use carry on luggage. You will need a VISA for Brazil. Nomadic Souls is available to assist with this process. (concierge fee) DEPART FEB 3 RETURN FEB 8 Alternate Hotel awaiting availability for group https://www.vilagale.com/en/hotels/brazil/vila-gale-rio-de-janeiro/ 5
Be a star in one of the most incredible performances of a lifetime in the one and only Sambadrome Carnival Parade! ($440 additional) This activity is subject to availability and therefore must be booked at least 30 days in advance. It will take place on Friday February 5, 2016. Be a star in one of the most incredible performances of a lifetime in the one and only Sambadrome Carnival Parade! Live the passion, happiness and emotion of Rio s Carnival firsthand by dancing gloriously to the sound of the music under bright stage lights through the Sambadrome walkway. Forming part of a real Samba school is perhaps the most vivacious moments in life! Take part in a real Samba school competing in the Access Group for the chance to join the Special Group, consisting of only 12 Samba schools, in the following year. From the Special Group, only one Samba school will be chosen as Carnival Champions (and the school that comes in last will drop back down to the Access Group). Don t miss your chance to strap on your elaborate Carnival costume, parade in the Sambadrome and watch the Special Group performances for an excellent price! During your experience, you will perform in one of Rio s most famous Samba Schools as part of an ala (wing) surrounded by 80 fellow performers. Bring along an enthusiastic attitude and your costume, no special skills or age limit required. You will be escorted from your hotel to the meeting point at Avenue Presidente Vargas at least 2 hours prior to the school s scheduled parade time (which could be anywhere from 7pm to 1am). Bring your camera to take awesome pictures of the excitement as everyone enthusiastically prepares for the Sambadrome during the peak of Carnival. Fall into step with the Brazilians as you learn the easy routine in the school s warm-up session before entering the Sambadrome. Your moment of glory will last between 45-60 minutes as you parade down the 700-meter-long Sambadrome following the instructions of your ala coordinator. At the end, you can join the party of samba dancers and watch all the other schools follow behind you. Your costume will serve as your ticket to enter the Sambadrome and you will get to take it home with you afterward. All we need to know is your gender, shoe size and costume size (S,M,L,XL). Your costume will be delivered to your hotel one day prior to the event, for you to try it on. Two months prior to departure, we will determine the Samba School we will partner with. 6