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WHERE WORRY‑FREE MEETS FIRST‑CLASS: EXCEPTIONAL TRAVEL EXPERIENCES.
"A truly unique, first class and worry free experience!" - Michelle Bonnet & Family
"Fred and Exploration Journeys is the only way to travel first class and stress free in Argentina." - Betty and Paul Boram
"We have never been so impressed with a tour company, and we have been traveling the world endlessly for six years." - Sally & Wayne Schmidt
Hear It from Those Who've Lived It: Explore Our Guests' Reviews! »
Trip start date: you can choose any starting date you want for your trip, because all our trips have private departures. That is, you won't be traveling as part of a group.
Trip Duration & lodging included:
11 days / 10 nights.
Lodging for 10 nights Included.
10 First‑class tours with the best tour guides included
(9 of them are private tours). All necessary entrance fees to national parks included.
Includes all needed airport transfers detailed below.
10 breakfasts + 4 lunches + 3 dinners included in this trip.
4 Destinations included:
In the Amazon we have designed an exclusive and unique experience for our guests, including all private tours with a private guide just for yourself (as opposed to the group tours offered everywhere else). Besides covering all of the more iconic Amazonian experiences, we include an adventurous jungle hiking & exploration experience led by a team of former members of the Brazilian Military specialized in jungle rescue operations, who will introduce you to jungle survival techniques such as obtaining drinking water, making fire, differentiating edible plant species, setting up traps, building a shelter, and the Amazonian "peconha" technique to gather fruit from trees; to finally enjoy a jungle BBQ in the thick of the Amazon rainforest!
Having considered all Amazon lodges in detail, we chose Amazon Ecopark Lodge as the best base for this program, because it's the only lodge where such a combination of private tours is possible. An added plus of Ecopark is that you won't need to waste precious vacation time by spending a night in the city of Manaus, as you'd need to do if you stayed at many other lodges.
DAY 1: YOU ARRIVE IN IGUAZU (staying for 2 nights, with 2 tours included) |
Flight arrival in Iguazu. Depending on your flight arrival time you will have time to go first to your hotel or you will be taken directly to your tour and then to your hotel. |
Behold the Breathtaking Panoramic Views of Iguazu Falls from the Brazilian Side (private tour) With 80% of the falls located on the Argentine side, it is only from the Brazilian side that one can see almost all of them at once, in full, breathtakingly panoramic views. The Brazilian side offers majestic scenic views of the beauty and entirety of the falls; this is because the Brazilian footbridge lies across the river from the falls, offering a unique perspective and epic scenic views, making the Brazilian side different and absolutely complementary to the experience from the Argentinean side. This is a half-day private tour. |
DAY 2: IGUAZU |
Witness the Unique Power & Might of the Iguazu Falls from the Argentine Side (private tour) āYou might have seen the photos. Even read about it. You might have visited other great waterfalls before. But you probably still have no idea what to expect when you come face to face with the almighty Iguazu Falls,ā stated CNN in their article āIguazu Falls: Why this natural wonder should be on everyoneās bucket list". To put that into perspective, Iguazu Falls is nearly twice as tall as Niagara Falls and nearly three times as wide. The late U.S. First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, was reportedly so impressed by the sight of Iguazu Falls that she exclaimed āPoor Niagara!ā In 1984, Iguazu Falls became a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and in 2011, it was selected as one of the 7 winners of the āNew Seven Wonders of Natureā worldwide competition in which more than 100 million votes were cast. Their size and scale are unlike any other waterfall on Earth. Made up of a system of 275 waterfalls, they have a staggering water flow of up to almost 3.5 million gallons (13 million liters) per second ā enough to fill five Olympic swimming pools! Unlike Niagara Falls, which is surrounded by developments such as casinos, a revolving restaurant, and coffee shops, Iguazu Falls are located within one of the few remaining inland rainforests in South America, the Atlantic rainforest, which is a haven for more than 2,000 plant species, about 400 birds species, and 80 types of mammals! This is a full-day private tour. |
DAY 3: LAST DAY IN IGUAZU |
Transfer in group vehicle to Iguazu airport. |
DAY 3: YOU ARRIVE IN RIO DE JANEIRO (staying for 3 nights, with 1 tour included) |
Flight arrival in Rio de Janeiro. Welcome at the airport and transfer to hotel with private vehicle and guide. Depending on your arrival time, you can relax at your hotel, enjoy your own explorations, or ask our local representative about suggested activities for your free time. |
DAY 4: RIO DE JANEIRO |
Rio’s Most Iconic Highlights: the Corcovado Mountain, its "Christ the redeemer" Statue, and the Sugarloaf (private tour) Get ready to marvel at the most important icons and most eye-popping panoramic views in Rio de Janeiro! Youāll get a up-front look at one of the winners of the "New 7 Wonders of the World" worldwide competition, in which more than 100 million votes were cast: the Corcovado Mountain and its āChrist the Redeemerā statue. And weāll embark on a ride in a cable car to the mountaintop of one of the cityās most recognized icons: Sugarloaf Mountain. This is one of the main highlights that made Rio de Janeiro the #1 destination in South America, as voted by millions of travelers on Trip Advisor in 2017. On our way, weāll go through the Tijuca Tropical Forest, the largest tropical forest in an urban setting in the world, and one of the main reasons why Rio was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Also, in a leisurely walk across the newly renovated Olympic Boulevard, we’ll see the largest graffiti on the planet, a colorful and detailed depiction of Brazilian faces. To top the day off, we’ll end this tour relaxing at Arpoador peninsula, a beach that boasts one of the best views of Rio’s beaches and coastline.
This is a full day private tour. |
DAY 5: RIO DE JANEIRO |
DAY 6: LAST DAY IN RIO DE JANEIRO |
Transfer in private vehicle and guide to the airport. |
DAY 6: YOU ARRIVE IN SALVADOR DA BAHIA (staying for 2 nights, with 1 tour included) |
Flight arrival in Salvador de Bahia. Welcome at the airport and transfer to hotel with private vehicle and guide. Depending on your arrival time, you can relax at your hotel, enjoy your own explorations, or ask our local representative about suggested activities for your free time. |
DAY 7: SALVADOR DA BAHIA |
Exploring the Afro-Brazilian & Colonial Heritage of Salvador da Bahia: the Largest Slave Market Ever in the Americas (private tour) The millions of slaves captured in Africa and brought to Brazil by the Portuguese brought with them a culture rich in music, dance, cuisine, and religion thatās still present and mainstream in Salvador da Bahia. This city was the epicenter of the largest slave market ever in the Americas, in fact, seven times more slaves were brought to Salvador alone than to the entire United States! In this city, steeped in Afro-Brazilian, colonial and indigenous heritages, youāll get to admire the greatest collection of Baroque architectural heritage in Latin America, the first urban elevator in the world, as well as appreciate the sight of multicolored colonial and baroque houses and mansions that make up the cityās historic center.
This is a half-day private tour. |
DAY 8: LAST DAY IN SALVADOR DA BAHIA |
Transfer with private vehicle to Salvador de Bahia airport. |
DAY 8: YOU ARRIVE IN AMAZON RAINFOREST (staying for 3 nights, with 6 tours included) |
Flight arrival in Amazonas. Welcome at the airport and transfer with group vehicle and group boat to your lodge. The approximate total transfer time is 60 minutes (40 minutes by car and 20 by boat). |
A Nighttime Canoeing Expedition in the Amazon (private tour) Itās pitch black darkness in the Amazon Rainforest, as weāre embarked aboard a motorized canoe on an expedition to contemplate and listen to the myriad of sounds coming from the nocturnal creatures of the Amazon Rainforest. With many animals being nocturnal, the Amazon Rainforest comes alive at night, giving us the chance to experience the Amazonās animal āorchestraā while hopefully spotting some of its nocturnal wildlife, as well as seeing the glowing eyes of a caiman swimming in the dark right beside our boat! During our outing, weāll be able to take in the constant and enthralling sounds of chirping and singing from the nearby birds and insects as weāre surrounded by the ambience of nighttime on the Amazon.
This is a 1 hour private tour. |
DAY 9: AMAZON RAINFOREST |
Hands-on Survival Techniques and Full-day Trekking in the Thick of the Amazon Rainforest (private tour) Get ready for a most adventurous exploration in the thick of the Amazon rainforest! Weāll spend an entire day in the jungle, hiking and learning a wealth of hands-on jungle survival techniques from a team of former members of the Brazilian Military, specialized in jungle rescue operations. Our trained professional team leaders will take us on a hiking tour and will introduce us to jungle survival techniques, such as obtaining drinking water, making fire, differentiating edible plant species, setting up traps, building a shelter, and the Amazonian āpeconhaā technique to gather fruit from high up on trees. For lunch weāll make a genuine Amazonian barbecue served with sides and fruits.
This is a full-day private tour for people of all ages (5 and up) and itās designed to be safe and easygoing. The total hiking distance is normally around 4 miles (6 kilometers) but can be adapted to as little as 1200 feet (400 meters) or even less for guests with limited mobility. The tour, in sum, is designed for almost everyone and, although it is adventurous and exciting, it is certainly not challenging.
This tour includes lunch with non-alcoholic beverages. |
DAY 10: AMAZON RAINFOREST |
Navigating the Amazon River and Witnessing the Get ready to discover one of the many amazing features of the largest river on Earth: the Amazon River, whose flow is even larger than the flow of the next eight largest rivers in the world combined! Weāll hop on our boat for a full day exploration on the Amazon river. We’ll first navigate to the confluence of the two rivers that form the Amazon River: the pitch-black Rio Negro and the cream-colored Solimoes River. That confluence is known as āthe meeting of the unmixable waters.ā Due to a unique quirk of nature, the waters of these two tributary rivers flow side by side for about 8 miles (12 kilometers) without mixing, due to a large difference between the riversā flowing speeds and temperatures. The difference in color between the two rivers is so stark, in fact, that the two āunmixableā waters can even be distinguished from satellites orbiting in space! This is a full day tour with a private guide, in a group boat with up to 60 passengers. It includes lunch without alcoholic beverages at a floating restaurant on the Amazon river. |
DAY 11: AMAZON RAINFOREST |
A Taste of Amazon Life: an Amazon Dweller Shows Us His Traditions, Customs and Distinctive Perspective on Life (private tour) Itās time hop on our boat and navigate down the Amazon river to visit one Caboclo (Amazon dweller). We’ll learn first-hand about the traditions, customs and distinctive perspective on life of a caboclo. We’ll learn about his life, customs, and how Caboclos make a living off the jungle that surrounds them. This is a unique chance to experience and interact with one of the locals that call the Amazon basin their home. This is a 1 hour private tour. |
Visiting a Wild Monkey Conservation Center (private tour) Weāll set out on a boat to visit the facilities for rehabilitation and re-introduction of wild animals into their habitats (known as "the Monkey Forest"). This center was created in 1991, with the intention of receiving animals confiscated from illegal commerce. In this center, the animals are evaluated and taken care of by a team of veterinary doctors and biologists. One of the species mostly present at the site is the āmacaco barrigudoā (woolly monkey), which has a protected status as a result of abuse by illegal traders and their slow reproductive rate. Youāll also see wild monkeys, that come out every day for food, and maybe even some resident monkeys that live in the center, for rehabilitation purposes. This is a 40 minutes private tour. The tour is not always available, because the reserve is sometimes depleted when monkeys are readapted to the wild. |
A Fishing Adventure in Search of the Amazon’s Most Voracious Creature: the Piranha (private tour) Grab your fishing pole and bait as we embark on a fishing adventure in the Amazon River in search of a fish famed for its aggressiveness and extremely sharp teeth: the piranha. Among the 2,200 species of fish living in the Amazon basin (more species than in all of the rivers of Europe combined!), piranhas have become the most famous due to their voracity. Due to their keen sense of smell for blood, they can attack at the scent of it, swarming by the thousands and stripping an animal to the bone in mere minutes! Our expert guide will take us out in search of a good spot where he thinks we’ll have the best chances to fish piranhas and other species, while we take in the lush atmosphere of the surrounding Amazon river!
This is a 1 hour private tour. |
A late checkout is included, you can use your room until 2 PM on your checkout date. |
Transfer with group vehicle and group boat to Manaus airport. The approximate total travel time is 1 hour (40 minutes by car and 20 by boat). The normal check-out time at Amazon Ecopark Lodge is at 10:30 AM. However, your trip includes a late check-out at so you can use your room (depending on your flight departure time) until 2 PM, and the lodge's facilities until the airport transfer time.We look forward to welcoming you again in Brazil! |
IMPORTANT: The order of the activities in each destination can change depending on weather conditions or other circumstances. |
* For this itinerary the Unique & Exclusive accommodation is only available in Iguazu, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador da Bahia. For The Amazon Rainforest the hotel included is the one mentioned in the deluxe category.
Brazil is a huge country, the 5th largest in the world, so flights tend to be long, because of the long distances. Also many flights have connections. Needless to say, traveling by land is unfeasible in almost every case.
We can take care of booking all the needed domestic flights for your trip.
Flight Route | Total Flight Duration |
---|---|
Foz do IguaƧu (Brazilian side) to Rio de Janeiro | 1 hour and 55 minutes |
Rio de Janeiro to Salvador da Bahia | 2 hours |
Salvador da Bahia to Manaus | 6 hours and 10 minutes (there is no direct flight, so a connection is needed) |
For a worry‑free travel experience, we strongly advise letting us take care of your domestic flights. It’s common for local airlines to make several flight changes before (and sometimes during) a trip. Taking care of domestic flights will allow us to closely monitor any flight changes, adapting your trip itinerary as needed.
Our flight issuing service includes: flights booking, daily tracking of flight status and changes, reconfirmation with the airline of each flight before each departure, booking of your flight seats, web check-in (not available for all flights) and assistance with your flights arrangements if there is any flight delay, change or cancellation before or during your trip.
PRICE PER PERSON FOR ALL GROUND SERVICES (Prices do not include flights. Click on prices below to change currency) | |||
---|---|---|---|
Comfort Category Lodging | Deluxe Category Lodging | Unique & Exclusive Category Lodging** | |
Double occupancy room: | |||
Triple occupancy room: | |||
Our prices above include all hotels, tours and airport transfers mentioned in this itinerary. Discounts available for groups of 4 or more travelers. To get a quote for Our prices do not include international or domestic airfare. |
** For this itinerary the Unique & Exclusive accommodation is only available in Iguazu, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador da Bahia. For The Amazon Rainforest the hotel included is the one mentioned in the deluxe category.
We accept Paypal Credit: finish paying your trip up to 4 months after your trip starting date, paying no interest or fees.
The total price for all 3 domestic flights needed for this trip starts at $ 284 per person, subject to availability at the time of booking.
Our airfares include a luggage allowance of 1 carry-on and 1 piece of checked luggage (up to 50 pounds / 23 kilos), and also they allow reserving seats in advance, at no additional cost. Most airfares for domestic flights in Brazil don't include allowance for checked baggage and some don't include seat reservation, but we always book airfares that allow these. Also, we use flexible airfares which allow us to make any needed flight changes (with no additional cost if the new airfare booked is not higher than the issued airfare).
This is a promotional rate, please note that regular airfares can be significantly higher. This means that the sooner you book your trip, the greater our chances of booking this, or similar, airfare.
As soon as we receive your feedback about your itinerary we'll check for flights availability and let you know which are the best flights for your trip and which is the lowest airfare available.
Prices for domestic flights depend exclusively on their availability at the time of booking, usually with much lower rates available for flights booked well in advance. So the sooner you book your trip, the lower the airfare you'll pay (the most expensive airfares are a lot higher than the most promotional ones).
As soon as we receive your feedback about your itinerary we'll check for flights availability and let you know which are the best flights for your trip and which is the lowest airfare available.
For your comfort and peace of mind, we can take care of booking your domestic flights for you. Our services include: checking for all possible flight options to suggest the best flight itinerary and rate for your trip, flight bookings and issuing, daily tracking of flight status and changes, reconfirmation with the airline of each flight before each departure, booking of your flight seats, web check-in (not available for all flights) and assistance with your flight arrangements if there is any delay, change or cancellation before or during your trip.
Letting us take care of your domestic flight arrangements will let you enjoy a worry‑free travel experience, as it is very common for local airlines to make flight changes before (and sometimes during) a trip.
We will provide you with the perfect travel companion: our renowned Travel Booklet!
This one-of-a-kind sidekick is full of useful information and personalized tips,
to help you make the most out of your trip experience.
"I received the Travel book and it is absolutely the best trip plan that I have received in over 40 years of traveling. Not only are the daily trips described, but the essential data travelers seek as climate, clothing and phone contact numbers are included. Wonderful job." - Mitch Samuelson and Joan Raskin
"The travel booklet was beyond helpful, from the restaurant recommendations to the tipping guidelines, to the suggested clothes to bring. They answered all our questions before we even had them." - Sophia Yuen & Liza Chau
"The customized booklet prepared for us was with us every step of the way. What a terrific source of information from places to eat and shop, to hints on tipping, etc." - Neal & Barbara Eisner
"The Travel Booklet was the best travel tool ever. I cannot think of any way to improve this excellent hand guide book." - Joan McGirr
"The travel booklet had all sorts of additional important information and recommendations for shopping and dining. I had never seen anything like this before and it proved to be very helpful resource throughout our trip." - Neill Allen and Nancy Van Gelder
"The travel booklet was excellent and it had all the information we needed for the trip so there was no need to do extensive research" - Irina Mindel & Mitchell Olshansky
Contact information for our local assistance team, who will go above and beyond in providing you with prompt, precise and meaningful assistance during your trip.
Day-by-day itinerary with detailed tour descriptions, pick-up times, etc.
Our favorite restaurant suggestions for each visited destination.
Full information about your hotels: addresses & phones, check-in / check-out times, distance to downtown and to airport, Wi-Fi availability, etc.
Detailed weather information for your travel dates and destinations, such as average rainfall and minimum and maximum temperatures expected.
Our clothing suggestions for each destination in addition to specific suggestions for some tours.
All the information you'll need for your flights: airline and flight number, flight times, luggage weight limits, cost for extra weight, available mileage programs, etc.
Taking your mobile phone to Brazil, how to dial to and from every destination, etc.
Helpful tips and other useful information to make the most out of your vacation: time zones, pointers on currency exchange, tipping, advice on museums & art galleries of note, useful info to make the most out of your free time, shopping tips, electricity & voltage information, etc.
All the necessary travel vouchers for your trip.
The Travel Booklet is designed and sent to you after full trip payment has been made. We will send you a printed version via FedEx, as well as a digital version via e-mail. Many guests download their digital version to their mobile phone (iPhone, Android, etc.) or tablet, which they bring on their trip.
All taxes for the ground services are included, except in Iguazu.
In Iguazu there is a city tax which depending on the hotel category and time of the year it's of about 90 Argentine pesos (approximately USD 0.6) per person and per night (charged for a maximum of 2 nights) that can only be paid directly at your Iguazu hotel.
These amounts may vary subject to the municipal policy.
To provide a worry‑free trip experience we include all the necessary entrance tickets to national parks, as well as all other tour-related fees, which are sometimes not included or even mentioned by other travel agencies.
International airfare to and from Brazil is not included.
Domestic flights for this trip are quoted separately from ground services. Prices for domestic flights depend exclusively on flight availability at the time of booking, with much lower rates available for flights booked well in advance. This means that the sooner you book your trip, the lower the airfare will likely be.
The total price for all 3 domestic flights needed for this trip starts at $ 284 per person, subject to availability at the time of booking.
Our airfares include a luggage allowance of 1 carry-on and 1 piece of checked luggage (up to 50 pounds / 23 kilos), and also they allow reserving seats in advance, at no additional cost. Most airfares for domestic flights in Brazil don't include allowance for checked baggage and some don't include seat reservation, but we always book airfares that allow these. Also, we use flexible airfares which allow us to make any needed flight changes (with no additional cost if the new airfare booked is not higher than the issued airfare).
This is a promotional rate, please note that regular airfares can be significantly higher. This means that the sooner you book your trip, the greater our chances of booking this, or similar, airfare.
As soon as we receive your feedback about your itinerary we'll check for flights availability and let you know which are the best flights for your trip and which is the lowest airfare available.
Prices for domestic flights depend exclusively on their availability at the time of booking, usually with much lower rates available for flights booked well in advance. So the sooner you book your trip, the lower the airfare you'll pay (the most expensive airfares are a lot higher than the most promotional ones).
As soon as we receive your feedback about your itinerary we'll check for flights availability and let you know which are the best flights for your trip and which is the lowest airfare available.
For your comfort and peace of mind, we can take care of booking your domestic flights for you. Our services include: checking for all possible flight options to suggest the best flight itinerary and rate for your trip, flight bookings and issuing, daily tracking of flight status and changes, reconfirmation with the airline of each flight before each departure, booking of your flight seats, web check-in (not available for all flights) and assistance with your flight arrangements if there is any delay, change or cancellation before or during your trip.
Letting us take care of your domestic flight arrangements will let you enjoy a worry‑free travel experience, as it is very common for local airlines to make flight changes before (and sometimes during) a trip.
Tips to hotel staff, tour guides, etc.
Visa issuing expenses to enter Brazil. Travelers who have passports from the following countries do not require a visa to enter Brazil: United States*, Canada*, Andorra, Argentina, Australia*, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hong Kong (with English passport), Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Surinam, Sweden, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, the Vatican and Venezuela.
*IMPORTANT: Brazil has recently announced the reinstatement of tourist visa requirements for visitors from the USA, Canada, and Australia. Originally scheduled to take effect in April 2024, this policy change has now been postponed and is set to be implemented on April 2025.
We provide full assistance to our guests in the Brazil visa application process, ensuring a worry-free experience.
Anything not expressly mentioned in this itinerary proposal.
The trip booking process generally takes from 3 to 5 business days. Once all services are booked, we will send you an invoice with the trip booking confirmation and payment instructions. If your trip start date is in fewer than 60 days, we’ll request a full trip payment. If not, we’ll request a first payment of 25% to 35% of the total trip cost, with final payment due 60 days before your trip start date.
We accept all major credit cards (we use Paypal as a credit card processor but you won't need a Paypal account to make your credit card payment), bank wire transfers or check deposits. Our prices are final, you won't have to pay anything extra no matter what payment method you use.
Important: If you use PayPal account as your payment method, they are running a promotion called "PayPal credit", where you’ll have up to 6 months to complete the payment of your trip (without any interest or extra fees). You can choose to apply during the payment process and your application will be subject to their approval. This is a great way to finance your trip payment, without any extra cost.
For more details please visit: https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/paypal-credit
For all payments which have already made at the time we receive written notice that you must cancel your trip, the following fees will be charged:
We’ll always try our best to get as much of a refund as possible, depending on the trip cancellation date, and the conditions of the service suppliers.
Important note: certain hotels, boats, lodges and airlines may have deposit terms and cancellation policies which vary from our own. We may need to collect an additional deposit from you to hold some reservations. The cancellation penalties on payments will be determined by these individual organizations and will override our policy.
Refunds will only be issued to you once we have received the funds back from the supplier(s). Generally, flight tickets cannot be refunded if they are partially used. We are not responsible for a supplier’s failure to pay a refund.
If the reason for your cancellation is covered under the terms of your travel insurance policy, you may be able to claim these cancellation charges through your insurance company.