The Mighty Iguazu Falls, the Amazon Rainforest, Top Beaches in the World and the Afro-Brazilian Experience
The Mighty Iguazu Falls, the Amazon Rainforest, Top Beaches in the World and the Afro-Brazilian Experience
Including Iguazu Falls, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador da Bahia, and Amazon Rainforest
Hear What Past Guests Loved Most
Trip Photo Summary
Experience the mystic Salvador de Bahia, declared a Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO
Hi there! I'm Fred, founder & owner of Exploration Journeys.
Over 20 years ago, I set out to build a travel company that would redefine what “worry-free travel” really means, where every guest feels cared for as if they were part of our family, and every detail runs seamlessly.
With two decades of experience crafting Argentina trips, I’ve learned that the right pacing, local expertise, and genuine care make all the difference. That’s why every itinerary we design blends must-see highlights with authentic local experiences, while leaving space for personal exploration and real connection.
I'd love to personally design a customized itinerary for you.
I look forward to helping make your Argentina journey truly memorable, worry-free and first-class from start to finish.
Your Trip Overview
(everything mentioned below is included in your trip price)
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:
11 days / 10 nights.
Lodging for 10 nights Included.
10 First‑class tours with the best tour guides (9 of them are private tours). All necessary entrance fees to national parks included.
8 airport transfers included
View details
10 breakfasts + 4 lunches + 3 dinners included.
View details
4 Destinations included:
- Iguazu Falls (Selected by 100 Million Voters as One of the "New 7 Wonders of Nature"): 2 nights
- Rio de Janeiro (Breathtaking landscapes & home to one of the "New 7 Wonders of the World"): 3 nights
- Salvador da Bahia (The heart & soul of Afro-Brazilian culture): 2 nights
- Amazon Rainforest (The most bio-diverse ecosystem on Earth, chosen as one of the "New 7 Wonders of Nature" by over 100 million voters): 3 nights - YOUR STAY HERE IS ALL-INCLUSIVE (breakfast, lunch and dinner included, with 2 non-alcoholic beverages per meal)
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-by-Day Itinerary
Iguazu
Staying for 2 nights, with 2 tours included
DAY 1: You arrive in Iguazu
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 Argentine 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)
“You 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,†stated CNN in their article “Iguazu Falls: Why this natural wonder should be on everyone’s 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 “Poor Niagara!â€
In 1984, Iguazu Falls became a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and in 2011, it was selected as one of the 7 winners of the “New Seven Wonders of Nature†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 – 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.
Rio De Janeiro
Staying for 3 nights, with 1 tour included
DAY 3: You arrive in Rio De Janeiro
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! You’ll 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 “Christ the Redeemer†statue. And we’ll embark on a ride in a cable car to the mountaintop of one of the city’s 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, we’ll 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 6: Last day in Rio De Janeiro
Transfer in private vehicle and guide to the airport.
Salvador Da Bahia
Staying for 2 nights, with 1 tour included
DAY 6: You arrive in Salvador Da Bahia
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 that’s 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!
Get ready for a journey to Salvador’s historic center, declared a Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, and let us help you discover the singular Afro-Brazilian and Portuguese heritages of Salvador da Bahia.
In this city, steeped in Afro-Brazilian, colonial and indigenous heritages, you’ll 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 city’s 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.
Amazon Rainforest
Staying for 3 nights, with 6 tours included
DAY 8: You arrive in Amazon Rainforest
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)
It’s pitch black darkness in the Amazon Rainforest, as we’re 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 Amazon’s animal “orchestra†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, we’ll be able to take in the constant and enthralling sounds of chirping and singing from the nearby birds and insects as we’re 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! We’ll 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 “peconha†technique to gather fruit from high up on trees.
For lunch we’ll 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 it’s 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
Unique Phenomenon of the "Meeting of the Unmixable Waters"
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!
We’ll 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 “the meeting of the unmixable waters.†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 rivers’ flowing speeds and temperatures. The difference in color between the two rivers is so stark, in fact, that the two “unmixable†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)
It’s 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)
We’ll 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 “macaco barrigudo†(woolly monkey), which has a protected status as a result of abuse by illegal traders and their slow reproductive rate. You’ll 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!
Lodging for 10 nights Included
suggested comfort category lodging
- Iguazu Falls: 2 nightsGrand Crucero Hotel
Grand Crucero Hotel - standard category room: 2 nights
Standard category room - Rio de Janeiro: 3 nightsArena Copacabana Hotel
Arena Copacabana Hotel - deluxe with front sea view: 3 nights
Deluxe with front sea view - Salvador da Bahia: 2 nightsWish da Bahia Hotel
Wish da Bahia Hotel - superior category room: 2 nights
Superior category room - Amazon Rainforest: 3 nightsAmazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge
Amazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge - "superior" category bungalow: 3 nights
"superior" category bungalow
suggested deluxe category lodging
- Iguazu Falls: 2 nightsAmerian Iguazu
Amerian Iguazu - standard category room with river view: 2 nights
Standard category room with river view - Rio de Janeiro: 3 nightsHilton Copacabana Hotel
Hilton Copacabana Hotel - room with front sea view: 3 nights
Room with front sea view - Salvador da Bahia: 2 nightsVilla Bahia Hotel
Villa Bahia Hotel - deluxe category room: 2 nights
Deluxe category room - Amazon Rainforest: 3 nightsAmazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge
Amazon Ecopark Jungle Lodge - "superior plus" category bungalow: 3 nights
"superior plus" category bungalow
suggested unique & exclusive category lodging*
- Iguazu Falls: 2 nightsMelia Iguazu Hotel
Melia Iguazu Hotel - deluxe category room with falls view: 2 nights
Deluxe category room with falls view - Rio de Janeiro: 3 nightsFasano Rio de Janeiro Hotel
Fasano Rio de Janeiro Hotel - deluxe category room with sea view: 3 nights
Deluxe category room with sea view - Salvador da Bahia: 2 nightsFasano Salvador Hotel
Fasano Salvador Hotel - junior suite with front sea view: 2 nights
Junior suite with front sea view
* 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.
Domestic Flights Duration & Route
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 Iguaçu (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.
Why Well‑Traveled Guests Choose Us
After Traveling the World
Complex Trips, Zero Stress
More Than Tour Guides
After Traveling the World
See testimonials and trip photos from guests who visited this itinerary's destinations.
The Ultimate Travel Companion: Our Beloved Travel Booklet
This one-of-a-kind sidekick is the key to a worry-free, unforgettable trip experience.
Packed with personalized tips and useful suggestions to help you make the most of your trip experience.
What Guests Say
About It
A Sneak Peek Inside Your Travel Booklet
You'll receive your Travel Booklet in two convenient formats: a printed version via FedEx and a digital version via email.
Price per Person in U.S. Dollars
(does not include flights)
| PRICE PER PERSON FOR ALL GROUND SERVICES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Domestic Flights
| Domestic Airfare (3 flights) |
| Starts at $ 284 per person |
| Subject to availability at the time of booking |
- 1 carry-on + 1 piece of checked luggage (up to 50 pounds / 23 kilos)
- Advance seat selection at no additional cost
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 all available flight options to recommend the best itinerary and fare for your trip
• Flight booking and ticket issuance
• Daily monitoring of flight status and schedule changes
• Reconfirmation of each flight with the airline prior to departure
• Seat selection and booking
• Online check-in (when available)
• Assistance with your flight arrangements in case of delays, changes, or cancellations 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.