5 days/4 nights - 8 days/7 nights - 11 days/10 nights - 15 days/14 nights accomodation in Rio in a nice 3 star hotel with air conditioning, private bathroom with shower, breakfast included, (when available) internet and swimming pool, and a friendly and helpful staff, located in one of the best districts of the Marvellous City

transfer to the Galeão international airport in time for check in of your flight back home

Rio de Janeiro is arguably the most wonderful city in the world (no wonder it is also called A Cidade Maravilhosa, the Marvelous City) and captures everybody’s dreams and imaginations with the world’s most famous Carnival and its God blessed natural landscapes. we are cariocas de coração living here so this is our selection of the can’t miss things to see and do while you are in town:

the Sambódromo (Sambadrome, the samba stadium designed by Oscar Niemeyer in 1983, in which takes places every mid february the world’s most famous Carnival parade) and the Carnival Museum, to understand better the importance of this event for brazilian people.

Salgueiro samba school is the one that won most samba championships that anyother, and on tuesday and saturday night during their ensaios (rehearsals to next year’s Carnival) the place always turns out in a real party with hundreds locals (including many gorgeous girls and men) that will frenetically samba to the irresistible rhythm impossible to resist to! this is also the closest samba school to Copacabana and Ipanema therefore it’s the safest where to go. another option is Mangueira, one of the best and most titled traditional samba schools located near Maracanã stadium in the north zone of Rio. hang out saturday night until midnight in the street party and then go inside for a guaranteed night of fun (both events takes place only from mid july to mid february)

the 2010 Rio Carnival will start on friday february 20 and end on tuesday 24, if you plan to attend it please contact us at least one month in advance to get our best deals.

There are plenty of great beaches in the Marvelous City, the best and most famous are the fabled Copacabana, featuring its unconfondible calçadão (walkway) on which are located dozens kiosks where to relax and have a drink while admiring some of the hottest "bum bums" on the planet, and the trendiest Ipanema, which is the favourite praia of Rio’s young people and that was immortalized by the world famous song “Garota de Ipanema” (The Girl from Ipanema) written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes. a cool thing to try is also doing some jogging on the walkway of Copa and Ipa, feeling like a real carioca!

oher great carioca beaches are Leblon, located in one of the city’s top bairros aside the most famous Ipanema, Leme, that is instead just before the most famous Copacabana and going southeast Pepino beach situated in São Conrado, one of the most exclusive quartiers of Rio and never too crowded, except for the occasional hang gliding and paragliding flyers that provides with a free show by landing here after launching themselves from the Bonita Rock in the Tijuca Forest. next to that we have Rio’s longest (18 km/11 miles) beach of Barra da Tijuca, located in a californian-style quiet district where most of Rio’s wealthiest lives (including many local VIPs and celebrities)

and if you want to venture even far further one of Rio’s best kept secrets (as it is usually not included in tourist circuits) is the nature-embracing Barra de Guaratiba beach, located 45 km/28 miles southeast of downtown but definitely worth to spend a day in the sun there.

In the world’s most beautiful city you can find beauty anywhere, but you must absolutely visit the following places, some of which have turned into brazilian icons famous worldwide:

the majestic statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ The Redeemer), recently elected as one of the world’s new seven wonders, embraces the whole city of Rio and the Guanabara Bay, for you to enjoy the most beautiful sunset on the Cidade Maravilhosa. it can be reached with the typical little train that climbs on the Corcovado mount through the Tijuca Forest (which is the largest urban forest in the world) so you can have another great experience on your way up the Cristo.

the unconfondible shape of the Pão de Açúcar (the Sugar Loaf) mount is perhaps the first thing coming to everybody’s mind when thinking about Rio de Janeiro, whose top is reached via cable, and from where you can enjoy one of the most beautiful panoramas of Rio.

another can’t miss thing to do is a tour of the Lapa district, the oldest and most traditional part of the city home of artists and of very animated nightlife, that can start with a visit to the Arcos da Lapa (Lapa Arches), a Roman style former aqueduct built in 1723. to make this an even more unforgettable experience you must board on another of the symbols of the Marvelous City, the famous typical yellow Bondinho (little tram) that climbs on the Arches up to the postcard-like district of Santa Teresa, where you can visit the celeb Selarón colourful steps and have time for shopping too on the many cratsmanship stores.

if you like quiet surroundings the enchanting Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon is one of the favourite places where cariocas like to spend their free time and where you can enjoy a beautiful sunset, while instead the Enseada de Botafogo (Botafogo Inlet) located in front of the Pão de Açúcar provides with one of the most beautiful views of the Marvelous City. starting from there you can have a very relaxing walk through the Aterro do Flamengo (Flamengo Landfill) which is one of the largest parks in the world and offers plenty of things to do, or if you want you can also visit the Carmen Miranda Museum located there and dedicated to the legendary Brazilian Bombshell known for her lavish style of costumes and who was arguably the country’s biggest star of all time.

while in Rio you can’t miss to visit the recently renovated Maracanã stadium, the world’s most fabled soccer pitch that also hosts the Brazilian Sports Museum and the Hall Of Fame of “futebol bailado” (the danced soccer, as it’s also called the brazilian way to play the world game) with the footprints (and not just, you will see!) of the 50 biggest living craques (it means champions in portuguese language) that have played in the most famous soccer stadium that will host the 2014 World Cup Final. you can also check out the local sports schedule to attend a soccer match and enjoy the unique show of the brazilian torcidas (organized fans - between Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco Da Gama at least one of the Big Four of Rio’s carioca soccer always plays home every week)

you can also have a tour of the Cidade Maravilhosa’s Historical Centre, with stops at the Largo da Carioca square (the centre of the financial “city”), a visit of the Convento de Santo Antonio (the city’s oldest church) and then by contrast to the ultra modern Metropolitan Cathedral, Cinelândia square (called this way after the various movie theatres that are located there) with the Municipal Theatre (the city’s most important theatre which is a perfect replica of the famous Opéra National in Paris), Praça XV (Rio’s most important square with the ancient Imperial Palace - now turned into a free admission museum - and the Tiradentes Palace) and the nearby little Arco do Teles street (that is usually very animated at night with many bars). located near Praça XV the historic Candelária church combines a Baroque facade with a Neoclassical and Neo-Reinassance inner decoration.

the north zone bairro of São Cristóvão is the site of the Quinta da Boa Vista (Park of the Nice View) that was part of the gardens of the São Cristóvão Imperial Palace, residence of the Brazilian Emperors in the 19TH century. since 1892 shortly after Brazil became a Republic the building hosts the National Museum. the Park also holds the Rio Zoo which can be a great option especially for families. also in the north zone we have the historic church Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Penha, located on top of a hill paved by a famous starway made of 365 steps that are climbed on their knees by some penitents asking for a grace.

as already mentioned the Tijuca Forest is the largest urban forest in the world, in which you can have an exciting tour throughout countless rare species of flora and fauna (some of them won’t be afraid to make contact with you!) up to the imposing Gávea Rock, from which we can enjoy one of the most breathtaking views of Rio de Janeiro. or if you don’t want to climb so much you can settle to stop at the Vista Chinesa (taking its name by the chinese-style patio situated there) that also offers another awesome panorama of the Marvelous City.

and finally if you want to venture off the beaten track we suggest you to visit the Sítio Roberto Burle Marx, one of Rio’s most beautiful gardens located in the far bairro of Barra de Guaratiba and that was created by famous brazilian landascape designer and artist the late Roberto Burle Marx to store his own private collection. in an area of approximately 100 acres visitors can see more than 3,500 species of plants, an extraordinary collection of religious images and pottery from the River Jequitinhonha Valley, and of course Burle Marx's own paintings.

Being Rio an international destination with tourists from all over the world means that you can find hundreds fine restaurants where to eat both local and worldwide cousine, we have selected the best ones for you:

if you want to have a great delicatessen lunch in a refined ambient that is also part of the city's cultural and artistic heritage and imagine that you are back to the days of Rio’s Belle Epoque then there is no better place to eat than the charming Confeitaria Colombo, the city’s oldest and most prestigious thea saloon-restaurant built in 1894 and located in downtown just behind Largo do Carioca. also in downtown the best place where to taste the typical brazilian cousine is the humble Quitanda Sucos snack bar located in Buenos Aires street, that offers the cheapest and most delicious meals such as the caldo verde (a creamy soup made of vegetables and slices of sausage), the sopa de ervilha (a dense soup made of beans, onions and lard) and the famous feijoada, a meal originally destined to slaves given its very high protehic value as it is made of black beans, pork, bacon, sausage, ham and beef, and that has turned into Brazil’s national dish (closed on saturday & sunday). you can have the best espresso and capuccino of Rio at the Nescafe kiosk on the calçadão near the Copacabana Palace.

in the Flamengo Landfill Porção Rio’s is definitely the best and most famous churrascaria where you can taste the typical brazilian churrasco, the all-you-can eat delicious rotation of all types of grilled meat that will leave you full for the next day! the buffet is first class too with delicatessens from all over the world. and if that’s not enough yet you can also have a great of the Botafogo Inlet and Pão de Açúcar, and the Cristo Redentor on the background.

the famous calçadão of Copacabana beach is full of fine restaurants where you can eat both international cousine and also try the best brazilian specialities while enjoying one of the world’s best panorama. our favourite is Mab’s which is located in the beginning of Copa at the street corner between Avenida Atlântica and Prado Junior street. for the fish lover the place to go is instead Marius Degustare, the fishes, crustaceans and mollusks paradise located in Leme beach and that is adorned inside with pieces from ancient vessels.

if you want to have a fine lunch in an historic place then you must eat at the Garota de Ipanema restaurant located just one street behind Ipanema beach and named after the above mentioned song since it was right here that the hit was born in 1964 because this was the favorite place of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinícius de Moraes.

in the evening there is no better place for a romantic tête-à-tête dinner than the all-wooden open air lounge zen restaurant Palaphita Kitch that recreates the Amazon Rain Forest mystic, and where you can try delicios unknown amazonian finger food while laying on rustic sofas, benches and admiring one of the best views of the Cidade Maravilhosa, as it is situated in front of the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon.

Brazilians loves to have more than a gelada (cold beer), hang around and socialize, so Rio has countless bars that will suit any taste, we recommend the following:

on the left side of Praça XV (Rio’s most important and historic square) opens a little alley called Arco do Teles which is filled up with many bars that are always very animated at night and where you can always have a great time.

the Baixo Gávea street party in the bairro of Gávea (near the Lagoon) is where you can find all the south zone students in the weekend, a guaranteed good time for everybody. Empório bar in Ipanema offers another of the best and most popular street parties in town, as it is always filled up with cool people. Bar Devassa in Leblon is a new addition to Rio’s nightlife where local youth like to gather to drink also the homonymous fine draft beer produced by the bar, that every monday offers the “all you can drink” best deal for just R$ 25.00 (only available for ages 25 to 35)

if you’re homesick for your traditional bar or just a sports fan who wants to watch live your favorite soccer/american football/baseball/basket etc team, or play pool or darts, or have your favourite beer, or simply hang around with cool people (either locals or tourists) then we recommend you the cool american-style bar Shenanigans in Ipanema, where you can spend a alternative night from Rio’s standards. otherwise if you’d rather be in a more intimate tête-à-tête atmosphere best suited for couples there is the champage-only bar Ovelha Negra in Botafogo to break away from the beer and caipirinha circuit.

In the cradle of samba there are hundreds clubs where to spend the night listening and dancing to Brazil’s most popular music, these are the best ones:

Carioca da Gema is perhaps the most famous samba club in Rio, situated in the very animated and sleepless bairro of Lapa, where in a very selected and relaxed mood you can enjoy an unforgettable night of live samba, chorinho e bossa nova tocados (played) by some of the genre’s best musicians. next door to Carioca da Gema there is Café Sacrilegio, one of the oldest and best samba clubs in Rio where you can listen and dance to fine brazilian music and get carried over by the contagious carioca mood or just enjoy yourself in the nice patio while having your favourite drink. another nearby Lapa institution is Estrela da Lapa, that always offers a show worth to be attended that often turns into a huge party.

the biggest samba house in Lapa is the famous Rio Scenarium, a three floor building finely decorated in 20s-40s style, where you can always enjoy a fantastic concert of samba, chorinho and forrò played by great artists.

every wednesday night on the Vermelha beach at the feet of the Pão de Açúcar you can enjoy a free open air show of chorinho and samba by some of the most respected carioca musicians in a dreamy panorama with cheap beers. it doesn’t get any better than this.

the Mourisco barzinho (small bar) situated on the Botafogo beach is where you can dive in the sounds of pagode (an improvised slower samba with dirty lyrics made by beating anything that can be found on a bar table: spoon on a glass or bottle, chair as a drum, matchbox as maracas, etc) on wednesday and forrò (a traditional northeastern music style that can be compared with country and folk) on friday while admiring one of the most awesome panoramas of the Cidade Maravilhosa. if you like forrò another option is Severyna located in the Laranjeiras bairro, where you can listen and dance to this contagious sound.

if you rather like a more sophisticated and selected ambient there is the Mistura Fina restaurant-bar on the Lagoon, where you can enjoy bossa nova, latin american music and jazz played live by top musicians. the temple of Bossa Nova is the Vinícius show bar located in Ipanema and named after the great poet and composer the late Vinícius de Moraes, where in a very relaxed and friendly enviroment you can dine while enjoying live gigs by great brazilian artists.
Gafieira Estudantina Musical is one of the city’s most traditional dance halls where you can listen to amazing orchestras and dance the night away to the rhythms of samba, rumba and bolero.

if instead you want to get the complete package you can spend an evening at the famous Plataforma show house in Leblon with an intriguing show that traces back in music the history of Brazil with its most famous dances and rhythms, from Bahia’s capoeira to northeast forrò to Rio’s samba.

As everybody knows cariocas loves to party all night long, so here are the best places to go and dance the night away:

the always trendy two floor Mariuzinn disco in Copacabana is one of the best in town and a nighlife favourite choice by the young cariocas. a fine designer interior and choice of classy drinks sets instead apart Baronneti in Ipanema, another of the most popular dance clubs of Rio.

located in the high class district of Leblon Melt is currently one of the trendiest dance clubs in town, where you can always hook up with the very beautiful local singles. also in Leblon we have the animated dance club Bombar, where you can meet mainly Rio’s upper class (including many VIPs). New York style pocket club Jota Bar in the Jardim Botânico district is one of the favourite places by the uptown young cariocas thanks to its tiny dance floor and lounge feeling. 00 (Zero Zero) is another flawlessy designed outdoor/indoor club located inside the Planetário in Gávea and frequented by Rio’s crème de la crème.

if instead you like a more indie place then we suggest you the Casa da Matriz club in Botafogo, that with 2 dance floors, 2 bars, 1 shop, 1 movie room, and even an Atari (!) room will provide for plenty of fun and great time. not to talk that there is always something new going on, from parties to live gigs. another similar option is the Casa Rosa (the Pink House, one of the most traditional Cultural Centres of Rio located in the Laranjeiras quartier) that every night always offers something interesting in a a very different and relaxed down-to earth atmospehere, whenever it is a concert, an exhibition or a cult movie. plus with a big garden, many rooms, a pool table, a great bar and the “right” people (mostly young singles) you really can’t go wrong as there are lots of ways to have fun, especially on sunday when you can enjoy the home speciality, the samba da Alice and pagode plus an excellent fejoada (Brazil’s national dish)

the alternative dance club Punto Latino located in Lapa, the most bohemian district of Rio, is an off the beaten track place which is one of the favourites by the local youth because it offers a varius musical scheduling ranging from the very popular Brazilian Funk to techno to more traditional latino rhythms. also in Lapa we have the Odisséia Theatre, that rotates dance nights with live gigs of all kind of music, from pop-rock to more traditional brazilian rhythms, and for this reason it has become one of the favourite spots by the more alternative young locals.

by the way Lapa is always animated during the weekend as this is the favourite place for young cariocas to party, so even if you are alone you can always have a great time and join one of the many street parties taking place around the Lapa Arches.

last but not least from november to february the Pão de Açúcar also hosts a series of night shows featuring many of Brazil’s top artists known as the Oi Noites Carioca, so if you are visiting Rio during this period you better always check out the local newspapers or tv news to see what’s going on.

the world famous Help disco in Copacabana and its restaurant on the walkway both opened any day of the week until 5 AM are the places that without any doubt holds the record for the biggest concentration of hot bottoms on the planet, all willing to show off ... a must stop for the single males coming for the first time in Rio! also in Copacabana the Erotika is one of the most animated nightclubs where there is always plenty of “action” inside thanks to dozens hot girls free for all.

La Cicciolina (the name already says it all!) is another of the best nightclubs in Copa where you can always enjoy great adult live shows and be entertained by top class girls anyway you like … and finally the Balcony Bar is a very cool american-style restaurant-bar located in the Praça do Lido on Copacabana beach, it is  open 24 hour a day and you can have a drink or eat something at anytime, or watch your favourite sports team playing live, and most important the place is always filled up with many gatas all available to meet you.

if instead you want to get the complete (and better in our opinion) package the gorgeous Termas Quatro por Quatro in downtown is the wildest nightclub in Rio and definitely one of the places a single man should go at least once in his lifetime, where in between unforgettable adult live shows up to 150 hottest girls will turn all your wildest fantasies come true ... (closed on saturday & sunday)

located just one street away from the “4 by 4” Termas Cancun is another great place where to spend a wild night of fun between shameless girls ready to do anything, great live adult shows and even cool live gigs of samba and chorinho, or if you want you can relax in the sauna or get a private “massage” as one of the best things of all the top termas of Rio is that they give you a locker to keep your clothes and belonging and you change into a bathrobe for the whole time you stay there, so this way you are always ready for “action” if you want (closed on saturday & sunday)

Termas Solarium is instead opened all week. situated in the classy Jardim Botânico district just one block from the Lagoon Solarium is one of the hottest nightclubs in Rio and rumored by the “experts” to be the place with the finest selection of stunning girls as it is always filled up with gorgeous brazilian babes of all races willing to please you … once again it’s roupão maravilhão! (marvelous bathrobe!)

the Cidade Maravilhosa has many traditional fairs and markets where you can buy typical souvenirs to bring back home, these are the best ones:

the city’s most popular open air market is the Feira de São Cristóvão (São Cristóvão Fair, that takes its name from the popular bairro in the north side of Rio), located in the Luis Gonzaga Northeastern Traditions Centre (named after the most popular northeastern musician). there you can buy valuable typical brazilian northeast craftasmanship and eat typical food in a friendly place animated by hundreds street artists and musicians, especially at night where the place turns into an huge open air party (closed on monday)

anorher of the city’s most traditional open air markets is the Feira do Rio Antigo that takes place in Lapa the first saturday of every month, while instead every saturday and sunday the Praça do Lido square on Copacabana beach hosts the Feira na Praça do Lido. there you can buy souvenirs and typical brazilian piece of art at very good prices. the Babilônia Feira Hype is an open air market located under the stands of the Jockey Club in the Gávea district, and where you can buy fashion clothes made by local griffes at good prices, and also books and pieces of art in a cool place in which often local famous artists plays too (only opened on saturday and sunday every 15 days)

and finally every sunday the Galeria Café in Ipanema hosts the Bazar Galeria, an interesting art gallery show room where you can buy fine fashion clothes, furnitures, bijoutery, atc, all available at good prices.

If you are looking for that extra experience that will last a lifetime among your fondest memories the Marvelous City can provide with the following thrillers:

the meeting place is in front of the glamorous Copacabana Palace, the most famous hotel in Rio, from which you will leave for a Favelas Tour (slums tour) of Rocinha (Brazil’s largest favela) and Vila Canoas (where exists a school-social project that helps local poor children to achieve a better future, that is co-financed by our company too), so you can see in person the less fortunate side of brazilian society (the one the Government would like to hide from the rest of the world and that the very same Rio middle class people is afraid to mix with) and understand its aspects and rules that will be explained from the side of who lives there, and that will ultimately change your ideas on the favelas (your security during this tour is 100% guaranteed - ask us for quotes)

you can have an Helicopter Tour and get the opportunity to fly over Rio’s most important postcards: Cristo Redentor, Pão de Açúcar, Maracanã stadium, Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, and the fabled beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. Besides these spectacular sightseeing views you will be able to take some of the most amazing photos of your holiday (minimum number required 3 passengers – ask us for quotes)

or you can enjoy the unforgettable experience of launching yourself up from the Bonita Rock in the Tijuca Forest with the hang gliding or paragliding free flight to fly over the Marvelous City before landing on the Pepino beach (the launch will be performed by an expert athlete who will be at your side therefore your security is 100% guaranteed – ask us for quotes)

The Cidade Maravilhosa is surrounded by many breathtaking places all worth to be visited, we recomnend you the following:

you can sail for a spectacular boat tour of the Guanabara Bay all the way to Niterói which includes a visit to the Fiscal Island, that with its beautiful colonial-style castle shaped palace used to be the site of the best parties thrown by the high class society of Rio.

you can spend the day in Niterói, which is located on the other side of the Bay of Rio de Janeiro and can be considered the Rio's New Jersey because it’s quieter and has a small-town feeling. Niterói is connected to the Marvelous City by boats leaving anytime from Praça XV (the trip last 12 minutes) and by the famous bridge long 8.69 miles/14 km (you can take a van in front of Urugiaiana metro station in downtown that will take you there in 20 minutes), both ways to reach the town are very cheap. once there you can relax on the very quiet Forte Rio Branco beach, one of Rio’s best kept secrets as it is basically ignored by tourists, and then you can have a city tour with stops at the statue of the Indio Araribóia (founder of Niterói), the Fortaleza de Santa Cruz fort and the Boa Viagem island, followed by a visit to the celeb MAC, the Contemporary Art Museum that always hosts interesting collections and that is already a piece of art itself with its futuristic spacecraft-shaped building since it was designed by the world’s famous innovative brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

the cutest destination on the carioca coastline is Búzios, a small fishermen´s village located in a natural paradise 192 km/119 miles northeast from Rio and that was put on the map by Brigitte Bardot, who loved to spend her holidays here in the 60’s, turning it into the favourite local place by the high society jet set. the town has dedicated her a life-size statue in the praia da Armação that gives the name to the Orla Bardot, one of the city's favourite postcards, while other life-size statues can be admired in praia dos Ossos (beach of Bones). another must while there is sailing off for a spectacular boat tour of the islands Feia, Branca and Rasa and many of the beautiful 23 beaches of the peninsula, with cocktail and pagode show on board. or you can enjoy yourself around the many picturesque places, restaurants and bars of the Rua das Pedras, where Brazil mixes with the world´s cultures of  thanks to the international imprinting of the town.

Paraty is a little paradise in colonial style on the coast located 234 km/145 miles west from Rio and that still mantains its originality towards all other brazilian cities. after arrival you can visit the enchanting Historical Center (where only walking is allowed) that was declared Patrimony of Humanity and is charatherized by its streets below sea level with the pavement shaped in channels to drain the water and allow the sea to enter and wash the streets during high tide. then your tour can continue with stops to admire the churches of Santa Rita, Nossa Senhora do Rosário, São Benedito and Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, the Praça da Bandeira and the postcard-like Bay.

Petrópolis, also known as the Imperial City of Brazil, is a town located 59 km/36 miles north from Rio de Janeiro. a popular summer holiday spot because of its great climate and surroundings, its main attraction is the former Summer Palace of Dom Pedro II, the second and last brazilian Emperor, which now houses the Imperial Museum specializing in Imperial history and memorabilia. other great places worth to be visited are the Quintadinha Palace (characterized by its impressive architecture and Hollywood-style decor) and the Encantada, the House Museum of aviation pioneer Santos Dumont.