2024/25 Brazil New Year Escape

Take in the breathtaking view as your plane descends into Rio de Janeiro - the 'Marvellous City' where rolling green hills, turqoise ocean, sandy beaches and high-rise urban development is all packed together in a unique blend of life and humanity. Your driver will take you from the airport to the hotel, during which time you can get a different perspective of the city, passing through the colonial style buildings and along the world-famous beachfront. The natural beauty of Rio is almost transcendental and gives you a taste of the Amazon rainforest while still retaining everything that is so incredible about a Latin American city. A walk along the mosaic tiles of Copacabana reveals much about the life of a 'carioca' (Rio local) - a refreshing caipirinha as the waves lap against the shore, a fiercely competitive game of foot volleyball, and thousands of beachgoers sunning themselves on the white sands. You have truly arrived in paradise.

After a delicious tropical breakfast in your hotel, you will head out on a trip to see the world-famous Christ the Saviour statue on top of Corcovado Mountain. A specially designed train will take you from the foot of the mountain along a winding road through the magical Tijuca rainforest where you will see some of the enchanting tropical wildlife on constant display in Rio, such as toucans, monkeys and armadillos. At the summit of Corcovado, 700m above sea level, proudly stands the iconic image seen around the world - a 38m high statue of Christ the Saviour. But that is not the only breathtaking thing about this place - when up close to the statue you will be overwhelmed by the stunning panoramic view of the city, so high up it seems as though you are truly flying with the birds around you. From the far reaches of Guanabara Bay, to the Maracanã Stadium, all along to Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana, Ipanema and Gávea Mountain, you can see the whole of Rio de Janeiro.

* * * If you wish, you can book a New Year dinner or a ticket for a party in one of the hotels in Copacabana. Prices available on request ***

After breakfast in your hotel you will be taken to the mythical Sugarloaf mountain, protruding abruptly from out of the ground. A magnificent cable car ride will take you up to Urca Mountain, the stop off between ground level and Sugarloaf. From there you can enjoy a smooth cocktail or sample some of Brazil's many signature dishes. Once arriving to the top of Sugarloaf mountain you will see the captivating beauty of Rio from a different angle, To your left you can see Copacabana beach stretching off into the distance, and on the horizon the faint outlines of Two Brothers and Gávea mountains. Below you is the quaint and intimate Red Beach, while to your right you can see across Guanabara Bay to Niterói and, closer in, Rio's Botafogo and central neighbourhoods, with the unmistakeable silhouette of Christ the Saviour casting its eternal gaze over the city. This trip is essential to gain a different perspective on Rio, and to truly understand its beauty. After descending the mountain by cablecar, you will head into the Old Town and Centre, where colonial architecture still remains and many old churches such as the Candelária are still in use. The cobbled streets and bright colours are a stark contrast to the whitewashed, sunsoaked streets of Ipanema but in many ways are part of the authentic, nearly-forgotten Rio of old, and one can almost feel the hustle and bustle of hundreds of years ago when these streets were filled with merchants and citizens of the Portuguese Empire.

After breakfast in your hotel your driver will take you to the airport where it is time to say goodbye to the Marvellous City. Board your flight to Iguazu Falls, on the border with Argentina and also Paraguay, and once there your driver will take you to the Brazilian side of the falls. A tranquil and calming walk along the edge of the falls provides the most spectacular view you have ever seen; over 250 overflowing with millions of gallons of water racing furiously down straight from the Amazon River. The sunlight flashing off the water has the mesmerising effect of creating hundreds of rainbows as far as the eye can see. It is almost hard to believe, such is the breathtaking beauty of the rainforest paradise. After taking in the incredible views, the path takes you to the eye of the storm, the largest waterfall in the park, The Devil's Throat. Water crashes off an 80m cliff edge into the Iguazu River, but you have the chance to meet the water via a walkway that leads you into the heart of the waterfall. Feel the power of the water as it surrounds you from all sides, before heading up a stairway to look down from above on the mother of all waterfalls. At the end of the tour, your guide will drop you off at your hotel (entrance ticket included).

Wake up and have breakfast in your hotel. Today's tour will take you through the Argentinian side of the National Park. Often referred to as like being on stage compared to sitting in the audience from the Brazilian side, the Argentinian side allows you to fully interact with the falls as you walk across a spectacular maze of walkways over 3km long across two levels over the rushing water. Combined with the myriad rainbows, you are given the feeling of walking on water as you encounter the many waterfalls on display.

It all starts with the Lower Circuit: At a length of 1700m, wooden walkways penetrate the lush jungle to carry you to the edge of the twin beauty of the Salto Dos Hermanas (Two Sisters Falls), then the serene intimacy of Saltos Chico and Ramirez. The next stop on this magical spectacle of water is the gaping yawn of Salto Bosetti, followed by the tall and narrow but furiously powerful Saltos Alvar Nuñez, Elenita and Lanusse, all the while accompanied by the song of tropical birds, the howling of monkeys and the occasional amber flash of a toucan's beak.

The second half of the day takes you to the Upper Circuit: make the quick journey upwards from the Lower Circuit to bring you up to another walkway, this time from an elevated height which allows you to walk right up to the edge of the waterfalls and observe this incredible sight from above via a series of smaller falls, eventually reaching the gargantuan Salto San Martin, which seems to stretch on endlessly. The ominous rumble of the Devil's Throat can be heard in the distance.

The tour culminates in awe-inspiring Devil's Throat, this time seen from the top of the fall. To reach it, you take a scenic train ride through the rainforest, passing by the indigenous coati, armadillo and innumerable bird species. The cascade of flying mist can be seen from afar. It seems almost apocalyptic; however once you arrive at the Devil's Throat you cannot help but be struck by the beauty as the spray crashes against your face. Water pours in a 150m-long horseshoe shape down an 80m drop, to the very place you were standing in yesterday. The sheer amount of water falling away each second is simply mind-boggling (entrance ticket included).

After breakfast in the hotel you will be transferred to the airport for the flight to Rio de Janeiro. From there you will take your international flight back home.