A delightful introduction to this vibrant and captivating city! Visit its major attractions including Sugar Loaf Mountain and the neo-futuristic building Museu do Amanhã or “(Tomorrow´s Museum)”. The group will also visit a Samba Factory to learn about the process of creating and producing a parade for Rio’s famed Carnival.
DAY 1 - March 12, 2024
Upon flying into the Rio International Airport, you will be met and transferred to the Hilton Rio De Janeiro Copacabana Hotel which is located just steps from Copacabana Beach.
Check in is at 3:00pm. Although every effort will be made to have rooms available before this time, this cannot be guaranteed. Should you have an early arriving flight you may wish to book an extra night, so your room is available upon arrival at the hotel.
The remainder of the day is at your leisure, allowing you time to settle in. Meals are on your own today.
DAY 2 - March 13, 2024
Following a buffet breakfast at your hotel, meet your guide and take a drive downtown for an intriguing tour of Rio. You will see its beautiful buildings dating from colonial and Imperial days sharing space with the very modern architecture of the Brazilians Oscar Niemeyer, Afonso Reidy and many others. Adding to this group of masters, is the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava who designed the neo-futuristic building Museu do Amanhã, (Tomorrow´s Museum).
Your tour includes visits to the modern Catholic Cathedral, the ancient and gorgeous Saint Bento Monastery as well as The Tomorrow’s Museum. You will also see the Opera House, the Fine Arts Museum and the National Library.
Following your introductory tour of Rio de Janeiro, you will head back to your hotel via Rio’s most scenic beach, the Copacabana. Back at your hotel, the remainder of the day is at leisure for you to explore as you wish. Lunch and dinner are on your own.
DAY 3 - March 14, 2024
Enjoy another buffet breakfast at your hotel before driving to Praia Vermelha. Here, you’ll board a cable car for a ride to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. The 600-million-year-old granite and quartz mountain was named for its tall cone, supposedly because it resembles sugar that was shaped into a loaf for transport in the 19th century.
The cable-car ride is in two stages. The first takes you to Urca Hill, where there are lush, fragrant gardens and several scenic lookouts. If you wish to venture even higher, the second segment of the cable car ride will take you to the very top of Sugarloaf, which rises 1300 feet above sea level. From here, you will enjoy mesmerizing views of the city, Guanabara Bay, the ocean and smaller, densely vegetated mountains.
After descending Sugarloaf, you will drive through a number of pleasant residential areas and eventually stop for a typical Brazilian BBQ lunch.
Lunch is followed by a drive downtown for a unique backstage visit to a Samba School Pavilion. Here, you will learn about the process of creating and producing a parade for Rio’s famed Carnival. It will be especially fascinating to see how the lavish costumes and floats are made. If you wish, you can try on some of the costumes from last year’s Carnival for a photo.
Following this entertaining visit, board your vehicle for a drive through the Rebouças tunnel and return to the hotel by late afternoon. On arrival, you still have time to relax at the hotel. Dinner is on your own.
DAY 4 - March 15, 2024
Enjoy a buffet breakfast at the hotel restaurant before transferring to the port to embark the ship.
Land Program Details Step by Step
• The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. Program times are approximate, given here for general reference purposes and subject to change.
• Itineraries with the up-to-date details will be issued when you are emailed your final cruise documents 21 days prior to sailing. You will then receive a final itinerary from our ground operator with a Welcome Letter upon arrival or at your hotel. Please review the letter and your final itinerary carefully for further amendments.
• The hotels used for your land program will be the hotels listed in this document unless you have been advised otherwise in advance of the land program start date.
• Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released.
Extra Nights
• All extra nights booked through the cruise line are confirmed at the hotel that is used on the FIRST NIGHT of your land program.
• If you book extra nights through the cruise line, you will be met as per the flight details provided and transferred to your hotel. Check-in is 3:00pm (subject to change). Meals other than breakfast, as well as activities, are on your own until day 2 of the program.
• If you have an early-arriving flight, you may wish to book an extra night as your room will not be ready for occupation until approximately 3:00pm.
• If you book extra nights on your own, transfers are not included.
DAY 1
Arrive at the Galeão International Airport in Rio de Janeiro.
You are met outside the customs and transferred to your hotel to spend the afternoon and the evening at your leisure. Meals are on your own.
Check in time at your hotel is 3:00pm. Although every effort will be made to have rooms available sooner, this cannot be guaranteed.
Overnight at the Hilton Rio De Janeiro Copacabana Hotel or similar hotel
Meet and Greet and transfers
• Final cruise documents will be emailed 21 days prior to sailing. The local ground agent’s telephone number will be on page 1, if you can’t locate the meet-and-greet representative upon arrival. Be aware that the representative may be assisting others and may not be in sight when you first exit Customs and the luggage claim area.
• Look for someone holding a sign with the cruise line logo and possibly your name. If in doubt, ask the airport staff to direct you to the meeting area for transfers or to page our representative.
• Meet and Greet and transfers are arranged for guests arriving on Day 1 of a land program or for extra nights booked through the cruise line and are arranged based on the flight details received by guests at least 14 days before sailing. Guests arriving independently before the program start date will not have a transfer included.
• If we have not received your flight details or your flights have changed, and the Destination Services Land Team has not been notified, then a transfer cannot be provided, and guests will be responsible for getting to the land program hotel at their own expense. Please immediately contact our Reservations Department for any flight changes before departure.
DAY 2
From 7:00am Buffet breakfast at your hotel
9:00am Introductory tour of downtown Rio
1:00pm Return to your hotel
The remainder of the day is at leisure with lunch and dinner on your own.
Overnight at the Hilton Rio De Janeiro Copacabana Hotel or similar hotel
DAY 3
From 7:00am Buffet breakfast at your hotel
8:30am Tour Sugar Loaf, BBQ lunch and visit the Samba School Pavilion
5:00pm Return to the hotel
The remainder of the day is at leisure with lunch and dinner on your own.
Overnight at the Hilton Rio De Janeiro Copacabana Hotel or similar hotel
DAY 4
7:00am Full Brazilian breakfast at your hotel before check-out
12:00pm Transfer to the pier for embarkation
Expected Weather:
Summer is from the end of November until March. During these months, the daily high averages 29° Celsius (84° Fahrenheit, although it can frequently climb as high as 40° Celsius (104° Fahrenheit) in parts of the city.
At night, the temperatures remain in the mid-20s Celsius (high 70s Fahrenheit).
What to Bring:
Casual, comfortable attire, good walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen, camera, and umbrella
Local Currency:
The local currency is the Brazilian Real (BRL). You will need Real’s, as the U.S. Dollar is not accepted in Brazil; however, dollars can still be used for small tips or to buy items in some tourist shops.
Electricity
In Rio - 127V-60H - adaptors may be available at the hotel however we recommend brining your own international adaptor for electric devices.
Documents and Visa Requirements:
A valid passport is needed. International guests are required to check with their travel agents with regards to Visa requirements.
Hotel addresses:
Hilton Rio De Janeiro Copacabana Hotel
Av. Atlantica 1020, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22011-010
Phone: +55 21 3501 8000
Please Note: Guests booking their own flights (independent of the cruise line) are responsible for ensuring that the cruise line has the updated arrival information, so your transfer can be arranged. If you book additional nights independently of the cruise line, an arrival transfer is not provided. If we do not receive flight details a minimum of 14 days in advance, transfers will not be provided.
Program Includes for guests:
• 3 nights at the Hilton Rio De Janeiro or similar hotel - Ocean Copacabana View
• Breakfast buffet daily
• Two half-day tours, including the Tomorrow’s Museum; the São Bento Monastery and Sugarloaf
• BBQ lunch on Day 3 including 1 water plus 1 beer, juice or soda.
• Air-conditioned coaches with English-speaking guide
• Luggage handling and porterage at the airport and hotel.
• Service charges, handling fees, and local taxes.
Please Note: Guests booking their own flights (independent of the cruise line) are responsible for ensuring that the cruise line has the updated arrival information, so your transfer can be arranged. If you book additional nights independently of the cruise line, an arrival transfer is not provided. If we do not receive flight details a minimum of 14 days in advance, transfers will not be provided.
Program Excludes for guests:
• Any meals or beverages not listed above.
• Gratuities to drivers and guides
• Hotel incidentals including mini bar and personal expenses.
Please note: Land programs that encompass multiple days ashore customarily include extensive and prolonged activity, while those of shorter durations typically have more moderate activity levels. However, each program varies, and participants should be prepared to negotiate a mixture of surfaces which may include inclines, cobblestones, sand, and gravel or natural paths. There may also be a need to climb steps or stairs on occasion. Guests who utilize a wheelchair and those with mobility concerns are advised to check with the cruise line in advance to see if any portion of the tour program may not be considered suitable for their individual situation. Weather appropriate clothing; hats; sunglasses; and flat, comfortable walking shoes are generally recommended.
Please note: All land programs are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Programs falling under the minimum number of required participants are subject to cancellation. Pricing listed is also subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases for transportation, land arrangements or currency fluctuations. Once purchased, pricing is guaranteed and not subject to change. Land Programs must be purchased no later than 60 days prior to your sail date. Cancellations made within 60 days or less prior to the sail date are subject to 100% cancellation penalty. There are no refunds for unused portions of any program. Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released.
Prices are per person, based on double occupancy and subject to availability.
