Discover the sights, sounds, and flavors of Brazil on this magnificent Amazon cruise vacation. Your trip begins in Rio de Janeiro for a 3-night stay. Take in the sights of South America’s largest and most populous city. Visit Sugar Loaf Mountain and enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of the city, including the cathedral and the statue of Christ the Redeemer crowning Corcovado Mountain. Attend a churrascaria for a feast of barbecued meats and a samba show. You have plenty of free time in Rio de Janeiro to relax, explore on your own, or join optional activities and tours. Next, fly to Iguassu Falls to see the magnificent waterfalls and tropical foliage from the Brazilian side. Marvel at this 2-mile-wide torrential downpour with some cataracts as high as 250 feet. Take the Ecological Jungle Train and enjoy a closer perspective on a walking tour of the Argentine side of the Falls. Next, fly to Manaus, gateway to Brazil’s Amazon, for a guided sightseeing tour of the city. In Manaus, embark your cruise ship, the Iberostar Grand Amazon, for your 3-night Amazon cruise. Stops are made along the Amazon’s Rio Solimões, offering excursions to explore the Amazon jungle and local vegetation, see indigenous animals, and visit local communities. En route back to Manaus, cruise the “Meeting of the Waters,” where the chocolate-colored Rio Negro meets with the yellow-gray Rio Solimões to form the Amazon. For four miles, the differently colored bodies of water flow side by side and never mix! What a wonderful finale to your Amazon cruise vacation!

Day 1
Board your flight to South America.

Day 2 Arrival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Welcome to South America’s largest and most populous country. Rooms are ready for immediate check-in so you can refresh. The balance of your day is free. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and fellow traveling companions for a welcome dinner. Drive along famous Ipanema and Copacabana Beaches to SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN. Ascend by cable car, where you can savor spectacular vistas of the city while toasting your upcoming vacation with caipirinhas, a favorite Brazilian cocktail. Enjoy dinner at a popular local restaurant. (D)

Day 3 Rio de Janeiro
Today, visit the statue of Christ the Redeemercrowning CORCOVADO MOUNTAIN, a rounded peak rising 2,300 feet from the bay below. Take the scenic cog railway ride to its top, where a 360-degree panorama affords sweeping views. Proceed to bustling downtown Rio. View the Sambodromo and visit the CATHEDRAL. This evening, attend a churrascaria for a feast of barbecued meats marinated and roasted over charcoal in true Brazilian style. Later, experience a SAMBA SHOW, where the sheer vitality of this country explodes in a colorful extravaganza. (B,D)

Day 4 Rio de Janeiro
A day of leisure or you may wish to enjoy a Guanabara Bay cruise, offering spectacular views of Rio and its beaches. This afternoon, consider an optional trip to historic Petropolis, once the former summer palace of Emperor Dom Pedro II and now a mountain resort. (B)

Day 5 Rio de Janeiro–Iguassu Falls
A flight from Rio takes you to IGUASSU FALLS. Experience the clouds of spray, the incessant roar, and the surrounding luxuriant tropical growth that make this an unforgettable natural wonder. Spend the afternoon enjoying the magnificent panorama of waterfalls from the Brazilian side. Your Local Guide introduces the spectacle of this 2-mile-wide torrential downpour, with some cataracts as high as 250 feet, which is nothing short of hypnotic. (B,D)

Day 6 Iguassu Falls
Today you are taken to the Argentine side of the Falls, where you will ride the ECOLOGICAL JUNGLE TRAIN and enjoy a closer perspective on a walking tour of this side of the Falls. The remainder of your day is free to explore the region on your own. (B)

Day 7 Iguassu Falls–Manaus
Early this morning, head to the Iguassu Cataratas Airport for your flight to Manaus, gateway to Brazil’s Amazon . Later this afternoon, guided sightseeing will show you the opulent sites from Manaus’ rubber boom at the turn of last century, like São Sebastião Square and Palácio Rio Negro, built to be the private residence of a German rubber baron. Next, proceed to the famous OPERA HOUSE built almost entirely of European material during the rubber boom and inaugurated in 1896. Top off your tour with a stroll through the Art Nouveau-style Municipal Market and learn about the region’s local fish, fruits, and medicinal herbs. (B,D)

Day 8 Manaus (Embarkation)
After time at leisure this morning you will visit the Museum of Natural Sciences, housing endemic fauna found in the area. Next, visit the BOSQUE DA CIENCIA, where a guide will introduce you to many common animals of the region living within the park. Continue to the pier and embark your cruise ship, the Iberostar Grand Amazon, your home for the next three nights. Stops will be made at locations along the Amazon’s Rio Solimões, offering excursions to explore the Amazon jungle and local vegetation, see indigenous animals, and even visit local river communities. This evening, enjoy a Captain’s welcome cocktail party before dinner. (B,D)

Day 9 Cruising: Rainforest Walk & Piranha Fishing
This morning, board a Panga™ boat for a short ride to the shore, where you will embark on a Naturalist-guided WALK through the rainforest in the Manacapurú region. Along the trail the guide explains how natives subsist off the native flora. You’ll also learn about some of the medicinal qualities each plant possesses. Keep an eye open for Capuchin and Howler Monkeys! After a lecture on the region and lunch on board, head back out via Panga and try your hand at PIRANHA FISHING. Tonight, under the dark of night, cruise the waterways on a CAIMAN-SPOTTING EXPEDITION. (B,L,D)

Day 10 Cruising: Bird Watching & Local Home Visit
Early this morning, enjoy the sunrise over the Amazon as you depart on a BIRD-WATCHING SAFARI in search of the many endemic birds of the Janauacá Lake region. Later, visit a LOCAL HOME for an up-close view of how the native communities live and work. This afternoon, a CRUISE through some of the smaller Amazon tributaries allows you the chance to spot wildlife. Your final evening on board begins with a gala dinner followed by a Brazilian FOLKLORIC SHOW, the perfect finale to your vacation. (B,L,D)

Day 11 Meeting of the Waters–Manaus (Disembarkation)–Homebound Flight
En route back to Manaus early this morning, cruise the MEETING OF THE WATERS, where the chocolate-colored Rio Negro meets with the yellow-gray Rio Solimões to form the mighty Amazon. For four miles the differently colored bodies of water flow side by side and never mix! Say goodbye to the Amazon when you disembark in Manaus and transfer to the airport for your homebound flight. (B)

12/09