Explore Brazil

Today is the arrival day, no activities are planned. The day is free to spend at your leisure exploring the city until our welcome meeting this evening. There’s so much to see and do in vibrant Rio de Janeiro pulsing with passion, music and ocean waves.

This massive city gets as many as five million international tourists every year to sip caipirinhas on the beach, dance the samba in the city’s streets, and ascend Corcovado Mountain to see Christ the Redeemer for yourself. Later, learn about the iconic dance of samba, an icon of African heritage and afro-Brazilian resistance in the country. Get a taste of Carnaval magic, learn some steps and meet some of the people who create the colourful costumes.

The Pantanal, a largely flat, wetland area roughly half the size of France, covering over 70,000 sq mi (180,000 sq km) making it the world's largest tropical wetland. The area has the largest concentration of wildlife in South America; rich in bird life, including colourful macaws and jabiru storks. With a bit of luck and the appropriate weather, you may spot unique species such as capybara, howler monkeys, caiman, giant river otters, anacondas, and anteaters.

Wildlife viewing in South America automatically makes you think of the Amazon rainforest, while biodiverse the dense jungle of the Amazon makes wildlife viewing a challenge. The wide open spaces of the Pantanal, on the other hand, offer easy viewing opportunities to spot a diverse set of species both in the wetlands and on land with the naked eye. At night, go caiman spotting and watch as a whole other set of species come to life under the cover of darkness.

The Pantanal is home to the third-largest cat in the world, the majestic jaguar. Although notoriously tough to spot in the wild, the ongoing efforts of the Jaguar Conservation Fund, Onçafari, and other conservation projects in the region are decreasing habitat loss for the big cats and increasing chances of spotting them in the Pantanal.

Fly north to the Iguazú Falls area, near the borders of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. Cross the border from Argentina to Brazil to experience the panoramic view of the falls.

As if imposing Iguazú Falls – with its 275 waterfalls – couldn’t get more impressive, the area surrounding this natural wonder is home to jaguars, ocelots, anteaters, and large toucans, among others. The falls and the national park by the same name were named UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1984.

Explore trails directly over the falls of the Devil's Throat — the highest and deepest of the falls. Other trails allow access to the stretch of falls across the forest on the Argentine side. Later, learn about the flora and fauna surrounding the falls from Wilson Fernandes, a local biologist specializing in the Atlantic Rainforest.

Get a different perspective of the falls from the Brazilian side. Take in the panoramic view of the falls before walking along the scenic walkways out into the falls. After, leave the falls behind and head back to Rio.