SOUTH & CENTRAL AMERICA
Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Manaus, 3-night Amazon River Cruise, Brasília, The Pantanal
Small groups of no more than 25 travelers, guaranteed
Experience the best of Brazil, from the sultry samba rhythms of Rio to the inland capital of Brasilia, whose futuristic architecture prompted UNESCO to designate the entire city a World Heritage Site. Journey into the heart of the Amazon on a three-night river cruise and witness the wildlife of the Pantanal, the world's largest wetland. Spend A Day in the Life of piranha fishermen in a remote village in the Pantanal, and much more.
15 days starting from $9,795
including international airfare from Miami
Single Supplement: FREE
Departure Dates: Mar-May; Jul-Nov
Activity Level: Moderate
13 nights accommodation and 1 day room (to be shared among the group before the late flight back to the U.S.)
International airfare, airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges unless you choose to make your own air arrangements
All land transportation and 4 internal flights
31 meals-13 breakfasts, 9 lunches, and 9 dinners
24 small group activities
Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader
Gratuities for local guides, naturalists, drivers, ship-crew, and luggage porters
5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your next adventure
Depart from the U.S. on an overnight flight to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
We arrive this morning in Rio and transfer to our hotel. Later, join your Trip Experience Leader and fellow travelers, including those from the Buenos Aires & Uruguay's Colonial Past pre-trip extension, for an orientation walk and Welcome Briefing. Later, we'll enjoy a Welcome Dinner at a churrascaria, a Brazilian barbecue restaurant specializing in grilled meats.
Meals: D | Porto Bay Rio Internacional Hotel or similar
This morning, we'll visit Corcovado Mountain, site of the 124-foot-high Christ the Redeemer statue. Then we'll explore downtown Rio and see the Selarón Stairs, a colorful piece created by artist Jorge Selarón. We'll savor an included lunch featuring Brazil's national dish, feijoada-a hearty stew of beans and smoked meat. After lunch, we'll continue exploring Rio around the Praça XV de Novembro.
Meals: B,L | Porto Bay Rio Internacional Hotel or similar
We'll get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the work that goes into Carnival at one of the massive warehouses where these famous samba schools spend the entire year preparing their floats, costumes, and dance moves for the annual event.
Meals: B,L | Porto Bay Rio Internacional Hotel or similar
Fly to Manaus, situated where the upper Amazon River and its biggest tributary in Brazil, the Rio Negro, meet.
Meals: B,D | Tropical Executive Hotel or similar
Take in the history and culture of Manaus, beginning at Mercado Municipal, a bustling marketplace built during the rubber boom as a replica of the Parisian Les Halles market. Then visit Teatro Amazonas, an elegant 800-seat opera house designed to bring the grandeur of Europe to the heart of the Amazon. This afternoon, we embark the M/V Anna Beatriz for our Rio Negro cruise.
Meals: B,L,D | M/V Anna Beatriz
This morning, set off on an interpretive walk in the surrounding rainforest, followed by an opportunity to go for a swim in the Rio Negro, whose waters are home to friendly pink river dolphins. Later, explore the waters of Anavilhanas National Park by canoe. One of the largest freshwater archipelagos on earth, Anavilhanas is composed of a labyrinth of waterways and some 400 islands.
Meals: B,L,D | M/V Anna Beatriz
Begin the day with a visit to a local village to meet with members of an indigenous community and learn about everyday life in the remote Amazon. Later, take a boat tour of the Ariau River, a tributary of the Rio Negro, with an opportunity to swim in the river before setting off by motorized canoes to observe the flora and fauna along the shores. After a Farewell Dinner onboard the ship, enjoy a caipirinha demonstration, Brazil's famous national cocktail.
Meals: B,L,D | M/V Anna Beatriz
On Days 6-9, cruise along the Rio Negro aboard the M/V Anna Beatriz, and take motorized canoes to explore the labyrinth of waterways in the Amazon rainforest.
On our way back to Manaus, our ship will pause at the "Meeting of the Waters," a magical site where the pale waters of the Upper Amazon collide with the dark waters of the Rio Negro. We'll disembark in Manaus and fly to Brasília this afternoon.
Meals: B | Windsor Brasília Hotel or similar
Set off on a city tour of Brasília, whose futuristic architecture prompted UNESCO to designate the entire city a World Heritage Site. This afternoon, you can join an optional tour to paddle an outrigger canoe along Lake Paranoá. This evening, enjoy a Home-Hosted Dinner with a local family in Brasilía.
Meals: B,D | Windsor Brasília Hotel or similar
On Day 13, spend A Day in the Life of a remote fishing community in the Pantanal, a region of flooded grasslands that is home to the highest concentration of wildlife in South America.
Fly to Cuiabá, a city at the edge of the Pantanal, the largest wetland area on Earth. After transferring to our lodge , we'll have a talk on the Pantanal and enjoy dinner tonight.
Meals: B,L,D | Pousada do Rio Mutum or similar
We rise before dawn today to enjoy the beauty of the sunrise from motorized canoes. Then, we'll take a horseback ride along wetland trails and a boat ride around the Pantanal. We return to our lodge for lunch, we'll off for a guided walk through the forest to further explore our natural surroundings.
Meals: B,L,D | Pousada do Rio Mutum or similar
After breakfast, we visit a fishing village to share A Day in the Life of this small community in the Pantanal. We'll meet three generations of village residents, and local fishermen will show us how they catch piranha and make soup from the fish. After returning to our lodge this afternoon, we'll take a boat ride to try our hand at fishing for piranha-and see how close we paid attention to the local fishermen we met earlier.
Meals: B,L,D | Pousada do Rio Mutum
After breakfast, transfer to the airport in Cuiabá for our return flight to Rio.
Meals: B | Porto Bay Rio Internacional Hotel or similar
This morning, take a cable car ride to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain, one of Rio's most iconic landmarks, where we can take in panoramic views of the city. Later this afternoon, we'll head to the airport for our return flights to the U.S., or to begin your optional post-trip extension to Iguassu Falls: Thundering Cascades of Argentina & Brazil.
Meals: B.L
See the full deck plan for the M/V Anna Beatriz on page 222.
Want to know more? Find the full itinerary and dates & pricing at www.oattravel.com/brz
Choose to maximize your discoveries and value when you add a pre- or post-trip extension-or both-to your adventure.
PRE-TRIP: 6 nights from $2,395
This destination is only available as a trip extension
Spend two nights in Argentina's lively capital of Buenos Aires, then ferry across to Uruguay for two nights in Colonia del Sacramento, one of Uruguay's oldest cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visit an estancia (ranch) on your way to two final nights in the Uruguayan capital of Montevideo, one of South America's true hidden gems.
Ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia del Sacramento & airfare from Montevideo to Rio de Janeiro
6 nights accommodation
11 meals-6 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 3 dinners
5 small group activities
Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader
Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters
All transfers
Learn more at www.oattravel.com/brz-uruguay-2026
POST-TRIP: 4 nights from $1,895
Add Iguassu Falls, one of South America's most awe-inspiring natural wonders, to your dicoveries. After a night in Rio, witness the Brazilian and Argentinean sides of this array of 275 separate cascades that prompted former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt to exclaim, "My poor Niagara!, upon seeing the true enormity of Iguassu Falls up close.
Roundtrip airfare between Rio de Janeiro and Iguassu Falls
4 nights accommodation
7 meals-4 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 2 dinners
3 small group activities
Services of a local O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader
Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters
All transfers
Learn more at www.oattravel.com/brz-iguassu-2026
We recommend that you relax after a long flight or explore more in depth before your trip. Prices shown include accommodations and private airport transfer.