Cruise up the Amazon River on board the M/Y Tucano for 8 days/7 nights and explore the heart of the Amazon jungle. Perhaps you will see howler monkeys and hear a morning serenade of toucans. Next, fly to the famous city of Rio de Janeiro and walk along Ipanema Beach. Visit the famous Pao de Azucar – Sugar Loaf Mountain – and board the cable car for a stunning ascent to the top and fantastic vistas of the city and beaches. Take the train through the lush forest up Corcovado Mountain, atop which stands the giant statue of Cristo O Redentor – Christ the Redeemer. The statue was recently named as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Then, visit Iguazu Falls one of South America's wonders. We’ll hike through the surrounding rainforest, looking at parrots, parakeets, hummingbirds and toucans. This trip is the adventure of a lifetime as you experience the places that make Brazil so unique!

Day 1 Rio or Sao Paulo to Manaus
Upon arrival in Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo, we will meet you at the airport and connect you to your flight to Manaus, located on the Amazon River. Once in Manaus, settle into Hotel Tropical.  As the capital of Amazonas, the largest state in Brazil, Manaus was the center of the lucrative rubber trade in the late 19th and early 20th.  If you elected to take the city tour, you'll visit the sights of this busy port city, including the grand baroque-style Opera House, built during the height of the rubber boom. The mooring line at the docks is also an interesting sight – it is supported by giant buoys that rise and fall with the level of the river, which varies drastically with the seasons.

Day 2 – Manaus – M/Y Tucano - Heart of the Amazon Cruise
Trips on Tucano are for small groups with a maximum of 18 people. The focus of the trip is on the forest and its magnificent wildlife. There is a trained naturalist guide on board assisting you as you explore interesting areas of the Amazon rainforest.

With a spacious design the Tucano is a big boat, over 80 feet long, giving you plenty of space to spread out. The salon is enormous and provides a good place to observe the Amazon or read and relax. From this large room, filled with windows and situated at the front of the boat, you can see the fantastic jungle around you. It is also a delightful place to dine and listen to our evening discussions. The top deck is open and has a large sun canopy - a wonderful place to spot wildlife or soak in the vastness of the Amazon. There is also space to catch some sun and watch the Macaw parrots screeching across the sky. All of the cabins are comfortable and all have private baths. The Tucano has 9 passenger cabins. All of the cabins have large windows, which open. You can lie on your bed and watch the rainforest from your window while reading a novel of exploration. Each of the cabins has their own air-conditioning controls.
On our first morning all the guests will board the Motor Yacht Tucano at the Tropical Hotel boarding dock. We will depart and head upstream on the Rio Negro. Throughout the morning we will cruise through the world’s largest river island system, the Anavilhanas Archipelago. From the observation deck we can scan the magnificent tangle of vegetation at the water’s edge. By mid-afternoon the vessel will be well past settlements and we will enter a wilderness area. Both shores are covered by dense rainforest. Though we never know what we will see, we have a good chance of observing pink river dolphins and a large collection of exotic birds. Most certainly we will be treated to magnificent forest vistas. In the late afternoon we will launch the smaller boats and go exploring and look for wildlife. We may also go for a swim in some of the world’s most clean and refreshing water.  B, L, D

Day 3 – Heart of the Amazon Cruise
Early this morning we will explore the rainforest along the waters edge in our small boats. We will perhaps see howler monkeys and hear a morning serenade of toucans. After breakfast we go for a walk in the forest. Here, deep in the forest, we will get a good start on understanding Amazon ecology. Around midday we will return for lunch. During lunch M/Y Tucano will get underway, perhaps stopping at a place to swim. In the late afternoon we will explore the forest in our small boats and listen to the sunset chorus of birds and frogs. B, L, D

Day 4 – Heart of the Amazon Cruise
This morning there will be an early exploration of the forest. We will keep our eyes open for monkeys—on most trips we see them often. We return for breakfast followed by either a walk in the forest or an excursion in the small boats The M/Y Tucano will travel during the middle of the day and we will stop in the afternoon for an excursion. Tonight the vessel may travel a bit more as we marvel at the night sky crowded with stars. B, L, D

 Day 5 – Heart of the Amazon Cruise
After our two morning excursions,  M/Y Tucano will navigate along the heavily forested shore, scouting for wildlife. We may stop for a visit at a settler’s home carved out of the forest. In the early afternoon we will be near an extraordinary river called the Rio Jauaperi. We will scout along the shoreline for some of the extraordinary creatures found only in this unique environment. Weather permitting we will do a night excursion to observe nocturnal creatures. The jungle is inhabited by monkeys, marmosets, tamanduas, sloths, ocelot, jaguar, tapirs, anteaters, armadillos, peccaries, pacas, etc. B, L, D
Day 6 – Heart of the Amazon Cruise
Today we depart the Rio Jauaperi and for the next two days proceed downstream on the Rio Negro exploring a new collection of  rainforest habitats. In the daytime we will continue to scout in our launches, walk in the forest, and at night hunt for nocturnal wildlife. B, L, D

Day 7 – Heart of the Amazon Cruise
After a walk in the forest we cross to the West bank of the Rio Negro, exploring as we go. We will stop at the substantial boat building village of Novo Airão. As we walk through the streets we’ll marvel at how the 19th Century thrives in this remote corner of the globe. Tonight the Tucano goes downstream to arrive at daybreak near the confluence with the Amazon River. As we glide through the starry darkness this is a good night to sip the national drink of Brazil, the “Caipirinha”.  B, L, D


Day 8 – Heart of the Amazon Cruise
This morning we will explore the Lago Janauari Ecological Park. Here the thick brown water of the Amazon flows swiftly through the forest. This area is usually a very good place to observe wildlife. Around midday the vessel will travel to the “Encontra das Aguas” a stark line that is several miles long and where the world’s two largest rivers, the Amazon and the Negro, join in a turbulent maelstrom. Here the dark water of the Negro runs beside the opaque brown water of the Amazon. In the afternoon we will scout one of the hidden streams in the area to try to see more of the Amazon’s beautiful and bizarre creatures. Tonight there may be one last excursion looking for nocturnal life.  B, L, D

Day 9 – Manaus to Rio de Janeiro
In In the morning all guests disembark from the M/Y Tucano. Some guests will participate in an optional tour of the city of Manaus before transferring to the airport. A morning flight takes you to Rio de Janeiro, where you'll be met at the airport and taken to your hotel, Marina Palace. You'll have the day at your leisure to explore the city – stroll the mosaic-lined beach promenade or head to Ipanema Beach. B

 Day 10 – Rio de Janeiro
Spend the day on a city tour, starting in Rio's historic district. Visit the Baroque Church of the Candelaria, built by the Portuguese in the late 1700s, the Saint Benedict Monastery, and other treasures of colonial architecture. Later, we'll visit the famous Pao de Azucar – Sugar Loaf Mountain – and board the cable car for a stunning ascent to the top and fantastic vistas of the city, beaches and Guanabara Bay. After lunch, take the train through lush forest up Corcovado Mountain, atop which stands the giant statue of Cristo O Redentor – Christ the Redeemer – towering 2000 feet over the city. The statue has recently been named as one of the Seven Wonders of The World. In the evening, we'll return to Rio proper for dinner at a classic rodizio, a Brazilian steakhouse, and we'll be entertained by a Samba show at the Plataforma, the most spectacular of Rio's Samba shows. B, L, D

Day 11 – Rio de Janeiro to Iguazu Falls
The morning is free for you to enjoy Rio on your own – go shopping, take a ferry ride to nearby Niterói or Paquetá Island, or just enjoy a good meal and a drink at a local cafe. In the afternoon, you’ll return to the airport for your flight to Iguazu Falls. These magnificent falls form the border between Brazil and Argentina, cascading from the Iguazu River into the Paraná.
Overnight at Hotel Tropical das Cataratas B

Day 12 – Iguazu Falls
Spend the day at the spectacular Iguazu falls!  Higher than Niagara and wider than Victoria Falls, these cascades are one of South America's wonders. In the morning, we'll tour the Brazilian side of the falls, walking the paths overlooking the falls and find unforgettable views. In the afternoon, we’ll cross the border to Argentina to view the falls from the other side. We'll hike through the surrounding rainforest, looking at parrots, parakeets, hummingbirds and toucans, as well as getting different perspective on the falls. Evening brings a traditional Brazilian barbeque – churrascaria – and a traditional dance show. B, D


Day 13 – Iguazu Falls to Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo
In the morning, you'll have the chance to relax and take one last look at the falls before heading to the airport and returning to Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo. B

Staying on in Brazil? Whether your interest is wildlife or culture, in a short extension tour you can experience more of the rich living heritage of this vibrant country. And for the adventurous wildlife enthusiast, why not visit Hyacinth Camps? We can even arrange hotels and transportation.