In the afternoon, at around 4pm, we will depart from the hotel for a tour. We will take a thrilling cable-car ride to the top of Sugar Loaf, which is 1300 feet above the city. From there, you'll get a breathtaking view of Guanabara Bay, which is one of the most famous symbols of Rio de Janeiro. The first ride will take us to the top of Urca mountain, where we'll get a fantastic view of the bay, forest and Copacabana. Then, we'll take a 4-minute ride that links the 1st and 2nd stages, and at the very top, we'll get a perfect view any time of the day. But at sunset, the view is especially unforgettable and special.

Enjoy dinner at your hotel this evening.

  In the morning, departure from the Hotel to Cais do Valongo ( Valongo Port) - It is the main point of arrival for enslaved Africans in the Americas; It is the very expression, materialized, of the horror of the slave trade: it is estimated that around a million people brought by force from Africa disembarked where the pier is located.

It is important to remember that Valongo was not just a slave port. It was also a place where slaves recovered physically to later be sold as labor in the markets. After a century of history being covered up, Valongo Port was “rediscovered” in 2011, during excavations carried out for the urban reform of the port area. Its ruins are the only material traces of the arrival of Africans in the country. Valongo Port was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 2017. Recognizing it as a heritage of humanity is granting this right to the Afro-descendant population of Brazil, and by extension, of the entire Americas, within the understanding of reparation for centuries of slavery and racial segregation. For UNESCO, Valongo is considered an archaeological site of sensitive memory, as it recalls the memory of pain and suffering in the history of the ancestors of people of African descent who represent more than half of the Brazilian population.

In the morning, we will depart from the hotel to visit the Porto Maravilha, also known as the Olympic Boulevard, which is the port area. There are some interesting places to explore, such as the Tomorrow Museum designed by the renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. This museum was awarded the Best New Museum of the Year in 2016. Additionally, you will have the chance to see the largest mural painted by a single person - Eduardo Kobra painted a 32,000 square foot mural for the Rio Olympics.

Enjoy a wonderful lunch today! The running skewer tradition is a fairly new phenomenon. Famous since the 1960s in the south of the country, the system, also known as rodizio de meats, allows you to taste all the cuts available in the house, usually served on the skewer itself – hence the name, choosing the part and the point that most pleases.

Later, we will visit the Carnaval Experience, which offers a dive into the magical world of carnival! This 90-minute activity includes a guided visit to the samba school of "Acadêmicos da Grande Rio" where you will get to see the exhibition hall that showcases the history of samba and carnival parades through images and videos. 

After the exhibition hall, you will be able to dress up in carnival costumes and take photographs. There will also be a mixed percussion and dance workshop, including African and samba styles. Finally, you will get to enjoy a "Samba Tasting" featuring a welcome caipirinha.

 Tonight, have a fun dinner experience at Rio Scenarium, located in the heart of Rio de Janeiro. This magical 19th-century mansion is famous for its rich collection of furniture and antique objects that adorn seven environments spread over three floors. You will get to taste the best of Brazilian cuisine and enjoy custom drinks while being entertained by a special program featuring traditional samba, "gafieira," "chorinho," and even a DJ. Don't miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of Rio de Janeiro! 

Today we transfer to the airport and fly to Salvador (flight included).  From arrival, our day is free until a special dinner at the hotel featuring a professor from the  Universidade Federal da Bahia.  Professor Joao Jose Reis is considered the foremost authority on the history of slavery in Brazil, particularly urban slavery, collective and individual resistance, biographies of ex-slaves.

 We will start our tour from the Barra neighborhood, which offers a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean and the first lighthouse of the American continent at the Saint Antony Fort. We will then proceed to ride through the traditional neighborhoods of Corredor da Vitória and Campo Grande, and finally reach the Old City.  

Our first stop will be the Pelourinho neighborhood, which is the historical center of Salvador and represents the black resistance in Bahia. This neighborhood will show us lots of African roots and introduce us to important names that worked to rescue historical facts and people that have been hidden in the books for so long. During the tour, we hope to witness an ad hoc percussion group performance, as these can take place at any time.  

Next, we will visit the Afro-Brazilian Museum, which is housed in the first Faculty of Medicine of Brazil. On the ground floor, we will find four sections that are devoted exclusively to African cultures and their impact on the formation of Brazilian culture.

We will also visit the Brotherhood of Our Lady of the Rosary of Black People, which was one of the first black confraternities created in Brazil. The Church was built as a symbol of religious and social respect for black people, providing them with a sanctuary in an unequal and discriminatory society. 

Finally, we will stop at Casa do Benin, a museum that showcases 200 objects and arts from the Benin Gulf, West Africa, where most of the captured Africans brought to Brazil came from. Our last stop will be at the Saint Francis church, which is an important reference of baroque style in Brazil, thanks to its gold-leafed interior and Jacaranda wood furniture. 

During our tour enjoy the included lunch. Considered one of the best typical food buffets in Salvador. It is possible to taste the best of Bahian cuisine in  this colonial mansion, located in one of the most visited tourist attractions in Salvador, Largo do Pelourinho, in the Historic Center.

Return to the hotel to freshen up for our night otur and dinner.

Folklore and all cultural influences in Brazil are formed by a combination of three different chains: European, African and the indigenous of the land.

The strongest culture in Bahia comes from African influences, and the Bahia Afro Ballet looks for picturing all those manifestations in the most authentic way.

Created in 1988, it is the only professional ballet company dedicated to Folkloric dance in Brazil and has a significant curriculum of activities including worldwide performances.

This modern dance company with a “Brazilian strong accent” presents a highly international recognized show during 1 hour at the Miguel Santana Theater in Pelourinho (Little indoors theater, arena style).

Take the chance to have a remarkable experience by seeing a sample of all typical Afro-Brazilian traditions through the language of music and dance. It starts at 7pm, lasting 1 hour. Then, proceed to have dinner in a charming Bahia cuisine restaurant in front of the Theater.

Departure from the hotel to explore Salvador lower city, seeing

sites of social and cultural contrasts.

We pass by the Dique do Tororó pond, where it is possible to see the Orixás sculptures on the water, representing the forces of nature in the Afro-Brazilian mythology. Then, proceeding to the Lower City, visiting the neighborhood surrounded by the quiet waters of the Itapagipe peninsula, where the first holiday residences were built; passing by Ribeira neighborhood and stop for tasting the most popular ice-cream in town, since 1936.

Next stop will be at Bonfim church, site of intense religion devotion, one of the most of pilgrimage in Brazil. Take time to take a picture of its metal grid filled with colorful ribbons that are tied by faithful and tourists from all over the world

Head to the main open market in Salvador – São Joaquin market. It is an extremely lively maze overflowing with rich culture, vivid colors and a wide array of merchandise.

Visit a Candomblé Terreiro, one of the oldest African influenced cultures in Bahia. Hear the drumming beats that pay tribute to the Orixás (African deities). 

After the visit to the terreiro, depart to Old Town where lunch will be served by the Baianas, at the Baianas Memorial House - visit the gallery that is part of the great work of the baianas do Acarajé Association in Salvador, that more than preserving the cultural origins of Candomblé African religion. There is also attention dedicated to the continuity of this traditional manual work that promotes black women financial empowerment.

We will depart from the hotel at 8:00 am and head towards the Kaonge community. The journey will take approximately 2 hours, and we will make a stop at Santo Amaro town on the way. Here, we will experience the local atmosphere and visit the open market to try some tropical fruits. 

Continuing, proceed to the Quilombo - it is a settlement where enslaved Africans took refuge after escaping; they built those communities in resistance against slavery, where they restored African culture and their way of life.

This tour gives an experience with traditional quilombo communities, led by the Griôs (the persons that have kept the knowledge of their ancestral traditions and given to the new generations). It promotes the sustainable tourism, and reinforces the importance of maintaining the Griô work for the oral traditions in those communities. That’s about the culture heritage not physically registered: habits, storytelling, customs, expressions, food techniques, crafts. Several of those cultural manifestations are presented during the visit.

Lunch will be served with the option to taste either a typical oyster dish from their production, or a chicken dish. After lunch, time to see the little exhibition of crafts and local products.

Demonstration of how the community produces dendê palm oil, manioc flour, medicine syrup and watch a presentation of traditional Quilombo dance, which is the traditional samba da roda (the original samba that plays the roots of this rhythm from the XIX century). 

Return to Salvador by 3pm.

Enjoy your final evening with your group tonight in the hotel having a relaxed farewell dinner.

This morning we bid farewell to Salvador and Brazil.  WE have arranged for a transfer to the airport.