Brazil is the largest country in Latin America and as such, it is extraordinarily diverse – culturally, ethnically, biologically (Brazil is one of 17 megadiverse countries), and geographically. Its landscapes include the Amazon rainforest, a long and beautiful coastline with countless islands, extensive dune fields, the world’s largest tropical wetland area (Pantanal), high mountains, breathtaking waterfalls (Iguazu Falls), stunning caves, and large urban areas. It is known for numerous natural attractions, significant cultural achievements, samba dance, the bossa nova music genre, delicious cuisine, coffee, great artists and sportsmen, vibrant nightlife, awesome festivals and, of course, the Rio Carnival. Brazil is without a doubt one of the most beautiful and exciting countries in the world and therefore an amazing honeymoon destination.
Our twelve-day Brazil honeymoon itinerary (things to see and things to do)
DAY 1 – DAY 3
After arriving in Foz do Iguaçu, we took a few days ‘off’, to rest and simply enjoy each other’s company. 🙂 As we have already been to Iguazu Falls (at the Argentinean side), which are by far the biggest attraction in the area, we decided to skip sightseeing.
DAY 4
Travel day. In Foz do Iguaçu, we took a 13-hour bus to São Paulo.
DAY 5
In São Paulo we were staying in the Liberdade district – home to the world’s largest Japanese community outside of Japan, therefore our first stop was a sushi restaurant. 🙂 After brunch, it was time to explore our surroundings. We took a walk around the neighborhood – we visited some Japanese, Chinese and Korean shops and admired the unique Asian architecture. The exotic sights, smells and tastes made us feel like we’re somewhere in the Far East.
DAY 6
Sightseeing day. São Paulo is a major commercial, financial, and cultural center, the wealthiest city in Brazil, and the most populous city in the Americas. It is known for its huge cultural diversity, vibrant cultural events and nightlife and an impressive skyline. First, we visited one of the city’s top attractions – the São Paulo Museum of Art (Museu de Arte de São Paulo), located in one of the trendiest buildings in the city. The museum contains the finest collection of European art in all Southern Hemisphere. It also houses Brazilian, Asian and African works of art and a large art library. Afterwards, we took a walk in the financial district and the historic center.
DAY 7
Travel day. In São Paulo, we took a bus to Paraty.
DAY 8
Paraty is a romantic and picturesque coastal town, located on the Costa Verde. It is known for its Portuguese colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, and historic monuments. The town is surrounded by the mountains, the sea, and lush green forests, which makes it a popular tourist destination. We took a walk around the lovely town and spent the rest of the day at the beach. 🙂
DAY 9
In Paraty, we took a 4-hour bus to Rio de Janeiro – the most popular destination in Brazil, known for its amazing natural settings, samba, lively nightlife, beautiful beaches and the statue of Christ the Redeemer. After reaching our destination, we checked into a hotel, dressed up and visited the world-famous Rio carnival! 🙂
Rio Carnival is the biggest and probably the most awesome carnival in the world. 🙂 The main parades are held at Sambadrome – a large open-air exhibition place, where different samba schools present their themes and choreographies. Each year, the carnival lasts for 6 days (from Friday to Ash Wednesday). We were there on the first day, for the opening ceremony and we loved it! 🙂 The colorful costumes, huge floats, amazing sounds and sexy dance moves took our breath away. <3
DAY 10
On our second day in Rio de Janeiro, we decided to visit one of the city’s most famous landmarks – the statue of Christ the Redeemer. We took a van to Corcovado mountain, located in Tijuca forest – a tropical rainforest in central Rio. The top of the mountain offers a stunning view overlooking the Guanabara Bay, downtown Rio, the picturesque Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, some favelas and a part of the rainforest, surrounding the mountain.
The statue of Christ the Redeemer is also located at the peak of Corcovado mountain. The 30 meters (98 ft) tall statue is listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and it really is a majestic cultural icon.
DAY 11
After breakfast, we visited two of the most popular beaches in the world, known for its many hotels, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs – Copacabana and Ipanema.
In the evening, we visited some of the many street carnivals, taking place all over the city. These festivals are very common during Rio Carnival and since they are free of charge, they usually get pretty crowded. The streets are filled with music, everyone is dancing and smiling, so it really is a magical experience. The biggest street parties are generally taking place on Copacabana beach and right outside the Sambadrome, where the parade dancers usually take off their costumes and leave them there for visitors to try on. And we did just that. 🙂
DAY 12
On our last day, we packed our bags, checked out of our hotel room, left most of our belongings at the reception desk and went to Copacabana for the last beach day before heading back home.
In the afternoon, we took a bus to Rio de Janeiro–Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport and there we said goodbye to beautiful Brazil.
First, we flew to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and from there to London, UK. On the next day, we took a flight to Ljubljana, Slovenia and that was it – we were home.
***
It was kind of heartbreaking to go home after so many amazing adventures we have had in the last 6 months. But we knew that our travel days are far from over. In fact, our trip from New York to Rio was just the beginning. The BEST is yet to come. <3 Our next adventure is going to be HUGE! 😀 Can’t wait to tell you all about it! 🙂 Stay tuned! 😉
♥ Top romantic experience
Brazil is hot – not just climate-wise. 🙂 It offers countless romantic sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. You can go samba dancing, explore the country’s exciting nightlife, enjoy its beautiful landscapes, take a food tasting tour, a botanical garden tour or an eco-tour, admire Brazil’s vast biodiversity, art, and architecture, relax at the beach, or visit the Rio Carnival.
In our experience, Rio de Janeiro is Brazil’s capital of romance and adventure. <3
♥ Top adventure
Brazil is paradise for adventurers. Take an Amazon rainforest tour, visit the majestic Iguazu Falls, take capoeira classes, a bike tour, or a dune buggy ride, go sandboarding, paragliding, hang gliding in Rio, surfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, hiking, caving, mountain climbing, horseback riding in Paraty, zip-lining, kayaking, rafting, canoeing in the Amazon, rappelling, or rock climbing.
Are you wondering about the daily budget, the best time to go, visa and immunization requirements, local customs, currency, electricity standards, safety tips and where to stay? Here you can find out all you need to know before visiting Brazil.
Have you already been to Brazil? We invite you to share your top romantic experience and top adventure in the comment section below. 😉
Next stop: the world! 😉
Brazil is a very beautiful place and they really do know how to party. Obviously, the highlight would be the carnival and the detail that goes into the costumes is amazing.
There are some really nice photographs and I like how you have recorded your time there, but whilst on your travels in Brazil did you ever feel not safe?
Hey, Mick!
Thank you for your kind words. As far as safety goes, we must say we didn’t have a single bad experience. We even walked around some sketchy neighborhood in the middle of the night but there was nothing that would have made us feel unsafe. Maybe we were lucky, but for us the parts of Brasil we’ve visited felt safe.
Love