18-night Europe and South America Cruise

An Exploration of Lisbon (8 hours)

Highlights:
Lying north of the River Tagus estuary and stretching over seven hills, Portugal's capital city has much to offer.  Receive a warm welcome at the port by your private guide and driver and from here commence your engaging tour of Lisbon.

Explore the Belem district with its magnificent Jerónimos Monastery, an extraordinary example of Portugal's 'Manueline' style of architecture. Once populated by monks, the UNESCO-listed monastery was commissioned by King Manuel I to celebrate Vasco da Gama's discovery of a sea route to India in 1498. Time permitting, visit Torre de Belém (Belém Tower), one of Lisbon's most iconic buildings and symbolic of Portugal's great Age of Expansion.

Next, it's time for a refreshment stop, where you may wish to sample the famous and scrumptious Pastéis de Belém (Portuguese custard tarts). From here you return to your cruise ship.

• Discover the beautiful Belem district with its magnificent Jeronimos Monastery
• Behold the priceless treasures on display at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and try the exquisite pasteis de nata local pastries

• Private transport by luxury car or minivan
• An expert local guide for 8 hours
• Entrance fees to all sights and museums
• All taxes

• All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
• Gratuities

Queluz, Sintra and Estoril (8 hours)

Highlights:
Venture outside of Lisbon to explore Queluz, Sintra and Estoril during your private shore excursion. Take the short driver to the sumptuous 18th-century Queluz Palace, where you can admire the magnificent formal gardens and azulejo-lined canals.

Afterwards visit Sintra, the summer retreat of Portuguese monarchs and Moorish emirs before them. Today, this town, nestling on the north side of the Sintra Mountain, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Stroll through the town where charming streets are filled with fine handicraft shops. You then descend to Guincho beach for a fabulous view of Cape Rock, the westernmost point of the European continent and continuing to the resort town of Estoril on the scenic coastal road with fantastic views, en route back to your cruise ship.

• Explore Queluz Palace, the summer residence of the Portugese Royal Family
• Take a short drive to Sintra, the summer retreat of Portuguese monarchs and a UNESCO Word Heritage Site

• Private transport by luxury car or minivan
• An expert local guide for 8 hours
• Entrance fees to all sights and museums
• All taxes

• All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
• Gratuities

Highlights of Lisbon (4 hours)

Highlights:
See Belem Tower, one of Lisbon's iconic buildings and symbolic of the nation's Age of Expansion. Admire the impressive collection of painted and gilded Baroque coaches at the National Coach Museum.

Tour Duration: 4 hours
Tour can operate: Morning/Afternoon

Wheelchair Accessible: Please enquire for more information

Physical Activity Level: Light

Inclusions: 

• Private transport by luxury car or minivan
• An expert local guide for 8 hours
• Entrance fees to all sights and museums
• All taxes

• All cruise travel, personal items, meals and associated costs
• Gratuities

Salvador - Bahia By Night Folklore Show

The Bahia Folklore Company (Balé Folclórico da Bahia) is one of the most respected folklore dance troupes in the world. The company performs in the intimate Miguel Santana Theatre in the Pelourinho in a seamless presentation of the multiple African traditions that underpin Bahian culture. We will see the sacred dances of the Candomblé; puxada de rede, a song by fishermen in honor of Yemanjá, the goddess of the sea; maculelê, an acrobatic stick and sword dance with its origins in the cane fields; capoeira, a martial art/dance of Angolan origin and the samba de roda, a spinning, swirling version of this exuberant national dance. Optional: After the show diner will be served in one of the many fine restaurants in the area.

Salvador - Essential Salvador (Upper City Tour)

Discover the essential sights of Salvador on a half day tour tracing the development of the city from its simple beginnings to the what is now the third largest city in Brazil. After hotel pick up, we take you to the mouth of the immense bay and then via elegant tree-lined avenues and bustling city streets to the Pelourinho, a Unesco Heritage site and the largest complex of colonial architecture in the South America. We leave the vehicle at the Muncipal Square, by the towering Lacerda Elevator, with great views of the bay stretching out to the lower city, and stroll through the narrow, bustling streets lined with buildings in pastel shades of an age gone by, soaking in the sights and sounds of this vibrant city. We visit the church of São Francisco with its exuberant gold-leafed Baroque interior and the Pelourinho square, the heart of the old town

Salvador - HD Drum Essentials Workshop

Bahia is the percussive heart of Brazil, the the rhythmic soul is African, a mind boggling myriad of rythmns that has attracted many international musicians to these shores, Paul Simon, Wayne Shorter, to name but a few of the more famous. The rhythms can be chosen from the following: • Rhythmns of the Afro Blocos • Ijexá - the shuffling rhythm of the famous carnival afoxé Filhos de Gandhi • Samba de Roda and Samba Dura - the powerhouse samba of the Reconcavo • Samba Reggae- variation on the above theme that launched Olodum on the whole stage • Visit to percussion instrument maker’s workshop

Salvador - Fresh Market & Cuisine Tour

Depart hotel and visit two of Salvador’s busiest markets. First we stop at newly renovated fish market, where the wide variety of seafood and fish found in the tropical waters of the bay and the ocean are on display. A short distance away is the largest open market in Bahia, the São Jaoquim Market, selling a myriad of products and produce, from fruits and vegetables to spare parts for domestic appliances, to sacred herbs and religious artifacts of the candomblé. Here we find all of the ingredients for Bahia cuisine and later savour the famous moqueca dish in a local restaurant at the lower city.

Folklore Show with Dinner - 6 hours

Highlights:

• An immersion in the African heritage with an exhilarating performance by the Bahia Folklore Company (Balé Folclórico da Bahia), one of the most respected folklore dance troupes in the world.
• The Balé Folclórico da Bahia Company performs in the intimate Miguel Santana Theatre in the Pelourinho district in a seamless presentation of the multiple African traditions that underpin Bahian culture.
• You will see the sacred dances of the Candomblé; puxada de rede, a song by fishermen in honor of Yemanjá, the goddess of the sea; maculelê, an acrobatic stick and sword dance with its origins in the cane fields; the exhilarating capoeira martial art/dance, and the grand finale of samba de roda, a spinning, swirling version of this exuberant national dance.
• Enjoy an amazing dinner at Uaua, a charming restaurant in Peourinho district, before returning to pier.

• Dinner
• Pick up and drop off at port
• Tour with driver and English-speaking guide

• Tips, beverages, personal expenses

Essential Salvador with Lunch - 6 hours

Highlights:

• Discover the essential sights of Salvador on a half day tour tracing the development of the city from its simple beginnings to what is now the third largest city in Brazil. The tour focusses on historical and geographical aspects of the city and serves as a fine orientation for those wishing to further explore the city. 
• Visit Barra district and see the immense bay, site of important historical landmarks in Brazil’s early colonial period, now also residential waterfront neighborhood.
• Proceed via elegant tree-lined avenues and bustling city streets to the Pelourinho, a Unesco Heritage site and the largest complex of colonial architecture in the South America. Leave the vehicle at the Municipal Square, by the towering Lacerda Elevator, allowing for great views of the bay stretching out to the lower city, and stroll through the narrow, bustling streets lined with buildings in pastel shades of an age gone by, soaking in the sights and sounds of this vibrant city. Visit the church of São Francisco with its exuberant gold-leafed Baroque interior and the Pelourinho square, the heart of the old town.
• Lunch at Cuco Bistrô, a charming place that has on its proposal to highlight the best of Northeastern Brazillian culture through its art and gastronomy, with a slight influence of Mediterranean cuisine, seafood, grilled meats on the grill, homemade pasta, drinks and special juices with made up an unusual fusion of flavours that make Cuco Bistrô a different space in the Historic Centre of Salvador.

• Lunch
• Pick up and drop off at port
• Tour with driver and English-speaking guide

• Tips, beverages, personal expenses

Rio - A Brazilian Night

Rio - Jeep Tour In the Floresta da Tijuca

Jeep tour in the Floresta da Tijuca shows the difference between nature and the city. We will make a quick stop at Macaco's Waterfall for pistures. Later on we will see the Chinese View, Emperor Table, Cascatinha Taunay and Mayrink Chapel. We will also walk through a light trail, giving us a chance to feel the contact with nature. During this tour, people who will explain the importance of the Mata Atlantica will guide us.

Rio - FD Sugar Loaf + Santa Teresa

Carnival Experience at Samba City - 4 hours

Highlights:

• Visit the backstage of the samba schools at Cidade do Samba, home to some of the most renowned samba dancers in the world. Cidade do Samba offers the 14 best samba schools in Rio space to build their floats and prepare their music and samba performance for the carnival.  with its exhibition of costumes and floats from old carnivals.
• Watch the dancers perform the complex samba steps and learn some new dance moves. 
• Hear the samba beat and watch some of the best samba dancers in Rio performing the intricate dance steps and learn some steps of this essential Brazilian dance, while having a refreshing drink. 

• Pick up and drop off at port
• Tour with driver and English-speaking guide

• Lunch, tips, beverages, personal expenses

Secrets of Old Rio with Lunch - 6 hours

Highlights:

• Travel in time with this enriching walking tour! 
• Enjoy a walking tour through the historic center of Rio with our private guide for a unique view of the city's history.  
• Start the walk passing by the Olympic boulevard, a revitalized area of ??the city and one of the main legacies of the 2016 Olympic games. Here we will observe countless world famous graffiti. A real open-air museum!
• Pass by some central sites of Rio's culture and history, such as the São Bento Monastery, the Candelária Church, the Cultural Center - located in the restored Banco do Brasil, Casa França-Brasil, Praça XV and Paço imperial.
• Visit the Metropolitan cathedral, crossing carioca square and the visit candelária square, where we will receive our ticket for the new public transport VLT Tram back to the port area.
• Lunch in Santa Teresa, a unique neighborhood of Rio de JANEIRO.

• Lunch
• Pick up and drop off at port
• Tour with driver and English-speaking guide

• Tips, beverages, personal expenses

Sugar Loaf Sunset with Caipirinha Toast - 4 hours

Highlights:

• Ascend to the top of Sugar Loaf mountain on an amusing cable car ride and admire the breathtaking views.
• The climb is divided into two stages. After the first, arrive at Morro da Urca with its panoramic gardens and terraces; after the second, enjoy a spectacular view of the city, its beaches, Guanabara Bay and the Corcovado on the horizon.
• Toast the sunset with a lemon caipirinha.

• Pick up and drop off at port
• Tour with driver and English-speaking guide
• 1 caipirinha drink per person

• Lunch, Tips, beverages, personal expenses

Rio - A Brazilian Night

Rio - Jeep Tour In the Floresta da Tijuca

Jeep tour in the Floresta da Tijuca shows the difference between nature and the city. We will make a quick stop at Macaco's Waterfall for pistures. Later on we will see the Chinese View, Emperor Table, Cascatinha Taunay and Mayrink Chapel. We will also walk through a light trail, giving us a chance to feel the contact with nature. During this tour, people who will explain the importance of the Mata Atlantica will guide us.

Rio - FD Sugar Loaf + Santa Teresa

Carnival Experience at Samba City - 4 hours

Highlights:

• Visit the backstage of the samba schools at Cidade do Samba, home to some of the most renowned samba dancers in the world. Cidade do Samba offers the 14 best samba schools in Rio space to build their floats and prepare their music and samba performance for the carnival.  with its exhibition of costumes and floats from old carnivals.
• Watch the dancers perform the complex samba steps and learn some new dance moves. 
• Hear the samba beat and watch some of the best samba dancers in Rio performing the intricate dance steps and learn some steps of this essential Brazilian dance, while having a refreshing drink. 

• Pick up and drop off at port
• Tour with driver and English-speaking guide

• Lunch, tips, beverages, personal expenses

Secrets of Old Rio with Lunch - 6 hours

Highlights:

• Travel in time with this enriching walking tour! 
• Enjoy a walking tour through the historic center of Rio with our private guide for a unique view of the city's history.  
• Start the walk passing by the Olympic boulevard, a revitalized area of ??the city and one of the main legacies of the 2016 Olympic games. Here we will observe countless world famous graffiti. A real open-air museum!
• Pass by some central sites of Rio's culture and history, such as the São Bento Monastery, the Candelária Church, the Cultural Center - located in the restored Banco do Brasil, Casa França-Brasil, Praça XV and Paço imperial.
• Visit the Metropolitan cathedral, crossing carioca square and the visit candelária square, where we will receive our ticket for the new public transport VLT Tram back to the port area.
• Lunch in Santa Teresa, a unique neighborhood of Rio de JANEIRO.

• Lunch
• Pick up and drop off at port
• Tour with driver and English-speaking guide

• Tips, beverages, personal expenses

Sugar Loaf Sunset with Caipirinha Toast - 4 hours

Highlights:

• Ascend to the top of Sugar Loaf mountain on an amusing cable car ride and admire the breathtaking views.
• The climb is divided into two stages. After the first, arrive at Morro da Urca with its panoramic gardens and terraces; after the second, enjoy a spectacular view of the city, its beaches, Guanabara Bay and the Corcovado on the horizon.
• Toast the sunset with a lemon caipirinha.

• Pick up and drop off at port
• Tour with driver and English-speaking guide
• 1 caipirinha drink per person

• Lunch, Tips, beverages, personal expenses