Family Trip to Brazil

Start your family trip to Brazil in one of the world’s coolest megacities. We’ve arranged early check-in for you at Rosewood São Paulo; settle in, perhaps a nap is in order. Explore beguiling contrasts on a private São Paulo tour, from Gothic cathedrals and futuristic museums to leafy parks and graffitied alleys. End the day in bohemian Vila Madalena, where color, rhythm, and creativity spill into the streets.

Fly north to Salvador, the country’s Afro-Brazilian cultural heart, to dive into Bahia’s storied past and rhythmic present. Meet your guide for an afternoon exploring Pelourinho’s cobblestone streets, where pastel façades and Baroque churches tell centuries of stories. Step inside gilded sanctuaries, sway to the drumbeat of Bahian life, and learn about the African roots that shape the joyful defiance that fuels the world’s greatest Carnival celebrations. 

Today is all about movement and meaning. During a capoeira class, your family will uncover how enslaved Africans used rhythm and agility to turn resistance into an art form. Teens can try basic moves and learn to play traditional instruments like the berimbau. Afterward, head to a hands-on percussion workshop where you'll craft your own beats using drums central to Afro-Brazilian traditions.

With your guide, navigate the colorful chaos of São Joaquim Market.  Wander this sensory explosion of Bahian flavors, sacred herbs, and banter before learning how these flavors come together in a steaming bowl of moqueca. (Savor some for lunch.) After a midday pause, rejoin your guide to experience Pelourinho after dark. With steaming food stalls and percussion beats, you'll be dancing before dessert. 

Fly inland to Lençóis, where cobblestone streets meet wilderness. This is your base for exploring Chapada Diamantina National Park, a natural wonderland shaped by dramatic escarpments and draped with emerald forest. We’ve chosen Hotel Canto das Águas as your family’s lush base camp for adventure. Tucked away on the river’s edge, but steps from the historic center, ambient restaurants, cafes, and shops are within easy reach. 

Dedicate two full days to Chapada Diamantina’s canyons, waterfalls, quartz caves, and red rock mesas. Explore this off-the-beaten-path park with private guides who know each trail and riverbend. Moving at your family’s unique pace, choose your own adventure. Hike to secretive waterfalls, swim in crystalline rock pools, trek canyon trails, and don a helmet to go caving. Teens will love the physical challenge and cinematic views of the 1,120-foot-tall Fumaça Waterfall. 

The final chapter of your family trip to Brazil takes you to Trancoso, an artistic coastal enclave. Settle into boho-luxe Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa. Stay in a two-bedroom cottage that fits everyone, and space to gather makes it feel more like a private house. Busy your teens with on-site capoeira, boxing, yoga, and essential oil blending. Otherwise, spend unhurried days surfing, snorkeling, kayaking, and boating to deserted beaches.

Journey to the village of Caraíva, a remote gem that highways don’t reach. Make the river crossing beneath a canopy of mangroves before stepping ashore in a village where sandy paths and fishing huts whisper of simpler times. Swim where the river meets the sea, snack on shrimp-filled pastéis, and boat upriver along banks alive with orchids and birdsong. Teens will love river tubing back to the village. 

We’ve left this day joyfully unscheduled. No plans, no pressure—just azure waters, gentle waves, and pure presence. Claim your sofa on Uxua’s private beach for Bahian fusion snacks and imaginative cocktails. Massages, yoga, and capoeira lessons are on offer, right on the sand. Otherwise, venture to any of Trancoso’s eight famed beaches—on foot, horseback, or by bike. 

This morning, your family takes a private speedboat past untouched beaches to reach Corumbau sandbar. Translation: “far from everything.” Kick off your sandals to walk this near-mythical stretch of sand hemmed with kaleidoscopic blue waters. You’ll also call on Espelho, considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil.

Enjoy one last breakfast on the beach before your private transfer to the airport. Brazil stays with you—in the rhythms you've learned and the waterfalls you've hiked—long after you’ve left.