Icons & Iguaçu: Trip to Brazil 

Touch down in Rio and be privately driven to Búzios, a fishing village turned chic beach enclave. Stay at Casas Brancas Boutique Hotel where whitewashed walls, bougainvillea, and Armação Bay views romance. Catch a restorative nap then ease into the good life with a slow terrace lunch and a dip in the pool. For dinner, stroll Rua das Pedras to taste seafood plucked from the ocean hours earlier.

Your days here are self-directed, orbiting around Buzios beaches (23 of them!). Rental buggies are a cheerful way to reach them. You might swim the clear waters of João Fernandes, walk the palm-lined shores of Ferradurinha, or eat oysters under an umbrella at Praia Brava. We recommend a private cruise to watch the late afternoon sky blush to bold pastels. Ideally, toasting sunset from the bow. 

Wake to sea breezes and Buzios’s distinct Mediterranean-meets-Brazil vibe. Browse small shops for designer swimwear, then perhaps graze a seaside picnic curated by the hotel. After a swim or spa treatment, we propose one last blue-hour cruise along the peninsula. Your final dinner here is soundtracked by ocean waves and live music carried on a breeze. 

Return to Rio, settling into Santa Teresa MGallery, a hilltop hideaway on a restored coffee estate. This isn’t the Rio of postcards, but the bohemian neighborhood where storytellers and musicians find inspiration. Located just a block from the neighborhood’s pedestrian heart and iconic streetcars, wile the afternoon away perusing boutiques, galleries, and people-watching from sidewalk cafés. If you’re up for it, taxi to Lapa for live samba and late-night bites. 

Rise for a full-day privately guided Rio city tour. Taste something new at a bustling morning market then ascend Corcovado Mountain to stand at the foot of Christ the Redeemer. Continue to Sugarloaf for sea-and-city panoramas and then beach snacks on Copacabana. Afternoon brings you to Maracanã Stadium for a behind-the-scenes tour. Wander locker rooms and trophy halls before taking three shots on its legendary pitch. 

Drive inland to reach Ibiti, a private wilderness bordering Ibitipoca State Park. Part countryside retreat, part traditional village, and part rewilding haven, this one-of-a-kind destination property invites you to take a meaningful hiatus in nature. Settle into your cottage, perhaps unwinding with yoga in a sculpture garden. This evening, a candlelit dinner table in a secretive cave is set for your party.

Choose your pace of adventure. Hike or e-bike along forested trails and open valleys to natural rock pools and ribboning cascades. Wade into a river for a bracing swim, then picnic in a meadow, lingering over artisanal cheeses and sipping fizzy Champagne. As light softens, saddle up for a gentle horseback ride. Dinner is served fireside, made with garden-harvested produce, for a taste of the local terroir.

Meet the dedicated people who shape and conserve Ibiti. Visit a small mountain community where artisans distill cachaça, till organic produce, and hand-fashion goods. Learn how Ibiti’s rewilding efforts create wildlife corridors and generate sustainable livelihoods for community members. Later, navigate by Jeep to viewpoints that show the reserve’s scale. Tonight, a private dinner is staged in a secret spot outdoors. Stars blink overhead as plates parade and conversations flow.

Fly to Iguaçu Falls. We’ve chosen cheery pink Hotel das Cataratas for you, the only lodge inside the park. When the day trippers leave, the trails exhale. Take a walk to feel a veil of mist and get a first, crowd-free look. Later, sip a caipirinha on the terrace while the low thunder of the falls hums in the background; tomorrow brings the full spectacle, but tonight is yours alone.

We won’t compromise your experience, so today your Iguaçu Falls tour visits both sides. Begin with the Brazilian side's boardwalks, where widescreen views frame more than 275 cascades in a near two-mile arc. Stop at Macuco Falls for a dip, then board a speedboat to zoom upriver into the spray of Devil’s Throat. Crossing into Argentina, follow catwalks that carry you above roaring cascades for spellbinding, up-close Iguaçu views.

After breakfast, you’re delivered to the airport for a direct flight to São Paulo. Your trip to Brazil comes to a close (unless you don’t want it to.) Board your international flight home with a little sand in your suitcase and samba in your step.