Maria Fumaca Brazil Train Tour

Fly into São Paulo or Rio to start your Brazil train tour. Then transfer to Vitória, the sister city of Rio de Janeiro. Enjoy an afternoon city tour of Vitória. Check into the hotel and relax.

Today is one of the highlights of the entire tour. Embark on an 11 hour and 582 km long railway trip along the Rio Doce valley from Vitória to Belo Horizonte through the unique landscape of Minas Gerais. The longest and heaviest trains in the whole of South America also operate here.

Today, explore Belo Horizonte on a guided city tour. Visit all of the city’s highlights including the bold architecture in Pampulha, the Chapel of Sao Francisco designed by Oscar Niemeyer, the Mineirão Stadium, the Municipal Park, the Afonso Pena Avenue and the Liberdade Palacio. Later, enter the massive Mercado Central where an abundance of Brazilian goodies are sold and enjoyed. Shop the market’s decadent chocolate shops, cheese booths, fruit and vegetable stands and more!

Sightseeing in the morning. You walk along small cobbled streets where you can admire the neat gables, magnificent baroque buildings and with gold decorated churches. Ouro Preto (Black Gold), is considered a masterpiece of Baroque architecture in whole Brazil. In the afternoon you will go on a train ride with the historic narrow gauge steam railway from Ouro Preto to Mariana in the mountains of Minas Gerais. Return to Ouro Preto.

This morning, transfer from Ouro Preto to Tiradentes. Travel along the Brazilian countryside full of lush green hills dotted with native animals. There will be one stop along the way at a local restaurant for a bite to eat.

Upon arrival in Tiradentes, check into the hotel and relax.

In the morning you will drive to Tiradentes, a jewel of Baroque architecture. From the station, you will continue with Maria Fumaça, an old steam locomotive on 76 cm track width, to São João del Rei, 13 km away, an extraordinary experience. In São Jão del Rei visit the station and the railway museum with the largest collection of steam engines throughout Brazil.

Embark on a full day bus trip from São João del Rei to Rio de Janeiro, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, the "Cidade Maravilhosa." En route, stop in Petrópolis, the town where Dom Pedro kept his summer palace during the imperial era. Once in Rio de Janeiro, check into your beachfront hotel on Copacabana Beach.

Today you will visit the old city of Rio, as well as one of the two famous local mountains of the city, the Sugarloaf. With the cable car, you will reach the summit (396m) of Rio's landmark from where you can enjoy a gorgeous view of Guanabara Bay. Ride to the center, where you will get on The Bonde, a very old tram, to the artist's quarter Santa Teresa. For all transfers between today's visiting points, you will use the Metro of Rio de Janeiro. The afternoon is free. Enjoy free hours at the Copacabana.

Tour through the lush rain forest of Tijuca National Park with the cog railroad onto the second famous mountain in Rio de Janeiro, the Corcovado (710 m above the city). The 38-meter high statue of Christ the Redeemer stands at the top and offers breathtaking views over the southern districts. Afterward, drive to Ipanema and stroll along this posh beachfront neighborhood. In the afternoon, depart from the Rio de Janeiro airport for your flight home or to your next destination.