The colourful and flamboyant Rio Carnival, a once-in-a-lifetime experience

Sunday, 07 June 2026

Fly to Rio de Janeiro

Depart the UK on an overnight flight from the UK to Rio de Janeiro.

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Monday, 08 June 2026

Arrive in Rio - introductory walking tour

Arrive in Rio de Janeiro in the morning. Our guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your chosen hotel for a 6-night stay including breakfast. Your guide will take you on a walk to introduce you to the area surroundings your hotel so that you can get your bearings. You will walk along the promenade of Copacabana and Ipanema beaches in order to gain a feeling of Rio de Janeiro's city life - the people, the beach culture, the apartments of the city's affluent, all that makes up the typical "Carioca" life.

Your guide will also brief you on the Carnival activities happening in Rio and the best places to experience them.

The 2027 Rio Carnival schedule is:

• Friday 5 and Saturday 6 February 2027 - the second-tier samba schools compete in the Sambadrome with wonderful, colourful parades. The parades start at 9pm and finish in well after midnight.
• Sunday 7, Monday 8th and Tuesday 9 February 2027 - these days are the highlight of the Carnival, when the top samba schools (Grupo Especial) perform at the Sambadrome on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights. The parades start at 9pm and run all night long, ending around 5am the next day. Exhausting, yet amazing.
• Wednesday 10 February 2027 - today is the official end of the main Carnival parades.
• Saturday February 13 - the day of the Champions Parade, where the winning samba schools from the Grupo Especial return for a celebratory parade. If you want to experience the glamour of the parades without the late nights, mass crowds and peak season pricing, then timing your visit the week after the main Carnival events is a good option.

In addition to the Sambadrome parades, there are many street parties (blocos) and samba events throughout the city during Carnival week. You can also take a tour to see the samba schools preparing their performances; a behind-the-scenes look at the Carnival.

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Tuesday, 09 June 2026

Special Veloso Tours In-depth Carnival Rio de Janeiro tour

Today enjoy a special full day guided tour with our local guide that combines visiting the famous sites with the joy, sounds and flamboyance of the Carnival. Firstly, we visit the statue of Christ the Redeemer at Corcovado Mountain from where you can admire the magnificent 360 degree view of Rio de Janeiro - the beautiful bay, the lagoon, the famous Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon beaches and the massive granite peaks that dwarf the tall buildings.

We will drive through the Tijuca Forest and past the Maracana Stadium (a stop there is optional) to the Sambodromo, the site of the famous carnival parades. Here, soak up the Carnival atmosphere, go behind the scenes to see groups prepare and visit Carnival museum.

Continue to the Bohemian Santa Teresa district once home to the rich and famous but where now the majestic views draw writers, musicians, artists with galleries. Its hillside location affords stunning views of Rio, and its cobbled streets add to its charming atmosphere. We stop for a lunch break (lunch is not included so that you can choose your own preference). In the old days, when Copacabana was but a swamp, the higher ground of Santa Teresa was the preferred area to live due to the cooler, fresh air so magnificent mansions were built, later to be out of favour, but many are now renovated. 

We continue to the historic city centre of Rio de Janeiro, where the Royal Family lived, and walk (2 to 3 hours) through the bustling streets and stop at the Confeitaria Colombo, one of the oldest coffee shops in Rio. Visit the cathedral, the Imperial Palace, the Church of Sao Jose and cultural centre on Praca XV admiring the unique colonial architecture. Later in the afternoon we drive back to your hotel.

Wednesday, 10 June 2026

Rio Carnival Parade at the Sambodrome

Operating on Sunday 7th, Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th February 2027. Today is time for the main event. After spending the day at leisure you will be picked up from your hotel and taken to the Rio de Janeiro 'Sambodrome' to enjoy the magnificent Carnival Parade. Here you will take your seat alongside around 90,000 other spectators, in anticipation of seeing what Rio's best Samba schools have put together during months of meticulous (and not to mention expensive) preparation. The concrete arena was designed by the great Brazilian architect, Oscar Niemeyer and features a central runway down which the schools parade, each taking between an hour and 80 minutes to complete their show. Over that time, thousands of performers will pass-by in colourful and intricate costumes, dancing and drumming in unison in the wake of immense and imaginative floats, to a constant soundtrack of live samba.

The parade starts after dinner and continues through the night and well into the following day. You may choose to stick out the whole night with the other hardy Cariocas, or head back to your hotel, with transport available every hour from 23.00 onwards.

You would typically be seated in Sector 9, meaning your seats are allocated numbers and you get a great view of the heart of the action - the drummers pause here to show off their skills and impress the judges. However, you may prefer a different sector which, although seats are unallocated, could give you the chance to sit with locals for an even greater atmosphere.

To get even closer to the action, for a truly unforgettable experience, you may wish to consider a frisa - an open-air box located along the runway. These boxes each have six seats, though you can purchase individual seats within them. They provide a close-up view of the action and immerse you in the sights and sounds of the carnival. 

Wherever you choose to sit, just don't forget your camera!

Find out everything you need to know about the festivities and plan your visit with our Rio Carnival guide.

Thursday, 11 June 2026

Rio at leisure or optional tours and hikes

You will now have three days at leisure to relax, enjoy the city and pursue your own interests, though of course, you'll probably want to relax on the beach or take things easy on day 5, following your late night carnival experience. For the rest of your time, we have a number of optional tours and excursions that could enhance your trip and give you an even more in-depth perspective on different aspects of Rio de Janeiro. 

• Historic Tour of Rio's Royal Palaces, Churches, Monastery, heritage botanical gardens, lagoon & Sugar Loaf Mountain
• Walking in the forest up Gavea, Urca or Sugar Loaf Mountains
• Football at the Maracana Stadium
• Private museums and art galleries
• Laura Alvim Theatre and cultural centre
• Horse racing at the Jockey Club
• Petropolis: summer residence of the Emperor and Royal Family
• Shopping for paintings, pottery, woodwork, interior decorations
• Craftsmanship of Brazilian precious stones and jewellery
• Music of Brazil: Bossa-Nova, Samba, Forro, Pagode and others
• Classical music, Gregorian choir and opera
• Three Eco-systems: atlantic forest, mangroves and the botanic gardens
• National History, fine arts, modern art, folklore and republic Museums
• Landscape Gardens & Niemeyer architecture

We also have the following options for hiking in Rio de Janeiro:

• Trek to the top of Sugar Loaf (5 Hours)
• Trek to the top of Pedra da Gavea (8 hours)
• Adventure Park "da Catacumba"

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Friday, 12 June 2026

At leisure

A day free to further explore Rio de Janeiro at leisure. Relax on the beach or take an additional optional excursion with our expert local guides. 

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Saturday, 13 June 2026

At leisure

The day is free to relax on the beach, or perhaps take an optional excursion to nearby Petropolis, the fascinating former summer home of the colonial Portuguese royal family.

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Sunday, 14 June 2026

Return flight to the UK

Enjoy your morning and afternoon in Rio, before taking a overnight return flight back to the UK.

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Monday, 15 June 2026

Arrive in the UK

Arrive in the UK in the morning.