Arrive at Galeão International Airport (GIG). Round-trip airport transfer to the hotel is included — your host will coordinate pickup. Check in to your hotel in Rio’s South Zone and get settled.

Optional: head down to Arpoador for sunset — the rocky headland between Ipanema and Copacabana, with one of the best free views in Rio. Locals gather here every evening to applaud the sun going down. A perfect first taste of the city.

The full classic Rio day. Start at Christ the Redeemer — 710 metres above the city, arms open over everything below. Then Sugarloaf Mountain by cable car as the afternoon light hits the bay. Along the way, a stop at the Selarón Steps — the famous mosaic staircase tiled by Chilean artist Jorge Selarón over three decades — and a photo stop at Maracanã Stadium, one of the most iconic football grounds on earth.

BBQ lunch is included — a proper Brazilian churrasco to set the tone for the week. By the end of this day you’ll have seen Rio from every angle above it.

Morning at leisure. Afternoon, the group heads to Santa Teresa — Rio’s bohemian hillside neighbourhood of cobblestoned streets, colonial architecture, art studios, and some of the city’s best food. Group lunch included, followed by a historic walking tour through the winding streets and viewpoints most tourists never reach.

Evening: New Year’s Eve. Copacabana beach hosts over two million people in white for the world’s most famous countdown. NYE venue options are not included in the base price — your host will scout and present options ahead of the trip. Whether you’re on a rooftop, at a venue, or on the beach as the fireworks go off over the Atlantic, this is the night the whole trip is built around.

Tradition: wear white on New Year’s Eve — it brings good luck for the year ahead.

Start the new year right. Free morning at Ipanema Beach — swim, walk, or sit with a fresh drink and watch the city come back to life after the night before.

As the sun drops, board a sunset sailing tour along Rio’s coastline. Caipirinhas on board, the city skyline behind you, the Dois Irmãos peaks ahead. New Year’s Day on the water — exactly where it should be spent.

Pre-dawn departure for the Morro Dois Irmãos ridge trail — summit views over Ipanema, Leblon, and the full southern coastline at sunrise. Then make your way to for a guided community tour of Rochina Favela. Rocinha is the largest favela in South America, home to over 100,000 people. This option includes drone video footage of the tour — yours to keep. A motorcycle tour through the lanes, past the street art, into the daily life of one of Rio’s most misunderstood communities.

Full-day escape from Rio. Arraial do Cabo is often called the Brazilian Caribbean — and it earns the name. Crystal-clear turquoise water, white sand beaches, and a coastline that looks nothing like the rest of Brazil.

Round-trip transfer fully included. A boat tour takes the group along the coastline and into hidden coves only reachable from the water. Lunch is included during the day trip. This is the day that makes people wish they’d booked an extra week.

Parasailing — soar above Rio’s iconic beachfront for a bird’s-eye view of the city, beaches, and mountains. Flight included.

Then on the ground: coastal bike tour along the legendary beachfront route — Leblon to Ipanema to Copacabana, the full stretch of Rio’s most famous beaches from two wheels. Optional sunset finish at Copacabana Fort to close out the trip.

Check-out. Round-trip airport transfer to Galeão (GIG) included. Safe travels home.

If your flight is late, your host can point you to the best way to spend your last few hours — Ipanema Sunday market, a final açaí, one last swim, one more look at Sugarloaf from the beach.