Self-Launched Rio Carnival & Ilha Grande: 11 Days DIY
11 days · Brazil
Yes-Trips charges £1,200
No-markup version: ~£880 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 11-day self-launched take on Yes-Trips' Rio Carnival + Ilha Grande package: a week in Rio during Carnival (street blocos, Christ the Redeemer, beaches, favela and forest tours) followed by three nights on car-free Ilha Grande with a boat tour of the lagoons and a jungle waterfall hike. Prices are approximate backpacker rates in GBP per person, excluding international flights. Book Rio hostel beds and Ilha Grande pousadas 3-6 months ahead — Carnival week sells out and prices spike.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Rio — Carnival is already on
Rio de Janeiro
Land at Galeão (GIG) and take the BRT/Ônibus Executivo or a 99/Uber to a hostel in Botafogo, Flamengo or Santa Teresa (~£3-6). Check in, get a Brazilian SIM/eSIM (Claro or Vivo prepaid, ~£5), and change money or top up a Nubank/wise card. Evening: walk to a free street bloco in Lapa or Centro — Carnival street parties are free and run all day. Grab a caipirinha from a street cart (~£2) and a plate of pastel or a hot dog for dinner.
🚌Airport bus or rideshare to hostel, then metro/walk
🛏Hostel in Botafogo/Flamengo (4-8 bed dorm, ~£15/night during Carnival)
- →Free Carnival street blocos in Lapa
- →Lapa Arches at night
Breakfast, blocos and (optionally) the Sambadrome
Rio de Janeiro
Brazilian breakfast at a padaria: pão de queijo, tropical fruit and a cafezinho (~£4). Spend the afternoon at a big daytime bloco — check the Rio Carnival official schedule for Cordão do Bola Preta or similar. In the evening, either continue with street parties or buy a Sambadrome ticket for the Access Group or Special Group parade. Tickets are official via the Sambadrome/LIESA site or GetYourGuide from roughly £35-110 depending on sector — the operator charges ~€120 for a reserved seat. Grandstand (arquibancada) sectors are cheapest.
🚌Metro (Carioca/Cinelândia for Sambadrome; metro runs all night during Carnival)
🛏Hostel in Botafogo/Flamengo (~£15)
- →Daytime bloco street party
- →Sambadrome samba parade (optional, ~£35-110)
Ipanema, surfing and more blocos
Rio de Janeiro
Breakfast at the hostel or a juice bar (açaí bowl ~£4). Metro to Ipanema (General Osório). Optional beginner surf lesson at Posto 8-9 — book directly with a beach school or via GetYourGuide, ~£25-35 for 1.5 hours including board. Otherwise swim, hire a chair and relax. Late afternoon bloco in Ipanema/Leblon, dinner at a per-kilo buffet (~£6-8).
🚌Metro card top-up ~£1-2/day
🛏Hostel in Botafogo/Flamengo (~£15)
- →Ipanema Beach
- →Surf lesson (optional, ~£30)
- →Evening bloco
Christ the Redeemer and Copacabana
Rio de Janeiro
Go early (first train ~8am) to beat crowds. Take the metro to Largo do Machado then the 583 bus, or a rideshare, to Cosme Velho, and ride the Corcovado train. Book the official Trem do Corcovado ticket online in advance (~£22-25 including park entry) — or take the van from Paineiras. Afternoon: metro to Copacabana for beach time and a beach-kiosk lunch. Evening bloco or early night.
🚌Metro + bus/rideshare to Cosme Velho
🛏Hostel in Botafogo/Flamengo (~£15)
- →Christ the Redeemer / Corcovado train (~£24)
- →Copacabana Beach
City centre walking tour and favela visit
Rio de Janeiro
Free walking tour of Centro (pay-what-you-want tip ~£5-8) covering Cinelândia, the Selarón Steps connection and Lapa. Afternoon: a community-run favela tour in Rocinha, Vidigal or Santa Marta — book through a local NGO/community operator or GetYourGuide (~£20-28); choose one that employs local guides. Evening: Carnival celebrations in Lapa.
🚌Metro/walk, moto-taxi up the favela ~£2
🛏Hostel in Botafogo/Flamengo (~£15)
- →Centro free walking tour
- →Community favela tour (~£24)
Tijuca Forest and Santa Teresa
Rio de Janeiro
Morning hike in Tijuca National Park — take a rideshare to the Visitor Centre/Praça Afonso Viseu and walk the trails to Cascatinha Taunay waterfall and the Vista Chinesa viewpoint (free, bring water). Alternatively join a small-group jeep/hike tour via GetYourGuide (~£25-35). Afternoon: Santa Teresa's street art, the Selarón Steps and a bar lunch. Evening bloco if you have energy.
🚌Rideshare round trip ~£8
🛏Hostel in Botafogo/Flamengo (~£15)
- →Tijuca Forest trails & Vista Chinesa
- →Selarón Steps
- →Santa Teresa street art
Maracanã, museums or a final beach day
Rio de Janeiro
Pick your own Rio day: Maracanã stadium tour (~£12-15), Museu do Amanhã (~£5), or the Botanical Garden (~£7). Last big Carnival night — blocos in Centro/Lapa, or a samba bar in Lapa. Pack tonight for the island.
🚌Metro ~£2
🛏Hostel in Botafogo/Flamengo (~£15)
- →Maracanã tour or Museu do Amanhã (optional ~£5-15)
- →Final Carnival night in Lapa
Bus and ferry to Ilha Grande
Ilha Grande
Take the Costa Verde bus from Rio's Novo Rio rodoviária to Conceição de Jacareí or Angra dos Reis (~3 hours, ~£10-14, book on ClickBus or Buser). From Conceição de Jacareí take the fast catamaran/ferry to Abraão (~20-30 min, ~£8-12) — arrivals are timed around the buses. Check into a pousada or hostel in Vila do Abraão (no cars on the island). Sunset drinks on Abraão beach, seafood dinner.
🚌Rio–Conceição de Jacareí bus + ferry/boat (~£20 total)
🛏Pousada/hostel in Vila do Abraão (~£22/night)
- →Vila do Abraão beach
- →Sunset on the waterfront
Full-day boat tour of the island
Ilha Grande
Join a shared schooner/boat tour around the north side of the island — Lagoa Azul, Lagoa Verde, Lopes Mendes or the Praia de Caxadaço area — with snorkel stops and beach time. Book the day before at the Abraão pier kiosks or via GetYourGuide, ~£18-28 including lunch on some boats. Bring reef-safe sunscreen and cash for drinks.
🚌Walk to pier; boat included in tour
🛏Pousada/hostel in Vila do Abraão (~£22)
- →Shared boat tour with snorkelling (~£24)
- →Lagoa Azul & Lagoa Verde
Waterfall hike and Lopes Mendes
Ilha Grande
Self-guided jungle hike to Cachoeira da Feiticeira or the Poço do Aquiles waterfall (well-marked trails from Abraão, 1-2 hours each way, free). Stronger walkers can do the 2.5-hour trail to Lopes Mendes beach and return by local boat (~£8). Evening: açaí and a relaxed dinner in the village.
🚌On foot; optional boat back ~£8
🛏Pousada/hostel in Vila do Abraão (~£22)
- →Waterfall hike
- →Lopes Mendes beach (optional)
Ferry, bus and back to Rio
Rio de Janeiro
Morning ferry back to the mainland and bus to Rio's Novo Rio terminal (~£20). If your international flight is tonight, allow at least 3 hours before departure plus the airport transfer (~£4-6 by BRT). Otherwise add a night in Rio and spend the last afternoon at the beach.
🚌Boat + bus back to Rio (~£20), airport BRT/rideshare ~£5
🛏None (or final night hostel ~£15)
- →Last island swim
- →Bus back to Rio
Self-launched vs. Yes-Trips
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Yes-Trips | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£880 | £1,200 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £320 per person (27%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Yes-Trips-style trips? Check them out here.~£880
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Self-Launched Rio Carnival & Ilha Grande: 11 Days DIY cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £880 per person for 11 days in Brazil. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Yes-Trips?+
Yes — Yes-Trips charges around £1,200 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £880 — a saving of roughly £320 (27%) per person.
How long is the Brazil trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through Brazil.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a festivals, culture, beaches trip through Brazil, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
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