Rio Carnival Tours and Dates
Book your place on tour to the world's biggest party
Rio Carnival is the biggest street party in the world, with hundreds of thousands of people flocking to Rio de Janeiro each year to celebrate the famous festival. A major highlight is the spectacular Sambadrome parade, where samba schools battle it out to win the hearts and minds of the audience with outrageous costumes, fabulous floats and elaborate dance routines set to the infectious rhythm of samba drums.
The Sambadrome parades are on all week but the most spectacular displays occur on Sunday and Monday night. Outside of the parade ground, free street pageants and block parties revel from dusk till dawn while there are also a variety of themed carnival balls on offer.
Rio Carnival dates
Rio Carnival occurs on the weekend before Shrove Tuesday / Ash Wednesday each year
2013: Friday 8 February to Tuesday 12 February
2014: Friday 28 February to Tuesday 4 March
Important Note
Due to the popularity of this spectacular event, if you wish to experience the carnival it is important to organise your flights and accommodation well in advance. Accommodation for Rio Carnival can be booked independently or through Tucan Travel.
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Group tours to Rio Carnival
Travel Styles: Adventure Tours, Overland Expeditions, Budget Expeditions
Group tours which meet Rio Carnival are marked on tour pages under dates. Participation is optional so if you wish to experience this incredibly popular event it is very important to organise your flights and book your hotel package well in advance. You can book accommodation independently or with us, as outlined below.
Rio Carnival hotel & Sambadrome package for group tours
Due to the popularity of Rio Carnival we block-book hotel rooms well in advance in order to secure availability. We offer a four-night carnival hotel package on a shared room basis with breakfast included and a sector 13 (or equivalent) Sambadrome ticket for the Sunday evening.
Unfortunately, hotels in Rio de Janeiro do not sell accommodation for less than four-night periods during the carnival so we cannot book fewer nights for you. The cost for this four-night package is per person and your travel agent may also charge an administration fee.
| GBP | EUR | CHF | USD | CAD | AUD | NZD | |
| Adventure Tours | £560 | €670 | CHF790 | US$970 | C$970 | A$970 | NZ$1,210 |
| Overland Expeditions | £480 | €580 | CHF680 | US$830 | C$830 | A$830 | NZ$1,040 |
| Budget Expeditions | £480 | €580 | CHF680 | US$830 | C$830 | A$830 | NZ$1,040 |
Please note: For group tours that start before carnival, stay in Rio for carnival and continue after the carnival, the 4 night package is optional and not included in the tour price. This gives you the flexibility to choose where you’d like to stay during this busy time and decide whether or not you’d like to participate in the carnival. If you decide to fly in or out of the carnival early, no reimbursements will be given for unused accommodation.
Booking the Rio Carnival hotel
To book the Rio Carnival hotel package for a group tour you must inform us at the time of booking and then pay in full with your final balance.
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Getting to Rio Carnival Independently
Travel Style: Independent Travel
If you are an independent traveller and would like to enjoy all the glam and festivities of Rio Carnival then why not book one of our Independent Travel Rio Carnival packages? We offer accommodation at Pleasant, Pleasant plus and Superior level hotels. The packages include transfers to and from the airport, 4 nights’ accommodation including breakfast and a ticket for the Sunday evening parade at the Sambadrome.
Accommodation is available in single, twin share/double or triple rooms. We strongly recommend that you book your Rio Carnival package early as this is a very popular event does can sell out.
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Booking information
Rio Carnival supplement
If you are in Rio de Janeiro on a group tour or have pre or post accommodation booked in Rio de Janeiro on the Thursday night immediately before or the Tuesday night immediately after the Rio Carnival weekend you will be required to pay a supplement of US$90 or equivalent per night. This is paid in addition to the cost of your tour, pre or post accommodation or local fund. The supplement is to cover the markedly increased cost of accommodation in Rio de Janeiro at this time.
Cancellation
Once you have booked and paid for your carnival hotel package, cancellation by you is subject to our standard booking conditions.
Rio Carnival prices
The Rio Carnival prices shown are a guide only. In the event that prices increase closer to carnival time, the increase will be passed on to you even if the price changed after you had booked and paid in full.
Any changes will be posted on our website and all affected clients will be notified by their travel consultant if there is sufficient time before their tour departs. Independent Travel clients will be re-invoiced prior to travel.
All additional payments for Rio Carnival must be paid in advance of travel.
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