Rio Carnival in Useful Information @ Tucan Travel

Rio Carnival 
Experience the world's biggest street party with Tucan Travel!

On this page:
About Rio Carnival
 - Rio Carnival Dates
About the Sambadrome
About group tours to Rio Carnival
 - Rio Carnival Package Prices
 - List of group tours which meet Rio Carnival
About Independent Travel to Rio Carnival
 - List of Independent Travel packages for Rio Carnival
 - Rio Carnival Independent Package Prices
Enjoy Rio Carnival on a Budget
Rio Carnival Tips


About Rio Carnival
Rio Carnival is the biggest street party in the world, with hundreds of thousands of people pouring into the city each year to take part in the festival. During the last 4 days and nights prior to Ash Wednesday the whole city closes down for wild and euphoric celebrations. The party hits the streets in a huge way - with colourful feathers, sequins and silk as far as the eye can see, and samba drums filling the air with an infectious rhythm. The entertainment continues well into the night with carnival balls each evening as well as free street parties and parades all over the city, but the major highlight of carnival is the spectacular Sambadrome parade, where samba schools battle it out to win the hearts and minds of carnival goers, with glittery costumes, fabulous floats and elaborate dance routines.

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Rio Carnival Dates
Carnival occurs annually on the weekend before Ash Wednesday.

Rio Carnival 2011     Friday 4 March to Tuesday 8 March
Rio Carnival 2012     Friday 17 February to Tuesday 21 February
Rio Carnival 2013     Friday 8 February to Tuesday 12 February

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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Sambadrome at Rio Carnival
Feathers and flesh, sequins and samba!

For many Rio Carnival revellers the highlight of the festival is the main parade, where hundreds of samba schools come to show off their dancing skills... and other feather-covered talents... in a purpose-built stadium called the Sambadrome. Parades in the Sambadrome run from Friday to Tuesday nights but the most spectacular are on the Sunday and Monday evenings.

It takes many months, if not a whole year for samba schools to prepare for Sambadrome parades. Some schools have thousands of members parading a time, with dozens of dazzling floats and hundreds of drummers. The choreography and practice of the dance steps, design and creation of the intricate costumes, and building of the parade floats is a complex and expensive business, but the end result is a fantastic display of colour, rhythm and dance that can literally take your breath away.

The samba schools pull out all the stops to win the support of the crowds and whip the spectators into a frenzy of singing and dancing. Judges at strategic points along the parade route score the competitors on everything from their passion, discipline and costumes to music and dance choreography.

Tickets for the Sambadrome are available through Tucan Travel and are included in the Rio Carnival package. We offer sector 13 tickets (see Sambadrome map), which are free seating and allow you to choose your vantage point. This sector is at the end of the Sambadrome pista (parade route) which also gives you the unique opportunity to ‘recycle’ the costumes left behind by carnival dancers!

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Group Tours to Rio Carnival
Travel Styles: Adventure Tours, Overland Expeditions, Budget Expeditions
Learn more about our travel styles

Tucan Travel block books Rio Carnival rooms well in advance and can offer a 4 night carnival hotel package on a shared room basis, with breakfast included. Please note we are only able to secure hotels in 4 night packages and cannot book fewer nights. The cost for this 4 night package is shown below and is per person. Your travel agent may also charge an administration fee.

We strongly recommend that you book your Rio Carnival package early as this is a very popular event and can sell out.

Rio Carnival Group Tour Package Prices 2010

All Rio Carnival packages for group tours include a sector 13 Sambadrome ticket (see map above).

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 (see map above). 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.

Rio Carnival Independent Travel Package Prices 2010

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Group tours that meet Rio Carnival
Check out the tours that go into or depart from Rio Carnival
Tip: You can also search for Rio Carnival tours under highlights on the Advanced Search

Click a link to navigate to tours in your chosen travel style in the table below:
Adventure Tours
Overland Expeditions
Budget Expeditions

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Independent Travel packages for Rio Carnival
Choose your preferred hotel, Sambadrome ticket included

How to Enjoy Rio Carnival on a Budget
Free parades, parties and events!

If you are travelling on a budget, there are plenty of things going on in the city during the Rio Carnival which won’t break the bank.

Although Sambadrome tickets are included in Tucan Travel carnival packages, there is another way to enjoy samba school parades, for free! That’s because there are two kinds of samba schools: those which parade on the Avenida Rio Branco and those at the Sambadrome. The schools that parade on Avenida Rio Branco are considered less prestigious but are top quality and their parades are free of charge.

Street parties called 'blocos' are held everywhere during Rio Carnival, with more than a hundred taking place in different neighbourhoods every day, at no charge. The most important blocos are "O cordão do bola preta" that parades around the historical city centre, and "Suvaco de Cristo", which takes place below the Christ the Redeemer statue. The music is composed and played by local bands and people wear special costumes and t-shirts designed especially for their particular areas. Everyone is welcome at these parties and the dancing can go on till late at night.

There is an alternative party that takes place in the Lapa district in the southern corner of Rio's city centre, where Tucan Travel hotels are based. A stage is erected in front of the famous Arcos de Lapa (the Lapa aqueduct) and bands of all styles play every night – this party is free of charge.

One of the highlights of Rio Carnival is the opportunity to go to a ball. The balls vary in style and theme and cost about approx 90 Real / US$40. They are great fun and worth saving a little bit of budget for if you can!

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Rio Carnival Tips
Rio Carnival traveller's tips from Tucan Travel clients and staff

1. The most important tip! You’ve seen it at the top of this page, but it’s so important that it bears repeating. Rio Carnival is the world’s biggest and most popular party.  If you wish to experience Rio Carnival it is important to organise your flights well in advance. Accommodation for Rio Carnival can be booked independently or booked through Tucan Travel but be aware that if you leave your booking till the last minute you may miss out.

2. The best views at the Sambadrome are from the cadeiras (ground level terrace seats), the arquibancadas (terrace seats) and the camarotes (boxes). If your Sambadrome ticket is in sector 13 you’ll have a great opportunity denied to other festival goers – the chance to rescue and wear the costumes left behind by samba school competitors! Tucan Travel clients have scored giant bird headdresses, glittery feathered outfits and a huge variety of other mad looking gear at past events. Have fun!

3. Get out there and samba with the locals and mix it up. You’ll find no shortage of dance partners out there to shake your booty with!

4. Security isn’t too much of an issue if you take some sensible precautions. Take your camera with you but keep it out of sight as much as possible. One idea is to keep it in a plastic grocery bag to make it look ordinary and not expensive.

5. Leave the jewellery at home and get into the festive spirit with cheap beads, flashing lights, short skirts, feathers and sequins. Same goes for the girls!

6. This is the world’s biggest party so do as much as you can during Rio Carnival, it’ll be the party of your lifetime and there’ll be plenty of time to sleep afterwards.

7. Keep emergency money in your bra or underwear and wear a money belt in case of pickpockets, which tend to be out in force at carnival time.

8. When you need a break, head into a por kilo restaurant to fuel up – you weigh your food and pay by the kilo, hence the name! You'll find the food is tasty and great value.

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