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🇧🇷 Itinerary · Brazil · 14 days

2-week Brazil itinerary 2026: Rio and the Nordeste

14 days from Rio to Salvador de Bahia: Costa Verde, Pelourinho, Chapada Diamantina and Morro de São Paulo. The balanced route with 1 domestic flight, detailed budget.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

14 days

Stops

5 places

Average budget

€2,000-3,000

Total distance

~2,200 km

Profile

Versatile

Season

Sep-Oct

Rio 4d · Paraty 2d · Salvador 3d · Chapada Diamantina 3d · Morro de São Paulo 2d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

Brazil 2-week itinerary map: Rio de Janeiro, Paraty, Salvador, Chapada Diamantina, Morro de São Paulo

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

14 days, day by day

1

~€80/pers

Rio de Janeiro · Arrival and Copacabana

  • Afternoon Arrival at Galeão, transfer to Ipanema (40 min, €20).
  • Evening Walk on Copacabana, caipirinha facing the ocean.
🛌 🛌 Ipanema · e.g. seafront hotel (4 nights)·🚖 Uber from the airport·Brazil guide →
2

~€70

Rio · Sugarloaf and Corcovado

  • 8am Sugarloaf cable car at opening, Guanabara bay.
  • 4pm Corcovado train to Christ the Redeemer, dinner in Lapa.
3

~€60

Rio · Santa Teresa, samba and favela

  • 9am Escadaria Selarón, Santa Teresa by tram.
  • 2pm Guided, responsible favela visit (Vidigal), roda de samba in the evening.
4

~€55

Rio · Beaches and Jardim Botânico

  • 9am Botanical garden, Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon by bike.
  • 4pm Ipanema, sunset from Arpoador.
5

~€75

Rio → Paraty · Colonial coast

  • 8am Costa Verde bus to Paraty (4h30, ~€25).
  • 2pm Cobbled historic center, baroque churches, cachaça distillery.
🛌 🛌 Paraty historic center · e.g. colonial pousada (2 nights)·🚌 Costa Verde bus
6

~€65

Paraty · Bay by boat and waterfalls

  • 9am Schooner tour in the bay: beaches, snorkeling, monkey island.
  • 4pm Cachoeira do Tobogã (natural slide) in the hinterland.
7

~€110

Paraty → Salvador · Flight to the Nordeste

  • 8am Transfer to Rio, domestic flight Rio → Salvador (2h15, ~€90).
  • 3pm Check in at the Pelourinho, first colorful lanes.
  • 8pm Moqueca dinner (fish in coconut milk), Olodum percussion.
🛌 🛌 Pelourinho or Santo Antônio · e.g. colonial pousada (3 nights)·✈️ Domestic flight
8

~€55

Salvador · Pelourinho and Afro-Brazilian culture

  • 9am Pelourinho (UNESCO), Bonfim church, Lacerda elevator, lower town.
  • 3pm Capoeira demonstration, Mercado Modelo.
  • 8pm Samba-reggae concert, Bahian food (acarajé).
9

~€50

Salvador · Beaches and Itapuã

  • 10am Porto da Barra and Farol da Barra beaches, lighthouse and sunset.
  • 4pm Itapuã district, dunes and Abaeté lagoon.
10

~€85

Salvador → Chapada Diamantina · Mountains and waterfalls

  • 7am Flight or night bus to Lençóis (gateway to the Chapada Diamantina).
  • 3pm Check in at Lençóis, mining village, first waterfall.
🛌 🛌 Lençóis · e.g. charming pousada (3 nights)·✈️ Short flight or 🚌 night bus
11

~€70

Chapada Diamantina · Poço Azul and caves

  • 8am Poço Azul and Poço Encantado (turquoise-water caves), swim.
  • 4pm Morro do Pai Inácio viewpoint at sunset.
12

~€65

Chapada Diamantina · Cachoeira da Fumaça

  • 7am Hike to the Cachoeira da Fumaça (340 m, one of Brazil's tallest).
  • 5pm Swim in the Vale do Capão waterfalls, back to Lençóis.
13

~€95

Chapada → Morro de São Paulo · Caribbean-like island

  • 7am Back to Salvador, catamaran or boat to Morro de São Paulo (2h).
  • 4pm Car-free island, numbered beaches (Segunda, Terceira), warm water.
🛌 🛌 Morro de São Paulo · e.g. pousada on Segunda beach (2 nights)·🚌 Bus + ⛴️ catamaran
14

Flight

Morro de São Paulo → return

  • Morning Last swim, natural pools at low tide.
  • Afternoon Catamaran back to Salvador, return flight via São Paulo or Lisbon.

How much

Itinerary budget (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€2,000

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €850
  • 🏨 Hostel/pousada: €28/night
  • 🍽️ Comida a kilo: €14/day
  • ✈️ Domestic flight + bus + boats: €220
  • 🎫 Activities: €180
Recommended

Comfort

€2,600

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €900
  • 🏨 3-4★ hotel: €65/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed restos: €30/day
  • ✈️ Domestic flights + transfers: €350
  • 🎫 Activities + Chapada guides: €250

Premium

€4,800

per person

  • ✈️ Business flight: €1,800
  • 🏨 5★ and charming pousadas: €200/night
  • 🍽️ Fine dining: €60/day
  • 🚖 Private transfers + private guides
  • 🎫 Private excursions: €450

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

1 week

1 week

Rio and the Costa Verde. The essential format.

You're here

2 weeks

2 weeks

Rio then the Nordeste: Salvador, Chapada Diamantina, Morro de São Paulo.

1 month

1 month

The grand tour, from Rio to the Iguaçu falls and the Amazon.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

Since Brazil is huge, this route combines 1 to 2 domestic flights (Rio → Salvador, and Salvador → Lençóis depending on budget), coastal buses and catamarans. Count ~€250 to €350 of transport over 14 days.

✈️

Flight Rio → Salvador

~€90 · 2h15 · GOL or LATAM · book early

🚌

Bus Rio → Paraty

~€25 · 4h30 · Costa Verde line

✈️

Flight/bus Salvador → Lençóis (Chapada)

flight ~€70 · or night bus ~€30 (6h)

⛴️

Catamaran Salvador → Morro de São Paulo

~€40 · 2h · sometimes rough sea

🚖

Uber in Rio and Salvador

€5 to €15/ride · safer than street taxis

Adapt by season

South and Nordeste don't share a season

In Brazil the seasons are flipped and the Nordeste doesn't follow Rio. In Rio and on the Costa Verde, the austral winter (April-October) is drier and pleasant. In Salvador and Bahia, the driest stretch runs September to March, while May-July is rainier there. The ideal compromise: September-October, dry in both Rio and the Nordeste, 26 to 32°C. The Chapada Diamantina hikes best in the dry season for swimmable waterfalls without floods.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In October 2024 I hiked to the Cachoeira da Fumaça in the Chapada Diamantina: a 340 m drop, and at the top you lie at the edge to watch the water turn to mist before it hits the ground. No one expects that coming from a Bahia beach. Absolutely worth doing again.
  • • Pairing the Chapada Diamantina with the Nordeste: few routes do, it's the trip's strong contrast.
  • • The Rio → Salvador flight over the bus (28h): it frees 2 full days.
  • • Finishing with Morro de São Paulo, a car-free island: you decompress after the hiking.
  • • Salvador for the Afro-Brazilian culture: capoeira, Olodum, moqueca, a city apart.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Skip the Chapada Diamantina (3 days) if you'd rather have more beaches and less walking.
  • • Add Praia do Forte north of Salvador (sea turtles) instead of 1 city day.
  • • Take the domestic flight to Lençóis rather than the night bus if budget allows.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Do you need domestic flights in Brazil? +
Yes, the country is huge: Rio-Salvador is 1,600 km, 28h by bus versus 2h15 by plane. For 14 days, at least 1 domestic flight is essential. Book early (GOL, LATAM, Azul) for fares around €90.
Is the Chapada Diamantina worth the detour? +
Yes for nature lovers: turquoise-water caves (Poço Azul), giant waterfalls (Fumaça, 340 m), plateaus and mining villages. Count at least 3 days and a local guide for the committing hikes.
Do you need a visa for Brazil? +
No for most EU travelers: no visa for a tourist stay up to 90 days. Passport valid for the duration of the stay.
What's the best period for this route? +
September-October: dry in both Rio and the Nordeste, 26 to 32°C. May-July is rainier in Salvador. The dry season lets you hike the Chapada with swimmable waterfalls and no floods.
How do you reach Morro de São Paulo? +
By catamaran from Salvador (2h, ~€40), the sea can be rough. The island bans cars: wheelbarrows and boats handle luggage transfers. Beaches numbered Primeira to Quinta.
Is this route family-friendly? +
Yes by easing the Chapada (demanding hikes) toward accessible waterfalls and the Morro de São Paulo beaches. Domestic flights shorten the long distances, more comfortable with children.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

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