Ah, Carnaval. The name evokes explosive images of colorful costumes, lavish floats, swarming masses, and last-minute debauchery before the sober Lenten season begins. Though it may look like sheer entertainment, Carnaval means hard work and dedication for many Cariocas; to some, it's a full-time job.

What's It All About - The religious aspect of the celebration faded some time ago, but Carnaval's date is still determined by the ecclesiastical calendar, officially occupying only the 4 days immediately preceding Ash Wednesday. With typical ingenuity and panache, however, Cariocas have managed to stretch the party into an event lasting several months, culminating in the all-night feast of color and sound that is the Samba School Parade, where tens of thousands of costumed dancers, thousands of percussionists, and hundreds of gorgeous performers atop dozens of floats all move in choreographed harmony to the nonstop rhythm of samba.

If you're not able to attend Carnaval itself, rehearsals - which usually start in mid-September or early October - are an absolute must, and the closest you'll get to the real thing. Even if you are in town for Carnaval, attending a rehearsal will give you a great appreciation of the logistics involved in putting together the parade, plus you'll learn all the words and dance moves.

In the 2 weeks leading up to the big event, you'll begin to see the blocos. These are community groups - usually associated with a particular neighborhood or sometimes with a bar - who go around the neighborhood, playing music and singing and dancing through the streets. Their instruments and costumes easily identify the official bloco members, but everyone is welcome and encouraged to follow along and add to the merriment. A number of blocos are so well known that they draw throngs of followers in the tens of thousands. The Banda de Carmen Miranda in Ipanema with its extravagant drag queens is a hoot.

Carnaval finally kicks off on the Friday before Ash Wednesday with an explosion of lavish balls, the so called bailes. Originally the bailes were reserved for the elite, while the masses partied it up with vulgar splendor in the streets. Today, they're still a pricey affair and the Copacabana Palace Ball remains the society event in Rio. The blocos also kick into high gear once Carnaval arrives with several groups parading every day from Saturday through Tuesday.

Then, there is the pièce de résistance: the Samba School Parade, the event that the samba schools work, plan, and sweat over for an entire year. Starting Sunday and continuing through Monday night, the 12 top-ranked samba schools (really community groups whose sole focus is the parade) compete for the honor of putting on the best show. The competition takes place in the Sambódromo, a 1.5 km (1 mile) long concrete parade ground built in the center of Rio for this once-a-year event. Each night over 60.000 spectators watch the contest live, while millions more tune in on TV to catch this feast for the senses. Even before the parade starts, the streets surrounding the Sambódromo are closed to car traffic, while the grounds around this stadium are transformed into Carnaval Central. A main stage hosts a variety of acts and performances, and hundreds of vendors set up shop with food and drinks.

1- Feb 20, 2009 Friday - Arrival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Welcome to South America's largest and most populous country. Immigration and Customs. Meet and greet at the airport in Rio de Janeiro and arrival transfer to your hotel. Your room will be ready by noontime, if you prefer we can also arrange you an early check-in (at a surcharge) and you will have your room ready upon arrival, so you can freshen up and rest before exploring Rio de Janeiro.

2- Feb 21, 2009 Saturday - Rio de Janeiro
Half Day City Tour to Sugar Loaf with guide. Today you will take the two-stage cable car up to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain - Pão de Açúcar - in the middle of the Guanabara Bay at 396 m (1.300 feet) above sea-level and enjoy breathtaking panoramic views. From here you can see Rio’s beaches to the south, and beyond, like Sugar Loaf itself, half a dozen granite monolithic morros rising straight from the water’s edge in Guanabara Bay. You may change the date of this tour at your convenience.

In the afternoon, enjoy Carnival in the streets.

3- Feb 22, 2009 Sunday - Rio de Janeiro
At leisure in Rio. Enjoy Carnival in the streets or go see the Samba School Parade in the Sambódromo. As an optional, take a tour to Corcovado, where the statue of Christ, the Redeemer, overlooks Rio and its famous beaches.

4- Feb 23, 2009 Monday - Rio de Janeiro
At leisure in Rio. Enjoy Carnival in the streets or go see the Samba School Parade in the Sambódromo. As an optional tour, experience the rain forest right inside of Rio de Janeiro with the Jeep Tour.

5- Feb 24, 2009 Tuesday - Rio de Janeiro
This is your last day in Rio. It may be time for shopping. Visit the Amsterdam Sauer Jewelry Museum. They provide free transportation to and from the hotel. We can arrange this visit for FREE.

6- Feb 25, 2009 Wednesday - Depart Rio de Janeiro - Next City
Check-out at noon. Transfer to the airport in Rio de Janeiro. Homebound flight or proceed to your next destination.

Land-Only prices in US-Dollars per person in double occupancy (single supplement available), including:

• Private roundtrip transfer Airport GIG or SDU in Rio de Janeiro/Hotel/Airport GIG or SDU in Rio de Janeiro featuring air-conditioned vehicle with English speaking guide.

• Half Day City Tour to Sugar Loaf (SIB, approximately 4 hours) with English speaking guide.

• Accommodation in the hotel of your choice.

• Daily Brazilian buffet breakfast, unless indicated above.

• Meals as per description (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner).

• Hotel taxes.

Mandatory stay depending on the hotel of your choice.

Due to the high demand of Carnival in Rio, please be aware of the following special conditions:

• Prices are subject to change until request is confirmed by our suppliers.

• Full payment is due upon written confirmation of the package.

• Carnival packages are NON-REFUNDABLE once paid in full.

-> Carnival Tickets Main Parade, February 22nd or 23rd, Tourist Sector 9 (please consult us for other sectors):
          Grandstands = US$ 547 per person.
          Box with 6 seats = US$ 5751 per box.

-> Carnival Tickets Winners Parade, February 28th, Tourist Sector 9 (please consult us for other sectors):
          Grandstands = US$ 349 per person.
          Box with 6 seats = US$ 3371 per box.

-> Additional for Russian speaking guide (private services) = US$ 157 per person.

-> To reduce or extend number of nights in this package, simply click on the hotel of your choice and check the desired period.

To receive more information, please email us at office@opcotours.com.