The Corcovado optional tour ($38 per person, based on two or more participants) includes a cogwheel-train ride to the top of Corcovado Mountain to visit the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer and gawk at the sprawling cityscape of Rio below.

Another option is the Sugarloaf tour ($90 per person for two or more), which takes you through the city, past the Sambadrome and the Metropolital Cathedral to the neighborhood of Urca, home to Sugarloaf Mountain. The tour includes a two-part cable-car ride, first stopping at the top of Urca Hill (Morro do Urca) before ascending to the peak of Sugarloaf. Bring your camera to capture the panoramic views.

Iguazú Falls (Joseph Sohm/Visions of America/Corbis) [enlarge photo]

Other options include a combination of the Corcovado and Sugarloaf tours with lunch ($82) and a tropical island tour to the city of Itacuruçá in the district of Mangaratiba, including a saveiro boat cruise along Sepetiba Bay ($189 per person for two participants, $140 per person for three, and $116 per person for four).

If you'd like to extend your stay, expect to pay $43 per person per night for a double room ($86 for a single) at Recanto Park and $51 per person per night for a double ($102 for a single) at Lancaster. Other hotel options are available at an additional cost.

For more tips on what to do in the area, visit the Brazilian Tourism Office online. You can find the latest exchange rate and the local time at BudgetTravel.com.

When booking your trip, consider that the valid travel dates for this package fall during the hottest three months of the year—January through March, when temperatures reach above 100 degrees Fahrenheit—but also during the early months of winter (May and June), when the temperatures are more pleasant and average in the 70s. Before you go, check the weather forecast.

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