Self-Launched Rio to Manaus via the Guianas (62 Days)

Land in Rio, take the cheap Bus 2018/SRV airport bus or metro line 4 into Botafogo or Lapa (≈£1) and check into a hostel dorm. Spend the day acclimatising: sunset at Arpoador, an evening in Lapa with street caipirinhas. Buy a Rio Card for the metro and set up a Brazilian SIM (Claro/Vivo tourist plans ≈£8 for 20GB).

🚌Airport bus + metro (≈£2)

🛏Hostel dorm, Botafogo/Lapa (≈£12/night)

• →Sunset at Arpoador beach
• →Lapa street party
• →Buy SIM & Rio Card

Book Christ the Redeemer + Sugarloaf combo tickets direct (Trem do Corcovado ≈£22, Sugarloaf cable car ≈£18; GetYourGuide often bundles them cheaply). Morning Corcovado, afternoon Sugarloaf for sunset, evening feijoada in Santa Teresa.

🚌Metro + van to Corcovado (≈£4)

🛏Hostel dorm, Botafogo/Lapa (≈£12/night)

• →Corcovado/Christ the Redeemer
• →Sugarloaf cable car
• →Santa Teresa stroll

Take a Costa Verde or 1001 bus from Rio's Rodoviária Novo Rio to Teresópolis (≈3 hrs, ≈£8). Base here for Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos. Afternoon: short trails near the park entrance, waterfalls and viewpoints.

🚌Long-distance bus Rio–Teresópolis (≈£8)

🛏Pousada/guesthouse dorm, Teresópolis (≈£14/night)

• →Serra dos Órgãos trails & waterfalls

Bus to Congonhas (via Rio or Juiz de Fora, ≈£15) to see Aleijadinho's soapstone Twelve Prophets at Basílica do Bom Jesus de Matosinhos (free/small entry). Continue to Ouro Preto in the late afternoon.

🚌Buses Teresópolis–Congonhas–Ouro Preto (≈£18 total)

🛏Hostel dorm, Ouro Preto (≈£12/night)

• →Basílica do Bom Jesus de Matosinhos
• →Twelve Prophets sculptures

Walk the cobbled UNESCO centre, then take the cable car/shaft trip into Mina da Passagem (≈£8). Afternoon in the Museu da Inconfidência and the hilltop churches. Cheap and hearty mineiro food at a kilo restaurant (≈£6).

🚌Local bus to Mina da Passagem (≈£1.50)

🛏Hostel dorm, Ouro Preto (≈£12/night)

• →Mina da Passagem gold mine
• →Museu da Inconfidência
• →Colonial churches walk

Travel day: bus Ouro Preto–Vitória–Linhares (12–14 hrs overnight option, ≈£25). Sleep on the bus or check into a cheap hotel in Linhares if you prefer to break the journey.

🚌Overnight bus (≈£25)

🛏Overnight bus, or budget hotel Linhares (≈£14)

• →Scenic bus through Minas Gerais & Espírito Santo

Bus from Linhares to Conceição da Barra then local transport/minibus on to Itaúnas (≈£6). Explore the shifting dunes, the tiny fishing village and the forró bars that make this a Brazilian backpacker favourite.

🚌Bus + minibus (≈£6)

🛏Pousada dorm, Itaúnas (≈£13/night)

• →Dune walks
• →Itaúnas fishing village
• →Forró night

Slow day: hike over the dunes to the wild Atlantic beach, swim in the Rio Itaúnas lagoon, and eat moqueca at a beach shack. Book tomorrow's onward bus.

🚌Walking

🛏Pousada dorm, Itaúnas (≈£13/night)

• →Atlantic beach hike
• →Lagoon swim
• →Moqueca dinner

Bus Itaúnas–Conceição da Barra–São Mateus–Teixeira de Freitas–Caravelas (long day, ≈£18). Caravelas is the jumping-off point for Abrolhos Marine Park. Evening stroll along the Rio Caravelas waterfront.

🚌Multiple connecting buses (≈£18)

🛏Pousada dorm/cheap room, Caravelas (≈£14/night)

• →Caravelas riverfront

Book a day boat trip to Abrolhos Marine National Park direct with a local operator in Caravelas (≈£70–90 including park fee and snorkelling gear). April–Sept is clearest for turtles, reef fish and the famous bird colony.

🚌Boat trip included in activity

🛏Pousada dorm, Caravelas (≈£14/night)

• →Abrolhos Marine Park snorkelling
• →Swim with sea turtles

Local bus/shared taxi to Monte Pascoal (≈£5), the hill where Cabral first sighted Brazil in 1500. Walk the Pataxó indigenous trails with a local guide (≈£10) through Atlantic forest. Return to Caravelas or stay in a simple pousada in Itamaraju.

🚌Local bus / shared taxi (≈£5)

🛏Pousada near Monte Pascoal (≈£14/night)

• →Monte Pascoal forest trails
• →Pataxó indigenous community visit

Bus to Porto Seguro (≈£10). Visit the Marco do Descobrimento landing site, then climb to Cidade Histórica for the colonial views. Beach in the late afternoon at Praia do Mucugê.

🚌Bus (≈£10)

🛏Hostel dorm, Porto Seguro (≈£12/night)

• →Marco do Descobrimento
• →Cidade Histórica climb
• →Mucugê beach

Morning at the Museu de Porto Seguro and the Cidade Histórica churches, afternoon snorkel on the Recife de Fora reef flats (≈£25, bookable on the beach or via GetYourGuide).

🚌Walking / local bus

🛏Hostel dorm, Porto Seguro (≈£12/night)

• →Museu de Porto Seguro
• →Recife de Fora snorkel trip

Morning bus Porto Seguro–Salvador (≈10 hrs, ≈£22). Check into a Pelourinho hostel, then ease into the Afro-Brazilian beat with an acarajé from a street vendor (≈£2) and live samba in the square.

🚌Long-distance bus (≈£22)

🛏Hostel dorm, Pelourinho (≈£13/night)

• →Pelourinho evening
• →Acarajé street food
• →Live samba

Walk the UNESCO Pelourinho: Praça da Sé for capoeira rodas, São Francisco church, Elevador Lacerda down to the Cidade Baixa and the Mercado Modelo. Free walking tour in the morning is great value if you tip.

🚌Walking + Elevador Lacerda (≈£0.10)

🛏Hostel dorm, Pelourinho (≈£13/night)

• →Praça da Sé capoeira
• →São Francisco church
• →Mercado Modelo
• →Elevador Lacerda

Take the public ferry across the Baía de Todos os Santos to Itaparica island (≈£3 return) for a quiet beach day, or stay in town for Porto da Barra beach and the evening nightlife around Rio Vermelho.

🚌Public ferry (≈£3)

🛏Hostel dorm, Pelourinho (≈£13/night)

• →Itaparica ferry crossing
• →Porto da Barra beach
• →Rio Vermelho nightlife

Bus Salvador–Feira de Santana–Lençóis (≈7 hrs, ≈£15). Lençóis' cobbled streets and 19th-century diamond-rush colonial architecture are best seen on foot. Book a guide for tomorrow at a local agency (Real Travessia or similar).

🚌Bus (≈£15)

🛏Hostel dorm, Lençóis (≈£12/night)

• →Lençóis colonial streets

Join a shared 4x4 day tour (≈£22 via GetYourGuide/local agency) to the 340m Cachoeira da Fumaça viewpoint, or swap for the Gruta da Torrinha and Poço Encantado caves (≈£20 entry + transport). Bring water and cash.

🚌Shared 4x4 tour

🛏Hostel dorm, Lençóis (≈£12/night)

• →Cachoeira da Fumaça
• →Gruta da Torrinha cave

Self-guided (or £10 guide) walk along the Rio Mucugezinho to the Poço do Diabo swimming hole, then the panoramic plateau trails above Lençóis at sunset. Cheap local lunch of baião de dois.

🚌Local bus / hitch-hike share (≈£4)

🛏Hostel dorm, Lençóis (≈£12/night)

• →Poço do Diabo swim
• →Plateau sunset walk

Long travel day west: Lençóis–Seabra–Barreiras–Palmas (≈14 hrs, ≈£28). If you want the colonial detour, break at Natividade for its faded gold-rush church and streets before continuing.

🚌Long-distance buses (≈£28)

🛏Overnight bus or cheap hotel Palmas (≈£14)

• →Natividade colonial town stop

Palmas is a modern planned city on the Tocantins; the real draw is Taquaruçu, 30km out, with waterfalls, caves and natural pools. Local bus out (≈£3), spend the day swimming and walking between falls.

🚌Local bus (≈£3)

🛏Pousada dorm, Taquaruçu (≈£13/night)

• →Taquaruçu waterfalls
• →Natural pools & caves

Optional: a Jalapão day trip (dunes, fervedouros springs — better as a 2-3 day tour, ≈£120) or a river trip toward Ilha do Bananal for caiman, river turtles and birdlife (≈£40). Book through a Palmas agency or GetYourGuide.

🚌Tour vehicle

🛏Pousada dorm, Taquaruçu (≈£13/night)

• →Jalapão fervedouros
• →Ilha do Bananal wildlife boat trip

Bus or flight Palmas–Belém (bus ≈£30 overnight; flights from ≈£60). Check into a hostel near Cidade Velha and wander the riverside walkways by the Ver-o-Peso market in the evening.

🚌Overnight bus (≈£30)

🛏Hostel dorm, Cidade Velha (≈£12/night)

• →Belém riverside walkways

Belém is Brazil's food capital: tacacá, pato no tucupi, açaí (savoury, as locals eat it) at Ver-o-Peso market. Afternoon at the Mangal das Garças and Estação das Docas. Book your Macapá riverboat ticket today (Belém–Macapá ≈£35–50, 24–30 hrs).

🚌Walking

🛏Hostel dorm, Cidade Velha (≈£12/night)

• →Ver-o-Peso market
• →Mangal das Garças
• →Belém street food

Board the slow boat up the Amazon delta to Macapá. Hammock space is the backpacker option (≈£35); bring water, snacks, a hammock and a padlock. Two nights on the water watching river dolphins and passing villages.

🚌Riverboat Belém–Macapá (≈£45)

🛏Hammock on riverboat

• →Amazon delta riverboat journey

Arrive Macapá. Visit the Marco Zero do Equador monument and the Fortaleza de São José. Evening at the riverside Praça do Barão with street food and the sunset over the Amazon.

🚌Local bus/taxi (≈£3)

🛏Budget hotel, Macapá (≈£15/night)

• →Marco Zero do Equador
• →Fortaleza de São José
• →Riverside sunset

Catch up on laundry, download offline maps and confirm onward transport to Oiapoque. Note: the Macapá–Oiapoque road is rough and often only passable by 4x4/expedition truck — most independent travellers fly Macapá–Oiapoque (≈£90) or take a 2-day 4x4 transport (≈£70).

🚌Rest day

🛏Budget hotel, Macapá (≈£15/night)

• →Organise Oiapoque transport
• →Local market

4x4 transport/minibus north (long, rough, ≈£70) or short flight (≈£90, book early). Oiapoque is a frontier town on the Oyapock river — simple pousadas, mosquito nets and border formalities for tomorrow.

🚌4x4 transport or flight (≈£75)

🛏Pousada, Oiapoque (≈£15/night)

• →Border town arrival

Cross the Oyapock bridge to Saint-Georges de l'Oyapock, then shared taxi/minibus down the RN2 to Cayenne (≈£25, 3–4 hrs). Note French Guiana is France: euros, French language, EU-style prices. Hostel/Auberge de jeunesse or cheap hotel (≈£22/night).

🚌Border crossing + shared taxi RN2 (≈£25)

🛏Budget hotel/auberge, Cayenne (≈£22/night)

• →Oyapock river border crossing

Walk Cayenne: Place des Palmistes, Saint-Sauveur cathedral, the botanical garden (Jardin Botanique) and the market. Evening beer and street food on Place des Palmistes (≈£8).

🚌Walking

🛏Budget hotel/auberge, Cayenne (≈£22/night)

• →Place des Palmistes
• →Saint-Sauveur Cathedral
• →Jardin Botanique

Bus Cayenne–Kourou (≈£8, 1 hr). Book the guided Space Centre tour direct (≈£12, reserve online — and check launch schedule; launches are spectacular if you're lucky). Stay in Kourou town, not a far-out campground, so you can reach things.

🚌Public bus (≈£8)

🛏Budget hotel, Kourou centre (≈£24/night)

• →Centre Spatial Guyanais tour

Catamaran day trip from Kourou to the Îles du Salut (Royale, Saint-Joseph, Devil's Island) — book direct with the catamaran operator (≈£55 including island entry). Walk the prison ruins, swim off Île Royale.

🚌Catamaran (included in activity)

🛏Budget hotel, Kourou (≈£24/night)

• →Îles du Salut prison ruins
• →Devil's Island

Head west toward Saint-Laurent du Maroni, detouring to Awala-Yalimapo where leatherback turtles nest March–July (evening ranger-led watch ≈£10). Transport: shared taxi/minibus (≈£20).

🚌Shared taxi/minibus (≈£20)

🛏Simple guesthouse, Mana/Awala (≈£22/night)

• →Leatherback turtle nesting watch

Continue to Saint-Laurent du Maroni (≈£10) for the Camp de la Transportation — the notorious penal colony transfer camp, now a museum (guided tour ≈£10). Fascinating and sobering.

🚌Minibus (≈£10)

🛏Guesthouse, Saint-Laurent (≈£22/night)

• →Camp de la Transportation museum

Ferry across the Maroni River to Albina, Suriname (≈£3). Minibus Albina–Paramaribo (≈£5, 2–3 hrs). Paramaribo is Dutch-speaking, cheap and full of wood-built colonial charm. Hostel dorm ≈£12.

🚌Ferry + minibus (≈£8)

🛏Hostel dorm, Paramaribo centre (≈£12/night)

• →Maroni river crossing

Walk the UNESCO historic core: Presidential Palace, St Peter & Paul Cathedral (the largest wooden cathedral in the western hemisphere), the Neveh Shalom synagogue beside the Suriname Mosque on Keizerstraat — a famous example of religious coexistence. Arya Dawaker Hindu temple too.

🚌Walking

🛏Hostel dorm, Paramaribo (≈£12/night)

• →Suriname Mosque & Neveh Shalom Synagogue
• →St Peter & Paul Cathedral
• →Arya Dawaker temple
• →Presidential Palace

Day at the Central Market and Waterkant, then an evening river cruise on the Suriname River to spot freshwater dolphins (≈£20, bookable on the Waterkant or via a hostel). Dutch-style broodjes lunch.

🚌Walking + boat

🛏Hostel dorm, Paramaribo (≈£12/night)

• →Suriname River dolphin cruise
• →Central Market

Minibus over the Jules Wijdenbosch Bridge and south to Pokigron on the Brokopondo reservoir (≈£8). From here local boatmen run motorised canoe trips upriver to Maroon villages — arrange through your guesthouse or a local guide.

🚌Minibus + canoe (≈£10)

🛏Guesthouse/hammock lodge, Pokigron (≈£14/night)

• →Maroon village visit

Motorised canoe upriver to the Felullasi falls resort area (≈£35 return, plus lodge ≈£20/night full board-ish). Saramaccan Maroon culture, rapids you can swim in like a natural jacuzzi, jungle walks, and a night caiman-spotting boat trip (≈£10).

🚌Motorised canoe (≈£35)

🛏Jungle lodge, Felullasi (≈£20/night)

• →Felullasi falls
• →Saramaccan cultural visit
• →Nocturnal caiman cruise

Canoe + minibus back to Paramaribo (≈£15). Afternoon recovery: aircon, coffee, and a wander along the Waterkant. Buy your Guyana bus ticket today.

🚌Canoe + minibus (≈£15)

🛏Hostel dorm, Paramaribo (≈£12/night)

• →Waterkant stroll

Minibus Paramaribo–South Drain (≈£4), ferry across the Courantyne River to Corriverton (≈£1), then minibus to Georgetown (≈£4). Georgetown is colonial wooden Creole architecture, Stabroek Market and Demerara rum. Guesthouse ≈£16.

🚌Minibus + ferry + minibus (≈£9)

🛏Guesthouse, Georgetown (≈£16/night)

• →Courantyne river crossing
• →Stabroek Market

Walk the wooden St George's Cathedral (one of the world's tallest wooden buildings), the Parliament, the Promenade Gardens and Stabroek Market. Eat pepperpot, cook-up rice and roti. Book Kaieteur Falls flights with a local agent (Kaieteur Tours / Roraima Airways).

🚌Walking

🛏Guesthouse, Georgetown (≈£16/night)

• →St George's Cathedral
• →Stabroek Market
• →Guyanese food crawl

Day flight and hike to Kaieteur Falls — 221m single drop, the world's highest. Flights are chartered and need minimum passenger numbers, so book through a Georgetown agent days ahead (≈£180–230 incl. park fee). The independent traveller's flexible schedule is actually an advantage here.

🚌Small aircraft (included in activity)

🛏Guesthouse, Georgetown (≈£16/night)

• →Kaieteur Falls flight & hike
• →Kaieteur National Park

Minibus/4x4 from Georgetown toward Kurupukari (≈£30, 5–6 hrs, or arrange a seat with a tour operator). Iwokrama Forest is home to the canopy walkway — one of the world's best rainforest experiences.

🚌Shared 4x4/minibus (≈£30)

🛏Iwokrama River Lodge/economy cabin (≈£25/night)

• →Iwokrama rainforest arrival

Canopy walkway tour with a local ranger (≈£25) — toucans, red howler monkeys, macaws. Afternoon boat trip on the Essequibo for caiman and birdlife. Jaguar sightings are pure luck, but dawn and dusk drives raise the odds.

🚌On-site boat/vehicle

🛏Iwokrama economy cabin (≈£25/night)

• →Iwokrama canopy walkway
• →Essequibo wildlife boat trip

Continue south to the Rupununi savannah, basing at Surama, a community-run eco-lodge (≈£40/night full board, book direct ahead). Surama is a fantastic community tourism model — guides are Makushi villagers.

🚌Shared 4x4 (≈£25)

🛏Surama Eco-Lodge (≈£40/night)

• →Community eco-lodge stay

Guided walk on the Panorama Nature Trail with Makushi guides — birds, medicinal plants, savannah views. Optional canoeing on the Rupununi River (≈£15) or horse riding (≈£20) in the afternoon.

🚌Walking/canoe

🛏Surama Eco-Lodge (≈£40/night)

• →Panorama Nature Trail
• →Rupununi River canoeing

Shared 4x4 to Lethem (≈£20), then cross the Takutu bridge into Bonfim, Brazil (free, passport stamp) and take a local bus to Boa Vista (≈£2). Cheap Brazilian prices return. Rodoviária-area hotel ≈£14.

🚌4x4 + border + bus (≈£22)

🛏Budget hotel, Boa Vista (≈£14/night)

• →Brazil–Guyana border crossing

Recovery day: laundry, cheap churrasco, and sort onward transport toward Manaus. The BR-174 to Manaus is long (12–15 hrs) — book a bus or look for a seat in a shared 4x4 transfer.

🚌Local buses

🛏Budget hotel, Boa Vista (≈£14/night)

• →Boa Vista riverside
• →Churrasco dinner

Bus or 4x4 south on the BR-174. The road passes through the Waimiri-Atroari indigenous reserve — you can't enter, but the forest corridor is spectacular. Overnight stop around Presidente Figueiredo (famous for its caves and waterfalls, ≈£16 pousada).

🚌Bus/4x4 (≈£25)

🛏Pousada, Presidente Figueiredo (≈£16/night)

• →BR-174 rainforest corridor
• →Waimiri-Atroari reserve passage

Day trip to the Gruta do Refúgio do Maroaga cave and the Iracema and Santuário waterfalls — bookable locally or by shared taxi (≈£8 entry + transport). Swim, cool off and eat tambaqui.

🚌Shared taxi (≈£8)

🛏Pousada, Presidente Figueiredo (≈£16/night)

• →Maroaga cave
• →Iracema waterfall swim

Bus to Manaus (≈£10, 2 hrs from Figueiredo). Check into a hostel near the Centro, then see the Teatro Amazonas opera house (guided visit ≈£7) and the Mercado Adolpho Lisboa open-air market. Book a jungle expedition (3 days/2 nights from ≈£170 with a local operator like Amazon Gero or Amazon Eco Adventures).

🚌Bus (≈£10)

🛏Hostel dorm, Manaus centro (≈£12/night)

• →Teatro Amazonas
• →Adolpho Lisboa market

Day boat to the Encontro das Águas where the black Rio Negro meets the sandy Amazon, plus a stop at a riverside village and piranha fishing (≈£25 via local boat operator or GetYourGuide). Evening at the lively Ponta Negra beach.

🚌Local boat (included in activity)

🛏Hostel dorm, Manaus (≈£12/night)

• →Meeting of the Waters
• →Piranha fishing

Head into the jungle with a small local guide group: canoe through igarapés, guided forest walks learning medicinal plants used by indigenous communities, and night-time caiman spotting. Full board included in the expedition price (≈£170 for 3D/2N).

🚌Boat + canoe (included)

🛏Jungle lodge/hammock camp

• →Guided forest walk
• →Medicinal plant knowledge
• →Night caiman spotting

Sunrise birding, piranha fishing, and a visit to a riverside community. Learn about sustainable rubber tapping and river life. All meals included.

🚌Canoe (included)

🛏Jungle lodge/hammock camp

• →Sunrise birdwatching
• →Piranha fishing
• →Riverside community visit

Return to Manaus by boat and check back into a hostel. Afternoon: Museu do Índio, the Palácio Rio Negro and a cold beer at the waterfront. This is the official finish — the tour would end today, but keep a buffer day or two for the riverboats and flights home.

🚌Boat (included)

🛏Hostel dorm, Manaus (≈£12/night)

• →Museu do Índio
• →Palácio Rio Negro

Buffer day for rebooking buses and flights (Manaus–Rio or Manaus–Belém flights from ≈£80). Restock, laundry, and enjoy one last Amazonian sunset.

🚌Local

🛏Hostel dorm, Manaus (≈£12/night)

• →Manaus city stroll

Optional extension for those with time: the famous Manaus–Santarém riverboat (≈£60 in hammock, 30 hrs) if you want to keep going downriver to Belém. Otherwise use these days as slack for delays on the remote stretches.

🚌Riverboat (≈£60)

🛏Hammock on riverboat (≈£0, included in transport)

• →Amazon riverboat journey

Held in reserve for the inevitable transport delay on the Macapá–Oiapoque or Rupununi stretches, or used for an extra jungle night. Budget-wise these are cheap days in a hostel.

🚌None

🛏Hostel dorm, Manaus (≈£12/night)

• →Rest & buffer

Second buffer day. Use it for laundry, visa research (French Guiana/Suriname/Guyana visas and onward flights), or a day trip to Novo Airão to see the pink river dolphins.

🚌Local

🛏Hostel dorm, Manaus (≈£12/night)

• →Novo Airão pink dolphins (optional)

Final day: sort the airport bus, pack, and enjoy a farewell dinner of tacacá and açaí. Book any remaining onward flight (Manaus–Rio ≈£80 if booked in advance).

🚌Local bus

🛏Hostel dorm, Manaus (≈£12/night)

• →Farewell Amazonian dinner

Airport bus to Eduardo Gomes International Airport and home. Total self-launched trip: roughly £2,400–2,700 excluding international flights — versus about £6,100 for the operator version.

🚌Airport bus (≈£2)

🛏None

• →Fly home