Days 1 and 2 are travel and arrival: you land in Rio, are picked up at the airport and transferred to a beach hotel, then head straight out for a city tour covering Urca, downtown and the port, with the cable car up the 270 m Sugar Loaf Mountain for the view over Copacabana.

The riding starts on day 3 with a jeep transfer to Tijuca National Park and the 670 m climb to Christ the Redeemer, then 22 km through the Tijuca tropical forest with a picnic and a free afternoon on the beach. Day 4 is 38 km from Copacabana along Flamengo Park to the boat landing stage, a crossing of Guanabara Bay, then the Niemeyer coastal road at Niteroi past the UFO-shaped Museu de Arte Contemporanea, with lunch in the fishing village of Itaipu. Day 5 covers 42 km on the Darwin Trail to Itaocaia Farm and on to Marica, then a transfer to Ponta Negra and a coastal ride from Jaconé to Saquarema. Day 6 is 39 km through the Costa do Sol State Park rainforest to the Araruama lagoon, lunch at the Sao Pedro fish market, then Campos Novos and a transfer to the resort at Buzios.

Day 7 is a rest day at Buzios — a short coastal walk in the morning, then the beach, water sports or nothing at all. Day 8 is a slow morning, an afternoon transfer to Rio and an evening flight to Manaus. Day 9 is a two-hour bike tour of Manaus covering the opera house, the rubber trade history and the port.

Days 10 to 13 are on the water. You board the river cruiser at Manaus port, sail the Rio Negro, and reach the Anavilhanas archipelago — the world's largest system of river islands. Excursions go out in launches through the Igapó, the flooded black-water forest, and on foot through the Terra Firme rainforest, where peccaries and jaguar tracks are possible. Evenings are for caiman spotting and looking for potoo birds, tree porcupines and sloths. On day 13 you sail downstream to the Encontro das Águas, where the dark Rio Negro meets the brown Amazon, and pass Manaus port before a last dinner on board. Day 14 is disembarkation, a flight to Rio and the overnight flight home; day 15 is arrival in Frankfurt.

The two halves are run by different people: a cycling guide from France A Velo plus a local English-speaking guide and a support vehicle on riding days, and the ship's crew and naturalist guides on the river. The trip is priced with flights from Frankfurt, so the logistics are handled end to end.

What's included

- Return flights with Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Rio de Janeiro - Domestic flights Rio de Janeiro – Manaus – Rio de Janeiro - 9 nights in 3- and 4-star hotels, mostly with swimming pool - Rooms with bath/shower, WC and air conditioning - 4 nights in a double cabin with private bath/shower, WC and air conditioning - Daily breakfast buffet - 9 half-board dinners - 4 full-board days on the river cruise - Cycling tour guide from France A Velo - Local English-speaking cycling guide - Support vehicle on days 2 to 6 - All mentioned boat passages - All mentioned transfers by minibus - All entrance fees - Jeep ascent to Christ the Redeemer - Cable car ascent to Sugar Loaf Mountain - Privatised river cruise in Amazonia - Daily excursions according to the programme - City tour of Manaus by bicycle - Touring bike with 21 gears - Map material

What's not included

- Lunches on cycling days (not listed among included services) - Drinks with meals - Single room supplement (price on request) - Half-double room supplement (price on request) - Travel insurance - Visa fees, where applicable - Yellow fever and other vaccinations - Personal expenses - Tips for guides, drivers and crew