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Brazil in 10 days: Olinda, Recife and Salvador, day by day

Ten days from Natal to Salvador: the historic centre of Olinda and the Alto da Sé at sunset, Recife Antigo, the natural pools of Porto de Galinhas by jangada, the Rota Ecológica, the Gunga cliffs, then five nights in Salvador, from the Pelourinho to the Senhor do Bonfim.

Compiled by Kylian Surget, updated on 02/10/2026

Christ the Redeemer on the summit of Corcovado overlooking Rio, the lagoon and the ocean
  • 10 days
  • 43 places
  • 10 nights
  • sustained pace
Start
Natal
End
Salvador
Main transport
Hire car throughout, with three long driving days (Natal to Olinda, Maceió to Aracaju, Aracaju to Salvador), jangadas for the natural pools and a ferry to Itaparica island
Recommended season
Set for a June departure: between Recife and Salvador May to July is the rainy season, with short but frequent showers; 25 to 31 °C and a sea that is warm all year

What you get

  • The complete itinerary: 10 days sequenced Morning / Afternoon / Evening / Hotel
  • The card of every hotel, with the address and a direct booking link
  • Quota tickets, fixed-date tickets and surcharges flagged in advance
  • The country quick guide: weather, transport, formalities, budget
  • A PDF file of 22 pages

What the price does not include

  • Flights
  • Hotel nights
  • Tickets and admission fees
  • Travel insurance
  • On-the-ground assistance during your trip

The travel book preview

The free day in full, with its hotel card. This is the sample.

Day 8

The lower town and the Bonfim

Morning

Elevador Lacerda

The world's first urban lift, opened in 1873, links the upper town to the lower town in thirty seconds over 72 metres: it carries tens of thousands of people every day for R$ 1, and its terrace gives the finest view of the Bay of All Saints.

Mercado Modelo and Praça Cairu

The former customs house of 1861, now a craft market on three levels; local legend has it that its basements were used to hold enslaved people arriving through the port, but the building postdates the ban on the slave trade.

Igreja da Conceição da Praia

The church of the lower town, cut entirely in Portugal and then reassembled stone by stone in Salvador in the 18th century. Its trompe-l'œil ceiling and its devotion to Nossa Senhora da Conceição, syncretised with Iemanjá, make it a central place of Bahian religious life.

Afternoon

Church of Senhor do Bonfim

The most popular shrine in Bahia: its railings are covered with thousands of coloured ribbons, the fitinhas, which you tie on with three wishes. Inside, the room of miracles displays ex-votos by the hundred, wax limbs, photos and crutches. The lavagem do Bonfim, in January, is the city's biggest religious festival.

Forte de Monte Serrat and Ponta de Humaitá

The 16th-century fort, considered one of the finest examples of military architecture in the country, occupies the tip of the peninsula with its wall walk above the water. Next to it, the church of Monte Serrat and the Ponta de Humaitá offer the most complete view of the bay at sunset.

Good to know

opening hours : The Elevador Lacerda links Praça Tomé de Sousa (upper town) to Praça Cairu (lower town) in about thirty seconds; renovated in 2025, it runs Monday to Friday from 6:30 AM to 9:30 PM, on Saturdays from 7:00 AM to 9:30 PM, and on Sundays and public holidays from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Fare announced at R$ 1 after the reopening. The basilica of Senhor do Bonfim is open every day, with free entry, but visits take place between masses, which are numerous on Fridays and Sundays; the Museu dos Ex-Votos, upstairs, charges for entry. Dress appropriately in the church.

Hotel · Night 8

Mercure Salvador Rio Vermelho

A chain hotel in the Rio Vermelho district, the liveliest in Salvador in the evening, a short distance from the Farol da Barra and about fifteen minutes from the Pelourinho. Five nights here, paid parking.

Address
· Rua Fonte do Boi, 215, Rio Vermelho, Salvador - BA, 41940-360
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€39 incl. tax · 10 days

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The day-by-day rundown

10 stops, 740 km as the crow flies

  1. Day 1 Olinda, Baroque on the hill Historic centre of Olinda Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  2. Day 2 Recife Antigo and the Brennands Marco Zero and Rua do Bom Jesus Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  3. Day 3 Porto de Galinhas, reefs and seahorses Natural pools by jangada Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  4. Day 4 The Rota Ecológica to Maceió São Miguel dos Milagres and the Rota Ecológica Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  5. Day 5 The Gunga, then Aracaju Falésias do Gunga and Praia do Gunga Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  6. Day 6 The Linha Verde and arrival in Salvador Praia do Forte and the Projeto TAMAR Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  7. Day 7 The Pelourinho and the gold of São Francisco Pelourinho and Terreiro de Jesus Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  8. Day 8 The lower town and the Bonfim Elevador Lacerda Free
  9. Day 9 The island of Itaparica by ferry Crossing and Ponta de Areia Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF
  10. Day 10 Rodin, Rio Vermelho and Barra Pituaçu Metropolitan Park Day reserved for buyers, unlocked in the PDF

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Country quick guide and logistics

The essentials of the country, scannable in ten seconds.

Weather and when to go

  • Constant heat, 25 to 31 °C, and a sea that stays warm all year.
  • This stretch of coast has its rainy season from May to July, with short but frequent showers between Recife and Salvador: keep the beach days flexible and pack a light windproof.
  • The natural pools at Porto de Galinhas and Pajuçara can only be visited at low tide, and the time shifts every day: the tide sets those mornings.

Transport and permits

  • Hire car throughout. Three driving days stand out: Natal to Olinda, Maceió to Aracaju and Aracaju to Salvador.
  • Parking is difficult in Olinda and around the Pelourinho: use guarded car parks and ride-hailing on the historic-centre days. In Salvador the hotel for the five nights has its own parking.
  • Itaparica island on day 58 is reached by the ferry from the São Joaquim terminal, about an hour's crossing, or by the lanchas from the Terminal Náutico to Mar Grande, about 40 minutes. With a car, the wait for the ferry can exceed two hours.

Formalities and safety

  • Most museums in Recife and Salvador close on Mondays: set the sightseeing days accordingly. Dress respectfully in the churches, at the Mosteiro de São Bento in Olinda as at the Senhor do Bonfim.
  • On the Rota Ecológica the natural pools are reached only by jangada, with jangadeiros accredited by ICMBio. On the reef: do not walk on the coral, do not feed the fish, wear water shoes.
  • In Recife swimming is advised against on some city beaches because of sharks: the municipal signs are strict. Recife and Salvador call for real vigilance, with ride-hailing in the evening.

Budget and meals

  • The Brazilian real (R$). Cash is useful for the jangadeiros, the barracas and the markets.
  • Extras to allow for: the quad or buggy to the Gunga cliffs, canoe trips at Maracaípe, and the paid car park and chairs at Praia do Gunga, which sits on private land.
  • In Salvador entry fees stay modest: the Casa do Rio Vermelho is R$ 20 and free on Wednesdays, the foot-passenger ferry ticket to Itaparica is R$ 6.90 on weekdays and R$ 9.20 at weekends, and the basilica of the Senhor do Bonfim is free to enter.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly do I receive?

Your Étaperia itinerary, available immediately in your customer account after payment: readable online with clickable booking links, and downloadable as a PDF for the trip. Every day is sequenced Morning / Afternoon / Evening, with the hotel for each night, its address and its booking link, and timed-entry tickets flagged in advance.

How is this better than what an AI gives me?

A generative AI composes a plausible list in seconds, without saying what was checked or when. At Étaperia, every itinerary is compiled day by day, with the booking constraints spotted before it is too late to get them. The Method page says what is checked, against which source and on what date.

Can I adapt it to my dates and my pace?

Yes. The days are self-contained blocks: you can shift the departure, stretch a stage or skip a day without breaking what follows. Only timed-entry tickets require adjusting the dates accordingly, and they are all flagged.

What if a hotel or a place in the itinerary has closed?

Email contact@etaperia.com within 12 months of your purchase. If a hotel in the itinerary is closed or can no longer be found, or a place to visit has closed permanently, the itinerary is corrected in your customer account within 7 days, or you are refunded in full. A hotel fully booked on your dates, a seasonal closure or a change in opening hours or prices is not covered. This guarantee comes on top of the legal warranty of conformity; details in article 12 of the terms and conditions of sale.

Who is selling you this itinerary

  • Kylian Surget, sole trader, SIRET 927 587 709 00035
  • Consumer mediator: ANM Consommation
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  • Publisher, not a travel agency: you book flights, hotels and tickets yourself

In the same country

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