Follow the Socceroos and samba with other Green and Gold fans in Brazil!

The tour itinerary is completely dependent on the final world cup draw which will take place in Salvador on 6 December 2013. This is because we will not know the cities and the dates that Australia will play until that time. We will confirm the tour itinerary about 2 weeks after the draw. However, so you get an idea of how the tour will work, let’s assume that Australia is drawn in position E3, which will see the Socceroos in action in Porto Alegre, Salvador and Rio de Janeiro.

Day 1- 11 June
Arrive at Sao Paulo international airport, where you will be greeted by Chimu and Green & Gold Army representatives and ushered to a waiting coach, where you will be provided with some refreshments and driven to your hotel accommodation in Sao Paulo. In the evening, a welcome briefing will be conducted in the hotel bar. Here you will meet your fellow travellers and will be introduced to your tour leaders as well as briefed on travel arrangements for the tour and what to expect etc.

Day 2- 12 June
Opening game day! To get into the spirit, following breakfast you could consider heading to Santos, to the newly completed museum dedicated to the greatest of them all, Pele! Or after the long flight, you may just want to relax and soak up the build-up in Sao Paulo. Kick-off for the opening match, which will feature Brazil, is at 4:00pm. What better way to experience the opening of the world cup then at the Sao Paulo FanFest or at a bar with locals? Following the opening match, we will head to our traditional Brazilian welcome function, where you will be greeted by Samba and our own version of Carnivale! A traditional Brazilian dinner will be served, accompanied by Brazilian beers and cocktails and South American wines. The welcome function will be the perfect way to get to know your fellow travellers and an even better way to warm up for what is going to be one big adventure!

Day 3- 13 June
After breakfast, we will transfer you to the airport for our flight to Australia’s first group game host city. At the other end of your flight, a coach will be waiting to transfer you to our accommodation in and around Porto Alegre. As part of our adventure, our accommodation will be based in host cities and in cities surrounding the host cities. In Porto Alegre, in the Euro-influenced south of the nation, that could be the city of Gramado, a piece of Germany in Brazil, and only a 45 minute drive from Porto Alegre. At your hotel, you will be briefed on things to see and places to eat and drink. In the evening, why not head to a local bar to catch some world cup action?

Day 4- 14 June
Sightseeing day! After breakfast, coaches will take you on a sightseeing tour of Porto Alegre and its surrounds. The sightseeing tour will give you a cultural insight into the South of Brazil, which is heavily Polish-German-Italian influenced. Evening: preparation for match day!

Day 5 – 15 June
Match day! It’s what we’ve all been waiting for over the past 4 years, the chance to see the Socceroos in action on the world’s biggest stage again. Our day will start with breakfast in the hotel followed by a leisurely transfer to the venue of the Green & Gold Army pre-match function, where you will be joined by other Socceroos fans for lunch, entertainment and an expert panel to preview the upcoming match… and by the way, a few hours of drinks on us! We’ll then jump on the coaches and head out to the stadium a couple of hours prior to kick-off so you can experience all the build-up. After the match we will transfer you back to the hotel where you can freshen up and then head out with other Socceroos fans to toast the win.

Day 6- 16 June
Rest Day! A sleep in and a trip to the local FanFest or the local pub to catch the day’s football action is probably in order after a big night of celebration.

Day 7 – 17 June
Today we will be transferring to Salvador in preparation for our second group game. If you have booked on group fights organised by Chimu, then we will transfer you to Porto Alegre airport and coaches will be waiting at the other end to take you to our Salvador accommodation. In the evening, your tour guides will point you in the right direction for a meal and some nightlife.

Day 8 – 18 June
Sightseeing. Salvador is the birthplace of Brazil- it was the city first colonised by the Portuguese. It was also the port where most of the slaves brought to South America from Africa arrived. Given its history, it is no surprise that Salvador is South America’s most Afro-influenced city, with about 80% of the population of African descent. This translates to colour, life, rhythm and flavour. You will think that Porto Alegre was another world.
We will take you to the UNESCO protected city centre, which is the touristic hub of Salvador. Gold plated churches, restaurants, bars, museums, even the site where the film-clip for Michael Jackson’s ‘they don’t really care about us’ was filmed- you will see it all.
In the evening, our tour guides will point you to some bars and restaurants where you will be able to soak up the evening’s football action.

9 – 19 June
Free day with optional sightseeing. So you can see a little bit more of Salvador, we will offer a number of optional sightseeing journeys. Options will be confirmed nearer the tournament, but may include a traditional cruise on the bay, a trip to a turtle sanctuary or even a surfing trip.
In the evening, catch all the football action and warm up for the Socceroos’ second group game- what a dream if we played the English!

Day 10 – 20 June
Match Day 2! After breakfast and a leisurely morning, we will transport you to the venue of the official Green & Gold Army pre-match function where you will meet up with other Socceroos fans, and once again have a BBQ and some drinks on us. An expert panel will preview the game, so you get a bit more insight into the match to come (there’ll be no SBS in Brazil to keep you up to date with Australia’s chances, team changes, tactics etc…). We will then transport you to the stadium, and after the match we will transfer you back to your hotel.

Day 11 – 21 June
Rest day at leisure in Salvador.

Day 12 – 22 June
Today we will be transferring to Rio de Janeiro (and its surrounds) in preparation for our third group game. If you have booked on group fights organised by Chimu, then we will transfer you to Rio airport and coaches will be waiting at the other end to take you to your accommodation. In the evening, your tour guides will point you in the right direction for a meal and some nightlife.

Day 13 – 23 June
Sightseeing in Rio! What can we say? Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Copacabana, the historic centre. We will take you to the sights! In the evening, soak up the nightlife!

Day 14 – 24 June
Free day at leisure. Why not head down to the beach and do what Brazilians do better than most- swim, sunbake and beach soccer!

Day 15 - 25 June
Match Day 3! You know the score, it will all happen again. Plus another win, we’re sure!

Day 16 – 26 June
For those not continuing on (of course Australia has progressed to the round of 16), this will be your final day. We are sure you would have had the adventure of your life and that you would have made many new life time friends. Today will be a day to celebrate the past few weeks and to farewell your fellow travellers with a few evening drinks.

Day 17 – 27 June
Breakfast in the hotel and check out. If you are continuing on with us, we will transfer you to the airport, where it will all begin again.
We can’t wait for you to join us in Brazil!

Contact John at Concierge Traveller to organise your World Cup 2014 tour in Brazil. We can also offer other options so please enquire. Call 1800 047 047 or email jchekian@conciergetraveller.com.au