After your guide picks you up at your hotel in Paraty, embark on a 2-hour sightseeing tour of the colonial city with your small group. Your guide will point out the town's preserved 18th-century architecture, which together forms a National Historic Monument in Brazil. Be sure to keep your camera at the ready for fantastic photo opportunities while you stroll along the cobblestone in the historic city center, which provides pedestrian-only access.
Head to the Casa da Cultura (House of Culture), a colonial mansion housing a permanent exhibit that documents the local culture through photos and video. You’ll have great views of the town from this museum, which also holds replica displays of Paraty’s past. Hear legends of the gold and coffee trade as your guide explains Paraty’s history during the last few centuries. Discover the city's unique position in exporting gold to Rio de Janeiro and beyond along the 750-mile (1,200-km) Gold Trail.
Visit Baroque churches such as the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, built by and for slaves in 1725, and admire the gilded wooden altars dedicated to St Benedict and St John. Depending on which churches are open, you may also step foot inside the First Church of Our Lady of the Remedies, named after the town's patron saint. Originally built in the late 1700s, the building now houses art from both past and contemporary local artists.
When your sightseeing tour ends, your guide will drop you off at your hotel.