Frankenberg's strategy is to buy assigned seats in the frisas, or front boxes, where the $460 ticket gets you an up-close view of the costumes without having to wait around all day. This year, a new section of luxury boxes will debut: They’re fully enclosed, offering the venue's only protection against inclement weather. But Frankenberg said rain is rare during Rio's summer nights, so the $1,100 price tag may not be worth it.

The strategy about when to arrive is just as important.

“I’ll buy my seats, go out for dinner, and arrive at 11 p.m., when things are starting to pick up,” he said, not putting much pressure on punctuality. The shows generally start at 9 p.m., but “very few tourists have the stamina to stay the whole night,” confessed Frankenberg. Watching three or four of the six shows is generally more than enough.

Samba Selfies

Better yet, Frankenberg can get guests into the parade itself—a service very few outfitters offer.

Each year, he strikes a partnership with two samba schools that are scheduled to perform earlier in the evening (read: not at 5 a.m.). He buys official costumes from them and gets the scoop on the music they’re using for their performances. Guests can then learn the lyrics ahead of their trip, and they can hold on to the costumes as keepsakes after rocking them down the so-called “samba runway.”

“It’s like being in a Fellini movie,” said Frankenberg of the backstage vibes. “Everyone is fully dressed and getting psyched up.” The whole experience costs roughly $750.

Book It Now

Sound like fun? Book now. You have a limited amount of time to snag seats in the Sambadrome’s frisas, as the good seats are starting to sell out. Hotel inventory is still available, if running slim. At press time, there were just a few rooms left at the Emiliano, one of the city’s poshest places to stay, but the beloved Fasano was already sold out. And you can still claim one of the 1,000 tickets to the Copacabana Palace Ball—the most exclusive party in town.

What's more, according to travel app Hopper, now is the right time to buy flights.

Last year, tickets to Rio hovered around $1,200 for the three months prior to Carnaval but took a sudden dip to $900 with just 40 days to go. This year, prices are more favorable on the whole; Hopper’s fare analysts consider bargain fares to be in the low $800 range for departures from Los Angeles, Newark, Miami, and Washington. Good deals from other major U.S. cities are hewing closer to $900.

Just bear in mind the following logistics: A trip to Rio during Carnaval won’t include much sightseeing, if any, as the streets are too jammed. And most hotels will require you to stay for a minimum of four nights. So plan to arrive on the Friday or Saturday, scope out the Copacabana Palace Ball on Saturday night, and then plan to party and rest up in bursts until Tuesday. Then, said Frankenburg, you can wrap it all up with a few days of R&R (recovery and rehab, perhaps) in the beautiful beach towns of Trancoso or Paraty.