Rio de Janeiro · CITY TOURS
26 tours
Rio packs a lot into a small strip between the granite and the sea, and the city tours below are the 15 that use it best. Each entry carries its price, its running time and the kind of traveller it suits, strongest first.
Rio Carnival backstage tour at Cidade do Samba with float and costume prep, dress-up, a samba lesson, and caipirinha.
“It was very great of and informative. Loved the costumes”
Private guided Rio tour with hotel pickup, flexible stops, beach time, and expert help with tickets and timing for a smoother day.
“Our guide Meilin made this day truly special. U do NOT need a guide to go see Christ or Sugarhill. U can easily do it with an Uber and buying tickets online. Meilin went above and beyond to share facts and history about Brazil while showing us a few secret places. I would recommend using a guide to see more unique places, not the stand in line tourist traps.”
Half-day Rio tour with Corcovado views, Christ the Redeemer, Tijuca Forest, Maracanã, Sambadrome, Selarón Steps, and Cathedral.
“Nice guide and driver, and the statue is cool, but some things could be better. The pickup was about 15 minutes late with no communication, even though my hotel was the first stop. and the city tour was kind of meh, with a lot of time allocated. Lots of waiting around. Also, at least my group consisted of both English and Portuguese speaking, so the guide would say everything twice, and often when he got to the English part, we were already past whatever he was talking about.”
A full day trip from Rio to Petrópolis, mixing royal palaces, museum jewels, Gothic cathedrals, and optional beer tastings.
“Despite COVID-related restrictions that did not allow us visit the interior of the Imperial Palace, Osleide, our guide, and the driver Antonio did an excellent job m. All went very well. Osleide was very instructive and helpful. Remarquable!”
Rio in 2 hours by hop-on hop-off bus, with Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf highlights, plus onboard MPB and Samba sing-alongs.
“Der Bus eignet sich gut, wenn man sitzen bleibt. Wenn man ihn zum Hop on and off verwendet, ist er mäßig geeignet, denn abgesehen vom ersten Start, kommt er nicht zu den angegebenen Zeiten, was zu großen Wartezeiten führt. Einmal habe ich nach 40 Minuten Warten einen Uber zu meinem nächsten Ziel genommen, was mich vor noch größere Herausforderungen gestellt hat. Denn mangels gekennzeichneten Bushaltestellen hat man trotz winzigen Haltestellen-Plans keine Chance, die Haltestelle zu finden, wenn man dort nicht selbst ausgestiegen ist. Und da der Bus kommt, wann er will, kann man auch nicht prüfen, ob man an der richtigen Stelle steht. Das angekündigte Musikprogramm hat überhaupt nicht stattgef...”
Guided Petrópolis day trip from Rio with lunch and Bohemia brewery tastings, plus Imperial sights like the cathedral and palaces.
“Very nice walk, lots of history, beautiful road. We really liked Petropolis and were surprised. Very good food, excellent brewery! All very good! We recommend it.Auto-translated”
Private Centro walking tour of Rio highlights with free-entry stops and a flexible guide, from Municipal Opera House to Paço Imperial in 3 hours.
“Amazing, friendly and very informative walk around the historical center of Rio! 5 / 5 stars! Thank you!”
Full-day Rio tour with Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, Selarón steps, Rio Cathedral, Sambodromo views, and a Brazilian lunch buffet.
“It is a shame that I have to give them one star at all. Be warned this is advertised as a city tour with several stops. Once in the bus you will notice 19 seats for customers. 7 of them you can’t see out the window. The last two rows are above the windows and the other seats. You have to try and bend over and really contort your body to see out of the bus. You have no control over what seats you pick because it is based on when they pick people up. If you are closer to the excursion, you will be picked up last and have…”
A 4-hour walking tour linking Old Rio churches and palaces with Mauá Square's Olympic legacy and the Museum of Tomorrow.
“JB was an enthusiastic and informative guide giving a great introduction to the many wonderful sites of Rio. There were only 3 on our tour and we were picked up promptly by bus from our hotel and dropped off .”
Morning rail to Christ Redeemer, plus Selarón Steps, Sambódromo views, Maracanã and Cathedral in one 5 hour Rio city loop.
“de tour was erg leuk!! we hebben heel veel gezien van de stad.”
Private bilingual Rio transfer with name-sign pickup, flight-delay tracking, and an air-conditioned car for up to 3, often with water and snacks.
“Our driver was excellent. He was waiting for us as planned and greeted us congenially. We were comfortably seated in the car and driven directly to our hotel. He pointed out some interesting cites on the way. We communicated well and felt welcomed to Rio de Janiero. This was a very pleasant way to enter a city we had never been in.”
Cruise Búzios in an open trolley, pass 12 beaches, stop for photos at Brava and João Fernandes, and get oriented in about 2 hours.
“The guide and driver really made the tour. They were fun, informative and catered to all languages including English. It is a great way to orient self to the area and beaches and history. It is breezy and pleasant in the heat and fun to meet new friends. Highly recommend! Great for solo travellers.”
Half-day Rio highlights tour by 19-seat van: Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, Santa Teresa, Selarón Steps, Mirante Dona Marta.
“Fantastic city tour; our guide Alex was very knowledgeable and gave us the background on each of the locations we went to. In spite of the long line ups at various locations Alex managed to get us through with a minimum of delay. He took very good care of us as we are both seniors. Would recommend this tour if you are going to be in Rio for one or two days.”
Half-day Rio tour mixing Christ the Redeemer, Selarón Steps, beaches, Sambadrome, Cathedral and Maracanã, with panoramic views.
“Very nice everything and excellent predisposition by guide Marcio. He was able to transmit all his extensive knowledge to the group, being able to express himself using his native language as well as Spanish. A genius guide Marcio👏🏻. The tour was very beautiful and the Christ impressive.Auto-translated”
Tour Petropolis from Rio with imperial sights, Imperial Museum tickets, and a free Brazilian buffet lunch, plus comfortable executive transfers.
“nice trip to petropolis, good guide. Have Seen a lot. it was a long day. I doesn't like the long pickup of the guest.”
