Rio de Janeiro · HISTORICAL TOURS
20 tours
Of the 20 historical tours covered here, these 15 are the ones to book. Prices, durations and the details that separate them are all below, so you can choose in five minutes and get back to the beach.
A 4-hour tour linking Historic Rio’s landmarks with Santa Teresa’s art streets and panoramic views from Parque das Ruínas.
“Very interesting tour, lots to see. Monica was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide. She even took photos of our group in choice locations and sent them to us. Much appreciated and strongly recommended.”
Walk Rio’s Little Africa with an English guide, rooftop bay views, samba origin stops, and Valongo port history, in 150 minutes.
“Nathália was an amazing guide! Very friendly and knowledgeable! I highly recommend doing this tour!”
A 3.5-hour Little Africa walk in Rio with decolonial storytelling, key Afro-Brazilian sites, museum stops, and a short VLT ride.
“This was an amazing tour. Our guide, Rafael made it thoroughly enjoyable. His pleasant manner and his knowledge of Little Brazil was commendable. 5 stars are not enough.”
Walk Paraty’s UNESCO historic centre in 90 minutes with a guide, then enjoy a free Cachaça Gabriela tasting in a local bar.
“Great tour! We learned a lot about the history of Paraty. Guide was friendly, knowledgeable and took the time to show us all around and answer our questions! Highly recommended!”
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!”
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 .”
Half-day Downtown Rio tour with hotel pickup, Olympic sights, Museu do Amanhã, São Bento, and a stop at Confeitaria Colombo from $72.
“The tour was OK. Lots of walking. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and patient. The museum of tomorrow is a waste of money! lol. We really could’ve just stopped at a few keys places and just let us shop and eat. Doesn’t need to be 4-5 hours. Also, the tour is shared! You will be stopping and picking up other people. That takes up time too.”
A 2-hour private walk through Paraty’s historic center, with an English-speaking guide, churches, Freemasonry symbols, and a free souvenir map.
“This was a tale of two cities. We enjoyed touring the historic part of Paraty, and we appreciated how well Viator and Paraty Tours company communicated with us. However, we have never worked with a tour guide who is so negative (e.g. "Brazilians are unorganized, the French are complicated, religions are not good"). We would work with Paraty Tours again, but not with this tour guide.”
4-hour Downtown Rio tour with hotel pickup, Valongo Wharf, Eduardo Kobra mural, Museum of Tomorrow tickets, plus Confeitaria Colombo.
“Emanuella jest wspaniałym przwodnikiem.Dużo nam opowiedziała o historii Brazylli omawiała wspaniałe budowle Świetnie spędziliśmy czas na wycieczce.”
Petrópolis Imperial City sights and Bohemia Brewery tour with three beer tastings, lunch buffet, and famous historic stops in one day.
“Our guide was great. Got to see all the important parts of Petropolis. However, the bus driver was unsafe. He was regularly looking at his phone while driving, checking WhatsApp and leaving messages. At one point he was looking at photos on another persons phone while driving at speed in merging traffic, and nearly crashed.”
Walk Rio’s Centro and Santa Teresa with a small group, panoramic tram ride, and famous sights from cathedral windows to Lapa arches.
“Superbe découverte du centre ville. Yvan nous a fait découvrir l’histoire de Rio pendant une journée. Merci encore à lui pour toutes ces explications. Je recommande vivement”
Historic Downtown and Lapa walking tour in Rio. 3 hours, $40, Biblioteca Nacional, WWII memorial, Selarón steps, and Praça XV.
“Disappointed that our tours booked in English were cancelled due to a minimum of 3 people needed in order to conduct the tours. The fine print does state that a minimum of 3 are needed but we would have been happy to tip more to meet the minimum. Both tours were cancelled a few hours before the scheduled start time. Our time in Rio was limited and thus it was impossible to find an alternative at the last minute. Wish we had had some warning a few days in advance and we could have prepared a backup plan.”
Imperial Petrópolis tour from Rio with palace sights, Imperial Museum, cathedral, optional Santos Dumont, Rua Teresa shopping, and lunch buffet.
“Petropolis was interesting, very different to Rio with historic palace etc. Bohemia beer tour of brewery incredible bargain for seniors at 19 reals (£3)!!”
Walk Paraty’s UNESCO center with a guide, visit churches and museums, then taste craft cachaça. Small group, about 2 hours.
“Foi td muito bom, pois o guia conhecia muito bem todo centro histórico. Farei novos roteiros qdo eu voltar.”
A 5-hour Rio tour linking African ancestry to today, through MAR’s Morrinho model, Valongo, Pedra do Sal samba, and Afro-Brazilian food.
“This tour was really informative! Please take this tour if you want to learn some amazing/crazy facts about Brazil”
