Rio de Janeiro Tours

Rio de Janeiro Tours! Rio de Janeiro is Brazil’s tourism mecca. This city is so diverse, and offers an amazing variety of things to do and see. Which other big city offers you picturesque beaches, urban city life, and a huge rainforest inside of it? Rio is a destination for anyone into achitechture and museums, gastronomy, chilling at the beach or exploring wilderness. So basically, for everyone haha.
Many people ask me: is it’s better to explore Rio de Janeiro on your own, or join a tour?!. When I travel, I’m used to do everything on my own, but for me Rio de Janeiro is a big exception. Why is that? Well, the competition is really though, so the tour prices are very reasonable. Many times is even cheaper to join into a tour than do the same thing on your own. And obviously, when you do a tour you’re actually going to learn something as well! Rio de Janeiro Tours is a list to help you think which tours are worth doing while visiting the Marvellous City!
Main Sights in a Day
There are two sights in Rio de Janeiro which are overly popular. Can you guess which ones? Yes, Christ the Redeemer and the Sugarloaf mountain! These sights are located relatively close to each other. My recommendation is to visit both of them at the same day. You can easily visit them on your own (see here, how to get to christ the redeemer), but many times joining a tour can actually save you money!
Day tours that visit both of these sites, tend to cost something between R$180 to R$250. If you decide to visit the sights on your own, you end up paying approximately R$75 to see the Christ and R$80 to take the cable car upto Sugarloaf. My recommendation for a day tour in Rio is S2 Rio! These guys have a great vibe during the tour, and groups are very international.
Free Walking Tour
Ever heard of a Free Walking Tour? Yeah, you should! In case you’re not familiar, Free Walking Tour is a model coming from Europe. It’s a tour where you learn about curiosities and history of the city, and at the end, you decide the value you thought the tour was worth it! We, Free Walker Tours Rio de Janeiro are the first and original free walking tour of Rio.
Our trademark is the red t-shirt. Our idea with Free Walkers, is to share our knowledge and give you local tips about the city. Join the tour, and you will get familiar with the brazilian history, learn funny curiosities and get well oriented. We offer 3 different walking tours, in 3 neighbourhoods of Rio de Janeiro. The most famous is Downtown & Lapa Free Walking Tour Rio de Janeiro . The tour takes place every day between Monday to Saturday. No need for a reservation, just show up at Carioca Square (Exit C of metro carioca) at 10:30AM, and we will be waiting for you! Learn generally about city’s history, since colonization until today. My recommendation is to take part to this tour during your first days in the city. Our guides will also give you tips of other attractions worth visiting in Rio!
Everybody has heard about Copacabana & Ipanema, but did you know these neighbourhoods are much more than beautiful beaches? Join to our Copacabana & Ipanema Free Walking Tour Rio de Janeiro every Wednesday and Sunday, and discover the hidden secrets of the most famous zones of Rio de Janeiro.
My favourite free walking tour tells you stories about slavery and the african heritage in Rio de Janeiro. During this tour you will explore historically very significant places, like Pedra do Sal, which is no more than a place where samba was born! There is also a brand new UNESCO World Heritage site that makes part of the tour, the Valongo Warf. This tour parts every Monday and Thursday at 03:30 PM, at Carioca Square (Exit C of metro Carioca). Take a look for the whole description of the tour here!
Explore the Nature
Rio de Janeiro is a city where nature and urban life walk hand in hand. The second biggest urban forest of the world, Tijuca Rainforest, is located in the middle of the city! Hundreds of different hiking options, waterfalls, viewpoints and amazing biodiversity wait for you here. The atlantic rainforest is not only the lungs of the city, but also a great escape for anybody wanting to exchange the city life for nature for a while.
There are several different options to discover the nature of Rio de Janeiro, again, many paths you’re free to do on your own, but it’s always good to consider hiring a guide. Jungle Me or Cantos do Rio are operators, with great sustainable values and very professional guides for forest tours in Rio de Janeiro. Check out the hiking options, surely you will find a suitable option for your interests!
Did you already hear about Rio’s massive Botanical Garden? Located close by Lagoa, this amazing garden is a must visit for everyone that enjoys nature. Read our blog text to get more information about the Botanical Garden. Right by side of Botanical Garden, you will find a public park called Parque Lage.
As Botanical Garden, Parque Lage is part of the atlantic rainforest. It’s very easy to spot wild animals, such like birds, monkeys and sometimes even capivars! It’s possible to visit these two parks just in one day. My recommendation is joining to a bike tour, that cycles around the lagoon and visits the attractions close by it.
Extreme Sports
Any adventerous souls reading this? You’re in a right place! Learn to surf, go rock climbing or reach the sky hangliding from Pedra Bonita. Rio de Janeiro is not a boring place in any way, and in my opinion, definitely a destination to push your limits! Don’t miss one of those options of Rio de Janeiro tours if you are into adventure.
The most famous activity for adventure junkies in Rio is hanggliding. I mean, the views of Rio are stunning looked from the ground, so you can imagine how they look from birds angle. The flight takes off from Pedra Bonita, which is located inside the Tijuca National Park, close by São Conrado Beach. During the flight you’re able to see all the main attractions of Rio de Janeiro, but from a very priviledged viewpoint. Check this company for Hangglidding!
Some of the best surfers of the world come from Brazil and Rio de Janeiro is no bad place to learn, or improve your already existing surfing skills! The best waves are found in Barra da Tijuca beach, that’s also where most of the surfing classes are hold. Many times surf schools offer also stand-upp paddle and kayaking tours! I recommend joining to Rio de Janeiro by Kombi surf tour. It’s truly amazing! You will be driven through all the picturesque east zone beaches in a hippie van. The tour consists of surfing, cold beer and chill vibes!
Thinking about visiting the Sugarloaf mountain? Yeah, it’s a must visit, but actually you can do it in an alternative way as well. The Sugarloaf is very common for rock climbers! There are several different routes to summit, the levels varying from beginners until professionals. Check out Climb in Rio for further information!
Football Tours
The last suggestion of our option of Rio de Janeiro tours. Brazil is a football country. Yes, i know, World Cup in Brazil didn’t go as planned, but we are still the country that won the most World Cups, and the only country that participated in every single World Cup ever hold.
For many Brazilians, football is bigger than religion. Actually it is a religion. Rio de Janeiro has 4 major football teams; Flamengo, Vasco, Fluminense and Botafogo. Flamengo is the biggest team, in fact it has the biggest amount of fans in the whole world!
The legendary stadium, Maracanã itself is a tourist attraction. During a game, the athmosphere gets crazy. Fans singing, shouting, and obviously, wearing the colors of their teams. For me, the biggest attraction is not the game itself, but the huge party on the audience. The games are going on all the time, join to a football tour for example with Brazil Expedition.