5-Hour Rio's Essential Sights: Private Tour – Optional Airport & Port Pick-ups
Description
Make the most of your time in Rio on an 5-hour private city tour ideal those who don't have much time available, but want to have a short summary of town. Discover the city's most iconic attractions while enjoying the company of a bilingual local guide. Enjoy a lively day filled with popular attractions such as the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, Maracanã Stadium (outside), the Selarón Staircase, and the historical downtown area. In addition, visit Corcovado mountain along with the Christ the Redeemer Statue and other sights. Pass by the bohemian neighborhood of Santa Teresa, which is home to a collection of local boutiques and galleries. Pass by Maracana stadium, one of the most important in the whole world. Visit to the Sambadrome, samba venue where the famous Rio Carnival parade is held. Following this, head to the center of Rio to get a taste of the local culture passing the Lapa Arches, Tomorrow's museum and Mauá square. At the end of the tour, you’re dropped off at the hotel
Tour Options
Itinerary
You'll be met at your hotel by your private guide and head to the base of Corcovado Mountain by car, passing by Rio's beaches and the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon on the way.
Reaching the Cosme Velho district, you'll take a unique Swiss cogwheel train that climbs the mountain from its base to nearly the summit. The very top is reached by climbing a flight of stairs to arrive at the iconic Christ the Redeemer Statue. The view, from this vantage point, with the surrounding Tijuca National Forest spreading below and a circle of mountains closing the horizon at the very back of the Guanabara bay is truly spectacular. After some time to walk around and take photos, we make the way back down.
We then head towards to the bohemian Santa Teresa neighborhood, home to a collection of local boutiques and galleries. The charming area of Santa Teresa also features many trendy bars and restaurants offering several options of snacks and dishes, not to mention its breathtaking views. Don’t miss out on it!
From Santa Teresa to Lapa, there is the famous Selaron steps, a stairway decorated with colorful tiles. Known for its energetic bohemian vibe, “Lapa” is the most buzzing area in town day and nighttime.
Have you ever heard of the Lapa neighborhood? If not, it should! It's very easy to know that you've arrived in Lapa. There is a famous monument that is the official image of Lapa, the large white arches aqueduct postcard of Rio.
See a different side of Rio in its up-and-coming Porto Maravilha area symbol of the renewed Rio after the Olympics.
Admire the gorgeous cutting-edge museum structure, designed by famous architect Santiago Calatrava.
Mural painted by Eduardo Kobra listed by the Guinness Book of Records as the largest graffiti in the world.
The Sambodrome is the home to the Rio Carnival, where the parades take place during three nights every year, a concrete structure built specifically for the Carnival. It's an avenue with bleachers on both sides divided into sectors.
The most important Brazilian football temple. Scenery of important Brazilian football classic and facts, like hosting the final matches for the 1950 and 2014 football World Cup and the Olympics final football match in 2014.
Beach that inspired the composition of the famous song "Ipanema Girl”. Beautiful beach that deserves all the fame and admiration.
Pass by Copacabana beach that was inspiration of songs and poetry, and one of the most famous postcards in Brazil. Copacabana is also stage of one of the biggest New Year's Eve in the world, the neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro has a lot of history, cultural life and bohemia.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
PICK-UP INFORMATION: • Wherever place you specify at the time of the booking. As it’s a private tour, you choose the best pick-up point that suits your needs as long as it's within the city of Rio de Janeiro limits. • We DO NOT do pick-ups in the countryside or too far from the city of Rio de Janeiro. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - DROP-OFF INSTRUCTIONS: • Wherever place you specify at the time of the booking. As it’s a private tour, you choose the best drop-off point that suits your needs as long as it's within the city of Rio de Janeiro limits. • We DO NOT do drop-offs in the countryside or too far from the city of Rio. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - AIRPORT / PORT ARRIVAL INSTRUCTIONS: • Once you have arrived at the airport or seaport there will be a member of our staff waiting for you at the arrivals area holding a clear sign with your name on it, they will then escort you to your waiting private vehicle. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - HOTEL PICK-UP INSTRUCTIONS: • As soon as the tour guide arrives at your hotel, they get the front desk to call you in the room in case you are not at the lobby.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(35)
Ask for Lenardo for your tour guide..he was Great...he was Great fetting us through Christ Redeemer quickly
Thank you, Robert! 😊 We're so glad to hear that Lenardo made your experience at Christ the Redeemer even better by getting you through quickly. We appreciate your kind words and will be sure to pass them along to him! 🌟
Tatiana was by far the best guide we have ever toured with. She was knowledgeable and very friendly. She worked hard to make our time together outstanding. Prior to our tour she was in touch with details and clear instructions as to where to meet and what we would do . She is obviously well known and respected by other guides in the area and managed to move us quickly and efficiently through long lines . If you are in Rio book a tour with Tatiana I assure you it would be an amazing experience.
Hi Linda! Thank you so much for your kind words! 😍✨ We’re thrilled Tatiana made your experience so amazing. We hope to see you again soon for more unforgettable tours! 🌟🚌📸
This was an amazing way of seeing Rio in a short time. Our driver/guide, Pedro, was excellent. He arrived st our hotel on time despite the heavy traffic all around the city and asked us what we wanted to see. As both Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain were covered by very low cloud he suggested that we should start the trip in the National Park snd then see whether the weather improved during the afternoon. That was a really good suggestion and on our way to the NP he provided a lot of background information about the city, the region and the country of Brazil. Despite no improvement in the weather the rest of the tour ensured that we saw all the other main attractions of Rio. The beaches, the steps, the cathedral, the historic trams and the different types of architecture which had evolved over the years. Towards the end of the trip we stopped for coffee and chatted about our day and then he had one final surprise for us, an evening drive along the coast passing some favelas as the locals were arriving back home. Pedro started the tour as our guide and ended it as a friend! We thoroughly recommend him if you are in Rio!
This tour was WONDERFUL!! Our guide Sergio was extremely informative, and helpful to the point of installing us comfortably in an airport lounge when we got to the airport. hours before we could check in for our flight. We couldn’t have asked for more.
Camila and our guide Mattaus are wonderful people who are proud cariocas and who are so warm and friendly that they put us at ease immediately. They were so accomodating even though we opted for an early tour. Camilas knowledge on everything in rio is awesome. She is such a character and we enjoyed her commentary immensely. Mattaus is a great driver and was always on point to bring us from point to point. All in all a wonderful tour and a wonderful day in Rio!
Great experience! We had a longer stay in Rio until our connecting flight and wanted to make good use of this time. Our tour guide Monika and driver have already been waiting for us at the airport. During the tour she was able to impart a lot of knowledge, she really knows great, speaks great German and has always responded to our wishes. We had a great time!
Vielen Dank für Ihre tolle Rückmeldung! 🌟 Es freut uns sehr zu hören, dass Sie Ihre Zeit in Rio mit Monika und unserem Fahrer so genießen konnten. Schön, dass die Erklärungen und die persönliche Betreuung Ihre Erwartungen erfüllt haben. Wir hoffen, Sie bald wieder bei uns begrüßen zu dürfen! 🙌
I would recommend this tour to travelers who want to see all highlights of Rio de Janeiro on a short visit. Our driver Newton was a great guide and very accommodating to our needs and wishes.
Thank you for the great recommendation! 😊 We're glad to hear that Newton made your visit to Rio even more special by being so accommodating. It's always a pleasure to help travelers make the most of their time! Hope to see you again soon! 🌟
Had a tour scheduled through the cruise line that they cancelled. Within 2 days I was paired with David who picked me up from the cruise terminal and took me on a customized adventure. Highly recommend! And the botanical gardens are awesome!
Thank you for your great review, Christine! We’re so glad David could step in and offer you a customized tour on short notice. It's wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the botanical gardens as well. We hope to see you again soon for more unforgettable experiences in Rio! 😊
Our guide, Fabio, and his driver were outstanding. They customized the tour to suit our needs and schedule. They were professional, polite and accommodating. Fábio was knowledgeable, interesting and fun. He masterfully maneuvered us through the crowds - especially at Christ the Redeemer- saving us time and allowing us to see much more. He also went above and beyond by coming into the airport with us and helping us get checked in early. The tour was one of the highlights of our trips. If we are ever back in Rio we’ll be asking for Fábio!
Thank you so much for your fantastic review! 😊 We’re delighted to hear that Fabio and our driver made your experience in Rio outstanding! 🌟 His professionalism, knowledge, and ability to navigate through crowds make all the difference, and we’re so happy he went above and beyond to assist you at the airport as well. ✈️🏞️ It means a lot to know that this tour was one of the highlights of your trip! We’d love to welcome you back anytime—Fabio will be ready! 🚗✨
Our guide, Fabio, was outstanding. He was knowledgeable, interesting and fun. He took excellent care of us, ensuring we saw everything we could in the time allocated. He was masterful in getting us through the crowds. He went above and beyond by coming into the airport with us and ensuring we were checked in for our flight. Our driver was exceptional as well. If we ever make it back to Rio, we will be requesting Fabio for another tour.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! 😊 We’re so happy to hear that Fabio provided such an outstanding experience, ensuring you saw everything possible and even assisting at the airport. ✈️🌆 His knowledge, energy, and ability to navigate the crowds truly make a difference! We’re also glad you had a great experience with our driver. We’d love to welcome you back to Rio—Fabio will be ready for your next adventure! 🚗✨
