Jeep'n'Green: Rio Botanical Garden and Tijuca Rainforest Tour
Description
On this four-hour tour in Rio de Janeiro, bask in beautiful Brazilian nature at the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden and the Tijuca Rainforest. See a variety of exotic plants at the world-famous botanical garden, and ride in a jeep over to the Tijuca Rainforest for an easy, 15-minute hike through the forest, taking in breathtaking sights and looking for wildlife!
Tour Options
Itinerary
After pickup from your Rio hotel, your half-day tour begins at the historic Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden. See a variety of exotic plants from all over the planet at this world-famous garden, which is home to water lilies, huge redwood trees, imperial palm trees and a famous greenhouse that houses more than 500 kinds of orchid. The garden also houses fountains, historical monuments and hundreds of birds.
After your guide picks you up from your hotel in Rio, hop in an open Jeep and buckle up for a fun ride! Drive to the edge of the cityscape and enter Tijuca Forest, located just 10 minutes from the city center. You’ll hear about the important reforestation program of Tijuca National Park and learn the importance of the Mata Atlântica ecosystem — part of the vast and protected Mata Biosphere Reserve, which covers 14 states in Brazil.
Admire Cascatinha Taunay, an iconic waterfall perfect for photos.
Explore the Visitor Center to learn about local biodiversity.
Enjoy the beautiful view of the city, as did the Royal family several times. It was at this table that Dom Pedro I, when he wanted a meal in the middle of one of the most beautiful views, would leave his residence at Quinta da Boa Vista and, with his cart, would head towards Estrada da Vista China. At an altitude of 487 meters above sea level, the Emperor's Table is set against stunning views of the city, counteracting urbanization and nature. Stairs surrounding the parapet of the area lead the tourist to the edge of a concrete ramp, making the tourist feel in the midst of a splendid setting.
Take a short stop at this historical chapel. The little pink chapel in the middle of the woods, 460 meters above sea level, resembles a house of children's history. It was erected in 1860 by the Portuguese banker Viscount de Souto inside his farm, in Tijuca Forest. The Chapel is one of the attractions of Tijuca National Park. Adorn the altar reproductions of panels with holy images of Cândido Portinari. The gardens, as well as the Carrara marble and tiled patio tub with frowning spout, were designed by landscape designer Roberto Burle Marx.
See the beautiful waterfall during the hike
Get a nice perspective from the Tijuca Rainforest. At Vista Chinesa (Chinese View), capture sweeping views of Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, Guanabara Bay and even as far as Niteroi. The lookout was built between 1902 and 1906. The oriental-style pagoda is a reference in honor of the Chinese who brought tea cultivation to Brazil in the early 19th century. Made of bamboo and cement, and situated 380 meters above sea level, it is an important tourist spot in the city. * Due to Forest regulations, it is not possible to visit Vista Chinesa (Chinese View) on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
* Roundtrip Transfer from most hotels located in Rio's South Zone (São Conrado, Leblon, Ipanema, Copacabana and Leme) and Barra da Tijuca. * Please call the number on the voucher at least 24 hours in advance to reconfirm your selected activity. The pick up time at your hotel can differ by up to about 45 minutes from the above time, depending on your location. There are cases in which the provider will not be able to pick you up and so an alternative meeting point will be suggested at the time of your call.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Wear comfortable clothing and shoes
- Available languages: english, spanish, german, italian, french and portuguese
- Bring sunscreen, sunglasses,a bottle of water and a hat in case it’s hot
- The specific departure time for this tour will be determined upon reconfirmation.
- Stay tuned to the neighborhood where your hotel is located. There are two pick up options available with different prices.
- Due to Forest regulations, it is not possible to visit Vista Chinesa (Chinese View) on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Reviews(68)
Great tour. Wonderful and knowledgeable guide.
I went with my wife and parents in-law and had the best time! We loved the open air while driving and learning about different areas of Rio on the drive. There are a couple stops for overlooks to take pictures. The waterfall in Tejuca Forest was beautiful and there is a part at the bottom you can swim in briefly if you want. The admission to this is included but you will need cash for the botanical garden entrance (about 80 BR per person). The botanical garden was also lovely. Helen was an amazing tour guide for our English speaking group!
Terrible communication I booked a whole day before for a 8am tour guide for them to pick me up at a location they had on there website for pick up and they never showed up so I called and they said it was full even though I booked a whole day before and they wanted to change the time to 1:30pm instead of the time I picked very unprofessional
Fabulous tour. We were picked on on time with very informative guide. Could not fault at all. Would highly recommend,
We asked multiple times for a pick up time for 2 days with no response. I knew your was 1:30. So waited at my pick up area from 12:30 to 2:30 and no one came. The phone. Umber did not work to call anyone. What a waste of my day. Not happy at all.
Lovely visit to the rain forest an botanical garden with an excellent guide. Other guests cancelled so I hade this trip bu myself, so it could meet my interests. Lucky me. This was far nicer than standing in lines and in huge crowds at the Redeemer statue or Sugarloaf.
We had, in essenble, a nice visit to the forest of Tijuca, but the biggest problem came from the guide who, although nice, spoke dificult French while we specified it was to be a tour in French.
The open-air tour is truly amazing and goes beyond just the Botanical Garden and Tijuca Park. In the Botanical Garden, you can take beautiful photos with palm trees and monkeys. The tour guides you to the most beautiful spots, offering amazing views of the entire city. The guide was very kind, and we were able to ask many questions about the nature and the history of the city. We were also dropped off very close to our hotel and got to see Rio by night. I recommend this tour because it truly shows the variaty of Rio.
At first the tour guide told me the ticket to the botanical gardens was not included. I had to show my confirmation to prove it . Next we were late leaving for some reason so we were rushing through the whole tour. Once we got to the botanical gardens the tour guide told other people in the tour they need to pay for tickets. I told them to check confirmation and sure enough their tickets were included also. The tour guide then had to call to confirm which probably took 15 min. By this time it was 4:15 with the gardens closing at 5. It was supposed to be a 2 hour tour of the botanical gardens. We didn’t even stay until 5 so it was a 30 minute tour of the botanical gardens. Also the tour guide seemed to know very little about the botanical gardens. The jeep is very noisy so it was hard to hear tour guide. We should get a refund!
This tour is overrated we did not get what we paid for ,the open air jeep has no seatbelts every time you turn a corner it felt like you were about to fly out
