Experience all that Rio has to offer on a special full-day private tour. Eat like a local at breakfast and lunch, stake out the perfect spot on your favorite beach, see the city's top sights, and get ready for cocktails and samba as the sun goes down.
On this private 8-hour tour, you’ll head straight to the Zona Sul, home to many of Rio's upscale neighborhoods and the bulk of its famous beaches, including Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon.
The first order of business is breakfast, and you can do as the locals do and pair a cafezinho (little espresso) with pão de queijo (cheese bread). Confetteria Colombo, an excellent café in the Forte of Copacabana, offers just that!
Stake your spot on Rio's postcard-perfect sands. The best beaches are Ipanema and Leblon. Lifeguard post 9 is where you'll find Rio's mauricinhos and patricinhas (the rich, bronzed, and beautiful). There’s a section in front of Rua Farme de Amoedo that draws the GLBT crowd. Post 11 is for families. Choose your spot accordingly and enjoy a caipirinha (Brazil's national drink).
Once hunger sets in, you’ll visit one of Brazil's all-you-can-eat churrascarias (steakhouses). A seemingly endless variety of perfectly grilled meats will brought to your table. Churrascaria Carretão in Ipanema is one of the city's best.
The itinerary for the afternoon is reserved for sightseeing. You’ll head to Cosmo Velho and take the cog train up the 710 meter-high peak known as Corcovado, ascending through protected Tijuca National Forest to the Christ the Redeemer Statute, one of the most impressive monuments on earth. Marvel at the spectacular views of the city, the beaches, and the bays.
Afterwards you can visit historic Santa Teresa, Rio's bohemian hillside neighborhood, with its historic mansions, interesting museums, and art shops and galleries.
Your evening begins with Brazilian-style tapas and creative cocktails at Botofogo hotspot, Meza Bar. Head next to Lapa, Rio's gritty but highly popular nightlife district. A lot of samba clubs have opened here in the last decade, turning the dilapidated district into Rio's most interesting option for cultural nightlife.
Both amateur and professional samba bands turn up nightly, offering hip-shaking samba to a mixed crowd. The 3 top venues are Carioca Da Gema, Clube dos Democráticos, and Rio Scenarium. Rio Scenarium is the most touristy but features the biggest wow factor: each of its 3 cinematic floors is lavishly decorated with thousands of movie set props and an abundance of antique furnishings.
Licensed bilingual guide
Entrance fees
