Brazil · HISTORICAL TOURS IN RIO DE JANEIRO
Good historical tours in Rio de Janeiro fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
See Rio’s historic center, Lapa and artistic Santa Teresa on a four-hour guided tour with hotel pickup and views from Parque das Ruínas.
“Tour was very informative and well organized. Dario was a great host and answered all our questions and provided good recommendations”
Walk Rio’s Little Africa with a passionate guide, tracing Afro-Brazilian history, samba, food, art, and the Valongo Wharf for $40.
“Tour was amazing our guide was Larissa very down to earth! Tour was very informative definitely recommend it if coming to Brazil and you’d like to learn more about Afro Brazilian history!”
Explore Rio’s Little Africa through Afro-Brazilian history, Valongo Wharf, Pedra do Sal, museums, and a thoughtful local guide.
“Carolina, our tour guide, was outstanding! She has a deep knowledge of Afro-Brazilian history, and we were able to learn so much in just four hours. She was warm, personable, and full of positive energy. What stood out most was her compassion—she thoughtfully adjusted the tour so that my family member, who couldn’t manage all the walking, was still able to fully experience it. I highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in the rich and vibrant Afro-Brazilian heritage. Thank you, Carolina!”
Explore Rio’s historic center on a private three-hour walk from Cinelandia to Paço Imperial, with local stories, grand buildings, and street life.
“Amazing tour in Centro! Danielle was a super guide who took us through Rio’s exciting history and architechture over the past 200 years. Highly recommended!”
Explore Rio’s old center on foot, from Candelária and São Bento to Paço Imperial, Confeitaria Colombo, and the Olympic-era port.
“our tour guide was absolutely wonderful. She was very knowledgeable and took us to interesting places. I am not very good at names, but I believe her name was Malenia. I would recommend this tour.”
Explore Rio’s historic center, Museum of Tomorrow, Olympic Boulevard, Cais do Valongo, and Confeitaria Colombo on a guided half-day tour.
“Muy interesante y bonito el paseo. Es bueno conocer el centro histórico y el museo es otro nivel, me encantó”
Explore Rio’s Valongo Wharf, Kobra mural, Museum of Tomorrow, Saint Benedict Monastery, Praça XV, and Confeitaria Colombo.
“Emanuella jest wspaniałym przwodnikiem.Dużo nam opowiedziała o historii Brazylli omawiała wspaniałe budowle Świetnie spędziliśmy czas na wycieczce.”
Explore imperial Petrópolis, tour the Bohemia Brewery with three tastings, and see Brazil’s grand cathedral, palace, museum, and Crystal Palace.
“Tanto a visita ao museu imperial, quanto a visita à Bohemia fazem deste passeio uma experiência incrível.”
Explore Rio’s old center, Santa Teresa, Lapa, churches, street art, the yellow tram, and city views on a full-day guided walk.
“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”
Rio’s 3-hour walking tour links historic downtown, Lapa, Selarón Steps, and Praça XV with lively history and practical local tips.
“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.”
Explore imperial Petrópolis from Rio with palace rooms, cathedral, Santos Dumont’s home, Teresa Street shopping, and buffet lunch.
“Very interesting tour. We learnt a lot about Brazil history. The guide was very good and invest time for wide background and explanations. We were the only English speaking in the tour and we got special attention from the guide”
Explore Rio’s Afro-Brazilian heritage through art, memorials, food, samba, and percussion on this private five-hour cultural tour.
“This was a great tour for folks who want to know what it’s like to be Black in Brazil and to get a diasporic perspective. Jaíse is clearly very passionate about all of the above and this tour is a great testament to this. I believe she’s gonna be putting together a local R&B tour soon and i can’t wait to come back and check that out someday! So many landmarks and historical events are covered here - phenomenal!”
Explore Rio’s Jewish heritage through synagogues, memorials, museums, and city views with hotel pickup and an expert local guide.
“Our tour Ephraim and our driver turned up to collect my husband and myself spot on time. He spoke wonderful English and he made the tour very, very interesting. His knowledge of the history of the Jews of Rio was awesome and we visited so many places that we would never had seen if we hadn’t taken this tour. This tour is so well worth going on.”
Explore Rio’s historic center and Lapa on a three-hour small-group walk with visits to the cathedral, Imperial Palace, and National Library.
“Little facts & knowledge really interesting . Not too long, easy walking !”
Walk Rio’s historic center by subway, from Cinelândia to Candelária, with grand architecture, churches, culture, and a guide-led tour.
“Monique was a pleasure! Enjoyed our time with her!”
Pick a city, a waterfall or a stretch of sand.
