Brazil · DAY TRIPS IN RIO DE JANEIRO
Good day trips 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.
Travel from Rio to Arraial do Cabo, then sail by schooner to Ilha do Farol, Prainhas do Pontal, Praia do Forno, Gruta Azul, and more. Guides speak English, Portuguese, and Spanish on land. Choose the lunch option, bring cash, and expect a very long day with about four hours of road travel each way.
“Really lovely day, guide was excellent and so helpful!”
Trade Rio’s city streets for Arraial do Cabo’s clear water and bright beaches on a full-day trip with hotel pickup, a schooner cruise, swimming stops, and a buffet lunch option. Guides such as Newton, Andrea, Vivi, and Israel have helped English-speaking visitors, though boat commentary is mainly in Portuguese. Expect a long road journey and possible weather changes.
“The tour is very good! the whole experience of getting to Arraial do Cabo was a dream! Food at casa do piedra was amazing. The weather was the only downside, it was very cloudy and rainy but even with that we had a wonderful time on this day trip. I would recommend and I will be back someday, hoping for a sunny day next time!”
Travel from Rio to mountain-set Petrópolis with a multilingual guide such as Rafael, Julio, or Mama Chris. Visit the Imperial Museum, Quitandinha Palace gardens, Crystal Palace, and Cathedral of Saint Peter. Add a buffet lunch and Bohemia Brewery visit, then return after a packed 12-hour day.
“It was okay! The only downfall of joining big group with multi language is that it will take time to explain to you what was being shown/ discussed.”
Leave Rio’s southern beaches by licensed coach and head to Arraial do Cabo for a boat ride past Praia do Forno, Praia do Farol, Blue Grotto, and Fenda de Nossa Senhora. Guides speak English, Portuguese, and Spanish. Expect a long day, brief beach stops, extra port fees, and a buffet lunch with drinks and desserts sold separately.
“Great Logistics. Pick-up was arrange for us in Leme even though it was not in the area of the tour.”
Spend about five hours hiking rough, steep trails in Tijuca National Park with a bilingual guide such as Gustavo, Ricardo, Pietro, or Tito. Reach Taquara Hill, explore coffee-farm ruins, grottos, Bat Cave, and waterfalls, then cool off under Cascata da Baronesa. Groups are limited to six, with pickup from selected South Zone hotels.
“The breathtaking views over the rainforest alone was worth it. But also the rest: I learned a lot and got to experience this incredible forest. Our guide was not only helpful but also passionate about what he was showing us. I loved it. One of my highlights of my trip to Rio.”
Spend about 12 hours traveling from Rio to Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande by bus and schooner. Swim at Freguesia de Santana, Aracatibinha, Lagoa Verde, and Lagoa Azul, then enjoy a Brazilian buffet at Praia de Japariz. Bilingual guides such as Daniel, Nayt, and Fabio have helped make the long day run smoothly.
“We had a fantastic tour. It was nice to see another part of Rio/Brazil during our trip, and the islands were gorgeous. A few notes for anyone looking to book in the future… Avoid booking on Fridays/Weekends unless you want to sit in 5+ hours of traffic on the way home. The drive was made much longer by the weekend traffic, and our guide said it was the usual. We went during high season, so the islands/bays were extra packed. It sorta took away from the trip a bit. The boat had bathrooms (wouldn’t call them the nicest but they worked… ish) and enough food/drink options to get you by.…”
Travel from Rio to Petrópolis with a guide, visiting the Imperial Museum, St. Peter of Alcantara Cathedral, Crystal Palace, and Quitandinha Palace. You also get free time for lunch and shopping, with optional visits to Santos Dumont’s house or Cervejaria Bohemia. Pickup and museum entry are included.
“The mini bus transport was clean and comfortable, our tour guide TTUHLALA was brilliant, she kept us entertained and informed even though we were the only British couple on the tour. The Petropolis trip started at a chocolate store, which was okay then on to the shopping centre in Petropolis which was not for us. From there we visited the Crystal Palace, quite interesting. We made a short trip to Santo Dumont's house 8 reals entrance fee where a video explained the inventors life. We then had a buffet meal 40 reals good food and value. Next was a visited to the Cathedral followed by the museum Royal Summer Palace,…”
Patricia Cannabrava and her team take your private group of up to four around Rio’s essential sights in 6 to 7 hours. You’ll visit Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, the Selarón Steps, and the Metropolitan Cathedral, with private transport, WiFi, and a guide included. Attraction tickets, food, and drinks cost extra.
“Patricia picked us up at the Port from our cruise ship and took us on a customised tour for the whole day. We visited the Maracana Stadium, learnt all about Carnival, walked up the Seralon Steps then went to Christ the Redeemer. We had Patricia’s wonderful descriptions of all of the history. After driving along Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, we parked at the Cathedral then walked downtown to the beautiful Library and visited Confeteria Columbus. We were returned to the port in time to get ready for dinner on the ship. Thank you for your wonderful and warm conversation- your English is excellent!”
Start at 7:00 am for an 8-hour Rio circuit covering Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain by cable car, Selarón Steps, Maracanã, Sambadrome, the Cathedral, and Lapa. A small group of up to 19 rides in an air-conditioned vehicle, with lunch included. Marcos is praised for punctuality and useful local tips.
“I booked this activity about 2 months in advanced. Received a confirmation from Viator, tour operator never showed up for pick-up nor contacted me. Viator attempted to contact operator but they never responded. I lost the whole day because it was too late to reserve a tour for that day; no tours were available. I do not recommend this tour operator.”
Travel from Rio to Búzios for a guided walk through the former fishing village made famous by Brigitte Bardot, then cruise past Bones, Azeda, João Fernandes, Tartaruga, Boi, and Rasa beaches. A buffet lunch is included, with meat, fish, chicken, or vegetarian choices. Pickup covers South Zone and downtown hotels.
“Trasferimento in pullman lunghissimo….andata 5 ore, ritorno 4,5 con la sensazione di essere all’interno di una cella frigorifera (nonostante avessimo fatto richiesta la temperatura e rimasta intollerabile) Il giro in barca-barcone …sembrava di essere allo stadio, non c’era posto x sedersi Buzios viene presentato come un paesino con acqua cristallina e paesaggi da paradiso….indescrivibile!!! Il centro di Buzios è in realtà una località pulita e ben organizzata a livello turistico il top?…il cibo!!!!…nella presentazione c’è scritto “in uno dei migliori ristoranti di Buzios”…dove siamo stati noi potrebbe ambire al peggiore nel quale ho mangiato Le aspettative erano alte …forse….a chi organizza ...”
Spend about eight hours seeing Rio’s essential sights in an air-conditioned vehicle, with included admission to Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, and the Sambadrome. You’ll also visit Maracanã, Selarón Steps, the Metropolitan Cathedral, and Lapa’s arches, with lunch included. Pickup details are confirmed by WhatsApp the day before.
“AGENCY TRAVEL RBP is the one who organize my tour. They are scammer. We bought 8 hours tour with lunch, included pick up at our hotel. They email less than 24 hrs before tour start (so I can not cancel and get full refund) to tell me they want to meet at another hotel, about 30 minutes away, and I have to show up 45 minutes early. I try to get there on time at 7:15am, the tour guide from another company show up at 7:45am. We do the tour, but it's for 4 hours tour without lunch. My complaint was ignore from both companies and Viator as well”
You get nine hours with a licensed bilingual guide, air-conditioned transport, Christ the Redeemer, Tijuca Forest, Maracanã’s exterior, the Sambadrome, São Sebastião Cathedral, Sugarloaf’s cable cars, and Rio’s famous beaches. Eduardo is one guide named in customer feedback, though guide assignment can vary. Lunch is an all-you-can-eat Brazilian steakhouse meal.
“Lamentablemente, mi experiencia en este tour por Río de Janeiro fue muy decepcionante. En lugar de una guía turística informativa, fue solo un servicio de transporte sin contexto ni datos interesantes sobre la ciudad. Fue el tour más aburrido que he tomado, y la falta de información hizo que todos perdiéramos el interés rápidamente. La visita al sambódromo fue solo de pasada, sin parada ni explicación, porque “es una zona peligrosa”. Además, el restaurante “de lujo” donde almorzamos tenía un olor desagradable. Honestamente, no lo recomiendo; contratar un transporte y explorar por cuenta propia daría el mismo resultado, o hasta mejor.”
Cross Guanabara Bay from Rio to Niterói with a multilingual guide, visit Oscar Niemeyer’s coastal buildings and the striking MAC museum, then stop at São Pedro Fish Market. Pickup is available from Copacabana and selected Rio neighborhoods. Guides have included Monica, Lavinia, and Romeu, with Alain handling one reported departure.
“Très interessant. Le musée NITEROI une étrangeté dans un décor de rêve plages de type californienne et collines . Merci à Romeu pour ces explications p”
Brasil Show Turismo LTDA takes you from Rio to Búzios for a long day of beach views, a schooner ride, buffet lunch, and one hour on Rua das Pedras. You will see Azeda, Azedinha, João Fernandes, and Tartaruga from the coast and water, but beach access can be limited by the day’s boat plan and weather.
“if you want to travel 4 hours each way for a 3 hour boat trip, with the option to pay for scuba, then this is your trip. you will only see the beaches from a distance and the guide wasn't brilliant”
Spend eight hours seeing Rio’s essential sights with Renata, a multilingual guide and photographer. Start early at Christ the Redeemer, pause at Dona Marta, visit Selarón Steps, and ride Sugarloaf’s cable cars. Hotel pickup, transport, and a high-resolution digital album are included. Admission tickets, food, and drinks cost extra.
“Renata did a very good job. She used every possible photo opportunity. She was a very good photographer. The result are exceptional photos. Beside this she was friendly and had a lot of humor. The photo tour was a lot of fun. I can highly recommend this photo tour. Patrick from Germany.”
Pick a summit, a stretch of coast or a dancefloor.
