Top 9 Island Day Trips in Rio de Janeiro

1.Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 1,673 reviews · 14 hours · from $77Our pick

Travel from Rio to Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande for a 14-hour day of swimming, snorkeling, island stops, and a sea-view buffet lunch. Pickup is offered in Leblon, Ipanema, and Copacabana. Multilingual guides such as Marcelo, Fabio, Thiago, and Nayt keep the group moving, while the boat adds music, shade, drinks for purchase, and even a slide.

“Fabio was an amazing guide, couldn’t of been more helpful. Tour was brilliant and all arranged very well. Can’t recommend enough if you have enough time in Rio it’s a great way to get out the city and see a beautiful part of Brazil.”

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2.Full Day Tour to Angra dos Reis and Grand Island

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 469 reviews · 14 hours (approx.) · from $90

Spend about 14 hours traveling from Rio to Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande by bus and schooner. Swim at Lagoa Azul, visit quiet beaches, enjoy a buffet lunch, and return late. Guides may include Felipe, Flavia, Ana, Elainne, or Nayt. Expect shared transport, changing pickup points, and possible boat crowds.

“I did during the peak season, in early January. Our guide, Felipe was nice and kind. The overall problem is there are too many people in a group as others pointed. This is not good for both tour participants and the guide. A daily group consisted of more than 40 people is packed in a tour bus; then, at Angra, 2 or 3 of different tour groups are packed in a boat (because a similar tour is organized by many different tour operators). Fortunately, my group’s departure was not too delayed in Rio and we did not wait that long on the port to take a boat. For me, snorkeling/swimming…”

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3.Angra dos Reis & Ilha Grande Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 402 reviews · 12 hours · from $77

Travel from Rio by coach and boat to Ilha Grande’s Blue Lagoon, Praia de Araça, Freguesia de Santana, and other Costa Verde stops. Swim, snorkel, eat a Brazilian buffet lunch, and enjoy a lively bilingual boat crew. Guides may include Daniel, Nayt, Flavia, or Marcello.

“only the weather was bad but everything else was amazing ! amazing landscapes”

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4.Arraial do Cabo Island Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 192 reviews · 14 hours · from $67Best value

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.”

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5.Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande: Small-Group Fast-Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 119 reviews · 14 hours · from $200

Leave Rio early for a three-hour transfer to Angra dos Reis, then board a speedboat for Ilha Grande. With a bilingual guide such as Lucas, Jessie, or Erica, you may visit up to five beaches and lagoons, including Blue Lagoon and Botinas Islands. Bring snacks, swimwear, sun protection, and a change of clothes.

“Great tour! Pick up on time, comfortable big bus to location, then split into 3 small boat groups. Beautiful locations, nice food, free caipirinhas!! Lucas and Max were excellent guides! Highly recommended this activity!”

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6.Exploring Angra Dos Reis and Ilha Grande in One Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 107 reviews · 12 hours (approx.) · from $85

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.…”

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7.Private VIP Paradise Ilha Grande Speed Boat and Transfer from Rio

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 9 to 10 hours (approx.) Top rated

Travel from Rio to Ilha Grande in a private air-conditioned vehicle, then visit several beaches by comfortable speedboat. Guide Tatiana, Romeo, Romeu, or Angelica may lead the day, with swimming, snorkeling, scenic stops, a historic church, and lunch at Saco do Céu. The listed price covers up to four people.

“Great day exploring 6 different beaches on the big island! Romeo our guide spoke English very well over a multitude of topics and was well engaged with us throughout the day. It’s a solid two hours each way from Copacabana but worth the trip because of the beauty of the islands. The speedboat was well equipped including an awning. Lunch though additional was excellent. It was great to avoid the crowds. Highly recommend!”

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8.Full-Day Tour to Angra dos Reis and Ilha Grande

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 50 reviews · 14 hours · from $77

Travel from Rio to Angra dos Reis for a full day by coach and boat. Swim at Blue Lagoon, visit Praia de Araça and Freguesia de Santana, and stop for a Brazilian buffet lunch. English, Spanish, and Portuguese guides accompany the trip. Expect a long day, an extra R$25 marina fee, and optional paid snorkeling equipment.

“Muy buena actividad. Tuvimos un muy buen guia. Estaba preocupado por nosotros todo el tiempo. En el bus que ibamos tuvo un problema pero rapidamente nuestro guia solucionó el problema y la actividad se hizo a tiempo.”

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9.Snorkel & Swim with Turtles Tour at Tijuca Islands

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 19 reviews · from $100

Set out from Barra da Tijuca on a small-group speedboat trip to the Tijuca Islands. Your guide speaks English, Spanish, or Portuguese, and provides snorkel gear for swimming among fish and possible sea turtles. You’ll also stop for island photos and views of Pedra da Gávea, Dois Irmãos, and Christ the Redeemer.

“Excellent tour with guide Nick. We saw a bird sanctuary, snorkeled with fish and turtles, and then went into the river to see crocodiles and capybaras. Excellent timing. Highly recommended.”

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