The 10 Best Lapa Tours in Rio de Janeiro

1.Pub Crawl in Lapa with Cachaça Tasting and Live Samba

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 881 reviews · 4 hours · from $33Our pick

Join Caipi Tours in Lapa for a four-hour night of cachaça tasting, a free caipirinha, Selarón Steps, live samba, and Brazilian funk. Guides such as Andressa, Marcos, Raffa, Nayara, and Rafael lead small groups or add guides when numbers grow. Expect short walks, skip-the-line entry, and a social night aimed at adults.

“This was such a good time!! It's amazing. The host is the coolest guy. He goes there with you, dances in the place, has fun with everyone, and makes us feel welcome. I literally got there and was friends with everybody in like 15 minutes. The places are safe, and we had a blast. As a solo traveler, I had a great time. So go ahead and book this experience!”

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2.Santa Teresa, Lapa, and Cinelândia with Tram Ride and Selarón Steps

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 274 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $60

Spend about four hours exploring Santa Teresa, Lapa, and Centro with a trilingual guide such as Emma, Vicente, or Alexia. Ride Rio’s historic bondinho, visit Ruins Park and the Selarón Steps, stroll through Cinelândia, and finish at Confeitaria Colombo. Hotel pickup is offered from Rio’s South Zone.

“We had a great time with Emma, the train had a very long wait possibly up to 2hrs so Emma asked if we would mind switching the tour around which we were happy to do. The steps are amazing, St Teresa is very arty and bohemian so great for street art lovers in particular.”

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3.Rio Scenarium Entrance, Dinner, and Open Bar

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 126 reviews · 3 hours · from $111

Spend three hours at Rio Scenarium, Lapa’s famous three-level nightlife venue, with fast-track entry, live samba, forró, or MPB, a three-course dinner, and selected drinks. Hotel pickup is available from South Zone hotels, though return transport is not included. Expect striking antiques, lively dancing, and a dinner that may not match the music.

“The driver, who help us to entrance too, was perfect, lovely!!! The building is amazing, the music is fantastic, the atmosphere is unbelievable. The food is the reason why I disqualified the experience”

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4.Walking tour of the bohemian neighborhoods of Santa Teresa and Lapa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 59 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $72Top rated

Spend about 3.5 hours exploring Santa Teresa and Lapa with a small group of up to 12 people. Ride Rio’s famous yellow tram, visit Largo dos Guimarães, Parque das Ruínas, Selarón Steps, the Lapa Arches, and Cinelândia. Guides including Edmundo, Lorena, and Ivan add local stories, art, and practical help along the way.

“Ivan, a local of Santa Teresa, was the perfect guide! He met us at our B&B and we walked to the Selaron Steps, downtown area, Cinelandia and the aquaduct. We also got to ride the trolley and see the architecture and learn the history of the area, finishing off with a local art boutique with great gifts. It was an amazing tour with an incredible local guide who was knowledgeable and helpful. A must if you love art or just want to learn more of the local history.”

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5.Centro Historico and Lapa – Santa Teresa Walking, Historical and Bohemian Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 44 reviews · 7 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $137

Spend seven to eight hours with a small group of up to 12, walking through Rio’s Centro, riding the yellow Santa Teresa tram, and exploring Santa Teresa and Lapa. You’ll see grand churches, colonial squares, Kobra’s huge mural, Selarón Steps, and the Lapa aqueduct. Guide Ivan may lead the tour, with a drink included and lunch on your own.

“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”

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6.Historical Downtown and Lapa – Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 44 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $40

Join Rio by Foot for a three-hour walk from Praça Floriano to Praça XV, covering the National Library, Fine Arts Museum, Avenida Rio Branco, Selarón Steps, and historic squares. Guides such as Rafael and Juliana add political context, local tips, and room for questions. Expect about three miles of city walking.

“Really enjoyed the free walking tour in Rio. Our guide was really friendly and welcoming and very informative of the area. The tour took 3 hours but felt very quick in a good way as I really enjoyed it. There was time for a quick toilet break and drink refill which was good. The guide answered everyone's questions and gave good suggestions for what to do, eat, where to go in Rio. Really enjoyed it and would recommend as the tour is free and you can give tips at the end no minimum is required.”

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7.Historical Downtown and Lapa Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 32 reviews · 3 hours · from $60

Meet your guide at Theatro Municipal in Cinelândia for a three-hour walk through Rio’s historic center and Lapa. Visit the old cathedral, Imperial Palace, and National Library, while learning how royal, imperial, and modern Rio fit together. Tours run in English, Portuguese, or Spanish for groups of up to 10.

“Little facts & knowledge really interesting . Not too long, easy walking !”

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8.Brazilian Music at Rio Scenarium with Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 6 reviews · 4 hours · from $98

Begin with a churrascaria dinner, then head to Rio Scenarium, a three-story former antique shop in Lapa filled with vintage objects, colorful furnishings, and live Brazilian music. Hotel pickup is offered in Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon. Expect Portuguese, Spanish, or English guiding, drinks at your own cost, and a late return.

“as soon as you arrive you are absolutely blown away. I was waiting for David Dickinson to arrive. there are antiques everywhere, fridge doors hanging on a wall, fantastic art you really don't know where to look. there's plenty of food available and the drinks menu is really good. we had the meal at a local restaurant which was fantastic. it was a grill house with an amazing range of salads and the meats were so tasty and plentiful. you use a card system green for more meat or red to stop them as they keep it coming. the music was a few live bands and a dj your feet…”

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9.Lapa and Santa Teresa with Tram Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 5 reviews · 4 hours · from $200

You’ll ride Rio’s Santa Teresa tram from Centro across the Lapa Aqueduct, then walk through Santa Teresa, Ruins Park, Selarón Steps, Passeio Público, and Cinelândia. A Portuguese, English, or Spanish-speaking guide leads the four-hour outing, ending at Confeitaria Colombo, closed Sundays.

“Tour molto carino e guida molto professionale e preparata, probabilmente però non vale i soldi spesi, troppo costoso per essere un tour a piedi di mezza giornata”

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10.Lapa and Santa Teresa

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 4 reviews · 6 hours · from $52

Spend six hours with a private guide, often Aldo, exploring Rio’s Lapa and Santa Teresa. Walk the Selarón Steps, see the Metropolitan Cathedral and Carioca Aqueduct, ride the Santa Teresa tram through the Arcos da Lapa, and browse local art. The $52 price covers the guide only, so transport, tickets, food, and drinks cost extra.

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