Brazil Tours: The 15 Best Days Out

1.6-Stop Highlights of Rio with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 5,157 reviews · 8 hours · from $130Our pick

Cover Rio’s essential sights in eight hours with hotel pickup, entry to Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, and the Metropolitan Cathedral, plus outside visits to Maracanã, the Sambadrome, and Selarón Steps. Multilingual guides such as João, Carlos, Ursula, and Roger lead the day, while an all-you-can-eat buffet keeps the schedule moving.

“Hector and the driver were amazing hosts and tour guides. Hector is very knowledgeable about the history of the monuments..”

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2.Christ the Redeemer Entry Ticket by Corcovado Train

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 4,476 reviews · 1 day · from $45

You ride the historic Corcovado Train through Tijuca National Park to Christ the Redeemer, one of Rio’s essential sights. The roughly 20-minute climb brings you to the statue, museum, visitors center, and views of Sugar Loaf Mountain and Guanabara Bay. Bring photo ID, arrive early, and expect crowds at the summit.

“Was good experience but we went on a day with low clouds so we couldn’t see anything. Train journey was good and all the staff were friendly.”

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3.Rocinha Favela Walking Tour with Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 3,052 reviews · 2 - 3 hours · from $36

Walk through Rocinha for about two hours with a local guide such as Ray, Bruno, or Carlos. You’ll learn about daily life, community challenges, and Rio beyond the beaches, with air-conditioned minivan transport from selected Copacabana, Ipanema, or São Conrado meeting points.

“I want to thank our tour guide Ray She was really nice and very helpful Her English was great, all the information she gave us was really clear”

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4.Sugarloaf Cable Car Official Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 2,873 reviews · 1 day · from $46

Make your own way to Sugarloaf Mountain, exchange your voucher, and ride both cable-car routes to Morro da Urca and the summit. You get free time for viewpoints, shops, bars, restaurants, and photos over Rio, Copacabana Beach, and Guanabara Bay. Choose an early visit for quieter paths or arrive well before sunset to manage the queues.

“Can’t go to Rio without going to Sugar Loaf mountain and the cable car journey was great.”

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5.Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf, Selaron & BBQ Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,428 reviews · 8 - 9 hours · from $69

Spend 8 to 9 hours seeing Rio’s essential sights with a multilingual guide such as Sandra, Newton, or João. Ride to Christ the Redeemer, visit the Selarón Steps and Metropolitan Cathedral, view Maracanã and Sambadrome, then add Sugarloaf cable cars and an all-you-can-eat Brazilian barbecue when you choose the full package.

“Excellent trip with a well informed, organised guide (Newton). Christ the Redeemer was manic due to too many people accessing but the rest of the trip was very good. Lunch was superb too.”

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6.Half-Day Rocinha Favela Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,272 reviews · 3 hours · from $35

Spend three hours walking Rocinha with local guides such as Wellington, Alberto, Daniel, or Martin. Hear personal stories, visit viewpoints, and possibly see a capoeira session. The route uses narrow alleys and steep stairs, so wear good shoes. Meet at the Ibrahim Sued statue outside Copacabana Palace at 13:25.

“We had a great experience with our guide Roberto, he was very knowledgeable, witty and we felt safe with him.”

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

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

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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8.Maracanã Stadium Official Entrance Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 1,632 reviews · 1 day · from $24

Visit Maracanã Stadium at your own pace with access to the museum, changing rooms, warm-up area, players’ tunnel, pitchside, dugout, and press conference room. The visit lasts about 40 minutes and is mainly self-guided, with signs in Portuguese and English. Go to Gate A with your mobile or printed voucher.

“Amazing stadium! You can create a video of you shooting goals on Copacabana by additional price;)”

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9.Full-Day Tour of Brazil & Argentina Sides

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,542 reviews · 10 hours · from $63Top rated

Spend about 10 hours crossing between Brazil and Argentina, walking the best Iguazu Falls viewpoints, riding the Argentine park train, and reaching Devil’s Throat. Hotel pickup, air-conditioned transport, water, and a multilingual guide are included. Park tickets, lunch, and the optional boat ride cost extra. Guides such as Roberto, Jefferson, Pablo, and Henrique are praised for keeping the day moving.

“Lovely guide! Perfectly planned tour. We had technical issues at the beginning but our guide quickly changed plans so that we still had enough time to enjoy everything. I would definitely recommend!”

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10.Beginner Samba Lesson in Ipanema

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 1,071 reviews · 1 hour · from $25

Spend one lively hour at Samba Fit in Ipanema learning beginner samba with Carla, Ranaa, or Gaby, performers from major samba schools. The class covers basic steps, rhythm, and body movement at a friendly pace, then ends with Carnival costumes, photos, and videos. Groups are limited to 10, and instruction is available in English or Portuguese.

“Ranaa is a very experienced and enthusiastic coach! It was a super fun experience with many surprises and joy all around”

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11.Canela Cable Car Park Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 1,030 reviews · 45 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes (approx.) · from $23Best value

Ride the cable cars between three stations at Parque Bondinhos Canela, with a first lookout for Caracol Waterfall, shops, hot chocolate, elevators, and accessible restrooms. The ticket costs $23.52 per person and lasts about 45 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes. Transport, the state park, zip line, and photos cost extra.

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12.Sunset Sailing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 994 reviews · 3 hours · from $75

Join a small sailing group of up to 12 people at Marina da Glória for three hours on Guanabara Bay. You’ll pass historic fortresses, Boa Viagem Island, and Niemeyer’s Niterói museum before watching the sun set behind Rio’s famous skyline. Clarisse, Karina, or another English-speaking host may serve caipirinhas, beer, wine, snacks, and fruit throughout the trip.

“Enthusiastic guide who kept up the supply of nibbles and drinks. We stopped for a swim in a quiet corner of the bay and watched a magnificent sunset.”

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

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

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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14.Christ, Selaron Steps, and Tijuca Park Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 857 reviews · 7 hours · from $68

Spend seven hours seeing Rio with an English, Spanish, or Portuguese-speaking guide. Visit Christ the Redeemer early, walk the Selaron Steps, enter the Cathedral, stop at Park Lage in Tijuca National Park, and view Maracanã and the Municipal Theater. Lunch costs extra, and you can finish at Sugarloaf Mountain.

“Me and my bf loved it. The tour was soooo full and the explanations were very detailed. Joao and Marcelo were amazing really best tour guide and chauffeur. The whole day was better than what we’ve expected and we saw even more than we hoped. For 58€ it’s a steal!!! I recommend it to everyone!!! Also the restaurant (even if we had to pay for it) was a 10/10 and not expensive”

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15.Sunset Sailboat Tour with Open Bar

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 785 reviews · 3 hours · from $57

Spend three hours aboard a shared sailboat in Guanabara Bay, starting from Urca. Your English- or Portuguese-speaking host, such as Paola, Lohanny, or Mariana, serves caipirinhas, beer, fruit, and snacks while pointing out Rio’s landmarks. Expect music, a possible swim stop, sunset views, and a short boat transfer from the dock.

“We really enjoyed the evening sunset cruise with Lohanni and crew!”

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