Rio de Janeiro · HISTORICAL TOURS
15 reviewed
This is the shortlist we’d hand a friend: the 15 historical tours worth booking in Rio, each with its price, its traveller verdict, and the one thing to know before you commit.
A 4-hour Rio combo of historic downtown sights, Lapa aqueduct, and Santa Teresa art and viewpoints, with hotel pickup included.
“It was great, my guide was absolutely brilliant would highly recommend”
Rio’s Little Africa Heritage walking tour traces African roots through samba, rooftop views, and iconic landmarks over 2.5 hours.
“Ryane was very knowledgeable and kept a good pace. It was just the right amount of time to see Little Africa. Not huge in size (which was good because it’s a walking tour) but very rich in culture and history.”
Follow Rio’s Little Africa trail through Afro-Brazilian heritage sites, from Pretos Novos to Valongo Wharf, with expert local guides.
“This was an amazing tour. Our guide, Rafael made it thoroughly enjoyable. His pleasant manner and his knowledge of Little Brazil was commendable. 5 stars are not enough.”
Paraty Historic Centre walk with a guide plus free Cachaça Gabriela tasting. Learn Freemasonry and colonial-era stories in 90 minutes.
“chaqa was extremely knowledgeable and spent longer than he needed to on the tour with us and give us lots of great helpful suggestions for our stay in parity”
Private 3-hour Centro walking tour with a guide through Rio’s opera house, Cinelândia, Selarón steps, Lapa arches, cathedral, and historic squares.
“Although we saw some great sites, the guide made us feel like he needed to be somewhere else, and our 2 1/2-hour tour ended after 1 1/2 hours. It was not an inexpensive tour so we left feeling taken advantage of (and perhaps not seeing everything we were supposed to see?). Perhaps a price adjustment is in order.......”
Walk through Old Rio’s churches, imperial plazas, and Olympic-era Mauá Square, with hotel pickup and free-entry landmarks in about 4 hours.
“A little background about myself: this was my first trip to Rio, and before this tour, I had not spent any time in downtown Rio. I am generally interested in history, perhaps more than the average person. Our tour guide, JB, was fantastic. He was very energetic, and was very enthusiastic about the city. He was extremely knowledgeable about the stops on the tour (and a lot off the tour) and effectively communicated with all of us. He walks fast, he talks fast, which is great, because he was able to cover a lot of ground in the 4 hours we had. (Even during the ride to and from our…”
Half-day downtown Rio walking tour with Museum of Tomorrow, Porto Maravilha, Olympic Boulevard, and Praça XV, plus museum tickets included.
“Despite the downpour, Sandra was an amazing guide! Loved walking the city with her. Would definitely recommend .”
A private 2-hour walk through Paraty’s colonial center with an English-speaking guide, church stops, Freemasonry symbols, and a take-home map.
“My tour was excellent. I learned so much and really enjoyed understanding the history and present of Paraty. Highly recommend.”
Guided Rio Downtown loop with Valongo Wharf, Eduardo Kobra mural, Museum of Tomorrow, Monastery of Saint Benedict, and Confeitaria Colombo.
“Pedro was very much dedicated with the history of Brazil. I enjoyed the tour with him. He was very informative . We learned so much about the history of Brazil. Thank you Pedro for all that you taught us about the history of Brazil.”
Petrópolis imperial sights and a Bohemia Brewery factory tour with 3 beer tastings, plus buffet lunch, all from Rio with pickup.
“The pick up was 35 minutes late. The tour was advertised as approximately 9 hours but it ended up being over 12 hours. We didn’t get back until after 8.30pm and we were one of first off the bus luckily! The lateness was mainly due to a stop Read more”
A 7–8 hour walk from Centro icons to Santa Teresa: cathedral glass, Selarón steps, Lapa arches, and the yellow bonde tram ride.
“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”
Stroll through Rio’s Centro and Lapa with included museum stops and great photo moments like the Selarón Steps in about 3 hours.
“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.”
A full day from Rio to Petrópolis: palaces, an Imperial Museum visit, neo-Gothic cathedral, scenic stops, lunch buffet, and free time on Rua Teresa.
“The friendly and knowledgeable guide (sorry I forget his name) took us from Copacabana to the Imperial Palace museum, the cathedral, the "crystal palace", the house of aviator Santos-Dumont and various places for refreshments. It was very interesting. It could be slightly improved by making it a shorter trip with fewer refreshments.”
A guided walk through Paraty’s UNESCO streets plus a craft cachaça tasting, with expert stories and short church stops. Great value.
“Foi td muito bom, pois o guia conhecia muito bem todo centro histórico. Farei novos roteiros qdo eu voltar.”
A 5-hour Rio route tying African ancestry to food and percussion, with MAR, Pretos Novos, Valongo, Pedra do Sal, and sunset music.
“This tour was phenomenal! Isabella was well-informed, passionate and attentive. If you are looking for a story about the REAL history of Brazil, look no further. This tour easily could be twice more, and you would still get your moneys worth. I highly recommend this tour and that you bring the whole family as well.”
