RIO DE JANEIRO
The standout days in Rio de Janeiro.
The 15 most popular walking tours in Rio de Janeiro. The ones worth building a day around, with prices, run times and who runs each one.
Rocinha walking tour with a local guide from Copacabana/Ipanema. 2 hours inside, small group, community support, $36.
Most Popular
Walk Rocinha with local guides for a respectful, history-filled look at daily life in Rio, plus viewpoints and capoeira.
Sunrise hike from Vidigal to Morro Dois Irmãos with local guide, motor-taxi ride, lanterns, and sweeping Rio bay views.
“Very challenging hike but the views are totally worth it. The hike was a little over a mile, up the mountain all the way. Our guide, Milena, was amazing. Everything was well organized.”
Walk Rio’s Little Africa for samba origins, Afro-dance heroes, and Valongo waterfront stops, with rooftop views. 150 minutes, $40.
A private 3-hour Centro walking tour through Rio’s key landmarks, from the Opera House to Paço Imperial, with flexible history stops.
“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…”
A 4-hour Old Rio walking tour with hotel pickup: São Bento, Paço Imperial, Candelária, Mauá Square Olympic legacy, and the Metropolitan Cathedral.
“Unfortunately, not enough people signed up for the tour and it was cancelled. HOWEVER, the communication between the operator and Viator was seamless, and the tour was refunded with kind apologies. Tourism is full of moving parts, and sometimes things just happen. I must admit I was disappointed, however given the opportunity to revisit, will…”
Ride the historic yellow tram and walk Santa Teresa to Lapa’s Arcos and Selarón steps on a small-group 3.5-hour tour.
“We had the absolute best walking tour through Santa Teresa with Lorena and it proved to be one of the highlights of our Rio trip. The neighborhood is beautiful and has a fascinating story and history, and Lorena walked and talked us through it all with a wonderful sense of candor and humor. And even…”
Guided hike to Pedra do Telégrafo in Rio with bilingual guide, photo viewpoints, and photo-spot angles. Early start, pack water.
“We were told the night before that our pickup time would be 6:30am which we confirmed. However, we ended up being picked up after 8AM. I guess the original guide got 'sick' and nothing was communicated to us until after we reached out with a message around 7:30.”
A 3-hour Rio walk through Ipanema and Copacabana where live guitar and stories connect Bossa Nova to real landmarks.
“What an amazing journey we had! Guilhermo brought us through the history of Bossa Nova through music and participation. We brought us along with him in the journey instead of giving us a lecture about it. Excellent!”
3-hour guided Bossa Nova walk through Ipanema and Copacabana with a live musician, 10+ photo stops, and history.
A 7–8 hour walk through Rio’s Centro and bohemian Santa Teresa to Lapa, with a Santa Teresa tram ride and iconic viewpoints.
“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”
Historical downtown and Lapa walking tour in Rio. Admssion stops at Biblioteca Nacional and art museum, plus Selarón Steps and Praça XV.
“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…”
Rio Centro on foot in 4 hours. See monarchy-to-republic landmarks, major churches and squares, CCBB, Cinelândia, and a snack stop.
Walk Dona Marta in Rio with a local guide: arts centers, street art, sports projects, and the Michael Jackson viewpoint. 150 min.
Walk Rocinha with a local guide on a capped 10-person tour, adding craft stops, graffiti, viewpoints, and an included moto-taxi ride.
“My 73-year-old mother and I went on this tour today and was a day we will never forget!! Two women from the US completely out of our element, yet we were never concerned for our safety, The tour guide spoke very good English, and was extremely knowledgeable about the area because grew up there and…”
From Corcovado to Copacabana, and every way to see the city in between.
