Angra Dos Reis And Ilha Grande Day Trip With Schooner Cruise And Lunch

overall, great experience. the crew and guide were very professional. however, it was not clear from the description that snorkeling and other “add on” activities were at an additional cost. there was also a tourism tax we had to pay that, ideally, should have been included with the cost of the tour. all reasonably priced, however, we were not made aware of these costs until we got on the bus. it’s also worth noting if you’re staying in Rio, this tour is an all day event (12+ hours) and you wouldn’t want to bundle other plans with this day.

I read all the reviews before booking and they were all pretty accurate. We were picked up from our hotel at about 8am. The tour guide was super energetic and friendly and spoke very good English. We were the last group to the picked up so we started the drive to Angra. We stopped at a rest stop for the bathroom (the bus also has a bathroom) and food about half way. The guide explained in great detail (in Portuguese, Spanish, and English) what the entire day would entail. They passed around a menu and you could order food. They gave it to you right when you got on the boat. We didn’t do it but other people shared with us because they were very big portions, and it was really yummy. One order is plenty for 2 or even 3 people. We arrived at the boat at about noon and got right on. It wasn’t very crowded and was an engine powered boat (not sure why I thought it might be a sail boat). The first stop was a really great place to swim and there were lots of cool fish and some coral to see. We paid for the photography session too which was $R100 per person, so about $20 each. I think it was totally worth it. We got about 100 pictures and a video. We had plenty of time to snorkel and swim at every stop. We rented snorkels on the boat. I’m not sure how much it cost but at the end of the day my bill was $R125 for two snorkels and 2 cocktails. There is a bar on the boat that serves the whole journey. Each adult gets a free caipirinha and then you can order anything else. Lunch was at the 4th stop at about 3:30. The included buffet from Bar do Luis wasn’t great by any stretch but you could order more food and we had brought enough snacks so it was fine. After a relaxed meal we got back on the boat for about a half an hour ride back to the bus. Once back on the bus it was about 3.5hours back to Rio. It was a long day (mostly on the bus) but we knew that it would be going in. Everyone we interacted with was so friendly and helpful. None of the staff except for our tour guide spoke English but he was happy to translate and we could use our phones to translate if sign language didn’t work! Overall I’m very glad that we took the trip! Make sure to bring sunscreen, plenty of water, and dry clothes for the bus ride home.

This tour was extremely long for no reason. In addition to our full tour bus the boat ride also boards a bunch of other people who buy tickets at the boarding location. This created an extra wait. The boat was overcrowded and it was not a comfortable ride. Snorkeling gear is an additional charge and not included. Drinks at lunch were an additional charge. I still can’t understand how a beverage juice or water was not included. And lastly not much during the snorkeling just some colorful fish definitely not worth the time or money.

The boat ride was great and the staff were wonderful. Only issue was the long bus ride. Almost three hours each way. Started at 7 AM and got back at 11 PM. But the boat ride was a lot of fun.

The information for this trip states that the journey time is 2 and a half hours from South Rio. It does not mention that there was another one and a half hours of collecting others from hotels. So after pick up from hotel at 0730 we did not get on to the boat until 11:30. A total time of four hours. It also stated that the group size would be a maximum of forty people. There were 44 on the bus and a total of 86 on the boat, which made for a very crowded trip. Not the relaxing trip portrayed. Once on the boat, inspire of being told in the literature that snorkel and goggle hire was 20 reals per person we were charged 30 each. The scenery was fine, inspite of the weather. The blue lagoon was nice ,but very busy. Our final issue was with the "Barbecue" lunch. This was a mass buffet style hot food meal with the most revolting food I have EVER eaten. It was quite clear that the restaurant providing this service was profiteering and producing what can only be described as "slop". Hugely unimpressed with this tour and NOT worth the money spent.

Please do not book with them they are a scam. We had a reservation with this company for ilha grande. Turns out they are selling a tour that is typically $20USD for $130USD. They kept changing the location and when we arrived the day off to take the tour no one at the location knew anything of this reservation. We asked for an English guide and there was no one there to help us. We bought the same tour at the island for $20USD per person. Definitely travel to Ilha Grande just not with them.

Andra dos Reis is a wonderful place to visit, the scenary will take your breath away. I wouldn't recommend this tour at all unless you speak Portuguese or you can understand Portuguese, you will feel lost for the full day and no one will care or try. The boat was too packed and it was uncomfortable. The guide was friendly and lovely, and the food at the buffet was great!!

It was a pretty fun day, just very long. The boat was great and the bar was cheap with the exchange rate from USD.

Guide was very funny and good, though did not really assist us with the language barrier once on board the boat. We was not told of 3 hour journey on coach each way to the port. We felt it was a long hot day. Part of our party was not good swimmers and felt that if organised better we could of got off the boat more. Food on board and in restaurant was very good.

The weather was appalling but the tour organiser was excellent and managed to keep us all entertained in very difficult conditions. The boat trip was a wash out through no fault of the organisers who were excellent in every way.

We had a great day but the journey to the boat was really long and the islands we went to were lovely but the sea had so much rubbish in it I was shocked !! I wanted to see ilhe grande but we didn’t only a quick swim !! Overall I would say dissatisfied!! I wouldn’t go again

This trip was excellent - although it was a long bus ride to get there Tanya the guide made it very entertaining and the time passed quickly. The boat trip was great with stops for beach, swimming and snorkelling and there were lots of colourful fish. The lunch was great in a very beautiful location. All in all a lovely day and we would recommend this trip.

The trip was Perfect! Water was clear and warm with many fishes in a beautiful landscape. People were all Friendly and helpful. Food was good with fresh Fish and salads. I had a couple of mango juices on the boat, served ice cold and made of fresh foods. Music was nice, we had also a music trio on board, singing and smiling all the time. Thank you also for that. Transfer was fast and comfortable. Next time again for sure! Best regards from Germany

We got on the boat with about 80 people (it was a bit cramped) but there was options to order snacks and drinks. The boat also had live music playing the whole time we were on the water. The first area we stopped at we were able to get off the boat and snorkel, when we jumped into the water, we were immediately surrounded by hundreds of beautiful tropical fish. The second area we stopped at was a little beach. The beach itself and water we swam in were very clean and refreshing after being in the sun. The last stop was on an island where we were offered our lunch buffet (Main dish choices were fish and meat (beef)) The fish tasted amazing and they had a lot of pasta options, rice and meat sauce. Food was amazing and filling. The beach was small but very unique, lots of little properties right along the water and tons of seashells.

This trip was such a good time whether you want to relax with family or get drunk and experience a full on booze cruise. you stop to swim, then stop at 3 islands where an included lunch is provided on the last island which was delicious (as well as non-included food and drinks served on board). only downer was the 3+ hour bus ride, but it was worth it as the cruise itself was 5-6 hours. they also accommodated to picking us up at our hotel even tho it wasn't listed under the pickup options. fun trip!

First off I must admit I cannot remember who exactly the tour company was that took our tour so my apologies to Gray Line tours if it was not them. However my comments are on the tour to Angra dos Reis from Rio and should therefore still be applicable if you are reading this. When looking for activities I saw the boat cruise and island tour and thought wow that's something we've got to do. No where did I read that 6 of the 11 hours of the tour would be spent on a bus. Angra dos Reis is a 300 odd km drive from Rio which took more than 3 hours each way on a bus with terrible suspension that not only made us feel every bump on the road but also made a loud squeaking sound with each bump or sideways movement. The boat trip itself was not too bad, the weather on the day we went was not the best so we did not swim at the first stop and the second stop was on a beach that required a dismount into head high water which meant many of the tour party were forced to stay on board the boat. Food on board the boat was terrific but came at additional cost. The buffet included in the price of the day trip was nothing to write home about (Canto das Canoas) possibly because the seafood on the boat itself was so good.

Punctual pick up, excellent boat and Eli as host/guide was amazing. He ensured everything went well . The boat trip was amazing with beautiful views with great opportunities to swim. Ensure you order food for the boat as you eat about 16.00. A full day out and well worth the trip.

I decided to do this trip to get out of Rio central and see a different side of Brazil. It was worth it. A very long day, be prepared. Bring snacks, sandwiches,water, juice etc as the buffet is served rather late (4 pm on my trip). My only dislike was too much time diving and way little time at the beaches. Would still recommend.

Good service. It will be great if the pick up could be also in Barra Tijuca. The bus and the boat were great, and stuff helpful. It will boost a lot of the guide can talk a bit more of the excursion. I always loved when they tell me more about the place we are visiting, what we are seeing and the history,

<p>The trip was NOT 2 hours each way, more like 4 hours total each way on the bus. Boat was Ok but very very crowded and they mixed people together from different tours, so a little chaotic with I guess at least 120 people! The mens bathroom kept braking down all the time. Food was Acceptable. Angras was nice to see but trip was too long to do in 1 day.</p>

<p>Too many people on too small of a boat. Managed chaos. And a 150 km bus ride to and from the port. That isn't mentioned in the description.</p>

<p>This day trip was well worth it, and a great experience. Our tour guide was Tania, and she was so friendly, fun and kind. The food was good, the view was amazing out on the water. It was a lot of fun, at the end of the day my friends and I were tired. All the staff on the cruise were friendly also. I would do it again.</p>

<p>The beauty of nature at its best. We also had an excellent tour guide. The boat crew were very helpful and friendly, and of course, the quality of the food exceptional. The only negative side is the 6 hour minibus roundabout trip from Rio, that was pure torture, the traffic is horrendous and the trip itself not comfortable at all. To give you a good idea, we spend more time on the road trip to and from Angra, than on the boat itself.</p>

<p>Although the weather was terrible and not anything the guide could do anything about, I was very disappointed in his lack of contact with the group. My husband and I plus two other young women were the only English speaking people in the group and on the boat and no effort was made to engage us. I'm assuming that the 3 stops were perhaps modified because of the weather. If that is not the case, then they are terrible choices for both location and water quality. Definitely a major disappointment!</p>

<p>The tour went well and overall it was fun and a enjoyable! We got to see lovely islands and amazing places. They picked us up early in the morning from the hotel and we only got back around 7pm so it was a completely full day. However, there were too many people and our guide, Rodrigo, was always forgetting about who was on his tour nearly forgot about us a couple of times.. Temperatures were very cold on the bus going and return 2-3 hours so take a warm sweeter! Food and cocktails served on boat were very good, and the entire crew was nice and very fun! The boat seemed like a huge party and we had a band playing typical songs with us! One thing not much appreciated was that we were around 3 or 4 different tours, so we were a lot of people in the same boat and finding a table to eat as not very easy... we did some stops in several islands and was great to have a swim and take great photos! Overall it was a good day!</p>

<p>I enjoyed the trip. It was a lot of fun. As I was the only English speaking person in my particular tour group I appreciated that the guide made sure I received personalized briefings and he looked after me during the meal on the boat and in the restaurant stop on the way back to Rio.</p>

<p>Our tour guide TT aka Tina Turner was a blast. The bus ride to Angra Dos Reis is about 3 hours and she made the ride fun and entertaining by providing historical information and showing off her singing skills. She speaks good English and was able to communicate the day's activities in three languages so no one was left in the dark Spanish, English, and Portuguese.</p> <p>This was a good opportunity to get away from the busy Rio Olympics and see the country side. It rained most of the day, but that did not hamper our mood. The water was still very warm and we had three opportunities to swim - the only downside is that we did not get to sail out as far as they normally do because of the weather. The scenery is amazing.</p> <p>The lunch was fantastic and the Caipirinhas were actually one of the best that we had in Rio. Drinks do not come in the price of your ticket, so keep that in mind. They do take credit cards. We had a small group of about 15 people probably due to the poor weather but it turned out to be the perfect amount of people. Because of the small group, we got to know many people from around the world and had a lot of good conversation. I would recommend this tour to anyone.</p>

<p>Incredible tour guide! She was upbeat and full of energy. Our bus picked us up at our hotel on Copacabana Beach right time. We had to pick up at a few other hotels and were on our way. Took the bus to our boat port and the trip itself was incredible. We ate a delicious seafood meal, swam in the beautiful waters, listened to live music on the boat, and had plenty of space to lay out and relax on the boat and beach. The boat took us to 3 different island spots. 1 was swimming only and 2 were beached areas. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone visiting Rio de Janeiro!</p>

<p>Here is the lowdown that none of the other reviews make clear:</p> <p>1. You are on a schooner with about 60 other people. Some of them aren't even part of the tour group you start with. It felt very crowded and awkward. It was also more of a party cruise. I was expecting a more relaxing day.</p> <p>2. This is not a tour. The guide barely spoke English, and you do not learn anything about Angra Dos Reis, the nature around the islands or the surrounding area. It is merely a boat trip.</p> <p>3. The bus is as long as the other reviews stated. Our boat ride was only 4 hours, not 5. So it felt very short for the amount of effort it took to get there.</p> <p>4. They try to upsell you everything on the boat from Snorkel gear to t-shirts. The only thing that is included in the price you pay is lunch. For lunch there are 2 options: chicken or fish. Drinks you also have to pay for.</p> <p>5. You don't actually stop at the beach. Basically the boat anchors and you get to jump off. Not what I was expecting, since I thought it would be more of a beach day. The snorkeling is also pretty bad. They don't really take you to the best areas surrounding the islands. </p> <p>Overall I would not take this tour again, nor recommend it to anyone. We would have been better off spending another day in Rio-not wasting it on a crowded bus.</p>

<p>It was a great trip and our guide was seasoned and watched out for everyone. It was a great trip!</p>

<p>The vivid colors, beautiful blue waters and lucky for us...dolphins, will make you fall in love all over again. Island hopping and Caipirinhas are the only tasks on your to do list on this tour. Book, for the love of beauty, book this tour.</p>

<p>Beautiful place. Our tour guide Tanya was great. Unfortunately was raining and was cold. We still enjoyed it though</p>

<p>Each bus ride took about 5 hours due to traffic. And when we finally arrived, we were crammed onto giant boats with wooden benches like sardines. The lunch wasn't great, each island stop was flooded with tourists. Overall not a relaxing trip.</p>

<p>The tour was great and the islands visited were beautiful....long day but worth it</p>

<p>Awesome day out on the water. The boat cruise was great, staff friendly, and he 3 places we stopped were amazing.</p>

<p>Unfortunately there was heavy rain for most of the trip, this prevented us from seeing many of the views on the way to Angra dos Reis. The staff on the boat battled against the elements and the band played to try and raise everyone's spirits. For us it meant there was not excuse not to get in the sea. The coach driver didn't complain about our soggy clothes as we boarded the coach for the journey back to Copacabana. It wasnt 5 hours as advertised nor was there a buffet lunch, a choice of fish, chicken or vegetarian. All drinks need to be purchased. <br/> We nearly missed the trip as the departure time was wrong and had to wait over an hour. Nobody answers the local number we tried to call to confirm and Grey Line the tour company we were expecting subcintracted this to another company.</p>

<p>The tour guide and schooner crew were great. The weather was awful. The crew tried all day to get the party going, but it was just too cold. The scenery was beautiful and I can imagine on a sunny day it would be fabulous. Will try it again on my next visit to Rio.</p>

<p>Nice bus, nice people, good boat with good food. Overall good value for money. The only downside was, as it was winter, the weather wasn't great and the weather was too cold to enjoy snorkeling, which is all I really cared about. But that's not the operator's fault, just bad luck in timing. Am sure it would be great on a hot day.</p>

<p>Definitely worth the trip to Angra. Staff was very friendly. Would do it again.</p>

<p>It is a long way to go in one day. We were first to be picked up and last to be dropped my off. Lovely day on the boat though.</p>

<p>Fun trip although a very long bus ride so be prepared for 3 hours up and 3 hours back going in and out of the Rio traffic. The Islands were beautiful, however and Tour guide was friendly</p>

<p>A very enjoyable day out. The opportunity also to see some Brazilian countryside. Courier excellent and scooner excellent. Would recommend this trip to others.</p>

<p>Amazing trip! The traffic is brutal coming and going to Angra from Rio, but worth the wait!</p>

<p>Wonderful experience in angra , the executive bus pick up in hotel lobby , the food and the staff very good .</p>

<p>Boat overcrowded, the food terrible and the guide conceited and unhelpful.</p>

<p>Very nice day trip. We enjoyed the food and the music on the boat. Our guide did a very good job in seeing that every thing was just right for us.</p>

<p>So overall, the trip was OK. Angra is a beautiful place. There were a number of problems though. WHen making the reservation, which you must do 72 hours in advance by the way, i was told to arrive at 7:40 in the morning for pick up. The bus then proceeded to drive around the block OVER 7 TIMES to continue picking people up. We didn't leave the hotel until 9AM. Additionally, while the Viator offer does say its a 12 hour ordeal, what it doesn't say is that its 3 hours minimum by bus to the spot. Another piece of information that was missing from the description is that this boat tour is not a private, or semi-private, or even remotely independent boat. You get on a boat with literally 80 other people. I was expecting a calm, maybe 10-15 person boat where you travel around the bay. This was in fact a booze cruise. People smoking on the boat, drinking, screaming, a band playing the whole time....if I was 16 and in the bahamas this would have been ok. Even if I knew what I was getting into, this would have been ok. There was just NO WARNING WHATSOEVER in the description of the trip. Aside from that, make sure to grab a noodle when you get on the boat, because they don't have enough for everyone.</p>

<p>Amazing trip, really loved the view and our guide was very attentive! The only negative thing - they served lunch at 2pm, a bit too late for us!</p>

<p>It rained the day we went, but the scenery was spectacular. The boat was very busy though, and we felt a but like cattle, but well worth it for the views and scenery. On a day when the sun shines I'd imagine this is breathtaking.</p>