Arraial Do Cabo Day Trip From Rio De Janeiro: Boat Tour & Beach

I had an amazing time with this tour. I would definitely do it again and I would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Rio.

Six hours round-trip in a van is not worth it. The music on the boat is loud and mostly in Portuguese. They move around too often. 30 minutes is not enough time to barely make it to the beach before it’s time to turn around and go back. It would be better to spend more time at less beaches. I was picked up at 7 AM and was returned to the hotel at 9 PM. A very, very long day.

Although the weather did not cooperate, the tour guides helped make the best of it. The beaches were BEAUTIFUL!

The waters of Arraial do Cabo are truly crystal-clear and the views from the boat ride are spectacular. Swimming was also a lot of fun. The guide was friendly and provided good information along the way. However, due to so many things to do in one day, the schedule felt a little busy and I couldn't spend much time in some places. Lunch was good...Overall a good experience, especially for sea lovers.

The experience was fantastic! Filipe and Cristiana were amazing. Cristiana speaks excellent English and Spanish and provided informative and helpful communication throughout the tour. Loved it and would highly recommend this to anyone seeking adventure in Brazil.

It is easy tour for those who not very demanding and wants to see some beaches and swim a little. Loud music and nice people.

I really enjoyed the water. The dock where you have to pay admission t’was very crowded and a bit of chaos. I did not l’enjot thay. It gave me anxiety. However, I’m told it is not always like that. Once on board it was much better. The beach we stopped at was very enjoyable. The slides of the back of the boat are fun.

This was the absolute worst experience ever. The weather was terrible and there was a yellow storm alert. Any reputable company would have told customers about the storm and offered a refund or reschedule the tour. I was so afraid on that boat because the weather was so bad and it was so cold. They refused a refund and no one spoke English. As a visitor and a tourist you expect to at least have some translation available or a recording explaining what was going on. First they arrived an hour late with no communication. The only thing they were concerned about was getting money. That was the only time communication was translated. It was freezing on the bus everyone was wet and cold from the rain and had to freeze for a nearly 4 hours bus ride. The includes lunch was a joke, food looked old and had bugs flying around. The restaurant ceiling was leaking so bad from the rain the we had to sit in wet seats while water dripped from the ceiling and the floor covered with water. I would not recommend this tour with this company to anyone. They do not care about the safety of the guests.

Arraial do Cabo is absolutely beautiful, and the water was some of the most stunning I’ve ever seen. The boat tour was a great experience, and the scenery alone made the trip worthwhile. A special shoutout to Cristiane for being an awesome guide and handling everything with grace and professionalism throughout the day. A couple things future travelers should know: this is a very long day, including approximately 6 hours of round-trip driving from Rio. Also, if you’re the type of traveler who prefers spending several hours relaxing at a single beach location, this may not be the best fit since the itinerary keeps moving. The restaurant stop was good, the facilities were clean, and I had no issues with the bathrooms or overall organization of the tour. Overall, I had a great experience and would recommend it to anyone wanting to see one of the most beautiful coastal areas near Rio.

The trip was very unorganized. We stopped for a whole hour. We booked for a boat tour and they said that they were not able to come last minute. Everything was just very unorganized

I was staying near Ipanema beach and was picked up at 5:45 am. It is a 3hr drive plus a 30 min stop at a rest stop after about hr 2. There you can grab food and drinks. Once you arrive you will be required to pay 15 reals per person for a tax (bring cash). The boats are fun filled with some grilled foods, alcoholic tropical drinks, music, 2 story slides to get in the water, life jackets are for rent as well as snorkel gear (you can use a credit card to pay for food, drinks and gear before you leave the boat). The water is very clear in most spots and calm. I was there in late April and the water was warm enough to swim in. They take you on a smaller boat to hang out on a beach for 30 min. They feed you around 5 pm with about 8 food choices from a nice restaurant in the town near the dock. Then you head back and the trip back in the van is the same as the way there. The food was good, the day is very relaxing and fun, the 7 hrs of driving is a lot but it is a great way to get out away from the busy tours in Rio.

This tour was advertised for English speakers on TripAdvisor, but the tour guides and attendees did not speak English. The crew were friendly and tried to communicate through Google Translate to make sure I understood the key information for the tour, but it was still disappointing this was advertised incorrectly and made for a lonely and alienating day whilst travelling solo. Food breaks were also sparse throughout the day so I would recommend bringing snacks with you. We did not eat lunch until 3.30pm and only had a quick break during the drive in the morning to pickup food (however I spent most of the time in the bathroom queue so did not have time to grab any proper food). Arraial do Cabo was a beautiful spot to visit but unfortunately the day was a bit disappointing due to the experience above.

The bus that took us to the beach did not arrive to pick me up from the hotel until 2 hours later. I could have slept longer. Then the bus driver picked people up individually which took another 2 hours. Why wasnt the trip coordinated to where all attendees met at one location and we could have been picked up at the same time instead of individual pick ups that wasted time. Terrible. Then nobody spoke English. Not the bus guide nor the people who operated the boat. I have been to France and when I rode on a dinner cruise on the Seine there was a French speaker and an English speaker. We did not arrive at the beach until 3pm from a 7am pick up. So essintially I paid $82 to sit on a bus. Then when we finally got on the boat there were bees. Everywhere. Terrible.

The excellent: - the water is just stunningly beautiful, and we saw turtles and plenty of fish - the vibe is great, Carla and the others kept everyone “animado” - their customer service is amazing, very client-oriented, available after hours The good: - the bus is comfortable enough to spend ~6h in one day The not-so-good: - the water at one of the beaches was full of floating seaweed, not so comfortable to swim in. I assume it’s related to tides, so kinda predictable, I wish we had skipped it altogether and stayed in other beaches longer, since they were fantastic and the allocated 30 minutes pass VERY fast The terrible: - the place for lunch was a literal s*ithole (yes, there were feces in the clogged toilet), it felt filthy, smelled like bleach, the food was terrible and the personnel acted like we were there to steal from them, even though they only served something that looked barely edible. I don’t believe it’s the best spot in Arraial de Cabo (if it is, we should be warned to bring our own lunch from Rio). (Seems like Viator doesn’t allow you to organize your text in paragraphs and strips newlines on publication, so if the text looks unreadable, send my regards to the engineering team)

Great experience with amazing beaches, saw fish and turtles just from the boat and from the shore since the water was so clear in one of the beaches

Our tour guide Paulo and driver Ramoz were excellent and funny people. It was really good to spend a day with them, highly recommended.

Please know this experience is really 14 hrs! The location is 3 hrs away. Paulo our guide was great very friendly and knowledgeable. However we chose this experience thinking we would be going to different beaches. It turns out you go to one beach, then swim around the boat for about 30 minutes, then snorkel for 30 minutes in another location. I wouldn’t say it’s worth the time or money. You could do all those things without driving that far. Just my opinion.

The beach and the snorkeling stops were beautiful the water was crystal clear. The boat sells drinks and food I would recommend buying from there as the included lunch was not that great food was stale and seemed do be old. The entire trip was in Portuguese however my tour guide and all of the boat crew kept a close eye on me and made sure I understood everything that was important. I would definitely do this again the buses are clean and comfortable and the staff were amazing.

The boat tour was really fun. Our guide Paulo was great. He was friendly, organized, and made sure everyone knew what was going on throughout the day. He kept the group on schedule but still made the trip feel relaxed and enjoyable. He also shared helpful information about the area and made sure everyone was comfortable. Overall, the trip was well organized and worth the long day. If you’re visiting Rio and want to see some of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil, this tour is definitely a good option. Thanks to Paulo for making it a great experience!

We had an amazing boat tour in Arraial with C2RIO. Everything was well organized and the atmosphere was fun and relaxing. The views were absolutely beautiful and the stops were perfect for swimming and enjoying the scenery. A special thank you to our tour guide, Paulo Feitosa, who was always attentive, friendly, and made sure everyone felt comfortable and safe throughout the trip. His positive energy and professionalism really made the experience even better. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Arraial — it was definitely one of the highlights of our trip!

good, had a blast with our guide feitosa.

Zeni was a great tour guide, she loves her work and is always ensuring everyone is on the same page. Communication from the very beginning was excellent, and you can see she goes the extra mile for everyone. Truly a wonderful time and soul. Only caveat was just some delay in lunch food and long trip to get to Cabo Frío. Great views, great time, good people.

Amazing experience! I would repeat it again. The guide Paulo Feitosa made it very memorable for us with his guidance and patience throughout the entire time :)

Zeni was a good guide for the activity, she is active, positive and she knows a lot of languages, i am so happy ya she was my guide today.

Great experience, transportation was comfortable and our guide Paulo was very nice. We loved it, the water was CLEAR and the sand was sooooo white. I told my parents they should come and bring my little sis because it’s also a very family friendly experience. Honestly, one of the best beaches I’ve ever been to. The water is a little cold but with the sun you get used to it. If you can add this to your itinerary you won’t regret it. Just make sure to use extra sunscreen because you’ll be out under the sun for hours.

This trip is highly recommended! Everything was well organized. An experienced driver and a super enthusiastic tour guide. If you're looking for a friendly and welcoming atmosphere on the boat and bus, this tour will show you and let you experience the beautiful natural beauty of Brazil.

Treated us very well, Santos always made sure we were taken care of and we enjoyed the beautiful beaches and the boat ride

Karen the tour guide looked after me so well. It was such a fun day and the other tourists who could speak English helped me feel safe. I also got to see the country landscape do an added bonus

Arraial do Cabo was absolutely breathtaking and easily one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. The boat tours were definitely a highlight, taking me to hidden spots and beaches you can only reach by water. Overall, Arraial do Cabo is the perfect place!

Great experience, well planned and executed. Lived up to expectations. Was a surprise break from the normal Rio beaches to new bright waters. Had a jam of a time

Beautiful AND different experiences AND places. Guide was polite, cheerful AND Smart person. Lunch was not ok. Was cold AND salty.

It was an excellent and thrilling tour. The guide Feitosa was very friendly and detailed in his guidance. Ever smiling guy.

It was a a great experience. We really had a great time. Highly recommended. Feitosa was such a great guide he was awesome 👍

I loved the whole trip, the guide was so attentive and amusing, all the time he was smiling and talking. I will go back next year, and I hope I can have Santos as a guide again.

Wow, wow, wow! We had an absolutely amazing day trip from Rio! Santos our guide took care of everything and translated in three languages! He was so helpful and caring! The van over was quite comfortable and the boat tour was a dream! The beaches were exquisite. We enjoyed our stops and even got to swim with the sea turtles!!! Everyone on the boat was so helpful and kind and truly went over and above to ensure we had the best day!!! Obrigado!!!

He was excellent and enjoyable! I would have him as a manager! Great man! He knows what he’s doing! He spoke English well and he was very attentive to the people who did not speak Portuguese.

A beautiful place to go swimming and snorkeling not far from Rio Viviane, the tour guide, was very nice and super professional. I fully recommend her

The views were beautiful. It was so much fun to spend the day on the water and see the different beaches.we would make different stops and get out to enjoy that beach area

The was an awesome experience, amazing views and great atmosphere. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. I definitely recommend this tour.

The tour was amazing. Our guide was super helpful and informative. To be honest it was a day we will never forget, the crew from Tortuga tours were exceptional, setting the holiday vibe with music, information and also the added bonus of whale watching. The day started off very early pick up 6am from selected hotel, then onwards for a 3 hour drive to Arraial do Cabo. We had a pit stop at the half way mark. When we arrived we got our tickets and got on the boat. Music was playing setting the mood. Each stop we made was incredible, the water crystal clear. There was opportunities for snorkeling at each beach and for amazing photos. Before the last beach we went out of the bay and being whale season we got to see 4 humpback whale on their migratory journey. We also saw a lot of turtles. All in all I rate the tour from start to finish 10/10 and I would do it again.

It was beautiful. Everyone was friendly and the tour guides were amazing and kind. Loved the experience. Would highly recommend to anyone!!!

Hotel pick was late. AC on the bus started to leak on me and I had to move seats. Then the AC stopped working completely. Tour was booked in English but heats very little of it. Not sure why they can’t add the boat tickets into the package as we have to purchase them ourselves (they only take cash). We waiting so long to depart on the boat and it became overcrowded. Music was horrible and very very loud. Additionally they kept yelling into the microphone every second on the boat. This was not a party boat so I’m not sure why it was so loud with the music and narration. Boat staff yelled at my friend because she was adjusting her life jacket before getting on the raft. Camera people on the beach were screaming if you crossed a small section on the beach. Beach was very overcrowded not like how they advertise it in the pictures. The older wait staff at the restaurant were rude and gave us poor service. Our guide was rude and unorganized on how to lead the group to spots as a team. Overall not a good management at all. In fact two people on group got so fed up they Ubered home instead of taking the bus. Beautiful location, terribly organized.

Waste of time and money and a joke - tour isnt in English - no one speaks english - tour was so poorly put together it was just a long day of waiting and waiting for them to buy tickets and stuff and waiting for buses to another bus to another boat etc. Also our tour guide was sleeping the whole time of the tour. And the water - LOL - its so murky and dirty - the snokeling is a joke too - you cant see anything.

Theresa was a wonderful tour guide, how she can handle everything on her own is beyond me. We had a wonderful time on the tour.

It does not worth it, too loud music on the boat, super unorganized, the total time on the boat that you can swim is less tha hour, 6 hours driving at least... omg it was bad. The only good part if the wonderful guide!

5 hour bus rider a way was the most memorable…. Two hour boat ride was fun.. good atmosphere but too short.. after lunch 5 hour bus ride back to hotel in Barra

This was supposed to be English speaking tour but all the explanations and organisational info was given in Portuguese. The guide struggled wirh answering the most basic questions in English. This left us confused and angry, as we could not partticipate in some of the activities. Oberall, it was a waste of time, money and energy.

Tour was BEYOND terrible: 1. Tour was not in English tho I asked for English. Tour Guide barely acknowledged me and never explained anything. Very rude, unprofessional, bad energy. I had to ask other ppl what this ignorant woman was saying. 2. There is a 4 hour drive from Copacabana that is not mentioned. Then another 2 hours boat ride. 3. No stopping at a beach. You only stop for an hour for ppl to jump in the water. It’s lame and boring. You basically pay and travel 6 hours to in water for an hour. 4. Boat is very loud and cheesy. Boat staff does not speak any English. There was no food or drink offered. 5. You stop at a local restaurant and it is sub par, mediocre. Hotel food is better. 6. I DO NOT recommend!!! Viator did a terrible job here. I do not trust their service and company again.

it is a long drive from Rio and coming back we hit a lot of traffic as it was getting late but it was totally worth it. i think the boat trip should be about 3 hours but we were on the boat for at least 4.5 hours which was great! no rushing at all and we had time to enjoy the trip and amazing views. the water is gorgeous - all colors of blue, so clean. We could see dolphins and turtles in their natural environment. I loved it. we had time for swimming and walk on a beach. lunch was good. our guide, Publio F, was knowledgeable and on the way he shared with us some history of Brazil and the region. great guy! the only down thing - the crew on the boat didn't speak English but from time to time we have asked our guide to translate for us.