Rio De Janeiro Main Landmarks Tour

I highly recommend this tour; it was a great experience, and Marcelo is the best tour guide

We booked a full-day private van tour to hit as much of Rio as possible in one day, and it delivered. Our guide took us up into Tijuca National Park first, where we explored a stunning hidden cave in the rainforest — a great start that most people skip. From there we went to see Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado, which was every bit as breathtaking as the photos suggest, with incredible views over the whole city. The afternoon was spent downtown, where we saw the Real Gabinete Português de Leitura (a stunning, ornate library), the Theatro Municipal, and Palácio Tiradentes — all beautiful examples of the city’s colonial and early-20th-century architecture, and a nice contrast to the natural scenery from the morning. We also stopped at the Escadaria Selarón, the famous mosaic steps, and visited the striking Metropolitan Cathedral along the way. Our guide kept the pace moving all day without ever feeling rushed, and clearly knew the history behind every stop. For anyone wanting a genuine overview of Rio in a single day, this tour is excellent value and very well organized. Highly recommend.

I really enjoyed this city tour with Brazil Expeditions! It was actually the perfect way to spend one of my last days in Rio. They picked me up from my accommodation, which made everything so easy. The tour was around 7 hours and we managed to see so much in one day without feeling too rushed. We started at Christ the Redeemer, then went to Santa Teresa, the beautiful Selarón Steps, the Metropolitan Cathedral, had lunch, stopped outside Maracanã Stadium, visited Rio's city centre, and finished at Parque Lage. I loved that I could see so many of Rio's most famous places in one day, and the guide was really friendly and shared lots of interesting information along the way. I definitely recommend this tour if you're visiting Rio. I had such a great day and I'm so glad I decided to do it before leaving the city!

Everything was amazing. Fhe christ Redeemer is amazing. One of the 7 wonders for a reason.

This tour was a great way to see the main highlights in a short amount of time. Everything was well-organized, and the itinerary covered all the must-visit spots, making it very convenient especially for first-time visitors. A special mention to our guide, Vanessa, who truly made the experience exceptional. She was very knowledgeable, engaging, and helpful in every way—always ready to answer questions and make sure everyone was comfortable throughout the tour. Her insights and friendly approach added so much value to the day. Overall, a well-planned and enjoyable tour that I would definitely recommend.

Excellent guide. Arranged the trip very well, relating to issues outside his control.

Exploring Rio with Brazil Expedition was truly one of the highlights of my entire trip. Their Rio City Tour didn’t just take me to the landmarks — it made me feel the heartbeat, history, and soul of this incredible city. From the start, everything was smooth, organized, and welcoming. Our guide Ricardo was absolutely incredible — knowledgeable, funny, patient, and so passionate about Rio. He shared stories, history, and local insights that made every stop come alive. You can tell he genuinely loves what he does, and it made the entire experience unforgettable. We began at the iconic Christ the Redeemer, where standing above the clouds felt spiritual and surreal — one of those travel moments you carry with you long after you leave. Next, we visited the stunning Municipal Opera House, a true architectural gem that looks like a European palace in the heart of Rio. The details inside are breathtaking. We then explored the lush beauty of Parque Nacional da Tijuca, the largest urban rainforest in the world. Driving through the greenery, hearing birds echo in the distance, and stopping at scenic viewpoints made me fall in love with Rio’s natural side. The balance between nature and city here is something you can only understand when you experience it yourself. A major highlight was seeing the legendary Maracanã Stadium. Even just standing inside or walking around it gives you goosebumps — you feel the passion, culture, and football history that Brazil is famous for. We continued through the artistic neighborhood of Santa Teresa, full of colorful houses, murals, cozy cafés, and that warm bohemian charm. It’s one of those places you instantly connect with. After the tour, we enjoyed a lovely lunch buffet — fresh, delicious, and exactly what we needed after a full day of exploring. It was the perfect way to recharge. What I really appreciated was the flexibility at the end: Brazil Expedition let us choose between heading to Sugarloaf Mountain for the final stop or returning comfortably to our hotel for drop-off. That level of care and convenience made the experience feel even more special. Brazil Expedition didn’t just show us Rio — they made us feel Rio. With stunning sights, hidden gems, culture, nature, food, and the best guide we could’ve asked for (thank you, Ricardo!), it was a day I’ll remember forever. If you’re visiting Rio and want the perfect blend of adventure, culture, and local insight, this tour is a must.

We absolutely LOVED the tour! What a great way to see a lot in one day. Our guide, Ricardo, was super nice and knowledgeable! I totally recommend his team!

If you come to Rio de Janeiro for the first time, this is the best tour you can take! Everything is easy, comfortable, you feel that they have the experience to make you feel the deep Rio de Janeiro. I thought about to visit these places by myself but it would take me a lot of time and money on ubers. They pick you up at your place and you visit with this tour (Big Dude Tour) the most important places in the city: Christ the Redeemer, the Selarón Steps, Downtown (Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, the Cathedral, Confeitaria Colombo, Real Gabinete Português de Leitura ) Sambodromo, Estádio do maracanã, Parque Lage and Sugarloaf mountain. Ricardo is the best guide in the city for sure! He made us to understand Rio and its culture. Marcelo the driver, was very funny! What I loved from this tour is that EVERYTHING WAS EASY. And I had time to enjoy and take pictures. 10/10

We had a great time! The trip is quite well organized and super insightful. We saw a lot of places and got good tips from the guide. The bus is very comfy and clean. 🙏 Thank you.

Joao and Marcelo were the best. Joao knew an incredible amount and was the perfect tour guide! The tour itself hit a lot of high notes but didn’t feel dragged-out. Recommend!

AMAZING ! This is a must when in Rio. I did this on my second day and we saw every must see monument. Our tour guides Riccardo and Marcelo were knowledgeable, patient, and so kind.

the fabulous monuments in rio de janeiro were terrible and I will explain why: Both in the Christ the Redeemer of Corcovado, as well as in the pao de acucar mountain, the botanical garden, and the beaches copacabana, ipanema etc. the staff that attends none of them speak any language other than portuguese. It is a pity that the tourist office that manages these emblematic monuments does not have people who at least know English and Spanish (languages of the tourists they receive the most). Neither in the ticket offices, nor in the restaurants, nor the assistance staff speak any other language. For tourists coming from outside Brazil to visit these monuments it is very difficult to communicate and everyone gets very annoyed. The same thing happens in airports, tourist trains, etc. It is terrible that the Ministry of Tourism does not put trained people to assist the tourists. They urgently need bilingual and helpful staff, the service in Brazil is one of the WORST in Latin America. So if you are a tourist who is going to visit Brazil, go well prepared with a good translator or local friends to help you, otherwise you will have a terrible vacation.

Excellent day tour of Rio with highly knowledgeable and very friendly tour guide! This city is truly amazing, and having a comprehensive tour at the beginning was a wonderful way to get the lay of the land before exploring further on our own.

The tour took us through a number of Rio's sights, Christ the Redeemer, a water fall and nature walk, the Chinese View, Escadaria Selaron art steps and a drop off at Sugarloaf Mountain. As a whole the tour was good, but being multilingual, the focus more about getting through the tour than making sure everyone is across things. More time would be great at the waterfall, and the steps so an earlier pick up may work. Option to drop off at Sugarloaf was good and saved time as we wanted to experience the sunset

Really good experience. Our guide was very good and knowledgeable and gave us lots of interesting information about what we were seeing. The tour itself was nicely balanced and felt like we got to see everything with enough time, and was clear on the plan. Our guide also gave some ideas and suggestions on other things we could do for the rest of our time in Rio. There was some difficulties with a couple of the tour members who were inconsiderate and not listening to the guides in terms of time, but the guide and driver handled this very well, and the tour continued fine without delaying the rest of the tour. Would definitely recommend this as a good way to visit the city highlights.

Beautiful place to visit I realy enjoyed would like to go again and again it's amazing when u visit mist stay there for a week

We met Lola in front of the Copacabana Palace then walked to the subway that took us to Cinelândia Square. From there we got to admire the lovely center of Old Town Rio de Janeiro as we walked along the tiled streets to Salerno's Staircase. From there we rode up to the artistic area of Santa Teresa to explore the many colourful streets, small shops of artistic crafts and lovely older homes of the area. This tour involved over 20 000 steps so is not for the faint of heart but well worth the effort.

Whilst the tour intinery / locations are good unfortunately the guide on our trip wasn’t the best. There were 10 people on the tour, 8 of them English but she spent the whole time speaking in spanish to the other 2 people and then just pointing out the landmarks we were at in English, giving no history about them. But what really shocked me and I find unacceptable was when she left one of the group behind in Lapa (not the safest area). We stopped for lunch and one of the group didn’t want lunch so the tour guide said he could go off and be back in 1 hour. However everyone had finished their lunch in 40 minutes and the guide said we couldn’t wait for him so got everyone back in the van and left - even after the other members of the group said we should wait. I felt very uncomfortable with this as she couldn’t contact him. People choose tours in Rio for the safety aspect and don’t expect to be left behind. I would have been very scared if it had happened to me.

The tour was amazing... It was like a group of friends hanging around and just getting to know this amazing city. The tour guy (sorry but I forgot his name) was amazing.. he did the tour in English, Spanish and Portuguese and it was like a walk in the park for him. And he even took the time to spend one on one time for each family at each stop.

My girlfriend & I went on this tour. It was fantastico! Our tour guide Filipe was awesome! & so was the driver 😀 Filipe was extremely knowledgeable, imparting lots of trivia & answering all our questions. Because of Carnival the streets were crowded, most of the places really busy, & the Cathedral closed but Filipe improvised wherever he could to ensure we got the most out of each visit. The Christ the Redeemer monument was cloudy so he took us to another spot so we could see the wonderful views of Rio. We worked to a schedule but he didn’t rush us. We can’t recommend this tour enough. It was absolutely perfect a must see for anyone visiting Rio. Thanks Filipe you made the tour so enjoyable! Cheers

My girlfriend and I just completed the Rio de Janeiro Landmarks Tour with Brazil Expedition. Our guide Dandara was very knowledgeable and engaged with the each member of the group. The sites were all the must sees in Rio and we were given plenty of time in each attraction. The price is awesome for everything you get in this tour. Thank you for a great day.

The Big Dude tour was epic! It really shows us the city and all the top locations to visit with amazing guides and lot´s of interesting facts to learn. The group was super chilled and we quickly bonded which made everything so much fun! My favorite part was the Tijuca Forest - I found the biggest urban forest fascinating! The Selaron steps is really cool as well! Felipe was a awesome guide! I totally recommend this!

Decided last-minute to do this tour and I would 10/10 recommend! We paid less than $50 and were transported in a van with an English-speaking guide, taken to 7 main sites (most of which we may not have seen otherwise), taken to a great lunch spot (not included but endless buffet for $11), and dropped off at the end at Sugarloaf Mountain. The staff was so kind and easy to communicate with before the trip. We spent a perfect amount of time at each location and the guide was more than happy to take pictures for us! HIGHLY recommend

Tour was really nice. Gabi was our guide for the day and Miguel our driver. Our group counted a handsome number of 13 people. Although the group was part Spanish spelling en part English, both languages were carried well. The tour takes you along all must sees in Rio in a nice pace. Well worth the while!

Amazing tour to seeing pretty much the main parts of Rio in one day! Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Rio - whether you're only there for a day or two, or even a week! This was well worth it! Our tour guide & driver were both great fun and they really made the experience 100 times better! They constantly interacted and engaged with the group and it was a really nice day out for all age groups! Can't recommend these guys enough!

I went on the big dude tour and absolutely loved it! I think it is the best way to see around the city, once the tour takes you on different places and zones of Rio( south zone, north zone and centro). It's great if you dont have much time in Rio, you get to see some of the most interesting parts of it, and if you have lots of time, you can return to the places you like. I would definitivly go back and enjoy Santa Teresa, a cute neighborhood with many nice restaurants and handmade giftshops. But the hightlight of the tour is the Christ statue, the view is gorgeous. The guide, Dandara, was super nice and knowledgeable, she made the tour extra special for us.

Look no further when wanting to sight-see and explore beautiful Rio de Janiero! Owner, Eduardo Cruxen was incredibly engaging with lightening fast turn-around from a communication perspective. It was truly a pleasure dealing with him! Our tour guide, Edmundo Montalvao was beyond exceptional. So knowledgeable, accommodating and world class in every conceivable way. We did a few tours during our magical stay, with many highlights, too many to mention. Loved the Selaron Steps, Sugar Loaf, Christ The Redeemer as well as the Favela Tour. Thanks again Eduardo and Edmundo for making our trip to Rio truly spell-binding! Unbelievable! Huge appreciation on all fronts!

Great tour to see a lot of Rio in one day. Because of rain season, the weather was poor but the guide Alex Meyer and driver Marcelo did such a great job cheering us up and giving us the best possible experience. I would defenitely book every tour with this company. They were flexible, kind, bilingual, funny and informative. Thank you so much for a great visit in beautiful Rio!

I strongly recommend the Big Dude Tour. It is very well planned and it takes us to amazing places at a good pacing. Our guide Lúcia and the driver Marcelo gave us precious information on cultural, historical and archtectural facts, besides tips on night life. I really appreciated everything. S2

Yesterday I joined the tour with this lovely company; what a great day it was! Tourguides Lucia & Marcélo (driver) are great; they speak good English, they tell you everything and do everything to make you feel comfortable during the tour (they even asked if the AC wasn’t too cold haha, sweet!) and make sure you will enjoy the trip to the fullest! They stopped on a viewpoint which wasn’t included in the tour... definitely a sign that they really wanted to show us their city in it’d best way. Two people who really love their job! ps. Marcélo did his best to drop us off at Sugar Load Mountain in time to watch the sunset; he knows exactly when you should be there; perfect finish of the dat! And he takes really good care of his car, to guarantee you are comfortable; no food and drinks in the car haha! All clean; perfect! :) Dear Lucia & Marcélo, Thanks again for a great day, I really enjoyed it, because of you! I will definitely come back to your lovely country! Love from Amsterdam, X Michelle

Our tour guide lady, and the driver Marcil, arrived promptly to pick us up on 06/30/18 and to our surprise, it was only us and one other traveller because it is the “off” season and slow; yet for us it was like a private tour! Our guide was warm, friendly, knowledgeable, and gave us a wonderful and informative 6 hour tour on a nice van and we made stops at all the major landmarks in Rio. We had lunch at a wonderful place that offered a great variety of food you can see and pick then pay based on weight of the plate. We ended with the Selaron steps and then they dropped us off at our rented apartment and even gave us hugs! I apologize because I cannot remember the name of the lady guide, but she was delightful! She has a background and education in art history and it made the trip all the more informative. We have taken many tours around the world and this one has made it to the top of our good experiences! We highly recommend this tour, especially if you can make it here in June or July to enjoy the less crowded off season and perfect weather.

This was the perfect tour to see the iconic parts of Rio in one day. The guides were great and explained everything as we went along. We explored part of Tijuca national park, went up to Christ the Redeemer, to Selaron Steps, explored Lapa and then were dropped off at Sugarloaf mountain. This was really good value for money and if you only do one thing in Rio make sure this is it!

<p>Absolutely brilliant day from start to finish, started off nice and early with pick up from our hotel at 9am on the dot. Greeted by our driver Marcel who was lovely and welcoming and then went on to pick up the fellow passengers on the tour and our tour guide Alex. Alex was engaging and chatty throughout making sure there was never a dull moment between stop offs. Every stop off was fantastic and the only downer on the day was that the weather was pretty bad, even still we had an amazing day and this was probably one of the best tours I have ever been on. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to see a few main sights in Rio in a day :.</p>

My husband and I did the Big Dude city tour with Wellington (as our guide) and Marcelo (as the driver) and we had the best time! Both are very knowledgeable about the city’s history - we learned and saw so much. The day we went was kind of cloudy, so there wasn’t much of a view of the city from the Christ monument. So they changed the route last minute to take us to Parque das Ruínas, which offers a 180 degree view of the city below the clouds. That’s where we were able to get our beautiful city view. My husband was the only non-portuguese speaking person on the tour, so Wellington had to say everything in both languages - he was highly enthusiastic and super friendly, like most Brazilians! I highly recommend this tour!!

I've been on several tours of Brazil but this was by far the best. They were prompt, accommodating, extremely knowledgeable and entertaining with a very comfortable ride. They have a great track record for a reason so put them at the top of your list if you're in Rio.

My partner and I visited Rio for a few days and wanted to see all the sights in one. Our guide was knowledgeable, passionate and funny, and our driver was very nice and had his own pointers to add in. Beautiful areas of Rio shown, and interesting history and background given for each spot. Would definitely recommend.

We took this tour today and it was a very good choice! Our guide Filipe and driver Marcelo were friendly and helpful. We saw all the main sights in Rio and having a fluent English speaking guide makes all the difference, we were able to ask questions and get a real insight, we are only in the city for two days so it was the perfect solution.

I did the tour fro the main spots of the city they arrived to my place on time to pick me up from the guesthouse. The tour started at 10:00 and ended at 05:00 PM at Sugarloaf Mountain. The guide Felipe was the best of the tour he speaks fluently English and Spanish and he provided us with detailed information about the city and the place we visited. The tour is very useful to explore the city if you are on a short vacation in Rio

<p>Truly enjoyed the tour and excursion its very very worth the money. Steven the tour guide is good very informative. 89.99 of your tour is done riding around you will get sleepy. The Selaron steps were the highlight of the excursion theirs vendors there selling stuff get itvery cheap you wont see it around RIO again.</p>

Guide Estevan sensational, presents even with people of different nationalities managed to convey and describe very well the sites in Portuguese and English, very good, highly recommended tour.

Excellent value for money, very knowledgable and friendly guide who spoke English, Spanish and Portuguese very well.

This tour is a full day in a private air con vehicle visiting all the main attractions of Rio. The guides are amazing and are so knowledgeable. It was a small group so it was a lot more personal and unique compared to other tours. I left so safe and the day just followed so well so we weren't rushing at any point. I would recommend this tour to all ages and dynamics including children, groups, solo travellers etc..

It was a really great tour and the guide was the best. I would definitely do it again. I am really glad to join the tour.

<p>Amazing tour with an amazing guide named Wellington. He was so amazing and really focused on catering to whatever we needed as a group.</p>

All I can say is that I had the best touristic experience in Rio. Both guide and driver were really friendly and helpful.

This is a great value for your money. All of the locations are excellent; the size of the tour is perfect; the guides were wonderful and personable; and we never felt rushed. The photo opportunities are endless and I loved getting to explore Rio this way. I definitely recommend!

<p>One of the very best trips we have had with Viator.Phillipe looked after us beautifully,picked up on time,great interactive all day with passengers.Packed with information and was very adaptable. Congratulations Viator.</p>

<p>Wow what can I say? Both the driver and the tour guide couldn't have been more helpful and informative. They went way and beyond to take us to all the great sites Rio has to offer. We even got a few extra stop offs put in that wasn't listed on the itinerary! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this tour. Top marks from me!</p>