The Best Of Rio De Janeiro In A Private Guided Tour

We booked this tour at short notice and received excellent support from the provider. All our questions were answered clearly in advance, including what was possible and what was not, which made the planning very easy and reliable. Our guide Victoria and the driver were both excellent. They listened to our wishes and organized the day in a way that allowed us to see everything we wanted without unnecessary stress. We received a lot of interesting information, had many nice conversations and felt very well taken care of throughout the day. Overall, it was a really great experience with a very good tour operator, an excellent guide and a great driver. The value for money was also very good. I would book this tour again anytime and can recommend this provider without hesitation.

Outstanding and knowledgeable guide Victoria..Strong knowledge of history. Quickly assessed our interests. Excellent language skills and enjoyed spending the day with her.

We spent two amazing days with our private tour guide, Victoria and driver Bruno. First, we were a bit worried about our luggage as at the end of the second day we were being dropped off at the airport. However. No worries we’re needed. We had a large van and Bruno stayed with the van the entire time. Victoria has a deep knowledge of the history and culture of her hometown. At the end of two days we felt like we were saying goodbye to a friend.

Great tour but terrible company. They cancelled my tour the night before. I rebooted a second tour for the next morning and was told it would be at 9am. The tour guide sent me a note at 7am saying they moved it up to start at 8am Then didn't show up until 830am saying that was the correct time. This has happened almost every time I book with Viator.

Victoria created an amazing custom tour for our family in both Portuguese and English. We saw all the major sites in one day in a new, air conditioned mini bus. It was truly a special experience.

Our guide Lucy had great knowledge of the historical background of the sights we were viewing and conveyed the message in a relaxed and friendly manner.

Really good guide. Wonderful experience seeing Rio’s best sights Would definitely recommend Gabo was a great guide

Worth the $$ for private tour to get great overview of Rio in a short time. Managed to see ALL the major tourist sights, plus driving thru forest, more upscale areas and smaller cozy beaches

We did a full day private tour with Melina. She was so sweet, spoke English very well and was a wealth of information. We enjoyed our day with her. We went to Christ Redeemer in the morning, then to Santa Teresa, Selaron Steps , lunch and the Suagr Loaf. We also purchased all entry tickets prior to reduce waiting line. And the fast lane ticket at Sugar Load was so appreciated! It was a nice start to our trip to get to see all the main highlights and again loved the tour company and our guide. Would highly recommend both!!

Victoria was our guide today. She was very welcoming and friendly. I had booked our tickets to be on the first train up to Christ the Redemeer so we had an early start. Victoria was very knowledgeable about her beautiful city. We had a list of sites we wanted to explore and she also gave us other suggestions which we took her up on and and had a fantastic day. Unfortunately I dont recall our drivers name but he did a fantastic job getting us safely to our destinations. Would recommend this full day private guided tour.

a truly beautiful experience full of discoveries and very interesting where we had the opportunity to discover a Rio de Janeiro that we did not expect thanks to our guide Sabina who with lightness and professionalism made us spend an intense day always choosing the best with great professionalism and sympathy!! The right way to start living RIO!!!

Ederson was our guide. He was VERY professional and knowledgeable. As we had been to the Christ the Redeemer statute the previous day, we were able to start the tour at the scheduled 9am start time. Saturday was a city holiday and school was not yet back in session. He offered to purchase Sugar Loaf 'fast pass' tickets for us that we would reimburse him for the next day. We accepted. 'Fast Pass' tickets are WELL WORTH the expense for Sugar Loaf just as 'skip the line' tickets are for Christ the Redeemer, which we also used. Ederson offered us two tour options after Sugar Loaf which was first thing in the morning. One was a walking tour of city center which would have been crowded (very hot and humid) and involved a lot of walking because roads were blocked off or a trip to the national park to see the water falls and enjoy lunch at a place were he would eat with his family. The choice was a 'no-brainer'. The national park was very relaxing and much cooler than the city center. We saw other sites as well including the beach where the para-gliders land. The meal was EXACTLY what we were looking for--very local. On our own, we would not have ordered much of what was put before us. We are glad that we let Ederson do the ordering. All the food was EXCELLENT and abundant and by US standards VERY inexpensive. The food was served family-style and we paid for Ederson's lunch. There was so much food leftover that we asked Ederson to take it home to his family which he did.

The best tour guide ever! Angelie took us to the Christ the Redeemer statue, Sugarloaf mountain, and many of the local sites. She is extremely knowledgeable and absolutely delightful.

Monica is a truly amazing guide and very knowledgeable. We highly recommend her and Carioca Tropical

I used to live in Rio and wanted to show specific attractions to my extended family so we decided to book a private customizable tour and really glad we found Carioca Tropical. We were in contact with Gisela and she was kind, patient (answered all my questions), and quick to reply. Victoria, our tour guide met us early and was super flexible as we kept running behind, got split up shopping and had to make several changes to our itinerary throughout the day as we couldn’t get to everything we had originally planned. Victoria is an absolute natural at her job and passionate about her city. We’d definitely book another tour with them on a future visit.

Our guide was fantastic and worked with us to provide the best possible experience that we could desire.

The tour guide Victoria was very knowledgeable and a good communicator. She organised the driver to take us to great sights and made it all very easy and efficient. We told her what we were interested in which she focussed on and made sure we saw, rather than leaving us at a museum that may have been a bit tedious. A highlight was a tour through the Carnivale area seeing the floats being designed and constructed, the amazing costumes, learning the history and seeing the wonderful dancing. It was really great. We got a really varied experience of Rio!!

It’s was a very good tour and well run. We were able to see more than we would have if we tried to do it on our own. Victoria is passionate about here country and it has a positive influence on the tour.

Edisson was a great tour guide and gave us a great overview of the City. He was punctual and spoke great English. Having a guide is great as you can skip some of the lines and gain his knowledge of the city. I would highly recommend.

Great trip with Ederson. He was amazing at getting us to skip the long lines and we were able to get a bunch of Rio sights all in one day. Highly recommend.

We had a fantastic day in Rio with Ederson. He was courteous, knowledgeable, entertaining and flexible … a great tour guide for an exciting city!

The best way to see all of the highlights of Rio de Janeiro. Peter and our driver aka Vin Diesel were amazing! Definitely recommend this tour!!

My wife and I went on a private tour with just us and a guide who drove us around to various sites. He helped us get tickets and move through lines quickly. He also told us a lot about the history of Brazil and certain areas of Rio as we drove through the city. This tour was exceptional and we would highly recommend.

Our favorite experience was our guide Gabriel. He was really efficient in getting us tickets and skipping lines while also being friendly, personable, and knowledgeable. We throughly enjoyed our tour with him. Our driver was excellent as well. Overall, it was just a really great day seeing Rio’s main sights.

This tour was even better than expected! Gabriel, our guide, is amazing! Not only did we show us amazing spots, but he strategically planned the order of the activities to avoid huge crowds.

We had an amazing time with our friendly and very knowledgeable guide…He spoke excellent English and easy to communicate with. We visited all the places we wanted to go and more!The driver was also very polite…. Simply put we think Gabriel was an excellent guide….

Vincente was an excellent guide, packed loads into our two half days with him. Brilliant at ensuring we got ahead of any queues. Vicente was extremely knowledgeable, was very upbeat with a great sense of humour. Would thoroughly recommend a personal guided tour with Vincente if you want to make the best of a short time in Rio.

I had wanted to go to Rio for many years so already had high expectations but our tour guide Thomas Vincent created an experience that exceeded all our expectations. His knowledge of the city, insights into the history and culture of Rio, and willingness to show us what we most wanted to see were phenomenal. I provided a list of things I most most wanted to see in order of their importance and he met each one effortlessly and with enthusiasm. Days later, I’m still amazed at not only his expertise but at his extreme like ability. Wish he lived in America so we could remain friends.

Eddy showed us all the highlights of this beautiful city. He took us all over the city and to Sugarloaf and Santa Theresa and lots of other interesting spots. The weather wasn't great - it was too foggy to see Christ the Redeemer so he took us to the loveliest spot, high above Rio - Mirante Dona Marta. The views were incredible and we made it to Christ the Redeemer a few days later. Thanks for an amazing day, Eddy!

Our tour guide was Victoria and she understood the assignment! She was on time and had amazing energy. She provided us with a private experience that left us wanting to do it all over again! She is fluent in English German Portuguese and Spanish! She was engaging up to the very end and provided relevant information throughout the tour! I encourage everyone to consider doing a farmer’s market tour. It was different and was an opportunity to engage with locals and try fruits and vegetables you’ve never seen. If your tour isn’t with Victoria…is it really worth it?? We love you Victoria!!! Anthony & Terrence

Carioca Tropical Tours provided a fabulous full day private tour of Rio de Janeiro for me. Although Gisela was nominally the driver and Victoria the guide, they were both able to provide interesting facts and anecdotes, and to ensure that I was well informed about everything that I was seeing. They were also very capable of answering my sometimes very random questions! I felt almost that I was being shown around Rio by a couple of friends, rather than by a tour company. Great value for money.

Vincente was an absolute gem! Knowledgeable, personable and a joy to be with. He took us on a journey to some of the lesser traveled locations providing a great view and sense of the city. He augmented the views with historical commentary on Brazil and Rio. Great time!

We booked this private tour for four people through Marriott Bonvoy Experiences before we left the USA. I originally booked the wrong date, so canceled and rebooked immediately for the correct date. I had a confirmation and was charged at that time. When we got to Rio, due to the change in date, the company did not send a guide at our scheduled time. However, once they figured out what happened, the owner, Ephraim, jumped into action and got Victoria scheduled on her day off to take us on our tour. We left about an hour later than we were supposed to, but we did not miss anything. Victoria was delightful and so willing to make our day special. Her knowledge of the area and of the history of Brazil was amazing. And she had such pride and passion in her job and where she lived- it was infectious! We toured Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf and had lunch at a true Brazilian steakhouse. We were so tired after this that we ended our tour but Victoria would have kept going if we had wanted to. We would totally recommend this company and Victoria!

I had an amazing private tour with Vincent. He picked me up at the hotel on time and was very knowledgeable about the country. His expertise was evident as he provided historical context of each sight and recommendation for the best picture. Vincent is also an AMAZING photographer! I came back with the best memories that would last a lifetime and Vincent is an amazing guide for solo traveler. This was absolutely the best way to see Rio and would recommend 110%

Our guide was awesome from start to finish. Very knowledgeable about the history of Brazil. My daughter has issues with her mobility and our guide made it a NONE issue. Friendly, kind, accommodating, funny, personable. Would give him 10 stars if i could

Sergio was an Top Gide for the Tour. Inclusive Rio Untergrund Train and Ferris Wheel. We hat a Lot of Fun. Exzellent.

We had the pleasure of having Sergio lead us on a tour of Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain. From the very beginning, his expertise and enthusiasm were evident. As we drove to each location he pointed us the wonderful sights of Rio and provided history and context of what we were seeing. This was the absolute best way to see these beautiful landmarks of Rio! Would definitely recommend- 10/10!!

We took a full day private tour of Rio and Sergio was our guide. It was a phenomenal tour and he did an excellent job. We could not have asked for a nicer and more knowledgeable guide. He adjusted the tour based on our preferences. We saw all the major attractions and had a nice lunch. Everything was flawless and we had an excellent time. We highly recommend Sergio and this tour.

We really lucked into a great vendor in Efraim, and his go-to tour team of Flavio (great driver) and Katia (great tour guide)! It was effortless via Viator, and Efraim's communication, suggestions and coordination were flawless. Efraim and Katia did an excellent job of merging our "wish-list" compilation with the "don't miss" venues. Katia was superb: punctual, considerate, effusive, and a pleasure to spend time with. My wife and I loved all the walking, nature, neighborhoods, architecture, vistas, cool sights, museums, and cultural highlights that Rio is famous for! Thanks to Katia, we had the most complete experience possible. By the way, we were coming off a cruise and our one need was to have our luggage accompany us (safe/securely) throughout the day until airport drop-off at the end. Thank you, Efraim, Katia, and Flavio, for delivering a great private tour at our pace and insuring that we had nothing but a great time. Can't wait to return to do more with you! Cheers! Scott & Shani

Our thanks to Luciana and driver Roberto for a great informative day. All expected attractions visited and long queues skipped thanks to Luciana’s knowledge of each one. Highly recommended.

Our guide, Victoria, was wonderful. (Driver too). She was very friendly and knowledgeable. Saw Christ, the Redeemer, Sugar Loaf, cathedral, the steps.... and more. She arranged everything so well that we had minimal waits at any attraction. We were exceptionally pleased with this tour.

What a great tour!!! Sandra was our guide. Even though it was cloudy and rainy we had a great experience. Saw all the major landmarks and got a real taste of Carioca life in Rio. Would strongly recommend this tour.

We had an excellent day! Our guide, Sergio, was on time, very friendly and knowledgeable and a pleasure to spend the day with. He knew the city very well, and was full of stories, and while always on hand he also gave us time on our own. The mini bus was sparkling clean, and waiting for us whenever we decided to leave an attraction. Our driver, Lionel, was also friendly and seemed a very professional driver. Worth every penny and would 100% use again. In their office Juliana was great, making great suggestions ahead of our holiday. If you have children the Carnival Experience is a great choice!

We had the best time with our tour guide Bruno! At first we were going to book a regular all day tour with everyone but in the last minute we decided to pay a couple extra bucks for a private tour all day and driver. I’m soooo glad we did it! We customized our pick up time and were picked up, and due to the rainy day we were able to customize our whole day based on the weather. Bruno even took us to his favorite beach sport since we were good on time. We had a great time, Bruno was awesome!

We had Vicente as our guide, very likable guy. Honestly i didnt know what to expect but was very satisfied with the tour; we went to Pao de Azucar, Cristo redentor; Sambodromo and other small attractions that would have left out of my list completely if it wasnt by Vincent and his team. The food suggestions we very delicious and affordable; this is a high priority in my list. Picking up was on time and we found options to visit Cristo redentor even if it was cloudy; so all and all 10/10. Rio is a lovely city and this tour made it even more attractive. Go for it. Highly recommended.

Our full-day tour of Rio de Janeiro was truly a once in a lifetime experience! Our tour guide, Kiko, was unbelievable. He was extremely knowledgeable, polite, and attentive to our interests and needs. Before our tour, we gave Carioca Tropical a list of attractions that we wanted to see. Kiko and our driver planned the best route to view all of the attractions, and they suggested several additional local and touristic sites along the way. The tour exceeded our expectations, and we would suggest this tour to anyone that is planning to visit Rio.

Sergio was an excellent tour guide and showed us all the tourist sites with a smile. It was New Year's Eve and nobody wants to work in Brazil, but he was amazing. This private tour was the best way to see all the sites in one day with a very knowledgeable tour guide.

We had 5 days in Rio where we spent the NYE during our South-American trip and sought for a private tour to visit the top sights efficiently and comfortably. We picked Carioca Tropical based on tripadvisor reviews where they received good reviews. It was a perfect choice! Our tour guide, Bruno and our driver were very nice. They arrived on time to our hotel, and we headed to the first attraction early, ahead of the curve. Bruno is a well prepared and knowledgeable Rio-enthusiast who helped us skip the line where possible. Besides introducing Rio’s top attractions, he also shared the bits and pieces of local life... The tour was beyond expectations, thanks to Bruno!

We took a tour of Rio with Carioca Tropical Tours last week, with a small group of friends and had a great time seeing the sites of Rio. Our guide Leonardo and driver Ricardo we great. Leonardo has a fantastic knowledge of the history of Rio and was a friendly and patience guide as we toured famous sites like Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf Mountain, plus lessor known sites like Parque Lage and the panels down by the harbour. It was great to see all parts of Rio during the tour and to learn a lot about the history of the city. I'd highly recommend these guys if you're considering a small group tour of Rio.