Top Rio de Janeiro Half-day Tours - page 2

Day well spent visiting the best spots in Rio with lunch at a Brazilian steakhouse in Ipanema. We were a small group of 11 only and had a pleasant experience hitting all the top Rio sights in a day. Our tour guide, Peter, was very organized, knowledgeable and personable. Our driver, Wendell, did a good job getting us to the many stops efficiently and safely. Highly recommend this full-day tour!

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.

Roman our guide from Gregtur was terrific! He took us on a 6 hour tour of Rio De Janeiro that lasted 8 hours and we saw Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf both of which were Spectacular as well as a huge modern Catholic cathedral and the Opera district. We Had a great lunch in the upper cable car station at Sugar Loaf. Roman sped our way Thru long lines by utilizing priority lines and they had us buy our event tickets the day before. Adriana was our driver and she expertly bobbed and Weaved thru the heavy Rio traffic. Very nice And knowledgeable people and they dropped Us off at the International Airport and picked Us up at Our Cruise ship at 8:30

Unfortunately, because it was the Tuesday of Carnaval we did not get to go to the Santa Teresa Neighbourhood or the Selaron steps. I did not see that when I booked the tour. They apologize because they could not go because of all of the traffic and different parades going on that day. I wish I had known that I would’ve booked it for the day after. Otherwise, Christ, the redeemer was a must see. Wonderful tour guide.

We spent a fabulous day with Fernanda in Rio. She advised an earlier than normal pickup time (6:20am) to beat crowds and to avoid some of the planned heat of the day. That was a great call. It got us to a viewpoint overlooking the City and Christ the Redeemer early with no crowds, and to the Christ the Redeemer itself right when it opened. It was still crowded but far less so than it would have been even 30 minutes later. That did mean we drove up the hill rather than taking the train, so if you have your heart set on the train, this may not be the best option (but driving up got us the first lookout, which you'd miss if taking the train). From there, we explored much of the City, including the Selaron Steps, the Cathedral, Library, and the Maracanã (football/soccer stadium), among others. We intentionally skipped Sugarloaf Mountain, knowing we could do it on our own another day, which left time to tour Maracanã (a great experience if you are a fan), and otherwise have a more leisurely afternoon. We also stopped for a quick breakfast at a tiny "hole in the wall" place that we never would have entered on our own, and enjoyed a fabulous Brazilian barbecue overlooking the water. Fernanda and her driver (whose name I unfortunately cannot remember) were a joy to be around, and you could tell Fernanda loved her job and her city, which made all the difference. I highly recommend booking this tour, and if you're lucky enough to get Fernanda, make sure you tell her your priorities in advance, so she can customize the itinerary for you. Skipping Sugarloaf was a great decision for us, and made the day much more enjoyable. And we got up the next morning and went up Sugarloaf on the first or second cable car of the day and enjoyed the place almost to ourselves for 30 minutes. We highly recommend this option if you have another morning to do Sugarloaf on your own.

The city tour was an amazing experience. The itinerary was well planned, and we were able to visit all the major landmarks without feeling rushed. The tour guide was professional, informative, and very helpful throughout the journey. Transportation was comfortable and the overall experience was smooth and enjoyable. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting the city for the first time.

Our guide Meilin was very nice and informative. The Favela tour is a must for anyone who has never done it and it is safe (some are not). Gives you a good perspective of what life in the Favelas is about and also gets rid of some preconceived myths. Highly recommended. Be warned - LOTS of stairs to climb though!

This was a great experience with a great group trekking through Laos with bottles of cachaça and drink discounts at various bars! The live music was amazing and it’s not likely that I would’ve gone to these places without someone who knew what they were doing there to guide me! Highly recommend!