Cidade do Samba Behind-the-Scenes Carnival Tour in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Get a glimpse behind the scenes of Carnival during this tour of Cidade do Samba. On this outing, follow your guide on a tour of the Acadêmicos do Grande Rio's warehouse, one of Rio's top samba schools, where they store their outrageous costumes and grandiose parade floats. Toast to your insider's experience with a traditional caipirinha while you learn about the history and culture of the Carnival in Brazil. Brave visitors can even try on a few feathered costumes. Round-trip transportation from central Rio hotels is included.

3.5-hour warehouse tour of Cidade do Samba
Explore the floats and costumes of Acadêmicos do Grande Rio, one of Carnival’s top samba schools
Try on Carnival costumes, and drink a caipirinha
Learn about the history of Carnival and Rio's samba schools
Pickup and drop-off from most Rio de Janeiro hotels included

What's Included

Professional guide
One caipirinha drink
Hotel pickup and drop-off to most South South Zone hotels in Rio
Guided Visit to Grande Rio’s Warehouse

Gratuities
Food

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

* Roundtrip transfer to/from most hotels located in Sao Conrado, Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon * Please wait for your guide in the hotel lobby of your selected hotel. If your hotel is not listed, contact us so we can inform you the closest pick up location and time.

Operating hours
.2:00 pm

Itinerary

Following pickup at your Rio hotel, board your comfortable vehicle for the ride to the neighborhood of Gamboa, where Rio's samba scene was born. This warehouse complex holds the elaborate props, costumes, and floats for all of the city's top samba schools, which are broken out once a year for Carnival.

Walk through the Cidade do Samba with your local guide and learn about the history, culture and traditions of Carnival. Get an insider's perspective on the parade and samba competition in the Sambadromo while you walk through G.R.E.S. Acadêmicos do Grande Rio's backstage area to see their preparations in progress.

Check out the racks bursting with over-the-top costumes. Learn about the stories and legends underlying the pageantry as your guide explains Carnival’s pagan origins that began in ancient Greece, continued through the European Middles Ages in Europe and arrival in Brazil with Portuguese colonization.

Sip a caipirinha, Brazil's national drink, which might give you the courage and to try on one of the outrageous costumes before heading back to your hotel for drop-off.

Cidade Do Samba

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
It is recommended that you wear comfortable clothes and shoes
Not wheelchair accessible

Minimum age to drink alcohol is 18 years
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Reviews

3.8

based on 5 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

The dedication each...

James_L, Jun 2023

The dedication each school put towards the carnival each year to make it spectacular. Also the warehouse had many great designs!

Experiencing part of the Carnaval atmosphere

Shelley_R, Mar 2020

We enjoyed the experience and the girls had a lot of fun dancing, and trying on the costume. We did have some problems with pick-up on time and the bus broke down delaying our return. Our guide was friendly, energetic and knowledgeable. I would have liked to look at the floats a little more though.