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Rio’s Best_Corcovado, Sugar Loaf, Selaron, Cathedral and more

Recommended by 96% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • 8 to 9 hours (approx.)
  • Pickup offered
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.8
·
· Nicolas_B ·
Sep 2025
Wonderful experience, well organized, the tour guide Lucia was of great knowledge. As a first timer in Rio, this was much appreciated to have such great explanations about the city
· Melicia_M ·
Nov 2025
I enjoyed this whole experience my tour guide was Sabina and she was awesome and I can tell she loves what she does, these places are very popular spots so please note they get crowded fast with many visitors from all around the world I am just happy I finally got to see the beauty of these main destination spots.

Overview

Get an overview of Rio's most important sights during this full-day tour. Travel through the Tijuca Forest to see the Christ the Redeemer statue. Take the cable car from Urca up to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain, before visiting downtown highlgihts such as Maracanã (outside only), the Sambadrome area, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Sao Bento Monastery and Selarón Stairs. Round-trip transport from selected hotels in Rio is included, and you can opt to include admission tickets and lunch.
  • Visit Rio's must-see attractions in one fun-filled day
  • Travel between the Marvelous City's top sights with ease
  • Upgrade to include admission tickets and lunch at a BBQ restaruant
  • Navigate the city with ease in the hands of a tour guide

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

This early-morning tour heads straight to Christ the Redeemer to bag those rare, crowd-free photos.

What's Included

  • Hotel pick-up and drop-off in selected hotels in Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon
  • Multilingual and licensed Tour Guide
  • Admission Ticket to Christ the Redeemer (only if chosen the option with tickets and lunch included)
  • Barbecue buffet lunch at Steakhouse (only if chosen the option with tickets and lunch included)
  • Day tour guided tour through the city
  • Admission ticket to Sugar Loaf Complex (only if chosen the option with tickets and lunch included)
  • Gratuites
  • Drinks and dessert (available to purchase during lunch)
  • Admission ticket and Lunch are excluded if not chosen the option with them included

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

- Pickup starts 30min before the tour, at 7:00am, and goes till 7:30am. - Each hotel have a specific timing according to the it's location. Please contact us for the exact time. - Important: for operational reasons our pickup happens only in selected hotels in the neighborhood of Copacabana, Leme, Ipanema and Leblon. If your hotel is not in the list, also please contact us so we will help you finding the nearest pick-up point. - We don't pick-up at the Sea Port / Cruise Terminal. If you need to be picked up there please check our special tour "Exclusive Full Day in Rio - Pickup at the Sea Port Terminal"

or

Meeting point

  • Hilton Rio de Janeiro Copacabana
    Av. Atlântica, 1020 - Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22010-000, Brazil

    Pickup at Hilton will be 7:30am. Please advise if you are planning to meet us there so we can organize our pickup schedule.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.7:30 am

Itinerary

Copacabana Beach (Pass By)

1

Mirante Dona Marta

25 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Parque Nacional da Tijuca (Pass By)

2

Corcovado - Christ the Redeemer

45 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

3

Sugarloaf Mountain

30 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

4

Morro da Urca

15 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

5

Maracanã

5 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

6

Sambodromo da Marques de Sapucai

5 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

7

Escadaria Selaron

25 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Arcos da Lapa (Pass By)

8

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian

20 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

9

Mosteiro De Sao Bento

20 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Praia do Leblon (Pass By)

Ipanema Beach (Pass By)

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Pick-up and Drop-off from selected hotels in Leme, Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon.
  • This tour will operate in any weather
  • IMPORTANT: Please be aware that during Carnival period this tour may need to be adapted and the itinerary may be changed in the last minute. We assure that the visit to the Christ the Redeemer Statue and to the Sugar Loaf Complex won’t be affected but due to traffic issues and streets closed around the city, some places may be excluded from visitation during the afternoon part of the tour.
  • The itinerary of the tour may be adapted and changed during the day because of traffic or other operational reasons.
  • This tour needs a minimum amount of people to operate. We may need to cancel or reeschedule.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 19 travelers

Frequently Asked Question (1)

Q:What is the pick up location?

A:We offer pick ups from most hotels. Let us know where you are staying in the 'Special Requirements' box in the Traveler Details section during checkout. Or you can let us know after booking by visiting 'Manage my Booking' and emailing us there.

Jul 2019

The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.8
based on 898 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Awesome Way to See Rio’s Highlights in One Day

Erin_S, Jan 2026
I booked this tour not knowing that some people were only doing the morning and some only doing the afternoon. It turned out that we were the only ones doing the fully day (and thus were on our own at lunch). We were only in Rio for one day, and this turned out to be a fantastic way to see the highlights in one jam-packed day! My husband and I were lucky to be the last ones into the van, which meant we got to sit up front with the driver. We had amazing views as we were driving! We started out at Christ the Redeemer before heading to Sugarloaf. After that, we dropped off anyone who was only doing the morning. For lunch, we went to an all-you-can-eat Brazilian steakhouse. I’m vegetarian so it was a little lost on me, but the salad bar was still quite good and my husband enjoyed all the meat! In the afternoon, we headed downtown to Cinelandia Square, the Selaron Steps, Metropolitan Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro, and the Mosteiro de São Bento. We also drove past the Sambadrome and Lapa Arches. I really enjoyed seeing this side of Rio, which I think a lot of tourists don’t see in comparison to what we’d seen in the morning. Our guide Monica was great. She was energetic, informative, and played photographer all day for all the groups of people on our tour. Our driver was also safe.

Well done.

ShaMar_S, Dec 2025
Our tour guide was so lovely and she’s so knowledgeable! I can’t remember her name but she has gray hair and was super kind!

I enjoyed this whole...

Melicia_M, Nov 2025
I enjoyed this whole experience my tour guide was Sabina and she was awesome and I can tell she loves what she does, these places are very popular spots so please note they get crowded fast with many visitors from all around the world I am just happy I finally got to see the beauty of these main destination spots.

Super overview of key sites, wonderful guide & a fantastic lunch. Do the full day!

Rachel_L, Oct 2025
A fabulous day! We are usually independent travellers who don't do guided tours but with limited time this was a great option, allowing us to be taken to the key sights without queuing or travel hassle. Sabina was an excellent guide. She is Italian, with excellent English. She gave interesting information & stories - never too much - & was very attentive to the group's wishes. We saw Christ the Redeemer with clear views, then Sugarloaf. Nothing felt rushed, & all was very clear about times to wander & when to meet up again. The Brazilian BBQ lunch was fabulous! Plentiful delicious meats on skewers brought to your table. A huge salad bar too. Wines were good & well priced. In the afternoon we did highlights of the city, & Sabina gave us much longer than planned, I think. 2 other people stayed on for the afternoon as it was such a good morning, which is a tribute to Sabina & the driver. The outside of Maracana Stadium was fun for the football fans. The Sambadrome made more sense when Sabina showed us a video on her phone of what it's like in Carnival time - thank you! I/we loved the contrasts of San Bento Monastery Chapel (beautiful, 18C,elaborate) then the Metropolitan Cathedral (60s modernist style but amazing stained glass inside). Finally the Selaron steps were fun, with everyone posing on them. Such a quirky evolving art-project. The tour gave such contrasts of this huge city. It helped us then self-guide for our next 2 days, & to really appreciate views back on places we had visited. A very good value tour & so well organised. Thank you!

Amazing beauty of Rio

Bharat_G, Oct 2025
Victoria was courteous, knowledgeable, and efficient at controlling time. She is great with her knowledge , we enjoyed the company.

Wonderful experience

Nicolas_B, Sep 2025
Wonderful experience, well organized, the tour guide Lucia was of great knowledge. As a first timer in Rio, this was much appreciated to have such great explanations about the city

Great full-day tour of Rio de Janeiro

John_W, Sep 2025
Great way to see lots of Rio de Janeiro in a full day tour. Prompt, safe and clean transportation services, with excellent tour guides.

Wonderful

Neelam_S, Jun 2025
The tour was good with a very friendly Guide. It covers Christ the redeemer, Sugarloaf and painted steps along with two beautiful churches. It covered beaches to mountains, history to culture, neighbourhoods to Sambha, everything.

This tour was an awesome...

Georsadd_G, Apr 2025
This tour was an awesome way to kick off my first time in Rio — we got to see all the main sights as promised!

Excellent tour!

AnnGrace_M, Apr 2025
This was a perfect tour for a first-time visitor in Rio. We had a full day, seeing almost all the major sights, and our tour guide Heraclito was awesome! So professional, kind and knowledgeable. It was a lot of fun and a beautiful introduction to the “wonderful city” by a local. Obrigado for the tour!

See all the sights in just one tour

Pamela_H, Mar 2025
We were picked up at the hotel on time and felt very safe and comfortable the entire day. We saw everything that was described.

My partner and I both...

Nancy_W, Jan 2025
My partner and I both very enjoyed this tour with Meilin as our guide. She was both very knowledgeable and passionate about her city. Though it was peak tourist season, we did not have to queue for very long at each of the stops. It was a very well organised tour!

Best way to see Rio in a day!

Kim_B, Jan 2025
Rio is a very crowded place and our tour guide, Lucia was very efficient at getting us to the front of the long lines and into the attractions quickly. There is no way you can see so much in one day on your own. Our bus driver was always right there to pick us up and get us to the next venue. Lucia spoke excellent English and was very informative, friendly and professional. We learned so much history. It was a great day!

Great one day itinerary

Trung_H, Jan 2025
It was a great way to see all the highlights of Rio all in one (long) day!!! So be ready for that. There was ample time to take breaks and relax at the different sights so things were not totally rushed. It was good that the group size was relatively small too. Be aware that things get super crowded too, especially during holidays in high season.

Victoria was very...

Karen_J, Dec 2024
Victoria was very informative, made sure everyone knew meeting times and meeting spots, knows the history of the city and the highlights of Rio.

Excellent

Andreea_A, Nov 2024
Excellent, excellent tour!!! Kiki was the best tour guide ever!!! Very, very informative!!! Answered to all the questions in a very knowledgeable way!! I would recommend the tour to anyone that wants to find out the most important information about Rio de Janeiro. We loved it!!

Fantastic!

Nicholas_S, Oct 2024
My tour guide Victoria was awesome! Friendly, funny and made the tour worth it. Lunch was delicious too! Would definitely recommend to anyone new to Rio

Fantastic tour!

Jessica_S, Sep 2024
This tour was very well organised and allowed us to feel safe throughout. Kiko - our tour guide- was lovely and went above and beyond to make sure we saw the highlights of Rio. He was very approachable and had fantastic knowledge of his country. Would highly recommend him and this tour for solo travellers, who are looking for a safe way to explore Rio.

Rio in a nutshell

VandaLucia_B, Aug 2024
Amazing Tour! Leave the driving to the Pros, as it covers most iconic landmarks. Must include on your itinerary whilst in Rio de Janeiro.

All the must-see in one day

eligiocozzoli, Jul 2024
Very well organized tour with Carioca Tropical tour operator. Punctual from the beginning to the end, Heraclito was a pleasant tour guide. The ideal tour to visit the must-see of Rio in one day.

Reliable and fun day spent

soniamittal, Jun 2024
Absolutely worth it and a wonderful day spent! Victoria and Arturo were so nice and made the day go by easy. Everything was on time and reliable!

Rio in one day

Ninotchka_D, May 2024
This is my first time in Brazil and I can say I have seen the most important things in one day. The tour guide and driver were very professional and friendly.

Rio de Janeiro City Tour

Robert_L, Apr 2024
Peter was a great guide, knowledgeable and interesting. He was able to get us through all of the attractions with no problems (Christ the Redeemer and Sugal Loaf Mountain in particular). The luncheon in Ipanema was really good. The tour picked us up at our hotel and returned us there, saving us the risk of getting lost in an unfamiliar city.

Good

Willian_G, Apr 2024
Mônica was very knowledgeable and careful with all the group. The lunch was in a very nice churrascaria and we got to see enough to have an ideia about how big the city is and how much is going on.

A tour not to be missed!

David_B, Apr 2024
An excellent tour packed with highlights. It started with Christ the Redeemer followed by Sugar Loaf mountain then an excellent lunch. This was followed by the city sites including the Lapa Aqueduct and the Seleron Steps. Our guide, Victoria, was fantastic.

Excellent tour!

Julie_G, Apr 2024
This was an excellent tour and well worth the price. The tour was well organised and covered the main sights. We had a good amount of time at each sight and our guide Victoria was amazing! She was pleasant, friendly and very knowledgeable. Our pick up and drop off were efficient and the lunch was excellent too. I would fully recommend this tour to anyone visiting Rio de Janeiro.

A tour hard to beat!

Joyce_D, Mar 2024
All very good. Guide was great. Luncheon was great. Stops were long enough and were well chosen. Van was convenient and the driver was careful and considerate.

Excellent Full Day Tour of Rio

adhitiya, Feb 2024
We did this tour on 20 February and would highly recommend it to everyone visiting Rio. It covered the city's most important sights just as described in the tour overview on this website. We were picked up in front of our hotel in Copacabana area at 7:20 am and were dropped back around 4:30 pm. Our guide Meilin was very kind, friendly and helpful throughout the tour. Not only she explained the history of the city and all the places we visited in great details in fluent English (she speaks other languages fluently as well), she also frequently offered to take pictures of me and my wife at the different sites, which we appreciated a lot. Thank you Meilin! It was a truly unforgettable experience for both of us.

Great tour, would highly...

Danielle_W, Feb 2024
Great tour, would highly recommend. Did this tour our first day in Rio and covered a lot of ground. Our guide was great and explained loads of info every step of the way!

Above and Beyond

Gabe_M, Feb 2024
We were scheduled for this day-long trip, and my wife had severely twisted her ankle 2 days earlier at GIG airport, so we weren't sure whether to go through with it or not. However, I'm glad we did --- our guide, Kitko, was empathetic and also an excellent guide. Then, during the tour, to complicate things, my wife felt faint (between the heat and her slow, painful limp), during our walk up to Christ the Redeemer. Kitko immediately got her help (a staff nurse from the park assisted her in getting to an air-conditioned office, where she rested and rehydrated. ) We delayed our entire group's schedule, but Kitko never made us feel like we were a problem. A great guy, he juggled the rest of the group and us, and the day went as well as it possibly could, under the circumstances! We've used Viator a lot, and will absolutely continue to do so, with an experience like this!

From $109.50

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