Private Custom Full-Day Highlights in Rio: Only the Best Sights!

Recommended by 97% of travelers

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Popular pick

Booked 10+ times last week!

8 to 9 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9

· Cqh_c ·

Mar 2026

wonderful drivervRomelo with terrific guide Fabina they make a great team very knowledgeable and you can adjust locations you would like to see. they were a five star team

· KEITH_M ·

Jan 2026

Really nice private tour with Fernando. Visited Sugarloaf, the Steps, the Cathedral and Christ the Redeemer. Ferando came up with us to Sugarloaf and Christ the Redeemer which was unexpected and extremely helpful including taking some great pictures. Would highly recommend a private tour with Fernando.

Overview

Enjoy a flexible, fully customized way to experience Rio de Janeiro—and opt to visit the sights that interest you most—on this private, full-day sightseeing tour. Traveling aboard a private vehicle makes getting around seamless. Choose to stop at major landmarks including Christ the Redeemer, Sugar Loaf Mountain, and the Selaron Steps (admission tickets own expense). You can also explore the historic city center, visit Tijuca Forest, or discover bohemian Santa Teresa.

This Rio de Janeiro tour is great for first-time or time-pressed travelers
Explore only the sights that you're most interested in on this private tour
Convenient round-trip transportation means no transit worries
Learn insider facts and stories from your guide along the way

What's Included

Tours with driver-guide: Fully guided only WHEN the guide finds parking.
Tours with separate driver and guide: Undivided attention and absolute comfort.
The tour duration is 8 hours without lunch, or 9 hours with lunch.
The 6 places listed will not be done together, you need to choose the focus art, nature or history
IN CASE OF LAST MINUTE BOOKINGS PLEASE GIVE US A CALL :)
We'll advise you on the best kind of tickets to purchase!
Pick-up and drop-off anywhere in the city of Rio!

Lunch

Lunch is optional. Price may vary from 50 to 280 BRL per person.
Entrance tickets

R$423.00 per person

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

• We are a VIP oriented private tour company. Booking tours that don´t include tickets is the only way to ensure a perfect experience, since the tours sold with tickets included are NOT skip the line!! • It´s important that you read the voucher info after booking as we give instructions on how to purchase the tickets. Please note that tickets for the high season will not be sold until the season starts. • Hotels: We pick up at all hotels in Rio (including Barra da Tijuca), national and international airports (included). Your guide will wait for you in the hotel lobby. • Port/airport: Your guide will have a sign with your name at disembarkment, near the main gate. •If you would like to change the date or pick-up time, please make an ammendment or send us a message. •At the beginning of the tour, please tell your guide your choice for art, history or nature focus. • Unfortunately we are not able to change the pick-up time on the DAY of the tour. This period of waiting will be missed out from the tour. Thank you for your understanding. • We will not pick up travelers inside the slums (favelas/communities.)

Itinerary

Begin your private tour of Rio with pickup at your accommodation, the airport, or the cruise terminal.

The itinerary is up to you, and admission tickets are at your own expense, so you can choose to explore only the sights that interest you most. Opt to visit Christ the Redeemer, which you reach by a train ride through Tijuca National Forest, one of the largest urban forests worldwide.

You can also visit the colorful Selaron Steps, or summit Sugar Loaf Mountain via cable car. Along your journey, get personalized attention from your private guide (if option selected) and plenty of opportunities to ask questions.

After a stop to purchase lunch at a local restaurant (optional; own expense), your afternoon itinerary is further customized to suit your preferences. Choose to head to the historic city center to visit Rio's striking Metropolitan Cathedral and Cinelândia, explore the picturesque streets of the bohemian Santa Teresa neighborhood, or spend time in nature.

Your full-day private tour of Rio ends with convenient drop-off at your accommodation, the airport, or the cruise terminal.

Rio de Janeiro (Pass By)

Corcovado - Christ the Redeemer

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Escadaria Selaron

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Sugarloaf Mountain

3 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Cinelandia

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Pepino Beach

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Cascatinha Taunay

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Santa Teresa

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Kobra "Etnias" Mural

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Infant seats available
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate

Special restaurants are available: gluten-free, vegan, halal, kosher, please advise.
Small pets are allowed .
Wheelchair accessible vans may be provided. Please choose the "van" option at the time of booking.
Infant car seats are available. Please advise as a "special request."
A small amount of walking is involved. Sights are wheelchair accessible.
Please read our voucher for important information before the tour starts.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

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)

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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

4.9

based on 761 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Fabulous tour guide!

Nina_H, Mar 2026

Our Driver Fernando was fantastic! The company had told us to get Skip the line tickets for Christ the Redeemer and the Sugarloaf Mountain tour and boy was that worth it! He stayed with us through all of our tours of both locations, and brought us to a wonderful restaurant in Rio, and then took us to the Steps and some other fantastic neighborhoods. He was courteous, interesting, passionate about the city, and fun! A wonderful day in Rio thanks to Fernando!

Beautiful Introduction to Rio

Carol_C, Mar 2026

We spent the day with Gustavo from Viator, who “hosted” our entire first day in Rio very well. It took a long time to get through the lines on the way to Christ the Redeemer but Gustavo shaved at least an hour from the wait time by negotiating “standing room” seats on the train to the top, which was pretty brilliant. We then drove to Copacabana beach which was gorgeous and to a very local vendor to buy tee shirts for the grandkids (great deal!). Gustavo took us to lunch at a local restaurant in Santa Theresa (Armazem San Joaquim) with a marvelous Samba musician. We wrapped up the day with a tour of the Metropolitan Cathedral. It was a wonderful start to our Rio experience!

Good whole day option if you’re short of time

Miryam_K, Mar 2026

Very nice whole day tour with the guide - Bianca. Very kind and easy going guide. The tour takes you to the most important highlights of Rio and I would recommend it if you have little time and want to make the most out of it. I recommend to book a tour with separate guide and driver since parking might be a problem and you don’t wanna waste time looking for parking. Very enjoyable tour. Thank you, Bianca!

A must for the best tour of Rio

Olive_H, Mar 2026

Our guide Beth Banho cobtacted us by WhatsApp us the day before to make arrangements, as we had to be back on our cruise ship it was imperative we had a guide that wouldn't let us down, and Beth exceeded our expecting with the short time we had, showing us some interesting parts of Rio, and tea and coffee at an amazing bakery in Ipanema. She was on time to pick us up at 7am from Port and contacted us to let us know she was on way. After the tour she got us back in time so we didn't have to worry about missing our ship, was a relaxing and fun tour. With a very knowledge and friendly guide.

A great way to see the...

John_J, Mar 2026

A great way to see the sights of a very busy city. Carlos made some excellent suggestions to view the highlights.

Great day in Rio

peter_r, Mar 2026

Gustavo was a great guide. He asked about our interests, made some suggestions and delivered a great experience. Alejandro was our driver and was helpful, responsive and fun to work with.

It is a long day but so...

Susan_Y, Mar 2026

It is a long day but so worth it!! Be sure to book the fast track tickets because it makes all the difference Our guide Fred was AMAZING! He shared details about the city and each site we visited. We would absolutely recommend him!!

Just a fabulous experience

Cqh_c, Mar 2026

wonderful drivervRomelo with terrific guide Fabina they make a great team very knowledgeable and you can adjust locations you would like to see. they were a five star team

Very scenic trip. Carlos...

craig_p, Mar 2026

Very scenic trip. Carlos took us to a lot of overlook sites off the beaten path. He was very flexible regarding the itinerary.

Magnificent Sights in Rio

Richard_A, Mar 2026

Fernando took us to Sugarloaf and Christ the Redeemer. It was a weekend and so there were large crowds. Instead of continuing the tour we asked him to take us to a good licsl restaurant. We all enjoyed typical Brazilian food. It was a great day.

Great city tour.

Amanda_H, Feb 2026

Great tour showing all the city highlights. Benny was our guide for the day, he arrived on time in a clean well presented car, spoke exceptionally good English and was very knowledgeable. Highly recommended.

Fantastic day in Rio!

Steven_D, Feb 2026

Diogo and our driver Carlos provided a fantastic day! Diogo was brilliant, very knowledgeable and we never waited in line once. Highly recommend!

Best trip

Karmel_H, Feb 2026

One of the best experiences so far. Daniel is a great competitive and kind guide who will answer all your questions and meet all your expectations to make the trip exceptional. Best regards to the driver as well who shared the good moments and was smiling all the time. Highly recommend if you wanna have a private “drive through” the highlights of Rio. Thank you again and till next time and remember :” Beterraba” 😄

Excellent Rio de Janeiro tour

Patricia_B, Feb 2026

Issac a fantastic job and also the driver. Due to ship arrival and delay times, we waited patiently for us and we saw everything we wanted to in Rio. He is excellent in English and history and made the excursion a lot of fun. Isaac totally went above and beyond.

Carnival in Rio!

Debbie_S, Feb 2026

Igor was our fabulous guide in Rio! His communication was outstanding from the very beginning. He reached out several days before our tour to learn about our interests and thoughtfully created a personalized plan for the day. Our cruise ship ended up arriving three hours late, but Igor was patiently waiting for us when we were finally able to disembark — which immediately put us at ease. We arrived in Rio on the Saturday of Carnival, and Igor did an excellent job explaining what was happening throughout the city and what we would be seeing. Despite the festive chaos, he navigated the streets effortlessly, pointing out landmarks and sharing fascinating insights along the way. A special shoutout to Johnnie, our driver — I truly don’t know how he managed the traffic! Between the cars, motorbikes, and pedestrians, it was incredibly busy, yet he handled it with impressive skill and professionalism. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Rio. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish!

Exceptional Rio City tour

SANJAY_M, Feb 2026

Amazing tour of Rio city. Our guide - Fernando spoke very good English, was very experienced, and took us to the right spots in the city. Highlight of our tour was a visit to a Street Carnival party and immersing in the dancing, thanks to Fernando. Highly recommend this tour

Great day in Rio

JOHN_A, Feb 2026

It was a fantastic experience. Patricia helped us get our day scheduled. She helped us to get our skip the line tickets to Christ the Redeemer and Sugar loaf at the appropriate times we needed. Our guide Jessica was simply amazing. She added an extra entertainment to our trip. Very knowledgeable and informative. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide. We loved her. Best ever. Wish she could follow us to all of our ports.

Carnival time / with a late flight enjoy this tour

norlyn_p, Feb 2026

We spoke on what’s app and made all our plans . Then we needed to modify and they were quick to make a great day happen .

Best day!

EDITH_T, Feb 2026

We had fun. Very informative and the guide Diogo worked with our time. He was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic in telling the story that goes with each site. We loved it!!

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Awesome, thank you Edith!

Private guide and driver, highly recommended!

Jeong_C, Feb 2026

A very convenient way to see the popular sites in Rio. Carlos is your amazing and friendly local guide and driver who will take you anywhere you want, and is happy to point out points of interest along the way. Because it is customizable, it can be as busy or as chill as you want. It is also a good use of time if you have a late flight and if you have a mid-day checkout as you can see the sights and then be dropped right at the airport.

Highly recommend!!

Suzanne_G, Feb 2026

This private tour in Rio was the way to go! When I was initially doing research, I wasn’t sure whether to pick a group tour or private tour, but this was hands down the best and I’m so happy I decided to take a private tour! Although you have to purchase the tickets yourself, they will help you decide what tickets to purchase and what times are best. Communication was excellent and Fernando was an incredible guide! We skipped the lines in many places because of how well connected Fernando was and ended up saving so much time. Skip the group tours and choose this instead! Highly recommend!!

Terrific experience 🙂

Victoria_R, Feb 2026

Beth was so accommodating and customized the tours to our preferences. We went to 6 must-stop places and each one she had tips for us from getting on the right spot on the train and cable cars up the mountain, history of the city, garden and parks. There were many street parties going on and she navigated narrow streets to make sure we arrive and walk in the best safety areas. Highly recommend!!

Highly recommended

Andy_M, Jan 2026

Well organised, complete tour, Fernando was a great tour guide. The price is a little expensive. But overall, a very nice tour!

Alex is very...

Dejan_R, Jan 2026

Alex is very knowledgeable guide, and has amazing experience in Rio. At every site we went, it looked like he knows everybody and got us through quickly… We did secure our own fast pass tickets, so we could go around all lineups with minimum hold up. The tour is good and you’ll get a good overview of Rio in short amount of time. Only one small room for improvement is better understanding around optional tours and how these work, so that we could get maximum with our time. Having fast pass allow for some extra time to be filled with additional visit or getting to know something interesting.

It was a great sp glad I...

Denise_N, Jan 2026

It was a great sp glad I did this our guide was awesome we saw sooo much. Good way to see Rio de Janeiro

Beth went out of her way...

MaryAlice_S, Jan 2026

Beth went out of her way to show us rio on a very rainy and foggy day. At the end we were finally able to get a glimpse of the Redeemer

Great private tour of Rio

KEITH_M, Jan 2026

Great day in Rio

Timberlee_G, Jan 2026

Carlos, our guide, was excellent. Despite a rainy day, we did a lot things that worked very well and enjoyed our time in Rio.

Don’t Use “Way To Know Rio”

Keith_G, Jan 2026

Unprofessional and no communication. I messaged a couple of times with questions and change to the pick up time. Auto response and one Ok. But didn’t answer our questions about tickets etc. Didn’t tell our guide and he didn’t know where to pick us up - as instructed by the tour company. So that was a half hour of confusion. The only reason this isn’t one star is that our guide - Beni - was great and flexible. If you were sure of getting him I would recommend this tour but it seems unlikely.

full day tour of Rio

Michael_M, Jan 2026

The driver has the wrong phone number with Viator so there was no way to get in contact with him..I called Viator 4 days beeefore the tour and tols thm the phone number did not work and to have the driver call me. Never heard from him. He hd no idea where to pick up people from the crise terminal so it took us 45 minutes to eventuall find him. He had no itererary planned and asked us what we wanted to see. Having never been to Rio we expected the guide to put together a full day of places to see. we had the driver take us back to the shio at 2:30pm havng picked us up at 9:45 insted of 9:00 and stopping for one hur or lunch. We have used Viator in the past with good results but this was very disappointing.

Response from Host, Feb 2026

Dear Michael, we´re terribly sorry for your experience. At time of purchase we ask you to contact our operator via WhatsApp so we can give you the guide´s contact. This is very important! We also make clear the 3 choices you have for the perfect experience (nature, art or history). Not sure what went wrong there. All companies in Brazil function like this. You could have told him where to take you in this case.